SELECTION OF SIRES ORIGINATING FROM A NUCLEUS BREEDING UNIT FOR USE IN A COMMERCIAL DAIRY POPULATION

Abstract

Bulls that originate from breeding schemes with extensive use of multiple ovulation and embryo transfer (MOET) can be selected on pedigree information, the performance of their contemporary female full- and half-sibs or based on a progeny test. Combined selection across groups of bulls with different sources of information is shown to be superior to selection of progeny tested bulls alone. The magnitude of the superiority for a given selection rate is determined by the differences in genetic merit between the groups and ranges from 5 to 65%. Depending on the annual genetic progress the majority of the bulls are selected either on pedigree or progeny information. The proportion of sib-tested bulls ranges from 9 to 23%. When breeding activities are concentrated in nucleus herds, possible genotype by environment interactions between performance in the test herd and in the commercial population have to be considered. Genotype by environment interactions increase the proportion of progeny tested sires that will be selected. However, the proportion of progeny tested sires used is reduced by genotype by environment interactions among the groups of a heterogenous commercial production environment. Key words: Embryo transfer, sire selection, genotype-by-environment interactions