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Oral and Poster Abstracts

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227 Genetic Relationship of Body Energy <strong>and</strong> Blood Metabolic<br />

Traits with Reproduction <strong>and</strong> Reproductive Health in Dairy<br />

Cows<br />

G. Oikonomou 1 , G. Arsenos 1 , G. Valergakis 1 , A. Tsiaras 2 ,<br />

D. Zygoyiannisv, G. Banos 1<br />

1<br />

Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, School of Veterinary Medicine,<br />

Thessaloniki, Greece<br />

2<br />

Vivartia Avee, Athens, Greece<br />

The objective of this study was to investigate the genetic relationship of<br />

various energy balance indicators with first <strong>and</strong> second lactation<br />

reproduction <strong>and</strong> reproductive health of dairy cows. 497 primiparous<br />

Holstein cows raised on a large commercial farm in Greece were<br />

included in the study. The energy balance indicators used were body<br />

condition score (BCS), total body energy content (EC), cumulative<br />

effective energy balance (CEEB), <strong>and</strong> blood serum levels of glucose, ‚hydroxybutyrate<br />

(BHB) <strong>and</strong> non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA), measured<br />

throughout first lactation. Insemination, conception <strong>and</strong> interval traits<br />

were recorded for the evaluation of cow reproductive performance.<br />

Incidence of clinical metritis, diagnosed by the farm’s veterinarians, was<br />

also recorded. R<strong>and</strong>om regression models were used to calculate weekly<br />

animal breeding values for first lactation BCS, EC, CEEB, glucose, BHB<br />

<strong>and</strong> NEFA. Reproductive records of individual cows were then regressed<br />

on these breeding values to derive estimates of genetic correlations.<br />

Several significant (P

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