A data set including 57,868 records for calf birth weight (CABW) and 9,462 records for weight at first insemination (IBW) were used for the estimation of direct and maternal genetic effects in Holstein Friesian dairy cattle. Furthermore, CABW and IBW were correlated with test-day production records and health traits in first-lactation cows, and with nonreturn rates in heifers. Health traits considered overall disease categories from the International Committee for Animal Recording diagnosis key, including the general disease status, diarrhea, respiratory diseases, mastitis, claw disorders, female fertility disorders, and metabolic disorders. For single trait measurements of CABW and IBW, animal models with maternal genetic effects were applied. The direct heritability was 0.47 for CABW and 0.20 for IBW, and the direct genetic correlation between CABW and IBW was 0.31. A moderate maternal heritability (0.19) was identified for CABW, but the maternal genetic effect was close to zero for IBW. The correlation between direct and maternal genetic effects was antagonistic for CABW (−0.39) and for IBW (−0.24). In bivariate animal models, only weak genetic and phenotypic correlations were identified between CABW and IBW with either test-day production or health traits in early lactation. Apart from metabolic disorders, there was a general tendency for increasing disease susceptibilities with increasing CABW. The genetic correlation between IBW and nonreturn rates in heifers after 56 d and after 90 d was slightly positive (0.18), but close to zero when correlating nonreturn rates with CABW. For the longitudinal BW structure from birth to the age of 24 mo, random regression models with the time-dependent covariate “age in months” were applied. Evaluation criteria (Bayesian information criterion and residual variances) suggested Legendre polynomials of order 3 to modeling the longitudinal body weight (BW) structure. Direct heritabilities around birth and insemination dates were slightly larger than estimates for CABW and IBW from the single trait models, but maternal heritabilities were exactly the same from both models. Genetic correlations between BW were close to 1 for neighboring age classes, but decreased with increasing time spans. The genetic correlation between BW at d 0 (birth date) and at 24 mo was even negative (−0.20). Random regression model estimates confirmed the antagonistic relationship between direct and maternal genetic effects, especially during calfhood. This study based on a large data set in dairy cattle confirmed genetic parameters and (co)variance components for BW as identified in beef cattle populations. However, BW records from an early stage of life were inappropriate early predictors for dairy cow health and productivity.

包括57,868头小牛出生体重（CABW）记录和9,462头首次授精（IBW）记录的数据集用于评估荷斯坦弗里斯兰奶牛的直接和母体遗传影响。此外，CABW和IBW与首次泌乳母牛的测试日生产记录和健康性状相关，与小母牛的不归群率相关。从国际动物记录委员会的诊断关键中，健康特征被视为总体疾病类别，包括一般疾病状况，腹泻，呼吸系统疾病，乳腺炎，爪状疾病，女性生育障碍和代谢性疾病。对于CABW和IBW的单性状测量，应用具有母体遗传效应的动物模型。CABW的直接遗传力是0.47，IBW的直接遗传力是0.20，CABW与IBW之间的直接遗传相关性为0.31。CABW的母亲遗传力中等（0.19），但IBW的母亲遗传效应接近于零。直接和母体遗传效应之间的相关性对CABW（-0.39）和IBW（-0.24）具有拮抗作用。在双变量动物模型中，只有CABW和IBW之间的弱遗传和表型相关性与早期泌乳期的测试日生产或健康性状有关。除代谢紊乱外，随着CABW的增加，普遍存在疾病易感性增加的趋势。IBW与母牛在56 d后和90 d后的单向不退回率之间的遗传相关性呈轻微正相关（0.18），但在将单向不退回率与CABW相关联时则接近于零。对于从出生到24 mo的纵向BW结构，应用具有时间依赖性协变量“月龄”的随机回归模型。评估标准（贝叶斯信息标准和残差）建议使用3级的勒让德多项式对纵向体重（BW）结构进行建模。出生和受精日期前后的直接遗传力略大于单性状模型对CABW和IBW的估计，但两个模型的母体遗传力完全相同。邻近年龄段的体重之间的遗传相关性接近于1，但是随着时间跨度的增加而降低。出生后d 0（出生日期）和24 mo的体重之间的遗传相关性甚至为负（-0.20）。随机回归模型估计值证实了直接和母体遗传效应之间的拮抗关系，尤其是在犊牛时期。该研究基于奶牛的大量数据，证实了肉牛种群中确定的BW的遗传参数和（协）方差成分。但是，生命早期的体重记录对于奶牛的健康和生产力是不合适的早期预测指标。