1. 2006 Paul VanRaden Animal Improvement Programs Laboratory, USDA Agricultural Research Service, Beltsville, MD, USA paul@aipl.arsusda.gov Fertility Trait Economics and Correlations with Other Traits

2. Interbull Workshop 2006 (2) P.M. VanRaden 2006 Emphasis on Fertility, Longevity (% of total merit) CtryFertLongCtryFertLong USA711DNK89 DEU125AUS98 NLD108NZL108 FRA13 GBR17 CAN57SWE610 ITA8IRL2218

3. Interbull Workshop 2006 (3) P.M. VanRaden 2006 Fertility Trait Indexes % relative emphasis TraitNLDITAESPCANDNK 1 DO 2 NR 3 Days 1 st Insem. 545652251569 Non− Return 464448657031100 Heifer fertility 1015 1 Time from first to last insemination replaces non−return rate 2 Countries that evaluate only days open or calving interval 3 Countries that evaluate only non−return rate or number of inseminations

4. Interbull Workshop 2006 (4) P.M. VanRaden 2006 Predict Longevity from Fertility  Which cow fertility trait contributes most to longevity? Days to first insemination (DFI) Non−return rate (NR)  Combined longevity includes 23% DFI and 12% NR in CAN Only DFI in NLD Correlations =.33 DFI,.11 NR in USA

5. Interbull Workshop 2006 (5) P.M. VanRaden 2006 Foreign Bull Fertility PTAs  Predict fertility from other traits Methods similar to multi−trait longevity Foreign correlations assumed = domestic MACE longevity, yield get highest weight Implemented in USA February 2006  Results for top 100 Net Merit bulls PTA mean was −.3, now −.7 – (as compared to SD of 1.4) REL mean was 28%, now 40%

6. Interbull Workshop 2006 (6) P.M. VanRaden 2006 Longevity Corr with US DPR, PL (>10 herds in both countries, Interbull longevity correlations) CtryDPRPLCtryDPRPL IRL.66.71ITA.44.73 SWE.64.81DNK.42.83 GBR.58.83NLD.38.80 CAN.54.89CHE.35.72 BEL.52.82AUS.34.67 NZL.51.66FIN.28.64 DEU.46.85FRA.27.67 ESP.46.72ISR.22.39

7. Interbull Workshop 2006 (7) P.M. VanRaden 2006 Productive Life Credits 2 0 3451 Years 20 140 40 60 80 100 120 0 Credit (%) 321

8. Interbull Workshop 2006 (8) P.M. VanRaden 2006 2006 Productive Life Credits 2 0 3451 Years 20 140 40 60 80 100 120 0 Credit (%) 321

9. Interbull Workshop 2006 (9) P.M. VanRaden 2006 Correlation of PL, Other Traits PTA of USA bulls born since 1995 ProSCSDPRUdd Feet / LegSizeDCE Old PL.07−.28.59.12.04−.20−.26 New PL.10−.30.51.12.05−.21−.27

10. Interbull Workshop 2006 (10) P.M. VanRaden 2006 Holstein Pregnancy Rate − Phenotypic and Genetic Trend 1965−2000

11. Interbull Workshop 2006 (11) P.M. VanRaden 2006 Heifer Fertility is OK Paul VanRaden, 1995

12. Interbull Workshop 2006 (12) P.M. VanRaden 2006 Value of Cow Fertility  Fertility expenses per day open Heat detection ($20 / lact .005)= $.10 Semen ($15 / unit + $5 labor) *.025= $.50 Pregnancy exam ($10 / exam)*.012= $.12 Lactations too long or short= $.75  Value of DPR as % of total economic value 7% in Net Merit since August 2003 5% in TPI since February 2005, also −2% for dairy form in TPI since February 2005

13. Interbull Workshop 2006 (13) P.M. VanRaden 2006 Conclusions  Fertility and longevity receive a total of 8% to 40% of selection  Corr(fertility, longevity) not uniform  Days to 1 st insemination more important than conception rate?  Selection for fertility reduces costs and increases longevity

14. Interbull Workshop 2006 (14) P.M. VanRaden 2006 Calving Interval (Trait 4 correlations) CtryBirthMilkFatProtLongSCS CAN−.06−.11−.13.21−.06 DNK−.40−.31−.28−.32.34−.18 ESP−.08−.38−.29−.35.38−.16 GBR−.27−.36 −.42.30−.13 IRL−.20−.40−.35−.37.49 NLD−.41−.52−.43−.50.06−.13 NZL−.11−.32−.05−.21.59−.10 USA−.04−.21 −.17.48−.12

15. Interbull Workshop 2006 (15) P.M. VanRaden 2006 Conception Rate (Trait 3 correlations) CtryBirthMilkFatProtLongSCS CAN−.06−.07−.09.09−.04 DEU.06−.01−.03−.02.17−.04 DNK−.41−.43−.37−.47.23−.17 FRA.09.00−.02.00.28−.08 ISR−.06−.07−.16−.27.38−.15 NLD−.41−.39−.37−.48.08−.04

16. Interbull Workshop 2006 (16) P.M. VanRaden 2006 Calving to First Insemination (Trait 2 correlations) CtryBirthMilkFatProtLongSCS CAN−.01−.26−.16−.21.32−.12 DNK−.34−.42−.36−.40.25−.22 NLD−.33−.49−.46−.50.04−.15 NZL−.08−.29−.05−.19.49−.10

17. Interbull Workshop 2006 (17) P.M. VanRaden 2006 Heifer Fertility (Trait 1 correlations) CtryBirthMilkFatProtLongSCS CAN−.09−.11−.09−.14.14−.10 DNK−.27−.23−.19−.27.03−.05 GBR−.43−.48−.22−.44.13−.12