| Table 2. Trait definitions and heritabilities used in national evaluations for | ||
| Holstein conformation as provided by participating countries | ||
| AUS=Australia, BEL=Belgium, CAN=Canada, CHE=Switzerland, DEU=Germany, DNK=Denmark, | ||
| ESP=Spain, FRA=France, GBR=United Kingdom, ITA=Italy, NLD=Netherlands, SWE=Sweden, | ||
| USA=United States | ||
| Trait: Stature | ||
| Country | h2 | Definition |
| AUS | 0.45 | Height of rump between hips |
| BEL | 0.59 | Height of rump between hips |
| CAN | 0.53 | Height at hips |
| CHE | 0.42 | Wither height |
| DEU | 0.41 | Stature |
| DNK | 0.60 | Stature |
| ESP | 0.40 | Height at rump between hips |
| FRA | 0.47 | Height at Sacrum |
| GBR | 0.48 | Stature |
| ITA | 0.38 | Stature |
| NLD | 0.60 | Distance ground to hip bone/vertebrae |
| SWE | 0.35 | Height at rump between hip bones |
| USA | 0.42 | Distance ground to hip bone/vertebrae |
| Trait: Chest width | ||
| Country | h2 | Definition |
| AUS | 0.24 | Distance between fore legs |
| BEL | 0.23 | Distance between fore legs |
| CAN | 0.27 | Chest width |
| CHE | 0.31 | Distance between fore legs |
| DEU | 0.18 | Chest width |
| DNK | 0.18 | Chest width |
| ESP | 0.15 | Distance between fore legs |
| FRA | 0.36 | Chest Depth |
| GBR | 0.25 | Chest width |
| ITA | 0.29 | Chest width |
| NLD | 0.30 | Distance between front legs |
| SWE | 0.20 | Width between front legs, between shoulder blades and fore rib |
| USA | 0.31 | Width of chest, muzzle, and substance of bone |
| Trait: Body depth | ||
| Country | h2 | Definition |
| US | 0.24 D | epth of the last rib |
| BEL | 0.31 | Depth of the last rib |
| CAN | 0.32 | Body depth |
| CHE | 0.31 | Deepest point of the body |
| DEU | 0.24 | Body depth |
| DNK | 0.31 | Body depth |
| ESP | 0.25 | Depth and width of rib cage, side view |
| FRA | 0.36 | Chest Depth |
| GBR | 0.43 | Body depth |
| ITA | 0.31 | Body depth |
| NLD | 0.35 | Depth and width of rib cage, related to stature |
| SWE | 0.30 | Depth at the rear rib |
| USA | 0.37 | Depth of rib cage |
| Trait: Angularity | ||
| Country | h2 | Definition |
| US | 0.24 A | ngularity |
| BEL | 0.30 | Dairy character |
| CAN | 0.30 | Dairy character |
| CHE | 0.22 | Openess and angle of ribs, flatness of bone |
| DEU | 0.24 | Angularity |
| DNK | 0.31 | Dairy form |
| ESP | 0.27 | Sharpness of back and thights, openess of ribs, flatness of bone |
| FRA | - | - |
| GBR | 0.33 | Angularity |
| ITA | 0.31 | Angularity |
| NLD | 0.35 | Sharpness of back and thights, openess of ribs, flatness of bone |
| SWE | 0.35 | Dairyness |
| USA | 0.29 | Dairy Form |
| Trait: Rump angle | ||
| Country | h2 | Definition |
| AUS | 0.24 | Angle of the rump from hips to pins |
| BEL | 0.35 | Angle of the rump from hips to pins |
| CAN | 0.43 | Rump angle |
| CHE | 0.40 | Angle of the rump from hips to pins |
| DEU | 0.26 | Rump angle |
| DNK | 0.32 | Rump, side view |
| ESP | 0.11 | Angle of the rump from hips to pins |
| FRA | 0.34 | Rump angle |
| GBR | 0.31 | Rump angle |
| ITA | 0.25 | Rump angle |
| NLD | 0.35 | Slope from hips to pins |
| SWE | 0.35 | Slope from hips to pins |
| USA | 0.33 | Angle of the rump structure from hooks to pins |
| Trait: Rump width | ||
| Country | h2 | Definition |
| AUS | 0.24 | Distance between pins |
| BEL | 0.28 | Distance between pins |
| CAN | 0.34 | Width at pins |
| CHE | 0.51 | Distance between pins |
| DEU | 0.28 | Rump width |
| DNK | 0.27 | Rump width |
| ESP | 0.16 | Distance between pins |
| FRA | 0.32 | Width at Hips |
| GBR | 0.30 | Rump width |
| ITA | 0.29 | Rump width |
| NLD | 0.30 | Distance between pins |
| SWE | 0.30 | Distance between pins |
| USA | 0.26 | Distance between inside wall of pins |
| Trait: Rear leg set | ||
| Country | h2 | Definition |
| AUS | 0.17 | Side view of the angle of the hock in the rear leg |
| BEL | 0.19 | Side view of the angle of the hock in the rear leg |
| CAN | 0.26 | Rear legs side view |
| CHE | 0.16 | Side view of the angle of the hock in the rear leg |
| DEU | 0.15 | Rear leg set |
| DNK | 0.23 | Rear legs side view |
| ESP | 0.07 | Side view of the angle of the hock in the rear leg |
| FRA | 0.07 | Rear leg set |
| GBR | 0.20 | Rear leg set |
| ITA | 0.16 | Rear leg set |
| NLD | 0.35 | Curve in the hock, side view |
| SWE | 0.20 | Hock angle, side view |
| USA | 0.21 | Amount of set to the hock joint |
| Trait: Foot angle | ||
| Country | h2 | Definition |
| AUS | 0.21 | Side view foot diagonal |
| BEL | 0.14 | Foot angle |
| CAN | 0.13 | Foot angle |
| CHE | - | - |
| DEU | 0.12 | Foot angle |
| DNK | 0.13 | Foot angle |
| ESP | 0.07 | Side view of the rear foot angle |
| FRA | 0.10 | Heel depth |
| GBR | 0.14 | Foot angle |
| ITA | 0.18 | Foot angle |
| NLD | 0.20 | Claw diagonal |
| SWE | 0.20 | Toe angle formed by slope of upper claw and sole |
| USA | 0.15 | Steepness of the angle of the foot |
| Trait: Fore udder | ||
| Country | h2 | Definition |
| AUS | 0.24 | Strength and quality of attachment between body and fore udder - side view |
| BEL | 0.23 | Strength of attachment between body and fore udder |
| CAN | 0.27 | Fore udder attachment |
| CHE | 0.22 | Strength and quality of attachment between body and fore udder - side view |
| DEU | 0.21 | Fore udder |
| DNK | 0.24 | Strength of attachement |
| ESP | 0.18 | Strength and quality of attachment between body and fore udder |
| FRA | 0.20 | Fore udder |
| GBR | 0.21 | Fore udder |
| ITA | 0.15 | Fore udder |
| NLD | 0.35 | Angle between the fore udder and body wall |
| SWE | 0.30 | Strength of attachement |
| USA | 0.29 | Strength of the udder attachment to the body wall by lateral ligaments |
| Trait: Rear udder heigth | ||
| Country | h2 | Definition |
| AUS | 0.27 | Distance between vulva and milk secreting tissue |
| BEL | 0.29 | Distance between vulva and milk secreting tissue |
| CAN | 0.24 | Rear udder height |
| CHE | 0.24 | Distance between vulva and milk secreting tissue |
| DEU | 0.22 | Rear udder heigth |
| DNK | 0.22 | Rear udder width |
| ESP | 0.23 | Distance between vulva and milk secreting tissue |
| FRA | 0.20 | Rear udder heigth |
| GBR | 0.27 | Rear udder heigth |
| ITA | 0.20 | Rear udder heigth |
| NLD | 0.35 | Distance between vulva and udder fold |
| SWE | 0.35 | Distance between base of vulva and top of milk secreting tissue |
| USA | 0.28 | Point of rear udder attachment |
| Trait: Udder support | ||
| Country | h2 | Definition |
| AUS | 0.27 | Cleft of udder |
| BEL | 0.22 | Cleft of udder |
| CAN | 0.15 | Median suspensory |
| CHE | 0.26 | Cleft of udder |
| DEU | 0.13 | Udder support |
| DNK | 0.19 | Udder cleft |
| ESP | 0.17 | Cleft of udder |
| FRA | 0.26 | Udder cleft |
| GBR | 0.23 | Udder support |
| ITA | 0.15 | Udder support |
| NLD | 0.25 | Suspensory ligament |
| SWE | 0.15 | Depth of udder cleft, strength of ligament |
| USA | 0.24 | Depth of the cleft through the front and rear udder |
| Trait: Udder depth | ||
| Country | h2 | Definition |
| AUS | 0.24 | Distance between hock and bottom of udder |
| BEL | 0.38 | Distance between hock and bottom of udder |
| CAN | 0.39 | Udder depth |
| CHE | 0.28 | Distance between hock and bottom of udder |
| DEU | 0.26 | Udder depth |
| DNK | 0.36 | Udder depth |
| ESP | 0.15 | Udder to hocks |
| FRA | 0.35 | Udder-hocks distance |
| GBR | 0.34 | Udder depth |
| ITA | 0.29 | Udder depth |
| NLD | 0.45 | Distance between udder floor and ground, related to stature |
| SWE | 0.20 | Distance between udder base and hock |
| USA | 0.28 | Distance between hock and udder floor |
| Trait: Teat placement | ||
| Country | h2 | Definition |
| AUS | 0.33 | Placement of front teats - front view |
| BEL | 0.38 | Placement of front teats |
| CAN | 0.31 | Front teat placement |
| CHE | 0.43 | Placement of front teats |
| DEU | 0.22 | Teat placement |
| DNK | 0.40 | Front teat placement |
| ESP | 0.21 | Distance between front teats |
| FRA | 0.30 | Front teat placement |
| GBR | 0.28 | Teat placement |
| ITA | 0.22 | Teat placement |
| NLD | 0.45 | Distance between tips of teats, front view |
| SWE | 0.20 | Placement of teat on the udder quarter |
| USA | 0.26 | Placement of front teats viewed from the rear |
| Trait: Teat length | ||
| Country | h2 | Definition |
| AUS | 0.24 | Length of front teats - side view |
| BEL | 0.36 | Length of front teats |
| CAN | 0.30 | Front teat length |
| CHE | 0.40 | Length of front teats - side view |
| DEU | 0.25 | Teat length |
| DNK | 0.41 | Front teat length |
| ESP | 0.20 | Front teat length |
| FRA | 0.30 | Teat length |
| GBR | 0.33 | Teat length |
| ITA | 0.20 | Teat length |
| NLD | 0.45 | Teat length |
| SWE | 0.30 | Distance between teat base and tip |
| USA | 0.26 | Length of front teats |
| Trait: Overall conformation | ||
| Country | h2 | Definition |
| AUS | 0.30 | General appearance |
| BEL | 0.43 | Final score (composite trait) |
| CAN | 0.32 | Final score (individual trait) |
| CHE | 0.27 | Final score (composite trait) |
| DEU | 0.25 | Relative total breeding value for type (RZE) |
| DNK | 0.30 | Body |
| ESP | 0.29 | Final class (individual trait) |
| FRA | 0.30 | Overall score (composite trait) |
| GBR | 0.33 | Overall conformation (composite trait) |
| ITA | 0.15 | Final class (individual trait) |
| NLD | 0.30 | Overall conformation (composite trait) |
| SWE | - | - |
| USA | 0.29 | Overall conformation (individual trait) |
| Trait: Overall udder | ||
| Country | h2 | Definition |
| AUS | 0.30 | Mammary system |
| BEL | 0.36 | Overall udder (composite trait) |
| CAN | 0.29 | Mammary system |
| CHE | 0.22 | Overall udder (composite trait) |
| DEU | 0.22 | Overall udder (composite trait) |
| DNK | 0.25 | Mammary (composite trait) |
| ESP | 0.27 | Mammary system (individual trait) |
| FRA | 0.30 | Udder score (composite trait) |
| GBR | 0.26 | Overall udder (composite trait) |
| ITA | 0.25 | Overall udder (composite trait) |
| NLD | 0.35 | Qualification of the total udder (composite trait) |
| SWE | 0.20 | Overall udder (composite trait) |
| USA | 0.28 | Overall udder (composite trait) |
| Trait: Overall feet & legs | ||
| Country | h2 | Definition |
| AUS | 0.21 | Side view foot diagonal |
| BEL | 0.15 | Overall feet & legs (composite trait) |
| CAN | 0.21 | Feet & legs (individual trait) |
| CHE | 0.12 | Overall feet & legs (composite trait) |
| DEU | 0.17 | Overall feet & legs (composite trait) |
| DNK | 0.15 | Feet and legs (composite trait) |
| ESP | 0.10 | Feet and legs (individual trait) |
| FRA | 0.07 | Feet and legs score (composite trait) |
| GBR | 0.15 | Overall feet & legs (composite trait) |
| ITA | - | - |
| NLD | 0.20 | Set and bone quality of legs, quality of feet, and use of legs and feet (composite trait) |
| SWE | - | - |
| USA | 0.17 | Feet & legs score |
Last Updated on 00/02/15
By Dan Englund