Status as of: 2016-04-08

DESCRIPTION OF NATIONAL GENETIC EVALUATION SYSTEMS

Country (or countries)	ITALY	
Main trait group1
NOTE! Only one trait group per form!	PRODUCTION	
Breed(s)	HOLSTEIN	
Trait definition(s) and unit(s) of measurement2
Attach an appendix if needed	Milk, fat and protein kg	
Method of measuring and collecting data	24-hour production collected by milk recording agencies every four weeks in a A or AM/PM scheme	
Time period for data inclusion	Cows which first calved since January 1985 + 4 generation pedigree information 	
Age groups (e.g. parities) included	Parity 1, 2 and 3.	
Other criteria (data edits) for inclusion of records	All tests between 5 and 305 DIM.	
Criteria for extension of records (if applicable)	No extension of records is required	
Sire categories	All	
Environmental effects3, pre-adjustments 	Number of days pregnancy + Heterogeneous herd test day parity, adjustment factors are estimated at every run	
Method (model) of genetic evaluation3	Multi-trait (milk, fat and protein yield and SCS) multi-lactation (1,2,3) Random Regression Test Day BLUP Animal Model	
Environmental effects3 in the genetic evaluation model	Fixed: herd test day parity, DIM, regressions on DIM within parity-region-season-age of calving combination –year of calving (4th order Legendre polynomial)
Random: animal lactation curve, lactation curve for permanent environment	
Adjustment for heterogeneous variance in evaluation model	No, see pre-adjustments	
Use of genetic groups and relationships	Phantom parent group are defined separately according to five origins (US, Canada, European, Italian, Italian unknown) according to birth year.	
Blending of foreign/Interbull information in evaluation	None at the moment as the evaluation is not official yet	
Genetic parameters in the evaluation	Use Appendix GE for heritability/genetic variance estimates; for multiple-trait genetic evaluations, provide genetic correlation estimates between traits separately.
Use also appendices PR, CO, BCO, SM, as applicable, if you participate in the international genetic evaluations of Interbull	
System validation	Interbull Method 3 genetic trend validation, residual and Mendelian sampling checks (to be performed).	
Expression of genetic evaluations
If standardised (e.g. RBV), give standardisation formula in the appendix	EBV is a combination of the three lactations EBVs:
Combined EBV 
for each trait EBV=(EBV1st*1/3+EBV2nd*1/3+EBV3rd*1/3)	
Definition of genetic reference base
Next base change	Rolling genetic base: cows born between 2008-2010

April 2017	
Calculation of reliability	Jamrozik, J., L.R. Schaeffer, and G.B. Jansen. 2000. Approximate accuracies of prediction from random regression models. Livestock Prod. Sci. 66:85-92.	
Criteria for official publication of evaluations	30 daughters past 120 DIM , at least 30 herds and minimum 70% reliability (official from May 2007)
	
Number of evaluations / publications per year	According to Interbull schedule	
Use in total merit index4	Percentile weights in PFT: 0.08 Fat kg, 0.36 Protein kg, 0.02 fat %, 0.03 protein %	
Anticipated changes in the near future		
Key reference on methodology applied	Schaeffer, L.R., J. Jamrozik, G.J. Kistemaker, and B.J. Van Doormal. 2000. Experience with a test day model. J. Dairy Sci. 83:1135-1144
Jamrozik, J., L.R. Schaeffer  and F. Grignola. 1998. Genetic parameter for production traits and somatic cell score of Canadian Holsteins with a multiple trait random regression model. 6WCGALP 23:303-306
Jamrozik, J., L.R. Schaeffer, Z. Liu and G. Jansen. 1997. Multiple trait random regression test day model for production traits. Interbull Bulletin No. 16:43.
Samorè, A.B., P. Boettcher, J. Jamrozik, A. Bagnato and A.F. Groen. 2002. Genetic parameters fro production traits and somatic cell score estimated with a multiple trait random regression model in Italian Holstein. 7WCGALP 29: 63-66.
Muir B., 2003. Personal communication.	
Key organization: name, address, phone, fax, e-mail, web site	ANAFI
Via Bergamo, 292
26100 CREMONA
ITALY
Phone:  +39-0372-4741
Fax:      +39-0372-474203
e-mail: ricercasvil@anafi.it
web site: www.anafi.it      	
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).

Country (or countries)	ITALY	
Main trait group1
NOTE! Only one trait group per form!	UDDER HEALTH	
Breed(s)	HOLSTEIN	
Trait definition(s) and unit(s) of measurement2
Attach an appendix if needed	Records are SCC within a 24-hour test day period and ETA are average daily SCS across lactations 1, 2 and 3	
Method of measuring and collecting data	Results of samples from labs collected by milk recording agencies every four weeks (A or AM/PM)	
Time period for data inclusion	From when available (on average from 1994)	
Age groups (e.g. parities) included	Parity 1, 2 and 3.	
Other criteria (data edits) for inclusion of records	All tests between 5 and 305 DIM.	
Criteria for extension of records (if applicable)	No extension of records is required	
Sire categories	All	
Environmental effects3, pre-adjustments 	N. of days pregnancy - Heterogeneous herd test day parity, adjustment factors are estimated at every run	
Method (model) of genetic evaluation3	Multi-trait (milk, fat and protein yield and SCS) multi-lactation (1,2,3) Random Regression Test Day BLUP Animal Model	
Environmental effects3 in the genetic evaluation model	Fixed: herd test day parity, DIM, regressions on DIM within parity-region-season-age of calving – year of calving (4th order Legendre polynomial)
Random: animal lactation curve, lactation curve for permanent environment	
Adjustment for heterogeneous variance in evaluation model	No, see pre-adjustments	
Use of genetic groups and relationships	Phantom parent group are defined separately according to five origins (US, Canada, European, Italian, Italian unknown) according to birth year.	
Blending of foreign/Interbull information in evaluation	None at the moment as the evaluation is not official yet	
Genetic parameters in the evaluation	Use Appendix GE for heritability/genetic variance estimates; for multiple-trait genetic evaluations, provide genetic correlation estimates between traits separately.
Use also appendices PR, CO, BCO, SM, as applicable, if you participate in the international genetic evaluations of Interbull	
System validation	Interbull Method 3 genetic trend validation, residual and Mendelian sampling checks (to be performed).	
Expression of genetic evaluations
If standardised (e.g. RBV), give standardisation formula in the appendix	EBV is a combination of the three lactations EBV expressed as RBV:
Combined EBV 
for each trait EBV=-(.33EBV1st + .33EBV2nd +.33EBV3rd)
RBV with average of 100 and SD 5	
Definition of genetic reference base
Next base change	Rolling genetic base: cows born between 2008-2010

Planned for April 2017	
Calculation of reliability	LRS	
Criteria for official publication of evaluations	For the moment as for the test-day repeatability model if reliability is ge 50%.
A more detailed criterion is to be decided in the future before the official introductions (foreseen for May 2004).	
Number of evaluations / publications per year	Quarterly on the first of February, May, August and November.	
Use in total merit index4	Percentile weights: 10% in PFT	
Anticipated changes in the near future		
Key reference on methodology applied	Schaeffer, L.R., J. Jamrozik, G.J. Kistemaker, and B.J. Van Doormal. 1999. Experience with a test day model. J. Dairy Sci.
Jamrozik, J., L.R. Schaeffer  and F. Grignola. 1998. Genetic parameter for production traits and somatic cell score of Canadian Holsteins with a multiple trait random regression model. 6WCGALP 23:303-306
Jamrozik, J., L.R. Schaeffer, Z. Liu and G. Jansen. 1997. Multiple trait random regression test day model for production traits. Interbull Bulletin No. 16:43.
Samorè, A.B., P. Boettcher, J. Jamrozik, A. Bagnato and A.F. Groen. 2002. Genetic parameters fro production traits and somatic cell score estimated with a multiple trait random regression model in Italian Holstein. 7WCGALP 29: 63-66.
Kistemaker G.., Canadian test day model using Legendre polynomials. Interbull meeting, August 2003.
Muir B., 2003. Personal communication.	
Key organization: name, address, phone, fax, e-mail, web site	ANAFI
Via Bergamo, 292
26100 CREMONA
ITALY
Phone:  +39-0372-4741
Fax:      +39-0372-474203
e-mail: ricercasvil@anafi.it
web site: www.anafi.it      	
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):	Italy	
Main trait group:	Production	
Breed (repeat as necessary):	Holstein	

Trait	Definition	ITBa	h2b	genetic
varianceb	official proof
standardisation formulac	
Milk	305 combined lactation	X	.309			
Fat	305 combined lactation	X	.291			
Protein	305 combined lactation	X	.301			

						

						

						

						

						
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):	ITALY	
Main trait group:	Production	
Breed(s):	Holstein	

Trait	h2a	genetic
variancea	official proof
standardisation formulab	
Milk yield:

	Pooled: .309
1st         .299
2 nd        .301
3rd         .329    	
530,221.500
806,786.125
961,948.312	EBV=(((EBV-780))/576)*627.
	
Fat yield:

	Pooled: .291
1st         .275
2 nd        .291
3rd         .312   	
896.039
1496.375
1693.541	EBV=(((EBV-27))/24)*26.
	
Protein yield:

	Pooled: .301
1st         .283
2 nd        .299
3rd         .327    	
475.962
790.375
943.295	EBV=(((EBV-30))/18)*19.
	
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 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:
	Pooled: .205
1ST:       .165
2ND:      .211
3RD:      .252	
.359
.414
.599	EBV= -(((EBV-30.94))/0.37)*5.70+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.