Longevity in Dairy Cattle

Fern,; Mello, Alison; El, Kern; Bretas, Anilce de Araújo

doi:10.4172/2329-888x.1000126

Cited by 11 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 20 publications

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“…Herd management is a key factor in minimizing the decline in functional traits and improving longevity (de Mello et al, 2014), but longevity is also influenced by genetics. Heritability estimates for longevity are highly dependent on how it is analyzed; reported estimates range from 0.03 to 0.39 (Roxström and Strandberg, 2002;SEGES, 2015).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Estimation of genetic parameters and heterosis for longevity in crossbred Danish dairy cattle

Clasen

Norberg

Madsen

et al. 2017

Journal of Dairy Science

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Crossbreeding has been shown to improve the longevity of dairy cattle in countries across the world. The aim of this study was to estimate heterosis, breed effects, and genetic parameters for longevity in crossbred dairy cattle among Danish Holstein (DH), Danish Red (DR), and Danish Jersey (DJ) breeds. Data were provided from 119 Danish commercial herds that use systematic crossbreeding (i.e., rotational crossbreeding). Additional data from 11 mixed-breed herds with DH and DJ were included to estimate reliable breed effects for DJ. Survival information on 73,741 cows was analyzed with a linear animal model using the artificial insemination-REML algorithm in the DMU package. Five longevity (L) traits were defined: days from first calving until the end of first lactation or culling (L1), days from first calving until the end of second lactation or culling (L2), days from first calving until the end of third lactation or culling (L3), days from first calving until the end of fourth lactation or culling (L4), and days from first calving until the end of fifth lactation or culling (L5). Heritabilities ranged between 0.022 and 0.090. Additive breed effects in units of days were estimated relative to DH for DR as -0.5 (L1), +10.5 (L2), +18.5 (L3), +11.9 (L4), and +28.6 (L5), and corresponding figures for DJ were +2.0, +0.5, +14.2, +27.7, and +44.0. Heterosis effects in L1 were low (1.2%) but favorable in crosses between DH and DR, whereas negative heterosis effects were estimated for crosses between DH and DJ (-2.5%) and DR and DJ (-1.2%). The largest heterosis effects for L2, L3, L4, and L5 were found in DH × DR and were favorable (+3.3, +5.7, +7.7, and +8.5%, respectively). Corresponding figures for heterosis effects in DH × DJ and DR × DJ were favorable as well: +2.3, +4.1, +5.6, and +6.2% in DH × DJ and +3.1, +7.3, +6.9, and +7.2% in DR × DJ. The favorable heterosis effects show that crossbreeding is an efficient tool for improving longevity in Danish dairy cattle.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Estimation of genetic parameters and heterosis for longevity in crossbred Danish dairy cattle

Clasen

Norberg

Madsen

et al. 2017

Journal of Dairy Science

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“…Although PL is primarily affected by environmental effects such as year and age at first calving, season, and herd, it also has a genetic component. Most studies reported low heritability for PL, but estimates depended on the model used for estimating genetic variation [ 44 , 45 , 46 ]. Due to the fact that heritability estimates for type traits generally ranged from moderate to high, indirect selection could be useful for economic traits of interest that have a strong genetic correlation with type traits [ 14 , 18 , 47 , 48 , 49 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Implementation of Feed Efficiency in Iranian Holstein Breeding Program

Nadri

Sadeghi-Sefidmazgi

Zamani

et al. 2023

Animals

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This study aimed to evaluate the economic impact of improving feed efficiency on breeding objectives for Iranian Holsteins. Production and economic data from seven dairy herds were used to estimate the economic values of different traits, and a meta-analysis was conducted to analyze the genetic relationships between feed efficiency and other traits. Economic weights were calculated for various traits, with mean values per cow and per year across herds estimated at USD 0.34/kg for milk yield, USD 6.93/kg for fat yield, USD 5.53/kg for protein yield, USD −1.68/kg for dry matter intake, USD −1.70/kg for residual feed intake, USD 0.47/month for productive life, and USD −2.71/day for days open. The Iranian selection index was revised to improve feed efficiency, and the feed efficiency sub-index (FE$) introduced by the Holstein Association of the United States of America was adopted to reflect Iran’s economic and production systems. However, there were discrepancies between Iranian and US genetic coefficients in the sub-index, which could be attributed to differences in genetic and phenotypic parameters, as well as the economic value of each trait. More accurate estimates of economic values for each trait in FE$ could be obtained by collecting dry matter intake from Iranian herds and conducting genetic evaluations for residual feed intake.

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“…In the case of lameness both genetic and phenotypic correlations were significant, which suggests that farmers were failing to hold the line. In recognition of the genetic link between selection policies heavily weighted toward increased yield, breeding companies have reformulated their selection indices to give increased emphasis to traits defined as robust as measured by an increase in productive life span (De Mello et al, 2014). In the selection index currently used by the UK Independent Dairy Breeding Company nearly 70% of traits are now based on measures of fitness, longevity and good welfare.…”

Section: An Unkind Dairy Industry? Intensive Dairy Production Is Incompatible With Animal Welfarementioning

confidence: 99%

Green Milk From Contented Cows: Is It Possible?

Webster

2021

Front. Anim. Sci.

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The dairy industry is open to criticism on several fronts: obesity and ill health among the affluent, high demand for crops that could be consumed more sustainably and more equitably by ourselves, environmental damage and climate change, and abuse of animal welfare through production diseases and denial of normal patterns of behaviour. All these criticisms are valid. It is necessary therefore to examine in depth the nature and extent of specific problems to see which, if any, are inevitable, which can be mitigated and which can be avoided altogether. Dairy cattle, like all ruminants, can be sustained wholly, or in part on complementary feeds; grasses and crop residues that cannot be fed directly to humans. Fed appropriate diets dairy cows can produce more energy and protein for human consumption than they consume. The greenhouse gas, methane is an inevitable consequence of rumen fermentation. High yielding cows in confinement produce less methane per litre of milk. There is some scope for reducing methane production through manipulation of rumen fermentation but the impact is likely to be small. The most serious welfare abuses can be linked to genetic and management strategies designed to maximise milk yield from individual cows. These manifest in production diseases and metabolic exhaustion, both leading to premature culling. All these problems; too much milk, too much food waste, too much methane, too many stressed cows, are matters of degree. The poison is in the dose. Thus, solutions will not come from radical advances in biological science but public and political exercises in moderation.

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Longevity in Dairy Cattle

Cited by 11 publications

References 20 publications

Estimation of genetic parameters and heterosis for longevity in crossbred Danish dairy cattle

Estimation of genetic parameters and heterosis for longevity in crossbred Danish dairy cattle

Implementation of Feed Efficiency in Iranian Holstein Breeding Program

Green Milk From Contented Cows: Is It Possible?

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