Hostname: page-component-76fb5796d-25wd4 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-29T17:26:06.263Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Use of plasma hormone and metabolite levels to predict breeding value of young bulls for butterfat production

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 September 2010

K. Sejrsen ,
F. Larsen  and
B. B. Andersen
K. Sejrsen
Affiliation:
National Institute of Animal Science, Research Center Foulum, Postbox 39, DK-8833 Ørum Sønderlyng, Denmark
F. Larsen
Affiliation:
National Institute of Animal Science, Research Center Foulum, Postbox 39, DK-8833 Ørum Sønderlyng, Denmark
B. B. Andersen
Affiliation:
National Institute of Animal Science, Research Center Foulum, Postbox 39, DK-8833 Ørum Sønderlyng, Denmark
Get access

Abstract

The purpose of the experiment was to investigate the possibility of using concentrations of hormones and metabolites in plasma of potential breeding bulls early in life as indirect selection criteria for butterfat production. Sixteen Red Danish bull calves were included in the experiment, 10 were offspring of parents selected for high butterfat production for two or three generations, and six were from parents selected for low butterfat yield. The average estimated relative breeding values of the calves in the two groups were 111 and 91.

At 3·5 and 7 months of age blood samples were collected every 6 h during 2 days of ad libitum feeding, 5 days of fasting and 2 days of refeeding. The samples were analysed for glucose, urea, free fatty acids, insulin and thyroxine. At 3·5 months plasma concentrations of free fatty acids were significantly correlated with breeding value under all feeding conditions examined. The increase in plasma glucose during refeeding at both ages was positively related to breeding value. Plasma insulin during the 1st day of fasting was positively correlated with genetic merit at 3·5 months of age and negatively correlated at 7 months. Plasma thyroxine was negatively correlated with breeding value at both ages, but the correlation was only significant at 7 months. Multiple regression analyses showed that a large part of the variation in breeding value for butterfat production could be described by plasma levels of hormones and metabolites when more than one variable was included in the model. With six variables in the model 0·67 and 0·73 of the variation could be accounted for at 3·5 and 7 months of age respectively.

The results of the experiment have to be considered with caution because only one sire was used per group, the parents were preselected, and the number of animals was small. The results, however, do indicate that plasma levels of hormones and metabolites in the early life of potential breeding bulls, measured after suitable physiological challenges, may be useful as selection criteria for butterfat production of their offspring.

Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Production , Volume 39 , Issue 3 , December 1984 , pp. 335 - 344
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 1984

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Andersen, B. B., Christensen, L. G., Jensen, J., Krag, H. K., Liboriussen, T., Madsen, P., Neimann-Sørensen, A. and Petersen, P. H. 1981. [Breeding value estimates used in Danish cattle breeding anno 1981.] Beretn. St. Husdyrbrugs Fors. 513.Google Scholar
Andersen, B. B., Jensen, J., Kousgaard, K. and Buchter, Lis. 1981. [Breeding stations for beef production 1979/80.] Beretn. St. Husdyrbrugs Fors. 506.Google Scholar
Andersen, B. B., Sejrsen, K. and Larsen, F. 1983. [Prediction of breeding value for butterfat production of young bulls by physiological challenges.] Beretn. St. Husdyrbrugs Fors. 550.Google Scholar
Barnes, M. A., Kazmer, G. W., Akers, R. M. and Pearson, R. E. 1983. Blood hormones after fasting, feeding and insulin administration in two genetically selected populations of Holstein cattle. J. Dairy Sci. 66: Suppl. 1, p. 232 (Abstr.).Google Scholar
Barr, A. J., Goodnight, J. H., Sall, J. P. and Helwig, J. T. 1979. SAS User's Guide. Statistical Analysis Systems Institute, Cary, NC.Google Scholar
Bauman, D. E. and Currie, W. B. 1980. Partitioning of nutrients during pregnancy and lactation: A review of mechanisms involving homeorhesis and homeostasis. J. Dairy Sci. 63: 1514–1529.Google Scholar
Bines, J. A. and Hart, I. C. 1982. Metabolic limits to milk production, especially roles of growth hormone and insulin. J. Dairy Sci. 65: 1375–1389.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bines, J. A., Hart, I. C. and Morant, S. V. 1980. Endocrine control of energy metabolism in the cow: the effect on milk yield and levels of some blood constituents of injecting growth hormone and growth hormone fragments. Br. J. Nutr. 43: 179–188.Google Scholar
Christensen, L. G., Vesth, B., Jørgensen, J. and Andersen, N. 1984. [Selection for high and low butterfat yield.] Beretn. St. Husdyrbrugs Fors. In press.Google Scholar
Dixon, W. J. and Brown, M. B. 1979. BMDP Biomedical Computer Programs. Univ. California Press, Los Angeles.Google Scholar
Hart, I. C., Bines, J. A., Morant, S. V. and Ridley, J. L. 1978. Endocrine control of energy metabolism in the cow: comparison of the levels of hormones (prolactin, growth hormone, insulin and thyroxine) and metabolites in the plasma of high- and low-yielding cattle at various stages of lactation. J. Endocr. 11: 333–345.Google Scholar
Hart, I.C., Morant, S. V. and Roy, J. H. B. 1981. A note on the variability of hormone concentrations in twice-weekly blood samples taken from heifer calves during the first 110 days of life. Anim. Prod. 32: 215–217.Google Scholar
Kronfeld, D. S., Mayer, G. P., Robertson, J. M. and Raggi, F. 1963. Depression of milk secretion during insulin administration. J. Dairy Sci. 46: 559–563.Google Scholar
Larsen, F. 1982. [Relationship between breeding value for butterfat yield of bull calves and plasma concentrations of glucose, FFA, urea, insulin and thyroxine during ad libitum feeding, fasting and refeeding.] Ph. D. Thesis. Royal Agric. and Vet. Univ. Copenhagen.Google Scholar
Mao, I. L. 1982. Modelling and Data Analysis in Animal Breeding. Notes for inter nordic post-graduate course Uppsala, Sweden.Google Scholar
Osmond, T. J., Carr, W. R.Hinks, C. J. M., Land, R. B. and Hill, W. G. 1981. Physiological attributes as possible selection criteria for milk production. 2. Plasma insulin, tri-iodothyronine and thyroxine in bulls. Anim. Prod. 32: 159–163.Google Scholar
Peel, C. J., Bauman, D. E., Gorewit, R. C. and Sniffen, C. J. 1981. Effect of exogenous growth hormone on lactational performance in high yielding dairy cows. J. Nutr. 111: 1662–1671.Google Scholar
Peel, C. J., Steinhour, W. D., Bauman, D. E., Tyrrell, H. F., Brown, A. C. G., Reynolds, P. J. and Haaland, G. L. 1982. Administration of bovine growth hormone to high yielding Holstein cows. II. Influence on irreversible loss and oxidation rate of free fatty acids and glucose. J. Dairy Sci. 65: Suppl. 1, pp. 120–121 (Abstr.).Google Scholar
Sørensen, M. T., Kruse, V. and Andersen, B. B. 1981. Thyroxine degradation rate in young bulls of Danish dual-purpose breeds. Genetic relationship to weight gain, feed conversion and breeding value for butterfat production. Livest. Prod. Sci. 8: 399–406.Google Scholar
Tilakaratne, N., Alliston, J.C., Carr, W. R., Land, R. B. and Osmond, T. J. 1980. Physiological attributes as possible selection criteria for milk production. 1. Study of metabolites in Friesian calves of high or low genetic merit. Anim. Prod. 30: 327–340.Google Scholar
Trenkle, A. 1981. Endocrine regulation of energy metabolism in ruminants. Fedn Proc. Fedn Am. Socs exp. Biol. 40: 2536–2541.Google ScholarPubMed
Tucker, H. A. 1981. Physiological control of mammary growth, lactogenesis, and lactation. J. Dairy Sci. 64: 1403–1421.Google Scholar
Tveit, Borghild and Almlid, T. 1980. T4 degradation rate and plasma levels of TSH and thyroid hormones in ten young bulls during feeding conditions and 48 h of starvation. Acta endocr., Copnh. 93: 435–439.Google Scholar
Tveit, Borghild and Larsen, F. 1983. Suppression and stimulation of TSH and thyroid hormones in bulls during starvation and refeeding. Acta endocr., Copnh. 103: 223–226.Google Scholar