Low Fertility in Daughters of Bulls with 1/29 Translocation

Non-return rates at different stages after insemination were compared in daughters (n = 21,212) of five translocation heterozygous sires with all cows and heifers (n = 610,714) represented in the Norwegian Red Cattle (NRF) breeding statistics during the period October 1970 to September 1972. The daughters of the carrier bulls showed statistically significant lower non-return rates for 0–30, 30–60, 60–90, 90–120, 120–150, 150–180 and 180–270 days as compared with the control animals. The decline in non-return percentage for the daughters of translocation sires was greater than in the control animals during the period from 0–30 to 60–90 days indicating higher losses of fetuses during the early period after insemination.Daughter groups of carrier bulls consisting of adult cows only showed higher non-return rates than groups comprising both cows and heifers.