Biomaterial Database

Calving ease (Co)variance components for a sire-maternal grandsire threshold model. 2003

G R Wiggans, and I Misztal, and C P Van Tassell

Animal Improvement Programs Laboratory, Agricultural Research Service, USDA, Beltsville, MD 20705-2350. wiggans@aipl.arsusda.gov

Variance components for a sire-maternal grandsire (MGS) threshold model were estimated from subsets of the US calving ease (CE) database, which includes over 10 million calving records with CE scored 1 (no problem) to 5 (extreme difficulty). Selected records included sire and MGS among the 2601 most frequently appearing bulls. The data were further restricted by requiring at least 20 records in each herd year. Five mutually exclusive sample datasets of approximately 200,000 records each were created based on herd code. The model included random herd-year, sire, MGS, and residual effects and fixed year-season, parity-sex, and birth year of sire and MGS effects. Fewer than 50 iterations were required to reach convergence. The (co)variance component estimates from the five replicates were quite similar. The set of estimates (0.438, herd-year; 0.022, sire; 0.016, MGS; 0.009, sire-MGS) that yielded among the highest heritabilities (0.086, direct; 0.048, maternal) and a correlation of direct and maternal effects near the mean (-0.12) was selected for use in the implementation of a sire-MGS model for CE.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008297	Male		Males
D008433	Mathematics	The deductive study of shape, quantity, and dependence. (From McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific and Technical Terms, 6th ed)	Mathematic
D008957	Models, Genetic	Theoretical representations that simulate the behavior or activity of genetic processes or phenomena. They include the use of mathematical equations, computers, and other electronic equipment.	Genetic Models,Genetic Model,Model, Genetic
D010298	Parity	The number of offspring a female has borne. It is contrasted with GRAVIDITY, which refers to the number of pregnancies, regardless of outcome.	Multiparity,Nulliparity,Primiparity,Parity Progression Ratio,Parity Progression Ratios,Ratio, Parity Progression,Ratios, Parity Progression
D011247	Pregnancy	The status during which female mammals carry their developing young (EMBRYOS or FETUSES) in utero before birth, beginning from FERTILIZATION to BIRTH.	Gestation,Pregnancies
D001947	Breeding	The production of offspring by selective mating or HYBRIDIZATION, GENETIC in animals or plants.	Breedings
D002417	Cattle	Domesticated bovine animals of the genus Bos, usually kept on a farm or ranch and used for the production of meat or dairy products or for heavy labor.	Beef Cow,Bos grunniens,Bos indicus,Bos indicus Cattle,Bos taurus,Cow,Cow, Domestic,Dairy Cow,Holstein Cow,Indicine Cattle,Taurine Cattle,Taurus Cattle,Yak,Zebu,Beef Cows,Bos indicus Cattles,Cattle, Bos indicus,Cattle, Indicine,Cattle, Taurine,Cattle, Taurus,Cattles, Bos indicus,Cattles, Indicine,Cattles, Taurine,Cattles, Taurus,Cow, Beef,Cow, Dairy,Cow, Holstein,Cows,Dairy Cows,Domestic Cow,Domestic Cows,Indicine Cattles,Taurine Cattles,Taurus Cattles,Yaks,Zebus
D005260	Female		Females
D000704	Analysis of Variance	A statistical technique that isolates and assesses the contributions of categorical independent variables to variation in the mean of a continuous dependent variable.	ANOVA,Analysis, Variance,Variance Analysis,Analyses, Variance,Variance Analyses
D000818	Animals	Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA.	Animal,Metazoa,Animalia