Status as of: 2018-04-12

Form GE

DESCRIPTION OF NATIONAL GENETIC EVALUATION SYSTEMS

Country (or countries)	Germany (DEU & AUT) = DEA	
Main trait group1	CONFORMATION	
Breed(s)	BROWN SWISS	
Trait definition(s) and unit(s) of measurement2	See appendix	
Method of measuring and collecting data	Only 1st lactation linear description/scoring is included in genetic evaluation. Classifiers score a random sample of about 50 daughters from test period of AI bulls and in some herds contemporary 1st lactation cows. The selection of test daughters and contemporary cows is done by the LKV Bavaria (dairy data collection centre).	
Time period for data inclusion	Linear Scorings and classifications since 1997
Traits OCS, ORU, RTO, THP, TTH, UDB since 2008	
Age groups (e.g. parities) included	Only 1st lactation linear description/scoring is included in genetic evaluation.	
Other criteria (data edits) for inclusion of records	Age at first calving 21 – 42 months
DIM < 320 days	
Criteria for extension of records (if applicable)	None	
Sire categories	All categories	
Environmental effects3, pre-adjustments 	No	
Method (model) of genetic evaluation3	ST - AM – BLUP	
Environmental effects3 in the genetic evaluation model	F: Classifier*Year + age of first calving + stage of lactation + year*season + herd-production-level/herd + number of calving of dam + time interval from milking (udder traits) + herd*year (random)	
Adjustment for heterogeneous variance in evaluation model	Adjustment for heterogeneous variance classifier*year	
Use of genetic groups and relationships	Phantom parent groups by selection path, year and country of origin	
Blending of foreign/Interbull information in evaluation	No	
Genetic parameters in the evaluation	See Appendix GE 	
System validation	Extensive checks on data and results	
Expression of genetic evaluations
If standardised (e.g. RBV), give standardisation formula in the appendix	RBV’s for all traits
RBV’s have mean of 100 (base bulls) and s of 12.	
Definition of genetic reference base
Next base change	Rolling base, changes every evaluation by the appropriate months 
April routine evaluation 2018: Bulls born from April 2007 to March 2010	
Calculation of reliability	Approximation (Misztal-Wiggans approach)	
Criteria for official publication of evaluations	For publication of conventional ebvs: at least 20 classified daughters 
For genotyped animals the genomically enhanced breeding values as a combination of conventional ebvs and genomic ebvs are published. 	
Number of evaluations / publications per year	3 (April, August, December)	
Use in total merit index4	RBV’s for conformation traits are not included	
Anticipated changes in the near future	None	
Key reference on methodology applied	http://www.lfl.bayern.de/itz/rind/027263/index.php	
Key organisation: name, address, phone, fax, e-mail, web site	Institute of Animal Breeding; Bavarian State Research Center for Agriculture
Prof.-Duerrwaechter-Platz 1; 85586 Grub, Germany
Phone: +49 89 99 121 320; fax: +49 89 89 99 141 175
e-mail: Dieter.Krogmeier@lfl.bayern.de  web sit: www.lfl.bayern.de	
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 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	h2	genetic
variance	official proof
standardisation formula	
Stature	Height at sacrum (cm)	0.47	6.359	a=0.000   b=2.5217	
Chest width	Scale from 1-9	0.23	0.343	a= 0.000  b=0.5853	
Body depth	Body depth (cm)	0.26	2.324	a=0.000   b=1.5243	
Angularity	---	---	---	---	
Rump angle	Angle of rump from hips to pin (side view)
Scale from 1-9	0.29	0.389	a=-0.000  b=0.6239	
Rump Width	Distance between pin bones (cm)	0.28	0.433	a=0.000   b=0.6577	
Rear Leg Side View	Angle of hock in the rear leg (Scale 1-9)	0.22	0.237	a=-0.000 b=0.4871	
Pasterns/Foot Angle	Foot angle (1-9)	0.18	0.183	a=0.000   b=0.4278	
Deep Heel (Hoof Height)	Height of hoof  (1-9)	0.08	0.089	a=0.000   b=0.2977	
Fore Udder Attachment	Fore udder attachement (1-9)	0.259	0.47265	a=0.000   b=0.6875	
Rear Udder Attachment Height	Distance between vulva and milk secreting tissue (1-9)	0.18	0.253	a=0.000   b=0.5030	
Rear Udder Attachment Width	Rear udder width (1-9)	0.20	0.288	a=0.000   b=0.5363	
Udder Support	Depth of median cleft
(1-9)	0.22	0.387	a=0.000   b=0.6218	
Udder Depth	Distance between hock and bottom of udder (1-9)	0.37	0.692	a=0.000   b=0.8317	
Front Teat Placement	Placement of front teats (1-9)	0.35	0.522	a=0.000   b=0.7225	
Teat Length	Length of rear teats 
(1-9)	0.48	0.672	a=0.000   b=0.8197	
Rear Teat Placement	Rear teat placement (1-9)	0.351	0.515067	a=0.000   b=0.7177	
Overall Conformation Score	Multiple estimation OFR, ORU, OUS, OFL
OFR/ORU rg = 0.78
OFR/OUS rg = 0.28
OFR/OFL  rg = 0.22
ORU/OUS rg = 0.13
ORU/OFL rg = 0.20
OUS/OFL rg = 0.50	0.2881	2.39677	a=0.000   b=1.5482	
Overall Udder Score	Overall udder index 60-90 points	0.34	7.737	a=0.000   b=2.3404	
Overall Feet & Leg Score	Overall feet & leg index (60-90 points)	0.1402	2.4626	a=0.000   b=1.5529	
Locomotion	---	---	---	---	
Body Condition Score	---	---	---	---	
Thurl position (THP)	Official definition EA1	0.117	0.1526	a=0.000   b=0.3907	
Teat thickness (TTH)	Official definition EA1	0.257	0.2665	a=0.000   b=0.5162	
Udder balance (UDB)	Official definition EA1	0.124	0.1202	a=0.000   b=0.3467	
Top line (TPL)	Official definition EA1	0.197	0.2664	a=0.000   b=0.5161	
Hock quality (HOQ)	Official definition EA1	0.255	0.3487	a=0.000   b=0.5905	
Teat direction (TDI)	Official definition EA1	0.312	0.3486	a=0.000   b=0.5904	
Fore udder length (FUL)	Official definition EA1	0.210	0.2999	a=0.000   b=0.5476	
Rump length (RLE)	Official definition EA1	0.285	0.9953	a=0.000   b=0.9976	
Overall Frame (OFR)	Official index (60-90 points) EA1	0.306	5.580	a=0.000   b=2.3622	
Overall Rump (ORU)	Official index (60-90 points) EA1	0.164	3.420	a=0.000   b=1.8494	
1 Official Definition by the European Brown Cattle Breeders’ Association (www.brown-swiss.org/)