Combining genomics and semen microbiome increases the accuracy of predicting bull prolificacy.

ABSTRACT: Commercial livestock producers need to prioritize genetic progress for health and efficiency traits to address productivity, welfare, and environmental concerns but face challenges due to limited pedigree information in extensive multi-sire breeding scenarios. Utilizing pooled DNA for genotyping and integrating seminal microbiome information into genomic models could enhance predictions of male fertility traits, thus addressing complexities in reproductive performance and inbreeding effects. Using the Angus Australia database comprising genotypes and pedigree data for 78,555 animals, we simulated percentage of normal sperm (PNS) and prolificacy of sires, resulting in 713 sires and 27,557 progeny in the final dataset. Publicly available microbiome data from 45 bulls was used to simulate dat

SUBMITTER: Alexandre PA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11812082 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature