Udder, Claw, and Reproductive Health in Genomic Selection of the Czech Holstein

Abstract

The aim of this study was to construct an enhanced selection index using the genomic and economic parameters of new health disorders and current production and functional traits. Genomic evaluation for the incidence of clinical mastitis (CM), three claw disease traits, retained placenta (RET), metritis (MET), and cystic ovaries (CYS) was performed using linear animal models based on producer-recorded data. Good correlations among the health disorders were found, and their heritability estimates did not exceed 7%. Economic weights (EWs) for the health disorders were EUR −132.10 for CM, EUR −128.87 for overall claw diseases, EUR −52.10 for RET, EUR −80.48 for MET, and EUR −16.16 for CYS. These EWs indicate changes in the present value of the annual profit per cow when increasing the incidence of the traits by one case per cow year. Selection using the enhanced index resulted in favourable responses for most of the new health disorders (e.g., −0.001 and −0.006 cases of RET and MET per cow year, respectively), and also in the current breeding objective traits (+49 kg of milk, −0.02% of calf losses). An index contribution of 7% for the new health disorders was assessed as acceptable for the breeders.