Heritability Estimates for First Lactation Milk Yield of Registered and Nonregistered Holstein Cows

Abstract

Heritabilities of milk yield and fat test were estimated from first lactation records of 196,672 Holstein daughter-dam pairs separately for registered and nonregistered cows for four milk yield groups and by years of freshening of the daughter. The model included herd-season and sire of the daughter. Heritability estimates were similar for registered and nonregistered cows averaging about .33 for milk yield and .62 for fat test. Estimates of heritability increased slightly over time for both milk yield and fat test. Heritability of fat test was similar for all groups. Heritability estimates for milk yield, however, averaged about .25 in low, about .35 in middle, and about .40 in high groups. © 1986, American Dairy Science Association. All rights reserved.