Status as of: 2020-09-01

Form GE

DESCRIPTION OF NATIONAL GENETIC EVALUATION SYSTEMS

Country (or countries)	ZAF	
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	Stature, Chest Width, Body Depth, Dairy Strength, Rump Angle, Rump Width, Rear Legs Side View, Foot Angle, Rear Legs Rear View, Bone Structure, Fore Udder Attachment, Rear Udder Height, Udder Cleft, Udder Depth, Teat Placement, Teat Length, Rear Udder Width, Rear Teat Placement
	
Method of measuring and collecting data	Trained classifiers collect data according to set protocol.	
Time period for data inclusion	Cows classified since 1981. Pedigree : no restriction	
Age groups (e.g. parities) included	Classifications done during first and second lactations included.	
Other criteria (data edits) for inclusion of records	Age at calving must be between 17 and 36 months, and age at classification between 18 to 40 months for first lactations. For second lactations age at calving must be between 29 and 53 months and age at classification between 30 and 57 months. Repeated measured are not used, i.e. only the first classification for a cow is included. Classification should be done between 5 and 300 days in milk of the applicable parity.  	
Criteria for extension of records (if applicable)	N.a.	
Sire categories	All domestic and foreign AI sires with daughter information, as well as natural service herd sires included.	
Environmental effects3, pre-adjustments 	None	
Method (model) of genetic evaluation3	MT – ML – BLUP – AM 	
Environmental effects3 in the genetic evaluation model	Age at calving (covariate), DIM (covariate), Age at classification (covariate)
Herd x Classification Year - Season x Classifier  x Parity  (F)	
Adjustment for heterogeneous variance in evaluation model	None	
Use of genetic groups and relationships	Unknown parents are grouped together according to country, birth year and selection path (4 paths).	
Blending of foreign/Interbull information in evaluation	MACE EBVs are blended with national EBVs until reliability based on SA daughters are 80%.	
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, LO, CA, as applicable, if you participate in the international genetic evaluations of Interbull	
System validation	Data checks and validations on quality before genetic evaluation based on outlier detection, duplicates and pedigree checks. Trend validation based on Interbull Methods I and II, correlations between successive runs.	
Expression of genetic evaluations
If standardised (e.g. RBV), give standardisation formula in the appendix	RBV 	
Definition of genetic reference base
Next base change	2015 Year of Birth

February 2025  to 2020	
Calculation of reliability	PEVs	
Criteria for official publication of evaluations	Cows should be measured. Sires should have 20 daughters in 10 herds.	
Number of evaluations / publications per year	Three evaluations : Feb,  May and Sept	
Use in total merit index4	SAINET = (0.40*Prod) + (0.20*Functional Type) + (0.10*Functional Udder)  + (0.20 * Fertility) + (0.10 * Longevity)	
Anticipated changes in the near future	None	
Key reference on methodology applied	Mistztal, I., et al., 1992. J. Dairy Sci. 75 : 544.
Boichard, D., et al., 1995. J. Dairy Sci. 78 : 431- 437.
Lidauer et al., 2015. Technical Reference Guides for Mix99.	
Key organisation: name, address, phone, fax, e-mail, web site	SA Stud Book and Livestock Improvement Association
PO Box 270, Bloemfontein, South Africa, 9300
Tel : +27-51-4100900 Fax : +27-51-4473964
Japie@studbook.co.za     Bernice@studbook.co.za
http://www.studbook.co.za	
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 CO

Parameters used in genetic evaluation

Country (or countries):	South Africa	
Main trait group:	Conformation	
Breed (repeat as necessary):	Jersey	

Trait	Definition	ITBa	H2b	Genetic
varianceb	official proof
standardisation formulac	
Stature	WH (Wither Height)	X	0.18	0.061	RBV=((EBV/δA)*12)+100	
Chest width 	CW	-	0.13	0.044	Expressed the same as above for all traits	
Body depth	BD	X	0.16	0.069		
Dairy Form	DS (Dairy
Strength)	X	0.14	0.055		
Rump angle	RA	X	0.17	0.065		
Thurl Width	TW	X	0.09	0.030		
Rear leg set	RLS (Rear Leg Side View)	X	0.03	0.008		
Foot Angle	FA	X	0.10	0.037		
Rear leg rear view	RLR	X	0.02	0.008		
Bone Structure	BS	-	0.13	0.049		
Fore udder	FUA (Fore Udder Attachm)	X	0.11	0.060		
Rear udder height	RUH	X	0.17	0.076		
Rear udder width	RUW	-	0.12	0.081		
Udder support	UC (Udder Cleft)	X	0.10	0.041		
Udder depth	UD	X	0.13	0.043		
Teat placement	FTP (Front Teat Placement)	X	0.19	0.103		
Rear Teat Placement	
RTP	
X	
0.23	
0.142	

	RTP	X	0.23	0.173		
Teat length	FTL (Front Teat Length)	X	0.22	0.123		
Overall conformation score	-		-	-		
Overall udder score	-		-	-		
Overall feet&leg score	-		-	-		
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. 

Definition

Wither Height (WH):
The height of an animal is measured from the ground to the withers of the animal.  On a scale from one to nine, one will be equal to 110cm, five will be equal to 125cm and a nine will be equal to 140cm.

Chest Width (CW):
This is the width of the chest measured at the floor of the chest between the forelegs.  One will be a very narrow chest, while nine will be a very broad chest.

Body Depth (BD):
This is the depth through the midsection of the cow, measured at the last rib.  One is a very shallow cow while nine is a very deep animal.

Dairy Form (DF):
Dairy form is the length of the body (measured from the loins to the withers), the depth through the middle piece (measured at the last rib), spring of rib and the femininity of the head, shoulders and neck.  It can also be called dairy strength.  On a scale from one to nine, one will be a flat sided animal with no femininity, a nine will be an open ribbed animal with a good length and depth of body with a fine feminine head, neck and shoulders and a flat dry bone structure.

Rump Angle (RA):
Rump angle is the relationship between the hipbones and the pin bones.  If it forms a straight line from hip to pins, the score will be 5 on a scale from one to nine.  For each 2.5cm drop from hips to pins the score will rise to nine, which will measure a drop of 10cm, or more.  For each 2.5cm that the pins are higher than the hips the score will go down one point down to one, which will measure a rise of 10cm, or more. 

Thurl Width (TW):
This is the width between the pins. On a scale from one to nine, a one will be pins that are very close to each other and nine will be pins that are far apart.

Rear Legs Set Views (RLS):
On a scale from one to nine, a one will be very upright and a nine will be very bandy.

Foot Angle (FA):
This is the angle, which the hoof forms with the ground. If this angle is 45 degrees it will score a five. With an angle of 55 degrees or more, the hoof will score a nine and with an angle of 35 degrees or less, the hoof will score a one.

Fore Udder Attachment (FUA):
This is the strength with which the fore udder is attached to the body.  A very strongly attached fore udder will score a nine while a very loose fore udder will score a one.

Rear Udder Height (RUH):
The height is measured where the udder tissue ends at the top of the udder. The distance between the hocks and pins is halved and this will be a five on a scale of one to nine. For each 2.5cm above this mark the score will go up one score up to nine, which will measure 10cm or more above the halfway mark. For each 2.5cm below this mark, the score will go down one mark to one, which will measure 10cm below the halfway mark.

Udder Cleft (UC):
A medial ligament supports the udder. This ligament is noticed on the exterior of the udder as the udder cleft. The cleft is measured by the definition of the cleft on the udder. It is important that the cleft be well defined from between the front teats right through to the top of the rear udder. No definition will score a one on a scale from one to nine. A 2.4cm cleft between the rear teats with no definition on the rear udder will score a five.

Udder Depth (UD):
Udder depth is measured with the hocks as a reference point. If the udder floor is on the hocks, the udder will score a five. For each 2.5cm above the hocks the score will go up one point up to nine, which will measure 10cm above the hock. For each 2.5cm below the hock, the score will go down to one, which will measure 10cm below the hock.

Front Teat Placement (FTP):
This is the position of the teats under their respective quarters. If the teat is in the centre of the quarter, the cow will score a five for teat placement. If the teat is right on the inside of the quarter, it will score nine and one if the teat is on the outside of the quarter.

Teat Length (TL):
This is the length of the front teats. On a scale from one to nine a one will measure 1cm and a nine will measure 9cm.

Rear Legs Rear View (RLR):
It describes the setting of the rear legs as viewed from the back.

Rear Teat Placement (RTP):
It describes the position of the rear teats viewed from the back.

Direct Ratios

WH
	
CW	
BD	
DS	
RA	
TW	
RLS	
FA	
RLR	
BS	
FUA	
RUH	
RUW	
UC	
UD	
FTP	
RTP	
TL
	
WH	0.18
	0.26
	0.24
	0.28
	0.22
	0.56
	-0.12
	0.26
	0.21
	0.41
	-0.08
	0.03
	0.22
	0.16
	-0.02
	0.14
	0.15
	0.22
	
CW		0.13
	0.56
	-0.04
	-0.23
	-0.00
	0.14
	0.00
	-0.06
	0.83
	0.08
	-0.20
	0.01
	-0.10
	-0.23
	-0.16
	0.05
	0.07
	
BD			0.16
	0.52
	0.17
	0.24
	0.24
	-0.28
	-0.14
	0.58
	-0.06
	0.03
	0.22
	0.04
	-0.70
	0.07
	0.11
	0.14
	
DS				0.14
	0.24
	0.65
	-0.04
	-0.19
	0.19
	-0.06
	0.01
	0.48
	0.60
	0.24
	-0.36
	0.26
	0.08
	0.14
	
RA					0.17
	0.01
	0.34
	0.05
	-0.03
	-0.07
	-0.11
	-0.04
	0.05
	0.06
	-0.12
	0.16
	0.17
	0.01
	
TW						0.09
	-0.24
	-0.02
	0.16
	0.07
	0.01
	0.41
	0.64
	0.26
	-0.19
	0.36
	0.09
	0.02
	
RLS							0.03
	-0.62
	-0.34
	0.08
	-0.37
	-0.03
	0.01
	-0.06
	-0.50
	-0.13
	0.20
	-0.23
	
FA								0.10
	0.48
	0.04
	0.10
	-0.05
	-0.10
	-0.03
	0.47
	0.04
	-0.05
	-0.03
	
RLR									0.02
	0.20
	-0.06
	0.23
	0.21
	0.29
	0.26
	0.28
	0.28
	-0.29
	
BS										0.13
	0.00
	-0.28
	-0.08
	-0.09
	-0.22
	0.05
	0.19
	-0.04
	
FUA											0.11
	0.24
	0.02
	-0.06
	0.64
	0.26
	0.14
	0.01
	
RUH												0.17
	0.81
	0.35
	0.12
	0.16
	0.18
	0.18
	
RUW													0.12
	0.35
	-0.21
	0.28
	0.27
	0.10
	
UC														0.10
	0.01
	0.32
	0.44
	0.23
	
UD															0.13
	0.05
	-0.02
	0.05
	
FTP																0.19
	0.87
	-0.21
	
RTP																	0.23
	-0.23
	
TL																		0.22