Breeding value evaluation for milk production in Murrah buffaloes: Combined information on individual and its female relatives*

Abstract

Information on 305-day (or less) milk yield records of 832 Murrah buffaloes spread over 26 years (1970-1995), maintained at the National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal, were analyzed to predict the breeding value of female based on its own information in combination with its other female relatives. The prediction of breeding value based only on individual's first lactation and average of first 2 lactations had the accuracy of 0.5991 and 0.7621 respectively. The accuracy of prediction increased as first lactation of dam and average of 2 paternal half-sisters' first lactation records were combined with individual's information. In that case, the accuracy of prediction of breeding value was 0.6340 and 0.7995 for combined relatives' information along with first lactation and average of first 2 lactation records of individual respectively. Considering the time, effort and resources spent and the accuracy obtained from the combined information, it was concluded that only individual's own information was ideal for evaluation of breeding value in Murrah females.