DESCRIPTION OF NATIONAL GENETIC EVALUATION SYSTEM FOR CONFORMATION TRAITS

COUNTRY:	UNITED KINGDOM	
BREED (repeat as necessary):	JERSEY	
Conformation traits evaluated
Attach an appendix if needed	Stature
Chest Width
Body Depth
Angularity
Rump Angle
Rump Width
Rear Legs Side
Foot Angle
Fore Udder Attachment
Rear Udder Height
Central Ligament
Udder Depth
Teat Placement Rear
Teat Placement Side
Teat Length

Body
Dairy
Legs & Feet
Mammary

Total Score
	
Criteria for inclusion of records	Official classification Heifers 20-45 months	
Time period for data inclusion	1993 -	
Sire categories	All	
Maximum number of scores per cow included in the evaluation If a single score is included, explain which one (eg. first, most recent, etc)	1 (Heifer classification only)	
Environmental effects*, pre-adjustments 	No Pre Adjustments	
Method (model) of genetic evaluation*	MT BLUP Animal Model	
Environmental effects* in the genetic evaluation model	 Herd Year Visit (F)  Month (F) Age, Stage of lactation. ( C ) 
Animal ( R)	
Use of genetic groups	Yes	
Blending of foreign/Interbull information in evaluation	Yes before publication	
Adjustment for heterogeneous variance in evaluation model	No	
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	Check trends.  Interbull validation	
Expression of genetic evaluations
If standardised (e.g. RBV), give standardisation formula on PAGE 3	Standardised breeding values	
Genetic (reference) base
Next base change	Cows born in 1995
2005
	
Criteria for official publication of evaluations	Reliability  50%	
Number of evaluations / publications per year	2	
Use in production / total merit index	Yes 	
Anticipated changes in the near future	Add locomotion	
Key reference on methodology applied		
Key organization: name, address, phone, fax, e-mail, web site	MDC Evaluations Ltd
Fox Talbot House
Greenways Business Park
Bellinger Close
Chippenham
Wiltshire
SN15 1BN

Tel:  01249 467 272              Fax: 01249 467 273

E-mail:      enquiry@mdcevaluations.co.uk       
Web site:   www.mdcevaluations.co.uk
	
*Use abbreviations for most common effects (see document with list of abbreviations at http://www-interbull.slu.se/service_documentation/General/framesida-general.htm) and indicate random (R) or fixed (F)
DESCRIPTION OF NATIONAL GENETIC EVALUATION SYSTEM AND
TREND VALIDATION FOR CONFORMATION TRAITS

COUNTRY:	UNITED KINGDOM	
BREED (repeat as necessary):	JERSEY	

Trait	Definition	h2*	genetic
variance*	official proof
standardisation formula**	
Stature	Same as WHFF	0.44	 0.537	Mean = 0.395  SD = 0.802	
Chest width		0.18	 0.077	            -0.005            0.304	
Body depth		0.27	 0.111	             0.043            0.358	
Angularity		0.29	 0.197	             0.234            0.477	
Rump angle		0.29	 0.134	             0.031            0.384	
Rump width		0.25	 0.107	             0.039            0.343	
Rear leg set		0.18	 0.044	            -0.027            0.225	
Rear leg rear view		N/A	N/A	               N/A             N/A	
Foot angle		0.25	 0.066	             -0.021           0.269	
Fore udder		0.24	 0.171	              0.014           0.405	
Rear udder height		0.25	 0.109	              0.188           0.301	
Udder support		0.14	 0.035	              0.057           0.186	
Udder depth		0.33	 0.164	              0.073           0.391	
Teat placement		0.34	 0.192	              0.067           0.419	
Teat length		0.37	 0.232	              0.167           0.527	
Overall conformation score	              Total Score	0.30	 0.933	              0.280           0.928	
Overall udder score	              Mammary	0.30	 2.232	              0.191           1.449	
Overall feet&leg score		0.30	 1.547	              0.130           1.328	

* Subtract then divide by SD