Status as of: 2006-10-04

DESCRIPTION OF NATIONAL GENETIC EVALUATION SYSTEMS

Country (or countries)	DEA (DEU & AUT)	
Main trait group1
NOTE! Only one trait group per form!	Health, workability	
Breed(s)	SIM, BSW	
Trait definition(s) and unit(s) of measurement2
Attach an appendix if needed	a. SCS ( log2 (SCC/100,000)+3) from first three lactations
b. Milking speed (Austria, Baden-Wuerttemberg); √kg/min from lactation 1
c. Milking speed (Bavaria); √kg/min from lactation 1
d. Milking speed (only in BSW in parts of Austria); subjectively scored on a scale from 1 (very slow) to 6 (very fast) in lactation 1	
Method of measuring and collecting data	a, c: from milk recording test plans (approved by ICAR)
b: from milking speed recording (stop watch)
d: At the same time as conformation traits are recorded; based on farmer’s appraisal	
Time period for data inclusion	All data since 1990	
Age groups (e.g. parities) included	No weightings for lactations for SCS	
Other criteria (data edits) for inclusion of records	SCS: 8 to 350 days in milk; Milking speed: 8 to 275 days in milk
Age of calving (months): 1st lact. 19-47; 2nd lact. 29-64; 3rd lact. 39-80 	
Criteria for extension of records (if applicable)		
Sire categories	All categories	
Environmental effects3, pre-adjustments 	No	
Method (model) of genetic evaluation3	MT – ML – FR – TD – BLUP – AM	
Environmental effects3 in the genetic evaluation model	F: herd test-day over lactations
F: DIM nested within region * calving year * calving season * age at calving
F:  time of milking (trait c)
R: PE of cow (traits a, c)	
Adjustment for heterogeneous variance in evaluation model	No	
Use of genetic groups and relationships	No	
Blending of foreign/Interbull information in evaluation	No	
Genetic parameters in the evaluation	See PART 2 for heritability/genetic variance estimates; for multiple-trait genetic evaluations, provide genetic correlation estimates between traits separately	
System validation	Checks on data and results	
Expression of genetic evaluations
If standardised (e.g. RBV), give standardisation formula in the appendix	RBV for SCS (combination of EBVs from three lactations: 1:1:1)
RBV for trait b (milking speed from Austria/ Baden-Wuerttemberg)
RBVs have mean of 100 (base bulls) and s of 12; RBVs > 100 are desirable 	
Definition of genetic reference base
Next base change	Bulls, 8 to 10 years old, with daughters in 10 or more herds; rolling base; changes every evaluation	
Calculation of reliability	Approximation (Misztal-Wiggans approach)	
Criteria for official publication of evaluations	Bulls: daughters in 10 or more herds	
Number of evaluations / publications per year	Four	
Use in total merit index4	Fractions of economic weights multiplied by genetic standard deviations are 9.7% for SCS and 2.0% for milking speed, respectively 	
Anticipated changes in the near future	Application of a random-regression test-day model	
Key reference on methodology applied	Sprengel et al. (2001): Proc. 2001 Interbull Meeting. Bull. No. 27.	
Key organization: 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 99 141 140 ; fax: +49 89 99 141 199
e-mail: Joerg.Dodenhoff@lfl.bayern.de; web site : 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 (e.g. direct longevity, combined 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).

Parameters used in genetic evaluation

Country (or countries):	DEA (DEU & AUT)		
Main trait group:	Health, workability		
Breed (repeat as necessary):	SIM, BSW		

Trait	Definition	ITBa	h2b	genetic
varianceb	official proof
standardisation formulac	
SCS 1st lact.	log2 (SCC/100,000)+3		.10	.2		
SCS 2nd lact.	log2 (SCC/100,000)+3		.12	.252		
SCS 3rd lact.	log2 (SCC/100,000)+3		.13	.273		
SCS lactations 1 to 3		X	.20	2.006356	RBV= -1* 12/√2.006356 *(EBV1 + EBV2 + EBV3) + 100	
Milking speed	Milking speed from Austria/ Baden-Wuerttemberg	X	.35	.010605	RBV= 12/√.010605 *EBV + 100	
Milking speed	Milking speed from Bavaria		.28	.00854		
Milking speed	Milking speed subjectively scored		.20	.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.

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.

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					
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.

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					
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.

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

Country (or countries):	DEA (DEU & AUT)	
Main trait group:	Health	
Breed(s):	BSW	

Trait	h2a	genetic
variancea	official proof
standardisation formulab	
Milk Somatic Cell:
	.20	2.006356	RBV= -1* 12/√2.006356 *
(EBV1 + EBV2 + EBV3) + 100	
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.

Genetic correlations between traits in the national genetic evaluation system for SCS and milking speed for SIM and BSW in DEU & AUT
	SCS 1st lact.	SCS 2nd lact.	SCS 3rd lact.	Milking speed AUT/BW	Milking speed  BY	Milking speed subjectively scored	
SCS 1st lact.		.88	.83	.30	.30	.30	
SCS 2nd lact.			.95	.20	.20	.20	
SCS 3rd lact.				.20	.20	.20	
Milking speed AUT/BW					.88	.80	
Milking speed BY						.80	
Milking speed subjectively scored							

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.