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The blood profiles of some European cattle breeds

University of British Columbia

Blood samples drawn from 147 bulls representing ten European breeds from four artificial insemination centres were analysed for fourteen blood serum traits. These were calcium, inorganic phosphorus, glucose, blood urea nitrogen, uric acid, cholesterol, total protein, albumin, total bilirubin, alkaline phosphatase, lactic dehydrogenase, serum glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase, sodium, and potassium. The blood profiles compiled from these analyses were used to see if the readily apparent phenotypic differences such as coat colour, size, carcass characteristics, etc., which occur between different breeds of cattle were also accompanied by differences in their blood trait levels. Several other effects were viewed as having a potentially significant influence On the blood traits. These included the reaction to handling stress (temperament), the effect of management unit (stud), and the individuality of each animal's profile. Age at time of sampling was included as a covariable. All effects were subjected to analysis by least squares techniques. Repeatabilities were calculated which provided an indication of the influence of genotype on the blood trait levels. The blood profiles of twelve half sib groups were compared to see if blood traits under possible genetic control would exhibit less variation within groups of related animals than among unrelated animals. Correlating the blood profiles to several traits of economic importance provided insight into whether the profiles could be useful in the selection of breeding stock. The profiles of thirty-one Hoi stein bulls were correlated to their average daughter milk production variables. The relationships between the blood profiles and the growth traits were examined by comparing the mean blood profiles of several breeds to their respective growth trait means. The ranges and means of the blood traits compared quite favourably to the literature reported means for cattle. Temperament was excluded from the model because it was insignificant for all the blood traits. Age, through significant for several blood traits, was not biologically important. Its contribution to the model was very small. Breed was not a major contribution to the variation of the blood traits. Of the four blood traits with significant breed effects only urea-N, and SGOT look promising. Glucose and lactic dehydrogenase have low repeatabilities which indicated that their significant breed effect probably occurred by chance. Between and within individual variation accounted for the majority of the blood trait variation with environmental factors being an important component. The individuality of the blood profiles may prove useful in the selection of breeding stock. Urea-N and uric acid which had moderately high repeatabi1ities correlated to several growth traits. Alkaline phosphatase was included in the regression equations of milk yield and predicted difference fat. More extensive breed differences in the blood profiles of cattle may come to light in subsequent studies if sorting of the breeds into genetically similar groups is performed. Expansion of the profile to include other enzymes and protein fractions might also prove fruitful.

Text

2010-03-26

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http://hdl.handle.net/2429/22513

Animal Science

University of British Columbia

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