INTERBULL Routine Genetic Evaluation for Dairy Production Traits
August 1998
Introduction
The ninth routine international evaluation for dairy production traits took place as scheduled at the Interbull Centre. Twenty one (21) countries provided national data for this evaluation. Results were distributed on August 10, 1998, to designated representatives in a total of twenty three (23) countries currently subscribing to the service.
International genetic evaluations for milk, fat and protein yields of bulls from Canada, Germany, Denmark, Finland, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, the United States of America, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Australia, Austria, Ireland, Spain, the Czech Republic, Slovenia, Estonia and Israel were computed. Ayrshire, Brown Swiss, Guernsey, Holstein, Jersey and Simmental breed data from 8, 10, 4, 22, 7 and 7 bull populations, respectively, were included in this evaluation.
Changes compared to the previous (February 1998) INTERBULL evaluation
New data (national genetic evaluations):
Changes in the INTERBULL evaluation
Data and method of analysis
Data were national genetic evaluations of AI sampled bulls with daughters in at least 10 herds. Table 1 presents the type and amount of data included in this Interbull evaluation. The difference between "No. Records" and "No. Bulls" is explained by common bulls with proofs in more than one country. The entry "Publishable Proofs" reflects bulls whose international evaluations were distributed to service customers. The difference between "No. Bulls" and "Publishable Proofs" is explained by bulls not meeting the minimum criterion for official publication in the country of origin.
Estimated genetic parameters are shown in APPENDIX I. Parameters are listed by breed, trait, and country.
National proofs were first de-regressed within country and then analysed jointly with a linear model including the effects of evaluation country, genetic group of bull and bull merit. Different breeds were analysed separately. Heritability estimates used in both the de-regression and international evaluation were as in each country's national evaluation (Table 1).
Ancestor-bulls without own proofs were traced back two generations from the oldest bulls with proofs in order to increase across country connections and account for the effect of selection.
Genetic groups were defined according to unidentified parents by national origin, breed and birth year of the bull and path of selection (sire, maternal grand-sire, maternal grand-dam). Birth year grouping was by 1-5 year periods. Smaller groups (consisting of less than 10 bulls) were combined.
Publication of INTERBULL evaluations
Results were distributed by the Interbull Centre to designated representatives in each country. The international evaluation file comprised international proofs expressed on the base and unit of each country included in the analysis. Hopefully such records readily provide more information on bull performance in various countries, thereby minimising the need to resort to conversions.
At the same time, all recipients of Interbull results are expected to honour the agreed code of practice, as decided by the Interbull Steering Committee, and only publish international evaluations on their own country scale. Evaluations expressed on another country scale may only be used for internal purposes.
Use of INTERBULL evaluations in various countries
Table 2 presents current national policies regarding use of INTERBULL evaluations in countries participating with data. These statements do not provide permission to any country for publication of international evaluations expressed on the scale of another country. Publication references pertain to each country's own scale.
Table 3 shows release dates of national and INTERBULL evaluation results in various countries.
INTERBULL conversions
Since all data are now becoming available, conversions are not as useful as before. When an international proof is available, customers of the service are encouraged to use this instead of a converted proof. Conversion coefficients were, however, computed from international evaluation results and may be considered "Proposed Interbull Conversions" for the interim until the next international evaluation run.
Next test international evaluation
The next test international evaluation is scheduled for September 1998. Countries wishing to enter the system for the first time or planning to submit new information (critically modified evaluation procedure, new breeds etc) for the next routine evaluation must have their data tested in this test run. Deadline for sending new data to the Interbull Centre for the next test run is September 1, 1998.
Next routine international evaluation
The next routine international evaluation is scheduled for November 1998. New data for that run should reach the Interbull Centre not later than October 30, 1998; in any case, the most recently received data will be considered. Results will be distributed on November 9, 1998.
Means of result distribution from the INTERBULL Centre
Electronic exchange of data is probably more efficient than anything else. Currently most countries in the service have established internet connections and receive international evaluation results on the day of their release. Subscribers to the service that do not already exercise this option are encouraged to consider it and establish an internet connection and ftp account. When such accounts are available, please provide their specifications to the INTERBULL Centre. Until then, data will be delivered in diskettes.
For more information about the international genetic evaluation service please contact the INTERBULL Centre: address: SLU Box 7023, 750 07 Uppsala, Sweden; tel: +46-18-671974; fax: +46-18-672648;
e-mail: Georgios.Banos_at_hgen.slu.se
e-mail: Freddy.Fikse_at_hgen.slu.se
e-mail: Jan.Philipsson_at_hgen.slu.se
e-mail: Dan.Englund_at_hgen.slu.se
Table 1. National evaluation data considered in the Interbull evaluation for dairy production traits (August 1998) | |||||||||||
National evaluation | Number of records by breed | ||||||||||
Brown |
|||||||||||
Country | month-year |
model |
Ayrshire | Swiss | Guernsey | Holstein | Jersey | Simmental | |||
Canada | 8-98 | .33 | AM | 395 | 60 | 67 | 4685 | 255 | |||
Germany | 7-98 | .35-.37 | AM TD | 6795 | |||||||
Germany | 8-98 | .26-.30 | AM MT | 1596 | 7823 | ||||||
Denmark | 7-98 | .30 | AM | 1462 | 4098 | 1371 | |||||
Finland | 5-98 | .30 | AM | 2789 | 561 | ||||||
France | 6-98 | .30 | AM | 140 | 7759 | 1873 | *** | ||||
France | 6-98 | .30 | AM | 144 | **** | ||||||
Italy | 6-98 | .30 | AM | 3010 | |||||||
Italy | 8-98 | .26-.29 | AM | 556 | |||||||
Italy | 4-98 | .29-.33 | AM | 412 | |||||||
Netherlands | 7-98 | .35 | AM | 35 | 5323 | 27 | |||||
Norway | 6-98 | .20 | SM | 2167 | |||||||
Sweden | 7-98 | .25 | SM | 2747 | 1514 | ||||||
Unit. States | 8-98 | .30 | AM | 237 | 358 | 550 | 15795 | 1390 | |||
Switzerland | 7-98 | .25-.29 | AM | 444 | * | ||||||
Switzerland | 8-98 | .32-.33 | AM | 1410 | |||||||
Switzerland | 6-98 | .34-.38 | AM | 418 | ** | 1669 | |||||
Unit. Kingdom | 7-98 | .35 | AM | 225 | 89 | 2338 | 177 | ||||
New Zealand | 6-98 | .28-.35 | AM | 547 | 2366 | 1881 | |||||
Australia | 7-97 | .25 | AM | 234 | 63 | 2428 | 553 | ||||
Austria | 1-98 | .27-.30 | AM MT | 235 | |||||||
Austria | 7-98 | .27-.30 | AM MT | 1286 | 3287 | ||||||
Ireland | 2-98 | .35 | AM | 620 | |||||||
Spain | 2-98 | .25 | AM | 609 | |||||||
Czech Rep. | 1-98 | .23-.24 | AM MT | 867 | |||||||
Slovenia | 7-98 | .25 | SM | 165 | 62 | 235 | |||||
Estonia | 6-98 | .23-.24 | AM MT | 413 | |||||||
Israel | 4-98 | .25 | AM | 504 | |||||||
No. Records | 9341 | 7068 | 769 | 60844 | 5654 | 15443 | |||||
No. Bulls | 9130 | 6520 | 705 | 56575 | 5251 | 14921 | |||||
Publishable Proofs | 8939 | 6426 | 704 | 55691 | 5234 | 14522 |
Table 2. National policies regarding use of Interbull evaluations for dairy production traits by breed of evaluation where each country participates | |
Country | Policy RE: Interbull evaluations |
Canada | official for foreign bulls unless national proof with min. reliability 75% is available (Holstein) ; official for foreigni bulls (Ayrshire, Brown Swiss, Jersey, Guernsey). |
Germany | official for foreign bulls unless national proof with min. reliability 85% is available. |
Denmark | official for foreign bulls unless national proof with min. reliability 85% (Holstein) or 60% (Brown Swiss, Jersey) is available. |
Finland | official for foreign bulls (Ayrshire, Holstein). |
France | official for foreign bulls unless official national proof is available (Holstein, Brown Swiss, Montbeliarde and Simmental). |
Italy | Holstein: unofficial; Brown Swiss: official for foreign bulls unless national proof with min. reliability 85% is available; Simmental: unofficial. |
Netherlands | official for foreign bulls unless national proof with min. reliability 95% is available (Holstein incl Red & White, Brown Swiss, Jersey). |
Norway | official for foreign bulls (Ayrshire). |
Sweden | official for foreign bulls (Holstein, Ayrshire). |
United States | Holstein, Ayrshire, Jersey, Guernsey: official if they contain more daughters, national reliability is less than 85% and Interbull reliability is at least as high. Brown Swiss: official if Interbull reliability is at least 5% higher than the national reliability. |
Switzerland | official for foreign bulls unless national proof with min. 85% reliability is available (Holstein, Brown Swiss, Simmental); for Simmental, bulls must also be registered in the Simmental herdbook as foreign. |
United Kingdom | Holstein: unofficial; Ayrshire, Jersey, Guernsey: blended into official national evaluations. |
New Zealand | blended into official national evaluations (Holstein, Ayrshire, Jersey) |
Australia | official for foreign bulls unless national proof based on min. 15 herds with min. reliability 63% is available (Holstein, Ayrshire, Jersey, Guernsey). |
Austria | official for foreign bulls (Holstein, Brown Swiss, Simmental). |
Belgium | official for foreign bulls unless national proof with min. reliability 85% based on min 20 daughters in 15 herds is available (Holstein incl. Red & White). |
Ireland | official for foreign bulls (Holstein). |
Spain | official for foreign bulls unless official national proof is available (Holstein). |
Czech Republic | official for foreign bulls (Holstein). |
Slovenia | official for foreign bulls (Holstein, Brown Swiss, Simmental). |
Estonia | official unless national proof with min. reliability 70% is available (Holstein) |
Table 3. Release dates of national and Interbull evaluations for dairy production traits in relation to the next two Interbull runs; applies to all breeds unless otherwise stated | |||||
. | |||||
Country | National release | Interbull release | |||
Canada | 10 | August 1998 | 11 | August 1998 | |
2 | November 1998 | 10 | November 1998 | ||
Germany | Holstein | 3 | August 1998 | 13 | August 1998 |
2 | November 1998 | 12 | November 1998 | ||
Brown Swiss | 11 | August 1998 | 11 | August 1998 | |
% Simmental | 11 | November 1998 | 11 | November 1998 | |
Denmark | 15 | July 1998 | 15 | August 1998 | |
15 | October 1998 | 15 | November 1998 | ||
Finland | 20 | May 1998 | 11 | August 1998 | |
9 | September 1998 | 10 | November 1998 | ||
France | 30 | June 1998 | 11 | August 1998 | |
27 | October 1998 | 12 | November 1998 | ||
Italy | Brown Swiss | 27 | July 1998 | 12 | August 1998 |
28 | October 1998 | 13 | November 1998 | ||
Holstein | 9 | September 1998 | |||
10 | December 1998 | ||||
Netherlands | 10 | August 1998 | 10 | August 1998 | |
9 | November 1998 | 9 | November 1998 | ||
Sweden | 7 | July 1998 | 14 | August 1998 | |
USA | 10 | August 1998 | 10 | August 1998 | |
9 | November 1998 | 9 | November 1998 | ||
Switzerland | |||||
Holstein | 15 | July 1998 | 14 | August 1998 | |
15 | October 1998 | 13 | November 1998 | ||
Brown Swiss | 15 | August 1998 | 15 | August 1998 | |
15 | November 1998 | 15 | November 1998 | ||
Simmental & Red | 1 | July 1998 | 15 | August 1998 | |
1 | November 1998 |
15 | November 1998 |
||
New Zealand | 17 | August 1998 | 17 | August 1998 | |
16 | November 1998 | 16 | November 1998 | ||
Australia | 6 | July 1998 | 12 | August 1998 | |
10 | November 1998 | ||||
Ireland | 17 | August 1998 | |||
16 | November 1998 | ||||
Spain | 20 | July 1998 | 20 | August 1998 | |
Estonia | 1 | July 1998 | 13 | August 1998 | |
12 | November 1998 | 12 | November 1998 | ||
Norway | 1 | June 1998 | 15 | August 1998 | |
16 | November 1998 | ||||
UK | Holstein: | 10 | August 1998 | ||
Holstein: | 9 | November 1998 | |||
others; | 17 | August 1998 | 17 | August 1998 | |
others; | 16 | November 1998 | 16 | November 1998 | |
Belgium | 12 | August 1998 | |||
11 | November 1998 | 11 | November 1998 |