Danish Agricultural Advisory Service National Centre Locomotion as a New Trait: First Results from Denmark Dorothee Boelling Anders Fogh Ulrik Sander Nielsen

Danish Agricultural Advisory Service National Centre Introduction Aim to improve mobility traits genetically Locomotion as a new (test) trait in DK 3 breeds: Red Danish, Holstein, Jersey Characteristics of the trait Calculation of genetic parameters (h 2, r g ) Summary and conclusion

Danish Agricultural Advisory Service National Centre Data Sets Red DanishHolsteinJersey Lactation 16,30756,4706,969 % of lin. class.22.3%36.9%25.6% Lactation ,7841,425 Data from August 2004 to March 2007

Danish Agricultural Advisory Service National Centre Locomotion Scoring System Movements of Legs Lengths of StridesGait 1lame 2very severe ab- /adduction shortvery uneven 3severe ab-/add.shortuneven 4severe ab-/add.mediumuneven 5no ab-/add.shorteven 6slight ab-/add.mediumeven 7slight ab-/add.longeven 8no ab-/add.mediumfree and even 9no ab-/add.longfree and even

Danish Agricultural Advisory Service National Centre Distribution of Locomotion Score

Danish Agricultural Advisory Service National Centre Statistical Model Separate analysis for each breed Lame cows (Loc Score = 1) are excluded Correction to the same standard deviation within breed Animal model Pedigree is traced 5 generation back

Danish Agricultural Advisory Service National Centre Statistical Model Y = age at calvingfixed +month of calvingfixed +stage of lactation in monthsfixed +inspector*year*monthfixed +herdfixed +region*yearfixed +animalrandom +residualrandom

Danish Agricultural Advisory Service National Centre Heritabilities Red DanishHolsteinJersey RLSV RLRV Foot Angle Hocks Bone Structure Locomotion

Danish Agricultural Advisory Service National Centre Genetic Correlations between Locomotion and F&L Traits Red DanishHolsteinJersey RLSV RLRV Foot Angle Hocks Bone Structure

Danish Agricultural Advisory Service National Centre Locomotion Scoring Systems Locomotion 1lame 2ab-/add. 3short strides 4uneven gait 5 6normal 7 8locomotion 9

Danish Agricultural Advisory Service National Centre Locomotion Scoring Systems LocomotionLameness lame0clin. lame 2ab-/add.1subclinically 3short strideslame 4uneven gait 52normal 6 locomotion 7 8 9

Danish Agricultural Advisory Service National Centre Locomotion Scoring Systems LocomotionLameness0-1-2Lameness0-1 1lame0clin. lame0lame 2ab-/add.1subclinically1not lame 3short strideslame 4uneven gait 52normal 6 locomotion 7 8 9

Danish Agricultural Advisory Service National Centre Heritabilities Red DanishHolsteinJersey Feet&Leg diseases*

Danish Agricultural Advisory Service National Centre Heritabilities Red DanishHolsteinJersey Feet&Leg diseases* Lameness

Danish Agricultural Advisory Service National Centre Heritabilities Red DanishHolsteinJersey Feet&Leg diseases* Lameness Lameness Locomotion

Danish Agricultural Advisory Service National Centre Comparison of Scoring Systems Locomotion Scoring Movement of legs Length of strides Evenness of gait

Danish Agricultural Advisory Service National Centre Comparison of Scoring Systems Locomotion Scoring Movement of legs Length of strides Evenness of gait Lameness Scoring Gait and length of strides Leg support Arching of the back

Danish Agricultural Advisory Service National Centre Genetic Correlations between Locomotion and Body Traits Red DanishHolsteinJersey Body Depth Chest Width Angularity Top Line Rump Width Rump Angle

Danish Agricultural Advisory Service National Centre Genetic Correlations between Locomotion and Body Traits Red DanishHolsteinJersey Body Depth Chest Width Angularity Top Line Rump Width Rump Angle

Danish Agricultural Advisory Service National Centre Summary Breed differences h 2 lower than for other body conformation traits, but higher than for diseases Genetic correlation high to RLRV across all breeds No correlations to other body traits, except for Top Line

Danish Agricultural Advisory Service National Centre Conclusion + Outlook Data collection easier than for diseases, but more difficult than for linear type traits Consider Locomotion as a trait signaling F&L diseases Use as a management tool (like temperament, milkability) Calculate correlation to Feet&Leg diseases Decision how to use it in future breeding work