Genetic relationships between lifetime profit and type traits in Spanish Holstein cows

Genetic parameters and relationships were estimated for profit and type traits for Spanish Holstein cows. In this study, 46,316 cows with official production and type data from Navarra and Basque autonomous regions of Spain were used to calculate profit per cow and year of productive life. Data from 239 Basque Autonomous Region herds in year 1995 were considered to obtain average prices system for yield, meat, feeding, and housing costs. An average cow had a net profit of 78.56 euros per year of productive life, with 7334 kg of milk, 3.85 lactations and 28.0 mo of age at first calving. Heritability of profit was 0.25. Genetic correlations between profit and almost all conformation traits were low to moderate, from 0.12 for leg side view to 0.37 for suspensory ligament while stature, body depth, and udder depth had close to zero correlations with profit. Significant quadratic relationships were found between breeding values for profit and feet and legs, foot angle, fore-udder attachment, rear-udder height and udder depth. The most influential type trait on profit adjusted for production was feet and legs. Animals with negative breeding values for legs were not less profitable than another with zero value, but positive values increased profit per cow and year with a quadratic and positive relationship. Other traits affecting profit out of production and longevity, such as fertility and mastitis, should be considered in future studies.