How can breeders select more fertile cattle when fertility is difficult to measure and strongly influenced by management? This article explains how SA Stud Book estimates breeding values for age at first calving (AFC) and inter-calving period (ICP), using contemporary groups to separate genetic differences from environmental effects. It discusses the treatment of infertile and late-calving cows, the use of repeated calving records to improve accuracy, and how genomic selection could strengthen fertility evaluations. South African results demonstrate genetic improvement in both fertility traits.
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