Abstract:
In order to estimate the genetic parameters of reproductive traits of Chinese Holstein heifers in Shuozhou District Shanxi Province and analyze the non-genetic factors affecting the reproductive traits, the calving and mating records(including the age at first service, the age at first calving, the number of services per conception, the interval between first and last service, the gestation length, and the non-return rate within 56 days) and the data of 13 non-genetic factors(including birth year, birth season, first service month age, first service year, first service season, breeder, number of siblings, whether first service sex control, whether service pregnancy sex control, calving season, whether preterm birth, pregnancy length, and calving month age) of 1 030 Chinese Holstein heifers from 2016 to 2021 were collected in a dairy farm in Shuozhou District Shanxi Province in this study. The GLM program in SPSS 26.0 software was used to test the significance of non-genetic factors affecting the reproductive traits of experimental dairy heifers. The single trait model in the AI module of DMU(derivative free multivariate) software was used to estimate the genetic parameters of reproductive traits of experimental dairy heifers, and the two traits animal model in the AI module of the DMU software was used to estimate the genetic correlation among the reproductive traits of experimental dairy heifers. The CORR process in SPSS 26.0 software was used to estimate the phenotypic correlation among the reproductive traits of experimental dairy heifers. The results showed that the month age at first service and calving had a extremely significant effect on the reproductive traits(including the age at first service, the age at first calving, the number of services per conception, the interval between first and last service, the gestation length, and the non-return rate within 56 days) of the experimental dairy cows(P<0.01), and the birth year, the first service year, the wether first service season, the breeder, the whether first service sex control, the calving season, the whether preterm birth and the gestation length had effects on some reproductive traits. The age at the first service, the age at first calving, the number of services per conception, the interval from first to last service, the gestation length, and the non-return rate within 56 days of the experimental dairy heifers were 0.203 7, 0.014 9, 0.347 4, 0.338 3, 0.187 4 and 0.204 9, respectively. The age at first calving was positively correlated with the non-return rate within 56 days and the number of services per conception. There was a high genetic positive correlation(0.950 0) between the age at the first service and the age at the first calving, and the phenotype was significantly correlated(P<0.01). The results indicated that the age at the first service, the number of services per conception, the interval from first to last service, the gestation length, and the non-return rate within 56 days were traits with medium and high heritability, which could be used as early breeding traits of Chinese Holstein heifers in Shuozhou District, and the age at the first calving could be indirectly selected through the age at the first service.