ODRC Data Schema: Monthly Estimated Breeding Values for Dairy Cattle

Estimated Breeding Values (EBVs) for dairy cattle are extracted from the DairyComp system and released monthly by Lactanet. The data schema, created by Agri-food Data Canada's Semantic Engine, describes sample data from the Ontario Dairy Research Centre, with official results published in April, August, and December. To request access to the full data, users must visit the Ontario Dairy Research Centre Data Portal.

Use Cases

• Tracking genetic merit changes in individual animals based on monthly EBV updates.
• Comparing official genomic EBV results from key months (April, August, December) against unofficial monthly estimates.
• Analyzing breeding program efficiency by monitoring when EBV values change for an animal.
• Integrating herd test results with genetic evaluations based on the synchronized monthly release schedule.

Strengths

• Data is updated monthly with a synchronized release on the first Wednesday following herd tests.
• The schema is designed to prevent duplication by only adding records when an EBV value changes.
• Includes genomic EBVs for genotyped animals, enhancing predictive accuracy for breeding.

Limitations

• Description metadata is limited; actual data quality requires manual inspection after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.

Provenance

Source

Lactanet (via DairyComp), Ontario Dairy Research Centre.

Collection Method

Extracted from DairyComp, processed via Agri-food Data Canada's Semantic Engine.

Time Range

Monthly time series; official results in April, August, December.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-04-25 04:11:38; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Likely focuses on Ontario, Canada, given the source institution.