A note on the effect of variation of lactation length on the efficiency of tropical cattle selection for milk yield

Abstract

The effects of procedures generally used to reduce variation of lactation length on the efficiency of selection for milk yield are examined applying existing theory to a set of average literature estimates of heritabilities and correlations between lactation yield and length. Adjustment of milk yield for lactation length should be expected to remove more genetic than phenotypic variation, thus reducing selection efficiency in relation to unadjusted yield. Selecting individuals on an optimum index of lactation yield and length would be more efficient for improving yield than selecting on yield alone, while both criteria would have practically the same efficiency for selection on progeny test. This result could be applied to reduce milk recording frequency without losing selection accuracy. Culling on lactation length before selecting on yield would have little effect on individual selection efficiency. However, excluding short lactation records should be expected to reduce both selection accuracy of the progeny test and genetic variation in yield.