Impact of different numbers of milk test-day records during lactation on the reliability of estimated breeding values.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of the reduction in the number of test-day records per lactation on genetic parameters of test-day milk yield (TDMY) and the reliability of estimated breeding values for 305-day milk yield in Holstein cattle. Estimates of genetic parameters and breeding values were performed using the animal model of random regression and adjustment of the Legendre polynomial (fourth order). When comparing sires with the same number of daughters, greater reliability was found in the subpopulations with the highest number of milk test-day records per lactation per cow.