for Pure Bred Breeding Animals of the Bovine Species Regulations, 2003

L.N. 323 of 2003

VETERINARY SERVICES ACT, 2001

(ACT NO. XXIII OF 2001)

Performance Monitoring Methods and Methods for Assessing Cattle's Genetic Value

for Pure Bred Breeding Animals of the Bovine Species Regulations, 2003

IN exercise of the powers conferred by article 34(a) of the Veterinary Services Act, 2001, the

Minister for Rural Affairs and the Environment has made the following regulations:-

Title and Scope.

(1) The title of these regulations is the Performance Monitoring Methods and Methods for

Assessing Cattle's Genetic Value for Pure Bred Breeding Animals of the Bovine Species

Regulations, 2003.

(2) The scope of these regulations is to implement the provisions found under European

Union Commission Decision 86/130/EEC laying down performance monitoring methods and

methods for assessing cattle's genetic value for pure bred breeding animals of the bovine species.

This Decision finds its legal basis under European Union Council Directive 77/504/EEC, article

6(1), first indent.

Provisions of the Schedule

I. The Veterinary Services of the territory of Malta are to approve the bodies responsible for setting the rules for

performance recording and assessing the genetic value and for publication of the evaluation results of pure-bred

breeding animals of the bovine species. The names of the approved bodies must be notified to the European

Commission and the Member States.

In particular, these bodies shall give an account of the recording methods, the model of performance description, the

statistical method of analysis and the genetic parameters used for each evaluated trait.

II. Performance Recording

All data must be recorded under the responsibility of the approved body.

1.Beef production traits

(a) Individual performance and/ or progeny testing at a station

(i) The test method and the number of animals tested are to be indicated.

(ii) The following are to be indicated in the test protocol

-conditions for acceptance into the station,

-if applicable, the on-farm-performance of the test

animals prior to entry into the station,

-identity of the owner of the test animals for individual performance testing,

-maximum age for the test animals entering the station and the age of range of contemporary animals

on the station,

-length of adaptation and test periods at the station,

-type of diet and system of feeding.

(iii) Traits recorded: the minimum traits to be recorded include live weight gain and muscular development

(beef conformation) and, if available, other traits such as feed conversion and carcass trait.

Specialised units can operate as stations under the responsibility of the approved body.

(b) Testing in the field (on-farm).

The test method and the method to validate test results must be provided by the approved body. The minimum traits to

be recorded include live weight and age and, if available, other traits such as beef conformation.

(c) Testing through survey data from farms and points of sale and slaughter.

If available and appropriate the live and slaughter weights, sales prices, carcass grade according to the Community

carcass classification scheme, meat quality and other beef traits must be recorded.

2. Milk recording

Recording milk production data must comply with the principles agreed by competent international bodies (e. g.

International Committee for Animal Recording (ICAR)).

The performance monitoring methods and methods for assessing cattle's genetic value for

purebred breeding animals of the bovine species shall be those as laid down in the Schedule to these

regulations.

Reproduction (secondary traits)

When fertility, calving aptitude and longevity are being evaluated, they must be assessed on the basis of data on

fertilisation (e. g. non-return-rate), calving score and on functional age (e. g. Stay-ability, culling age, length of

productive life), respectively.

Morphological (type) assessment

When Morphological rating is carried out, it must be done using an approved recording system.

III. Genetic evaluation

1. Principles

The genetic evaluation of breeding animals must be carried out under the responsibility of the approved body and must

include the following performance traits according to the selection objectives

-milk production traits for animals of dairy breeds,

-beef production traits for animals of beef breeds,

-milk and beef production traits for dual-purpose breeds.

Furthermore, it is recommended that the genetic evaluation should also include the traits of reproductive performance

and of morphology for breeds in which recording of these traits is being practised.

The breeding value of an animal is calculated on the basis of the results of the performance of the individual and/ or of

its relatives.

The statistical methods applied in genetic evaluation must comply with the principles agreed by competent international

bodies (e.g. ICAR) and should guarantee a genetic evaluation unbiased from the influences of the main environmental

factors and data structure.

The reliability of the genetic evaluation must be measured as the coefficient of determination in accordance with

principles agreed by competent international bodies (e. g. ICAR). When publishing the evaluation results, the reliability

as well as the date of evaluation must be given.

Genetic peculiarities and genetic defects of an animal defined by the bodies officially appointed for the determination of

these characters, in agreement with the breeders organisations or associations, recognised in conformity with

Commission Decision 84/247/EEC, have to be published.

2. Genetic evaluation of bulls for artificial insemination

The bulls must be subjected to a genetic evaluation on compulsory traits and breeding values on them must be

published. Other available breeding values also must be published.

These provisions do not apply to breeds threatened with extinction.

(a) Genetic evaluation of artificial insemination bulls for milk production traits

In the genetic evaluation of dairy traits, the milk yield and content (butterfat and protein percentage) as well as other

available and relevant data for the genetic aptitude for dairy traits must be included.

The minimum reliability of the genetic evaluation of AI bulls of the dairy breeds must be at least 0,5 for the main

production traits according to ICAR principles taking into account all information from relatives.

(b) Genetic evaluation of artificial insemination bulls fof beef production traits

The genetic evaluation of these bulls is carried out on the basis of one of the following performance testing methods

(i) individual performance testing on station;

(ii) progeny and/ or sib test on station or in specialised units;

(iii) progeny and/ or sib test on farm; in such a way that the offspring’s are distributed among the

recorded herds to allow a valid comparison of bulls to be made;

(iv) progeny and/ or sib test by means of collecting data on farms, in auction sales or in slaughter

houses in such a way that a valid comparison of bulls can be made.

If carcass weight and, where appropriate, traits of meat quality, growth performance and calving aptitude are being

recorded, these traits as well as any other relevant trait must be included in the genetic evaluation of the bull.