Genetic determination of calving ease in Ural Holstein cattle

A. A. Zyryanova, O. A. Bykova, O. V. Kostyunina

Ural State Agrarian University, Ekaterinburg, Russia

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Volume 26 No. 5

Date of paper submission: 21.01.2026, date of review: 26.02.2026, date of acceptance: 26.03.2026. 

Published: 05/31/2026

Abstract. Calving ease is a key factor in the economic efficiency and well-being of a dairy herd. This is a fundamental indicator that influences the profitability of the entire farm. Dairy farms strive to achieve 95–98 % of calvings without human intervention. Calving ease is a zootechnical indicator that links animal science, veterinary medicine, and genetics. Therefore, understanding the selection of this trait from a genetic perspective is essential. We conducted a genome-wide association study of Holstein cows at Kamenskoe JSC in the Sverdlovsk region. The scientific novelty lies in the identification of genomic regions associated with pelvic structure and fetal development. The purpose of the study was to identify genes that influence calving ease in cows in the Sverdlovsk region. Research methods. Whole-genome genotyping was performed on a test sample of cows, followed by an association study using the GAPIT v.3 package in the R software environment. The BLINK model was applied. Results. According to zootechnical data, normal calving is predominant in the population of the studied farm for all lactations: in the 1st and 2nd lactations, normal calving is 98.84 %; mild pathology in the 1st lactation is 1.16 %, in the 2nd – 0.93; moderate pathology is observed in the 2nd lactation and is equal to 0.23 %. Genes influencing calving ease, identified through genome-wide association studies, were divided into 2 groups. The first included genes determining the formation of pelvic bone structures: TRPS1, SOX6, NELL1, PDZRN4, TFCP2L1. The second predetermined pelvic size, placental angiogenesis and bone development: TPRG1, RSPO3, GPC6, CCDC88C, THSD7A.

Keywords: cattle, holstein breed, genome-wide association study, calving ease, genes Acknowledgements. The research was carried out with the support of the Russian Science Foundation (grant No. 22-76-10021).

For citation: Zyryanova A. A., Bykova O. A., Kostyunina O. V. Genetic determination of calving ease in Ural Holstein cattle. Agrarian Bulletin of the Urals. 2026; 26 (05): 866‒875. https://doi.org/10.32417/1997-4868-2026-26-05-866-875 (In Russ.) 

  

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