Recommendations for SPT

1
Recommendations for SPT

• János Tozsér
• Associate Professor
• Head of Department of Cattle and Sheep Husbandry
• Szent István University
• Gödöllo, Hungary

2
1. Arrival at test

• Dairy and dual-purpose breeds as soon as
  possible after receiving the colostrum, from 4
  days to six weeks.
• Beef breeds after finishing the suckling period,
  not older than 7 mo.

3
2. Adaptation period (to equalize their
conditions before the start of the test)

• Dairy and dual-purpose breeds 3 weeks.
• Beef breeds at least 4 weeks.
• Calves should be treated with multivitamin
  injections, minerals etc. and introduced to the
  feeding regime and environment under which they
  are to be tested.

4
3. Termination point

• Dairy and dual-purpose breeds preferred point at
  11 or 12 mo.
• Beef breeds15 mo.

5
4. Feeding systemThe choice of feeding system
will depend on the breeding goals for the breed
concerned.
6

• Dairy and dual-purpose breeds restricted-feeding
  system (entering the station at an early age),
  then ad libitum complet diet system using
  automatic feeders.
• Beef breeds use of restricted feeding system
  according to weight is recommended, because of
  the large weight differences at the start of the
  test.

7
5. Management and housing

• Individual pens are expensive to construct and to
  operate, but they enable recording of individual
  feed intake.
• In loose housing in groups, social factors (e.g.
  pecking order) may influence the performance of
  the bulls. Electronic feeders are used generally.
• In kept tied system housing and labour cost can
  be minimized, and the recording of feed intake is
  facilitated.

8
6. MeasurementsLive weight

• All weights should be measured at same time of
  day after the same management routine.
• At the start and finish of the test period
  weights should be measured on two or three
  successive days.
• Live weight should be recorded every four weeks.

9
Feed intake

• Feed intake records are collected over the whole
  test period.
• The feed conversion is expressed in term of
  feed/gain ratio.
• Bulls on restricted-feeding systems must have
  their feed consumption recorded daily.
• Refusal from bulls on ad libitum systems should
  be recorded every two or three days.

10
Muscle scoring

• Subjective classification systems for muscle
  development should be related to photographic or
  descriptive standards and based on linear scales
  (from minimum to maximum).

11
(No Transcript)
12
Some judging methods for type classification-II.
13
Linear scoring at weaning in France (Yves
Jéhanno, Herd Book Charolais)
What is scoring ? Scoring is a photo of an
animal the D-day. this photo is constituted by 19
posts which describe muscular development (5),
skeletal development (5), state of fleshing,
functional aptitudes, and other stages. Notation
for each post on the animal, the scorer as to
use the note 1 to 10
Use Global DM et DS are used for indexation and
qualification with the same level than birth
weight (ease of calving) and weight at weaning
(growth potential) in to purpose to have an
genetic evaluation with BLUP (Best Linear
Unbiased Prediction) system. Hereditary of these
characters is high (0,3 à 0.4)
14
Linear scoring at weaning
Muscular Development (M.D.)
Thickness of top
With of rump
Round of rump
Top shoulders
Width of back
15
Linear scoring at weaning
Skeletal Development (S.D.)
Length of body
Length of pelvis
Width at hip bone
Size of canon bone
Size / development
16
Linear scoring at weaning
Functional Aptitudes (F.A.)
Rectitude of top line
Width of muzzle
Correction of front legs
Correction of back legs
17
Linear scoring at weaning
other posts
Depth of chest
Width of pelvis
Length of rump
Width of chest
18
Ultrasonic measurements of subcutaneous fat and
longissimus dorsi muscle area

• Repeated measurements with four week intervals
  are recommended in the last part of the test
  period.
• Fat thickness and muscle area should be expressed
  in cm an cm2 and adjusted to a constant
  live-weight basis.

19

• The correlation of backfat thickness with
  estimated body fat content was 0.80 to 0.87
  (Klawuhn and Staufenbiel, 1997).

20
Genetic correlation between in vivo (Ultrasound)
and carcass results (Song et al., 2002, Reverte
et al. 2003)

• Rump fat 0.80-0.88
• Rib area 0.62-0.68
• Backfat 0,75
• Rib area 0.57
• IMF 0.67

21
Ultrasound apparatus

• Aniscan
• Aloka
• Toshiba
• Classic
• Falco

22
Falco 100 (Pie Medical)
23

• Scanning method Linear array
• Display method B mode
• Transducer 18 cm
• Monitor 9 inch video
• Image output video, computer diskette (16
  pictures)
• Focus Automatic electronic focus with 4 focus
  points
• Calculation packages Veterinary, Cardiology and
  Animal Science
• Weight 13 kg including battery

24
Cross section of skin and layers of subcutaneous
fat in the region of rump in cattle1, skin, 2,
soft/loose fat tissue, 3, hard fat tissue, 4,
fascia superficialis, 5, interfascial fat, 6,
fascia profunda, 7, muscle
25
The reference points (1, marbling, 2, ribeye, 3,
rump) on this picture represent where ultrasound
images are collected
26
Measurement of longissimus area with A type
ultrasound system
27
A longissimus area
28
Real-time ultrasound image collected between the
12 - 13 th ribs in a Charolais heifer
29
Real-time ultrasound image collected between the
12 - 13 th ribs in a Charolais young bull
30
Body measurements

• Traditional methods
• Video image analysis

31
Traditional methods
32
Measuring stick and tape
33
Some important body measurements
34

• Heritability estimates for body measurements were
  moderate (14.881 Japanese Black cows, Boaco et
  al.,1998)
• Chest girth 0.33
• Chest depth 0.35
• Rump length 0.39
• Height at withers 0.45

35

• Heritability estimates for body measurements were
  as follows(6.226 Korean Native cattle, Chi et
  al.,1996)
• Chest girth 0.13
• Chest depth 0.19
• Rump length 0.15
• Withers height 0.25

36
Video image analysis
37
Steps of VIA-method

• Recording of animal from sideways and form above
  by a video camera,
• Choosing the pictures ideal for taking body
  measurements,
• Digitizing the chosen pictures by a computer
  program,
• Taking body measurements by a special software.

38
Recording the animal from sideways
39
Recording the animal from above
40
Hungarian Grey
41
Differences between the two methods (VIA and
manually) were

• Withers height 0.3
• Height at rump 0.2
• Thorax depth 1.1.
• Warm carcass percentage can be estimated
  (R20.91) by the new method using measurements of
  the buttock radius and height of pelvis( Zehender
  et al. 1996).

42
Correlation between carcass traits (cold carcass
weight, weight of prime cuts etc.) and 5 body
measurements (digitized)

• Computed body area 0.68-0.82
• Computed rump area 0.69-0.84.
• Computed body length 0.70-0.79 (Sakowski et al,
  1996).

43
Estimation of breeding values (BV)

• BLUP sire model
• BLUP maternal grand sire model
• Animal Model

44
Methods of calculating breeding value

• 1./ BV h2(Pi - P) P,
• 2./ BV 100 h2(100Pi /P) - 100,
• 3./ BV 100 20(Pi - P) /SD,
• 4./ BV 100 h220(Pi - P) /SD,
• where
• BV estimated breeding value,
• Pi performance of the actual bull in a trait,
• P mean of contemporaries performance in a
  trait,
• SD standard deviation.

45
Selection indices in cattle self performance test
of milk and dual purpose cattle in different
countries
46
Selection indices in cattle self performance test
of beef purpose cattle in different countries