November 2004

Introduction

The latest routine international evaluation for dairy production traits took place as scheduled at the Interbull Centre. Data from twenty six (26) countries were included in this evaluation. Results were distributed on November 8, 2004, to designated representatives.

International genetic evaluations for milk, fat and protein yields of bulls from Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Rep. of South Africa, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America were computed. Ayrshire, Brown Swiss, Guernsey, Holstein, Jersey and Simmental breed data were included in this evaluation.

New data (national genetic evaluations) included in this evaluation

• Italy (Holstein) provided breeding values predicted with a random regression test-day model. At the same time the reference base was updated.
• Rep. of South Africa introduced a fixed regression test-day model for Guernsey.

Changes in Interbull procedures

• A modified procedure for estimation of genetic correlations was used. Details of this procedure can be found here:
  http://www.interbull.org/documents/genetic_correlation_estimation_procedure_042t.pdf
• A new code for type of predicted merit was introduced. This new code can be used to identify evaluations based on mostly (more than 50%) imported daughters or daughters born from imported embryos. Such evaluations for other bulls (status of bull = 20) based on imported daughters or embryos (type of predicted genetic merit = 22) are only included in the international evaluation if these are publishable in the country sending the information and another country submitted an evaluation based on first crop daughters (type of predicted genetic merit = 11 or 12).

Changes in pedigree handling

1. Dam pedigrees

The handling of dam pedigrees was modified. When a dam has more than one son, there may be conflicting information about the MGS and MGD of these sons coming from different countries (or even the same country). The Interbull Centre has always forced MGS and MGD to be the same for each dam. The MGS and MGD IDs were previously picked at random between non-missing IDs. Now we give priority to:

       1) not missing ID
       2) information from dams country of first registration
       3) information from country of first registration of bull
       4) information from country with most complete pedigree for particular record
       5) first record read from list

So, if we for example have two different MGS IDs for a particular dam ID and both MGS ID's are not missing, we take the MGS ID from the country of first registration of the dam. If this country did not provide the information, we see if the country of first registration of the bull provided the information and so forth.

2. Authoritative source of information

The code that indicates whether information came from the authoritative pedigree source was changed in the 012-file. The last five bytes indicate whether the particular ID came from the authoritative pedigree source (Y) or not (N). An X is assigned if the ID in the 012-file was not submitted by the country of first registration, but is due to a cross-reference. The first of these bytes is for the bull followed by sire, dam, MGS, MGD. The authoritative pedigree source is the country of 1st registration of bull for bull, sire and dam ID. For MGS and MGD IDs, it is the country of 1st registration of the dam. These five bytes replace the previous 0/1 code, which only pertained to the bull ID.

Example
012HOLHOLDNKM000000011292SK PABST 19740408HOLUSAM000001406548HOLDNKF000198200317
HOLDNKM0000000069240000000000000000000 YXNYY

Here YXNYY indicates that the bull ID was submitted by the country of first registration of the bull (DNK). The sire ID was also provided by DNK, but was changed from HOLDEUM009010450020 to HOLUSAM000001406548 due to a cross-reference. The dam ID was missing in the 010-file from DNK, so the information was taken from another country (in this case IRL). Therefore an N is assigned for the dam. The country of first registration of the dam (in this case DNK) submitted the MGS
and the MGD for the bull in question. Therefore an Y is assigned for both these IDs (even the MGD ID is missing).

Data and method of analysis

Data were national genetic evaluations of AI sampled bulls with daughters in at least 10 herds. Table 1 presents the amount of data included in this Interbull evaluation. The difference between "No. Records" and "No. Bulls" is explained by common bulls with proofs in more than one country. The entry "Publishable Proofs" reflects bulls whose international evaluations were distributed to service customers. The difference between "No. Bulls" and "Publishable Proofs" is explained by bulls not meeting the minimum criterion for official publication in the country of origin.

Table 2 and table 3 presents the current definition of the reference (genetic) base and date of evaluation, respectively, as supplied by each country in the dairy-production proof file.

Estimated genetic parameters are shown in APPENDIX I and the corresponding number of common bulls are listed in APPENDIX II. Parameters are listed by breed, trait and country.

National proofs were first de-regressed within country and then analysed jointly with a linear model including the effects of evaluation country, genetic group of bull and bull merit. Different breeds were analysed separately. Heritability estimates used in both the de-regression and international evaluation were as in each country's national evaluation (Table 4).

Ancestor-bulls without own proofs were traced back two generations from the oldest bulls with proofs in order to increase across country connections and account for the effect of selection.

Genetic groups were defined according to unidentified parents by national origin, breed and birth year of the bull and path of selection (sire, maternal grand-sire, maternal grand-dam). Birth year grouping was by 1-5 year periods. Small groups (generally consisting of less than 10 bull) were combined.

Scientific literature

The international genetic evaluation procedure is based on international work described in the following scientific publications:

International genetic evaluation computation:

Schaeffer. 1994. J. Dairy Sci. 77:2671-2678
Klei, 1998. Interbull Bulletin 17:3-7

Verification and Genetic trend validation:

Klei et al., 2002. Interbull Bulletin 29:178-182.
Boichard et al., 1995. J. Dairy Sci. 78:431-437

Weighting factors:

Fikse and Banos, 2001. J. Dairy Sci. 84:1759-1767

De-regression and genetic parameter estimation

Sigurdsson and G. Banos. 1995. Acta Agric. Scand. 45:207-219
Jairath et al. 1998. J. Dairy Sci. Vol. 81:550-562

Genetic parameter estimation:

Sigurdsson et al., 1996. Acta Agric. Scand. 46:129-136
Sullivan, 1999. Interbull Bulletin 22:146-148
Jorjani et al., 2003. J. Dairy Sci. 86:677-679

Time edits

Weigel and Banos. 1997. J. Dairy Sci. 80:3425-3430

International reliability estimation

Harris and Johnson. 1998. Interbull Bulletin 17:31-36

Publication of Interbull evaluations

Results were distributed by the Interbull Centre to designated representatives in each country. The international evaluation file comprised international proofs expressed on the base and unit of each country included in the analysis. Such records readily provide more information on bull performance in various countries, thereby minimising the need to resort to conversions.

At the same time, all recipients of Interbull results are expected to honour the agreed code of practice, decided by the Interbull Steering Committee, and only publish international evaluations on their own country scale. Evaluations expressed on another country scale are confidential and may only be used internally for research and review purposes.

All recipients are also expected to follow the agreed guidelines for advertising genetic merit. The guidelines has been distributed to all members and is available on the Interbull homepage (http://www.interbull.org) under "Publications and Documentation/General information".

Next routine international evaluation

The next routine international evaluation for dairy production, udder health, conformation and longevity traits is scheduled for February 2005. New data for the February routine run should reach the Interbull Centre not later than Tuesday February 1, 2005, 17:00 Central European Time (CET); in any case, the most recently received data will be considered. The target time for distribution of results for internal review to designated representatives, who have signed a confidentiality agreement with the Centre, is Thursday February 10, 2005. Official release date of the results is targeted to be Monday February 14, 2005.

Next test international evaluation

The next test international evaluation for dairy production, conformation, udder health, direct longevity and calving traits (for Holstein) is scheduled for March 2005. Countries wishing to enter the system for the first time or planning to submit new information (modified national evaluation procedure, newbreeds etc) for following routine evaluations must have their data tested in this test-run.

Deadline for sending data and validation results to the Interbull Centre for the March 2005 test evaluation is March 1, 2005 at 17:00 CET.

Means of result distribution from the Interbull Centre

Electronic exchange of data is probably more efficient than anything else. Currently most countries in the service have established internet connections and receive international evaluation results on the day of their release. Subscribers to the service that do not already exercise this option are encouraged to consider it and establish an internet connection and ftp account. When such accounts are available, please provide their specifications to the Interbull Centre. Until then, data will be delivered on CD-ROM's.

For more information about the international genetic evaluation service please contact the Interbull Centre: address: SLU Box 7023, 750 07 Uppsala, Sweden;  fax: +46-18-672648;

Please use Interbull_at_hgen.slu.se  for all communication regarding Interbull services.