Health Care Requirements of Dairy Cattle. I. Response to Milk Yield Selection

Abstract

To measure direct response to single trait selection for milk yield and correlated response in health problems, two homologous base populations were formed by pairing 66 Holstein females by sire. Base populations and descendants were managed identically except for selection by milk yield. One base and lineage were mated with sires with highest predicted difference milk (selection group); other base and lineage were mated with average sires in 1964 (control group). Milk yield, supplemental labor, and veterinary and semen expense were recorded specific to each cow. Over 9 yr, 130 selection and 163 control cows were observed. Selection cows yielded more milk but with increase in labor and expense for health care. Estimates of labor for the selection group were greater for mammary, locomotion, and digestion categories and for expense in mammary, respiration, first insemination, and later insemination categories. Labor and expense for reproduction did not differ for genetic groups. Differences between groups in annual estimated labor and expense totaled $27.00. Extra income over feed cost more than compensated for greater health care and semen cost; however, the magnitude of the latter indicates a need for them to be considered when economically evaluating breeding programs where major emphasis is on milk yield.

Genetic Parameters and Responses of Linear Type, Yield Traits, and Somatic Cell Scores to Divergent Selection for Predicted Transmitting Ability for Type in Holsteins

“…Direct and correlated responses from designed selection experiments for milk yield have been reported in previous studies (Legates and Myers, 1972;Hansen et al, 1979;Meland et al, 1982;Wautlet et al, 1990;Boettcher et al, 1993). Legates and Myers, (1972) reported an average response of 121 kg of milk per year.…”

“…The experimental herd at the University of Minnesota had a genetic trend of 126 kg per year from 1967 to 1988 . Hansen et al (1979) found that the selected lines had significantly higher incidences of problems associated with mammary and digestive health. Wautlet et al (1990) reported no significant difference between the lines for udder edema, dystocia, and retained placenta in first-lactation cows.…”

Effect of lameness (hoof disorders) on productivity of Karan Fries crossbred cows

“…The increase in milk yield of lame cows after the eighth month of lactation might be due to the fact that the incidence of lameness was maximum before calving and during the first and second months of lactation, thereby having maximum adverse effect on early and mid‐lactation, whereas lameness might have been cured up to the seventh month, with no effect on subsequent monthly milk yield. It might also be due to the fact that high yielders are more susceptible, which is similar to the findings of Hansen et al . (1979a,b) who reported that high milk yield is negatively correlated with low incidence of lameness and the average production of lame cows in the present study might be higher than that of healthy cows.…”

Effects of milking frequency on milk yield, dry matter intake and efficiency of feed utilization in WAD goats

“…Although, Amos et al (1985) reported that increased dry matter intake was too small to be measurable or nonexistent, Pearson et al (1979) reported that cows milked 3x daily actually had lower dry matter intake than those milked 2x daily. On the contrary, however, Hansen et al (1979) and Amos et al (1985) noted that milking frequency was not associated with a significant change in body weight. DePeters et al (1995) reported that milking 3x daily reduced body weight gains in cows and there was a tendency for goats milked 3x daily to lose weight in the present study.…”