Milk Transmitting Ability of Saanen Bucks under Intensive Management

Abstract

Saanen goats have been maintained intensively for their good milk production in some parts of West Java, Indonesia. Genetic evaluation is required for dairy bucks to be used as breeding stocks. Milk transmitting ability of 18 Saanen bucks, whose female offspring for 1-27 hd, were evaluated at Fajar Taurus Dairy Farm, Cicurug, West Java. Data of daily milk yield were evaluated only for lactation lengths ≥120 days at 1st lactation period. Lactation lengths were standardized to complete lactations of 180 days. Heritability of 180-d milk production was estimated by paternal half-sib correlation method. Variant components among bucks were generated from general linear method by considering x effects of kidding year and kidding month on milk yields of offspring. Contemporary Comparison (CC) method was used to evaluate milk transmitting ability of the bucks. Heritability of milk production was h2 = 0.301. The values of estimated transmitting ability (ETA) of Saanen bucks varied with the highest ETA being 9.3 (CC = 114.3 and EBV = 18.6). Bucks at the 3 highest ranks (ETA = 2.9 to 9.3) could be considered as breeding stocks. However, the accuracy of these best bucks had to be improved as their ETAs were derived from limited female offspring.