Possibilities for Improving Dairy Cattle Performance

1
Possibilities for Improving Dairy Cattle
Performance

• Dr. H. Duane Norman
• Animal Improvement Programs Laboratory
• Agricultural Research Service, USDA
• Beltsville, MD 20705-2350
• dnorman_at_aipl.arsusda.gov ? 301-504-8334

2
Topics

• Does the proposed national animal ID system help
  genetic programs for dairy cattle?
• What genetic programs work well for graziers?

2004
3
Benefit of proposed national animal ID system to
genetic programs for dairy cattle
AFGC Convention 2004 (3)
2004
4
Background

• BSE in Washington state
• Better ID for dairy cattle (traceability)
• Council on Dairy Cattle Breeding
• National FAIR
• Wisconsin ID Consortium
• Timetable shortened
• Funding sources expanded

5
National dairy breeding program

• Animal Improvement Programs Laboratory
• Dairy cattle ID database
• Genetic evaluations
• Requirements for success
• Parent ID
• Birth date
• Production recording
• Progeny test

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National ID program

• USAIP (U.S. Animal Identification Plan)
• Monitor and document animal movement
• Trace back for health concerns
• Enhance genetic programs?
• Must include birth date and sire ID
• Dam ID can further improve evaluation accuracy

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Genetic improvement issues for graziers
AFGC Convention 2004 (7)
2004
8
Grazier breeding

• Objective
• Cattle with better fertility or other desired
  characteristics
• Approaches
• Bulls from countries that practice grazing
• Bull breed different from cow breed
• Effectiveness?

9
U.S. daughters of New Zealand bulls

• Daughter performance compared within herd
• New Zealand AI Holstein bulls
• Other AI Holstein bulls (predominantly U.S.)
• Cows included
• Records in AIPL national database
• Calved before March 2004
• Time to express the performance traits

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U.S. daughters of New Zealand bulls
continued

• Data

• 145 herds
• 452 New Zealand daughters
• 4,954 U.S. daughters
• 110 herds
• 283 New Zealand daughters
• 4,141 U.S. daughters
• 72 herds
• 145 New Zealand daughters
• 2,372 U.S. daughters

• First
• lactation
• Second
• lactation
• Third
• lactation

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U.S. daughters of New Zealand bulls
continued

• Yield

• U.S. daughters superior
• First lactation 1046 lb
• Second lactation 1108 lb
• Third lactation 1049 lb
• New Zealand daughters superior
• First lactation 4 lb
• Second lactation 2 lb
• U.S. daughters superior
• Third lactation 1 lb
• U.S. daughters superior
• First lactation 10 lb
• Second lactation 12 lb
• Third lactation 13 lb

• Milk
• Fat
• Protein

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U.S. daughters of New Zealand bulls
continued

• Value of U.S. daughter yield superiority at
  current milk prices
• First lactation
• Second lactation
• Third lactation

• 30.35
• 38.30
• 43.79

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U.S. daughters of New Zealand bulls
continued

• Somatic
• cell score

• U.S. daughters superior
• .2
• U.S. daughters superior
• .1
• New Zealand daughters superior
• .1

• First
• lactation
• Second
• lactation
• Third
• lactation

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U.S. daughters of New Zealand bulls
continued

• Days
• open

• New Zealand daughters superior
• 7 days
• New Zealand daughters superior
• 8 days
• New Zealand daughters superior
• 4 days

• First
• lactation
• Second
• lactation
• Third
• lactation
• Pheno-
• typic
• trend

Lactation
1
2
3
4
5
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U.S. daughters of New Zealand bulls
continued

• Productive life
• Comparison needed
• Advantage for New Zealand daughters?

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Crossbreeding
continued

• Heterosis
• Milk 3.4
• Fat 4.4
• Protein 4.1
• SCS -0.7
• Days Open 1.8

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Recommendations

• Dont select bulls solely on reproductive
  performance or any other single trait because
  several traits also have economic value
• If you practice seasonal calving, use an index
  with more weight on daughter pregnancy rate than
  is recommended for the general U.S. dairy cattle
  industry

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If a national animal ID system is to enhance
genetic programs for dairy cattle, the critical
development issue is to obtain sire information!
AFGC Convention 2004 (18)
2004