Status as of: 2019-04-16

Form GE

DESCRIPTION OF NATIONAL GENETIC EVALUATION SYSTEMS

Country (or countries)	France	
Main trait group1
NOTE! Only one trait group per form!	Female Fertility	
Breed(s)	Holstein and Pie Rouge (HOL), Brown Swiss (BSW)	
Trait definition(s) and unit(s) of measurement2
Attach an appendix if needed	Conception rate for maiden heifers (=HCO for all breeds) and lactating cows (=CC1 for all breeds and CC2 for BSW). For both traits, results of each insemination (1= success/0=failure) of AI made in milk recorded herds. Results are defined using the following rules :
•	when there was a subsequent calving, the successful insemination is defined as the closest service to the theoretical conception date. The theoretical gestation length was 282 days. Moreover, the interval from successful service to calving is restricted to the standard gestation length +/- 15 days. Subsequent inseminations within the same parity are discarded, whereas preceding inseminations are considered as failed. A insemination, which occurred within a 3-day period before the successful insemination, is discarded.
•	the last insemination was considered as successful if abortion or early calving may be assumed, ie when a calving was recorded between 45 and 267 days after the last insemination. 
•	the last insemination, if recorded in the last 340 days, was given a probability of gestation (between 0 and 1, instead of 0 or 1) according to statut ( heifer or lactating cows), rank of insemination (1, 2,  3 and more), time elapsed since the insemination (1 to 340 days).
•	when there was no subsequent calving, all inseminations but the last are considered as failed. The last insemination is considered as successful, except when days in milk in current lactation are more than 260 days and the insemination was older than 340 days, ie when the cow was likely to have been culled for non pregnancy. 
•	 when several inseminations occurred within a 4-day period, only the first one is considered.

Interval between calving and first AI (=IVIA1=CRC for all breeds) reflect the genetic ability to initiate postpartum cycling even if, associated with AI, it depends partly on breeder decision. This interval is evaluated in day. A positive value corresponds to a short interval after calving.

Interval between first and last AI (=IFL=CC2 and INT for HOL breed only) : 
•	when the last AI was considered as successful, the interval is calculated as day of last AI – day of first AI. 
•	when the last AI was considered as failure, the interval is calculated as day of last AI – day of first AI + 68 days.
•	This interval is evaluated in days.
A positive value corresponds to a short interval between first and last AI	
Method of measuring and collecting data	data collected by AI studs	
Time period for data inclusion	AI made since  1st Sept 1995	
Age groups (e.g. parities) included	Parities from 0 to 3	
Other criteria (data edits) for inclusion of records	Mean conception rate is computed for each herd-year cell.  Data from herd-year cells with mean conception rate under 0.12 are discarded.
Only the first 3 inseminations for each parity
Inseminations performed less than 6 months before evaluation are discarded for conception rate and IFL and 3 months for IVIA1.
	
Criteria for extension of records (if applicable)	none	
Sire categories	All AI bulls. AI corresponding to Embryo Transfer discarded.	
Environmental effects3, pre-adjustments 	none 	
Method (model) of genetic evaluation3	Breeding evaluation in 3 steps for conception rate : 
1-  ST- AM- RP BLUP   separetely  for maiden heifers and  lactating cows
2-  Compute individual mean deviations (û+ê) separetely for maiden heifers and cows
3-  MT-AM-BLUP on individual mean deviations (one heifer deviation and one cow deviation for each animal)
First step only for IVIA1 for lactating cows
First step only for IFL, evaluated only on lactating cows.	
Environmental effects3 in the genetic evaluation model	HY of insemination combination (F); Year-Technician (F), Month-Year-Region (F, 19 regions are defined) , Week day-Year-Region (F), Parity-Year (F, only for lactating cows), Year-Calving insemination interval (F, 10-day classes) for lactating cows, or year-age at insemination (months) for heifers (F), PE ( R), Service bull (R) , cow and embryo inbreeding effects
For Lactating cow’s ability to start cycling (IVIA1) the evaluation model include the following environmental effects: Hear-year (F), calving month-year-region (F), calving age (F) and parity preceding AI (F).
For IFL, the evaluation model includes the following environmental effects: HY of insemination combination (F); Month-Year-Region (F, 19 regions are defined) , Parity-Year (F), Year-Calving insemination interval (F, 10-day classes), PE ( R)	
Adjustment for heterogeneous variance in evaluation model	None	
Use of genetic groups and relationships	Breed of service bull (F) for conception rate only; 
Relationship between animals. Groups for unknown parents  according to birth year, sex and country of origin	
Blending of foreign/Interbull information in evaluation	No	
Genetic parameters in the evaluation	Female fertility traits :h²=2%;    t=5%,  
Variance of  Service bull effect = 0.01 * residual variance
Lactating cow’s ability to start cycling : 
•	HOL : h²=6.1%;    t=12.2%
•	BSW: h²=3.7%;    t=8.1%
Lactating cow’s interval from first to last AI:
•	HOL : h²=4.1%;    t=11.4%
•	BSW: h²=1.9%;    t=7.3%
	
System validation	Analysis of daughter deviation, Analysis of official national genetic merit variation across evaluation runs	
Expression of genetic evaluations
If standardised (e.g. RBV), give standardisation formula in the appendix	Standardised EBV.	
Definition of genetic reference base
Next base change	Yearly rolling base, updated in February: average cows EBV born from (n-8) to (n-6) years. 
March 2017 (These bases are updated each year in the 1st evaluation of the year).	
Calculation of reliability	1- Compute Weighting Factors for each sire according to Interbull Code of Practice (2004, Appendix IV Weighting factors..)
•	EDC(o+d)  computed  using the multiple trait model method for step one 
•	Ws=  EDC(o+d) for each bull 
2- Compute sire  reliabilty by using pedigree (Sire + MGS) and daughter informations   in 5 steps (method proposed by Van RADEN et WIGGANS, 1991) :
•	Repeatability for each sire REL  = Ws  / (Ws + K) with K= ( 4-h2 )  /  h2
•	Pedigree (Sire + Mgs)  reliability  : RELPA = 0.25 ( RELSIRE + 0.25 RELMGS)
•	Daughter Equivalents from parents: DEPA=  (K*RELPA) / (1-RELPA)
•	Daughter equivalents for bull  DE= DEPA + Ws
•	Repeatability for sire =  DE / ( DE + K )	
Criteria for official publication of evaluations	Bulls with REL0.50 (HOL : only bulls progeny tested in France)
	
Number of evaluations / publications per year	3: April, August, December	
Use in total merit index4	1.	Use in Fertility Composite
•	HOL, Normande, Montbéliarde, BSW
       Fertility  Composite = (0.50 cow Fertility + 0.25 heifer Fertility + 0.25 Interval from calving to first service) / 0.6965

2.	Use in ISU= Index de Synthèse UPRA = total merit index
Defined by each breed: For ISU, Combined functionnal proofs are computed by an approximate MT BLUP AM based on precorrected records for Functionnal (SCC, Fertility, Longevity), dairy (Milk Yield and Protein content), Milking Speed and 5 type traits. (cmb= combined in the following formulae):

•	Prim’Holstein (HOL): ISU = 19.62 /0.35 (0.35 SYNT/25.2 + 0.108 SCC + 0.072 MACL + 0.11 cow fertility + 0.055 heifer fertility + 0.055 Interval from calving to first service + 0.05 longevity + 0.05 Milking speed + 0.15 Overall conformation) +100
With SYNT =  1.079 (Protein Y + 0.1 Fat Y + 0.5 Fat content  + Protein Content) 
(35% Production, 15% Conformation, 22% Female Fertility, 18% Udder Health, 5% Longevity, 5% Milking Speed)

•	Normande: ISU = 22.11 /0.40 (0.40 SYNT /22.45 + 0.0925 SCC + 0.0925 MACL + 0.0775 cow fertility + 0.03875 heifer fertility + 0.03875 Interval from calving to first service + 0.05 longevity + 0.03 Milking speed + 0.18 Overal conformation) +100
With SYNT = 1.098 (Protein Y + 0.1 Fat Y)
(40% Production, 18% Conformation, 15.5% Female Fertility, 18.5% Udder Health, 5% Longevity, 3% Milking Speed)

•	Montbéliarde(MON): ISU =  23.39 /0.45 (0.45 SYNT/25.2 + 0.087 SCC + 0.058 MACL + 0.09 cow fertility + 0.045 Heifer fertility + 0.045 Interval from calving to first service + 0.05 heifer fertility + 0.05 [TR/Teat-100]/12 + 0.125 [Overall conformation-100]/12) + 100 
With SYNT = 1.055 Protein Y + 0.1 Fat Y. + 3 Protein Content + 0.5 Fat content 
(45% Production, 12.5% Conformation, 18% Female Fertility, 14.5% Udder Health, 5% Longevity, 5% Milking Speed)

•	Brune (BSW): ISU =100 + 18.11 * (INEL/20 + 0.50 cmb SCC 
+ 0.50cmb Fertility + 0.125 cmb longevity + 0.325 overall type) 
(40% Production, 20% SCC, 20% Female Fertility, 15% Conformation, 5% Longevity)

•	Pie Rouge : ISU = 100 + 18.09 [SYNT/20 + 0.20 SCC + 0.25 Cow Fertility + 0.20 LGFC + 0.25 (Overall Conformation – 100)/12]
with SYNT = 0.99 [ Prot Y + 0.2 * Fat Y + 2 * Prot content  + Fat content]

For more details: see Ducrocq et al, 2001	
Anticipated changes in the near future		
Key reference on methodology applied	Boichard D., Barbat A., Briend M., 1997 : Genetic evaluation for fertility in French dairy cattle – Gift workshop, Novembre 23-25, Grub (Germany)
Boichard D., Barbat A., Briend M., 1998 : Evaluation génétique des caractères de fertilité femelle chez les bovins laitiers, Journées 3R, 1998, 5, 103-106
Ducrocq V. , Boichard D. , Barbat A. , and Larroque H, 2001 : Multitrait evaluation and total merit Index. EAAP Meeting, Budapest, August 2001
VanRaden P.M. , Wiggans G.R. 1991, Derivation, calculation and use of national animal model information   J. Dairy Sci. 74: 2737-2746	
Key organisation: name, address, phone, fax, e-mail, web site	Computing: 
GenEval
Evaluation génétique des animaux d’élevage
3 rue du Petit Robinson
F78350 Jouy-en-Josas 
Mail: contact.international@geneval.fr
Phone : +33 (0) 1 85 36 05 05
Web site : https://www.geneval.fr/

Publishing:
Institut de l’Elevage
149 Rue de Bercy
F75595 Paris cedex 12
Mail: sophie.mattalia@idele.fr
Web site : www.idele.fr	
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):	France	
Main trait group:	Female Fertility	
Breed (repeat as necessary):	HOL, BSW	

Trait	Definition	ITBa	h2b	genetic
varianceb	official proof
standardisation formulac	
Trait 1: Heifers ability to conceive (HCO)	HOL	0.02	1	a= 0
 b=0.07  et c= 1  , d=(computed at each release)	
	BSW	0.02	1	a= 0
 b=0.07  et c= 1  , d=(computed at each release)	
Trait 2: Cows ability to recycle (CRC)	HOL	0.061	1	a= 0
 b= -7.75et c=1   , d=(computed at each release)	
	BSW	0.037	1	a=  0
 b= -5et c= 1  , d=(computed at each release)	
Trait 3: Cows ability to conceive 1 (CC1)	HOL	0.02	1	a= 0 
b=0.07  et c= 1  , d=(computed at each release)	
	BSW	0.02	1	a= 0
b=0.07  et c= 1  , d=(computed at each release)	
Trait 4: Cows ability to conceive 2 (CC2)	HOL	0.041	1	a= 0
 b= -15.7 et c= 1 , d=(computed at each release)	
	BSW	0.02	1	a= 0 
 b=0.07  et c= 1  , d=(computed at each release)	
Trait 5: Cows interval calving conception (INT)	HOL	0.041	1	a= 0
 b= -15.7 et c= 1 , d=(computed at each release)	
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.