Improving Through Breeding
Improving Through Breeding
Improving Through Breeding
7000
Litres/cow/year
6500
6000
5500
5000
6
‘9 9
00
‘0 9
‘1 0
11
5/
6/
7/
8/
0/
1/
2/
3/
4/
5/
6/
7/
8/
1
9/
9/
0/
‘9
‘9
‘9
‘9
‘0
‘0
‘0
‘0
‘0
‘0
‘0
‘0
‘0
Source: Defra.
8000
HOL
7500
SHO
Heifer milk yields (kgs)
7000
AYR
6500
JER
6000
GUE
5500
FRI
5000
4500
4000
3500
3000
-3500 -3000 -2500 -2000 -1500 -1000 -500 0 500
kg milk EBV
For all breeds, the rates of genetic gain for Such improvements in yield potential can, of
production have accelerated again over the last 10- course, only be realised in practice through parallel
year period, mirroring the increasing pace of yield improvements in feeding and management.
improvement (Figure 1.4).
Parallel trends for milk fat percentages reveal a more
Holsteins have, however, moved from the breed with mixed picture (Figure 1.5). One area of interest is
highest genetic gain for production (measured in PIN) the reduction of fat percent for the Jersey, a breed
to one of the least during the last five years. This is a recognised for its high components. As a breed, it
direct consequence of moving towards emphasis on has made big improvements in milk yield over recent
‘fitness’ in breeding objectives and away from purely years but this has been alarmingly at the expense of
selecting for improved production. its constituents.
Figure 1.4: Genetic trends for UK cows – milk (kg) Figure 1.5: Genetic trends for UK cows – fat (%)
200 0.12
0 0.1
0.08
-200
0.06
fat %
-400
Milk kg
0.04
-600 0.02
0
-800
-0.02
-1000 -0.04
-1200 -0.06
1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010
Year of Birth Year of Birth
HOL SHO AYR JER GUE FRI HOL SHO AYR JER GUE FRI
Despite concerns voiced over longevity in recent Other studies, however, reveal that reduced fertility is
years, genetic trends highlight a steady improvement by no means an inevitable consequence of increased
in this important characteristic in almost all breeds genetic merit for milk production.
The genetic trend for UK cow lifespan has actually This is confirmed by the fact that some high-yielding,
been fairly flat and has seen a small increase in highly productive herds are able to maintain excellent
recent years. fertility.
This trend is reflected in the steady increase recorded Equally, research has found no evidence for any
in pedigree Holstein Friesian herd life in recent years decline in heifer fertility with increasing genetic merit.
to an average of 3.5 lactations/cow in 2006, while
production rose to average just over 8000 litres/
cow/year.
-1.5
While there is considerable anecdotal evidence of 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006
Year of Birth
increasing levels of lameness and mastitis in UK dairy
herds in recent years, this is not borne out by studies
to date.
The improvements in legs and feet
Analysis of some of the best available UK herd health and udders achieved over recent
data reveals no sustained increase in the incidence of years seem to have been sufficient
either lameness or clinical mastitis over the 10 years to offset the increased pressures
to 1998/99 (Figure 1.7).
caused by more intensive production,
Figure 1.7: Trends in production diseases in UK dairy
resulting in little visible change in
herds lameness or mastitis levels. Figure 1.8
60
shows that there has been a 1.8 gain
50 in standard deviations for mammary
cases per 100 cows
30
20
10
deviation improvement in legs and
0 feet composite over the same period
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
19
89
/9
19
90
/9
19
91
/9
19
92
/9
19
93
/9
19
94
/9
19
95
/9
19
96
/9
19
97
/9
19
98
/9
(1994 to 2000).
Lameness Mastitis
Performance in first 38 High input (low forage) Low input (high forage)
weeks of lactation
Selected* Control** Selected* Control**
Milk Yield (kg) 7569 6537 6372 5360
Fat (%) 4.19 4.20 4.54 4.47
Protein (%) 3.09 3.19 3.07 3.09
Fat + Protein (kg) 550 481 482 398
DMI (kg) 4803 4603 4149 3948
Efficiency (MJ Milk/MJ feed) 0.418 0.377 0.440 0.374
Liveweight (kg) 610 610 601 590
Condition Score 2.55 2.70 2.45 2.59
Margin over all feed costs (£) 1008 825 914 712
*Selected lines-bred since the early 1970s to bulls with the highestkg fat + protein proofs **Control lines- bred since the early 1970s to bulls with average kg
fat + protein proofs. Source: Genetic Improvement of Cattle and Sheep, Geoff Simms, Farming Press, 1998.
Table 1.4: The annual cost of poor fertility in a 100 cow herd averaging 7000 litres
Cost per
Excess Cost per
Component Average Target 100 cows
over target unit (£)
(£)
Calving interval (days) 425 365 60 2.00 12,000
Failure to conceive culling rate (%) 19 6 13 1,000 13,000
Total cost (£/herd) 25,000
Total cost (£/cow) 250
Total cost (p/litre) 3.57
Source: Average NMR performance: Esslemont (personal communication 2010).
Research has been conducted into the advantages • Intensive dairy farms are characterised by high
and disadvantages of a 365 day calving interval. It yielding cows, fed high levels of concentrate
has found that: and housed indoors for much of the year
• Extensive dairy farms need to capitalise on • High yields are associated with an increased
grass growth and match peak yield with risk of health and reproductive problems
availability of forage
• In intensive systems, depending on the genetic
• The recommended calving interval for extensive merit of the cows and their persistency, calving
dairy farms is 365 days intervals greater than 365 days are acceptable.
Longer-lived cows also have an important role to • Get back in-calf rapidly and reliably despite
play in raising herd profitability, with annual savings high levels of milk production
of around £13,500 calculated in a 100-cow herd • Incur lower veterinary, medicine and AI costs
through reducing the replacement rate from 25%
to 15% (Table 1.6). This figure fluctuates greatly in • Be less time-consuming to manage.
relation to the market value of replacements and the
figure has virtually doubled in the last five years as
input costs have increased and the availability of
replacements has diminished.
Production
+ lifespan
Production
+ mastitis
only
+ calving
interval
Milk (kg) 103.0 53.2
Fat (kg) 4.56 1.88
Protein (kg) 3.36 1.94
Mastitis (lactation) 0.003 -0.0004
Calving Interval (days) 0.60 -0.57
Lifespan (lactations) 0.0 0.099
Total Response (£) 5.41 9.63
Source: Returns from Genetic Improvement in Dairy Cattle
over a 20 year horizon; Pryce, Simm, Amer, Coffey and Stott;
Proceedings of BSAS, 2000.