## page was renamed from CoP_chapter6 = 6. Interbull CoP - Traits and breeds = 6.1 The service considers Brown Swiss, Guernsey, Holstein-Friesian (Black & White, and Red & White), Jersey, Red Dairy Cattle, and Simmental (including Montbeliarde) type bulls (item 7.1.7). 6.2 Dairy-production traits considered are milk, fat and protein yields. Acceptable units of measurement are kilogram, liter, pound, and relative breeding value. 6.3 Conformation traits considered for Guernsey, Holstein-Friesian, Jersey, and Red Dairy Cattle breeds are: ||Trait ||Trait definition ||Alternative trait definition || ||1. Stature ||height of the rump between hips ||wither height || ||2. Chest Width ||width of the fore end of the cow; distance between the fore legs; front view ||strength || ||3. Body Depth ||depth of the last rib, deepest point of the body; side view; two dimensional ||depth of chest || ||4. Angularity ||angularity is not a single linear trait and cannot be measured; it is an essential trait to describe the perceived milk production; the extreme is a cow that shows openness and angle of the ribs, flatness of bone, sharp shouldered, long neck, clean head and lack of excess fleshing on hips and pins ||dairy character; dairy form || ||5. Rump Angle ||angle of the rump from hips to pins; side view || || ||6. Rump Width ||distance between pins ||distance between hips/thurls || ||7. Rear Leg set ||angle of the hock in the rear leg; side view || || ||8. Rear Leg Rear View ||angle of toe out of the rear foot ||locomotion || ||9. Foot Angle ||angle between ground and front of the rear foot; side view ||foot diagonal; heel depth || ||10. Fore Udder ||strength and quality of attachment between body and fore udder; side view || || ||11. Rear Udder Height ||distance between vulva and milk secreting tissue; in relation to the height of the animal ||distance between pin bone and milk secreting tissue || ||12. Udder Support ||cleft of udder; emphasis to the bottom of udder ||central ligament; median suspensory || ||13. Udder Depth ||distance between hock and bottom of udder || || ||14. Teat Placement ||placement of front teats; rear view || || ||15. Teat Length ||length of front teats; side view || || ||16. Rear Teat Placement ||position of the rear teat from the center of the quarter || || ||17. Overall conformation score || ||final score; final class || ||18. Overall udder score || || || ||19. Overall feet & leg score || || || ||20. Body Condition Score || || || ||21. Locomotion || || || Conformation traits considered for the Brown Swiss breed are: ||Trait ||Trait definition || ||1. Stature || || ||2. Chest Width || || ||3. Body Depth || || ||4. Angularity || || ||5. Rump Angle || || ||6. Rump Width (Thurl Width) || || ||7. Rear Leg Side View || || ||8. Pasterns/Foot Angle || || ||9. Deep Heel (Hoof Height) || || ||10. Fore Udder Attachment || || ||11. Rear Udder Attachment Height || || ||12. Rear Udder Attachment Width || || ||13. Udder Support || || ||14. Udder Depth || || ||15. Teat Placement || || ||16. Teat Length || || ||17. Rear Teat Placement ||position of the rear teat from the center of the quarter || ||18. Overall conformation score || || ||19. Overall udder score || || ||20. Overall feet & leg score || || ||21. Overall Frame || || ||22.Top Line || || ||23 Overall Rump || || ||24 Rump Length || || ||25 Thurl Position || || ||26 Hock Quality || || ||27 Fore Udder length || || ||28 Udder Balance || || ||29 Teat Direction || || ||30 Teat Thickness || || 6.4 Udder health traits considered are milk somatic cells and mastitis. 6.4.1 For each breed, two separate international genetic evaluations are computed. The first includes milk somatic cell national evaluations from individual countries. The second includes national evaluations for clinical mastitis as a direct trait from countries that make this information available and milk somatic cell national evaluations for all other countries. <
> 6.4.2 For clinical mastitis, bulls are required to have at least 50 daughters in at least 10 herds for inclusion in the international genetic evaluation and estimation of genetic correlations between countries, in addition to the criteria mentioned in items 5.1.3 and 5.1.4. 6.5 Longevity trait considered is direct longevity. National genetic evaluations for direct longevity should be provided if available, even if they are not officially provided in the country, which is an exception from item 7.1.5. 6.6 Calving traits considered are direct and maternal calving ease and direct and maternal stillbirth. 6.6.1 Bulls are required to have at least 50 calves in at least 10 herds for direct traits and at least 50 daughters in at least 10 herds for maternal traits for inclusion in the international genetic evaluation and estimation of genetic correlations between countries, in addition to the criteria mentioned in items 5.1.3 and 5.1.4. 6.7 Female fertility traits considered are maiden heifers ability to conceive, lactating cows ability to recycle after calving, lactating cows ability to conceive measured as a rate trait, lactating cows ability to conceive measured as an interval trait, and lactating cows measurement of interval calving conception. 6.8 Workability traits considered are milking speed and temperament. 6.9 Snp training for clinical mastitis, trait considered is clinical mastitis. 6.9.1 Data shall comply to the following requirements: Number of daughters and herds shall be based ONLY on clinical mastitis records, when genetic reliabilities are estimated with a multiple trait model the corresponding EDC calculation shall not be based on a single trait model. 6.9.2 Country willing to participate for the first time to the Snp training evaluation for clinical mastitis shall provide the following information to the Centre prior of sending their data: average count of cma daughters vs. scs daughters, average count of cma EDC vs. scs EDC, information on method used to calculate cma EDC. 6.10 A description of the national genetic/genomic evaluation system should be provided at each test run for all traits, whose genetic model has been changed, by using a ''Form GE/GENO'' (including ''Appendix GE and PR''). The form can be downloaded from the Interbull webpage [[http://www.interbull.org/index|www.interbull.org]]. Also, the zip file produced by the !TestTrend and GEBV test softwares should be provided (before the end of each test run with results pertaining to conventional validation or when available with results pertaining to genomic validation). Access to the TrendTest software is available through IDEA database, access to the GEBV test software is available on the Interbull website [[http://www.interbull.org/ib/validation|www.interbull.org]]. For more details on Interbull validation methodology please refer to APPENDIX III and VIII 6.11 Conversion coefficients are computed based on international predicted merit of bull’s that are progeny tested only in one country (country of origin), with minimum birth year 1989 in year 2004 (to be updated by 1 year at each January evaluation), in addition to the criteria mentioned in item 5.1.8. For country combinations not fulfilling these requirements, conversion equations are computed based on theoretical b-values and empirical a-values as described in item 5.1.8. 6.12 Consideration of application of international genetic/genomic evaluations on other breeds and other traits will be subject to results of pertinent research and development work. Such work would normally follow the subsequent steps: 6.12.1 Scientific research should be conducted at the Interbull Centre or at other institutes worldwide. Collaborative research proposals with Interbull are scientifically reviewed before they are adopted. Research results are usually presented at the annual Interbull meetings and reviewed by technical representatives of members and by the Interbull Technical Committee. <
> 6.12.2 When such research has advanced, pilot studies are conducted and results are distributed to participating organizations for review. <
> 6.12.3 Results from the pilot studies are reviewed, usually at a technical workshop, with principal investigators and scientists from all member countries. <
> 6.12.4 Pending the outcome of the review of pilot study results, the Interbull Steering Committee decides to proceed with the expansion of the service. A service document is prepared and distributed, and a test evaluation run is scheduled. <
> 6.12.5 Following successful completion and review of the test evaluation run, the new traits/breeds are included in the routine evaluation. <
> 6.13 Deviations from the procedure outlined in item 6.12 may be accepted by the Interbull Steering Committee, for instance when breeds and traits are added to an already established service.