Table 2.
Trait definitions and heritabilities used in national evaluations for
Holstein conformation as provided by participating countries
AUS=Australia, CAN=Canada, DEU=Germany, DNK=Denmark, ESP=Spain, FRA=France,
GBR=United Kingdom, ITA=Italy, NLD=Netherlands, USA=United States
 

 

Trait: Stature
Country h2 Definition
AUS 0.45 Height of rump between hips
CAN 0.53 Height at hips
DEU 0.41 Stature
DNK 0.60 Stature
ESP 0.40 Height at rump
FRA 0.47 Height at Sacrum
GBR 0.48 Stature
ITA 0.38 Stature
NLD 0.60 Distance ground to hip bone/vertebrae
USA 0.42 Distance ground to hip bone/vertebrae
 

 

Trait: Chest width
Country h2 Definition
AUS 0.24 Distance between fore legs
CAN 0.27 Chest width
DEU 0.18 Chest width
DNK 0.18 Chest width
ESP 0.15 Distance between fore legs
FRA 0.36 Chest Depth
GBR 0.25 Chest width
ITA 0.29 Chest width
NLD 0.30 Distance between front legs
USA 0.31 Width of chest, muzzle, and substance of bone
 

 

Trait: Body depth
Country h2 Definition
AUS 0.24 Depth of the last rib
CAN 0.32 Body depth
DEU 0.24 Body depth
DNK 0.31 Body depth
ESP 0.25 Depth of chest
FRA 0.36 Chest Depth
GBR 0.43 Body depth
ITA 0.31 Body depth
NLD 0.35 Depth and width of rib cage, related to stature
USA 0.37 Depth of rib cage
 

 

Trait: Angularity
Country h2 Definition
AUS 0.24 Angularity
CAN 0.30 Dairy character
DEU 0.24 Angularity
DNK 0.31 Dairy form
ESP 0.27 Dairy character
FRA - -
GBR 0.33 Angularity
ITA 0.31 Angularity
NLD 0.35 Sharpness of back and thights, openess of ribs, flatness of bone
USA 0.29 Dairy Form
 

 

Trait: Rump angle
Country h2 Definition
AUS 0.24 Angle of the rump from hips to pins
CAN 0.43 Rump angle
DEU 0.26 Rump angle
DNK 0.32 Rump, side view
ESP 0.11 Hips to pins
FRA 0.34 Rump angle
GBR 0.31 Rump angle
ITA 0.25 Rump angle
NLD 0.35 Slope from hips to pins
USA 0.33 Angle of the rump structure from hooks to pins.
 

 

Trait: Rump width
Country h2 Definition
AUS 0.24 Distance between pins
CAN 0.34 Width at pins
DEU 0.28 Rump width
DNK 0.27 Rump width
ESP 0.16 Distance between pins
FRA 0.32 Width at Hips
GBR 0.30 Rump width
ITA 0.29 Rump width
NLD 0.30 Distance between pins
USA 0.26 Distance between inside wall of pins
 

 

Trait: Rump width
Country h2 Definition
AUS 0.17 Side view of the angle of the hock in the rear leg
CAN 0.26 Read legs side view
DEU 0.15 Rear leg set
DNK 0.23 Rear legs side view
ESP 0.07 Rear legs side view
FRA 0.07 Rear leg set
GBR 0.20 Rear leg set
ITA 0.16 Rear leg set
NLD 0.35 Curve in the hock, side view
USA 0.21 Amount of set to the hock joint
 

 

Trait: Foot angle
Country h2 Definition
AUS 0.21 Side view foot diagonal
CAN 0.13 Foot angle
DEU 0.12 Foot angle
DNK 0.13 Foot angle
ESP 0.07 Foot angle
FRA 0.10 Heel depth
GBR 0.14 Foot angle
ITA 0.18 Foot angle
NLD 0.20 Claw diagonal
USA 0.15 Steepness of the angle of the foot
 

 

Trait: Fore udder
Country h2 Definition
AUS 0.24 Strength and quality of attachment between body and fore udder - side view
CAN 0.27 Fore udder attachement
DEU 0.21 Fore udder
DNK 0.24 Strength of attachement
ESP 0.18 Fore udder
FRA 0.20 Fore udder
GBR 0.21 Fore udder
ITA 0.15 Fore udder
NLD 0.35 Angle between the fore udder and body wall
USA 0.29 Strength of the udder attachment to the body wall by lateral ligaments
 

 

Trait: Rear udder heigth
Country h2 Definition
AUS 0.27 Distance between vulva and milk secreting tissue
CAN 0.24 Rear udder heigth
DEU 0.22 Rear udder heigth
DNK 0.22 Rear udder width
ESP 0.23 Distance between base of vulva and udder
FRA 0.20 Rear udder heigth
GBR 0.27 Rear udder heigth
ITA 0.20 Rear udder heigth
NLD 0.35 Distance between vulva and udder fold
USA 0.28 Point of rear udder attachment
 

 

Trait: Udder support
Country h2 Definition
AUS 0.27 Cleft of udder
CAN 0.15 Median suspensory
DEU 0.13 Udder support
DNK 0.19 Udder cleft
ESP 0.17 Median suspensory
FRA 0.26 Udder cleft
GBR 0.23 Udder support
ITA 0.15 Udder support
NLD 0.25 Suspensory ligament
USA 0.24 Depth of the cleft through the front and rear udder
 

 

Trait: Udder depth
Country h2 Definition
AUS 0.24 Distance between hock and bottom of udder
CAN 0.39 Udder depth
DEU 0.26 Udder depth
DNK 0.36 Udder depth
ESP 0.15 Udder to hocks
FRA 0.35 Udder-hocks distance
GBR 0.34 Udder depth
ITA 0.29 Udder depth
NLD 0.45 Distance between udder floor and ground, related to stature
USA 0.28 Distance between hock and udder floor
 

 

Trait: Teat placement
Country h2 Definition
AUS 0.33 Placement of front teats - front view
CAN 0.31 Teat placement of fore teats
DEU 0.22 Teat placement
DNK 0.40 Front teat placement
ESP 0.21 Distance between front teats
FRA 0.30 Front teat placement
GBR 0.28 Teat placement
ITA 0.22 Teat placement
NLD 0.45 Distance between tips of teats, front view
USA 0.26 Placement of front teats viewed from the rear
 

 

Trait: Teat length
Country h2 Definition
AUS 0.24 Length of front tests -side view
CAN 0.30 Teat length of fore teats
DEU 0.25 Teat length
DNK 0.41 Front teat length
ESP 0.20 Front teat length
FRA 0.30 Teat length
GBR 0.33 Teat length
ITA 0.20 Teat length
NLD 0.45 Teat length
USA 0.26 Length of front teats
 

 

Trait: Overall conformation
Country h2 Definition
AUS 0.30 General appearance
CAN 0.32 Final score (individual trait)
DEU - -
DNK - -
ESP 0.29 Final class (individual trait)
FRA 0.30 Overall score (composite trait)
GBR 0.33 Overall conformation (composite trait)
ITA 0.15 Final class (individual trait)
NLD 0.30 Overall conformation (composite trait)
USA 0.29 Overall conformation (individual trait)
 

 

Trait: Overall udder
Country h2 Definition
AUS 0.30 Mammary system
CAN 0.29 Overall udder (individual trait)
DEU 0.22 Overall udder (composite trait)
DNK 0.25 Mammary (composite trait)
ESP 0.27 Mammary system (individual trait)
FRA 0.30 Udder score (composite trait)
GBR 0.26 Overall udder (composite trait)
ITA 0.25 Overall udder (composite trait)
NLD 0.35 Qualification of the total udder (composite trait)
USA 0.28 Overall udder (composite trait)
 

 

Trait: Overall feet & legs
Country h2 Definition
AUS - -
CAN 0.21 Overall feet & legs (individual trait)
DEU 0.17 Overall feet & legs (composite trait)
DNK 0.15 Feet and legs (composite trait)
ESP 0.10 Feet and legs (individual trait)
FRA 0.07 Feet and legs score (composite trait)
GBR 0.15 Overall feet & legs (composite trait)
ITA - -
NLD 0.20 Set and bone quality of legs, quality of feet, and use of legs and feet (composite trait)
USA 0.17 Overall feet & legs (composite trait)


Last Updated on 99/08/10
By Dan Englund