Rank correlations and product moment correlations among different methods of breeding value estimation for first lactation milk yield and life time traits in Sahiwal cattle

The present investigation was undertaken on 1367 first lactation records of Sahiwal cattle maintained at GLF, Chak Ganjaria, Lucknow (UP) over a period of 71 years (1944 - 2014). The study was conducted on breeding value estimation of sires, relationship between estimated breeding values (EBV's) for first lactation and life time traits using daughter's average, least-squares and best linear unbiased prediction methods of sire evaluation and effectiveness of these methods. The rank correlations among the breeding value of sires estimated from first lactation milk yield and life time milk were medium to high and highly significant (P<0.01). Therefore, the daughters of the sires selected on the basis of high first lactation milk yield would tend to produce higher life time milk yield. The product moment correlations among the estimated breeding value of the sires for first lactation traits by all the three methods ranged from medium to very high and highly significant (P<0.01) in all the three methods of sire evaluation.