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Genetic relationship between milk urea nitrogen and reproductive performance in Holstein dairy cows

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 August 2010

Navid Ghavi Hossein-Zadeh  and
Mehrnaz Ardalan
Navid Ghavi Hossein-Zadeh*
Affiliation:
Faculty of Agriculture, Department of Animal Science, University of Guilan, Rasht, PO Box 41635-1314, Iran
Mehrnaz Ardalan
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Science, University College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Karaj, PO Box 31587-77871, Iran
*
†E-mails: nhosseinzadeh@guilan.ac.ir, navid.hosseinzadeh@gmail.com
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Abstract

The objective of this study was to describe the genetic and phenotypic relationship between milk urea nitrogen (MUN) and reproductive traits in Iranian Holstein dairy cows. Test-day MUN data obtained from 57 301 dairy cows on 20 large dairy herds in Iran between January 2005 and June 2009. Genetic parameters for MUN and reproductive traits were estimated with a five-trait model using ASREML program. Random regression test-day models were used to estimate heritabilities separately for MUN from first, second and third lactations. Regression curves were modeled using Legendre polynomials of order 3. Herd-year-season along with age at calving was included as fixed effects in all models for reproductive traits. Heritabilities for MUN and reproductive traits were estimated separately for first lactation, second lactation and third lactation. The estimated heritabilities for MUN varied from 0.18 to 0.22. The heritability estimate was low for reproductive traits, which ranged from 0.02 to 0.06 for different traits and across parities. Except for days open, phenotypic and genetic correlations of MUN with reproductive performance traits were close to zero. Genetic correlations between MUN and days open were 0.23, 0.35 and 0.45 in first, second and third lactation, respectively. However, the phenotypic correlation between MUN at different parities was moderate (0.28 to 0.35), but the genetic correlation between MUN at different parities was high and ranged from 0.84 to 0.97. This study shows a limited application of MUN for use in selection programs to improve reproductive performance.

Keywords

milk urea nitrogenfertilitygenetic correlationdairy cow
Type
Full Paper
Information
animal , Volume 5 , Issue 1 , January 2011 , pp. 26 - 32
Copyright
Copyright © The Animal Consortium 2010

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