Evaluation of sires using different sire evaluation methods in Sahiwal cattle

Abstract

The performance records of 927 Sahiwal cattle daughters of 72 sires maintained during 1978 to 2007 at State Livestock Farm Chak Ganjaria, Lucknow were used to evaluate sire for first lactation and life time traits. The traits included were first lactation milk yield, first dry period, first calving interval, first service period and life time milk yield. The breeding values of sire were estimated by two methods viz. least squares and best linear unbiased prediction methods. The estimated breeding values (EVB’S) showed large genetic variation between sires for all the traits under study. The ranks of sires for different traits revealed that 4-5 % top sires had similar rank for all the traits. The Best Linear Unbiased Prediction (BLUP) method using single trait viz. first service period (FSP) , first dry period (FDP), first calving interval (FCI), first lactation milk yield (FLMY) and life time milk yield (LTMY) is having lowest error variances as compare to the least squares method (LSM) this indicates that BLUP is the most efficient sire evaluation method.