Relationships between type and longevity in the Holstein breed

The relationship between type traits and longevity was studied in the Frenc h Holstein breed using a survival analysis model. In this model, the phenot ypic value adjusted for systematic fixed effects, the estimated breeding va lue, or the residual value (defined as the difference between the adjusted phenotypic value and the estimated breeding value) of the cow for each type trait was included as a risk factor. This was done separately for two subp opulations (registered and nonregistered herds) and with or without adjustm ent for production traits, i.e., considering true or functional longevity. For both types of herds, udder traits land above all, udder depth) clearly influenced the length of productive life. There seemed to be a more pronoun ced voluntary culling on type traits in registered herds. The correction fo r the within herd-year class of production traits, as a way to approximate functional longevity, increased the importance of udder traits and decrease d the weight of capacity traits. The same results were obtained when the ph enotypic value of the cow for type was replaced by her estimated breeding v alue, whereas residuals had little impact. The relationship between longevi ty and type traits was most often nonlinear, in particular for udder traits , but in this study, no trait with a clear intermediate optimum was found.