2006 Net Merit Revision

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2006 Net Merit Revision
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Stillbirth Evaluations

• Percent stillbirths in first-calf heifers (SBH),
  similar to calving ease (DBH)
• Sire SB 12.0 - 1.5
• Daughter SB 12.0 - 2.5
• Report median and mode or mean?
• Range 8 17 sire, 6 27 daughter
• Fewer stillbirths (avg 5) in later parities
• Number of records half of calving ease
• Display 4 traits or only an index?

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Stillbirth Data
Stillbirth Score
Alive Dead Died Usable
Parity 1 2 3 Records
1 88.0 11.3 .7 1,505,826
2 95.0 3.9 1.1 4,202,200
Usable Records 5,384,029 348,677 29,320 5,762,026
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Stillbirth Genetic Trend
DSB Daughter (cows) contribution to stillbirth
rate. SSB Service sires contribution to
stillbirth rate.
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Calving Ability Indexes
Calve Ease Calve Ease Stillbirth Stillbirth Mod-el Total Merit
Sire Dtr Sire Dtr Mod-el Total Merit
DEU 19 26 26 29 AM 7
NLD 33 17 33 17 SM 4
CHE 12 12 38 38 AM 0
NOR 0 34 33 33 SM 3
proposed proposed proposed proposed
USA 25 15 15 45 SM 6
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Economic Assumptions

• Newborn calf value
• 450 for females
• 150 for males
• Expenses per difficult birth (4 or 5)
• 75 labor and veterinary
• 100 reduced milk yield
• 75 reduced fertility and longevity
• 1.5 chance of cow death (1800)

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Stillbirth Correlations from InterbullGenetic
correlations with USA
Sire Daughter
CHE 0.47 0.56
DNK 0.66 0.82
FIN 0.64 0.88
NLD 0.60 0.72
SWE 0.61 0.88
Correlations estimated using inflated daughter
counts. Participation in MACE will wait until
November.
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Milk, Fat, and Protein PricesFederal Order Class
III (Cheese)
Year Milk Fat Protein Volume SCS
2000 9.74 1.25 1.69 .0030 .14
2001 13.10 1.85 1.96 .0075 .17
2002 10.42 1.19 1.97 .0035 .14
2003 11.42 1.21 2.38 .0005 .16
2004 15.39 2.05 2.60 .0042 .20
2005 14.05 1.71 2.46 .0035 .18
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Proposed and Current PricesNet Merit, Cheese
Merit, and Fluid Merit
Year Milk Fat Prot Volume SCS
2006 NM 12.70 1.50 1.95 1.75 .18
2006 CM 12.70 1.50 2.80 -.95 .18
2006 FM 12.70 1.50 .57 5.74 .18
2003 NM 12.70 1.30 2.30 1.25 .18
2003 CM 12.70 1.30 3.00 -.85 .18
2003 FM 12.70 1.30 1.00 5.15 .18
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Proposed Net MeritRelative economic weights
Trait 2006 2003 Trait 2006 2003
Protein 23 33 SCS -9 -9
Fat 23 22 Udder 6 7
Milk 0 0 Feet/Leg 3 4
PL 17 11 Size -4 -3
DPR 9 7 Calving Ability 6 4
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Correlations with Longevity (New PL genetic
correlations and difference from previous PL)
Ctry DPR1 PL PL dif Ctry DPR PL PL dif
IRL .66 .78 .07 ITA .44 .73 .00
SWE .64 .76 -.05 DNK .42 .86 .03
GBR .58 .86 .03 NLD .38 .83 .03
CAN .54 .92 .03 CHE .35 .75 .03
BEL .52 .83 .01 AUS .34 .69 .02
NZL .51 .69 .03 FIN .28 .70 .06
DEU .46 .85 .00 FRA .27 .70 .03
ESP .46 .77 .05 ISR .22 .48 .09
1 Correlation of US daughter pregnancy rate PTA
with foreign longevity PTA (gt10 herds in both
countries)
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Culling Emphasis
Relative emphasis on first-parity trait Relative emphasis on first-parity trait Relative emphasis on first-parity trait Relative emphasis on first-parity trait Relative emphasis on first-parity trait Relative emphasis on first-parity trait Relative emphasis on first-parity trait
Year Milk Yield Fat Yield Prot. Yield SCS DO CE FS
1988 100 82 99 -19 -18 - 8 26
1992 100 76 101 -25 -23 - 9 24
1996 100 74 100 -26 -30 - 9 23
2000 100 78 95 -33 -74 -15 33
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February 2006 Change

• Foreign bull PTA DPR
• Predict fertility from other traits
• Methods very similar to multi-trait PL
• Foreign correlations assumed domestic
• MACE longevity, yield get highest weight
• Results for top 100 NM foreign bulls
• PTA mean was -.3, now -.7
• REL mean was 28, now 40
• REL would increase 7 for domestic bulls

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Changes for May

• ERCR computed at AIPL
• Milking speed for Brown Swiss
• Rear legs / rear view (BS, GU)
• Brown Swiss calving ease MACE
• POSTPONED or CANCELLED

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Changes expected for August

• Stillbirth evaluation
• Include in calving ability index
• New definition of productive life
• Credit for longer lactations
• Lower correlation with fertility
• Standard deviation 1.43 times larger
• Update NM economic values

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Changes expected Nov or Feb

• Multi-breed / crossbred evaluation