Published in Scientific Papers. Series D. Animal Science, Vol. LXVIII, Issue 1
Written by Roxana-Bianca COȘA, Horia GROSU
This study aimed to determine the optimal number of records required to estimate the breeding value for milk production in Romanian Spotted cattle during the first and second lactations. Data from 9,235 test-day records (1,270 cows) for the first lactation and 9,984 records (1,409 cows) for the second were analyzed using the Best Linear Unbiased Prediction (BLUP) method in a Test-Day Random Regression model. Heritability estimates for milk yield, fat, and protein content ranged from 0.194 to 0.381 in the first lactation and 0.184 to 0.372 in the second. Although 10 test-day records were initially considered, results indicated that focusing on the first five intervals was sufficient, as they showed higher heritability. Reducing the number of test-day records to those with the highest genetic determination improves selection accuracy while lowering the costs of official milk performance recording. This streamlined approach enhances breeding efficiency, supporting genetic progress in Romanian Spotted Simmental cattle.
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