qualifications

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The basis of the qualifications

The qualifications have as objective the diffusion of breeding animals which correspond best to the breeding objectives.
They reveal the breeding animals possessing the best genetic potential and place them in the breeding scheme. The number of animals included of each level of qualification must be sufficient to satisfy the needs for renewal (males and females) as well as the tools of selection such as the TestStation.

Qualification of animals has been carried out by the Herd Book since 1994 in collaboration with the French Livestock Institute and Inra on behalf of the UPRA.

1 - What is involved ?

Qualifications only concerns confirmed animals. For Salers, confirmation has become stricter than breed registration.
Confirmed animals must :

conform to the breed standard but above all to have a minimal standard of performance (conformation and milk production)
to have already reproduced
to have had an adult scoring (a picture of the animal in its adult form)

The qualifications can only come about for animals for which a minimum of production has been registered.
Example : a cow can only be qualified if age at first calving and IVV (calving interval) is known.The absence of age at first calving is tolerated if the cow subsequently has 3 calvings intervals registered.

2 - Females qualifications

Qualifications combine data on previous generations, the animals own performance (production and breeding) and descendants. For young animals, data on previous generations is used whereas adult qualifications take into account evaluation of performance of the animal as such and its progeny.

2.1 - How the programme operates

The female qualification takes particular note of production information (IVMAT or INEL ie indices of the ability to produces calves to weaning or milk ability) and of reproduction ie the ability to produce a calf per year.
It is based therefore on the results of reproduction and of performance (milk and growth recording). The adult morphology as assessed by the Herd Book is taken into account.

ISU : the overall UPRA index serves as threshold for young and old female qualification taking into account :

sexual maturity (age at first calving)
fertility
fecundity (calving intervals)
adult morphology (adult scoring)
the maternal and milk indices (IVMAT and INEL)

2.2 - Usage

Source : Institut Elevage — A. Havy

3 - Male qualifications

Male qualifications is based on TestStation performance and on IBOVAL (BLUP) figures.

"Reconnu", Recognised with an index > 95 + a positive report from a commission with a minimum stock of 5,000 doses for AI.

Recommended with an index > 105 + a positive report from a commission with a minimum stock of 2,000 doses for AI.

Index : ISEVR ou IVMAT

4 -Qualification of young animals

Young qualification is from ascendants ie parents lines. The parents must at least be “confirmed” to allow access.

Males

Confirmés
"Approved"

Reconnus
"Recognised"

Recommandés
"Recommended"

Females

Confirmées ou homologuées

ATJ

ATJ

Espoir

Reconnues

Espoir

Espoir *

Espoir **

Recommandées

Espoir *

Espoir **

Espoir ***

(a) these animals are not confirmed but the Herd Book will issue a pedigree certificate

5 -Duration of qualification validity

The qualification is acquired by an animal for the rest of its career, it can’t decline. The Elite level of females is special in that it is never published as such : each year the best breeding stock are selected to improve the recruitment of bulls for the TestStation.

Initially the qualification is automatic if the career of the animal is known and good enough (number of calving intervals over calvings minus one).
But new recruitment is possible for animals with a long career (more than 7 calving intervals) but which has also fulfil the necessary criteria.