Relationships between longevity and conformation traits in Czech Fleckvieh cows

ZAVADILOVÁ, L., NĚMCOVÁ, E., ŠTÍPKOVÁ, M. & BOUŠKA, J. Relationships between longevity and conformation traits in Czech Fleckvieh cows. Czech Journal of Animal Science, 2009, roč. 54, s. 387-394.
ZAVADILOVÁ, Ludmila, NĚMCOVÁ, Eva, ŠTÍPKOVÁ, Miloslava and BOUŠKA, Josef. Relationships between longevity and conformation traits in Czech Fleckvieh cows. Czech Journal of Animal Science, 2009, 54, 387-394. ISSN 1212-1819.
Year2009
CathegoryScientific publication in impacted journals
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Abstract

Genetic correlations between conformation and longevity traits were analysed in 58 493 Czech Fleckvieh cows first calved from 1994 to 2003 and scored for conformation during the first lactation. VCE 4.0 program for variance component estimation was employed. Heritability for conformation traits were from 0.06 to 0.63 and for longevity traits from 0.04 to 0.05. The correlations were lower for functional longevity. Body measurements showed negative genetic correlations with longevity (-0.12 to -0.29). Dairy character negatively correlated with longevity (-0.18 to -0.26). The muscularity and udder showed zero correlation with functional longevity. The feet and legs were not correlated with real longevity. The highest positive genetic correlations betweenreal longevity were found for hock (0.24), rear udder attachment (0.28), fore udder length (0.16) and central ligament (0.11). On the contrary, the correlation between the udder depth and the functional longevity was positive (0.28).