Status as of: 2017-08-31

DESCRIPTION OF NATIONAL GENETIC EVALUATION SYSTEMS

Country (or countries)	Estonia	
Main trait group1
NOTE! Only one trait group per form!	Production	
Breed(s)	Estonian Holstein (HOL), Estonian Red (RDC)	
Trait definition(s) and unit(s) of measurement2
Attach an appendix if needed	Milk(kg), fat(kg), protein(kg), fat(%), protein(%), all traits collected by official milk recording organisations according to ICAR rules.
EBVs are average 305d milk, fat and protein yields (kg) across lactations 1,2 and 3 with equal weights (1/3).
Percentages are calculated indirectly, using yields' EBVs and phenotypic averages of the breed.	
Method of measuring and collecting data	All valid test day records between 5 and 305 days in milk for animals with a known sire registration number and dam registration number, having at least 2 first test day records (first test day record between 5 and 100 days in milk)	
Time period for data inclusion	Since October 1, 1994	
Age groups (e.g. parities) included	3	
Other criteria (data edits) for inclusion of records	Test day 
milk (kg) between 3.0 and 90.0 
fat(%)  between 1.5 and 9.0
protein(%) between 1.0 and 7.0	
Criteria for extension of records (if applicable)	-	
Sire categories	All	
Environmental effects3, pre-adjustments 	No preadjustments for environmental effects	
Method (model) of genetic evaluation3	ST-ML-RR-TD-BLUP-AM 	
Environmental effects3 in the genetic evaluation model	F: Herd test day effect within 1st lactation, 2nd and 3rd lactation combined
F: Lactation curves defined by lactation number*breed*calving age class*calving season * calving interval class*calving year class 
(total 3*2*5*2*5*8=2400 different curves) 

R: Permanent environment effect of a cow within lactation	
Adjustment for heterogeneous variance in evaluation model	Standardization of heterogeneous variances within herd-testdate-parity-milking frequency effect is performed prior to solving mixed model equations	
Use of genetic groups and relationships	Phantom parent groups are defined separately for Estonian versus foreign ancestry according to breed, sex and year of birth 	
Blending of foreign/Interbull information in evaluation	-	
Genetic parameters in the evaluation	see PAGE 3 for heritability/genetic variance estimates; for multiple-trait genetic evaluations, provide genetic correlation estimates between traits separately	
System validation	Correlations with previous evaluations and monitoring of Mendelian sampling, analysis of results of 'verification' program.	
Expression of genetic evaluations
If standardised (e.g. RBV), give standardisation formula in the appendix	EBV(milk kg, fat kg, protein kg, fat %, protein %)
SPAV (relative breeding value milk) with mean 100 and standard deviation of 12	
Definition of genetic reference base

Next base change	EBV: all cows born 2010
RBV: AI bulls (with at least 20 daughters in at least 3 herds) born 8-13 
(for Estonian Holstein) or 8-16 (for Estonian Red) years before evaluation (yearly rolling base)
EBV: August 2020 -> all cows born in 2015
	
Calculation of reliability	Using multiple trait effective daughter contribution method	
Criteria for official publication of evaluations	At least 20 daughters in at least 3 herds with reliability >= 0.70	
Number of evaluations / publications per year	3: April, August, December	
Use in total merit index4	SPAV as the RBV(100/12) for milk with rel.weights 
EBV(fat kg) : EBV(protein kg) = 1 : 4 for Estonian Holstein
EBV(fat kg) : EBV(protein kg) = 1 : 6 for Estonian Red
SKAV (Total merit index ): 50% production traits, 25% conformation traits, 25% udder health traits	
Anticipated changes in the near future	-	
Key reference on methodology applied	Liu, Z., Reinhardt, F., and Reents, R. 2000. Estimating parameters of a   random regression test day model for first three lactation milk production traits using the covariance function approach. Interbull Bulletin 25:74-80.
Liu, Z., Reents, R., Reinhardt, F., and Kuwan, K. 2000. Approaches to estimating daily yield from single milking testing schemes and use of a.m.-p.m. records in test-day model genetic evaluation in dairy cattle. J. Dairy Sci. 83:2672-2682.
Liu, Z., Reinhardt, F., Bünger, A., Dopp, L., and Reents, R. 2001. Application of a random regression model to genetic evaluations of test day yields and somatic cell scores in dairy cattle. 
Interbull Bulletin 27:159-166.
Liu, Z., Reinhardt, F., and Reents, R. 2001. The effective daughter contribution concept applied to multiple trait models for approximating reliability of estimated breeding values. Interbull Bulletin 27:41-47.
Reents, R., Dopp, L.,Schmutz, M., and Reinhardt, F. 1998. Impact of application of a test day model to dairy production traits on genetic evaluations of cows. Interbull Bulletin 17:49-54.
Reinhardt, F., Liu, Z., Bünger, A., Dopp, L., and Reents, R. 2002. Impact of application of a random regression test day model to production trait genetic evaluations in dairy cattle. 
Interbull Bulletin 29:103-107.	
Key organization: name, address, phone, fax, e-mail, web site	Animal Recording Centre
48a Kreutzwaldi Str.
50094 Tartu
Estonia
Phone: +372 7 387 731
Fax:     +372 7 387 702
e-mail: mart.uba@epj.ee
web site: http://www.epj.ee	
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).

Parameters used in genetic evaluation

Country (or countries):	Estonia	
Main trait group:	Production	
Breed (repeat as necessary):	Estonian Holstein (HOL), Estonian Red (RDC)	

Table 1. Genetic parameters for milk, fat and protein yield on 305-day basis with heritabilities on diagonal, genetic correlations above diagonal and phenotypic correlations below diagonal
Milk production, kg
Lactation	1st lactation	2nd lactation	3rd lactation	
1st lactation	.53	.84	.84	
2nd lactation	.55	.35	.97	
3rd lactation	.52	.54	.34	
Fat yield, kg 
Lactation	1st lactation	2nd lactation	3rd lactation	
1st lactation	.52	.88	.87	
2nd lactation	.54	.36	.97	
3rd lactation	.50	.53	.36	
Protein yield, kg 
Lactation	1st lactation	2nd lactation	3rd lactation	
1st lactation	.51	.86	.84	
2nd lactation	.62	.38	.96	
3rd lactation	.57	.64	.38	

Trait	Definition	ITBa	h2b	genetic
varianceb	official proof
standardisation formulac	
Milk, kg

		x	.49	314989		
1st lactation			.53	350378		
2nd lactation			.35	321393		
      3rd lactation			.34	352384		
Fat, kg		x	.48	534		
      1st lactation			.52	525		
2nd lactation			.36	541		
      3rd lactation			.36	651		
Protein, kg

		x	.48	280		
1st lactation			.51	295		
2nd lactation			.38	293		
      3rd lactation			.38	335		

						

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):	Estonia	
Main trait group:	Production	
Breed(s):	Estonian Holstein (HOL), Estonian Red (RDC)	

Trait	h2a	genetic
variancea	official proof
standardisation formulab	
Milk yield:
	.49	314989		
Fat yield:
	.48	534		
Protein yield:
	.48	280		
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):		
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.