Genetic evaluation of the length of productive life in Holstein cattle in the Czech Republic

Abstract

Survival Kit V3.12 was used to analyse the length of productive life of cattle in theCzechRepublic. The data set consisted of 230 028 registeredHolstein cows. The model included the time-dependent effects parity × stage of lactation interaction, herd × year × season interaction, class of milk production within herd and year, breed within years and the time-independent effect of age at first calving and the random effect of sire. The highest risk of culling was found for cows at the beginning and at the end of the first lactation and at the end of any other lactation. The risk of culling decreased with parity. The risk of culling of cows assigned to the lowest milk production class was five times higher than that of cows assigned to the average milk production class. Risk of culling diminished with a decreasing percentage ofHolstein breed. Cows younger at first calving showed a lower risk of culling. Breeding values for sires expressed as a risk ratio of their daughters were between 0.7 and 1.45. Estimated heritability of functional longevity was 0.025 on the log scale and 0.041 on the original scale.