Status as of: 2021-02-19

Form GE

DESCRIPTION OF NATIONAL GENETIC EVALUATION SYSTEMS

Country (or countries)	BELGIUM (Walloon Region)	
Main trait group1
NOTE! Only one trait group per form!	Conformation	
Breed(s)	Red and Black Holstein	
Trait definition(s) and unit(s) of measurement2
Attach an appendix if needed	Individual linear traits on scale19, composites between 50 and 99. Stature (transformed from measured cm), Chest width, Body depth, Angularity, Rump angle, Rump width, Rear leg, Rear leg rear view, Foot angle, Fore udder, Rear udder height, Udder support, Udder depth, Teat placement, Teat-length, Body Condition Score (BCS), Conformation composite, Udder composite, Feet and legs composite. Additional 10 linear and 5 composites evaluated	
Method of measuring and collecting data	Linear and composite scores taken by classifier, two options
-	all first lactations
-	all cows at the farm

BCS taken by milk recorders	
Time period for data inclusion	Data since 1992 (included)

Data for BCS since April 2006	
Age groups (e.g. parities) included	Records in all parities of an animal included if classified in at least one of the first three parities
Records in three lactations of Holstein animals for BCS	
Other criteria (data edits) for inclusion of records	Records defined inside acceptable system x trait, genetic correlations between trait inside systems with current system check to deter mine acceptability
5 <DIM < 366
639 < age at first calving < 1501
639 + (p –1)*305 < age at later calving in parity p

BCS records from:
•	5 <DIM < 366
•	dried cows were eliminated	
Criteria for extension of records (if applicable)	N/A	
Sire categories	All sires	
Environmental effects3, pre-adjustments 	See environmental effects
N/A for BCS	
Method (model) of genetic evaluation3	MT AM using canonical transformation and allowing missing values

For BCS evaluation: MT-TDM-ML-RR-AM 	
Environmental effects3 in the genetic evaluation model	Herd x classification date x system x classifier x first or later parity (F), Minor age (15 groups in first, 4 in later parities) x system group (old vs new) (F – pre-adjusted), Minor stage (15 groups in first, 5 in later parities) x system group (old vs new) (F – pre-adjusted), Classifier x system group x major age (3 groups) (F – pre-adjusted), Classifier x system group x minor stage (3 groups) (F – pre-adjusted), PE (R). Pre-adjustment computed each year with an model without heterogeneous variance adjustments.

For BCS evaluation: Herd-test-day (F)for BCS or Herd x date scored x classifier x classification system (F) for angularity, Class of 14 DIM x age at calving group (18 groups)(F), BCS recorder RR (R) for BCS or classifier x classification system RR (R) for angularity, PE (R)	
Adjustment for heterogeneous variance in evaluation model	Within iteration estimation of variances to adjust for heterogeneity of variance by regressing observed variance towards expected variance, variance model includes: mean effect (F), mean stature in CG x first or later parities (F), size of CG x first or later parities (F), classifier x system (F), classification year x system (F), herd x system x first or later parities x 2 years’ time period (R).

No adjustment for BCS evaluation	
Use of genetic groups and relationships	Yes, genetics groups based on selection path, type of breed, degree of Holsteinisation, origin (North-America vs Europe) and time	
Blending of foreign/Interbull information in evaluation	No before INTERBULL, yes after	
Genetic parameters in the evaluation	See Appendices GE and CO	
System validation	Trend validations (Method III) & Mendelian Sampling test validation	
Expression of genetic evaluations
If standardised (e.g. RBV), give standardisation formula in the appendix	RBV, standardization of EBV by standard deviation of EBVs from the base population, standardization coefficients “b” fixed at every base change.

RBV for BCS defined as average BCS over DIM 1-305 and across first three lactations	
Definition of genetic reference base

Next base change	Cows classified and born in 2015
For BCS evaluation: cows with BCS records and born in 2005

In 2025 cows born in 2020 	
Calculation of reliability	Based on INTERBULL EDC computations	
Criteria for official publication of evaluations	First sire needs to have production evaluation
REL(stature)  50% for:
•	young sires
•	imported sires if domestic results
•	imported sires with INTERBULL results
REL (BCS) ≥ 30 % for: 
•	young sires
•	imported sires if domestic results
•	imported sires with INTERBULL results	
Number of evaluations / publications per year	3	
Use in total merit index4	V€G= V€L + V€F + V€T
V€G= V€L + V€F + V€T
V€L= -0.06 EBVmilk + 3.62 EBVfat + 4.00 EBVprot
V€F 1.79 * RBVSCS + 1.79 RBVlong + 1.79 * RBVfert + 0.89 * RBVCEd + 0.89 * RBVCEm 
-	all functional traits expressed on a 10-unit scale, means of 100 subtracted
-	coefficients only approximate as computations done using selection index procedure estimating jointly V€F, combined RBVlong and combined RBVfert from EBVs for direct longevity, indirect longevity, SCS, indirect fertility and calving ease traits.
V€T= V€M + V€C + V€P
V€M= -4.11 RBVrear leg set + (2.06 RBVrear leg rear view) + (10.54 RBVbone quality) + (9.00 RBVfeet&legs)
V€C=-4.32 RBVoverall development + 11.11 RBVudder corrected final conformation
V€P= 8.64 RBVfore udder + 14.19 RBVrear udder height + 5.55 RBVudder support + 14.19 RBVudder depth + 2.47 RBVfront teat placement + (-11.11 RBVrear teat placement ) + (-5.55 RBVteat length)	
Anticipated changes in the near future	Not yet defined	
Key reference on methodology applied	C. Bastin, L. Laloux, A. Gillon, C. Bertozzi, S. Vanderick and N. Gengler. 2007. First results of body condition score modeling for Walloon Holstein cows. INTERBULL bulletin37
C. Bastin, A. Gillon, X. Massart, H. Soyeurt, S. Vanderick, C. Bertozzi and N. Gengler. 2010. Genetic evaluation for body condition score in the Walloon Region of Belgium. 2010 Interbull Meeting, Riga, Latvia, May 31 to June 4, 2010.N. Gengler, T. Dusseldorf, G.R. Wiggans, J.R. Wright and T. Druet. 2000. Multitrait genetic evaluation of Jersey type with integrated accounting for heterogeneous (co)variances. INTERBULL Bulletin 25: 108 - 112
N. Gengler, T. Dusseldorf, G.R. Wiggans, J.R. Wright and T. Druet. 2000. Joint estimation of variances and effects in the US Jersey type evaluation system. INTERBULL Bulletin 26: 34 - 40 
Croquet C, Mayeres P., Gillon A., Vanderick S., and Gengler N. (2006). Inbreeding Depression for Global and Partial Economic Indexes, Production, Type, and Functional Traits. J. Dairy Sci.  89: 2257-2267. 
Vanderick S., Croquet C., Soyeurt H., Hammami H., Mayeres P., Gengler N. (2006). Integration of longevity into the Walloon genetic evaluation system. INTERBULL Bulletin 35.
	
Key organisation: name, address, phone, fax, e-mail, web site	Organisation responsible for genetic evaluations:
Association Wallonne de l’Elevage Asbl (awé)
4, rue des Champs Elysées
B-5590 Ciney

Computing center
University of Liège (ULiège)
Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech (GxABT)
Agriculture, Bio-engineering and Chemistry Department
Animal Science Unit
Numerical Genetics, Genomics and Modeling 
Passage des Déportés, 2
B-5030 Gembloux
Belgium

Phone: + 32/81/622206
Fax:     + 32/81/622115
E-mail : nicolas.gengler@ulg.ac.be  
WEB site for publication of sire breeding values:
              http://www.elinfo.be	
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):	BELGIUM (Walloon Region)	
Main trait group:	Conformation	
Breed(s):	Red and Black Holstein	

Trait	Definition	ITBa	h2b	genetic
varianceb	official proof
standardisation formulac	
Stature		X	0.522	1.1984		
Chest Width		X	0.141	0.1379		
Body Depth		X	0.288	0.2711		
Chest Depth			0.290	0.2353		
Loin Strength			0.209	0.2457		
Rump Length			0.189	0.1231		
Rump Angle		X	0.353	0.4568		
Hips Width			0.262	0.218		
Rump Width		X	0.310	0.2848		
Foot Angle		X	0.056	0.0439		
Rear Leg Set		X	0.150	0.1315		
Bone Quality			0.203	0.2397		
Rear Leg Rear View		X	0.094	0.0971		
Udder Balance			0.201	0.1556		
Udder Depth		X	0.286	0.2366		
Teat Placement Side			0.240	0.1971		
Udder Support		X	0.192	0.3212		
Udder Texture			0.128	0.1133		
Fore Udder		X	0.226	0.2917		
Front Teat Placement		X	0.316	0.3761		
Teat Length		X	0.344	0.3718		
Rear Udder Height		X	0.227	0.2099		
Rear Udder Width			0.189	0.1756		
Rear Teat Placement		X	0.285	0.3056		
Angularity		X	0.277	0.3056		
Overall Development			0.385	5.4834		
Overall Rump			0.187	2.3861		
Overall Feet & Leg Score		X	0.132	1.2953		
Overall Udder Score		X	0.238	1.4442		
Overall Fore Udder			0.215	2.3495		
Overall Rear Udder			0.208	1.4769		
Overall Dairy Character			0.332	3.4659		
Overall Conformation Score		X	0.359	1.4224		
						
Body Condition Score			0.194	0.0912		
			0.212	0.1128		
			0.290	0.1717		
pooled		X	0.370	0.1064		
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 CO

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

Country (or countries):	BELGIUM (Walloon Region)	
Main trait group:	Conformation	
Breed(s):	Red and Black Holstein	

Trait	Definition	h2a	genetic
variancea	official proof
standardisation formulab	
				a	b	
Stature		0.522	3.104	0.859	0.621	
Chest Width		0.141	6.312	-0.023	0.148	
Body Depth		0.288	4.694	0.203	0.240	
Angularity		0.277	5.558	0.459	0.234	
Rump Angle		0.353	5.243	0.003	0.295	
Rump Width		0.310	3.395	0.221	0.290	
Rear Leg Set		0.150	6.755	0.075	0.140	
Rear Leg Rear View		0.094	5.063	-0.036	0.138	
Foot Angle		0.056	6.772	-0.005	0.081	
Fore Udder		0.226	4.879	0.394	0.245	
Rear Udder Height		0.227	3.327	0.474	0.251	
Udder Support		0.192	4.921	0.278	0.255	
Udder Depth		0.286	3.894	0.431	0.247	
Front Teat Placement		0.316	4.274	0.410	0.297	
Teat Length		0.344	3.725	-0.099	0.316	
Rear Teat Placement		0.285	5.410	0.368	0.238	
Overall Conformation Score		0.359	4.513	1.017	0.561	
Overall Udder Score		0.238	4.391	1.129	0.574	
Overall Feet & Leg Score		0.132	6.429	0.218	0.449	
Locomotion	Considered as being rear leg rear view trait	0.094	5.063	-0.036	0.138	
Body Condition Score		0.370	2.212	-0.3778	0.2193	
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.

TABLE: Genetic correlations above, phenotypic below and heritabilities on diagonal.

	BCS1	BCS2	BCS3	Angularity	
BCS1	0.194	0.805	0.761	-0.659	
BCS2	0.323	0.212	0.819	-0.758	
BCS3	0.232	0.348	0.290	-0.733	
Angularity	-0.179	-0.145	-0.148	0.159