Status as of: 2016-01-11

Form GE

DESCRIPTION OF NATIONAL GENETIC EVALUATION SYSTEMS

Country (or countries)	Austria & Germany (DEA)	
Main trait group1
NOTE! Only one trait group per form!	Calving	
Breed(s)	BSW	
Trait definition(s) and unit(s) of measurement2
Attach an appendix if needed	calving ease (CE, 4 categories: 1=no help, 4=caesarean)
gestation length (GL, days)	
Method of measuring and collecting data	from milk recording data (AUT) or animal identification system (DEU)	
Time period for data inclusion	since 1990	
Age groups (e.g. parities) included	all	
Other criteria (data edits) for inclusion of records	only single births	
Criteria for extension of records (if applicable)	-	
Sire categories	all	
Environmental effects3, pre-adjustments 	-	
Method (model) of genetic evaluation3	MT-AM-BLUP, direct and maternal, first and later calvings	
Environmental effects3 in the genetic evaluation model	region*year*month (F), herd (F), herd*year (R), sex (F), lactation*calving age (F), permanent environment (R)	
Adjustment for heterogeneous variance in evaluation model	-	
Use of genetic groups and relationships	Phantom parent groups based on birth year and sex	
Blending of foreign/Interbull information in evaluation	-	
Genetic parameters in the evaluation	Use Appendix GE for heritability/genetic variance estimates; for multiple-trait genetic evaluations, provide genetic correlation estimates between traits separately.
Use also appendices PR, CO, BCO, SM, LO, CA, as applicable, if you participate in the international genetic evaluations of Interbull	
System validation	Data quality checks, trend validation	
Expression of genetic evaluations
If standardised (e.g. RBV), give standardisation formula in the appendix	RBV with mean of 100 and SD=12, higher values are desirable
CE = 75% CE1 + 25% CE2
	
Definition of genetic reference base
Next base change	8 to 10 year old bulls, rolling
updated each evaluation	
Calculation of reliability	Method of Jamrozik et al. (2000)	
Criteria for official publication of evaluations	reliability for CE > 30%
EBV for GL not published	
Number of evaluations / publications per year	3	
Use in total merit index4	weight of 1% for maternal CE in TMI (GZW)	
Anticipated changes in the near future	-	
Key reference on methodology applied	Fuerst and Egger-Danner (2003): Interbull Bulletin 31: 47-51
New publication in preparation	
Key organisation: name, address, phone, fax, e-mail, web site	ZuchtData EDV-Dienstleistungen GmbH
Dresdner Strasse 89/19
A-1200 Vienna, Austria
Phone: +43 1 3341721
fuerst@zuchtdata.at, www.zuchtdata.at	
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):	Austria & Germany (DEA)	
Main trait group:	Calving	
Breed (repeat as necessary):	BSW	

Trait	Definition	ITBa	h2b	genetic
varianceb	official proof
standardisation formulac	
Direct CE1	Direct, 1st calving		0.040	0.0195	RBV = -12*√0.0195 *EBV+100	
Direct CE2	Direct, later calvings		0.032	0.0122	RBV = -12*√0.0122 *EBV+100	
Direct GL	Direct, all calvings		0.566	14.0	RBV = -12*√14.0 *EBV+100	
Maternal CE1	Maternal, 1st calving		0.057	0.0276	RBV = -12*√0.0276 *EBV+100	
Maternal CE2	Maternal, later calvings		0.028	0.0105	RBV = -12*√0.0105 *EBV+100	
Maternal GL	Maternal, all calvings		0.069	1.72	RBV = -12*√1.72 *EBV+100	
Direct CE	75% dCE1+25% dCE2	X	0.057	0.0259	RBV = -12*√0.0259 *EBV+100	
Maternal CE	75% mCE1+25% mCE2	X	0.065	0.0285	RBV = -12*√0.0285 *EBV+100	
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.

Heritabilities and genetic correlations:
	dCE1	dCE2	dGL	mCE1	mCE2	mGL	
dCE1	0.040	0.73	0.36	-0.12	-0.40	-0.24	
dCE2		0.032	0.43	-0.26	-0.41	-0.08	
dGL			0.566	-0.07	-0.21	-0.24	
mCE1				0.057	0.86	0.26	
mCE2					0.028	0.43	
mGL						0.069	

Form GE	Appendix PR

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

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

Trait	h2a	genetic
variancea	official proof
standardisation formulab	
Milk yield:
				
Fat yield:
				
Protein yield:
				
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):	Austria & Germany (DEA)	
Main trait group:	Calving Traits	
Breed(s):	BSW	

Trait	h2	genetic
variance	official proof
standardisation formulaa	
Direct calving ease:
	0.057	0.0259	RBV = -12*√0.0259 *EBV+100	
Maternal calving ease:
	0.065	0.0285	RBV = -12*√0.0285 *EBV+100	
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.

Form GE	Appendix FF

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

Country (or countries):	Austria & Germany (DEA)	
Main trait group:	Female Fertility	
Breed(s):	BSW	

Trait	h2	genetic
variance	official proof
standardisation formulaa	
Heifer conception
	0.020	0.00423	RBV = 12*√0.00423 *EBV+100	
Cow recycling
	0.050	45.1	RBV = -12*√45.1 *EBV+100	
Lactating cows ability to conceive (1)
	0.012	0.00273	RBV = 12*√0.00273 *EBV+100	
Lactating cows ability to conceive (2)	0.027	109.3	RBV = -12*√109.3 *EBV+100	
Interval traits
	0.049	87.4	RBV = -12*√87.4 *EBV+100	
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 LO

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

Country (or countries):		
Main trait group:	Workability traits	
Breed(s):		

Trait	h2	genetic
variance	official proof
standardisation formulaa	
Milking Speed
				
Temperament
				
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.