Back to search

Virginia Tech

Characteristics of progeny test herds and their effects on the genetic evaluation of young sires

Abstract

dc:description.abstract

Our purpose was to examine characteristics of progeny test herds and their effects on the genetic evaluation of young sires. Data for a study of response to pedigree selection by stud were evaluated from 6238 Holstein sires in four USDA animal model evaluations from January 1995 to February 1997. When data were restricted to the nine major semen producing organizations, a common intercept and slope for prediction of daughter yield deviation from pedigree merit were appropriate for milk but R2 was low at 0.14. We detected no important differences in response to pedigree selection among progeny testing methods used by major semen producing organizations. Data for a study of specific progeny test herds were 4154 Holstein progeny test herds from two AI studs and 6361 remaining herds from two states. We grouped herds into four categories, 21st Century Genetics and Genex progeny test herds, other Minnesota herds and other New York herds. Herds were described by DHI profile and average cow evaluation data. Cows with extreme yield deviations (± 3 herd standard deviations) were identified, as were daughters of progeny test bulls with extreme daughter performance relative to pedigree merit of the bull. 21st Century Genetics and Genex appear to have chosen the larger, genetically superior and better managed herds from within their regions in which to conduct their progeny testing. We were not able to predict if a bull was going to exceed or fail to meet pedigree prediction by characteristics of the progeny test herds in which he was sampled.

Degree

thesis:*
Name thesis:degree_name
Master of Science
Level thesis:degree_level
masters
Discipline thesis:degree_discipline
Dairy Science
Department dc:contributor.department
Dairy Science
Grantor dc:publisher
Virginia Tech
Year dc:date.issued
1998

Author and committee

dc:creator, dc:contributor.*
Author dc:creator
  • Vierhout, Crystal N.
Chair dc:contributor.committeechair
  • Ratcliffe, Donna E. Cassell
Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember
  • Vinson, William E.
  • Pearson, Ronald E.
  • McGilliard, Michael L.
  • Hohenboken, William D.

Subjects

dc:subject × 4

Rights

dc:rights
Statement dc:rights
  • In Copyright

Identifiers

dc:identifier.*
Dc Identifier Other
etd-21598-142244
OAI identifier oai:identifier
oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/36543

Chain of custody

source
Harvested from
Virginia Tech
Base URL
vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/oai/request
Last updated
2026-07-22
Source record
OAI-PMH GetRecord
citation

Vierhout, Crystal N.. Characteristics of progeny test herds and their effects on the genetic evaluation of young sires. masters thesis, Virginia Tech, 1998. http://hdl.handle.net/10919/36543