Short communication: genetic trends of milk yield under heat stress for US Holsteins.

Data included 90,242,799 test-day milk records from 5,402,484 Holstein cows in the first 3 parities and 9,326,754 animals in the pedigree. Additionally, daily temperature-humidity indexes from 202 weather stations were available. Analyses were done by a random regression model in which each parity was treated as a separate trait and that accounted for heat stress. The fixed effects included herd test-day, age at calving, milking frequency, and days in milk classes. Random effects included additive genetic, permanent environment, and herd-year effects, all fit as random regressions. Five covariates in the random regressions included linear splines with 4 knots at 5, 50, 200, and 305 DIM and a function of a temperature-humidity index (THI). Mixed model equations were solved by using an iteration on data approach with a preconditioned conjugate gradient algorithm. Genetic trends for daily milk yield in absence of heat stress (intercept) were 0.140 kg/yr, 0.172 kg/yr, and 0.168 kg/yr for the first, second, and third parity, respectively. Genetic trends for decline of milk yield at temperature of 5 degrees C THI over the threshold of sensitivity to heat stress were -0.002 kg/yr, -0.035 kg/yr, and -0.038 kg/yr, for first, second, and third parity, respectively. Genetic profiles were created by contrasting the 100 most and 100 least heat-tolerant bulls for the official proofs. The most heat-tolerant bulls transmitted lower production and dairy form but higher fertility, productive life, and type, especially udder and locomotion traits. In later parities, the type advantages were smaller. Test-day records capture only a fraction of information due to heat stress, and the real trends for heat stress may be stronger. Studies on heat stress for production should include records on later parities. Copyright (c) 2010 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.