Genetic parameters of coagulation properties, milk yield, quality, and acidity estimated using coagulating and noncoagulating milk information in Brown Swiss and Holstein-Friesian cows

Abstract

The aim of this study was to estimate heritabilities of rennet coagulation time (RCT) and curd firmness (a30) and their genetic correlations with test-day milk yield, composition (fat, protein, and casein content), somatic cell score, and acidity (pH and titratable acidity) using coagulating and noncoagulating (NC) milk information. Data were from 1,025 Holstein-Friesian (HF) and 1,234 Brown Swiss (BS) cows, which were progeny of 54 HF and 58 BS artificial insemination sires, respectively. Milk coagulation properties (MCP) of each cow were measured once using a computerized renneting meter and samples not exhibiting coagulation within 31min after rennet addition were classified as NC milk. For NC samples, RCT was unobserved. Multivariate analyses, using Bayesian methodology, were performed to estimate the genetic relationships of RCT or a30 with the other traits and statistical inference was based on the marginal posterior distributions of parameters of concern. For analyses involving RCT, a right-censored Gaussian linear model was used and records of NC milk samples, being censored records, were included as unknown parameters in the model implementing a data augmentation procedure. Rennet coagulation time was more heritable [heritability (h2)=0.240 and h2=0.210 for HF and BS, respectively] than a30 (h2=0.148 and h2=0.168 for HF and BS, respectively). Milk coagulation properties were more heritable than a single test-day milk yield (h2=0.103 and h2=0.097 for HF and BS, respectively) and less heritable than milk composition traits whose heritability ranged from 0.275 to 0.275, with the only exception of fat content of BS milk (h2=0.108). A negative genetic correlation, lower than −0.85, was estimated between RCT and a30 for both breeds. Genetic relationships of MCP with yield and composition were low or moderate and favorable. The genetic correlation of somatic cell score with RCT in BS cows was large and positive and even more positive were those of RCT with pH and titratable acidity in both breeds, ranging from 0.80 to 0.94. Including NC milk information in the data affected the estimated correlations and decreased the uncertainty associated with the estimation process. On the basis of the estimated heritabilities and genetic correlations, enhancement of MCP through selective breeding with no detrimental effects on yield and composition seems feasible in both breeds. Milk acidity may play a role as an indicator trait for indirect enhancement of MCP.