Genetic evaluation of beef cattle in the Czech Republic J. Přibyl 1, J. Přibylová 1, P. Šafus 1, Z. Veselá 1, L. Vostrý 1, J. Kopecký 2, K. Malát 2, K. Šeba 2 1 Institute of Animal Science, Prague – Uhříněves, Czech Republic, 2 Czech Beef Breeders Association, Prague, Czech Republic,

Beef cattle population in % (N = 353,678)

23,002 active population with performance recording Commercial herds 155,000 cows in a suckler system

Cows in the active population in % ( )

Calves born in the active population in % (control year 2006/7 )

BREEDING: - Only purebred beef sires - Sire – state licence - Natural service majority - AI 12.8 %, for Charolais 21.9 % bulls enter into breeding / year for natural service - 85% from domestic production

The most important paths of breeding: - Selection of young bulls (young sires) for herds - Combination of parents for the future generation of sires

DEVELOPMENT of the SYSTEM - Performance recording - Genetic evaluation (BV) - Handling of databases - Operative feedback to the supervisors and farmers

Evaluated characteristics Recorded traitsOthers - health - genetic defects - defects conformation - sexual dimorphism - locomotion - ………

Performance recording Field test Calving difficulty 365 days weight Daily gain Birth weight 120 days weight Scoring body measurements and capacity Scoring muscling and overall type 210 days weight Performance – test stations ♂ Type

Estimation of BV Updated 4 times / year

Animals in genetic evaluation TraitAnimals in evaluation including pedigree Animals with production records Yearly augmentation of database – production records Field test Weight at 120 days kg 331, ,512 8,011 Weight at 210 days kg 113,60510,060 Weight at 365 days kg 44,585 3,498 Young ♂ Daily gain in test g/day 26,034 7,729 1,132 Type of young animals 10 traits points 44,404 17,612 5,379

Field test Breeding values: Multiple-Breeds, Multiple-Traits Animal Model with Maternal effect (5 direct + 5 maternal traits)

y ijklmnop = yr i + hys ij + s k + am l + a m + m n + p n + hd o + hm p +e ijklmnop y ijklmnop - recorded performance (ce, birth, 120, 210, 365) yr i - year hys ij - group of jointly evaluated animals (herd-year-season) s k - sex of the animal am l - mother’s age at calving a m - direct BV of the animal m n - maternal BV p n - maternal permanent environment hd o - direct heterosis of calves hm p - maternal heterosis of dams e ijklmnop - residual (a m and m n with joint relationship and genetic groups according to the breeds)

Correlations between BV of sires in consecutive years

Own growth of bulls at performance-test stations Breeding value: Multiple-Breeds Single-Trait Animal Model

Daily gains of bulls from birth to the end of the test (Bohmanová, 2001)

y ijklm = hys i + am j + ch k + at l + g m + e ijklm y ijklm - recorded daily gain in test hys i - group of jointly evaluated animals (station-year-season) am j - mother’s age at calving ch k - class of the herd from which the individuals came according to the average gain at l - regression on the age of introduction into the test g m - BV of the animal with genetic groups according to the breeds e ijklm - error

Type traits of young animals HS- height at sacrum BL- body length LW- live weight CW- front chest width CD- chest depth PE- pelvis (length and width) SM- shoulder muscling BM- back muscling RM- rump muscling PT- production type

Breeding values: Multiple-Breeds, Multiple-Traits Animal Model (10 traits) Traits two groups: 1) Body measurements and body capacity ( HS, BL, LW, CW, CD and PE) 2) Muscling and overall type (SM, BM, RM and PT).

First group: y ijklmn = hys i + s j + am k + ae l + g m + e ijklmn Second group: y ijlmno = hys i + s j ae l + bdg n + g m + e ijlmno y ijklmn (yijlmno) - scoring of the trait hys i - group of jointly evaluated animals (herd-year-season) s j - sex of the animal am k - mother’s age at calving ae l - regression on age at evaluation bdg n - regression on daily gain from birth g m - BVof the animal with genetic groups according to the breeds e ijklmn (e ijmnol ) - error

Relative BV of sire - muscling SEUROP Points 81 – – – – – – Slaughtered sons according to BV of sires for muscling

Selection indexes for young bulls IM - terminal crossing IZ - foundation sires IS - common beef herd

The sources of information - BV: - Field test -10 BV for direct and maternal effects for easy calving and growth, - Performance-testing stations - BV for daily gain bulls - Type traits of young animals -10 BV

Highest importance in the breeding objective - Direct effects for daily gain until weaning and after weaning 90% to 96% of the total selection effect

The time trend of BVof Charolais bulls

Future development female fertility direct evaluation of carcass traits.

ORGANIZATION OF BEEF

MINISTRY ČSCHMS Praha Czech Beef Breeders Association (CBBA) 1990

CHAIRMAN ČSCHMS Praha (CBBA) election BREEDERS (voluntarily)

CHAIRMAN EXECUTIVE MANAGER (employee) 7 PROFESSIONALS + SECRETARY (employees)

BREED CLUBS CHAIR PERSONS (elected) coordination of breeds ČSCHMS Praha (CBBA)

PLEMDAT ČMSCH a.s. (CMBC) BREEDERS state responsibility BV calculation central evidence of animals ČSCHMS Praha (CBBA)

PLEMDAT RESEARCH ČSCHMS Praha (CBBA) ČMSCH a.s. (CMBC) BREEDERS state responsibility BV calculation central evidence of animals

PLEMDAT RESEARCH ČSCHMS Praha (CBBA) ČMSCH a.s. (CMBC) BREEDERS state responsibility BV calculation central evidence of animals INSEMINATION COMPANY

INSPECTORSHERD BOOK ADMINISTRATION - PERFORMANCE RECORDING - EVALUATION OF ANIMALS - PROMOTION OF BEEF CATTLE - SUBSIDIES ……. ČSCHMS Praha (CBBA)

INFORMATION FLOW BREEDERS - CONTACT WITH INSPECTORS - PRINTED REPORTS - PUBLICATIONS ČSCHMS Praha (CBBA)

- ANNUAL REPORTS

- ASSOCIATION MAGAZINE 4 x / year

WEBSITE – updated daily

- Internet Tool for Breeders - Breeding Programmes - Interactive Database of Animals - On – Line Performance Recording - Breeding Bull Search Database - BV - News– vet. – economic – husbandry …………….

Thank for your attention See you soon in the Czech Republic