Status as of: 2004-02-23                                         

DESCRIPTION OF NATIONAL GENETIC EVALUATION SYSTEMS

Country (or countries)	ITALY	
Main trait group1
NOTE! Only one trait group per form!	Conformation	
Breed(s)	JERSEY	
Trait definition(s) and unit(s) of measurement2
Attach an appendix if needed	Linear scales 1-50: Stature, Chest Width, Body Depth, Angularity, Rump Angle, Rump Width, Rear Leg Set Side View, Rear Leg Set Rear View, Foot Angle, Fore Udder, Rear Udder Height, Udder Support, Udder Depth, Teat Placement, Teat Length, F&L Functionality.
Linear scale 70-89: Overall Conformation score	
Method of measuring and collecting data	Classifier do evaluate for conformation all first parity cows at farm level every six months	
Time period for data inclusion	Last 10 years	
Age groups (e.g. parities) included	Only first parity cows (age in months 20-38)	
Other criteria (data edits) for inclusion of records	Only one score per cows i.e. the first one.	
Criteria for extension of records (if applicable)	Minimum size of herd-year-date of classification class = 2	
Sire categories	All (A.I. and non A.I, national and foreign)	
Environmental effects3, pre-adjustments 	None	
Method (model) of genetic evaluation3	Animal Model Multiple trait	
Environmental effects3 in the genetic evaluation model	Age at calving (F)
Month of calving by stage of lactation (F)
Herd-year-round of classification (F)	
Adjustment for heterogeneous variance in evaluation model	NO	
Use of genetic groups and relationships	YES	
Blending of foreign/Interbull information in evaluation	NO	
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	Method 1	
Expression of genetic evaluations
If standardised (e.g. RBV), give standardisation formula in the appendix	RBV	
Definition of genetic reference base
Next base change	Cows born in 1995

January 2005	
Calculation of reliability	Gengler N. and I. Misztal (1996) 	
Criteria for official publication of evaluations	Rel > .69 & daughters in at least 2 herds 	
Number of evaluations / publications per year	2	
Use in total merit index4	No	
Anticipated changes in the near future	November 2004: Overall Udder Score, New criteria for official publication 	
Key reference on methodology applied	Gengler N., G. R. Wiggans, J. R. Wright, H. D. Norman, and C. W. Wolfe. 1997. Application of canonical transformation with          missing values to multitrait evaluation of Jersey type. J. Dairy          Sci. 80:2563.	
Key organization: name, address, phone, fax, e-mail, web site	ANAFI
Via Bergamo, 292
26100 CREMONA
ITALY
Phone:  +39-0372-474233/4/5
Fax:      +39-0372-474203
e-mail: ricercasvil@anafi.it, stefanobiffani@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 (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):	ITALY	
Main trait group:	CONFORMATION	
Breed (repeat as necessary):	JERSEY	

Trait	Definition	ITBa	h2b	genetic
varianceb	official proof
standardisation formulac	
Stature	WHFF	X	0,36	11,07	(EBV+0.47)/2.45 	
Chest width	WHFF	X	0,26	6,16	(EBV+0.08)/1.52 	
Body depth	WHFF	X	0,25	5,633	(EBV+0.01)/1.49 	
Angularity	WHFF	X	0,24	6,426	(EBV+0.18)/1.82 	
Rump angle	WHFF	X	0,28	10,11	(EBV+0.16)/1.95 	
Rump width	WHFF	X	0,15	4,318	(EBV+0.10)/1.34 	
Rear leg set	WHFF	X	0,11	2,504	(EBV+0.07)/0.96 	
Rear leg rear view	WHFF	X	0,07	1,819	(EBV+0.04)/1.00 	
Foot angle	Heel depth	X	0,08	2,471	(EBV+0.04)/0.83 	
Fore udder	WHFF	X	0,22	7,856	(EBV-0.07)/1.56 	
Rear udder height	WHFF	X	0,17	5,173	(EBV+0.09)/1.34 	
Udder support	WHFF	X	0,28	8,747	(EBV-0.11)/0.96 	
Udder width			0,11	3,537	(EBV-0.17)/2.07 	
Udder depth	WHFF	X	0,36	13,07	(EBV-0.08)/2.24 	
Teat placement	WHFF	X	0,11	3,363	(EBV+0.10)/1.02 	
Teat length	WHFF	X	0,18	5,487	(EBV+0.09)/1.32 	
Overall conformation score	Final Score	X	0,22	1,144	(EBV+0.03)/1.00 	
F&L Functionality	Subjective functionality score	X	0,09	2,189	(EBV+0.06)/1.00 	
						
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 conformation traits as provided to Interbull
(all breeds except Brown Swiss)

Country (or countries):	ITALY	
Main trait group:	Conformation	
Breed(s):	JERSEY	

Trait	Definition	h2a	genetic
variancea	official proof
standardisation formulab	
Stature	WHFF	0,36	11,07	(EBV+0.47)/2.45	
Chest Width	WHFF	0,26	6,16	(EBV+0.08)/1.52	
Body Depth	WHFF	0,25	5,633	(EBV+0.01)/1.49	
Angularity	WHFF	0,24	6,426	(EBV+0.18)/1.82	
Rump Angle	WHFF	0,28	10,11	(EBV+0.16)/1.95	
Rump Width	WHFF	0,15	4,318	(EBV+0.10)/1.34	
Rear Leg Set	WHFF	0,11	2,504	(EBV+0.07)/0.96	
Rear Leg Rear View	WHFF	0,07	1,819	(EBV+0.04)/1.00	
Foot Angle	Heel depth	0,08	2,471	(EBV+0.04)/0.83	
Fore Udder	WHFF	0,22	7,856	(EBV-0.07)/1.56	
Rear Udder Height	WHFF	0,17	5,173	(EBV+0.09)/1.34	
Udder Support	WHFF	0,28	8,747	(EBV-0.11)/0.96	
Udder Depth	WHFF	0,36	13,07	(EBV-0.08)/2.24	
Front Teat Placement	WHFF	0,11	3,363	(EBV+0.10)/1.02	
Teat Length	WHFF	0,18	5,487	(EBV+0.09)/1.32	
Rear Teat Placement	NOT SCORED	
Overall Conformation Score	Final Score	0,22	1,144	(EBV+0.03)/1.00	
Overall Udder Score	NOT AVAILABLE	
Overall Feet & Leg Score	Subjective functionality score	0,09	2,189	(EBV+0.06)/1.00	
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.

Stature	STAT		Fore Udder	FU	
Chest Width	CW		Rear Udder Height	RUH	
Body Depth	BD		Rear Udder Width	RUW	
Angularity	ANG		Udder Support	US	
Rump Angle	RA		Udder Depth	UD	
Rump Width	RW		Front Teat Placement	FTP	
Rear Leg Set	RLS		Teat Length	TL	
Rear Leg Rear View	RLRW		Overall Conformation Score	FS	
Foot Angle	FA		Overall Feet & Leg Score	FL