Under the Dual Breeding- phase 2 project, a new genetic index was developed for the Grigio Alpina breed for a character related to animal welfare: this is thegenetic index for lactation persistence.
Persistence (PERS) is a measure of the trend of the lactation curve and provides information on how quickly the daily amount of milk decreases during lactation. Cows with a high persistence or flat curve are characterized by more constant production. This results in a lower negative energy balance at the beginning of lactation with positive effects on fertility. Because of the low heritability of this character, great caremust be taken with the accuracy of indices in the eventual selection of breeding stock. The new genetic index is expressed as a standardized value with mean 100 and deviation 12. Indices above 100 improve character.
The genetic index is published along with a brief descriptive report in the section Services – PSRN 10.2 Breeding Values. and can be accessed for all licensed sires with index accuracy of at least 80 percent. The indexes of Alpine Grey bulls from the current FA campaign can also be found in the section Services – FA bull data. The genetic index for females is published directly in the mating plans made available to breeders through restricted access in thelogin area.
