Proof terminology explained

Proof terminology explained

The letters, numbers and acronyms on a proof sheet can be complicated. Here, we break down the meaning and explanation of the proof indexes, traits and terminology.

Selection indexes

Genetic selection indexes are set by national organizations or breed associations. Genetic indexes help dairy producers focus on a total approach to genetic improvement, rather than limiting progress by single trait selection. However, each farm is unique, with different situations and future plans. With that in mind, it’s important to understand what traits are included in each industry standard index. When you know what’s included, you can more effectively evaluate if the index truly matches your farm’s goals.

TPI = Total Performance Index

TPI is calculated by the Holstein Association USA (HA-USA) and includes the following trait weightings.

TPI Formula
PRODUCTION TRAITS = 46%
46PRODUCTION TRAIT WEIGHTS
19Pounds of protein
19Pounds of fat
8Feed efficiency
HEALTH TRAITS = 29%
29HEALTH TRAIT WEIGHTS
13Fertility Index
5Productive Life
-4Somatic Cell Score
3Cow Livability
2CDCB Health Trait Index
1Daughter Calving Ease
1Daughter Stillbirth
CONFORMATION TRAITS = 25%
25CONFORMATION TRAIT WEIGHTS
11Udder Composite
8PTA Type
6Foot & Leg Composite
NM$ = Net Merit Dollars

NM$ is a genetic index value calculated by the Council on Dairy Cattle Breeding (CDCB). It describes the expected lifetime profit per cow as compared to the reference base population born in 2015. Trait weightings are generally updated approximately every five years and include emphasis on the following traits. The current trait breakdown is in place as of August 2018. Please note that trait weights are rounded to the nearest percentage.

Net Merit$ breakdown
PRODUCTION TRAITS = 45%
45PRODUCTION TRAIT WEIGHTS
27Pounds of fat
17Pounds of protein
-1Pounds of milk
HEALTH TRAITS = 40%
40HEALTH TRAIT WEIGHTS
12Productive Life
7Cow Livability
7Daughter Pregnancy Rate
5Calving Ability
-4Somatic Cell Score
2Health Trait Index
2Cow Conception Rate
1Heifer Conception Rate
CONFORMATION TRAITS = 15%
15CONFORMATION TRAIT WEIGHTS
7Udder Composite
-6Body Weight Composite
3Foot & Leg Composite
CM$ = Cheese Merit Dollars

CM$ is an index calculated to account for milk sold to be made into cheese or other dairy products. The current CM$ index was adjusted in August 2018 and the following trait weights are considered. Please take note that trait weights shown have been rounded to the nearest percentage.

Cheese Merit weights
PRODUCTION TRAITS = 52%
52PRODUCTION TRAIT WEIGHTS
21Pounds of protein
23Pounds of fat
-8Pounds of milk
HEALTH TRAITS = 35%
35HEALTH TRAIT WEIGHTS
11Productive Life
6Cow Livability
6Daughter Pregnancy Rate
4Calving Ability
-4Somatic Cell Score
2Health Trait Index
1Cow Conception Rate
1Heifer Conception Rate
CONFORMATION TRAITS = 13%
13CONFORMATION TRAIT WEIGHTS
6Udder Composite
-5Body Weight Composite
2Foot & Leg Composite
FM$ = Fluid Merit Dollars

FM$ is an index calculated by CDCB. It is best suited to dairies operating in a fluid milk market that are paid for total pounds of milk produced (as opposed to payment for components). The current FM$ index was adjusted in August 2018 and the following trait weights are considered.

PRODUCTION TRAITS = 46%
46PRODUCTION TRAIT WEIGHTS
27Pounds of fat
18Pounds of milk
HEALTH TRAITS = 38%
38HEALTH TRAIT WEIGHTS
12Productive Life
7Cow Livability
7Daughter Pregnancy Rate
5Calving Ability
-2Somatic Cell Score
2Health Trait Index
2Cow Conception Rate
1Heifer Conception Rate
CONFORMATION TRAITS = 16%
16CONFORMATION TRAIT WEIGHTS
8Udder Composite
-5Body Weight Composite
3Foot & Leg Composite
GM$ = Grazing Merit Dollars

GM$ is an index calculated by CDCB to most heavily weigh the traits that affect grazing herds preferring seasonal calving. The current GM$ index was adjusted in August 2018 and the following trait weights are considered.

PRODUCTION TRAITS = 38%
38PRODUCTION TRAIT WEIGHTS
23Pounds of fat
14Pounds of protein
1Pounds of milk
HEALTH TRAITS = 46%
46HEALTH TRAIT WEIGHTS
18Daughter Pregnancy Rate
7Productive Life
5Cow Livability
4.5Calving Ability
-3.5Somatic Cell Score
4Cow Conception Rate
2Heifer Conception Rate
2Health Trait Index
CONFORMATION TRAITS = 16%
16CONFORMATION TRAIT WEIGHTS
7Udder Composite
-6Body Weight Composite
3Foot & Leg Composite

GENERAL PROOF TERMS

CDCB:

Council on Dairy Cattle Breeding

Calculates production and health trait information for all breeds

MACE:

Multiple-trait across country evaluation

Denotes that a bull’s proof evaluation includes daughter information from multiple countries

PTA:

Predicted transmitting ability

The estimate of genetic superiority or inferiority for a given trait that an animal is predicted to transmit to its offspring. This value is based on the animal’s own records and the records of known relatives.

EFI:

Effective future inbreeding

An estimate, based on pedigree, of the level of inbreeding that the progeny of a given animal will contribute in the population if mated at random

GFI:

Genomic future inbreeding

Similar to EFI, an animal’s GFI als predicts the level of inbreeding he/she will contribute in the population if mated at random. Yet, GFI provides a more accurate prediction. It takes into account genomic test results and the actual genes an animal has.

aAa:

an independent method for making mating decisions

DMS:

a separate, independent method for making mating decisions 

PRODUCTION TRAITS

PTAM:

Predicted transmitting ability for milk

PTAP:

Predicted transmitting ability for protein

PTAF:

Predicted transmitting ability for fat

PRel:

the percent reliability of a sire’s production proof 

HEALTH & FERTILITY TRAITS

PL:

Productive Life

Measured as the total number of additional or fewer productive months that you can expect from a bull’s daughters over their lifetime. Cows receive credit for each month of lactation, with more credit given to the first months around peak production, and less credit given for months further out in lactation. More credit is also given for older cows than for younger animals.  

LIV:

Cow livability

Measure of a cow’s ability to remain alive while in the milking herd.

SCS:

Somatic cell score

The log score of somatic cells per milliliter.

DPR:

Daughter pregnancy rate

Daughter Pregnancy Rate is defined as the percentage of non-pregnant cows that become pregnant during each 21-day period. A DPR of ‘1.0’ implies that daughters from this bull are 1% more likely to become pregnant during that estrus cycle than a bull with an evaluation of zero. Each increase of 1% in PTA DPR equals a decrease of 4 days in PTA days open.

HCR:

Heifer conception rate

A virgin heifer’s ability to conceive – defined as the percentage of inseminated heifers that become pregnant at each service. An HCR of 1.0 implies that daughters of this bull are 1% more likely to become pregnant as a heifer than daughters of a bull with an evaluation of 0.0

CCR:

Cow conception rate

A lactating cow’s ability to conceive – defined as the percentage of inseminated cows that become pregnant at each service. A bull’s CCR of 1.0 implies that daughters of this bull are 1% more likely to become pregnant during that lactation than daughters of a bull with an evaluation of 0.0.

MAST:

expected resistance of an animal’s offspring to clinical mastitis

Daughters of a bull with a MAST value of +1.0 are expected to have 1% fewer cases of mastitis than the average herdmate.

METR:

expected resistance of an animal’s offspring to metritis

Daughters of a bull with a METR value of +1.0 are expected to have 1% fewer recorded cases of metritis than the average herdmate.

KET:

expected resistance of an animal’s offspring to ketosis

Daughters of a bull with a KET value of +1.0 are expected to have 1% fewer recorded cases of ketosis than the average herdmate.

DA:

expected resistance of an animal’s offspring to displaced abomasum

Daughters of a bull with a DA value of +1.0 are expected to have 1% fewer recorded cases of displaced abomasum than the average herdmate.

MFEV:

expected resistance of an animal’s offspring to milk fever (hypocalcemia)

Daughters of a bull with a MFEV value of +1.0 are expected to have 1% fewer recorded cases of milk fever than the average herdmate.

RP:

expected resistance of an animal’s offspring to retained placenta

Daughters of a bull with a RP value of +1.0 are expected to have 1% fewer recorded cases of retained placenta than the average herdmate.

HRel:

the reliability percentage for a sire’s health traits 

CALVING TRAITS

SCE:

Sire calving ease

The percentage of bull’s calves born that are considered difficult in first lactation animals. Difficult births include those coded as a score of 3, 4 or 5 on a scale of 1-5.

DCE:

Daughter calving ease

The percentage of a bull’s daughters who have difficult births during their first calving. Difficult calvings are those coded as a 3, 4 or 5 on a scale of 1-5.

SSB:

Sire stillbirth

The percentage of a bull’s offspring that are born dead to first lactation animals.

DSB:

Daughter stillbirth

The percentage of a bull’s daughters who give birth to a dead calf in their first lactation.

TYPE / CONFORMATION TRAITS

PTAT, UDC and FLC are all calculated by the Holstein Association USA.

PTAT:

Predicted transmitting for type – referring to the total conformation of an animal

UDC:

Udder composite index; comprised of the following linear trait weights:

19% Rear udder height

17% Udder depth

-17% Stature

6% Rear udder width

13% Fore udder attachment

7% Udder Cleft

4% Rear teat optimum

4% Teat length optimum

3% Front teat placement

FLC:

Foot and leg composite index; comprised of the following trait weights:

58% foot and leg classification score

18% rear legs rear view

-17% stature

8% foot angle

TRel = the percent reliability for a sire’s conformation/type proof 

GENETIC CODES

POLLED

PO:

observed polled

PC:

genomic tested as heterozygous polled; means 50% of offspring are expected to be observed as polled

PP:

genomic tested as homozygous polled; means that 100% of offspring are expected to be observed as polled

COAT COLOR

RC:

carries the recessive gene for red coat color

DR:

carries a dominant gene for red coat color

RECESSIVES & HAPLOTYPES

These codes, or symbols representing the code, will only show up on a proof sheet if an animal is a carrier or test positive for one of the following. The acronyms denoting that an animal is tested free of a recessive will only show up on its pedigree.

BY:

Brachyspina

TY:

Tested free of brachyspina

BL:

BLADS, or Bovine leukocyte adhesion deficiency

TL:

Tested free of BLADS

CV:

CVM or Complex vertebral malformation

TV:

Tested free of CVM

DP:

DUMPS, or Deficiency of the uridine monophosphate synthase

TD:

Tested free of DUMPS

MF:

Mulefoot

TM:

Tested free of mulefoot

HH1, HH2, HH3, HH4, HH5:

Holstein haplotypes that negatively affect fertility

HCD:

Holstein haplotype for cholesterol deficiency

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