The aim of this study was to determine the level and variability of type
traits in primiparous Holstein-Friesian cows, as well as to assess the
additive genetic variance of type traits and heritability coefficients. The
research was conducted on a data set of linearly evaluated primiparous
Holstein-Friesian cows, which is ceded by the Main dairy cattle breed
organization in the Province of Vojvodina, which is a unit of the Department
of Animal Science, at the Faculty of Agriculture in Novi Sad. Data of 24226
primiparous Holstein-Friesian cows, refer to the period 2012-2015, were
analysed. The phenotypic variability of the type traits, as well as effects
of systemic factors affecting these traits, were analyzed using standard
statistical methods in the Statistica software 13.2, and the general linear
model (GLM). A Statistically highly significant effect for most of the type
traits had the farm size, interaction of the year and the season of
evaluation, age at linear evaluation, lactation stage and a genetic group
formed by the year and country of bull/sires birth. The total type traits
score (final score), which represents an evaluation of the overall
primiparous cow exterior, is calculated for the 24226 linearly evaluated
primiparous cows. Estimation of variance components and heritability
coefficient calculation is done in the software package WOMBAT. Heritability
coefficient values for the primiparous cow's type traits in the Province of
Vojvodina were low to middle, ranged from 0.08 for the rear legs - side view
up to 0.38 for the stature. Due to the fact that the value of the
heritability coefficient depends on the variability of the traits and
previous selection, lower heritability may be a consequence of the low
genetic variability, or, a higher degree of variability which is a
consequence of the effect of the systematic factors. Heritability
coefficients indicate a genetic variability of the type traits, and its
evaluation is important for the breeding value estimation for the type
traits.