Association of milk protein types with growth and reproductive performance of dairy heifers

A total of 890 heifers was used to study the effects of four milk protein loci (alpha S1-casein, beta-casein, kappa-casein, and beta-lactoglobulin) on heifer growth and reproduction. The additive effects of gene substitutions at the four milk protein loci were significant only in 4 of 56 cases for all traits studied. Dominance effects at alpha S1-casein, beta-casein, and kappa-casein loci were not significant for any traits except beta-casein locus on body weight at first calving. Heifers with AB type of beta-lactoglobulin showed greater body weights and measurements and gestation length than the AA or BB type, indicating an overdominance effect. Heifers with AB type of beta-lactoglobulin were significantly younger at first conception and at first freshening and had fewer number of days from first service to conception than the AA or BB type, indicating underdominance effect. Thus, beta-lactoglobulin locus shows overdominance, underdominance, or no dominance, depending upon the traits considered. The four milk protein loci contributed more dominance variance than additive variance to total phenotypic variance. This might account for the existence of milk protein polymorphism in the cattle population. The combined genotypes of the four milk protein loci showed significant effects on 2 of 14 traits studied.