Biomedical subjects

E B Burnside

Publications and source records attributed to E B Burnside.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed1998

Genetic evaluation for herd life in Canada.

Methods were developed for the national genetic evaluation of herd life for Canadian Holstein sires. The genetic evaluations incorporate information from survival (direct herd life) and information from conformation traits that are related to herd life (indirect herd life) after adjustment for production in first lactation to remove the effect of culling for production. Direct genetic evaluations for herd life were based on survival in each of the first three lactations, which was analyzed using a multiple-trait animal model. Sire evaluations thus obtained for survival in each of the first three lactations were combined based on their economic weights into an overall sire evaluation for direct herd life. Sire evaluations for indirect herd life were based on an index of sire evaluations for mammary system, feet and legs, rump, and capacity. A multiple-trait sire model based on multiple-trait across country evaluation methodology was used to combine direct and indirect genetic evaluations for herd life into an overall genetic evaluation for herd life. Sire evaluations for herd life were expressed in estimated transmitting ability as the number of lactations and represent expected differences among daughters in functional herd life (number of lactations); the average functional herd life was set equal to three lactations. Estimated transmitting abilities were normally distributed and ranged from 2.31 to 3.43 lactations.

Animals↗

PubMed1996

Optimal size of progeny groups for progeny-testing programs by artificial insemination firms.

A semi-stochastic model for the simulation of genetic improvement in a dairy cattle population was used to evaluate and optimize progeny-testing programs for AI firms that operate in a competitive market for semen from progeny-tested bulls with regard to number of bulls sampled and size of progeny groups. The population was serviced by four firms. The competition for market share and semen sales was determined by the relative rank of progeny-tested bulls from a firm based on EBV for a trait with a heritability of 25%. For a fixed total number of daughters from young bulls for an AI program (test capacity), optimal size of the progeny groups was highly dependent on the objective to be maximized. The rate of genetic gain was maximized with a progeny group of 57 to 61 daughters per bull, but was relatively robust to changes in size of progeny groups. The number of marketable bulls was maximized with progeny groups between 20 and 40 daughters, depending on the test capacity. However, when a relationship between price per dose of semen and EBV of marketable bulls was considered, returns from semen sales were maximized at 49 and 82 daughters per bull, respectively, for linear and quadratic functions for semen price. The critical objective, net returns from semen sales, subtracting costs of sampling bulls, was maximized for progeny groups of between 95 and 105 daughters. Optimal size of progeny groups was robust to changes in economic parameters and the breeding programs of competitors. For economic parameters that were typical for Canadian AI firms, net returns per annual cohort of young bulls were 40% higher for the optimal size of the progeny groups than for sampling with 60 daughters per bull.

Animals↗

PubMed1995

Nonadditive genetic effects and inbreeding depression for somatic cell counts of Holstein cattle.

A total of 65,491 lactation means of log2-transformed SCC measures were analyzed from first lactation Holstein cows in Ontario. Effects of inbreeding on SCC were estimated by a nonadditive sire and dam model that included additive, dominance, and additive by additive genetic effects and regression of lactation somatic cell score on inbreeding coefficients of the cows. Variance components were estimated using the tildehat approximation to REML. Solutions were by iteration on data. Estimates of heritability for lactation somatic cell score in the narrow sense were .165 and in the broad sense were .203. The additive by additive component (2.5% of the total phenotypic variance) was almost twice as large as the dominance component (1.3%). The regression coefficient of lactation somatic cell score per 1% increase of inbreeding was .012. The average increase of the population mean of lactation somatic cell score caused by a 10% increase of inbreeding coefficient was estimated to be 10.5% of the original phenotypic standard deviation of 1.153. The inbreeding depression was thus relatively low, but, on average, inbred animals tended to have higher lactation somatic cell score. This study provides preliminary evidence that inbreeding is related to disease prevalence in large purebred dairy populations.

Animals↗

PubMed1995

Production traits of Holstein cattle: estimation of nonadditive genetic variance components and inbreeding depression.

Additive, dominance, and additive by additive components of genetic variance and inbreeding depression were estimated for production traits from a group of daughters of young sires from the Canadian Holstein population. First lactations of 92,838 cows were analyzed. Three sire and dam models (additive, additive plus dominance, additive plus dominance plus additive by additive genetic effects), all including regression of the trait on inbreeding coefficient of the cow, were used to estimate the effect of inbreeding on production traits. For all production traits, heritability in the narrow sense was overestimated with the simplest model, in which only the additive effect was fitted. Estimates of dominance variance were low for all traits, .9 to 3%. Additive by additive components were low for milk, 2.8%, and fat yield, 2.8%, but higher for protein yield, 6.8%, and for fat, 9%, and protein percentages, 8.9%. Estimates of inbreeding depression for the five traits were similar across all models (-25, -.9, and -.8 kg; .05% and .05% per 1% increase in inbreeding for milk, fat, and protein production and fat and protein percentages, respectively). More accurate estimates of additive effects might be obtained with the inclusion of nonadditive effects for genetic evaluation. If the estimation of inbreeding depression is the only objective, simple models and small random samples of the population may be adequate.

Animals↗

PubMed1994

Method and effect of adjustment for heterogeneous variance of Holstein conformation traits.

Type classification records of Canadian Holsteins were investigated for evidence of heterogeneous variance across herds. Data consisted of records for 1,139,104 cows from 20,226 herds with classifications on 26 conformation traits collected from 1982 through 1992 and 338,046 cows from 9600 herds with classifications on 2 additional traits from 1990 through 1992. Phenotypic standard deviations of herd-round-classifier were fitted to a mixed model that included round, classifier, and region as fixed effects, herd size as a covariant, and herd as a random effect. Estimates of the variance components, solutions of fixed effects, and BLUP estimates for herd were obtained by maximum likelihood procedures. Repeatability of within-herd standard deviation across rounds ranged from 1.4 to 10.3% for the 28 traits. Type classification data were subsequently standardized for phenotypic standard deviations of herd-round-classifier that were derived from estimates of the fixed effects and the BLUP estimate of the herd effect. Genetic evaluations for cows and bulls were produced from adjusted and unadjusted data. Correlations between 3754 sire and 1,142,782 cow estimated transmitting abilities obtained from unadjusted and adjusted data were essentially unity. Although some evidence of heterogeneous variance existed across herds for 28 conformation traits, standardization of the classification records had only a minor effect on genetic evaluations.

Animals↗

PubMed1994

Adjustment factors and genetic evaluation for somatic cell score and relationships with other traits of Canadian Holsteins.

Test day SCC records were obtained from the Ontario DHI and converted to somatic cell score using a logarithmic transformation. Adjustment factors for stage of lactation and calendar month were obtained for first and later lactations. Effects of stage of lactation were significant and followed a systematic pattern. Seasonal effects were small. Sire estimated breeding values for lactation mean adjusted test day somatic cell scores were obtained from an animal model based on first, later, and all lactations, assuming a heritability of .11 and repeatability of .27. Mean accuracy of estimated breeding values for sires with at least 30 daughters was .64 for first lactation, .76 for second to fifth, and .86 for all lactations. Genetic trends for somatic cell score were not significant. The correlation of breeding values estimated from first lactations with estimates based on later lactations was .62 for sires with at least 50 daughters, which resulted in an approximate genetic correlation of .72. Correlations of sire estimated breeding values for somatic cell score from first lactation with estimated breeding values for milk, fat, protein, fat percentage, protein percentage, and milking speed were .12, .05, .11, -.09, -.02, and .20. Correlations between sire estimated breeding values for somatic cell score and type traits were generally small, but favorable with mammary system, -.13, and fore udder, -.16, and unfavorable with dairy character, .24. Somatic cell score should be considered as an auxiliary trait in dairy cattle breeding programs.

Animal Husbandry↗

PubMed1994

Genetic response and inbreeding with different selection methods and mating designs for nucleus breeding programs of dairy cattle.

Stochastic simulation was used to study the effect of selection and mating strategy on rates of genetic response and inbreeding with a closed nucleus breeding program for juvenile and adult schemes with 8 males and 64 females selected to produce 1024 progeny (512 females). Selection strategies considered using all available information or only individual and sibling records. Selection of sires was either unrestricted or restricted to between full-sib families. The effect of avoidance of mating of relatives to limit inbreeding was also evaluated. Four mating designs were examined: each dam was mated to 1, 2, 4, or all sires. Mating designs involving one sire per dam and more than one dam per sire were referred to as hierarchical. Use of several mates per dam resulted in a factorial mating design. Selected parents were mated either randomly, best to best, or best to worst. An index based on relative inbreeding to response ratio was used to describe the effectiveness of strategies for reducing inbreeding relative to changes in rates of genetic response. Strategies that lower index values were preferred and include selection on BLUP or approximations of BLUP and factorial mating designs that involve the random mating of dams to several sires. Factorial mating designs were effective for a range of heritabilities. Avoidance of matings of full sibs and restriction of selection of sires to between full-sib families enabled appreciable reductions in the index. Nucleus breeding programs based entirely on the selection of juveniles were not indicated because they had higher index values than adult schemes.

Animals↗

PubMed1992

Analysis of levels of inbreeding and inbreeding depression in Jersey cattle.

A pedigree file of 157,015 male and female Jersey cattle (born after 1955) from the Canadian herdbooks was investigated for the occurrence of inbreeding. A large proportion of Jersey bulls and cows were inbred (32.4 and 36.3% for bulls and cows, respectively). However, average inbreeding coefficients of these inbred cows and of all cows were low. First lactation milk, fat, and fat percentage records for 53,592 Jersey cows were analyzed. Inbreeding was included in the animal model as a linear covariate. The regression coefficients of milk, fat, and fat percentage on inbreeding were -9.84 kg, -.55 kg, and -.0011% per 1% increase of inbreeding. Inbreeding depression was not enough to cause large reductions of milk and fat yield of a cow with average inbreeding. However, when the inbreeding coefficient was greater than 12.5%, the inbreeding depression was significantly higher than expected and such that intentional inbreeding is not justified unless the mating is to an animal with exceptionally high breeding value.

Algorithms↗

PubMed1991

Threshold models applied to Holstein conformation traits.

Threshold animal models were applied to five conformation traits of Canadian Holsteins. The estimated breeding values for sires from the threshold model allowed the calculation of predicted percentages of daughters in the desirable categories. Results were compared with those from a linear animal model in terms of their ability to predict future percentages of daughters in the desirable categories using an independent set of data. There was no advantage in a threshold model compared with a conventional linear animal model in its ability to predict future daughter performance. This was likely due to the 18 categories used in the classification of major type traits in Canada and the nearly normal distribution of observations across categories.

Animals↗

PubMed1990

Treatment of dairy cows with recombinant bovine somatotropin: genetic and phenotypic aspects.

Thirty-four multiparous and primiparous Holstein cows were utilized to examine the association between the response to long-term administration of recombinant bovine somatotropin and the cow's phenotypic and genetic production potential. Cows representing a range of phenotypic and genetic production potentials were assigned to one of four treatment groups: 0, 12.5, 25.0, or 50.0 mg recombinant bovine somatotropin daily. They were injected daily for 266 d beginning on d 24 to 35 postpartum. Pretreatment milk and fat yields were used to predict daily yields over the lactation and allowed treatment groups to serve as their own controls. Actual minus predicted yield estimated the response to treatment for milk, fat, and FCM for each cow. Milk composition (fat, protein, and lactose percentage) was not significantly affected by treatment. Response in yield for milk, fat, and FCM was significant during the treatment period (266 d). Milk yield increased by 18.5, 19.9, and 21.4%; fat yield increased by 13.4, 20.3, and 18.1%; and FCM increased by 16.3%, 19.7%, and 21.1% after receipt of 12.5, 25.0 and 50.0 mg recombinant bovine somatotropin, respectively. Differences in response were not significant. The dramatic effect recombinant bovine somatotropin has on production requires that alternative approaches be adopted in the future for accurate genetic evaluation of sires and dams if somatotropin is discriminantly used in the national herd.

Analysis of Variance↗

PubMed1989

Variation in serum concentrations of immunoglobulins G, A, and M in Canadian Holstein-Friesian calves.

Radial immunodiffusion was used to quantify Ig concentrations (mg/100 ml) in the sera of 74 male and 82 female Holstein calves and in whole colostrum from their dams. Calves were the progeny of 15 AI bulls. Blood samples were collected by jugular puncture from calves at birth, 24 to 36 h post first colostrum ingestion, and then weekly from 3 to 7 wk of age. Colostrum was sampled within 6 h of parturition. Mean calf serum Ig profiles showed peak concentrations of all isotypes by d 1 of age, which declined greatly by 3 to 4 wk, followed by gradual increases to 7 wk. Within isotype, there were highly significant positive correlations between serum concentrations in calves from 3 to 7 wk and between colostral and calf serum concentrations up to 5 wk, depending on isotype. Effects of season and location on calf serum isotype concentrations were important, but effects of ease of calving and twinning were small. Paternal half-sib heritability estimates computed by restricted maximum likelihood ranged from 0 to .20 for IgG, 0 to .45 for IgA, and 0 to .26 for IgM, depending on sampling period, and were .07, .08, and 0 for IgG, IgA, and IgM, averaged over all sampling periods. Although standard errors were large, heritability estimates for passive (24 to 36 h) and onset of active (3 to 4 wk) immunity suggested a moderately important additive genetic component and that these serum Ig concentrations could possibly be manipulated to produce more disease-resistant dairy calves.

Animals↗

PubMed1989

Antibody responses to human erythrocytes and ovalbumin as marker traits of disease resistance in dairy calves.

Microhemagglutination procedures were used to quantify antibody titers against human erythrocytes and ovalbumin in calf sera. Calves were also monitored for the prevalence of pneumonia and diarrhea. Calves, 72 males and 82 females, were the progeny of 15 AI bulls. Blood was sampled weekly for 2 wk after primary and secondary immunizations. Antibody response peaks to both antigens occurred by 14 and 7 d postimmunization, respectively. There were significant effects of season and birth and location of rearing on antibody titers against both test antigens. Diarrhea prevalence was negatively associated with high primary response antibody titers against human erythrocytes, but no trends were observed for pneumonia prevalence and for antibody titers to ovalbumin. Paternal half-sib heritability estimates ranged from 0 to .40 +/- .32 for primary antibody responses and from 0 to .87 +/- .50 for secondary antibody responses, depending on antibody specificity, and those for average titer were higher for antiovalbumin antibody (h2 = .48 +/- .39) than for antihuman erythrocyte antibody (h2 = .31 +/- .21). Although the environmental component of the humoral immune response is substantial, heritabilities of the magnitude in this study suggest the feasibility for successful genetic manipulation of antibody response profiles of young calves, and these may contribute to enhanced disease resistance.

Animals↗

PubMed1989

Dinitrochlorobenzene contact hypersensitivity as a marker trait for selection to improve disease resistance in calves.

Measurements of double skin fold thickness (mm) were used to assess the feasibility of use of cutaneous delayed-type hypersensitivity response as a marker trait to select for genetically improved disease resistance. Data were from a sample of 149 7-wk-old Holstein calves, from 15 sires, that previously had been sensitized to the contact allergen dinitrochlorobenzene. Response was monitored 24 and 48 h postchallenge. Analysis was by least squares according to a model that included fixed managerial effects, disease prevalence, and severity categories and sire of calf. Double skin fold thickness increased about 50% by 24 h, followed by a 4% decrease between 24 and 48 h. Season of birth was the only consistently significant fixed effect. Calves born in fall showed larger skin changes at each stage of response than calves born in spring. Restricted maximum likelihood estimates of paternal half-sib heritability were moderate to high for all stages of response, and phenotypic and genetic correlations between stages were significant and positive. Although the prevalence and severity of naturally occurring pneumonia and diarrhea did not significantly affect quantity of response, there is need to study further this relationship for intracellular pathogens. Delayed-type hypersensitivity response to dinitrochlorobenzene can meet requirements for a successful marker on which to base sire selection for disease resistance, if it is related to economically important, intracellularly characterized, pathogenic bovine diseases.

Analysis of Variance↗

PubMed1989

Heifer fertility and its relationship with cow fertility and production traits in Holstein dairy cattle.

Breeding receipts from three AI units were merged with Ontario Dairy Herd Improvement Corporation and Record of Performance production records. Data comprised 53,705 heifer, 41,253 lactation 1, 14,688 lactation 2, and 3054 lactation 3 records by daughters of 2150 sires represented in 15,877 herd-year-seasons of birth. Three measures of heifer fertility, three measures of cow fertility, and three measures of production were investigated. Measures of heifer fertility were ages at first and last breeding and number of inseminations per conception. Cow fertility traits were days from calving to first breeding, days open, and number of inseminations per conception. Production traits were breed class average milk, breed class average fat, and fat percentage. Relationships among these nine traits for the first three lactations were estimated using a maximum likelihood multiple-trait procedure. The linear mixed model for each trait included fixed effects of herd-year-season of birth and genetic groups of sire and the random effect of sire. Transformations of the data for nonnormality had no influence on the estimates of genetic and phenotypic parameters. The heritability of .12 for age at first insemination, which was higher than other heifer fertility traits, indicated that selection would result in genetic response. Genetic and phenotypic correlations between heifer fertility and cow fertility and production traits in all three lactations were not different from zero. There was no genetic antagonism between fertility and subsequent production traits.

Animals↗

PubMed1989

Relationships between fertility and production in Holstein dairy cattle in different lactations.

Record of Performance and Dairy Herd Improvement Corporation production records of Ontario Holstein cows were merged with breeding receipts of three Ontario AI units from September 1981 through December 1985. Relationships between fertility and production in the first three lactations were investigated for 97,368 daughters of 3806 sires in 22,768 herd-hear-seasons of calving. Fertility traits were days from calving to first insemination, number of inseminations per conception, and days open. Production traits were age and month of calving adjusted 305-d milk and fat yields and fat percentage. Multiple-trait maximum likelihood was used to estimate variances and covariances. Heritabilities for the first three lactations were .18, .18, and .19 for milk yield; .20, .19, and .19 for fat yield; and .58, .52, and .48 for fat percentage. Heritabilities of fertility traits ranged from .03 to .06. Genetic and phenotypic correlations between fertility and production traits in all three lactations were essentially 0. Genetic correlations between different lactation production traits ranged from .2 to .65. Repeatabilities of fertility traits ranged from .05 to .16 in different lactations. Repeatabilities for production traits in different lactations ranged from .51 to .77. Genetic and phenotypic correlations between fertility and production in the subsequent lactation and between production and subsequent lactation fertility were also very low or zero.

Animals↗

PubMed1989

Relationship of bull fertility with daughter fertility and production traits in Holstein dairy cattle.

The phenotypic and genetic correlations between fertility ratings of AI bulls for conception rate and their estimated breeding values for daughters' fertility and production traits were calculated. Genetic correlations between fertility ratings of bulls for conception and heifer fertility traits (age at first breeding, age at last breeding, and number of insemination per conception) were negative and ranged from -.04 to -.23, indicating daughters of bulls with high fertility ratings were younger at first breeding and required fewer services to conceive. In general, genetic correlations between fertility ratings of bulls for conception rate and cow fertility traits (days from calving to first breeding, days open, and number of inseminations per conception) and production traits (breed class average milk and fat and fat percentage) in the first two lactations were also moderate to high and in the favorable direction. Although heritability of both male and female fertility is low, these data indicate that heavy use of sires with high fertility ratings could have a mild positive effect on both male and female fertility. Evidence is also found to indicate that in this breed, selection for increased milk yield should not impair genetic ability of cows to reproduce.

Animals↗

PubMed1988

Joint sire and cow evaluation for conformation traits using an individual animal model.

A joint sire and cow evaluation for selected type traits has been carried out for the Canadian Holstein population using an individual animal model accounting for all known relationships. Only first lactation, first classification linear records were utilized. Linear scores for final class/final score (combined), feet and legs, mammary system, and stature were analyzed. The model of analysis included animals' additive genetic merit as random and herd-round-classifier subclasses as fixed effects. Calving age and stage of lactation at classification were fitted as linear and quadratic covariables. There were 282,030 cows with records, 198,871 dams without records, and 8481 sires (i.e., 489,382 animals in total). Combined with 33,968 herd-round-classifier effects in 9654 herds and four regression coefficients, a system of 523,354 equations required simultaneous solution. Solutions were obtained iteratively for one trait at a time. The computing strategy utilized is described, and a detailed worked example is given. Correlations between sire proofs and the current Holstein sire proofs were .89 to .96 for sires with at least 20 daughters in five or more herds. Correlations between cow indexes and phenotypic scores ranged from .53 to .76. The coefficient of determination in a multiple regression of daughter's index on dam's index and sire's and maternal grandsire's proof was 78 to 92% but only 59 to 83% when dam's index was replaced by dam's phenotypic record.

Animals↗

PubMed1988

Genetic parameters for fertility of dairy bulls.

Genetic parameters for male fertility and fertility ratings of AI bulls were obtained by analyzing 298,013 service records of cows with successive calving records. Cows were mated to 746 service bulls, which were progeny of 126 sires. The model for variance component estimation accounted for fixed effects of herd-year-seasons, sire of the service bull, age of mates, and random effects of service bull and residual error. Estimates of variances of service bulls and residual error components for bull fertility indicated almost 10% of the phenotypic variation for fertility is among AI bulls. Best linear unbiased prediction of fertility ratings of individual bulls with inclusion of sire and maternal grandsire relationships on these data permitted the evaluation of 886 AI bulls for bull fertility. Heritability for bull fertility computed as twice the regression of son on sire was .158. Differences in fertility ratings of AI bulls ranged from -.29 to .19. Prediction of fertility of young AI bulls and more accurate rating of proven bulls might be useful to the industry.

Animals↗