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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Beltsville, Maryland (BARC) » Beltsville Agricultural Research Center » Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #382418
Research Project: Improving Dairy Animals by Increasing Accuracy of Genomic Prediction, Evaluating New Traits, and Redefining Selection Goals

Location: Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory

Title: Genomic evaluations for Feed Saved in Holsteins

Author
item PARKER GADDIS, KRISTEN - Council On Dairy Cattle Breeding
item Vanraden, Paul
item TEMPELMAN, ROBERT - Michigan State University
item WEIGEL, KENT - University Of Wisconsin
item WHITE, H - University Of Wisconsin
item PENAGARICANO, FRANCISCO - University Of Wisconsin
item KOLTES, JAMES - Iowa State University
item SANTOS, JOSE - University Of Florida
item Baldwin, Ransom - Randy
item DURR, JOAO - Council On Dairy Cattle Breeding
item BURCHARD, JAVIER - Council On Dairy Cattle Breeding
item VANDEHAAR, MIKE - Michigan State University

Submitted to: Journal of Dairy Science
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/8/2021
Publication Date: 6/20/2021
Citation: Parker Gaddis, K.L., Van Raden, P.M., Tempelman, R.J., Weigel, K.A., White, H.M., Penagaricano, F., Koltes, J.E., Santos, J.E., Baldwin, R.L., Durr, J.W., Burchard, J.F., Vandehaar, M.J. 2021. Genomic evaluations for Feed Saved in Holsteins [abstract]. Journal of Dairy Science. 104(Suppl. 1):120(abstr. 302).

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Official predicted transmitting abilities (PTA) for Feed Saved in Holsteins were released by the Council on Dairy Cattle Breeding (CDCB; Bowie, MD) beginning in December 2020. Feed intake trials were conducted mid-lactation (50 to 200 days in milk) for four to six weeks across nine herds throughout the U.S. As of the December 2020 evaluation, 6,221 phenotypes of residual feed intake (RFI) were included from 5,023 U.S. Holsteins born between 1999 to 2017. A phenotypic measure of RFI was estimated by fitting dry matter intake as a linear function of milk energy, metabolic body weight, change in body weight, and cohort effects. These RFI phenotypes were used to estimate traditional PTAs in an animal repeatability model including effects of herd management group, age by parity group, trial date, herd-sire interaction, and permanent environment. Regressions on genomic evaluations for energy corrected milk and body weight composite (BWC) were also included in the model to remove genomic correlations that were present after removing phenotypic correlations. Genomic PTAs for RFI were calculated from deregressed traditional PTA using 79,060 SNP for 3.65 million genotyped Holsteins. Feed Saved PTA are provided to the industry and calculated as a combination of RFI PTA and BWC PTA to provide expected pounds of feed saved per lactation. Genomic evaluations of Feed Saved have an average PTA of approximately 10 pounds dry matter saved per lactation, ranging from -738 pounds to 613 pounds among all genotyped animals. Young genomic bulls have an average Feed Saved reliability of 28%, while progeny-tested bulls average 38%. Given the limited reference population, collection of additional phenotypes is a primary goal. Additional feed intake trials continue to be conducted throughout the U.S. and these data are added to the CDCB feed efficiency database. Additionally, participation in international collaborations will increase the number of usable phenotypes available. Feed Saved is currently provided to the industry as an individual trait evaluation, but there are plans to incorporate it into an economic selection index in the near future.