Type Traits & their Importance in Animal Genetics & Breeding Research

1. Type Traits & their Importance in
Animal Genetics & Breeding
Research
Subrata Koloi
M.V.Sc. Scholar
Animal Genetics & Breeding,
National Dairy Research Institute,
(ICAR Deemed University)
Karnal, Haryana, India

2. What are type traits?
• Morphological traits which are directly or indirectly related
to each others and influence the production performance of
an animal. It describes the degree of trait not desirability.
Dubey et al., (2001)
Advantages:
• Scored individually
• Scores cover a biological range
• Trait variation - identifiable
• Degree – recorded , not desirability.

3. Sl. No. Traits WHFF , 2012 H.A.U, 2016
1 Stature  
2 Strength 
3 Chest Width 
4 Body Depth  
5 Dairy Form 
6 Angularity 
7 Rump Angle  
8 Rump width  
9 Rear Legs Rear View  
10 Rear Leg Set  Rear Leg Side View
11 Foot Angle  
12 Feet & Leg Score 
…WHFF: World Holstein Friesian Federation
List of Type Traits according to WHFF and H.A.U.

4. Sl. No. Traits WHFF , 2012 H.A.U, 2016
13 Locomotion 
14 Fore Udder Attachment  
15 Front Teat Position  Front Teat Placement
16 Teat Length  
17 Udder Cleft 
18 Udder Depth  
19 Rear Teat Position  Rear Teat Placement
20 Body Condition 
21 Udder Composite 
22 Feet & Legs Composite 
…
HAU: Holstein Association, United States of America

5. Stature
• Measured from top of the spine in
between hips to ground.
• Measured in centimeters, inches or
linear scale.
ICAR & WHFF (2012)

6. Chest Width
• Inside surface
between the top
of the front legs.
Classification
• 1 – 3:Narrow
• 4 - 6:Intermediate
• 7 – 9:Wide 5
ICAR & WHFF (2012)

7. Body Depth
Top of spine to bottom of
barrel at last rib – the
deepest point.
Classification
• 1 – 3 : Shallow
• 4 – 6: Intermediate
• 7 – 9: Deep
ICAR & WHFF (2012)
5

8. Angularity
• The spring and
angle of the ribs
(60/40.)
• Spring is the
degree of openess
of the ribs.
• Angle is the
direction of the
ribs (side view).
ICAR & WHFF (2012)

9. Rump angle
Rump width
ICAR & WHFF (2012)

10. Rear leg set
Rear leg rear view
ICAR & WHFF (2012)

11. Foot Angle Locomotion
Fore Udder Attachment Fore teat position
Teat length
ICAR & WHFF (2012)

12. Udder depth Rear udder height Central Ligament
Rear teat position Body condition score
ICAR & WHFF (2012)

13. Importance of Type Traits
Milk Yield Mastitis
Reproduction Longevity

14. Criteria of Cattle Judging
Criteria Cow Bull
Front End &
Capacity (%)
15 40
Dairy Strength (%) 20 25
Rump (%) 5 10
Feets & Legs (%) 20 25
Udder (%) 40
Holstein Association USA, Inc (2016)

15. Trait Type Importance Reference
Udder shape Trough Increases MY & protein
Rao (2006)
Teat length Long Increases MY
Rear teat diameter More Decreases MY & protein
Udder cleft Deep Increase MY
Dubey (2010)
Udder height High
Decreases MY
Udder depth More
Teat length Long
Increases MY
Rear teat placement Wide
Rear udder width Wide Increases MY
Liu et al. (2014)
Udder length More
Increases MY Khan and Khan (2016)
Udder width More
Udder circumference More
Udder depth More
Udder/Teat Type Traits and Milk Production
MY = Milk yield

16. Udder/Teat Types Traits and Mastitis
Udder Types/Traits Type Remarks Reference
Udder Shape Pendulous Increase SCC Ahlawat (2007)
Fore udder attachment Weak
Increases CM Sorensen et al., (2010)
Udder depth Low
Rear udder depth Long
Increases CM Singh et al., (2013)Udder depth Deep
Udder to floor distance Less
Fore udder attachment Strong
Decreases TCE Nash et al., (2015)Udder Shallow
Udder cleft Deep
Teat Shape Bottle Increases CM Ahlawat (2007)
Teat tip to floor
distance
More Decreases CM Porcionato et al. (2010)
CM = Clinical mastitis Incidence
SCC = Somatic cell count
TCE = Total number of Clinical mastitis Episodes

17. Trait Type Importance Reference
Rump width Wider
Decreased rate of
dystocia Nogalski et al., (2012)
Rump angle
Pin slightly
lower than
hip bone
Incresed calving ease Stamschror et al., (2000)
Chest width More
Increased reproductive
efficiency
Almeida et al., (2017)Angularity Higher
Udder attachment Strong
Type Traits and Reproduction

18. Traits Type Remarks Reference
Loin strength Strong
Increases Longevity
Increase 305 Days MY
Kern et al., (2014)Rear Udder width More
Udder Cleft
Udder depth
Udder Texture
Fore udder attachment Excellent Increase Longevity
Sewalem et al., (2005)
Foot angle Steep Increase longevity Stamschror et al., (2000)
Type Traits & Longevity

19. Heritability of Udder Type Traits
Traits
Breeds
Fore Udder
Attachment
Rear
Udder
Width
Rear
Udder
Height
Teat
Placement
Suspensory
Ligament
Udder
Depth
Reference
Hariana 0.66 ± 0.26 0.54 ±
0.23
0.53 ±
0.23
0.25 ± 0.16 0.65 ± 0.25 0.65 ±
0.25
Dahiya et
al. (2001)
Sahiwal 0.33 ± 0.28 0.63 ±
0.37
0.54 ±
0.36
0.27 ± 0.23 0.53 ± 0.31 0.35 ±
0.29
Tharparkar 0.87 ± 0.37 0.75 ±
0.35
0.62 ±
0.32
0.11 ± 0.19 0.85 ± 0.36 0.47 ±
0.29
Dahiya
and Rathi
(2002)
Holstein 0.24±0.02 0.19±0
.02
0.16±0
.02
0.22±0.02 0.10±0.02 0.25±0.
02
Misztal et
al.(1992)
Jersey 0.22 0.26 0.28 0.29 0.20 0.32 Gengler
et al.
(1997)

20. CONCLUSIONS
• Selection for udder and teat type traits can reduce incidence of
mastitis as well as increase milk production.
• Reproductive performance can be improved through indirect
selection by selection of type traits.
• By choosing right type traits, the functional herd life of cows
can be effectively predicted prior to the availability of actual
longevity data for daughters of progeny test bulls.

21. THANK YOU