Status as of: 2012-09-01

Form GE

DESCRIPTION OF NATIONAL GENETIC EVALUATION SYSTEMS

Country (or countries)	Argentina	
Main trait group1
NOTE! Only one trait group per form!	Production	
Breed(s)	Holstein	
Trait definition(s) and unit(s) of measurement2
Attach an appendix if needed	Milk yield kg, fat yield kg., fat percentage,  protein yield kg., protein percentage (all in 305 days).	
Method of measuring and collecting data	Direct: production of milk kg., fat and protein in 305 days calculated with Fleischman method from monthly test day data. Indirect: percentages are calculated from yield figures at 305 days. 
Through Official Milk Recording System with approved methods under ICAR Rules and Guidelines (2011).	
Time period for data inclusion	Lactations since 1988	
Age groups (e.g. parities) included	First to five parities included; first lactation is required before later lactations can contribute to sire evaluation. The effect Parity number-age at calving is included in the evaluation model.   	
Other criteria (data edits) for inclusion of records	Sire identified and non-identified records. Age at calving: 18-117 mo.
Records< 305 days excluded. 	
Criteria for extension of records (if applicable)		
Sire categories	All sires (most of them of AI category)	
Environmental effects3, pre-adjustments 	   	
Method (model) of genetic evaluation3	ST-RP-BLUP-AM	
Environmental effects3 in the genetic evaluation model	HYS 20 369 levels (F), Calving Month 12 levels (F), Parity number-age at calving 38 (F), PE (R),	
Adjustment for heterogeneous variance in evaluation model		
Use of genetic groups and relationships	Genetics groups based on country of origin, sex and birth year.	
Blending of foreign/Interbull information in evaluation		
Genetic parameters in the evaluation	h2= 0.25; t= 0.40.	
System validation	Checks on data quality: means and SDs. Method I for trend validation. Changes for high bulls in the GE. 	
Expression of genetic evaluations
If standardised (e.g. RBV), give standardisation formula in the appendix	PTA in kg and component %.	
Definition of genetic reference base
Next base change	Fixed, average PTA for cows born in 2005.
Next base change: February 2015 (cows born in 2010)	
Calculation of reliability	Meyer approximate accuracy method. Meyer, K.1989. Approximate Accuracy of genetic evaluation under and animal Model. Livestock Production Science. 21: 87-100. 	
Criteria for official publication of evaluations	High bulls: Minimum 75% REL and 20 daughters in 10 herds.
Other: Minimum of 60% REL.	
Number of evaluations / publications per year	2. February and August.	
Use in total merit index4		
Anticipated changes in the near future		
Key reference on methodology applied	Jurado, J.J., Hernández, D. 1990. Catálogo de Software de Interés en Agricultura. Ministerio de Agricultura, Pesca y Alimentación (MAPA). Programa 113. 81p.	
Key organisation: name, address, phone, fax, e-mail, web site	Asociación Criadores de Holando Argentino. Laprida 1818. Buenos Aires. República Argetnina. Tel/fax: 54-11-4805-8352. e-mail: info@acha.org.ar 	
1) Either: Production (e.g. milk, fat, protein), Conformation, Health (e.g. mastitis resistance, milk somatic cell, resistance to diseases other than mastitis), Longevity, Calving (e.g. stillbirth, calving ease), Female fertility (e.g. non-return rate, interval between reproductive events, number of AI’s, heat strength), Workability (e.g. milking speed, temperament), Beef production, Efficiency (e.g. body weight, energy balance, body conditioning score), or Other traits.
2) Indicate frequencies per category if the trait is categorical and specify transformation of data if practiced.
3) Use abbreviations for most common effects (see document with list of abbreviations at http://www-interbull.slu.se/service_documentation/General/list_of_abbreviations.rtf) and indicate random (R) or fixed (F).
4) Please give economic weights and indicate how they are expressed (preferably in genetic standard deviation units).

Form GE	Appendix GE

Parameters used in genetic evaluation

Country (or countries):	Argentina	
Main trait group:	Production	
Breed (repeat as necessary):	Holstein	

Trait	Definition	ITBa	h2b	genetic
varianceb	official proof
standardisation formulac	
Milk	Milk kg in 305 days	X	0.25	SD = 449		
Fat	Fat kg in 305 days	X	0.25	SD = 16		
Protein	Protein Kg in 305 days	X	0.25	SD = 15		

						

						

						

						

a	Indicate, with X, traits that are submitted to Interbull for international genetic evaluations.
b	If repeated records are treated as separate traits, provide heritability estimates and genetic variances separately for each trait, as well as for all traits pooled, i.e. for the trait submitted to Interbull.
c	Expressed as follows:
StandEval=((eval-a)/b)*c+d where a=mean of the base adjustment, b=standard deviation of the base, c=standard deviation of expression (include sign if scale is reversed), and d=base of expression.

Form GE	Appendix PR

Parameters for national genetic evaluations for production traits as provided to Interbull

Country (or countries):	Argentina	
Main trait group:	Production	
Breed(s):	Holstein	

Trait	h2a	genetic
variancea	official proof
standardisation formulab	
Milk yield:
	0.25	SD = 449		
Fat yield:
	0.25	SD = 16		
Protein yield:
	0.25	SD = 15		
a	If lactations, or part of lactations, are treated as separate traits, provide heritability estimates and genetic variances separately for each lactation, as well as for all lactations pooled, i.e. for the trait submitted to Interbull.
b	Expressed as follows:
StandEval=((eval-a)/b)*c+d where a=mean of the base adjustment, b=standard deviation of the base, c=standard deviation of expression (include sign if scale is reversed), and d=base of expression.

Form GE	Appendix CO

Parameters for national genetic evaluations for conformation traits as provided to Interbull
(all breeds except Brown Swiss)

Country (or countries):		
Main trait group:	Conformation	
Breed(s):		

Trait	Definition	h2a	genetic
variancea	official proof
standardisation formulab	
Stature					
Chest Width					
Body Depth					
Angularity					
Rump Angle					
Rump Width					
Rear Leg Set					
Rear Leg Rear View					
Foot Angle					
Fore Udder					
Rear Udder Height					
Udder Support					
Udder Depth					
Front Teat Placement					
Teat Length					
Rear Teat Placement					
Overall Conformation Score					
Overall Udder Score					
Overall Feet & Leg Score					
Locomotion					
Body Condition Score					
a	If repeated records are treated as separate traits, provide heritability estimates and genetic variances separately for each trait, as well as for all traits pooled, i.e. for the trait submitted to Interbull.
b	Expressed as follows:
StandEval=((eval-a)/b)*c+d where a=mean of the base adjustment, b=standard deviation of the base, c=standard deviation of expression (include sign if scale is reversed), and d=base of expression.

Form GE	Appendix BCO

Parameters for national genetic evaluations for conformation traits as provided to Interbull

Country (or countries):		
Main trait group:	Conformation	
Breed:	Brown Swiss	

Trait	Definition	h2a	genetic
variancea	official proof
standardisation formulab	
Stature					
Chest width					
Body depth					
Angularity					
Rump angle					
Rump Width					
Rear Leg Side View					
Pasterns/Foot Angle					
Deep Heel (Hoof Height)					
Fore Udder Attachment					
Rear Udder Attachment Height					
Rear Udder Attachment Width					
Udder Support					
Udder Depth					
Front Teat Placement					
Teat Length					
Rear Teat Placement					
Overall Conformation Score					
Overall Udder Score					
Overall Feet & Leg Score					
Locomotion					
Body Condition Score					
a	If repeated records are treated as separate traits, provide heritability estimates and genetic variances separately for each trait, as well as for all traits pooled, i.e. for the trait submitted to Interbull.
b	Expressed as follows:
StandEval=((eval-a)/b)*c+d where a=mean of the base adjustment, b=standard deviation of the base, c=standard deviation of expression (include sign if scale is reversed), and d=base of expression.

Form GE	Appendix SM

Parameters for national genetic evaluations for udder health traits as provided to Interbull

Country (or countries):		
Main trait group:	Health	
Breed(s):		

Trait	h2a	genetic
variancea	official proof
standardisation formulab	
Milk Somatic Cell:
				
Clinical Mastitis:
				
a	If repeated records are treated as separate traits, provide heritability estimates and genetic variances separately for each trait, as well as for all traits pooled, i.e. for the trait submitted to Interbull.
b	Expressed as follows:
StandEval=((eval-a)/b)*c+d where a=mean of the base adjustment, b=standard deviation of the base, c=standard deviation of expression (include sign if scale is reversed), and d=base of expression.

Form GE	Appendix LO

Parameters for national genetic evaluations for longevity traits as provided to Interbull

Country (or countries):		
Main trait group:	Longevity	
Breed(s):		

Trait	h2	genetic
variance	official proof
standardisation formulaa	
Direct longevity:
				
Combined longevity:
				
a	Expressed as follows:
StandEval=((eval-a)/b)*c+d where a=mean of the base adjustment, b=standard deviation of the base, c=standard deviation of expression (include sign if scale is reversed), and d=base of expression.

Form GE	Appendix CA

Parameters for national genetic evaluations for calving traits as provided to Interbull

Country (or countries):		
Main trait group:	Calving Traits	
Breed(s):		

Trait	h2	genetic
variance	official proof
standardisation formulaa	
Direct calving ease:
				
Maternal calving ease:
				
Direct stillbirth:
				
Maternal stillbirth:
				
a	Expressed as follows:
StandEval=((eval-a)/b)*c+d where a=mean of the base adjustment, b=standard deviation of the base, c=standard deviation of expression (include sign if scale is reversed), and d=base of expression.