8/9/2019 3. Druml T. - BLUP Breeding Values and Conservation
Breeding Programs - A Contradiction 0
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1. Meunarodni simpozij o konjikoj industriji i 3. Hrvatski
simpozij o lipicanskoj pasmini, Slavonski Brod, 12. prosinca 2009.
godine Zbornik radova / Godina 2009./ Broj 3. / ISSN 1847-4608
BLUP Breeding values and Conservation breeding programs a
contradiction?
Dr. Thomas Druml
Pckau 41, A-9601 Arnoldstein, Austria,
mail:[email protected] : 004369910693488
Conformation scoring in livestock is a well accepted procedure
based either on abiological background of a morphological trait,
i.e. shoulder: short long, or on a ranking
scale, i.e. shoulder: bad good. Ranking from good to bad
performance andconformation is used usually for horses, while in
other livestock as dairy cattle scoring at
a biological scale is preferred.Several versions of market
focused breeding programs and breeding goals have been
established and scientifically documented. These publications
are focusing on the
estimation of genetic parameters for conformation traits,
performance traits and theirgenetic correlations. Some studies use
linear scoring systems, where large numbers oftraits are chosen in
order to score traits individually rather than in combination. In
Europe
most breeding organisations are using ranking scales. For
problems caused by thesesubjective scoring systems, see Preisinger
et al., 1991 and Butler-Wemken, 1987; Butler-
Wemken et al., 1992. Locomotion and Conformation are the traits
on which most horsebreeding programs are based. The methods of
subjective trait scoring used in breeding
programs as well as in sportive dressage competitions do not
offer an objectiveevaluation in term of the phenotype.
To evaluate the breeding program in the Austrian Noriker draught
horse population,which is mostly based on conformation, 31 body
measurements from 497 horses in seven
breeding areas of Austria were recorded. In addition, the data
of 2376 horses (the currentbreeding population of the year 2004)
from the studbook, containing 10 scoredconformation traits and 4
body measurements per individual, were analysed. We assumed
breeding areas, coat colour and breeding classes assigned
according to conformationevaluation to be the main factors in
phenotypic diversity of this Austrian draft horse
breed. Significant differences and distances were found for all
of these factors. Whereasdifferences between breeding areas mostly
are due to housing conditions and feeding
strategies, the breeding classes provide a very distinct picture
of the current trends inNoriker breeding. Breeding organisations
favour a long, deep and high Noriker draught
horse, a tendency that is the same for all departments.
Heritability estimates formorphological traits vary from 0 to 0.67,
and from 0.10 to 0.29 for linear type traits.
Furtheron in 2008 the first run of a BLUP breeding value
estimation was performed inorder to test if it is possible to
etablish such an evauation scheme and to verify the results
given by the BLUP methodology. In this presentation the
advantages and disadvantagesof BLUP applied in an endangered horse
breed are being discussed.
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