Research Article

Ancestry analysis of cows of record milk yields and its constituents

Zbigniew Sobek, Jolanta Różańska-Zawieja, Anna Nienartowicz-Zdrojewska, Monika Figiel

1. Acta Sci. Pol. Zootechnica, 11(4), 2012, 117‒134

Abstract. The aim of the research was the pedigree analysis of top yielding cows. The investigation concerned the effects of male ancestors on the productivity of their female progeny. The total of 3,187 pedigrees of Holstein-Friesian cows with lifetime milk production of over 100,000 kg were examined. The cows were descendants of 971 sires. On the basis of the pedigree analysis it had been proved, that the ancestors of top yielding cows had positive effects on the productivity of their daugters, granddaughters and great-granddaughters. It had also been noted, that there were distinguished ancestors found repeatedly in the pedigrees of sires, grandsires and great-grandsires with the greatest number of high producing female descendants. The common descend of some of the champion cows explains their high productivity. The pedigree analysis had also shown, that many of them were related to one another. Looking deeper into the pedigrees of the sires we repeatedly found outstanding, high-ranking bulls. Increasing degree of relationship among many of the analysed bulls and cows may result in further increase of inbred especially in the group of the most valuable individuals.

Keywords: milk production, pedigrees, record performance