The Effect of Continuous Selection in KiwiCross^® Composite Breed on Breed Ancestry and Productivity Performance.

ABSTRACT: Composite crosses result from the mating of two or more distinct cattle breeds. Breeding performance may improve rapidly using a well-organized composite breeding system and a clear selection index. The KiwiCross^® is a popular composite cross in New Zealand, combining Holstein-Friesian (high milk production) and Jersey (high milk fat). Production efficiency (PR), a key selection index, is calculated by dividing milk solids produced by mature live weight. Over decades of genetic improvement, KiwiCross^® increased milk production significantly. We hypothesized that certain genomic regions from Holstein-Friesian or Jersey breeds were preserved due to artificial selection based on PR. Analysis of genomic regions using XP-EHH, hapFLK, and ROH haplotype statistics revealed s

SUBMITTER: Jaafar M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11758328 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature