News

CDCB delivers the latest news on genetic improvement, research and U.S. evaluations through its monthly newsletter, dairy media, and events.

Announcing QDisc

Ezequiel Nicolazzi

February 10, 2023

CDCB announces a new service, QDisc, or quick discovery of close relatives. This quick-turnaround service uses the ICAR-defined parentage SNP to discover close relatives.


Constructed ID’s: Eliminating Pedigree Dead Ends

Lillian Bacheller and José Carrillo and Ezequiel Nicolazzi and George Wiggans

February 1, 2023

Knowing an animal’s ancestry several generations back is certainly the goal for breeders; however, there are instances where animals have a gap in their pedigree. To fill in more pedigree gaps, CDCB is implementing a new solution starting in February 2023.


April 2022: Changes to Evaluation System

Ezequiel Nicolazzi

April 4, 2022

Three times a year, genetic evaluations are calculated for all the dairy animals in the U.S. database.


April 2022: Changes to Evaluations

Ezequiel Nicolazzi

March 8, 2022

CDCB announces updates to the genetic evaluation system, effective with the April 5, 2022, triannual evaluations. Five enhancements are detailed on the CDCB website.


December 2021: Changes to Evaluation System

Kristen Parker Gaddis and Paul VanRaden

December 1, 2021

Genetic evaluations for Residual Feed Intake (RFI) were improved using variance adjustments and a higher estimated heritability. The RFI records are now adjusted to have equal variance across herds and across first versus later parities.


August 2021: Changes to Evaluation System

Mahesh Neupane and Kristen Parker Gaddis and Paul VanRaden and Rob Tempelman

August 1, 2021

The new Lifetime Net Merit (NM$) including Feed Saved (FSAV), Heifer Livability (HLIV) and Early First Calving (EFC), along with a number of new parameters and assumptions, will be introduced in the August 2021 evaluation.


April 2021: Changes to Evaluation System

Jana Hutchinson and Paul VanRaden

April 1, 2021

Several small adjustments to fertility traits editing will be introduced with the April 2021 evaluation to better account for late-term abortions. Fertility credits for traits Heifer Conception Rate (HCR) and Cow Conception Rate (CCR) now treat the last service as a failure instead of success if the next calving is coded as an abortion.


December 2020: Changes to Evaluation System

Kristen Parker Gaddis and Paul VanRaden

December 1, 2020


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