Genetic parameters for direct and maternal calving ease in Walloon dairy cattle based on linear and threshold models

peer reviewed ; Calving ease scores from Holstein dairy cattle in the Walloon Region of Belgium were analysed using univariate linear and threshold animal models. Variance components and derived genetic parameters were estimated from a dataset including 33,155 calving records. Included in the models were season, herd and sex of calf age of dam classes group of calvings interaction as fixed effects, herd year of calving, maternal permanent environment and animal direct and maternal additive genetic as random effects. Models were fitted with the genetic correlation between direct and maternal ad... Mehr ...