Single-step genetic evaluation for claw health traits in Switzerland
Abstract
In Switzerland, a resource project was launched in 2019 to improve claw health in Swiss cattle. This project marked the beginning for the development of the first genetic evaluation for claw health traits in Swiss dairy cattle. Data recorded by claw trimmers during routine care was used to develop a single-step genetic evaluation for the most common dairy cattle breeds Holstein, Swiss Fleckvieh, Simmental, Brown Swiss and Original Braunvieh.
A key advantage of this dataset is its comprehensive inclusion of all healthy cows observed during routine care. From 2019 to 2024, a total of 104,276 records were collected for the multi-breed evaluation of Holstein cattle (encompassing Holstein, Swiss Fleckvieh, and Simmental), while 33,464 records were documented for Brown Swiss (Brown Swiss and Original Braunvieh). Breeding values were predicted for four distinct traits: dermatitis digitalis (DD), white-line disease (WL), other infectious claw diseases (INF), and other non-infectious claw diseases (NINF). The prevalence rates of DD, WL, INF, and NINF were observed as 20.9%, 9.9%, 45.8%, and 20.7% respectively in the Holstein evaluation, while in the Brown Swiss evaluation, they were found as 7.8%, 10.2%, 37.6%, and 13.5%.
A multi-trait animal model with binary coding of the trait was fit in the ssGTaBLUP evaluation, with heritability estimates ranging from 3% to 9% determined for the four traits across both populations. A top-bottom comparison revealed that daughter prevalence among sires with the highest and lowest estimated breeding values (EBV) varied by 14% to 35%. An index incorporating breed-specific weights for the four traits has been developed and is now published for all Swiss breeders.
A primary challenge in developing the genetic evaluation was the scarcity of phenotypic data alongside a substantial population of genotyped animals that exhibited limited genetic correlation with individuals supplying phenotypic records.
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