Association among genomic breeding values for daughter pregnancy rate and heifer conception rate and estrous characteristics and fertility of Holstein heifers

Genetic selection of dairy animals until the early 2000s was focused on productive traits while disregarding reproductive traits. It is believed that such selection strategy was associated with compromised estrous expression and reproductive performance. Since the mid 2000s, genetic selection of dairy breeds has included reproductive traits. We hypothesized that genomic breeding values for daughter pregnancy rate (GDPR) and heifer conception rate (GHCR) are associated with estrous characteristics. Therefore, the objectives of the current experiment were to evaluate the association among GDPR and GHCR with estrous characteristics measured by an automated device.