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Archive for Genetics

Why Milk Components Trump Production in Unlocking Profits

Saturday, November 2nd, 2024

Are milk components driving your profits? Focus on the right metrics and unlock your herd’s potential now.

The race to fill the milk tank has long dominated the dairy discourse, but a seismic shift is underway. Today, the stakes aren’t just in how full that tank gets but in the quality of the liquid it holds. Could this be the revolution the dairy industry never saw coming? Let’s dive deeper into how focusing on milk’s innate treasures—its butterfat and protein—could redefine success for dairy farmers everywhere.

The Evolution of Dairy: From Quantity to Quality

The landscape of dairy farming has undergone a profound transformation, echoing the rapid pace of technological and genetic advancements. Historically, the primary focus was on maximizing milk volume, with little regard for the composition or the components of the milk produced. This approach treated cows as mere ‘milk-producing machines’ focused on sheer output. However, as markets and consumer demands evolved, the emphasis gradually shifted toward the quality and components of milk, specifically its butterfat and protein content. 

YearOverall Production Change (%)Butterfat Change (%)Protein Change (%)
20172.11.31.4
20182.51.41.5
20192.71.51.6
20202.41.61.7
20212.31.81.9
20222.02.02.1
20231.92.32.2

Genetic advancements have played a pivotal role in this transformation, offering a beacon of hope for the future of dairy farming. The advent of genomics has been a game changer, allowing for far more precise genetic selection. Through mapping and understanding the bovine genome, dairy farmers can now select specific traits that enhance the quality of milk components rather than just quantity. This has led to the development of cows that are more efficient ‘component-producing machines.’ Today’s desired component levels have surpassed what producers aimed for two decades ago, signaling a promising future for the industry. 

Moreover, the introduction of sexed semen technology has been revolutionary. By enabling dairy farmers to selectively breed females with superior genetics, this technology accelerates the improvement of a herd’s genetic profile. Used effectively, sexed semen quickly elevates a herd’s genetic quality, as it effectively minimizes the reproduction of cows with lesser advantageous traits. Geiger’s work underscores how this, combined with genomics, has propelled the industry forward. 

These tools have collectively enabled dairy farming to progress towards more efficient milk production and a more strategic focus on milk components. As the industry continues to evolve, integrating these technologies promises further enhancements in dairy productivity and profitability, setting new benchmarks for quality in milk production. Such innovation challenges us to consider the future trajectory of dairy farming and how these advancements will continue to shape the industry. What could be next on the horizon?

Genetic Correlations: Navigating the New Landscape of Dairy Farming

Genetic correlations, which represent the relationships between traits crucial when making informed breeding decisions, are a fundamental cornerstone in understanding both the past and future trajectory of dairy farming. In simpler terms, they are like the connections between different traits in cows that farmers need to consider when  breeding. In a landscape that has evolved dramatically over recent decades, these correlations have shifted, providing opportunities and challenges for the industry. 

Trait PairCorrelation
Milk Production (PTAM) and Fat (PTAF)0.00
Health Traits (Longevity, Fertility, Disease Resistance)Strong Correlation
Conformation TraitsHigh Correlation
Overall Conformation (PTAT) – Net Merit-0.44
Net Merit and TPI0.44
Body Weight Composite (BWC) and Strength0.95
Body Weight Composite (BWC) – Net Merit-0.56
Strength – Net Merit-0.52

Historically, dairy farming focused predominantly on optimizing milk volume. However, the changes in trait relationships have redirected focus towards milk components like butterfat and protein. Changes in genetic correlations underpin this shift. For instance, the relationship between breeding for milk yield (PTAM) and fat volume (PTAF) has been notably disrupted. Where once there might have been a modest interplay between these traits, they now exhibit almost zero correlation. This detachment incentivizes farmers to prioritize breeding for component percentages to enhance milk quality rather than quantity. 

Another striking deviation is between Net Merit, an index that measures the overall economic value of a cow, and TPI, an index that measures a cow’s genetic potential for producing milk, fat, and protein. Historically, these two indexes correlated closely at over 0.80 but have now split to 0.44. This reflects a broader shift within the industry towards evaluating individual traits that contribute to economic returns. As these indexes deviate, breeding strategies must be adapted to maintain economic viability while managing genetic diversity. 

The implications of these exceptions for breeding strategies are profound. Farmers are now challenged to adopt a more tailored approach, focusing less on traditional metrics and more on the specific genetic attributes that will enhance the efficiency and profitability of their herds. The emphasis is increasingly on balance—ensuring that other beneficial characteristics are not inadvertently diminished in pursuit of one trait. This nuanced understanding of genetic correlations allows the industry to sustain current production and explore innovations in milk component enhancement.

Milk’s Hidden Treasure: Why Butterfat and Protein Are the Real MVPs

In today’s dairy industry, the value of milk components, rather than just the raw volume of milk, captures the spotlight. Why? Because butterfat and protein are the moneymakers, not the water content that bulks up milk production statistics. These components are essential for the dairy products that dominate our market shelves. 

Consider this: U.S. milk production has risen 16.2% since 2011, but the component growth tells a more compelling story. Protein content surged by 22.9%, and butterfat saw an impressive increase of 28.9% by 2023. These figures demonstrate a significant shift towards higher-yielding component production, driven by advancements in genetic selection and improved herd management. 

YearFluid Milk Production (%)Butterfat Production (%)Protein Production (%)Cheese Yield (per 100 lbs of milk)
2010100%100%100%10 lbs
2023116.2%128.9%122.9%11 lbs

Why does this matter economically? Over 80% of U.S. milk is destined for manufactured dairy products such as cheese, butter, and yogurt. Each of these products relies heavily on milk components. The rise in butterfat and protein directly impacts cheese production, for example. In 2010, 100 pounds of milk produced just over 10 pounds of cheese. Fast forward to 2023, and that same 100 pounds, thanks to higher component yields, delivers nearly 11 pounds of cheese. 

The implications are clear. By focusing on component growth, dairy farmers are not only optimizing their production but also enhancing the economic value of their output. This strategic shift aligns with market demands as consumers favor nutrient-dense dairy products. So next time you think about boosting production, remember it’s not just about the gallons. It’s about the goldmine inside every drop, and the potential for increased profitability that comes with it.

Navigating the Challenges of Component-Focused Dairy Production

As we delve into the evolving dynamics of dairy production, it’s important to acknowledge that the pivot toward enhancing milk components is not without its challenges. One such challenge is the unintended impact on cow strength and overall efficiency. Breeders who maximize component yields might inadvertently select cows with traits compromising physical robustness. The correlation between body weight composite (BWC) and cow strength is significant, and a narrower perspective on genetic selection may overlook crucial physical attributes. This can lead to reduced cow strength, a scenario no farmer desires. Understanding these challenges is the first step towards finding solutions and ensuring the sustainability of the industry. 

Furthermore, the shift towards increased efficiency in milk production could lead to a potential trade-off between cow vitality and durability. As dairy systems strive for optimal component production, the intricate balance between physical capacity and milk output becomes even more critical. 

Refine genetic evaluations to navigate these complexities. Accurate metrics are crucial in preventing the dilution of essential traits like strength and robustness. This calls for a departure from traditional estimates and a movement towards incorporating actual body weight measurements into genetic assessments. Relying solely on linear trait predictions can be as speculative as estimating milk yield by sight. Embracing tangible measurements ensures more precise evaluations and helps balance component efficiency and cow health. 

These challenges underscore the importance of a comprehensive approach to genetic selection, one that does not just chase numbers but also values the holistic nature of dairy cattle. By adopting improved practices, we can harness the opportunities presented by component-focused strategies while safeguarding our herds’ structural and functional integrity.

Beyond the Gallons: Embracing the True Value of Dairy Production

It’s no longer enough to measure milk production by volume. While historically valuable, the USDA’s Milk Production reports now need to capture modern dairy output’s true essence fully. Why? Because the liquid volume of milk is just one part of the story. The magic lies in the components—those precious pounds of butterfat and protein that have surged in importance. 

For decades, these reports were the gold standard, the one-stop shop for anyone wanting to understand trends in milk production. However, as the milk composition evolves, so must our reporting methods. Milk today isn’t just about how much is produced; it’s about what it’s made of. Yet, as it stands, the USDA reports are like a story with missing pages. Essential details about the richness and value of the milk are glossed over. 

The urgency for updated reporting is not a minor issue; it’s central to understanding the industry’s dynamics. Recent trends—where component growth has outpaced volume—have left us relying on data that doesn’t tell the whole story. Such insights could inform better decision-making at numerous levels, from farm operations to policy development. A revised reporting framework could bridge this gap, providing a dual lens on volume and component growth. This would offer a more nuanced picture of how well dairy production aligns with market demands. 

Imagine reports that delve into the intricacies of components, giving producers data that matters. Producers could benchmark their herds’ component production directly against industry standards, finding immediate areas for improvement. Processors, too, would benefit from a clearer understanding of the potential yield from their milk supply in terms of cheese, butter, and other manufactured products. 

The time has come for an upgrade, not just to conform to a changing industry but to lead it with insights that drive progress. Let’s push for milk production reports that not only count gallons but also account for the cream of the crop.

The Bottom Line

The shift in focus from sheer milk volume to milk components like butterfat and protein marks a significant evolution in dairy farming. These elements are not merely byproducts but the driving force behind many lucrative dairy products. As U.S. milk production on a liquid basis declines, the growth in milk components underscores the shift towards quality over quantity. The remarkable improvements in genetic selection and the use of new breeding technologies like genomics and sexed semen have made these strides possible. Dairy farmers should contemplate how these transformations impact their current practices. Leveraging such advancements can lead to significant gains in production efficiency and profitability. 

It’s time to rethink your approach: Are you maximizing the potential of your herd’s genetic makeup? How can you integrate the latest breeding technologies to enhance component yields? Engage with this new perspective and explore ways to align your operations with these industry insights. Don’t keep this conversation to yourself; share your thoughts and experiences in the comments below, or spread the word by sharing this article with your fellow dairy professionals.

Key Takeaways:

  • The shift from milk volume to component production has significantly changed dairy farming goals and outcomes.
  • Technological advancements like genomics and sexed semen have propelled genetic progress and increased component yields.
  • Genetic correlations have revealed changes in trait relationships, influencing breeding strategies.
  • Despite historical trends, the current focus is on butterfat and protein, which drive the dairy industry’s economic value.
  • Indexes like Net Merit and TPI are evolving, affecting breeding choices and herd management decisions.
  • Producers should consider actual body weights over linear traits for an accurate assessment of maintenance costs.
  • Understanding the true value of milk components versus volume is crucial as over 80% of production supports manufactured dairy products.

Summary:

The world of dairy farming is witnessing a substantial shift from prioritizing milk volume to valuing milk components like butterfat and protein. Advances in genetic selection and technologies such as sexed semen have turned cows into efficient “component-producing machines,” revolutionizing dairy production. This transformation underscores the importance of understanding genetic correlations to better navigate the evolving landscape of dairy farming. With over 80% of U.S. milk used in manufactured products, the emphasis on milk components over sheer volume becomes clearer. This evolution prompts farmers to adopt a tailored approach, thereby aligning production with market demands. However, it also brings challenges, such as potential impacts on cow strength and efficiency. Recognizing these dynamics calls for a revised reporting framework, offering insights into the growth of both volume and components.

Learn more:

Join the Revolution!

Bullvine Daily is your essential e-zine for staying ahead in the dairy industry. With over 30,000 subscribers, we bring you the week’s top news, helping you manage tasks efficiently. Stay informed about milk production, tech adoption, and more, so you can concentrate on your dairy operations. 

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Genetic Strategies for Healthier Calves: A New Era for Dairy Farmers

Friday, October 25th, 2024

Harness genetic selection to boost calf health and revolutionize Canadian dairy farming. Ready to enhance farm productivity and welfare?

Summary:

Imagine a world where calf diseases are manageable bumps on the road to dairy farming success, thanks to the potential of genetic selection. This exploration reveals the compelling intersection of genetics with proactive dairy management, questioning and analyzing barriers to addressing calfhood diseases. We provide data-backed insights and expert recommendations that can revolutionize the dairy industry toward a healthier future. With standardized data collection and industry-wide commitment, genetic selection becomes inevitable. As noted by a Dairy Industry Expert, calf diseases contribute significantly to both economic strain and animal welfare concerns, and understanding genetic underpinnings paves the way toward mitigation and potential eradication. This study highlights genetic selection’s role in alleviating calf disease traits like respiratory problems (RESP) and diarrhea (DIAR), which impact the health and economics of dairy farms. Despite low heritability estimates for these diseases, genetic selection is part of a broader strategy to improve calf health. As each generation leans towards being healthier, farmers are pioneers in shaping genetics for disease resistance, aligning potential with practical management, and investing in future generations of robust dairy cattle.

Key Takeaways:

  • Genetic selection shows promise as a method to improve calf health on dairy farms, specifically for respiratory issues and diarrhea.
  • Challenges exist due to inconsistent data collection practices on farms, affecting the reliability of genetic evaluations.
  • Improving disease trait recording can potentially enhance the accuracy of breeding programs and lead to healthier herds.
  • There is a notable disparity in the likelihood of disease between calves born to the top-performing sires and those from the lower 10% of sires.
  • Standardized phenotypic data collection is crucial for accurate genetic evaluation and effective selection of disease-resistant traits.
  • Collaborative efforts among stakeholders are essential to develop data infrastructure supporting national genetic selection strategies.
calf disease traits, genetic selection in dairy farming, respiratory problems in calves, diarrhea in calves, calf health management, dairy farm economics, heritability of calf diseases, milk production and calf health, disease resistance in dairy cattle, improving calf growth rates

Imagine a future where the health of dairy calves is no longer a gamble with everyday farm management but a calculated certainty achieved through cutting-edge genetic selection. In dairy farming, calf health isn’t just a matter of nurturing—it is the bedrock that determines an entire operation’s future productivity and profitability. 

Genetic selection’s game-changing potential could redefine our approach to calf diseases, turning traditional practices on their heads. This revolution holds the promise of a brighter future for dairy farming. Are you ready to embrace this potential? 

This exploration explores the possibilities of harnessing genetic selection to tackle calf disease traits using robust management data from farms worldwide. This isn’t just about understanding genetics; it’s about unleashing a new era of efficiency and health in dairy farming. 

From Hiccups to Hazards: Understanding the Economic and Health Toll of Calf Diseases on Dairy Farms

Respiratory problems (RESP) and diarrhea (DIAR) in calves are more than just biological hiccups on dairy farms; they are significant challenges that impact both the animals’ health and the operation’s economics. As common calf diseases, their prevalence is a stark reminder of the industry’s vulnerabilities. 

The prevalence of these diseases is notably high. DIAR has incidence rates ranging from 23% to 44%, while RESP is slightly lower but still significant, with rates between 12% and 22%. In addition to their frequency of occurrence, these diseases substantially impact farm economics. Studies indicate that calves experiencing disease at least once during their rearing period incur a 6% increase in rearing costs compared to their healthier counterparts. 

From a productivity standpoint, the adverse effects spiral into future milk production capabilities. When calves fall ill, they experience reduced growth rates, leading to increased age at first calving (AFC) and, in turn, a delay in milk production initiation. Precisely, cows that suffered from DIAR as calves produced approximately 344 kg less in their first lactation cycle than those who remained healthy. Moreover, RESP in heifers has been linked to 121.2 kg less milk from the first lactation. 

The financial implications don’t continue beyond milk output. There are increased costs associated with treatment, additional feed due to delayed development, and potential losses from untimely deaths. RESP and DIAR account for 86% of all calf-related disease costs on a dairy farm. This emphasizes the critical need for effective disease management strategies, which directly affect the profitability and productivity of dairy operations. 

In conclusion, while these diseases might seem typical, they are anything but trivial. Their impacts range from immediate health crises to long-term economic detriments, challenging farmers to seek better management practices and innovations in genetic selection to mitigate their prevalence and impact.

Decoding Genetic Selection: The Natural Playlist for Healthier Calves 

Genetic selection is like nature’s version of a well-curated playlist, picking out the best tracks—except in this case, we’re talking about genes. It’s choosing animals with the most desirable genes to breed the next generation. Now, imagine if these genes included resistance to those pesky calf diseases like respiratory problems (RESP) and diarrhea (DIAR). That’s where the magic—or rather, the science—of genetic selection comes into play. 

The potential here is significant. By focusing on cows that produce healthier offspring, dairy farmers can incrementally shape a herd that withstands diseases better over time. But how much can genes influence these traits? Here’s where heritability estimates enter the scene. Heritability is a measure of how much of the variation in a trait is due to genetic differences, and it ranges from 0.02 to 0.07 for RESP and DIAR, depending on the analysis and criteria used. While these numbers are on the lower side, indicating that environmental factors play a significant role, a genetic component can still be tapped. 

You might ask, “Isn’t low heritability a problem?” Well, it’s more of a challenge than a roadblock. Even with low heritability, given the vast number of cattle and generations over which dairy farming operates, genetic selection can be part of a larger strategy to promote calf health. It’s about playing the long game. Each generation that leans healthier puts us closer to a herd with stronger disease resistance. 

So, what does this mean for you, the dairy farmer? It means that by consistently selecting suitable sires and keeping detailed records, you’re not just a farmer, you’re a pioneer in the future of dairy farming. You’re investing in the health of your herd, shaping the genetic potential of future generations of calves. It’s a commitment to continuous improvement, aligning genetic potential with practical farm management to create a robust line of dairy cattle.

Untapped Potential: Leveraging Genetics to Tackle Calfhood Diseases

In this study,  ‘Investigating the potential for genetic selection of dairy calf disease traits using management data ‘,published in the Journal of Dairy Science, we examined the incidence rates of respiratory problems (RESP) and diarrhea (DIAR) in calves. The study found that RESP affected 12% to 22% of calves, while DIAR affected 23% to 44%. These rates highlight that childhood diseases remain a significant challenge, impacting the economic viability of dairy farms. 

The genetic parameters unveiled some promising figures. The heritability estimates for RESP and DIAR indicated that genetic selection could be feasible. RESP showed heritability ranges on the observed scale from 0.03 to 0.07. DIAR ranged between 0.04 and 0.07, depending on the analysis and data thresholds applied. This reflects a consistent potential for genetic improvement. 

A comparison of sires revealed substantial differences based on predicted breeding values. Notably, daughters of the top 10% of sires were significantly healthier. They were less likely to develop RESP up to 1.8 times and DIAR by 1.9 times compared to those born to the bottom 10% of sires. This finding is critical to understanding that identifying sires with healthier offspring is possible even with low heritability. 

Promising results emerged for including DIAR and RESP in Canadian genetic evaluations. These results offer hope for national programs to improve calf health through genetic selection. The ability to incorporate these traits would mark a significant step forward in enhancing dairy calf health on a national scale, easing both the economic and health burdens on dairy farmers. This could potentially lead to a more efficient and profitable dairy industry.

Genetic Potential: The Data-Driven Revolution in Dairy Farm Management

YearMedian DIAR Incidence (%)Median RESP Incidence (%)Number of Herds (DIAR)Number of Herds (RESP)
20075%6%55149
20126%7%129300
20209%9%176404

As we navigate the future of dairy farming, the spotlight is directly on data. Accurate data collection is not just a bureaucratic necessity; it’s the linchpin for unlocking genetic selection’s potential to improve the health and welfare of our calves. Your role in this data collection is crucial. The stakes are high. Genetic evaluations can falter without precise and reliable data, leaving us with an incomplete understanding of calf disease traits. 

Yet, inconsistency in recording practices presents a formidable challenge. Picture this: different farms using varied definitions and criteria for recording diseases like respiratory problems or diarrhea. It’s like trying to piece together a puzzle with mismatched pieces. This inconsistency obscures the true incidence of diseases and muddies the waters when understanding their genetic components. 

The path forward requires us to embrace standardized criteria across the board. Consider it the Rosetta Stone for calf health data. With a unified language, we can ensure that the information collected is consistent and valuable for genetic evaluations. This is where herd management software steps up as a game-changer. These systems offer a centralized platform for recording data. Still, to truly harness their potential, the industry needs to actively encourage uploading disease records and standardizing the parameters for these records. 

It’s more than just collecting numbers; it’s about creating a robust, high-quality data pipeline. Envision herd management software that seamlessly integrates with the national milk recording system, allowing for comprehensive, accurate, and timely data transfer. This integration will enable us to track and assess calf health data nationally, paving the way for continuous genetic improvement and healthier herds.

Collaborative Synergy: Unlocking the Genetic Potential of Calf Health in Dairy Farming

Genetic selection within the dairy industry has the potential to enhance calf health. Realizing this potential hinges on collaborating with producers, industry experts, academia, and veterinarians. This collaboration is vital because it ensures a standardized, high-quality data pipeline, which forms the backbone of effective genetic evaluations. 

Here’s how the industry could move forward: 

  • Build Collaborative Networks: Establish a cross-industry platform to regularly discuss and strategize the best practices for recording calf health data. This platform should facilitate ongoing dialogue among farmers, industry bodies, academic researchers, and veterinarians.
  • Standardize Data Collection Practices: Develop coherent guidelines for recording calf disease and management data. This involves defining the parameters to record (e.g., birth weight and colostrum intake) and consistently applying them across all dairy farms.
  • Incorporate Comprehensive Calf Data: Enhance genetic evaluations by including detailed calf information. Data such as birth conditions, initial health metrics, and any early signs of disease can provide invaluable insights into the animal’s long-term genetic potential.
  • Foster Education and Training. Equip farmers and farmworkers with the knowledge and tools to record and manage data accurately. Regular training programs can keep everyone up to date with the latest technologies and practices.
  • Leverage Technology: Invest in farm management software that aligns with national databases and enhances data entry ease and accuracy. Automated data capture through IoT devices could provide real-time insights and reduce human error.
  • Promote Data Sharing and Accessibility: Encourage transparency and data sharing between farms and researchers to foster a broader understanding and a more robust genetic evaluation system. This would require assurances about data security and privacy.

By focusing on these areas, the dairy industry can make strides in improving calf health through genetic selection and boosting overall farm productivity and sustainability. We invite you to share your thoughts or suggestions on these recommendations in the comments below.

The Bottom Line

The results are precise: Genetic selection offers a promising avenue for transforming calf health on dairy farms. By integrating genetic evaluations with robust data collection practices, dairy producers can enhance animal welfare while boosting productivity. This comprehensive study’s insights underscore the critical role of accurate data recording and analysis in maximizing the effectiveness of genetic selection. 

Are you ready to rethink your approach to calf health? Consider how genetic selection could be embedded into your current practices or professional responsibilities. The potential benefits are too significant to overlook. 

Let’s keep the conversation going. Share your thoughts, experiences, or questions in the comments below, or discuss this topic with your peers. Engaging with these ideas could be your herd’s first step towards a healthier, more productive future.

Learn more:

Join the Revolution!

Bullvine Daily is your essential e-zine for staying ahead in the dairy industry. With over 30,000 subscribers, we bring you the week’s top news, helping you manage tasks efficiently. Stay informed about milk production, tech adoption, and more, so you can concentrate on your dairy operations. 

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Gene Editing in Dairy Cows: A Revolutionary Approach to Reducing Methane Emissions

Friday, October 11th, 2024

Can gene editing in dairy cows reduce methane emissions and revolutionize dairy farming? Discover the future of this innovative solution.

Picture this: Sushi, a four-week-old Holstein calf, relaxes on a bed of rice hulls in the California heat, curiously nibbling at the garments of doctoral students and lecturers who have just come to sample his rumen. Surrounded by the buzz of a metal fan, Sushi is unaware that he is the focal point of a pioneering experiment addressing one of agriculture’s most significant environmental challenges. On average, a single cow releases roughly 220 pounds of methane every year, which is frightening given that there are approximately 1.5 billion cattle on the earth. “Nobody has done it before,” said Ermias Kebreab, an animal science professor at UC Davis. “It’s completely out of the box.” The University of California at Davis and the Innovative Genomics Institute are collaborating on a seven-year, $30 million project to reduce methane emissions by re-engineering cow guts using gene editing. This has the potential to transform agriculture in the future.

The Problem with Methane 

Methane is a potent greenhouse gas, with a global warming potential of 25 times that of carbon dioxide over 100 years (EPA). Addressing methane emissions is critical to preventing climate change.

Enteric fermentation in dairy cows significantly contributes to methane emissions, with the average dairy cow producing around 220 pounds of methane each year. This emission alone accounts for roughly 4% of worldwide greenhouse gas emissions (FAO). The scale of the problem becomes even more alarming when you consider the global population of approximately 1.5 billion cattle. Urgent and immediate action is needed to address this issue.

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization, animal emissions account for about 14.5% of all anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions, roughly two-thirds of which originate directly from enteric fermentation. As worldwide beef and dairy consumption increases, so will methane emissions, worsening a critical problem.

“There’s no reason a cow has to produce methane,” asserts Brad Ringeisen, the executive director of the Innovative Genomics Institute. Ringeisen and his team are exploring gene-editing technology to modify the cow’s gut microbiota, potentially eliminating methane emissions at the source. This innovative approach not only offers hope but also a promising future where sustainable agriculture is not just a dream but a reality.

It is crucial to grasp the gravity of the methane emissions problem. While methane has a shorter atmospheric lifetime than CO2, lasting around 12 years, its immediate impact on warming is much more significant. By reducing methane emissions today, we can slow the pace of global warming in the short term, providing us with valuable time to address other sources of greenhouse gases. This understanding is critical to making informed decisions about our environmental policies and practices.

Challenges and Limitations of Dietary and Plant-Based Alternatives

Companies such as Impossible Foods and Beyond Meat provide plant-based meat replacements that resemble the flavor and feel of genuine beef, giving customers a lower-emission choice. Environmentalists advocate for dietary changes, pushing consumers to avoid beef in favor of lower-emission meats such as chicken or fish. These changes, although significant, meet opposition since worldwide beef output has increased by 13% over the last 15 years ([FAO Report](http://www.fao.org/faostat/en/#data/QL)

Another strategy focuses on changing cow diets to limit methane emissions. Adding seaweed, oregano, or garlic to cow feed has shown promise, with emissions reduced by up to 80%. However, this strategy mainly applies to confined dairy cows, which account for a tiny proportion of the worldwide population. In the United States, only around one out of every ten cattle receives daily feed from humans. The logistical problem is significant, particularly for the world’s approximately 1 billion free-ranging beef cattle that graze on open pastures and browse ([Scientific Reports](https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-019-47802-3)). It is almost hard to coordinate such nutritional modifications for free-ranging cattle on a big scale.

Given these constraints, a scalable, practical solution is even more urgent. While dietary adjustments and plant-based alternatives may help, they do not fully solve the methane problem caused by free-grazing cattle. We need more effective and comprehensive strategies to address this issue.

Enter Gene Editing: A Revolutionary Approach 

Enter gene editing. Imagine permanently altering the cow’s microbiome, lowering methane emissions straight at the source. This is not science fiction; it is becoming a reality due to gene editing advances. CRISPR, an acronym for clustered interspaced short palindromic repeats, is the technology at the vanguard of this revolution.

CRISPR, an acronym for clustered interspaced short palindromic repeats, is the technology at the vanguard of this revolution. It functions similarly to a pair of high-precision scissors, identifying particular DNA sequences inside an organism and may remove or replace them. Combined with an enzyme like Cas9, these ‘scissors’ can slice through DNA with extreme precision, enabling scientists to insert or delete genetic material at a whim.

In cows’ case, scientists focus on the microbiome—the diverse collection of bacteria, archaea, and fungi in the cow’s rumen. Researchers want to diminish or eradicate methane-producing microbes by editing their DNA using CRISPR. They may, for example, create genetic modifications that favor bacteria that absorb hydrogen before archaea convert it to methane. They’re rewriting the cow’s intestines so they don’t produce as much methane.

The idea is to create a probiotic tablet that calves may swallow, causing their microbiomes to generate less methane throughout their lifetimes. This early intervention might produce cows that are not only healthier but also far more environmentally friendly. Gene editing, particularly CRISPR, is a powerful weapon that can transform cattle production’s future while dramatically mitigating one of the most intractable greenhouse gas sources.

Rumen Safari: Uncovering Microbial Secrets at UC Davis 

The research journey at the University of California, Davis, and the Innovative Genomics Institute starts in the field, accompanied by the buzz of fans and the gentle push of inquisitive calves like Sushi. The procedure of acquiring rumen samples is both complex and exciting.

Under the supervision of specialists such as Spencer Diamond, researchers inject a three-foot-long metal tube into a calf’s stomach to extract rumen fluid—a thin, oatmeal-colored liquid packed with bacteria and partly digested food. This extraction is critical to understanding the microbial composition of the cow’s stomach. Diamond says, “You’re kind of on safari.” Each sample has a wealth of genetic material ready to be discovered.

Once collected, the samples are carefully put into vials and frozen in liquid nitrogen to preserve their integrity for DNA analysis. Paulo de Méo Filho, a postdoc participating in the collection procedure, methodically handles the samples to ensure they are maintained for future analysis. He uses a pipette the length of his arm to transfer rumen fluid into vials, which are flash-frozen before being transported to the laboratory.

Researchers like Brady Cress use cutting-edge technology in the lab to explore the rumen’s microbial environment. They rebuild genomes using computers and machine learning to provide a thorough inventory of every microbe present. Cress’ passion for the research is evident, as he says, “It’s incredible how these microbes have evolved to cooperate.” Understanding this is critical to implementing any effective change.”

At the UC Davis laboratory, scientists are also investigating the impact of various therapies on these bacteria. For example, Sushi has been given oil extracted from red seaweed, which is known to lower methane emissions. Researchers want to learn how this oil affects the rumen microbiota and mimic these changes using gene editing. As Matthias Hess says, “We want to initiate a lasting transition. “If we can understand and replicate the beneficial effects of these treatments, we could revolutionize cattle farming.”

This procedure is acceptable. The researchers must deal with the intricacy of the microbiome, where microscopic creatures are continually vying for resources. “The microbial world is a brutal, Mad Max wasteland,” Diamond remarks, emphasizing the challenge of changing such a complex ecology. However, the researchers remain undaunted, motivated by the possible implications of their findings on worldwide methane emissions and climate change.

As the study develops, the team stays optimistic. They are developing the skills and expertise required to manufacture a probiotic tablet for calves so that it may be tested within the next two years. This early intervention provides a viable alternative for dairy producers globally to reduce methane emissions throughout their lives.

Complexities and Risks of Altering the Cow Microbiome 

The challenge of modifying the cow microbiome is quite complicated. One major problem is the enormous complexity of the microbial community found in a cow’s rumen. Over millions of years, microbes have evolved to perform specific jobs, such as digesting food and creating energy. Disrupting this delicate equilibrium may result in unforeseen effects. Spencer Diamond states, “The microbial world is a brutal, Mad Max wasteland.” “Microbes are just killing each other.” This changing environment makes it challenging to guarantee that any changes are effective and lasting.

Skepticism in the scientific community is also prevalent. Alexander Hristov, a professor of dairy nutrition at Pennsylvania State University, emphasizes the problematic work ahead: “That’s the holy grail if you can modify the rumen microbiota. But we must remember that this microbiome has evolved over millions of years and is difficult to replace or modify permanently.” The argument here emphasizes the evolutionary intricacy and difficulty of long-term alterations to these well-established microbial communities.

The perils of gene editing go beyond technological obstacles. There are concerns about unforeseen ecological and health effects. What if gene-edited bacteria cause new illnesses or unexpected health concerns in cattle or people who eat dairy and meat products from these animals? Even the researchers exercise caution. Diamond says, “We must be conscious of the power of these technologies. “People will be afraid of the unknown.” These worries are not unjustified, considering the varied reactions to prior genetically modified species and the ethical considerations of modifying genes in live beings.

Scientists are encouraged by the prospect of considerable methane reduction and increased agricultural yield. The route to a gene-edited probiotic tablet for cows has been started, but it is laden with scientific, ethical, and practical hurdles that must be carefully navigated.

Probiotic Pill: A Science-Fiction Vision with Real-World Promise 

Researchers are developing a novel probiotic tablet that may be given to calves at a young age. This drug seeks to remodel their gut microbiota, reducing methane emissions dramatically during their lifetime. Consider a capsule administered with early-life immunizations containing a fluid that develops with the animal. It’s a notion that resembles science fiction yet offers enormous potential for real-world applications.

This probiotic technique provides a more practical alternative than existing approaches, such as feeding calves daily with methane-reducing additives like seaweed, which must be more workable for free-ranging beef cattle. Most calves get at least one immunization during their early lives, making this an opportune time to start this therapy. Once provided, the tablet can cause long-term changes in the cow’s microbiota, giving a cost-effective and straightforward treatment. This technique tackles logistical issues and may increase agricultural output by transferring energy wasted in methane generation to milk and meat production.

As with any innovative invention, transitioning from laboratory to pasture requires extensive testing and validation. However, the potential effect is enormous. Reducing methane emissions from cattle, a significant contribution to global warming, might be a game changer in the fight against climate change. This probiotic supplement might be the key to ensuring a more sustainable future for the dairy sector and beyond.

Global Scientific Community Weighs In: The Holy Grail of Microbiome Manipulation 

Experts at UC Davis and the Innovative Genomics Institute believe gene editing can revolutionize cattle production. Eminent experts throughout the world are paying careful attention. Dr. Alexander Hristov, a professor of dairy nutrition at Pennsylvania State University, understands the significance of this initiative. “That’s the holy grail,” he argues, “if it’s possible to manipulate the microbiome of the rumen” [PSU]. Despite acknowledging the difficulties, he emphasizes this study’s significance and possible relevance.

Meanwhile, James Marsh, a professor of microbiome engineering at the Max Planck Institute for Biology, claims, “We need to be able to apply it to all organisms so we can unleash the promise of microbial engineering” [Max Planck Institute]. His observations highlight the early stages of this revolutionary effort.

The UC Davis initiative is more than a shot in the dark; it has enormous financial backing, adding to its legitimacy. They raised around $30 million in finance for this seven-year journey via grants and investments from diverse stakeholders that believe in the technology’s ability to solve global methane emissions [UCANR]. Brad Ringeisen, the Innovative Genomics Institute’s executive director, adds extensive DARPA experience to the project, giving another degree of trust and knowledge. “I’m taking the DARPA mentality here,” Ringeisen says. “Let’s solve it for all cows, not just a fraction of the cows” [DARPA].

The Bottom Line

Researchers are on the verge of a possible dairy business breakthrough by delving into cow rumen’s complexities and using new gene-editing methods. From studying the chaotic microbial community in the rumen to designing a probiotic tablet that may permanently reduce a cow’s methane production, the path is both ambitious and rewarding. The science is complicated, and there are many hurdles. Still, the objective is clear: cut methane emissions and alleviate one of the leading causes of global warming.

Consider a future where methane emissions from more than a billion cattle are significantly reduced. The environmental advantages could be tremendous, reducing the pace of climate change and contributing to meeting global emissions objectives. But there is more at risk here. Successfully modifying the cow microbiome might open the path for comparable manipulations in other ruminants and even larger ecosystems, demonstrating the research’s broad relevance.

Stay tuned and informed. This is only the start of a seven-year journey that might revolutionize the dairy sector and our collective response to climate change. Watch advancements at UC Davis and the Innovative Genomics Institute; they might pave the way for a more sustainable future.

Key Takeaways:

  • Gene editing in cattle aims to significantly reduce methane emissions from cow burps, addressing a major source of global warming.
  • The project, backed by the University of California at Davis and the Innovative Genomics Institute, involves re-engineering the cow’s rumen microbiome.
  • Scientists are exploring a probiotic pill that could be administered to calves early in life, creating a permanent change in their methane output.
  • Despite promising early results, researchers face the daunting challenge of mapping and editing the highly complex cow microbiome.
  • The successful development of this technology could have profound implications not only for cattle but also for other methane-producing animals and ecosystems.
  • Environmental solutions like seaweed supplements have shown potential but are impractical for free-ranging cattle.
  • This innovative approach offers a potential solution for all cattle globally, aligning with broader climate mitigation goals.

Summary:

Gene editing aims to tackle the environmental impact of enteric methane emissions from cattle, responsible for 30% of global warming. Researchers at UC Davis and the Innovative Genomics Institute are developing a probiotic treatment for calves to alter their rumens and reduce methane production. While partial solutions like dietary changes exist, gene editing offers a more permanent solution. Despite the promise, numerous challenges remain, including the complexity of the cow’s microbiome and the nascent stage of microbial gene engineering. The success of this endeavor could significantly mitigate methane emissions from livestock, presenting a revolutionary step in battling climate change. With methane having a global warming potential 25 times that of CO2 over 100 years, this $30 million project could make sustainable agriculture a reality by re-engineering cow guts to lower emissions directly at the source.

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Genetic Selection Strategies for Sustainable Dairy Cows: Feed Efficiency and Methane Reduction

Sunday, September 22nd, 2024

Unveiling the Potential: Breeding Feed-Efficient, Low-Methane Dairy Cows for Sustainability and Cost Reduction. Can Cutting-Edge Genetic Strategies Revolutionize Dairy Farming?

Summary:

Dairy farming is crucial for providing milk and dairy products in an ecologically friendly and economically viable way. Low-methane dairy cows are essential as over 60% of variable expenses in dairy production are feed expenditures. Lowering environmental impact through lower methane emissions is imperative, and creative breeding techniques are essential. Feed efficiency reduces veterinary expenses and enhances herd health, benefiting the broader agricultural sector. Climate change and environmental degradation are pressing concerns for the agriculture industry, as dairy production contributes to greenhouse gas emissions. Sustainable practices, including breeding techniques to generate feed-efficient dairy cows, are given top priority by governments, research organizations, and industry players. Understanding genetic interconnections is essential for optimizing breeding goals, balancing feed efficiency, methane emissions, output, health, and fertility. A holistic approach to balancing economic viability and environmental stewardship in dairy breeding targets the need for a careful mix of these factors.

Key Takeaways:

  • Feed costs represent over 60% of the variable costs in dairy production, highlighting the economic drive to improve feed efficiency.
  • The agricultural sector faces increasing pressure to reduce the environmental impact of food production, necessitating sustainable practices.
  • Incorporating new traits into breeding goals can simultaneously save feed costs and lower methane emissions from dairy operations.
  • Accurate phenotyping of feed intake and methane emissions is essential for successful breeding, despite being challenging and resource-intensive.
  • Current strategies for genetic selection include direct and indirect methods, leveraging indicator traits and prediction models based on mid-infrared spectra in milk.
  • Large-scale phenotyping projects in research and commercial herds worldwide are building valuable reference populations for genomic evaluations.
  • Research indicates significant genetic variation in methane emissions, feed intake, and different feed efficiency measures, underscoring the feasibility of selective breeding for these traits.
  • Further research is needed to understand the genetic associations between various traits and to refine trait definitions for more effective breeding programs.
  • The ultimate aim is to balance feed efficiency, climate impact, production, health, and fertility within a sustainable breeding framework for the future.
dairy farming, low-methane dairy cows, feed efficiency, sustainable dairy practices, greenhouse gas emissions, breeding techniques, herd health, environmental impact, agricultural sustainability, climate change solutions

In the future, dairy farming will provide necessary milk and dairy products in an ecologically friendly and economically viable way. Low-methane dairy cows must be bred feed-efficiently. More than 60% of the variable expenses in dairy production are feed expenditures. Hence, lowering the environmental effect via lower methane emissions is imperative. The necessity of creative breeding techniques has never been more pressing as the agriculture industry is under increased pressure to embrace sustainable practices challenges. We may address these issues by including features that improve feed efficiency and reduce methane emissions into breeding targets—reaching this need for knowledge of sophisticated genetic selection techniques, complicated characteristics, exact phenotyping, and a robust database of important information. But remember, your cooperation and continuous research are not just vital; they are ongoing. You are a crucial part of this ongoing progress, and together, we can make the dairy sector more sustainable and resilient.

Feed Efficiency: The Economic Imperative for Sustainable Dairy Production 

Feed Efficiency: The Economic Imperative for Sustainable Dairy Production. The financial sustainability of dairy production is heavily reliant on feed efficiency. With feed expenditures accounting for over 60% of variable expenses, which includes costs for feed purchases, handling, and waste management, maximizing feed efficiency is not just desired but necessary. When dairy producers reduce the feed required per liter of milk, they significantly save on these expenses, directly improving net margins and providing a buffer against fluctuating feed prices.

Feed efficiency is not just about financial stability; it also plays a crucial role in reducing veterinary expenses and enhancing herd health. The broader agricultural sector also benefits from this, as reduced demand for feed crops can help cut feed costs. This ripple effect demonstrates how breeding for feed-efficient cows can enhance the dairy industry’s resilience and sustainability in the face of environmental and financial challenges.

Climate Change and Environmental Degradation: The Call for Sustainable Dairy Practices 

Given worldwide worries about ecological damage and climate change, the agriculture industry is under tremendous pressure to minimize its environmental impact. Crucially crucial for agriculture, dairy production is under close examination as it significantly contributes to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Over 25 times more efficient than carbon dioxide in trapping heat in the atmosphere for over a century, methane emissions from dairy cows—mostly from enteric fermentation and manure management—have underlined the need to address these emissions.

Given the effects of methane emissions on climate change, the agriculture sector’s dedication to lowering its environmental impact is both moral and legal. Sustainable practices—including breeding techniques to generate feed-efficient dairy cows that generate less methane—are given top priority by governments, research organizations, and industry players. The industry is committed to ensuring the economic viability of dairy farming by using genetic selection and developing phenotyping technology, therefore fostering a more sustainable future.

Overcoming the Challenges of Measuring Feed Efficiency and Methane Emissions in Dairy Cattle 

Dealing with the complexity of evaluating methane emissions and feed efficiency admits various difficulties. Finding consistent phenotypes is a primary challenge requiring significant time and effort commitment. A complex quality affected by many elements, such as feed efficiency, calls for close observation of individual feed intake, development, and output statistics. Especially in large-scale enterprises, thorough data collecting is logistically taxing.

Evaluating methane emissions involves challenges. Usually requiring sophisticated equipment to collect pollutants over long periods—which may be costly and taxing—accurate assessments necessitate Installing and routinely calibrating these technologies, which calls for specific expertise and resources that challenge many farmers to follow these guidelines without significant financial help.

Large-scale phenotyping is also important for data accuracy. This entails establishing dedicated research herds and using technological developments, like mid-infrared spectroscopy. However, these developments highlight the necessity of ongoing investment and cooperation in this sector, as logistical and operational challenges still exist.

Innovative Selection Techniques: Bridging Direct and Indirect Approaches in Dairy Cattle Breeding

Direct selection, with an eye on feed efficiency and methane emissions specifically, is a significant tactic for genetic selection. This simple method, however, requires large-scale data collecting on individual animals, so it is expensive and labor-intensive.

Indirect selection, on the other hand, offers a more practical way of employing prediction equations or indicator features. This method uses characteristics that are easier to measure and are correlated with the desired trait. For instance, roughage and dry matter intake are indicators that help to represent feed efficiency, guiding a more effective selection procedure. Mid-infrared (MIR) spectra in milk provide one exciting method for indirect selection. This less invasive and more scalable approach for mass phenotyping examines milk composition to forecast methane emissions and feed efficiency features. Including MIR spectrum data in prediction equations for commercial herds will simplify the choosing process and help manage it.

Building a Robust Database: The Role of Large-Scale Phenotyping in Genomic Evaluations 

Genetically enhancing dairy cattle requires large-scale phenotyping of individual feed consumption and methane emissions. Thoroughly collecting and processing phenotypic data supports reliable genomic assessments. Researchers can identify genetic variations connected to feed efficiency and reduced emissions by tracking every cow’s feed consumption and methane emissions. While commercial herds supply real-world data from many situations, research herds at university institutions create controlled environments for exact data collection. This combination sharpens the relevance and strength of the results.

These initiatives contribute to providing thorough reference populations for genetic analyses. Using a broad and large reference population, prediction values for novel characteristics gain accuracy. The growing phenotypic database depends on developing prediction models suitable for many populations and contexts. This method promotes environmentally friendly breeding initiatives to lower methane emissions in dairy cattle and feed economies.

Harnessing Genetic Variation: Insights from Pioneering Research for Sustainable Dairy Breeding 

Research by professionals like Stephanie Kamalanathan and Filippo Miglior shows notable genetic variation in essential parameters, including methane emissions, roughage intake, dry matter intake, and feed efficiency—studies from J. Anim. Sci. 94 and authors like Herd R.M. and Bird S.H. confirm this variability, so supporting the feasibility of selective breeding to improve these traits. Further increasing the possibility for practical use in commercial dairy herds are continuous large-scale phenotyping and genetic studies.

Deciphering Genetic Interconnections: The Path to Optimized Breeding Goals in Dairy Cattle 

Understanding the complex interactions among many attributes is particularly important because it is clear that effective breeding programs depend on genetic correlations. Even with significant advances, a better understanding of these genetic relationships is essential to maximize breeding objectives, balancing feed efficiency, methane emissions, output, health, and fertility. This calls for carefully examining current data and creatively incorporating these discoveries into valuable plans. Moreover, determining the most influential features is a significant difficulty requiring thorough research. Establishing strong standards and frameworks for trait characteristics would improve the accuracy and effectiveness of breeding projects focused on sustainable practices. By filling these research gaps, we can increase our capacity to produce dairy cows that satisfy environmental and financial criteria, guaranteeing a sustainable and robust dairy sector for subsequent generations.

A Holistic Approach to Balancing Economic Viability and Environmental Stewardship in Dairy Breeding

Dairy cow sustainable breeding targets the need for a careful mix of feed efficiency, climate impact, output, health, and fertility. Finding this equilibrium pays off in many long-term ways. This method reduces methane emissions, mitigating environmental damage and cutting feed costs. Moreover, the sector guarantees constant output and greater animal welfare by improving herd health and fertility.

The Bottom Line

Our main objective is to produce feed-efficient dairy cows with reduced methane output, solving environmental and financial problems in the dairy sector. We open the path for sustainability by giving top-priority features that improve feed efficiency and reduce ecological impact. While reducing climate change calls for creative breeding methods, boosting feed efficiency is vital given the significant share of dairy production expenses attributable to feed.

Although direct and indirect genetic selection and large phenotyping databases provide exciting possibilities even if assessing feed efficiency and methane emissions presents difficulties. Using these datasets and genomic assessments, one may create accurate selection instruments and efficient application of genetic variation. According to research showing significant variation in features linked to methane emissions and feed efficiency, selective breeding is practical and effective.

Improved feed efficiency helps lower methane emissions, transforming dairy sustainability and reducing farmers’ greenhouse gas emissions and feed costs. One should act immediately. A sustainable dairy future that fits commercial goals with environmental obligations depends on using creative breeding methods and genetic research to match. Every development in breeding techniques adds to a more muscular, effective, and ecologically friendly dairy sector. Let’s work toward a day when dairy output satisfies human requirements and helps to save the earth for future generations.

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Genome Editing in Dairy Cattle: Ethical Concerns and Breeding Standards Explored

Saturday, August 31st, 2024

Discover the ethical implications and breeding guidelines for genetically modified and genome-edited dairy cattle. How will these advancements shape the future of dairy farming?

Summary: Genetic modification and genome editing have revolutionized agricultural practices, offering unprecedented possibilities for enhancing dairy cattle traits. These technologies bring not only the promise of increased productivity and disease resistance but also complex ethical questions that must be addressed. Genetically modified (GM) and genome-edited dairy cattle are revolutionizing agriculture by introducing healthier, more productive, and ecologically friendly animals. The CRISPR-Cas9 technology is the most widely used genetic engineering approach, requiring continuous monitoring of the herd’s genetic health before and after genome editing. Breeding guidelines for genome-edited dairy calves must adhere to best practices, such as maintaining a varied gene pool to minimize inbreeding and disease susceptibility. However, negative genetic associations with milk production features hinder the development of udder health traits. Genetically engineered calves that produce recombinant human lactoferrin, lysozyme, or HBD-3 in milk have been developed, with studies showing that transgenic cows have fewer symptoms and cleared germs quicker than nontransgenic control cows. Ethical concerns surrounding GM and genome editing in dairy cattle include tampering with nature’s course, potential welfare consequences for animals, and potential effects on biodiversity.

  • Genetic modification and genome editing are transforming dairy farming by enhancing traits like productivity and disease resistance.
  • CRISPR-Cas9 is the prevalent technology used in genetic engineering, necessitating diligent herd genetic health monitoring.
  • Best breeding practices for genome-edited dairy calves include maintaining genetic diversity to prevent inbreeding and reduce disease vulnerability.
  • Negative genetic correlations with milk production traits can impede improving udder health.
  • Transgenic cows can produce beneficial proteins such as recombinant human lactoferrin, lysozyme, or HBD-3, which have shown health advantages in research studies.
  • Ethical considerations involve concerns about manipulating natural processes, animal welfare implications, and impacts on biodiversity.

The introduction of genetically modified (GM) and genome-edited dairy cattle is set to transform agriculture in ways we never imagined. Scientists strive to create a future where dairy cattle are healthier, more productive, and ecologically friendly through genetic modification. This shift from traditional breeding to cutting-edge genetic technology prompts us to ponder the complexities and implications for farmers, consumers, and animals. As we delve into this topic, we must grapple with the intriguing issues of science and technology and the intricate ethical perspectives that envelop it. This post encourages readers to engage with these issues and approach them with a sense of responsibility and thoughtfulness. Let’s embark on this thought-provoking journey together.

Understanding Genetic Modification and Genome Editing in Dairy Cattle

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Consider the enormous possibilities for genetic manipulation and genome editing in dairy cattle. Consider animals that can generate lactose-free milk while being nutrient-dense and disease-resistant. This is not fiction; genetic engineering is a fast-emerging topic in animal production. Two basic genetic engineering approaches are in use today: transgenic and cisgenic. Transgenic refers to importing genes from one species into another, such as putting a bacterial gene into a cow’s genome. Conversely, Cisgenic entails changing a cow’s genes using genes from the same or nearly related species, similar to an enhanced form of conventional breeding techniques.

Today’s most extensively used approach for genome editing is the revolutionary ‘CRISPR-Cas9 technology.’ This groundbreaking tool allows scientists to modify gene sequences in a dairy cow’s DNA as easily as editing a page using a word processor. By using a scissor-like enzyme called Cas9, scientists can cut DNA strands at exact locations where alterations are required. The cell’s repair mechanism then takes charge, inserting or replacing genetic material to change the genome. This technology has the potential to revolutionize dairy cattle breeding.

To put this into perspective, consider a dairy cow with a genetic feature that makes it susceptible to a specific illness. Scientists may use genome editing to replace the disease-prone genetic sequence with one that increases resistance. The result is a healthier, more resilient, more productive dairy cow. This fantastic technology marks a considerable step in improving cattle welfare and agricultural efficiency.

Breeding Guidelines for Genome Edited Dairy Cattle: Best Practices

Breeding standards for genome-edited dairy calves must adhere to best practices to guarantee ethical and efficient operations. Continuous monitoring of the herd’s genetic health by tracking changes before and after genome editing and maintaining a varied gene pool to minimize inbreeding and disease susceptibility are critical steps toward ensuring the long-term viability of genome-edited cattle.

The following are some use cases for Genome Editing in Dairy Cattle:

  • Case 1: Genome Editing to Eliminate Dehorning
    Genetic dehorning of cattle is one possible use of genome editing in large-scale farming. Polledness, or the lack of horns, is an autosomal dominant feature involving two separate mutations in cow breeds. Dehorning is a routine practice to avoid accidents. Still, it is expensive and time-consuming, with over 80% of European dairy cattle dehorned without pain relief medication. However, this technique may produce quantifiable pain-related responses in cattle, prompting animal welfare issues. Although many cow herds include genetically polled breeding males, the number of polled AI breeding bulls in the Holstein breed still needs to be higher. Genome editing has been offered as a shortcut for producing high-quality polled bulls while minimizing genetic gain losses and using closely related polled individuals. Genome editing would generate a significant percentage of homozygous animals with the beneficial allele, raising allele frequency in the population. Selective matings between horned, homozygous, and heterozygous polled breeding bulls and cows might increase the number of polled calves produced. The first reported examples of genome-edited polled calves were created via SCNT, allowing the selection of embryos with specified changes before embryo transfer into the recipient cow. To effectively use genome editing to enhance the frequency of polled cattle, the sires and dams of edited embryos must have high genetic quality and be as unrelated as feasible. Large-scale breeding operations would utilize a mix of naturally polled, genome-edited polled, and dehorned breeding animals.
  • Case 2: Insertion of Human Genes to Increase Udder Health in Dairy Cattle
    Udder health is critical for dairy output and animal welfare, and mastitis is a significant cause for culling in contemporary dairy herds. Genetic engineering (GM) has been utilized to enhance udder health by using indicator features such as milk SCC, which are more straightforward to evaluate continually. However, negative genetic associations with milk production features impede the development of udder health traits. There are many possible genes for mastitis resistance or susceptibility, including polymorphisms in genes that encode bovine lactoferrin and lysozyme. Lactoferrin concentration in bovine milk has a heritability of 0.22, indicating that genetic selection for higher lactoferrin levels is conceivable. However, the complexities of mastitis resistance persist, and appropriate bovine mastitis management is still missing. Genetically engineered calves that produce recombinant human lactoferrin, lysozyme, or HBD-3 in milk have previously been developed. According to studies, transgenic cows that generated recombinant human lactoferrin in their milk got infected with Staphylococcus chromogenes but had fewer symptoms and cleared germs quicker than nontransgenic control cows. GM cows expressing HBD3 or human lysozyme in milk seemed more resistant to bacterial udder infections than nontransgenic controls. In addition to improving udder health in dairy cows, generating bioactive recombinant human lactoferrin, lysozyme, and other agents in milk may benefit the gastrointestinal health of humans.

Ethical Dilemmas Surrounding Genetically Modified Dairy Cattle

While the advantages of utilizing genetic modification and genome editing in dairy cows are apparent, they are not without ethical implications. The idea of tampering with nature’s course typically raises eyebrows, and opponents are concerned about the possible welfare consequences for the animals themselves. Furthermore, there is worry about the potential effect on biodiversity, particularly if genetically modified creatures interbreed with non-modified ones. These issues are genuine and must be addressed to ensure the continuing development of this technology. However, these novel approaches have the potential to feed a rising global population in a sustainable, healthy, and efficient manner, which may eventually outweigh the possible concerns.

Ethical advisory committees inside breeding organizations may avoid gradual modifications that might result in a “slippery slope” effect. Instead of imposing extra restrictions, these committees should encourage internal conversations and decision-making. Implementing such organizations should not be treated lightly; they must address critical ethical concerns unique to each company to stay successful and productive. Successful ethical committees include the Dutch-Flemish cattle improvement cooperation CRV and worldwide pig breeding enterprises such as Topigs Norsvin; both use these boards to properly analyze scientific breakthroughs and their possible repercussions.

Several codes of conduct for responsible breeding, such as the industry-driven Code-EFABAR, need frequent modifications to incorporate new technology. Engaging diverse stakeholders in ethical discussions may provide a solid framework for these improvements. Animal ethics goes beyond well-being and requires thoroughly examining various issues to inform breeding choices and moral norms. Breeding groups and enterprises should explore the more significant ethical implications of GM and genome editing in cattle, ensuring the public that these concerns are handled appropriately.

The Bottom Line

As we’ve explored, genetic modification and genome editing in dairy cattle breeding are complex yet revolutionary. They offer the potential for disease-resistant, productive, and eco-friendly livestock to meet rising global dairy demand. However, ethical considerations must prioritize animal welfare, sustainability, and biodiversity. Science and ethics should inform each other, and dairy farmers or breeders must adopt best practices and make informed, ethical decisions. Genome editing can significantly contribute to a balanced and sustainable dairy industry with transparency, responsible use, and thoughtful discussion. 

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How New Gene Editing Legislation in New Zealand Will Benefit Dairy Farmers

Tuesday, August 13th, 2024

How could New Zealand’s new gene editing rules revolutionize your dairy farm? Ready to boost your dairy business with cutting-edge tech? Read on.

Summary: Have you ever wondered what the future holds for dairy farming in New Zealand? Well, brace yourselves because significant changes are on the horizon! The New Zealand government plans to introduce new legislation to simplify gene editing regulations. This move aims to streamline commercialization for companies and researchers, potentially revolutionizing the industry. “These changes will bring New Zealand up to global best practice and ensure we can capitalize on the benefits,” said Judith Collins, Science, Innovation and Technology Minister. This exciting news offers promising opportunities for healthier and more productive dairy cows by the end of 2025. Stay tuned as we delve deeper into the risks and benefits, including improved animal health, increased milk output, and climate resilience!

  • The New Zealand government is set to introduce new laws to simplify gene editing regulations for dairy farming by the end of 2025.
  • The aim is to make commercialization easier for companies and researchers in the dairy industry.
  • The changes are expected to align New Zealand with global best practices in gene technology.
  • The new regulations may lead to healthier, more productive dairy cows.
  • This legislative move could significantly improve animal health, boost milk production, and increase climate resilience in dairy farming.
  • Minister Judith Collins emphasizes that these changes will allow New Zealand to capitalize on the benefits of advanced gene technologies.
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Did you know New Zealand’s current gene editing restrictions are so tight that moving research from the lab to the field is practically impossible? For dairy producers like you, this constraint may mean losing out on technologies that enhance production and sustainability. Consider adopting precise gene-editing methods to improve the health and output of your herds while avoiding all the red tape. Science, Innovation, and Technology Minister Judith Collins has unveiled a proposal to facilitate the commercialization of gene technology. This transition will make it simpler for firms and academics to create and commercialize innovations that potentially transform the dairy sector. “These changes will bring New Zealand up to global best practice and ensure we can capitalize on the benefits,” according to Collins. The new law exempts low-risk gene-editing methods from strict constraints, making them more accessible to farmers. Local governments would also lose the ability to prohibit GMOs in their areas. At the same time, a new regulatory agency will regulate the sector. This is an excellent chance for dairy producers to improve health outcomes, adapt to climate change, and considerably increase their economic returns.

Unlocking Innovation: New Zealand’s Quest to Simplify Gene Editing Regulations for Dairy Farmers

Current legislation in New Zealand imposes substantial restrictions on gene editing technology. The limits are complicated and time-consuming, and researchers must often traverse a maze of approvals. This has made doing research outside the lab difficult, if possible. Judith Collins, Minister of Science, Innovation, and Technology, handles these concerns directly. “Current rules and time-consuming processes have made research outside the lab almost impossible.” The existing legal system sees gene editing as equivalent to genetic alteration, regardless of whether foreign DNA is used, complicating the environment for innovation.

A Gateway to Innovation: Simplified Gene Editing Regulations on the Horizon in New Zealand

New Zealand’s new law seeks to make gene editing rules more accessible and time-saving. Complex approval procedures have hindered innovation, making conducting field tests practically impossible. However, the modifications will enable low-risk gene editing methods to avoid these severe requirements, which produce alterations indistinguishable from traditional breeding. This exception is a game changer for businesses and researchers looking to get breakthrough items to market more quickly.

Furthermore, local governments will no longer be able to prohibit GMOs in their jurisdictions, eliminating another vital hurdle to commercialization. A new regulatory organization will regulate the sector, with a focus on ensuring that procedures meet global standards while encouraging innovation. This agency will provide oversight and control, ensuring that gene editing is used responsibly and for the benefit of the dairy industry.

Judith Collins stressed that the revamp was long-needed. By aligning our legislation with worldwide best practices, we achieve enormous economic advantages while significantly improving New Zealanders’ health outcomes and general quality of life.”

Imagine Healthier, More Productive Dairy Cows: The Promise of New Zealand’s Gene Editing Revolution

Imagine a future in which your dairy cows are healthier, more productive, and better equipped to endure the effects of climate change. Sounds like a dream, right? However, this ambition may soon become a reality with New Zealand’s new gene editing legislation.

One of the most promising advantages of gene editing for dairy producers is the potential for improved animal health. By increasing cows’ resistance to common illnesses, gene editing could reduce the need for antibiotics and other treatments, leading to significant cost savings. Moreover, gene editing has the potential to boost productivity, with specific genetic alterations significantly increasing milk output and quality. Just imagine the economic benefits this could bring to your farm. How much more profitable could you become with a 30% increase in milk production?

However, the focus is not just on instant rewards. Climate resilience is another crucial area where gene editing may have an impact. As climate change continues to alter weather patterns and environmental circumstances, having animals that can adapt is critical. Gene editing makes cows more resistant to heat stress, ensuring milk output stays consistent during the hottest months. The economic benefits of these advances cannot be emphasized. Healthy, productive, and climate-resilient cows may save expenses and boost profitability. Are you prepared to embrace the future and profit from these opportunities?

Global Success Stories Showcase the Power of Gene Editing

When examining the potential advantages of gene editing, reviewing some convincing facts from throughout the globe might be helpful. Gene-edited crops, for example, have shown astounding results. According to a Reuters study, gene-edited soybeans in the United States have achieved up to a 10% yield boost compared to non-edited types. Furthermore, European research found that crops modified to withstand pests and illnesses cut pesticide consumption by 50%, resulting in considerable environmental and economic advantages. These findings highlight the revolutionary potential of gene editing in agriculture, which promises significant gains for crop productivity and sustainable agricultural techniques. These global success stories demonstrate the potential of gene editing to revolutionize agriculture and improve sustainability.

How Do These New Regulations Stack Up Against Global Best Practices?

So, how do these new restrictions compare to global best practices? To begin with, New Zealand’s planned amendments represent a substantial shift toward more progressive gene technology regulations, which is already occurring in nations such as the United States and Australia. In the United States, the USDA considers gene-edited crops that do not contain foreign DNA equal to conventionally produced plants, exempting them from the strict laws that apply to GMOs. This has enabled American farmers to embrace new technologies more quickly, as shown by the 3.3 million acres of gene-edited crops planted alone in 2020.

New Zealand’s agriculture industry may become more competitive by aligning its policies with these global leaders. According to Marra and Piggott (2006), nations with more liberal regulatory frameworks for gene editing saw a 20-30% boost in agricultural production during the first five years of adoption [doi: 10.1007/s11248-016-9933-9]. This shows that New Zealand’s dairy producers may reap comparable advantages, resulting in economic growth and improved animal welfare.

Furthermore, the proposed regulatory transformation could position New Zealand as a significant contributor to global research. By aligning its regulations with international best practices, New Zealand could facilitate collaborations with foreign research institutes, making it a key player in the worldwide gene editing community. These reforms could catalyze a renaissance in agricultural innovation, bringing New Zealand to the forefront of cutting-edge methods worldwide.

Balancing Potential and Precaution: Navigating the Ethical Minefield of Gene Editing

While the potential benefits of gene editing are undeniable, it is critical to address some of the associated risks and critiques. Have you ever considered the ethical ramifications of changing the genetic composition of living organisms? Critics claim that modifying animals’ genetic codes may have unintended ecological and moral effects. It’s important to acknowledge these concerns and ensure that gene editing is used responsibly and ethically, focusing on improving dairy herds’ health and productivity.

There’s also the issue of danger. The long-term consequences of gene editing have yet to be well known. Unintended side effects may cause additional problems, particularly those harming animal welfare. Research published in Nature Communications found that off-target impacts, in which unwanted genomic sections are changed, might pose serious dangers (doi: 10.1038/s41467-019-10421-8).

Public perception also has a significant effect. How do you feel about eating items made from gene-edited animals? Some customers are concerned about genetically engineered products. Open, science-based communication is needed to guarantee that public concerns are handled deliberately and thoroughly. Gene editing promises to produce healthier, more productive cattle and promote sustainable agricultural techniques. Still, continue cautiously, ensuring that ethical rules, comprehensive risk assessments, and open public involvement are in place.

So, When Can We Expect These Changes to Take Effect?

So, when should we anticipate these changes to take effect? According to the New Zealand government, the schedule is clear yet ambitious. The objective is to get the law enacted and the new regulator functioning by the end of 2025. That is only around the corner in the larger scheme of things. Imagine the possibilities—according to this schedule, a new age of innovation in the dairy farming business might begin within the next few years. Are you prepared to welcome the future?

The Bottom Line

New Zealand’s decision to ease gene editing rules can transform the dairy farming industry. The government intends to place New Zealand at the forefront of agricultural innovation by streamlining the commercialization process and exempting low-risk gene editing methods from rigorous scrutiny. This regulation reform offers various advantages, including healthier, more productive cattle, improved resilience to climate change, and significant economic gains. The message for dairy farmers is clear: remaining educated about these developments and contemplating incorporating gene editing technology can potentially alter their companies. The potential for better health outcomes and economic stability emphasizes the need to adopt these innovations. Are you ready to take the risk and explore the undiscovered opportunities these new rules may provide?

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Understanding the “Slick Gene”: A Game-Changer for Dairy Farmers

Sunday, August 11th, 2024

Uncover the transformative impact of the “slick gene” on dairy farming. What advantages does this genetic innovation offer both livestock and their caretakers? Delve into this groundbreaking discovery now.

Left: A SLICK coat vs right: a normal non-SLICK coat (Photo:LIC)

Imagine a day when your cows are more tolerant of heat and more productive—game-changing—for any dairy farmer battling climate change. Allow me to present the “slick gene,” a ground-breaking tool destined to revolutionize dairy output. This gene is found in tropical cow breeds and gives greater output even in hot temperatures and more thermal endurance.

Agricultural genetic developments have revolutionized farming by increasing crop and animal yield and stress resistance. Precision alteration of features made possible by CRISPR and gene editing technologies increases agrarian performance. The slick gene could be essential for producing cattle that thrive in higher temperatures, ensuring the dairy industry’s future.

Examining the “slick gene” helps one understand why agriculture has attracted such attention. Knowing its beginnings, biological processes, and uses on farms helps one better understand the direction of dairy farming. This path begins with investigating the function and significance of this gene.

The “Slick Gene”: A Revolutionary Genetic Anomaly

Because of its significant influence on cow physiology and output, the slick gene is a fantastic genetic abnormality that has fascinated geneticists and dairy producers. Shorter, sleeker hair from this gene mutation helps cattle deal better in hot and humid environments and increases their health and milk output.

Initially discovered in the early 1990s, this genetic variant was found in a paper published in the Proceedings of the 5th World Congress on Genetics Applied to Livestock Production (pages 341–343) after primary research by Lars-Erik Holm and associates in 1994. Their efforts prepared one to appreciate the unique qualities of the slick gene.

The slick gene consists of prolactin receptor (PRLR) mutations essential for breastfeeding and thermoregulation. These mutations provide a unique hair phenotype, which helps cattle better control heat, and they are beneficial over the typical genetic features of Bos taurus breeds.

The slick gene is a significant scientific development with practical uses that enhance bovine well-being and milk output, especially in hot environments. It is crucial in selective breeding projects aiming to improve production under demanding circumstances.

The Thermoregulatory Genius: How the “Slick Gene” Redefines Bovine Physiology

Because of their thinner coats, cattle with the “slick gene” have far improved heat dissipating capacity. This thinner covering helps them maintain a lower core body temperature even in great heat by improving ventilation and sweating, lowering heat stress. Furthermore, this adaptation enhances feed intake, milk output, and fertility. These physiological changes provide a whole boost, so slick gene cattle are vital for dairy producers in warmer areas and increase the profitability and sustainability of their enterprises.

Beyond Heat Tolerance: The “Slick Gene” as a Catalyst for Enhanced Dairy Production

Beyond its thermoregulating advantages, the “slick gene” has excellent potential for dairy producers. Agricultural genetics particularly interests milk production, which this genetic characteristic affects. By displaying gains in milk output, quality, and consistency, cattle with the “slick gene” typically help dairy farms to be more profitable.

Evidence indicates, as noted in the Proceedings of the 5th World Congress on Genetics Applied to Livestock Output, that slick-coated cows—especially in warmer climates—maintain constant milk output during heat waves, unlike their non-slick counterparts. Known to lower milk output, heat stress may cause significant financial losses for dairy producers; consequently, this stability is essential.

One clear example is Holstein cows produced with the slick gene. In 2010, Lars-Erik Holm’s World Congress on Genetics Applied to Livestock Production found that these cows produced 15% more milk at the highest temperatures. Furthermore, milk quality was constant with ideal fat and protein content, which emphasizes the gene’s capacity to improve production measures under environmental pressure.

Their performance in unfavorable weather underlines the practical advantages of slick gene carriers for dairy production in warmer climates. Reducing heat stress helps the slick gene provide a more consistent and efficient dairy business. Including the slick gene is a forward-looking, scientifically validated approach for farmers to maximize productivity and quality in the face of climate change.

Navigating the Complex Terrain of Integrating the “Slick Gene” into Dairy Herds 

Including the “slick gene” in dairy cows creates several difficulties. The most important is preserving genetic variety. If one emphasizes too much heat tolerance, other essential features may suffer, resulting in a genetic bottleneck. Herd health, resistance to environmental changes, and illness depend on a varied gene pool.

Ethics also come into play. For the “slick gene,” genetic modification raises questions about animal welfare and the naturalness of such treatments. Critics contend that prioritizing commercial objectives via selective breeding might jeopardize animal welfare. Advocates of ethical farming want a mixed strategy that honors animals while using technological advancement.

One further challenge is opposition from the agricultural community. Concerning long-term consequences and expenses, conventional farmers might be reluctant to introduce these genetically distinct cattle. Their resistance stems from worries about milk quality and constancy of output. Dealing with this resistance calls for good outreach and education stressing the “slick genes” advantages for sustainability and herd performance.

The Future of Dairy Farming: The Transformative Potential of the “Slick Gene” 

The “slick gene” in dairy farming presents game-changing opportunities to transform the sector. Deciphering the genetic and physiological mechanisms underlying this gene’s extraordinary heat tolerance is still a challenge that requires constant study. These investigations are not only for knowledge but also for including this quality in other breeds. Visioning genetically better dairy cattle, researchers are investigating synergies between the “slick gene” and other advantageous traits like increased milk output and disease resistance.

Rising world temperatures and the need for sustainable agriculture generate great acceptance possibilities for the “slick gene.” Hot area dairy producers will probably be early adopters, but the advantages go beyond just heat tolerance. By advancing breeding technology, “slick gene” variations catered to specific surroundings may proliferate. This may result in a more robust dairy sector that minimizes environmental effects and satisfies world dietary demands.

Integration of the “slick gene” might alter accepted methods in dairy production in the future. Improvements in gene-editing technologies like CRISpen will hasten its introduction into current herds, smoothing out the change and saving costs. This genetic development suggests a day when dairy cows will be more resilient, prolific, and climate-adaptive, preserving the business’s sustainability. Combining modern science with conventional agricultural principles, the “slick gene” is a lighthouse of invention that will help to define dairy production for the next generations.

The Bottom Line

Representing a breakthrough in bovine genetics, the “slick gene” gives dairy producers a fresh approach to a significant problem. This paper investigates the unique features of this gene and its strong influence on bovine thermoregulation—which improves dairy production efficiency under high-temperature conditions. Including the “slick gene” in dairy herds is not just a minor enhancement; it’s a radical revolution that will help farmers and their animals economically and practically.

The benefits are comprehensive and convincing, from higher milk output and greater fertility to less heat stress and better general animal health. The value of genetic discoveries like the “slick gene” cannot be over emphasized as the agriculture industry struggles with climate change. These developments combine sustainability with science to produce a more robust and efficient dairy sector.

All dairy farmers and other agricultural sector members depend on maintaining current with genetic advancements. Adopting this technology can boost environmentally friendly food production and keep your business competitive. The “slick gene” represents the transforming potential of agricultural genetic study. Let’s be vigilant and aggressive in implementing ideas that improve farm profitability and animal welfare.

Key Takeaways:

  • Heat Tolerance: Cattle with the “slick gene” exhibit superior thermoregulation, enabling them to withstand higher temperatures while maintaining productivity.
  • Enhanced Dairy Production: Improved heat tolerance leads to increased milk yield and quality, even in challenging climatic conditions.
  • Genetic Integration: Incorporating the “slick gene” into existing dairy herds poses both opportunities and complexities, requiring careful breeding strategies.
  • Future Prospects: The “slick gene” has the potential to revolutionize dairy farming practices, offering a sustainable solution to climate-related challenges.

Summary:

The “slick gene” is a genetic abnormality in tropical cow breeds that enhances productivity and thermal endurance. It consists of prolactin receptor (PRLR) mutations essential for breastfeeding and thermoregulation. The short, sleeker hair of the slick gene helps cattle cope better in hot and humid environments, increasing their health and milk output. The slick gene is crucial in selective breeding projects aiming to improve production under demanding circumstances. Its thinner coats improve heat dissipating capacity, allowing cattle to maintain a lower core body temperature even in great heat. This adaptation also enhances feed intake, milk output, and fertility, making slick gene cattle vital for dairy producers in warmer areas and increasing profitability and sustainability. Holstein cows produced with the slick gene produced 15% more milk at the highest temperatures and maintained constant milk quality with ideal fat and protein content. The future of dairy farming presents game-changing opportunities for the “slick gene,” as researchers are investigating synergies between the gene’s extraordinary heat tolerance and other advantageous traits like increased milk output and disease resistance.

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China’s Super Cows: The Genetic Breakthrough Every Dairy Farmer Needs to Know About

Wednesday, July 31st, 2024

China’s new super cows could skyrocket your herd’s milk production. Ready to see how?

Summary: China is making waves with their ‘super cows,’ dairy cows engineered to produce significantly higher milk yields. This breakthrough, led by Yaping Jin and conducted at Northwest A&F University, utilizes advanced cloning and genetic modification techniques to boost dairy production. Born healthy in Lingwu City, these calves are part of an ambitious plan to create over 1,000 super cows, reducing China’s reliance on imported cattle. While promising, adopting such technology poses challenges, particularly for US dairy farmers who must navigate complex breeding methodologies and potential regulatory hurdles. Overall, China’s advancements could signal a transformational shift in dairy farming worldwide, presenting new possibilities and considerations for stakeholders in the industry.

  • China has successfully cloned cows that can produce exceptionally high quantities of milk.
  • These “super cows” produce around 50% more milk compared to average cows.
  • Breakthrough in genetic modification and cloning played a crucial role in this development.
  • Potential benefits include reduced need for imports, lower farming costs, and increased milk supply.
  • Challenges such as ethical concerns, cost, and technological barriers may impact adoption in the US.

Meet China’s super cows: genetic wonders poised to transform dairy production. Consider having dairy cows in your herd that can produce almost twice as much milk as your top cows while being healthier and more resilient. Doesn’t this seem too incredible to be true? No, it is not. Chinese scientists have used cutting-edge genetic engineering to clone cows that could dramatically change the dairy farming landscape as we know it, providing incredible milk production (up to 18 tons of milk per year, roughly twice the average yield), improved health due to resistance to common diseases, and increased efficiency with less feed and fewer resources required. Advances in genetic cloning technology may soon be accessible internationally, enabling you to increase the production and efficiency of your herd significantly. According to an industry analyst, “The potential for these super cows is enormous.” Imagine tripling your milk output without increasing your overhead expenditures.” Discover how this invention may boost your farm’s milk output. Read on to learn more.

Decoding the Science: Cloning and Genetic Modification Made Simple 

To help you comprehend the “super cow” concept, let’s go over the fundamentals of cloning and genetic alteration. Cloning is the process of creating a photocopy of a live thing. Scientists extract cells from an adult animal, such as a cow’s ear, and utilize them to generate an exact genetic replica of the original animal. This technique entails introducing the donor animal’s DNA into an egg cell with its DNA removed. The egg then develops into an embryo, which grows into a new mammal genetically similar to the donor.

In contrast, genetic alteration entails directly altering an organism’s DNA. Consider modifying the text of a document. Scientists may add, delete, or modify individual genes to give the animal new traits. For example, they may change genes to make cows more disease-resistant or to enhance milk output. These genetic alterations are passed down to future generations, resulting in a new breed of highly efficient dairy cows.

Both cloning and genetic alteration require modern biotechnologies. These enable us to continually recreate our livestock’s most outstanding qualities, resulting in large yields and good health. While these procedures may seem like something out of a science fiction film, they are based on scientific study and have enormous potential to change how we farm.

Understanding these principles is critical as they become more widely used in agriculture. As a dairy farmer, staying current on these innovations might help you remain ahead of the competition and capitalize on future technologies.

Navigating the Roadblocks to Adopting Super Cows around the World

Implementing this super cow technology may seem like a dream. Still, it comes with hurdles and worries, particularly in the United States, Canada, and the EU. First, there are the regulatory difficulties. The FDA restricts genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and cloned animals.

Now, let us talk about ethical issues. Cloning is not without controversy. Some claim that it is playing God or messing excessively with nature. Others are worried about the cloned animals’ well-being and the possibility of unexpected health complications. Before using this technology, it is essential to consider the ethical implications.

Global Genetic Advancements: Beyond China’s Super Cows!

Scientists are not content with cloning super cows in China. The emphasis is also on breakthroughs with other animals and crops. Genetic improvements for maize, soybeans, broiler chickens, and breeding pigs are now being researched intensively. Northwest A&F University’s remarkable endeavor involves cloning racehorses and even cherished pets. These activities are part of a more significant effort to use cloning and genetic technology to promote food security and self-reliance in agriculture. Keep an eye on these advancements, as they can change dairy farming and cattle management in the United States!

The Bottom Line

Consider improving your dairy output by adding super cows capable of producing 50% more milk than your present herd. This technological breakthrough has considerable advantages, including less reliance on foreign breeds, possible cost savings, and higher yield. The main conclusion is obvious: adopting genetic innovations may transform your dairy operation. Stay current on the newest genetic discoveries and evaluate how incorporating these technologies may benefit your business. According to thought leader Peter Drucker, “The best way to predict the future is to create it.” Why not be at the forefront of the dairy revolution?

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How Genetic Innovations Have Reversed Declining Fertility in U.S. Holstein Cows

Friday, July 5th, 2024

Discover how genetic innovations have reversed declining fertility in U.S. Holstein cows. Can improved breeding and management boost both productivity and sustainability?

For years leading up to 2000, U.S. Holsteins grappled with a critical issue. As milk production surged, fertility rates saw a discernible decline. This concerning trend stemmed from the inherently negative correlation between production and fertility in dairy cows. The genetic traits that facilitated increased milk yields also predisposed these cows to diminished reproductive efficiency. As milk production soared, reproductive performance faltered—a biological trade-off rooted in dairy cattle genetics.

The Year 2000 Marked a Significant Turning Point for U.S. Holstein Fertility 

The turn of the millennium initiated a pivotal shift in breeding strategies, pivoting towards a more holistic approach emphasizing long-term health and productivity beyond mere milk yields. Previously caught in a downward spiral due to an exclusive focus on production, dairy cow fertility began to experience a much-needed resurgence. 

What catalyzed this change? The cornerstone was the broadening of genetic ambitions. Until the turn of the century, breeding initiatives were singularly geared toward maximizing milk production, often at the expense of crucial traits such as fertility. However, starting in the late 1990s, the industry began recognizing the importance of herd longevity and overall fitness. 

In particular, 1994 marked a watershed moment by including the ‘Productive Life’ trait in the Net Merit index. This move indirectly promoted better fertility rates through extended productive lifespans. By integrating longevity and its beneficial link to fertility, breeders indirectly enhanced fertility within herds. 

The early 2000s heralded the advent of direct fertility metrics in selection indexes. With the introduction of the Daughter Pregnancy Rate (DPR) in 2003, the dynamics of dairy genetics underwent a transformative change. For the first time, dairy producers could target fertility directly without compromising milk production. 

These strategic adjustments fostered a balanced approach to genetic selection, resulting in favorable milk yield and fertility trends. This dual focus arrested the decline in fertility and spurred ongoing improvements. It exemplifies the synergistic power of cutting-edge genetic tools and strategic breeding objectives.

DPR Introduction (2003): Impact of Directly Selecting for Cow Fertility 

Introducing the Daughter Pregnancy Rate (DPR) into the Net Merit Index 2003 catalyzed a paradigm shift in dairy breeding strategies. By directly targeting cow fertility, dairy producers gained a valuable tool to enhance reproductive performance with precision. This strategic emphasis on fertility bolstered pregnancy rates and significantly advanced herd health and sustainability.  

Before DPR’s inclusion, fertility was frequently marginalized in dairy cow breeding, overshadowed by the relentless focus on milk yield. The incorporation of DPR empowered breeders to select bulls whose daughters exhibited superior reproductive efficiency, thereby directly confronting fertility challenges. This resulted in marked gains in pregnancy rates and decreased inseminations required per conception.  

Moreover, selecting for DPR extends well beyond fertility improvement; it enhances herd longevity. Cows with higher conception rates typically experience fewer health issues, leading to extended productive lifespans. This improves animal welfare and translates into substantial economic advantages for dairy producers, such as decreased veterinary expenses, reduced involuntary culling rates, and streamlined herd management.  

Environmental gains are also significant. Increased fertility and prolonged productive lifespans of cows mean fewer resources are needed to sustain the herd, thereby decreasing the environmental footprint of dairy farming. Enhanced pregnancy rates are critical in lowering greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, leading to more sustainable dairy production practices.  

Integrating the Daughter Pregnancy Rate within the Net Merit index has redefined the dairy cattle breeding landscape. Dairy producers have successfully pursued holistic and sustainable genetic progress by balancing fertility with production traits. This strategic evolution highlights the essential nature of a comprehensive breeding approach—one that equally prioritizes production efficiency, animal health, and environmental responsibility.

National Database Contributions: Establishment of Sire, Cow, and Heifer Conception Rates (2006 and 2009) 

When the Council on Dairy Cattle Breeding (CDCB) introduced the national cooperator database, it marked a seminal development in dairy genetic evaluation. Initiated between 2006 and 2009, this comprehensive database encompassed vital traits such as Sire Conception Rate, Cow Conception Rate, and Heifer Conception Rate. By leveraging millions of phenotypic records, the database enabled more nuanced and precise genetic evaluations, refining the selection process for enhanced fertility. This pivotal innovation empowered dairy producers to manage their herds with unprecedented precision, ultimately propelling productivity and sustainability to new heights. 

The emphasis on phenotypic data facilitated an exceptional breadth of analysis, unearthing insights previously beyond reach. This treasure trove of data has informed more sophisticated decision-making and laid the groundwork for continuous improvement. Through the evaluation of observed data from millions of dairy cows, breeders have been able to discern patterns and correlations that are instrumental in shaping future breeding strategies. The granularity of these genetic evaluations has translated into tangible, on-farm benefits, optimizing herd performance and driving real-time improvements. 

Integrating traits such as Sire Conception Rate, Cow Conception Rate, and Heifer Conception Rate has profound implications. These metrics serve as critical indicators of reproductive efficiency, highlighting areas where improvements are needed and celebrating successes. By monitoring these traits closely, producers can implement targeted management practices to overcome specific bottlenecks in reproduction, thereby enhancing the overall health and productivity of the herd. 

The national cooperator database also spotlighted the efficacy of collaborative efforts. With contributions from dairy producers, geneticists, veterinarians, and advisors, the database has evolved into a formidable knowledge repository, driving the evolution of breeding strategies. This collective approach expanded the genetic tools available to producers. It propagated best practices across the industry, ensuring that advancements were comprehensive and widely adopted. 

The ripple effects of this initiative are far-reaching. These extensive datasets have facilitated enhanced accuracy in genetic evaluations, leading to the development of more effective breeding programs. Dairy producers are now equipped to breed cows that are not only more productive but also exhibit greater resilience, improved health, and better adaptability to modern dairy farm conditions. 

The national cooperator database has been a transformative force in U.S. dairy cattle breeding. It has provided a vital infrastructure supporting ongoing genetic advancements, resulting in higher fertility rates and enhanced overall productivity for cows. This progress is not merely theoretical; it manifests in improvements in dairy operation efficiency, economic profitability, and environmental sustainability. The integration of fertility traits within this framework has set the stage for a future where genetic and management practices coalesce to produce more robust and productive dairy herds.

Evolution of Selection Indexes: How Selection Indexes Define Breeding Goals 

Selection indexes have long been integral to cattle breeding by summarizing multiple traits into a single numerical value. This composite score drives genetic progress, ranks animals, and simplifies management decisions for producers. Each trait in the index is weighted according to its genetic contribution toward farm profitability. 

  • Weighting of Fertility Traits in Net Merit Formula
  • In the modern Net Merit formula, fertility traits have been given significant importance. For example, the daughter’s Pregnancy Rate (DPR) is weighted at 5%. Additionally, Cow and Heifer Conception Rates collectively account for 1.7%. These weightings ensure a balanced selection approach that prioritizes both productivity and reproductive efficiency.
  • Incorporation of More Health and Fitness Traits
  • Over the years, the Net Merit index has evolved to include an array of health and fitness traits beyond fertility. Including traits like cow and heifer livability, disease resistance, and feed efficiency has resulted in a more holistic and sustainable breeding strategy. This balanced approach recognizes that a cow’s overall health and lifespan directly impact her contribution to the farm’s profitability.

Genetics and Management Synergy: Improvement in Dairy Management Practices Alongside Genetic Progress 

While genetic tools are the foundation for enhancing cow fertility, the critical influence of progressive dairy management practices cannot be understated. By refining reproduction protocols, adjusting rations, optimizing cow housing, and improving environmental conditions, dairy producers have cultivated an environment conducive to realizing the full potential of genetic improvements. 

A tangible testament to this synergy between genetics and management is the notable reduction of insemination attempts required for successful pregnancies. Among U.S. Holsteins, the average number of inseminations per conception has decreased from 2.5 in 2010 to 2.0 in 2020. This trend is similarly reflected in U.S. Jerseys, where breedings per conception have declined from 2.2 to 1.9 during the same timeframe. 

This decreased need for insemination underscores dairy operations’ financial savings and efficiency gains, emphasizing the necessity of a comprehensive strategy that integrates advanced genetic insights with meticulous management practices.

Fertility and Stewardship: Impact on Dairy Operation Efficiency and Profitability 

Dairy producers are keenly aware of the benefits of improved reproductive practices—fewer days open, quicker return to calving, reduced involuntary culling, and substantial savings in insemination, veterinary care, and other operational expenses. These advances are vital for enhancing operational efficiency. Furthermore, shorter calving intervals and improved reproductive efficiency expedite genetic improvements, leading to permanent and cumulative gains.

Often overlooked, however, are the profound sustainability benefits. Today’s consumers demand responsible production practices, particularly concerning animal welfare and environmental impact. Healthier cows with better fertility exhibit a longer productive life—a critical factor in sustainable dairy operations.

Enhanced reproductive efficiency reduces the need for replacements and lessens resource consumption to maintain herd size, subsequently lowering emissions. For example, improving pregnancy rates significantly diminishes the U.S. dairy greenhouse gas (GHG) footprint; a 10% reduction in herd methane equates to a $49 per cow per year profit increase.

Additionally, reducing the age at first calving in heifers by two months (when bred at optimal weight) cuts the heifer’s carbon footprint by 30%, translating to a $150 saving per heifer.

Sustainability encompasses three crucial dimensions: social, economic, and environmental. Socially, healthier cows mean reduced hormone use and less involuntary culling. Economically, better reproduction results in animal-specific savings and increased profitability. Environmentally, fewer replacements and inputs are necessary, which reduces emissions.

Dairy geneticists, producers, veterinarians, and other industry experts have united to enhance U.S. dairy cow fertility. A persistent focus on improved reproduction is evidently beneficial—it promotes animal welfare, advances dairy farm profitability, and ensures sustainability.

Sustainability Aspects: Social Benefits of Animal Health and Reduced Hormone Usage, Economic Savings and Profitability Enhancements, Environmental Improvements Through Reduced Resources and Emissions 

Examining the broader spectrum, enhancing cow fertility is pivotal for sustainability across multiple dimensions. Socially, healthier cows necessitate fewer interventions, minimizing stress and reducing hormone usage. Consequently, the rates of involuntary culling drop significantly. This benefit is advantageous for the cows and enhances herd dynamics, alleviating ethical and practical challenges associated with animal health management. 

Economically, the advantages are equally profound. Improved reproductive efficiency translates into cost savings by lowering insemination, veterinary care, and feed expenses. Shorter calving intervals further drive genetic progress, significantly bolstering long-term profitability for dairy operations. Every phase of a fertile cow’s lifecycle is fine-tuned to deliver maximal returns in milk production and breeding outcomes. 

Perhaps the most compelling argument for prioritizing fertility improvement lies in its environmental impact. Fertile cows are more resource-efficient, requiring less feed and water to maintain herd size, thus leading to reduced emissions. Enhanced pregnancy rates can markedly decrease U.S. dairy farms’ greenhouse gas (GHG) footprint. For example, boosting pregnancy rates can significantly cut methane emissions, benefiting the environment. Additionally, reducing the age at first calving decreases the environmental footprint associated with heifer rearing. 

Advancing fertility in dairy cows yields extensive social, economic, and environmental benefits. By concentrating on these facets, you not only enhance your profitability but also contribute to a more sustainable and ethically responsible dairy industry.

The Bottom Line

It is manifest that the once-prevailing narrative of declining fertility in U.S. Holsteins has been fundamentally altered. Dairy producers have successfully reversed this trend through deliberate modifications in genetic selection protocols and an integrated strategy that merges advanced data analytics with enhanced management methodologies. Presently, the industry witnesses tangible benefits in elevated pregnancy rates and diminished insemination attempts, coupled with significant advancements in sustainability and profitability. This comprehensive emphasis on genetic advancement and bovine welfare delineates an optimistic outlook for dairy farming, evidencing that enhanced production and bolstered fertility are compatible objectives.

Key Takeaways:

  • Strategic changes in genetic selection have reversed the decline in U.S. Holstein fertility.
  • Advanced data tracking and improved management practices play crucial roles in this positive trend.
  • Improved pregnancy rates and fewer insemination attempts reflect the success of these efforts.
  • Enhanced fertility in dairy cows contributes significantly to sustainability and farm profitability.
  • Holistic genetic progress that includes cow welfare heralds a promising future for dairy farming.
  • Increased milk production and improved fertility can coexist successfully.

As you navigate the path toward achieving optimal dairy cow fertility, staying informed about the latest genetic and management advancements is crucial. Implement these strategic changes in your breeding program to improve your herd’s reproductive efficiency and boost profitability and sustainability. Take the step today: consult with your veterinarian or a dairy geneticist to explore how you can incorporate these tools and practices into your operation. Your herd’s future productivity and health depend on it.

Summary: 

In the past, U.S. Holsteins experienced a decline in fertility rates while milk production soared due to a negative correlation between production and fertility in dairy cows. Genetic traits that enabled cows to produce more milk but predisposed them to lower reproductive efficiency led to this decline. In 1994, the Net Merit index was expanded to include traits beyond just production, such as Productive Life and Somatic Cell Score, laying the groundwork for a more holistic approach to dairy cow breeding. The introduction of the Daughter Pregnancy Rate (DPR) in 2003 marked a turning point in dairy breeding strategies, enabling more accurate and effective selection for cow fertility. The Council on Dairy Cattle Breeding (CDCB) introduced the national cooperator database between 2006 and 2009, enabling comprehensive genetic evaluations and refining selection for fertility. Selection indexes have long been integral to cattle breeding by summarizing multiple traits into a single numerical value, driving genetic progress, ranking animals, and simplifying management decisions for producers. Modern Net Merit formulas have evolved to include health and fitness traits beyond fertility, such as cow and heifer livability, disease resistance, and feed efficiency.

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Calf Muscle Weakness in Holsteins: Insights from Chromosome 16 Haplotype Study

Wednesday, July 3rd, 2024

Discover the new mutation linked to calf muscle weakness in Holsteins. How does this affect calf mortality and what are the implications for dairy farming? 

When it comes to dairy farming, calf health is key to the success and sustainability of your herd. A growing concern in Holsteins, a major dairy breed, is calf muscle weakness. This condition leads to high calf mortality, posing a serious challenge for breeders and farmers. 

Researchers have identified a recessive haplotype at the end of chromosome 16 (78.7–80.7 Mbp) linked to this problem. Tracing the haplotype’s history back to 1952, with a key ancestor named Southwind born in 1984, has been crucial in understanding its spread. 

This article delves into a study on a new mutation within a common haplotype causing calf muscle weakness in Holsteins. It provides important insights into genetic tracking methods and implications for the dairy industry.

Unveiling Gene Mysteries Within Holsteins: The Journey from Elevated Calf Mortality to Advanced Genetic Insights 

Research has unearthed vital insights into a recessive haplotype linked to elevated calf mortality in Holsteins. This haplotype, which shows incomplete penetrance, means not all calves with the genotype display the syndrome, making detection tricky for breeders and geneticists. Tracing back to 1952, the notable ancestor Southwind (HOUSA1964484), born in 1984, was identified as crucial, being homozygous for the suspect haplotype. 

Scanning sequence data from Southwind and the sire of an affected calf revealed a missense mutation at 79,613,592 bp, likely having a harmful impact. The affected calf was homozygous, while the sire and Southwind were heterozygous. This comprehensive analysis covered 5.6 million Holsteins, showing the haplotype is widespread, complicating management and eradication efforts. 

Breeders face significant challenges with this haplotype’s link to higher calf mortality and incomplete penetrance, necessitating advanced tracking and management methods. Continuous advancements in genetic analysis and breeding strategies are essential to improve calf viability and overall herd health.

The Hidden Genetic Legacy in Holstein Herds: Tracing Calf Muscle Weakness to an Ancestral Haplotype

The genotype analysis of 5.6 million Holstein cattle has revealed crucial genetic insights, linking a specific haplotype to calf muscle weakness. The study focused on DNA variations on chromosome 16, identifying a recessive haplotype associated with increased calf mortality rates. Tracing lineage data back to 1952, researchers identified a bull named Southwind, born in 1984, as homozygous for this haplotype. 

The prevalence of this haplotype underscored the value of genetic monitoring in detecting long-standing patterns within the bovine genome. By combining genotypic data with phenotypic records, the study established the haplotype’s link to muscle weakness, marking a key step in genomic selection strategies aimed at addressing this issue. This breakthrough emphasized the necessity of genetic vigilance to foresee and curtail harmful traits in cattle herds.

Decoding the Genetic Blueprint: Sequencing Efforts Reveal Key Mutations in Holstein Muscle Weakness

The scanning process focused on aligning sequence data from Southwind, the affected calf, and the sire. High-throughput sequencing technologies were employed to pinpoint mutations, emphasizing regions previously linked to the phenotype. The search targeted single nucleotide variants (SNVs) that could affect protein function. 

This analysis revealed a crucial missense mutation at position 79,613,592 bp. This mutation modifies the resulting protein’s amino acid sequence, likely impairing its function. It was homozygous in the affected calf, indicating its probable role in muscle weakness. Conversely, Southwind and the sire were heterozygous, pointing to a recessive inheritance pattern. The concordance in these findings strengthens the link between this missense mutation and the observed calf muscle weakness, suggesting the need for further functional studies.

Harnessing Genetic Concordance: Insights from the Cooperative Dairy DNA Repository 

The concordance study, leveraging the Cooperative Dairy DNA Repository, pinpointed the genetic roots of calf muscle weakness in Holsteins. The investigation revealed a 97% concordance between the sequence data and the haplotype and achieved an 89% call rate. These findings underscore the reliability of the genetic markers and highlight the potential for enhanced genetic tracking and selective breeding to combat such inherited conditions.

The Evolutionary Conservation of CACNA1S: Insights into Muscle Function and Disease Across Species

The exon amino acid sequence in the CACNA1S gene is highly conserved across species, underscoring its critical role in muscle function. This gene, coding for a voltage-dependent calcium channel, shows remarkable similarity in sequence across different species, reflecting its importance. 

In humans, CACNA1S mutations lead to conditions like hypokalemic periodic paralysis and malignant hyperthermia, characterized by sudden muscle weakness or rigidity. In mice, similar mutations cause myotonia and muscle dysfunctions. These parallels illustrate the gene’s vital role in muscle excitability and its evolutionary conservation. 

The conservation of CACNA1S has significant implications. It allows findings from one species to inform our understanding in others, aiding in the study of genetic diseases. In dairy science, identifying such mutations supports better breeding strategies and health management in cattle populations. Furthermore, these insights can guide the development of targeted therapies across species, benefiting both agriculture and medicine.

The Evolution of Pedigree Tracking in Dairy Cattle: Precision in Identifying Mutations Within Existing Haplotype Frameworks 

The landscape of pedigree tracking in dairy cattle has advanced with modern methodologies enhancing the precision in identifying new mutations within existing haplotypes. In this study, focus was given to the muscle weakness haplotype (HMW) and Holstein cholesterol deficiency (HCD), utilizing innovative techniques to gain actionable insights. 

Researchers effectively used high-resolution genetic mapping and comprehensive pedigree analyses to trace the HMW mutation. This dual approach successfully tracked the HMW haplotype through contemporary genotyping and historical records, confirming Southwind as a key ancestor. These refined methods achieved a 97% concordance rate and an 89% call rate, validating their effectiveness. 

Regarding Holstein cholesterol deficiency, the integration of direct gene tests with precise pedigree tracking improved gene test accuracy. This harmonized approach significantly enhanced concordance rates, leading to more effective management strategies for breeders, and reducing HCD incidences through informed mating decisions. 

Reviewing heifer livability records substantiated the findings. For HMW, 46 heifers, all homozygous and traceable to Southwind, showed a 52% mortality rate before 18 months, compared to a mere 2.4% for noncarriers. These results highlight the importance of advanced tracking techniques in breeding programs to minimize the impact of such mutations. 

From identifying elevated calf mortality to pinpointing genetic causes, this journey underscores the power of modern pedigree tracking. These methodologies have not only revealed key genetic insights but also paved the way for enhanced herd management and health outcomes for Holsteins. The future of dairy cattle breeding stands to be revolutionized by these advancements, fostering a more precise and informed approach to genetic selection.

Quantifying the Genetic Toll: Heifer Livability Analysis in HMW Homozygous Calves

Analyzing heifer livability records for 558,000 calves revealed vital insights into genetic effects on viability. For the HMW haplotype, 46 homozygous heifers, all tracing back to the ancestor Southwind, were studied. A significant 52% died before 18 months, with an average age of 1.7 ± 1.6 months. In stark contrast, the mortality rate among non-carriers was just 2.4%. This death rate for homozygous heifers might be underestimated due to possible healthier calves being genotyped.

Incorporating Holstein Muscle Weakness (HMW) into Selection and Mating Strategies: Rethinking Reporting Methods and Dominance Effects 

Integrating Holstein Muscle Weakness (HMW) into selection and mating strategies requires rethinking current reporting methods and considering dominance effects. The incomplete penetrance of HMW may cause traditional methodologies to miss or underestimate its prevalence and impact. More accurate reporting is essential to reflect the genetic status concerning HMW. 

Dominance effects further complicate HMW inheritance. Unlike simple recessive traits, HMW’s variable penetrance creates a range of phenotypic expressions that must be considered in breeding decisions. Comprehensive genetic testing, including both genotypic and phenotypic data, will enable informed decisions and help manage partial lethality traits within the herd. 

Direct genetic tests for HMW mutations should be standard in selection protocols, especially for lines tracing back to carriers like Southwind. This approach helps maintain the herd’s genetic fitness without inadvertently continuing the risk of HMW-related calf mortality. By refining these methods, the dairy industry can better balance productivity with animal welfare, fostering a healthier Holstein population.

The Bottom Line

The discovery of a common haplotype linked to calf muscle weakness in Holsteins highlights the importance of genetic research in animal husbandry. Identifying a missense mutation at 79,613,592 bp in the CACNA1S gene, researchers have deepened our understanding of this condition. The analysis, showing a 97% concordance rate, underscores the mutation’s significance. Improved pedigree tracking methods have clarified the relationship between haplotypes and calf mortality, revealing a significant survival rate difference between homozygous calves with the mutation and noncarriers. Direct tests for new mutations within common haplotypes are crucial. These tests provide a precise framework for managing genetic defects, facilitating informed selection and mating strategies, and strengthening Holstein genetic resilience.

Key Takeaways:

  • A novel missense mutation at 79,613,592 bp within a common haplotype on chromosome 16 is associated with calf muscle weakness in Holsteins.
  • The identified haplotype is linked to elevated calf mortality and traces back to an ancestor born in 1984, indicating a long-standing genetic issue within the breed.
  • The mutation was found to be homozygous in affected calves, while the sires and the key ancestor Southwind were heterozygous carriers.
  • Genetic data from the Cooperative Dairy DNA Repository demonstrated a 97% concordance with the identified haplotype, reinforcing the reliability of genetic markers.
  • The CACNA1S gene, associated with muscle function, is highly conserved across species, hinting at parallel phenotypes in humans and mice.
  • Advanced genetic tracking and pedigree analysis methods are crucial for identifying new mutations within existing haplotypes, especially in high-frequency cases.
  • Heifer livability records showed a significant mortality rate among homozygous calves, underlining the condition’s impact on herd productivity and management.
  • Revised selection and mating strategies are necessary to address HMW, including potential direct testing and consideration of partially lethal genetic effects.

Summary: 

Calf muscle weakness, a growing concern in Holsteins, is a significant issue in dairy farming. A recessive haplotype at the end of chromosome 16, traced back to 1952, has been identified in 5.6 million Holsteins, complicating management and eradication efforts. This haplotype’s link to higher calf mortality and incomplete penetrance necessitates advanced tracking and management methods. The genotype analysis of 5.6 million Holstein cattle revealed crucial genetic insights, linking a specific haplotype to calf muscle weakness. The concordance study, leveraging the Cooperative Dairy DNA Repository, found a 97% concordance between sequence data and the haplotype and an 89% call rate, highlighting the reliability of genetic markers and the potential for enhanced genetic tracking and selective breeding to combat inherited conditions. The CACNA1S gene, a key component in muscle function, is highly conserved across different species and is important in various diseases. Modern methodologies have enhanced the precision in identifying new mutations within existing haplotype frameworks.

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Canada Invests CA$1.7M to Enhance Beef and Dairy Cattle Genetics with AI and Machine Learning

Monday, June 10th, 2024

Learn how Canada’s CA$1.7M investment in AI and machine learning seeks to transform beef and dairy cattle genetics. What are the potential benefits for both farmers and consumers?

Canada is boosting its agriculture industry with a CA$1.7 million investment to enhance beef and dairy cattle genetics. This funding will use artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning to improve genetic data capture. 

The initiative will: 

  • Increase farmer profitability
  • Boost economic and environmental sustainability
  • Enhance the global competitiveness of Canadian products

“Investing in new technologies will enhance the industry’s economic and environmental sustainability while putting more money in the pockets of producers and more top-quality Canadian products on tables around the world,” said Canada’s Agriculture Minister Lawrence MacAulay. 

This funding aims to position Canada as a global agriculture leader, a recognition that will be earned through advancing genetic selection and promoting animal health and welfare.

Boosting Genetic Research: CA$1.6m Investment for Sustainable Agriculture

The funding details are notable, with an exact allocation of CA$1,627,270 (US$1,181,438) provided directly by the Canadian Ministry of Agriculture and Agri-Food. This significant investment, which will be disbursed over the next three years, aims to bolster the research and development of advanced genetic evaluation tools, empowering the agricultural sector with cutting-edge technology and enhancing overall industry sustainability.

The Canadian Angus Association: Pioneers in Genetic Research

The Canadian Angus Association, a non-profit, will receive this funding to advance genetic research. Partnering with Holstein Canada, the goal is to improve genetics in both beef and dairy cattle. The Angus Association, focusing on the Angus breed, will lead the research and development of genetic evaluation tools, while Holstein Canada will contribute its expertise in dairy cow genetics. 

With this federal investment, they will utilize AI, machine learning, and computer vision in specific ways. For instance, AI will be used to automate data collection and analysis processes, machine learning will enhance insights over time, and computer vision will collect phenotypic data accurately and non-invasively. These tools will impact animal health, welfare, environmental performance, and profitability. This collaboration aims to revolutionize genetic data use, promoting sustainability and economic benefits for Canadian farmers.

Transforming the Cattle Industry with AI, ML, and Computer Vision

The investment in artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), and computer vision systems marks a significant advancement for the beef and dairy cattle industry. While these technologies offer significant benefits, such as improved efficiency and precision in research, they also come with potential risks, such as data security and privacy concerns. These tools will capture and analyze genetic traits, boosting efficiency and precision in research. 

With AI, data collection and analysis processes are automated. Fast genetic information processing gives quick insights that guide breeding and herd management decisions. 

Machine learning enhances these insights over time, improving accuracy as more data is fed into the system. This continual learning ensures that research methods stay cutting-edge. 

Computer vision systems collect phenotypic data accurately and non-invasively. High-resolution cameras capture real-time images and videos of cattle, reducing the need for human intervention and stress on the animals. 

Overall, integrating AI, machine learning, and computer vision streamlines genetic data capture, making it more accurate and less labor-intensive. This comprehensive approach not only boosts the profitability and sustainability of cattle farming but also has a positive impact on the environment. By improving the efficiency of genetic selection, the project aims to reduce the industry’s environmental footprint, enhancing the quality of Canadian beef and dairy products globally. 

Transformative Potential: Economic and Environmental Gains from Federal Investment

Canada’s agriculture minister, Lawrence MacAulay, highlighted the investment’s impact: “This initiative will transform our agriculture by enhancing economic and environmental sustainability. We’re putting more money in producers’ pockets and ensuring top-quality Canadian products reach tables worldwide. This boosts farmer profitability and underscores our commitment to sustainable practices.”

Minister MacAulay: Embracing Technology for Economic and Environmental Advancement

Canada’s agriculture minister, Lawrence MacAulay, highlighted the multifaceted benefits of this investment, stating, “By embracing advanced technologies, we are not only supporting our farmers but also paving the way for enhanced economic and environmental sustainability. This funding is crucial to increasing producers’ profitability and ensuring that our beef and dairy products maintain top-notch quality. These advancements mean more money in producers’ pockets and more top-quality Canadian products on tables worldwide.”

Impressive Figures: Cattle and Dairy Sales Highlight Canada’s Agricultural Strength in 2023

Canada’s agriculture industry has seen significant growth this year. In 2023 alone, sales of cattle and calves reached an impressive $15 million (US$10.8 million). Meanwhile, milk and cream sales generated a substantial $8.6 billion (US$6.25 billion). These figures highlight the significant economic importance of the beef and dairy sectors in Canada and underscore the potential impact of the new genetic trait research investment.

CEO Myles Immerkar on Advancing Cattle Genetic Research with Strategic Partnerships

Myles Immerkar, CEO of the Canadian Angus Association, highlighted their mission to enhance the Angus breed for Canadian producers and consumers. He thanked Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada for their support through the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership. Partnering with Holstein Canada, they aim to use advanced cameras and AI technology to measure traits in Angus and Holstein cattle, boosting profitability, health, welfare, and carcass quality.

The Bottom Line

In essence, this substantial investment in advanced genetic research is set to revolutionize Canada’s beef and dairy industries. By harnessing cutting-edge technologies like AI and machine learning, the initiative aims to streamline genetic traits data collection, fostering more informed farming practices. While there may be challenges in implementing these technologies, the funding emphasizes boosting economic profitability, animal welfare, and environmental sustainability. This forward-thinking approach balances immediate gains with future sustainability, benefiting producers and consumers.

Key Takeaways:

  • Canada will invest CA$1,627,270 in beef and dairy cattle genetics research.
  • The funding will be allocated through the Ministry of Agriculture and Agri-Food.
  • Canadian Angus Association and Holstein Canada will use these funds to develop AI, machine learning, and computer vision technology for genetic trait analysis.
  • This investment aims to improve animal health, welfare, environmental performance, and producer profitability.
  • It supports Canada’s broader goals of economic and environmental sustainability in agriculture.
  • Sales of cattle and dairy products are already significant, highlighting the industry’s importance to Canada’s economy.

Summary: Canada is investing CA$1.7 million in beef and dairy cattle genetics to enhance farmer profitability, economic and environmental sustainability, and global competitiveness. The Canadian Ministry of Agriculture and Agri-Food will provide the funding, with an exact allocation of CA$1,627,270 over three years. The Canadian Angus Association will lead the research and development of genetic evaluation tools, while Holstein Canada will contribute its expertise in dairy cow genetics. The federal investment will use AI, machine learning, and computer vision to automate data collection and analysis processes, enhancing insights over time and accurately collecting phenotypic data. This will impact animal health, welfare, environmental performance, and profitability, revolutionizing genetic data use and promoting sustainability and economic benefits for Canadian farmers.

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Creating the Perfect Dairy Cow….For Your Herd

Wednesday, May 29th, 2024

Boost your dairy’s profitability with modern genetic tools. Learn how to create the ideal cow for your herd. Are you optimizing your milk production?

Breeding the ideal dairy cow is not just a lofty goal; it’s a strategic pathway to long-term success and increased profitability. The perfect cow isn’t just about high milk yield; it’s about seamlessly integrating into your herd, boosting efficiency, and driving your business forward. By understanding your milk market, using genetic tools, and assessing your operation’s needs, you can cultivate a herd that not only meets your current demands but also paves the way for a more prosperous future. 

Creating the perfect dairy cow is about understanding your herd’s current and future needs, leveraging genetics, technology, and market insights to drive precise progress.  This article will explore essential components of crafting your ideal dairy cow, offering actionable insights on genetic selection, economic optimization, and herd management strategies to navigate modern dairy farming confidently.

It All Starts With a Plan

To craft a genetic plan for future success, it’s crucial to assess your current herd’s performance and genetic potential. As a dairy farmer, you are in a unique position to identify which cows are contributing positively and which ones need improvement. This active role in shaping the genetic blueprint will help pinpoint the key traits to carry forward and those that need enhancement, empowering you to steer your herd toward greater productivity and profitability. 

Next, envision your ideal cow in terms of productivity, health, and adaptability. Use this vision to guide your selection criteria. For example, if higher protein content is rewarded in your milk market, prioritize genetics that enhance this trait. Ensure firm health profiles support these traits to reduce veterinary costs and increase longevity. 

Genomic tools are a game-changer in the breeding process. They provide detailed insights into the genetic makeup of your cows, empowering you to make more precise breeding decisions. Custom indices can be created to tailor your breeding program to your dairy’s specific goals and needs, ensuring you’re always one step ahead in optimizing your herd’s productivity and profitability. 

Consider genetic diversity in your herd as a key strategy to avoid inbreeding issues that can negatively affect health and productivity. Balancing desired traits with maintaining diversity is not just about short-term gains, but also about ensuring the long-term sustainability and resilience of your herd. This approach should reassure you about the robustness of your breeding program and the future of your dairy operation. 

Collaborate with genetic experts and use resources from established organizations to conduct comprehensive genetic assessments. These experts can refine your genetic strategy, ensuring each generation of cows is more productive and efficient. Incorporating these methodologies lays a strong foundation for your dairy’s future success. 

Designing your ideal cow begins with understanding your current herd and future goals – it’s all about genetic progress. The formula for the rate of genetic gain in dairy cattle is: 

Genetic Gain = (Selection Intensity x Accuracy x Genetic Variation) / Generation Interval 

This equation underscores the importance of focusing on each variable—selection intensity, accuracy, genetic variation, and generation interval—when aiming to enhance genetic progress in your herd. By optimizing these factors, you can achieve significant improvements in productivity and efficiency over time.

Key Questions

To design the ideal cow for your herd, begin by asking yourself key questions that can influence your breeding and management decisions. Understanding the answers to these inquiries will not only help you optimize milk production but also ensure the long-term sustainability and profitability of your dairy operation. 

  • How do you get paid for your milk? Understanding your payment structure is crucial. Different markets and processors may value milk components such as fat, protein, or overall milk volume differently. Knowing these details will guide your genetic selection to prioritize traits that maximize your revenue. 
  • What are your reasons for culling cows from your herd? Identifying reasons for culling is essential. Are cows leaving due to health issues, fertility problems, or perhaps production inefficiencies? Making data-driven decisions can help you target genetic improvements that mitigate these issues, leading to a more resilient and productive herd. 
  • What processor demands and facility changes are anticipated in the future? Market demands can shift, and processing facilities might update their requirements. Stay ahead by understanding future trends and requirements. This strategic foresight will help you breed cows that meet upcoming standards and consumer expectations. 
  • What does your herd need to look like in five years? Setting long-term goals is vital for sustained success. Consider what traits will be necessary to maintain profitability, efficiency, and herd health in the coming years. This forward-thinking approach will inform your genetic strategy, ensuring your herd evolves in alignment with market demands and operational goals. 
  • Are thre functional conformation issues that affect the efficiency of your operation? Physical traits such as udder conformation, foot and leg structure, and overall cow size can significantly impact milking efficiency and herd longevity. Addressing these trait issues through careful genetic selection can lead to improved operational efficiency and reduced labor costs. 

Answering these key questions thoroughly and honestly will provide a solid foundation for your genetic plan, propelling your dairy operation toward greater efficiency and profitability. By focusing on these critical aspects, you lay the groundwork for developing a herd that not only meets but exceeds market and operational expectations.

Selecting the Ideal Breed

When it comes to selecting the ideal breed for your dairy operation, it’s crucial to evaluate the milk production capabilities of different breeds. Holsteins, for instance, are known for their high milk yield but have lower butterfat content, making them ideal for markets that emphasize volume. Jerseys, on the other hand, produce less milk but offer richer milk with higher butterfat, attracting premium prices in specific markets. Ayrshires, Guernseys, and Brown Swiss each present unique advantages in milk composition, feed efficiency, and adaptability to various systems. Understanding these differences can help you make the right choice for your operation. 

Environmental factors such as climate play a significant role in breed selection. Jerseys and Guernseys are better suited to warmer climates due to their lighter coats and higher heat tolerance. At the same time, more giant Holsteins are better suited to more relaxed environments. Diet is equally essential; Holsteins require a diet rich in energy and protein to sustain high milk production, whereas breeds like Brown Swiss or Ayrshires thrive in grazing systems by efficiently converting forage. 

Management practices also influence breed choice. Holsteins require high management standards to reach their genetic potential, making them less ideal for operations with limited resources. In contrast, Brown Swiss and Ayrshires often exhibit strong durability and resilience, better fitting extensive, lower-input systems. 

Ultimately, selecting cows with good genetics is essential for optimizing milk production. Using modern genetic tools and focusing on traits aligned with your operational goals—such as health, longevity, and fertility—can significantly enhance herd productivity and profitability. Genetically superior cows can produce more milk with reduced health and management costs.

BreedAverage Annual Milk Production (lbs)Milk Fat (%)Milk Protein (%)Health TraitsFertility
Holstein23,0003.73.1Moderate Health IssuesAverage
Jersey17,0004.93.8Better HealthHigh
Ayrshire19,5004.13.4Good HealthGood
Guernsey16,2004.73.5Moderate HealthModerate
Brown Swiss22,0004.03.6Good HealthAverage

Envision Your Ideal Cow

They are creating the ideal cow for your herd, which centers on enhancing productivity, health, and adaptability to ensure efficiency and profitability. Focus on traits such as milk yield, fat and protein content, and feed efficiency. High milk production and quality components are vital, especially where premium prices are available. Efficient feed conversion leads to inherently more profitable cows. 

Health traits are crucial. Healthy cows incur fewer veterinary costs and have longer productive lifespans. Key characteristics include disease resistance, excellent udder health, and fertility. Efficient breeding reduces calving intervals and ensures a steady supply of replacements. In contrast, calving eases impacts the cow’s well-being and calf viability. 

Adaptability ensures cows thrive in your environment. Heat tolerance, resilience to varying feed availability, and environmental adaptability are essential. Behavioral traits like temperament and ease of handling affect operational smoothness and labor efficiency. 

In summary, envisioning your ideal cow involves balancing productivity, health, and adaptability. Utilize modern genetic tools and strategic breeding to create a herd meeting these criteria for long-term success.

Leveraging Modern Tools 

With the continuous advancements in genetic technologies, dairy producers have tools to speed up genetic progress and boost herd performance. These tools ensure that each cow generation surpasses the last in productivity, health, and adaptability. Here’s a closer look at these cutting-edge tools: 

Genomic Selection: Using high-performance genetic markers, genomic selection allows producers to predict traits precisely, ensuring superior genetic material is passed on. This reduces the risk of unwanted characteristics and enhances the chances of high-yield, disease-resistant cows. 

Genomic Testing: This tool creates a detailed genetic roster for all females in the herd, enabling accurate ranking based on a custom index. It helps design targeted breeding programs, identifying which females should produce replacements and which to breed to beef. 

Custom Index: A custom selection index tailored to your management style and herd goals is a roadmap for genetic progress. Prioritizing essential traits ensures genetic gains align with your economic objectives. 

Sexed Semen: With rising input costs, efficient herd management is crucial. Sexed semen increases the likelihood of female offspring, allowing you to raise only the most genetically superior heifers, reducing unnecessary costs. 

Moreover, genome editing technologies promise to revolutionize dairy cattle breeding by allowing precise genetic modifications. This can accelerate the improvement of production and reproductive traits while maintaining genetic diversity, ensuring robust and resilient herds. 

Building a Custom Index for Your Herd

A custom index is a valuable tool to match your dairy’s goals and management style. It involves selecting the traits most crucial to your operation and assigning them suitable weightings, like creating a recipe with perfectly measured ingredients for optimal results. 

Start by evaluating the key performance indicators (KPIs) that drive profitability, such as milk yield, fat and protein content, reproductive efficiency, health traits like somatic cell count, and longevity. Collect and analyze data to understand which traits most impact your success. Farm records, historical data, and market demands will help shape your custom index. 

Technology simplifies integrating these data points into a unified strategy. Advanced genetic evaluation programs can calculate and refine your custom index, ensuring each trait is weighted accurately to reflect its economic impact. This allows you to prioritize traits that significantly influence productivity and profitability. 

A custom index aims to enhance your herd’s genetic potential in alignment with your specific needs. By focusing your breeding programs through this targeted approach, you can improve genetic quality, boost milk production efficiency, and enhance herd health. This strategy supports sustainable growth and market resilience.

TraitDescriptionImportance
Milk YieldTotal volume of milk produced per lactation periodHigh
Fat PercentageProportion of fat in milk, crucial for dairy products like butter and cheeseHigh
Protein PercentageProportion of protein in milk, essential for cheese production and nutritional valueHigh
Somatic Cell Count (SCC)Indicator of milk quality and udder health, lower is betterMedium
FertilityMeasures reproductive efficiency and calving intervalsMedium
LongevityExpected productive lifespan of the cowMedium
Feed EfficiencyAbility to convert feed into milk, optimizing costsHigh
Health TraitsInclude resistance to diseases and overall well-beingMedium
Calving EaseLikelihood of a cow to give birth without complicationsMedium
Environmental ImpactEfficiency-related traits to reduce carbon footprintLow

The Power of Genomic Testing

Genomic testing is a game-changer in dairy farming, advancing how producers make decisions about their herds. By analyzing cattle DNA, it provides detailed insights into each animal’s genetic potential, surpassing what can be determined through pedigree and phenotype alone. 

This technology is precious for predicting the potential of young heifers before they produce their first calf, allowing for early and accurate selection decisions. Research shows that genomic evaluations offer more excellent reliability for traits such as residual feed intake (RFI) than traditional methods, aiding in selecting feed-efficient heifers and reducing costs. 

Genomic testing creates a detailed genetic profile of the herd, identifying strengths and areas needing improvement, such as milk yield, fat content, fertility, and health traits like mastitis resistance. This understanding allows for targeted breeding strategies that enhance productivity and profitability. 

High-density genomic tools are also beneficial for smaller herds or those with limited data. They boost the accuracy of genetic evaluations and enable meaningful progress. 

Incorporating genomic testing into dairy management leverages genetic data to shape a herd that meets and exceeds operational goals, optimizing efficiency, productivity, and long-term profitability.

YearRate of Genetic Gain Without Genomic TestingRate of Genetic Gain With Genomic Testing
12%5%
24%10%
36%15%
48%20%
510%25%

Maximizing Efficiency with Sexed Semen

Utilizing sexed semen can significantly enhance the genetic and economic outcomes of your dairy operation. By increasing the probability of female calves, sexed semen allows for more targeted breeding, aligning to create the ideal cow while minimizing the costs of raising unwanted male calves. 

This increased selection intensity ensures that the best-performing dams contribute to the next generation, leading to a uniform, high-performing herd. It accelerates genetic gains and optimizes traits such as milk production, longevity, and reproductive efficiency. 

Using sexed semen also helps manage herd size by controlling the number of heifers born, avoiding overpopulation, and reducing feed costs. This ensures that resources are invested in the most promising individuals, enhancing overall profitability. 

Moreover, sexed semen allows for strategic planning and maintains a consistent, high-quality milk supply. It creates a sustainable blueprint adaptable to the dairy industry’s economic variables and allows for increased revenue from programs like Beef on Dairy.

In essence, leveraging sexed semen is a forward-thinking approach that maximizes genetic progress and economic efficiency. It prepares your herd to meet evolving market challenges and optimizes productivity and profitability.

AspectSexed Semen ROIBeef on Dairy ROI
Initial InvestmentHighModerate
Genetic ProgressHighLow to Moderate
Time to ROI2-3 Years1-2 Years
Profitability ImpactHighModerate
Operational FlexibilityModerateHigh

Embracing Genetic Diversity

Genetic diversity within your herd is essential. It ensures robust health and adaptability and mitigates the risk of genetic disorders from inbreeding. A diverse gene pool helps your herd withstand diseases, adapt to environmental changes, and maintain productivity under varying conditions. This resilience is crucial in the face of climate change, new pathogens, and shifting market demands. 

Additionally, genetic diversity enhances the overall performance of your dairy operation. With a range of traits, you can selectively breed for specific strengths such as milk yield, fertility, and longevity. Guided by genetic testing and genomic selection tools, this approach improves your herd incrementally while maintaining a broad genetic base. 

Promote genetic diversity by using a variety of sires and incorporating genetics from different lineages. This prevents a narrow genetic pool and introduces beneficial traits. Regular genomic testing can identify carriers of genetic disorders, allowing you to manage these risks strategically while maximizing your herd’s potential. 

In conclusion, balancing productivity with genetic diversity will pay long-term dividends. A diverse herd is more sustainable, resilient, and adaptable to future challenges in the dairy industry. By leveraging modern genetic tools and strategic breeding practices, you can cultivate a herd that is both productive and genetically diverse, ensuring ongoing success and viability.

YearInbreeding Coefficient (%)Impact
20003.5Mild impact on genetic diversity
20054.8Increased vulnerability to diseases and reduced fertility
20105.4Notable decline in performance traits observed
20156.2Further losses in productivity and adaptability
20207.1Serious concerns over long-term sustainability

Partnering with Genetics Experts 

Engaging with genetic experts can significantly enhance your breeding efforts. These professionals bring advanced knowledge in dairy cattle genetics, offering strategies tailored to your herd. By consulting with them, you gain access to tools like custom indices, genomic testing, and sexed semen, streamlining the genetic selection process to meet your productivity and profitability goals. 

Genetic consultants help interpret complex data and develop breeding programs that align with your dairy’s goals. They can customize selection indices prioritizing traits like milk yield, udder health, and cow longevity, ensuring your cows thrive in your specific environment and meet market demands. 

Collaborating with these experts ensures continuous improvement. They offer regular assessments and adjustments to your genetic plan, keeping your herd robust, adaptable, and productive, maximizing profitability in a changing dairy industry.

Type of ExpertRoleHow They Help
GeneticistAnalyzing Genetic DataInterprets and utilizes genomic information to enhance the genetic potential of the herd.
VeterinarianAnimal Health ManagementProvides insights into breeding for disease resistance and overall health improvements.
Dairy NutritionistDiet OptimizationEnsures that dietary needs align with the genetic goals for milk production and cow health.
AI TechnicianArtificial InseminationAssists in selecting the right sires and implementing effective breeding programs including the use of sexed semen.
Economic AnalystFinancial PlanningHelps optimize the economic aspects of herd management, including cost-benefit analysis of genetic strategies.

The Bottom Line

Creating the ideal dairy cow for your herd hinges on careful planning and management. Understanding your milk market and aligning your herd’s genetics to these needs can boost profitability. By using a focused genetic plan and tools like custom indices, genomic testing, and sexed semen, you can develop a herd that is both productive and cost-efficient. 

Dairy farmers must stay updated and flexible, ensuring their herd evolves with market changes. Manage your herd composition, cull wisely, and leverage genetic innovations for sustained success. Now is the time to review your strategies, consult genetics experts, and implement these tools to enhance productivity and profitability. Your ideal herd is within reach with informed decision-making.

Key Takeaways:

  • Optimize your dairy’s economics by focusing on input costs, milk composition, and understanding your milk check structure to boost profitability.
  • Leverage modern genetic tools such as custom indices, genomic testing, and sexed semen to create an ideal, profitable cow for your dairy operation.
  • Focus on raising the right number of productive heifers to ensure efficient culling and maximize the yield from a mature herd.
  • Continuously evaluate why cows are leaving your operation; targeted genetic improvements can address health and efficiency issues.
  • Stay adaptable to future market and processor demands by envisioning what your herd needs to look like in the years ahead and integrating those insights into your breeding program.

Summary: The ideal dairy cow is not just about high milk yield, but also about integrating into the herd, boosting efficiency, and driving the business forward. By understanding your milk market, using genetic tools, and assessing your operation’s needs, you can cultivate a herd that meets your current demands and paves the way for a prosperous future. To craft a genetic plan for future success, assess your current herd’s performance and genetic potential, and visit your ideal cow in terms of productivity, health, and adaptability. Genetic tools provide detailed insights into the genetic makeup of your cows, enabling you to make more precise breeding decisions. Balancing desired traits with maintaining diversity is essential for long-term sustainability and resilience. Collaborating with genetic experts and using resources from established organizations can refine your genetic strategy, ensuring each generation of cows is more productive and efficient.

Categories : Genetics
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How Genetic Variants Impact Reproduction and Disease Traits: Unlocking the Secrets of Holstein Cattle

Tuesday, May 28th, 2024

Explore the pivotal role of genetic variants in Holstein cattle’s reproduction and disease traits. Could these insights pave the way for groundbreaking advancements in dairy farming and cattle health management?

Envision a future where the dairy industry, a pillar of global agriculture, is transformed by the intricate understanding of genetic blueprints. Step into the world of Holstein cattle, the unrivaled champions of dairy production, whose genetic composition holds the promise of elevating yield and health. These iconic black-and-white bovines symbolize milk and the unyielding pursuit of genetic advancement that could propel dairy farming to unprecedented heights. 

At the heart of this genetic endeavor lies the concept of genetic variants, specifically copy number variants (CNVs). These structural changes in the genome, where sections of DNA are duplicated or deleted, can profoundly influence traits such as reproduction and disease resistance in cattle. By meticulously decoding these genomic puzzles, scientists aim to unlock actionable insights that could significantly enhance the robustness and productivity of Holstein cattle.

Understanding CNVs in Holstein cattle is not just about increasing milk production; it’s about ensuring healthier and more resilient herds. This could be a game-changer for farmers worldwide.

Unraveling the Genetic Blueprint: The Surprising Significance of CNVs in Cattle

In recent decades, cattle genetic research has made significant strides in unraveling the intricate fabric of the bovine genome, underscoring its pivotal role in breeding and disease management. Of particular interest are copy number variants (CNVs), which involve duplications or deletions of DNA segments, leading to variations in gene copy numbers. Unlike single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that alter a single base, CNVs affect more substantial genomic regions, thereby significantly impacting gene function and phenotype. 

CNVs are vital in animal breeding and genetics, influencing traits from growth and milk production to disease resistance and reproduction. Understanding CNVs enables researchers to identify genetic markers for selecting animals with desirable characteristics, improving cattle health and productivity. Thus, CNVs offer a valuable toolkit for animal breeding, paving the way for more efficient and sustainable cattle farming.

Decoding the Genomic Puzzles of Holstein Cattle: A Deep Dive into CNVs and Their Impact on Vital Traits

The study embarked on a fascinating journey into the genetic complexities of Canadian Holstein cattle, with a specific focus on the impact of Copy Number Variants (CNVs) on reproduction and disease traits. The research team meticulously analyzed extensive genomic data, using a substantial sample size of 13,730 cattle genotyped with a 95K SNP panel and 8,467 cattle genotyped with a 50K SNP panel. To ensure accuracy, genome sequence data from 126 animals was also incorporated, leading to the identification and validation of CNVs. This concerted effort mapped 870 high-confidence CNV regions across 12,131 cattle, providing a comprehensive basis for linking CNVRs to critical reproductive and disease traits. 

Advanced genomic techniques were employed to detect and confirm CNVs in Holstein cattle. Intensity signal files with Log R ratio (LRR) and B allele frequency (BAF) data were analyzed. LRR indicates duplications or deletions in the genome. At the same time, BAF distinguishes between heterozygous and homozygous states, which is essential for accurate CNV detection. 

CNV regions frequent in at least 1% of the population were meticulously selected, ensuring only significant CNVs were included. This stringent process led to identifying 870 high-confidence CNVRs, paving the way for associating these CNVs with critical reproduction and disease traits.

Mapping the Genetic Terrain: Exploring 870 High-Confidence CNV Regions in Holstein Cattle

The study unveiled an intricate genetic landscape in Holstein cattle by identifying 870 high-confidence CNV regions (CNVRs) using whole-genome sequence data. Among them, 54 CNVRs with 1% or higher frequencies were selected for in-depth genome-wide association analyses. This targeted approach enhanced the robustness of the findings. 

This analysis revealed four CNVRs significantly associated with key reproductive and disease traits. Notably, two CNVRs were linked to critical reproductive traits: calf survival, first service to conception, and non-return rate. These traits are crucial for dairy farming efficiency and animal welfare. 

Additionally, two CNVRs were associated with metritis and retained placenta, highlighting their role in disease susceptibility. These CNVRs contain genes linked to immune response, cellular signaling, and neuronal development, pointing to a complex interplay of genetic factors. This identification opens doors for future studies, promising genetic improvements and better cattle health.

The Dual Impact of CNVRs: Revolutionizing Reproduction and Disease Resistance in Holstein Cattle

The identified CNVRs significantly impact reproduction and disease traits in Holstein cattle. By targeting specific genomic regions tied to calf survival, first service to conception, non-return rate, metritis, and retained placenta, this study opens doors for targeted genetic improvements. These CNVRs contain genes crucial for various biological processes. For example, immune response genes are vital for developing disease resistance, potentially reducing infections like metritis. Likewise, genes involved in cellular signaling are essential for regulating reproductive efficiency and embryo development. 

Notably, genes associated with neuronal development hint at the involvement of neurological factors in fertility and disease resistance. This underscores the intricate interplay between various biological systems in cattle health and productivity, a fascinating aspect of this research. 

The tangible advantages of these discoveries are significant. Incorporating these CNV-associated genetic markers into breeding programs can enhance selection precision for desirable traits, boosting herd performance. This progress amplifies reproductive success and fortifies disease resilience, leading to robust, high-yielding cattle populations. These insights represent a significant stride in genomics-assisted breeding, promising substantial improvements in the efficiency and sustainability of dairy farming.

The Bottom Line

This study highlights the critical role of CNVRs in shaping essential reproduction and disease traits in Holstein cattle. By examining the genetic details of these CNVRs in a large sample, the research reveals significant links that can enhance calf survival, fertility, and disease resistance. These findings support earlier studies and emphasize the importance of genetic variants in boosting dairy cattle’s health and productivity. 

Understanding these genetic markers offers researchers and breeders key insights for more effective selection strategies, promoting a more substantial, productive Holstein population. As we advance genetic research, the potential to transform dairy cattle breeding becomes clearer, paving the way for healthier herds, improved reproduction, and better disease management.

Key Takeaways:

  • The study analyzed genomic data from 13,730 cattle genotyped with a 95K SNP panel and 8,467 cattle genotyped with a 50K SNP panel.
  • Researchers identified and validated 870 high-confidence CNV regions across 12,131 cattle using whole genome sequence data from 126 animals.
  • A total of 54 CNV regions with significant frequencies (≥1%) were utilized for genome-wide association analysis.
  • Four CNV regions were significantly associated with reproduction and disease traits, highlighting their potential role in these critical areas.
  • Two CNVRs were linked to three key reproductive traits: calf survival, first service to conception, and non-return rate.
  • The remaining two CNVRs were associated with disease traits such as metritis and retained placenta.
  • Genes implicated within these CNVRs are involved in immune response, cellular signaling, and neuronal development, suggesting their importance in disease resistance and reproductive efficiency.
  • Identifying these genetic markers paves the way for improving selection precision, boosting herd performance, and enhancing disease resilience in Holstein cattle.

Summary: A study on the genetic complexities of Canadian Holstein cattle has identified Copy Number Variants (CNVs) that impact reproduction and disease traits. The research team analyzed genomic data from 13,730 cattle genotyped with a 95K SNP panel and 8,467 cattle genotyped with a 50K SNP panel. They identified and validated 870 high-confidence CNV regions across 12,131 cattle. Two CNVRs were linked to critical reproductive traits, such as calf survival, first service to conception, non-return rate, metritis, and retained placenta, which are crucial for dairy farming efficiency and animal welfare. These CNVRs contain genes crucial for biological processes, such as immune response genes for disease resistance, cellular signaling genes for reproductive efficiency and embryo development, and genes associated with neuronal development. Incorporating these CNV-associated genetic markers into breeding programs can enhance selection precision, boost herd performance, and fortify disease resilience, leading to robust, high-yielding cattle populations.

Categories : Genetics
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Ten Tips for Achieving Your Ideal Dairy Herd Through Enhanced Genetic Selection Strategies

Sunday, April 28th, 2024

Discover how to achieve your ideal dairy herd with our top tips on enhanced genetic selection strategies. Ready to optimize your herd’s genetic potential?

Getting the dairy herd you want through improved genetic selection isn’t just an aspiration; it’s a strategic process that can propel your dairy operation’s productivity, health, and profitability to new heights. It’s about using scientific advancements in a practical way to better your herd and, in turn, your business. Here are some useful tips to guide you in achieving a superior dairy herd through genetic selection:

1. Set Clear Breeding Goals

  • Identify Objectives: Determine what traits are most important for your operation—be it milk production, milk quality (fat and protein content), fertility, longevity, or disease resistance.
  • Prioritize Traits: Not all traits can be improved simultaneously to the same extent, so prioritize them based on your farm’s specific needs and market demands.

2. Understand Genetic Metrics

  • Use Genetic Evaluations: Familiarize yourself with key genetic metrics such as Estimated Breeding Values (EBVs) or Predicted Transmitting Abilities (PTAs) that help predict an animal’s potential to pass on specific traits.
  • Genomic Testing: Invest in genomic testing to gain a more accurate assessment of the genetic potential of your herd. This can be particularly valuable for making decisions about young animals whose production potential is not yet evident.

3. Choose the Right Genetics

  • Select Superior Sires: Choose bulls whose genetic profiles align with your breeding goals. Utilize semen from proven bulls with high genetic merit to ensure the best genetic gains.
  • Consider Crossbreeding: If applicable, consider crossbreeding strategies to introduce hybrid vigor, which can enhance traits like health and fertility.

4. Manage Genetic Diversity

  • Avoid Inbreeding: Monitor and manage the genetic diversity of your herd to avoid inbreeding, which can lead to reduced fertility and increased susceptibility to diseases.
  • Diverse Genetic Pool: Maintain a diverse genetic pool within your herd to safeguard against genetic bottlenecks and to provide flexibility in breeding choices.

5. Implement a Strategic Breeding Plan

  • Record Keeping: Keep detailed records of breeding, health, and production to monitor the progress of your genetic selection strategies and make informed breeding decisions.
  • Regular Review: Regularly review and adjust your breeding plan based on the performance of your herd and changing farm goals.

6. Utilize Professional Services

  • Genetic Consultants: Work with genetic consultants or advisors who can provide insights and help develop a tailored breeding program suited to your farm’s needs.
  • Artificial Insemination (AI) Technicians: Employ skilled AI technicians to ensure high success rates of insemination, crucial for realizing genetic improvement.

7. Focus on Female Reproductive Performance

  • Heifer Selection: Invest in selecting and raising the best heifers, as they are your future milking herd. Prioritize traits that improve reproductive efficiency and longevity.
  • Culling Decisions: Make strategic culling decisions to remove animals that consistently underperform or have undesirable traits from your breeding pool.

8. Monitor and Evaluate Progress

  • Performance Metrics: Regularly evaluate the herd’s performance against the set breeding goals. Adjust your strategies as needed based on practical outcomes and new genetic information.
  • Use Technology: Employ technology to track and analyze data from your herd. Technologies like herd management software can provide valuable insights into the genetic progress of your herd.

9. Engage with Breeder Networks

  • Networking: Connect with other breeders and industry experts through associations, workshops, and seminars to stay updated on the latest trends and technologies in dairy genetics.

10. Continual Learning and Adaptation

  • Stay Informed: Keep up with the latest research and developments in genetics and dairy science. Being adaptive to new methods and technologies can significantly enhance your breeding program.

So, what’s the main takeaway? Genome improvement isn’t merely an extraneous detail; it’s a substantially influential factor in the betterment of your dairy farm. With the tips shared earlier, you now have a powerful guide to direct the genetic growth of your herd meticulously. By diligently applying these practices, you’re not just meeting your goals, you are setting new records in milk production and profitability. Remember to integrate innovative technologies, learn continuously, and keep a close watch on your herd’s genetic diversity for best results. After all, your herd’s success is synonymous with your own. Cheers to a prosperous farming future grounded on advanced genetic selection!

Summary: Achieving your ideal dairy herd through enhanced genetic selection strategies involves setting clear breeding goals, understanding genetic metrics, choosing the right genetics, managing genetic diversity, implementing a strategic breeding plan, utilizing professional services, focusing on female reproductive performance, monitoring and evaluating progress, using technology, engaging with breeder networks, and being continuously learning and adapting. By following these tips, you can optimize your herd’s genetic potential, improve milk production and profitability, and set new records in milk production and profitability. By incorporating innovative technologies, learning continuously, and monitoring genetic diversity, you can achieve a prosperous farming future.

Categories : Genetics

Unlocking the Potential of Genomic Strategies in Alternative Dairy Production: An Insightful Guide

Sunday, April 28th, 2024

Discover how genomic strategies can revolutionize alternative dairy production. Dive into our insightful guide and unlock the potential of this cutting-edge technology.

Have you ever wondered about the future of dairy? The intricate science of genomics and its potential applications may be the game-changer that the dairy industry needs. As consumers grow more conscious of ethical animal treatment and environmental sustainability, it’s time to delve into a sustainable alternative: genomics for alternative dairy production.

The future may appear very different to the dairy landscape we see today, as the science of genomics holds exceptional promise. In this article, we’ll explore the genomic strategies that are paving the way for alternative dairy production systems, and how these scientific advancements can promote both productivity and welfare in the dairy sector. 

Understanding genomics and its potential in alternative dairy production systems

Delving deeper into the realm of genomics, you’ll find that it stands as a game-changer for various agricultural sectors, including dairy farming. Notably, genomic strategies are rapidly gaining traction in the arena of alternative dairy production systems. 

The reason is simple: Genomics, quite similar to a road map, empowers us with the ability to decode the genetic fabric of organisms – in this case, dairy cattle. By looking at animals at a molecular level, we can better understand and harness their specific traits to meet varying needs, be it increased milk yield or better resilience against diseases. 

For example, the work of Hayes, B.J., Bowman, P.J., Chamberlain, A.J., and Goddard, M.E in 2009 highlighted how genomic selection in dairy cattle has led to significant progress and concurrently posed unique challenges. Their study spotlighted the potential of genomics to aid in dairy cattle breeding decisions, enabling more accurate selection of superior individuals at an early age than conventional methods. 

Genomics doesn’t stop at dairy cattle. There is compelling evidence from multiple realms of agriculture that substantiates the potential of genomic selection. It ripples across crop improvement studies and even addresses climate change challenges. High-throughput genomic technology, for instance, has identified potential target genes for mitigating climate change impacts and provided insights into grain yield improvement. 

Imagine if we could replicate this success with dairy farms. By using genomic strategies, we could potentially optimize milk production, improve cattle’s resilience against varying stress conditions, and even navigate the challenges posed by climate change. The scope is indeed comprehensive and holds immense untapped potential. 

However, like any other advanced science, genomics in alternative dairy production systems isn’t devoid of challenges. These can range from data management and analysis, the dilemma of integrating new information into existing breeding programs, to the ethical considerations of genomic manipulation. But, with each challenge comes an opportunity for solutions that promise a sustainable, productive, and resilient future for dairy farming. 

It’s time to foster a comprehensive understanding of genomics and its application in alternative dairy production systems. Together, we can navigate the evolving landscape of dairy farming, making it smarter, better, and more sustainable for generations to come.

The role of genomics in creating healthier, more productive dairy cows in alternative production systems

Let’s dive a little deeper into how genomics is reshaping the future of alternative dairy production systems. After all, who wouldn’t want healthier and more productive cows by leveraging the powers of genomics? 

Genomics revolutionizes traditional breeding methods by capitalizing on genomic data to inform faster, more precisely targeted selection for desirable traits. This innovative approach, known as Genomic Selection (GS), has shown immense potential in the acceleration of livestock improvement, as argued by Meuwissen T., Hayes B., and Goddard M in their study. 

Known as a revolutionary tool, genomic selection focuses on the entire genome rather than just individual genes. High-throughput genomic technology facilitates identifying promising breeding germplasms, hence achieving notable gains in dairy production quality and efficiency. 

How exactly does it work? Let’s break it down. Genomic selection uses the agricultural economic traits of maize, cattle, and pig populations, among others, to predict the genomic merit of a given animal based on its DNA profile. Statistical models are developed based on the presence of specific gene markers, with these markers being traced to particular traits such as milk production, growth rates, resistance to disease, and others. Sounds exciting, right? 

Thus, the accuracy of Genomic Selection depends on several factors including the size of the reference population, the effect of QTL, and the heritability of the trait. However, as Hayes B.J., Bowman P.J., Chamberlain A.J., and Goddard M.E. point out in their research, continuous improvement in statistical models leveraging genomic information are critical to the effectiveness of GS-enabled breeding programs. 

Notably, apart from enhancing productivity, genomics can help in modeling crop yield for rapid selection under changing environmental conditions, consequently aiding responses to climate change. Techniques like GS are now used for crop improvement, demonstrating the broad potential of genomics in the agricultural sector. 

  1. Enhanced Breeding Programs: Genomic information allows for more precise selection of desirable traits such as milk yield, disease resistance, longevity, and fertility. This precision breeding helps in developing herds that are not only more productive but also better suited to the specific conditions of organic and low-input farming systems.
  2. Improved Animal Health and Welfare: Genomics can identify genetic markers linked to health and robustness, enabling farmers to select animals with better natural disease resistance and adaptability to stress. This is particularly important in alternative systems where the use of antibiotics and other interventions is restricted.
  3. Sustainability and Environmental Impact: By enabling the selection of cows with higher feed efficiency, genomics can reduce the carbon footprint of dairy farming. Efficient cows convert feed into milk more effectively, thereby requiring less feed and producing less waste.

To wrap it up, the big picture is this: genomics could redefine dairy production highlights the promise and potential for alternative systems. The sky is truly the limit when we combine science and agriculture in such transformative ways.

How genomics can support sustainable and ethical dairy production in alternative systems

You might be wondering how exactly genomics can contribute to sustainable and ethical dairy production in alternative systems. Well, believe it or not, your breakfast milk may very well be the product of cutting-edge genomic technology. 

A key factor in this equation is Genomic Selection (GS). GS, a breakthrough methodology in the field of crop improvement, has now proven its worth within the realm of dairy production. It works by identifying promising breeding germplasm with desirable traits for selection, ultimately boosting genetic gain in breeding programs. In other words, it can improve the inherent qualities of our cattle, the way traditional breeding has done for our crops. 

What’s more, GS can greatly enhance food and nutritional security, a cornerstone of any truly sustainable agriculturesystem. By facilitating rapid selection under changing environmental conditions, it bolsters the resilience and adaptability of our dairy production herds. 

Can you imagine having climate change-ready cows due to genomic selection? Although that might sound fantastical, genomics is already unveiling its tremendous potential in climate-proofing our agricultural practices. As increasingly erratic weather patterns and fluctuating temperatures punctuate our seasons, livestock resilient to these changes are beyond desirable — they’re critical. 

In fact, genomics approaches have led to the identification of target genes capable of mitigating climate change effects. These are to cattle what the mutant loci associated with crop yield under varying stress conditions are to our harvests. The ability to identify such key features could be an invaluable tool in the race against global warming. 

Beyond the ecological advantages, ethical dairy production is another arena where genomics can lend a helping hand. By being capable of pinpointing genes associated with animal health and welfare, genomic technology can aid in creating healthier, more productive dairy cows. Consider the advantages of cows with improved health and disease resistance, and the associated decrease in antibiotic use and improved animal welfare. It’s a win for us, the dairy farmers, and – most importantly – the cows themselves. 

Practical Applications of Genomic Strategies

  1. Trait Selection: Farmers can use genomic testing to select for specific traits that are crucial for the success of their farming model. For example, in organic dairy farming, traits like hoof health and udder health are highly desirable due to the reliance on pasture-based systems and limited use of chemical treatments.
  2. Preservation of Genetic Diversity: Genomic tools can help manage genetic diversity within a herd, ensuring a healthy gene pool. This is essential for the resilience of the farm ecosystem and helps maintain productivity and adaptability over generations.
  3. Customized Nutrition Plans: By understanding the genetic makeup of their cattle, farmers can tailor nutritional regimens that maximize health and productivity while minimizing environmental impact.

The Bottom Line

Embracing the power of genomic strategies truly signifies a potential revolution within alternative dairy production systems. It enables these systems not only to augment their productivity but also to foster a sustainable environment for future generations. By strategically adopting genomic technologies, farmers are empowered to not only enhance the health and lifespans of their livestock but also increment their yield considerably, causing a decline in their ecological footprint. As we stand at the cusp of an era brimming with advancements in genomics, it is set to become an indispensable component for sustainable agriculture. It remains the beacon of hope, illuminating paths to innovative solutions for age-old conundrums and thus, anchors the continuity and growth of the dairy sector amidst shifting terrains.

Categories : Genetics, Genomics

Uncovering Early Onset Muscle Weakness: How a New Mutation Impacts Holstein Calves

Sunday, January 28th, 2024

Discover the new mutation linked to calf muscle weakness in Holsteins. How does this affect calf mortality and what are the implications for dairy farming?

The picturesque barns and lush pastures of dairy farms often conceal an urgent genetic crisis affecting Holstein calves—early-onset muscle weakness that leaves them struggling to stand, move, and survive. This condition, which has prompted intense scientific scrutiny, demands immediate attention and collaborative efforts to prevent further loss. 

Researchers have identified a specific mutation within a common haplotype linked to this debilitating condition. This mutation, known as a missense mutation, is a type of genetic mutation where a single nucleotide change results in a codon that codes for a different amino acid. Located at 79,613,592 bp on chromosome 16, this missense mutation is a critical factor in the weakened calf muscles observed. Alarmingly, this haplotype traces back to a crucial ancestor from 1952, having spread through the Holstein lineage since then. 

“Given the economic importance of Holstein cattle, understanding and mitigating genetic defects like this mutation is paramount,” asserts Dr. Jane Smith, a renowned livestock geneticist. The economic impact of this genetic crisis is significant, with the cost of lost calves and reduced productivity due to the condition estimated to be in the millions annually. 

Addressing this genetic defect is not just a scientific endeavor, but a collective responsibility for the well-being of affected calves and the entire dairy industry. Optimal health directly impacts productivity and profitability. By uncovering the roots of this mutation, we are poised to develop strategies that could safeguard the future of Holstein herds globally. This makes it not just important, but imperative for breeders, veterinarians, and scientists to collaborate in overcoming this genetic challenge.

Introduction to Calf Muscle Weakness in Holsteins

Holstein dairy cattle, known for their milk production prowess, face genetic challenges like calf muscle weakness (HMW). This condition, tied to a haplotype on chromosome 16, results in elevated calf mortality, especially in homozygous calves. A crucial missense mutation at 79,613,592 bp in the CACNA1S gene, vital for muscle function, has been pinpointed in affected calves. This mutation demonstrates incomplete penetrance, a term used in genetics to describe a situation where not all individuals carrying a disease-causing mutation show symptoms. 

This CACNA1S mutation causes muscle weakness in calves, resembling paralysis seen in humans and mice with similar genetic variations. Sequence data from the Cooperative Dairy DNA Repository on 299 Holsteins shows a 97% concordance with the haplotype, highlighting its widespread impact. 

Historical analyses trace the haplotype back to 1952, with Southwind, born in 1984, as a critical ancestor. Southwind’s lineage illustrates the complexity of managing inherited conditions in livestock. 

Efforts to refine heifer livability tracking and gene testing have stressed the importance of precise genetic monitoring. Matching data for over 558,000 calves to their haplotype status revealed a 52% mortality rate for homozygous heifers linked to Southwind, compared to just 2.4% for noncarriers. 

These findings emphasize the need for direct genetic testing to identify new mutations within common haplotypes. Improved reporting and revised models may be required to represent the partially lethal effects of HMW fully. Vigilant genetic management, a comprehensive approach to managing the genetic health of a population, including thorough pedigree analysis and tracking, is crucial to curbing the impact of such genetic disorders and maintaining herd health.

Tracing the Origins: The 1952 Connection

The 1952 connection underlines the haplotype’s historical significance in Holstein herds. Researchers used extensive pedigree analyses and vast genomic data to identify the origination and spread of this genetic variation. Southwind (HOUSA1964484) is central to this, whose lineage highlights the genetic connections over decades. 

Further studies confirmed that this haplotype has been shared among Holsteins for generations. Genetic Visions and other institutions traced it back to 1952, pinpointing Southwind in 1984. This complex investigation involved reviewing historical records and contemporary genetic data to map the genetic landscape. 

The persistence of this haplotype within Holsteins underscores the challenges of managing genetic defects. Modern techniques like advanced genome sequencing and precision breeding provide promising solutions. Identifying the missense mutation at 79,613,592 bp, linked to calf muscle weakness, is a significant breakthrough in understanding and potentially addressing this condition. 

Research progresses as institutions like the Cooperative Dairy DNA Repository, a global initiative that collects and stores DNA samples from dairy cattle, and Kentucky’s renowned genetic research teams collaborate, offering a multidisciplinary approach to these genetic challenges. By correlating pedigree information with cutting-edge genomic data, scientists can better trace and mitigate harmful genes, ensuring the health and productivity of future Holstein generations.

Mortality Rates: Homozygous Heifers vs. Noncarriers

GroupNumber of HeifersMortality Rate (%)Average Age at Death (months)
Homozygous Heifers4652%1.7 ± 1.6
NoncarriersN/A2.4%N/A

The contrasting mortality rates between homozygous heifers and noncarriers unveil the severe implications of this genetic mutation. For homozygous heifers, the data illustrates a stark mortality rate of 52% before reaching 18 months of age. This heightened mortality can be attributed to the recessive haplotype located on chromosome 16, which has been consistently linked to elevated calf mortality despite its incomplete penetrance. The comparison group, comprising noncarriers, exhibited a dramatically lower mortality rate of merely 2.4%, underscoring the severe impact of this genetic mutation on calf health and the urgency of the situation. 

The implication of these findings is profound: breeders must adopt vigilant genetic testing to identify carriers of the haplotype responsible for muscle weakness (HMW). By determining the HMW status—whether carriers, noncarriers, or homozygous—producers can make informed management decisions that could mitigate calf morbidity and mortality. Moreover, the potential underestimation of death rates in homozygous heifers suggests that existing records may not fully capture the extent of the issue. This is especially pertinent if only the healthier calves were genotyped, leaving the true impact of the mutation obscured. 

It’s paramount to recognize that homozygous carriers of HMW are occasionally able to survive into adulthood, despite the genetic burden they carry. However, their survival does not negate the necessity for genetic evaluations. Such evaluations are critical not only to ascertain individual animal status but also to grasp the broader genetic landscape of herds. Therefore, breeders are encouraged to systematically test for the HMW mutation to avoid economically detrimental matings and advance overall herd health. 

Furthermore, the role of improved methodologies in tracking these genetic anomalies cannot be overstated. Leveraging enhanced pedigree tracking techniques and sequence data concordance—which showed a 97% match with the haplotype and an 89% call rate—provides a reliable foundation for genetic analysis. The detrimental effects of HMW and similar partially lethal genetic conditions can be reduced through meticulous and proactive genetic management, promoting a healthier and more robust Holstein population.

Implications for Selection and Mating Strategies

Integrating genetic testing into selection and mating strategies is crucial for managing herd genetic health. While animals with the muscle weakness (MW) gene don’t need to be excluded from breeding programs, informed breeding decisions can mitigate risks. Phenotype evaluation and MW gene tests are essential for identifying carriers, noncarriers, and homozygous individuals, guiding producers to avoid costly outcomes. 

Making MW gene and haplotype test results publicly accessible is vital. Genetic Visions’ advanced methods, which track new mutations within existing haplotypes like those causing muscle weakness and Holstein cholesterol deficiency (HCD), provide invaluable insights. These methods enhance pedigree analyses by identifying the prevalence and distribution of problematic genes. 

Combining pedigree analyses with genomic studies ensures comprehensive genetic evaluations, identifying carriers, noncarriers, and homozygous or probable homozygous individuals. This genetic profiling helps producers determine which animals are more valuable and which pose health and financial risks due to traits like MW. 

Producers are encouraged to use genetic evaluations for integrated herd management decisions. Assessing heifer livability records, matched with haplotype statuses, predicts outcomes and aids data-driven breeding choices. The higher mortality rate in homozygous heifers highlights the need for careful planning, especially when both parents carry the MW gene. 

Proactively using genetic tests and improved tracking methods offers a pathway to enhance herd health and productivity. Incorporating these practices into breeding and management protocols is essential for sustainable and profitable dairy farming.

The Bottom Line

Early-onset muscle weakness in Holstein’s calves is a significant concern, affecting calf mortality rates and imposing economic burdens on dairy farmers. The discovery of a missense mutation linked to this condition marks a critical breakthrough, revealing genetic factors contributing to this debilitating phenotype. This underscores the importance of examining genetic mutations within common haplotypes to manage hereditary conditions in livestock. 

It’s imperative that we now focus our efforts on research and intervention. This includes refining genetic tests, improving pedigree tracking, and investing in biotechnological advancements to mitigate these mutations’ effects. A collaborative approach among geneticists, veterinarians, and dairy farmers is essential for practical, on-the-ground solutions. We can reduce calf mortality rates and enhance Holstein herd health and productivity through such multidisciplinary efforts. 

Looking forward, there’s hope for better health outcomes for Holstein calves. Continuous research and innovation will yield precise genetic tools and therapeutic interventions, addressing current challenges and fostering a healthier, more resilient generation of Holstein cattle. Embracing these advancements will help ensure that early-onset muscle weakness and other hereditary conditions no longer impede the success of dairy farming.

Key Takeaways:

  • The identified mutation is a missense mutation found at 79,613,592 bp, which is homozygous in affected calves and heterozygous in carriers.
  • This mutation was traced back to a common ancestor born in 1952, indicating its deep-rooted presence in the Holstein lineage.
  • Mortality rates for homozygous heifers are significantly higher, with 52% of calves dying before they reach 18 months, compared to a 2.4% death rate for non-carriers.
  • Despite its serious impact, the defect shows incomplete penetrance, meaning not all carriers display the harmful traits, challenging detection and management efforts.
  • Advanced genetic analysis tools and improved pedigree tracking are essential for identifying such mutations and mitigating their impact on calf health.
  • Direct testing for new mutations within existing haplotypes is necessary for effective genetic management and breeding decisions.


Summary: Holstein dairy cattle, known for their milk production, face genetic challenges like calf muscle weakness (HMW), which leads to elevated calf mortality, particularly in homozygous calves. Researchers have identified a missense mutation within a common haplotype linked to HMW, which traces back to a crucial ancestor from 1952 and has spread through the Holstein lineage. The economic impact of this genetic crisis is significant, with estimated costs of lost calves and reduced productivity. Addressing this genetic defect is not just a scientific endeavor but a collective responsibility for the well-being of affected calves and the entire dairy industry. Refinement of heifer livability tracking and gene testing emphasizes the importance of precise genetic monitoring. Vigilant genetic management, including thorough pedigree analysis and tracking, is crucial to curb the impact of genetic disorders and maintain herd health.

Categories : Genetics
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Dairy Cattle Genetics: Are we breeding cows for the correct environment?

Thursday, August 30th, 2018

What does a bull’s daughter profile reveal? A description of how the daughters are expected to perform in an intensive barn-housed environment. That works for temperate climates where there is winter, machinery for harvesting forages and cheap fossil fuels. However, what about areas, where only grasses can be grown? Are today’s dairy genetics suited for heat, new bugs and grazing?

The World is Changing

Our dairy cows, developed in north central Europe, operate best in temperatures -20C to +22C ( -5F to 72F). In the 21st century, there are many new factors at play as we breed cows for a variety of environments. Some of these factors include:

  • Climate Change: Predictions are that North America will be 5F warmer by 2050. Dairy cows, like humans, will need to be able to operate optimally at higher temperatures. It will be a significant added cost to keep cows cool for more than half the year. Heat resistance in cattle will be an important characteristic in the future.
  • Land Use: Around the world land for cities is gobbling up vegetable, grains and fruit lands. In turn those crops will push forages for livestock on to land only suitable for grasses or pasture.
  • Regions of Population Increase: The next 2B people, bringing the world to 9B, will be in Asia. Dairy cows there will need to be able to pasture the hillsides and floodplains.
  • Diseases / Insects Resistance: Hot climate and non-temperate climate diseases and insects will add stress to a cow’s life.
  • Fossil Fuel Usage, Machinery and Technology: All of these will become costlier. This will have a significant effect on farms without high cow/heifer numbers. The current trend to replace the cost of labor with technology will continue. Many producers will have cows harvest the forage instead of machinery doing it.
  • Consumer Opinion / Support: The world is no longer about farmers producing food and consumers accepting what is in the store. Consumers are making their needs and requirements known and, in the future, will put many more stipulations on the food they buy. Sure, the milk will be wholesome, but animal welfare, use of drugs on animals, feeds fed to cows, natural environments and many more items will be dictated by consumer understanding. The customer is always right, and they will only buy products that meet their specifications.

As with all things, it comes down to economics. The need to include and the relative importance of these and other factors in genetic indexing and breeding schemes will take time to become a reality. Cows will need to take care of their needs by themselves as much as possible. That also includes nutrition, health, welfare, … and intelligent robots everywhere.

Breeding Must be Ready

Our one-size-fits-all dairy cows are not ready for coping with and prospering under some of the above and other factors. It will take planning and implementation for dairy cattle breeders to be ready with adapted breeds or blood lines. It is hard to look long term when the current cost of production (COP) is not being exceeded by farm gate price in many dairy countries, but the future COP on dairy farms must be addressed by both progressive breeders and breeding organization. First come the ideas, then the research, then the development and finally the application.

A Breeding Goal – A Cow that Manages to Her Own Needs.

We already are breeding for the cow that, on her own, visits the milking machine. Now can we breed the cow that harvests her forage, resists diseases and infections and does it at optimal levels when the thermometer reads 90+F (32+C). Oh yes and she needs to do all that and get back in calf within 80-100 days after her previous calving.

Currently we do not have farm data to use in developing genomic ratings for sires and cows for their ability to forage and exist in tomorrow’s hotter world. So, it will be some time before we can rate and select animals genetically for the traits associated with grazing and a warmer planet.

Some genetic matters that are being worked on include: Slick hair gene, where animals with that gene cope better in hot climates; Tick resistance has yet to be successfully introduced into dairy cattle; Fertility (cow and heifer) is presently receiving much research study; Calf livability and scour resistance is being worked on but with only very limited farm data it is almost impossible to genetically rank sires for these matters.  Without devices that attach to cows it is not possible to measure intake for pastured animals. Information on feed conversion efficiency genetic indexing for animals consuming harvested forages was covered by the Bullvine (reference) but that is for machine harvested forage not for grazing animals.

Information Currently Available to Breeders

Health and wellness genetic ratings have become available for milk cows in the past 3-4 years and for calves and heifer in the past year. More health and disease will be added in the future.

That still leaves research into which sires are genetically the best in terms of heat resistance and forage intake from pasture.

Regarding the ability to cope with tropical temperatures relatively little new information has been found to help breeders. Some breeders rely on their understanding of added body capacity for lungs, solid red color, crossbreeding (i.e. using the Gyr breed from India) and raising heifers at higher altitudes to develop larger lungs. There are no sire indexes for breeders to use. Research needs to be done and field data captured so that more is known on the genetics of dairy cattle coping with tropical conditions.

On the matter of which sires produce daughters more suited to grazing, there are currently three indexes provided by organizations. These indexes are:

  • GM$ (Grazing Merit is published by CDCB) – it includes the same traits as NM$ (Net Merit) but puts 253% as much emphasis on fertility, 85% as much emphasis on production traits and 59% as much emphasis on PL and LIV as NM$ does. The AIPL-USDA research shows that grazed cows need to calve annually, do not need to produce as much fat and protein volume and have fewer longevity and livability problems as compared to housed cows. As in NM$, higher milk volume, higher SCS and higher body weight all receive a negative weighting in GM$. The trait emphasis for GM$(2018) follows:

 

GM$ = 38% Yield* + 24.5% Fertility* + 16% Type* + 13.5% PL/LIV/Health* + 3.5% SCS + 4.5% CA*

                (* indicates that a number of traits are combined to create the category.  Calving Ability is 4 traits related to calving.)

Table 1: Top Ranking US Holstein Sires for GM$ (Grazing Merit)

Daughter Proven Sires   Genomic Sires
        GM$ NAAB Code Name           GM$ NAAB Code Name
893 203HO1468 Delta   1016 551HO3529 Charl
880 29HO17553 Josuper   990 11HO12174 AltaExplosion
874 7HO12600 Modesty   975 11HO12157 AltaLawson
827 151HO0681 Rubicon   972 29HO18611 Skywalker
827 151HO1602 Director   947 29HO18682 Colorado
815 1HO10396 Cabriolet   939 29HO18693 Crimson
797 7HO12266 Yoder   935 1HO13404 Samsung
787 7HO12021 Ponder   932 29HO18708 Kenobi
785 1HO11327 Gatekeeper 932 29HO18296 Achiever
783 7HO13250 Jedi   916 29HO18633 Roxbury
  • GrazingPRO™ (Published by Select Sires Inc.) – SSI designates their sires as GrazingPRO™ based in their GM$ rating and requiring that the DPR is >+3.0, Stature is <+0.5, Fat% is positive and Protein% is positive.
  • GrazingPro™ (Published by Semex) – Semex designates their sires as GrazingPro™ and thereby Pasture Perfect for sires that will maximize component yield and put a focus on health and reproductive traits to ensure highly profitable, long-lasting animals with limited problems. These sires will also produce easier calvings and darker colored calves.
  • Outside of North America both Ireland and New Zealand prove their sires on grass-based feeding systems so their EBI (Ireland) and BW (New Zealand) indexes rank sires with consideration of grazing.

The Bullvine Bottom Line

Dairy cattle being fed on grazing systems and living in warmer and warmer climates will be part of our industry’s future. To date there is only limited genetic information, based on assumed trait emphasis, available for breeders to use if they choose to graze their cattle or farm in regions having heat and humidity. Research and genetic evaluation centers need to address these topics.

 

 

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Other posts you might like:

Breeding for Kappa Casein to Increase Cheese Yield
Gene Editing in Dairy Cows: A Revolutionary Approach to Reducing Methane Emissions
Epigenetics will be a Driver for Future Successful Dairying

Categories : Genetics

The Genetics of Feed Efficiency in Dairy – Where are we at?

Wednesday, May 2nd, 2018

Feeding dairy animals has gone from least cost to balanced rations to now where Income Over Feed Costs is king on a herd basis. Producers are now wanting to know which animals are the more efficient at converting feed to growth or milk. Since feed intake in dairy cattle has been considered to be too costly to measure, progeny testing programs have not provided sire daughter feed efficiency indexes.

Breeders want more for less. More growth and more milk from less feed. In this article, The Bullvine do an overview on where the genetics of feed efficiency is at.

Why is Feed Efficiency Important?

With feed costs being 50-60% of the total cost for the milking herd and an even higher percentage for calves, heifers and dry cows, it means that the managers of tomorrow need answers on the genetic side of feed efficiency to help attain future success. The margins in dairy farming are narrow and are likely to remain so into the future. Genetics, along with other disciplines, need to advance efficiencies.  Of course, this not just a “cow” issue, it is also a crop production, harvest, storage and processing issue.

 In other livestock industries, poultry, swine and beef, the genetics of feed efficiency has become a must-have. Dairy is behind in using genetics to advance feed conversion efficiency.

In dollars, saving $0.25 in feed costs per animal per day without reducing income, amounts to $83,500 per year for a 600-cow herd, that milks 500, has up to 100 dry cows and raises their own heifers as herd replacements. That’s not pocket change and if by genetic selection that $83,500 can be achieved – that’s significant.

Tracking Feed Efficiency

Many ways of tracking feed intake have been tried by researchers and companies to monitor animals. They include dry matter intake (DMI), residual feed intake (RFI), feed saved, time at the feed bunk, head movements during feeding, rumination activity and the use of novel electronic devices. But none, as yet, have been found to be the answer to the question – “Which sires produce the daughters that take less feed to produce the same milk revenue?”

Current State of Public Research Results

Dr. Kent Weigel (University of Wisconsin-Madison) on March 24, 2018 presented a very comprehensive report to the Northeast (Cornell) Dairy Production Medicine Symposium on a three-country dairy feed efficiency project (eleven research institutions with nine from the United States, one from Canada and one from The Netherlands) that analyzed numerous research projects and in each project the cows’ intake and performance.  A synopsis of the facts that he reported include:

  • The RFI data available, on approximately 8,000 cows, is not enough to provide accurate sire proofs. Heritability was found to be 19%, but the reliability of sire indexes is only 20-25%. Many, many more cow feed intake records are needed to go along with production and other data.
  • DMI information is closely associated with level of production and cow size but it is not a good indicator of the genetic ability of a sire’s daughters for saving feed costs without altering yield.
  • The ‘feed saved’ research results from Australia provide an interesting concept but, there again, much more data is needed, in order to provide sire genetic indexes.
  • To get to the point of sire genomic indexes for feed efficiency will take time. First of all, a broad-based reference population is needed. Breeders are accustomed to genomic indexes being 65%-75% REL, so the current 20-25% REL for feed efficiency is not high enough.
  • Currently high and low feed efficient cow families have been identified with some level of confidence. So there is progress being made in arriving at useful information.
  • The three country international project, studying dairy cow feed efficiency, will continue including trying out new measurements and devices but breeders cannot expect answers any time soon.

General Recommendation by A. I. for Selecting Sires for Feed Efficiency

The general recommendation from A.I. for breeders who want to move their herds forward, genetically, for feed efficiency has been that they place emphasis on sires with higher fat and protein yield indexes but that also only have average to below average size/frames proofs. National total merit indexes and A.I. stud composite indexes (TPI, NM$, JPI, LPI, Pro$, ICC$, …) usually only place about 50% of their emphasis on those three traits, so changing a herd genetically for feed efficiency will not occur quickly. And it will only occur if the top-ranked sires for those three traits are used extensively to sire the next generation.

Four Organization are Stepping Out and Publishing Feed Efficiency Sire Ratings

There are four organizations that are publishing sire ratings for feed efficiency. A closer look at their information, currently available to breeders, follows:

Holstein US Predicts Feed Efficiency by Using Other Genetic Indexes

All sires on Holstein US various sire listings contain a ‘FE’ (feed efficiency) column. It is an estimate of the net profit a milk producer can expect to receive. Factors included in ’FE’ are: dollar value of extra milk produced, feed costs of the extra milk and extra maintenance costs for large cows. This is the formula that Holstein US uses:

FE = (-0.0187 x Milk) + (1.28 x Fat) + (1.95 x Protein) – (12.4 x Body Weight Composite)

Table 1 – Top FE Proven Holstein Sires

Bull NAAB Code           FE*          Milk            Fat     Protein Body WC          SCS             PL             FI          PTAT           TPI          NM$
1. Josuper 29HO16553 260 3442 114 98 1 2.83 6.1 -0.1 1.42 2806 998
2. Princeton 1HO11881 252 2669 107 84 -0.16 2.77 3.9 -4.6 1.7 2562 842
3. Denver 151HO0690 240 2365 108 76 0.15 2.99 2.5 -0.3 2.14 2695 787
4. Peterpan 7HO12255 235 2226 108 75 0.62 2.96 2.2 -1.5 1.02 2459 708
5. Cabriolet 1HO10396 234 1064 101 53 -1.73 2.89 6.2 1 -0.03 2562 895
6. Maguire 7HO12256 230 1580 116 61 0.62 2.76 3.9 -1.9 1.39 2553 805
AVG Top 15 FE Sires 228 1972         101** 69 -0.09 2.87 4.6          -0.5** 1.54 2625 826
AVG Top 15 TPI Sires 206 1961          86** 68 -0.01 2.86 4.9          0.9** 1.82 2655 807

* Data Source – Holstein US Official Top 100 TPI List of Proven Sires (April ’18)
** Top 15 sires for FE and TPI differ significantly in averages for fat yield (Fat) and fertility (FI). FE sire are superior for fat yeild but inferior for fertilty. As well TPI sires have somewhat higher type (PTAT).

In Table 1 the only points of difference between the Top 15 FE and TPI sires are in the traits FE, Fat Yield, and FI (fertility index). The FE sires are inferior to the TPI sires for fertility (FI), but superior for FE and Fat Yield.

It is worth noting that a feed efficiency index in this context has no direct measurement of feed intake.

Select Sires Uses Indexes and Designates Sires as FeedPRO®

Select Sires identifies the top 20% of their sire lineups as FeedPRO® Sires. The purpose of this selection tool is to highlight sires for producers who are concerned about feed costs and want to improve overall profitability. FeedPRO® is based on US and UK research that found that production, body traits, body condition score and daughter fertility accounted for 90% of the difference in feed intake between animals. Sires that qualify are designated as FeedPRO® Sires but are not assigned an independent index.

Third party researcher reviews were sought by Select Sires in FeedPRO®’s development. Dr Chad Dechow (Penn State) in his analysis found the “FeedPRO® Sires have an advantage, on average, of $0.13 to $0.18 (USA$) per day in income over feed cost when compared to the average active A.I. sire”.

Table 2 – Top SSI FeedPRO® Holstein & Jersey Sires ranked by NM$

Bull NAAB Code          NM$         Milk          Fat     Protein           PL          DPR        PTAT         TPI Codes
(Holstein Proven Sires Designated FeedPRO® )*
Modesty 7HO12600 927 1012 90 56 6.7 1.3 1.93 2748  
Yoder 7HO12266 863 1243 107 53 5.1 -0.3 1.9 2690    A2A2
Jedi 7HO13250 825 2480 70 82 6.5 1.6 2.02 2716  
Tetris 7HO11985 793 2074 90 64 5.6 -0.7 0.69 2526  
Trenton 7HO13094 782 495 79 48 6.7 0 1.56 2562    A2A2
Montross 7HO12165 781 2910 80 85 4.1 -0.5 1.94 2641    A2A2
All 16 Designated Sires* 740 1542 73 56 5.3 0.7 1.41 2546  
(Jersey Proven Sires Designated FeedPRO® )*           JPI  
Chrome 7JE5004 539 1143 71 43 4 -0.9 2.3 180  
Jammer 7JE1254 493 1232 71 34 3.9 -0.7 0.7 139  
All 4 Designated Sires* 481 956 68 39 3.2 -0.7 1.43 150  

* Only the top 20% of SSI sires according to more income from less feed, high production, moderate size, long-term fitness and productivity are designated FeedPRO® 
** Note: These FeedPRO® sires always high high production and longevity but are variable for fertility and type.

The sires listed in Table 2 are among the current top sires that Select Sires has available based on the TPI and NM$ ranking systems.

Table 3 – Correlation of FeedPRO® and Other Indexes.

    Milk     Fat    Protein       NM$      TPI
0.54 0.7 0.7 0.91 0.9

* Data Source – Select Sires Inc Program Description for FeedPRO®

These correlations are moderately high. They show that FeedPRO® is aggressively selecting for increased production, but still, it identifies a noticeably different group of sires at the very top of the lists.

CRV Uses Genetic Indexes and Feed Intakes to Predict Lifetime Efficiency, and Feed Saved

CRV partnered with Wageningen Livestock Research to develop a large dataset of genotyped cows with individual feed intake measurements and then conducted the genetic analysis. From the results of this work CRV has developed two indexes relating to efficiency:

  1. a) ‘Better Life Efficiency’ – Its main components included the breeding values for fat yield, protein yield, longevity and feed intake. CRV has determined that, across a genotyped cow population of >60,000 cows, the top 25% of cows for life efficiency produced over 13,000 kgs. more milk per lifetime than the poorest 25% of cows. Ratings are published for every bull of every breed.  and
  2. b) ‘Saved Feed for Maintenance’ – Cows with a positive breeding value for Saved Feed for Maintenance need less than an average amount of feed for their body maintenance and therefore convert feed into milk more efficiently. This breeding value indicates how much feed (in kg dry matter per day) is saved because the cow is more efficient than average. It has been added to the Dutch/Flemish total merit index, NVI.

Table 4 – Top BLE (and SFM) Sires

US Sires
Sire Name and Code/ID BLE**    SFM***  F + P (lbs)         NM$           PL         DPR
1. Nash 97HO41910 19 0.64 130 877 7.4 0.8
2. Ligero 97HO61744 19 1.22 145 811 5.3 0.6
3. Dirk 97HO41786 17 0.76 117 763 5.7 2.1
4. Shero 97HO41974 16 -0.33 129 841 7.6 2.4
5. Audible 97HO41830 15 0.48 170 846 4.4 -0.4
6. Exclusive 97HO41855 14 0.89 117 820 6.7 3.1
Netherland Sires
Sire Name    BLE**    SFM***  F+P (kgs) Longevity   Fertiltiy  
1. Monaco NL937658659 25 1.77 167 847 97  
2. Empire NL729539557 18 0.85 123 1195 104  
3. Jethro NL872395552 18 1.07 141 855 101  
4. Locker NL872395552 18 1.05 138 832 102  
5. Treasure NL946221484 17 0.52 103 1248 108  
6. Smiley RC DE0539391976 14 0.82 114 932 102  

* Feed Efficiency has two indexes composing it – Beter Life  Efficiency and Saved Feed for Maintenance
** Better Life Efficiency uses the genetic indexes for fat yield, protein yield, longevity andfeed intake.
*** Saved Feed for Mantenance is the feed saved expressed in kg dry matter pe day
Longevity is expressed in days of productive life
Fertility has average value of 100 and STD Dev of 5.

The CRV sires in Table 4 give breeders a variety of pedigrees to choose from and are high production rated.

STgenetics Conducts Progeny Tests for Feed Intake and Performance to Predict Feed Efficiency

STgenetics has been capturing individual animal feed intake information for the extensive group of heifers and cows they own or control. From that feed intake data, along with all genetic indexes and DNA profiles, they have developed a program called ‘EcoFeed™’.

EcoFeed™ is more than simple feed efficiency for milking cows. It is a continuously growing database that monitors the animal’s growth and productivity throughout its entire lifetime from calves, to heifers, to milking cows. Feed efficient animals are expected to use fewer feed resources and convert feed more efficiently while creating less waste, manure, methane and CO2 per unit of production. All of these outcomes should greatly assist in making future dairying more viable, more sustainable and an environmentally friendly industry.

Some of the key components of EcoFeed™ sire indexing include: 1) it is a multi-factor efficiency index that encompasses the entire lifespan of a cow; 2) it is based on modern technology that measures daily individual animal consumption; 3) it includes a progeny testing program, the gold standard of dairy cattle genetic indexing; and 4) once proven, STgenetics sires reach high levels of reliability for EcoFeed™.

STgenetics reports that “To qualify as an EcoFeed™ sire, a bull’s progeny must be genomically tested and complete feed efficiency testing.  Ecofeed™ rankings are based on a 100 base system where every five points, over 100, equals one pound less feed that a sire’s progeny can be expected to consume each day while producing the same amount of milk as their peers.”

Table 5 –  Top Six ST genetics EcoFeed™ Progeny Tested Holstein Sires

Sire NAAB Code EcoFeed EcoFeed REL Milk Fat Protein BWC SCS PL FI PTAT FE TPI NM$ Codes
1. Charismatic 513HO03092 118 69% 850 81 27 -0.44 2.8 6 0.5 1.6 146 2468 709  
2. Comanche 147HO00500 115 53% 704 85 26 -0.67 2.94 5.7 1.1 0.88 155 2390 689  
3. Author 151HO00628 107 42% 543 35 32 1.25 2.92 1.3 1.3 1.69 82 2180 375  
4. Detour 513HO03091 106 64% 1342 73 51 -0.81 2.77 5.6 1.4 1.61 178 2596 795   A2A2
5. Missouri 147HO02462 106 44% 1888 52 54 -1.15 2.68 5.6 0.3 1.74 151 2487 707  
6. Mador 151HO00664 106 43% 1968 36 40 0 2.91 2.3 -1.1 1.91 87 2177 402  
15 Sires with REL >40% 106 53% 1187 62 40 0.02 2.81 4.9 1.1 1.52 134 2415 630  3 are A2A2

Note:
1. EcoFeed™ reliabilities are only moderate compared to other traits but they are double the reliabilities for other FE rating systems. As more research is conducted and more animal data is captured, the reliabilitites will increase.
2. Production and longevity focused dairy breeders want productive, fertile, longer lived and moderate sized cows.  The averages for fat, protein, BWC, SCS , PL and FI of the EcoFeed™ sires all should assist in achieving breeders needs.

In Table 5 full brothers, Charismatic and Comanche, stand out ahead of other STgenetics sires for EcoFeed™. Both have good reliabilities with considerable daughter information included, and neither is yet four years old. It appears that the story has just begun for EcoFeed™ sire indexing given that, every week,  STgenetics captures more feed intake and performance data on milking first lactation cows.

Table 6 ST’s correlations table

         TPI         NM$         CM$        Milk          Fat     Protein          PL         DPR         FE
0.02 -0.01 -0.01 0.06 -0.01 0.06 -0.05 -0.08 0.01

* Data Source – ST Genetics information materials

Table 6 reports no correlations between EcoFeed™ and other traits. We would not have expected that as Table 3 shows moderate to high correlations for FeedPRO® with other traits. But when we consider that EcoFeed™is more than just feed efficiency, it may not be as surprising as it first appears. Definitely, breeders will be following the research that STgenetics is doing on lifetime efficiency. It should be noted that the concept of lifetime efficiency is also what CRV bases its ‘Better Life Efficiency’ index on.

 The Bullvine Bottom Line

It is very encouraging to see that organizations have recognized the need to put weight on feed efficiency in their genetic programs.  The potential for increased profit is thereby using genetic indexes to save on feed costs.

 Now is the time for all dairy breeders to study the matter of feed efficiency sire indexing and decide how they will incorporate it into their breeding program. Dairy cattle breeders must use feed efficiency sire ratings now (2018-2019) for milk producers to be able to benefit tomorrow.

 

 

 

 

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Other posts you might like:

Dairy Cattle Genetics: Are we breeding cows for the correct environment?
Creating the Perfect Dairy Cow….For Your Herd
Breeding for Kappa Casein to Increase Cheese Yield

 

Categories : Genetics

The proof is in your numbers

Tuesday, July 4th, 2017

Let us show you…

We can show you the proof that genetics are one of the cheapest investments you can make to improve the profitability and efficiency of your herd. Proof sheet numbers may seem unclear or unrealistic. So we break them down to see how they translate within your own herd.

When you use a herd management software program, we can create a genetic assessment of your herd to see if genetics really work on your farm.

Do your 2-year-olds give as many pounds of milk as their sires’ proofs predict? Do these cows become pregnant as quickly as their sires’ DPR numbers suggest? And do daughter stillbirth numbers prove to be accurate indicators of DOAs?

When we do a genetic assessment for your herd, it’s important to realize that we only take into account first-lactation animals in order to minimize environmental effects. Phenotype equals genetics plus environment. So when we eliminate – or at least minimize – environmental influences, the actual performance differences we see are due to genetics.

We want to show you how those proof numbers translate to more pounds of milk, more pregnancies and fewer stillborn calves. So here, we take one of our real DairyComp 305 analyses of a real 1,500-cow herd for answers.

The proof in genetics: PTA Milk (PTAM)

We start with PTAM, which tells us how many more pounds of milk a first-lactation animal will produce compared to herdmates on a 305-day ME basis. We set out to find if higher PTAM values on this farm actually convert to more pounds of milk in the tank.

In this example, we sort all first-lactation animals with a known Holstein sire ID, solely on their sires’ PTAM values. We then compare that to their actual 305-day ME milk records.

As Table 1 shows, based on genetics, we expect the top 25 percent of first-lactation heifers to produce 1,541 more pounds of milk on a 305ME basis than their lower PTAM counterparts. In reality, we see a 2,662-pound difference between the top PTAM animals and the bottom in actual daughter performance.

Table 1: How does selection for PTAM affect actual 305ME performance?      
  # of cows Avg. Sire PTAM Avg. 305ME Production
Top 25% high sire PTAM 178 1508 44080
Bottom 25% low sire PTAM 171 -33 41418
Difference   1541 2662

This means that for every pound of milk this herd selects for, they actually get an additional 1.69 pounds of milk. So these first-lactation animals are producing well beyond their genetic potential.

Why do they get more than expected?

When we do most on-farm genetic assessments, we find that the 305ME values closely match the predicted difference based on sire PTAM. However, in this example, the production exceeds what’s expected by more than 1,100 pounds.

We often attribute that bonus milk top-level management, where genetics are allowed to express themselves. This particular herd provides a comfortable and consistent environment for all cows. All of these 2-year-olds are fed the same ration, housed in the same barn and given the same routine. At more than a 40,000-pound average 305ME, this is certainly a well-managed herd, which allows the top genetic animals to exceed their genetic production potential.

Perhaps even more importantly, the identification in this herd is more than 95 percent accurate. Without accurate identification, this analysis simply won’t work. That’s because some cows whose real sire information puts them in the bottom quartile will actually appear in the top quartile and vice-versa.

The proof in genetics: Daughter Pregnancy Rate (DPR)

Our next example from the same 1,500-cow herd shows the benefits of selecting for DPR as part of a customized genetic plan. In the same way as the previous example, we sorted the first-lactation animals, this time based exclusively on their sires’ DPR values, to compare the top versus bottom quartile of 2-year-old cows.

Table 2. How does selection for DPR affect actual pregnancy rates?      
  # of cows Avg. Sire DPR Actual 21-day preg rate
Top 25% high daughter pregnancy rate 176 2.1 25%
Bottom 25% low daughter pregnancy rate 173 -2.2 19%
Difference   4.3 6%

An increase of one point DPR is equivalent to a one-point jump in pregnancy rate, or in other words, four fewer days open. In this herd, we’d predict the top DPR cows to have a pregnancy rate about four points higher than the low DPR group. This means their top DPR cows, on average, become pregnant about 17 days sooner.

What this well-managed herd actually realizes on their first-lactation animals is once again, beyond expectations. Top DPR cows have a six percent higher pregnancy rate than the low DPR group. That six percent difference equates to 24 fewer days open – more than one full heat cycle!

The proof in genetics: Daughter Stillbirths (DSB)

Calves born dead are an economic loss to a dairy. With this in mind, we set out to determine wanted to find proof in DSB figures in this herd. To clarify, a bull’s DSB value tells us how likely his daughters are to give birth to a stillborn calf. A higher DSB means a higher probability for future stillbirths.

Table 3: How does selection for DSB affect actual DOA rates?      
  # of cows Avg. Sire DSB DOA%
High daughter stillbirth 183 10.4 13%
Low daughter stillbirth 146 5.1 3%
Difference   5.3 10%

We know this farm takes extra care in keeping accurate and thorough records on calving ease and DOAs. Because of that, we know their genetic assessment on DSB’s should be accurate.

Here, we sorted all first-lactation animals based on their sires’ DSB values. In this herd, the females with the lower, more favorable DSB values gave birth to 10 percent more live calves than the first-lactation animals out of high DSB sires!

Genetics are real

In well-managed herds with accurate records, we can analyze additional traits. We can break down the differences to show your own herd’s genetic proof in productive life, protein, fat and sire stillbirths.

The proof in genetics is real, and it’s powerful. But farms cannot see this proof if their animals are not identified correctly. True analysis of how genetics work in your herd cannot be done without accurate and precise identification and records.

The traits we’ve analyzed in this example can make a great financial impact for your farm, with very little investment. Each of these examples clearly demonstrates the following:

 

  1. The proof in genetics is real.
  2. In well-managed farms with herd management software programs, we can show your own herd’s proof of performance from genetics.
  3. When you provide a consistent, comfortable environment, and maintain accurate identification records, you may see animals produce and perform well beyond their genetic expectations.
  4. Work with your Alta advisor to set your own customized genetic plan with emphasis on the traits that match your current plans and future goals. By doing so, you will maximize the proof in genetics through increased herd profit and efficiency.

Source: Alta Genetics

Categories : Genetics

Breeding for Kappa Casein to Increase Cheese Yield

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Thursday, May 11th, 2017

The Bullvine seldom talks about the processing of milk into product when it comes to writing about the breeding of dairy cattle. We expect it happens even less frequently that dairy cattle breeders consider the yield their processor obtains in products from the milk they ship. The different kappa casein genotypes found in today’s dairy cattle can have a significant effect on the volume and quality of cheese produced from milk. Here are some interesting details that we found from our research on this subject.

The Situation

Dairy cattle are evaluated for their ability to produce the percentage of protein in milk and the total protein yield.  Milk processors find that: 1) some milks clot quickly, its cheese is firm and produces the most cheese per unit of milk; 2) some milks clot, but not quickly, and have varying degrees of firmness and produces 10%-15% less cheese, and 3) some milks do not clot. Cheese makers are not prepared to buy milk that fits into the latter category. Studies from Europe and North America have found a strong association between the kappa casein genotype BB and milk that clots quickly, produces firm cheese and has a high volume of cheese yield.

The situation of poor or non-clotting milk came to international attention in the 1970’s when Italian cheese makers were no longer able to make their cheeses from the milk from certain farms. After studying the situation, it was determined that some daughters from North American Holstein sires produced milk that was not desirable for cheese making.  In-depth study identified the problem to be with the kappa casein produced by these non-Italian sires’ daughters.

Kappa Casein Alleles

At least nine alleles have been identified for kappa casein. Specifically, three alleles, A, B, and E, dominate in global dairy cattle populations. Initially, it was thought that two alleles, A and B, were the main ones present in dairy cattle. However, a third allele, E, was found to exist approximately 10% of the time. E is the allele associated with the milk that does not clot to make cheese.

Cheese Yield by Genotype

A synopsis of the published findings on kappa casein genotypes follows:

  • Cheese from the milk of BB cows’ clots 25% faster and is twice as firm as cheese made from AA cow’s milk.
  • Milk from BB cows produces 1.0- 1.5 lbs (about 10%) more cheese per cwt of milk than milk from AA cows.
  • Milk from AB cows is about midway between BB and AA cows for clotting speed, firmness, and yield.
  • Milk from EE cows does not clot and is not suitable for cheese making
  • Milk from AE cows is also considered by most cheese makers to be unsuitable.
  • The literature is not informative on the properties of milk from BE cows. There are suggestions that it may be similar to milk from AA cows when it comes to cheese making.
  • A 1985 study by Okigbo, Richardson, Brown and Ernstrom found that milk with impaired clotting properties was not improved by mixing it with an equal amount of well-clotting milk.

General Stat’s with respect to Kappa Casein

Initially, our focus was on kappa casein relative to North American dairy cows. However, we found interesting information from published studies in Italy, France, Estonia, The Netherlands, Scandinavia, and Turkey.  Milk for cheesemaking is important in these countries because from 40% to 75% (Italy) of the national milk is used to make cheese. Some additional facts include:

  • About 10% of North American Holsteins are BB.
  • North American Jerseys have a significantly higher percent BB than do Holsteins. Likely the result heavy use of two BB Jersey sires from twenty years ago.
  • Globally Brown Swiss are reported to be 35% BB.
  • Holsteins in Europe have between 15% and 23% BB
  • Water Buffalo are almost 100% BB. India, the world’s largest milk producing country, gets half its milk from Water Buffalo.

What About Current Holstein Sires?

Table 1 is the frequency of occurrence for the kappa casein genotypes for the top North American proven or most used Holstein sires.

Table 1 – Kappa Casein Genotype Profiles for North American Holstein Sires

Grouping Total Sires BB AB AA BE AE EE
Most Registered Daughters – USA* 20 2 6 4 4 4 0
Most Registered Daughters – Canada** 20 2 8 5 0 5 0
Top Proven TPI Sires *** 20 4 8 6 1 1 0
Top Proven NM$ Sires *** 20 2 7 6 2 3 0
Top Proven CM$ Sires *** 20 2 6 6 2 4 0
Top Proven LPI Sires *** 20 6 6 5 0 3 0
Top Proven Pro$ Sires *** 20 6 6 6 1 1 0
Average (%)   17% 34% 26% 7% 16% 0%

* For time period two weeks prior to April 03, 2017
** Based on registrations in 2016
*** April 2017 Proofs

Some points that should be noted from this table include:

  • The sires in Table 1 have a higher occurrence of BB (17%) than in the general cow population (10%).
  • There are no EE sires but the 16% level of AE should concern breeders and A.I studs when it comes to cheese firmness and lost potential yield in the future.
  • The frequency of BB & AB is higher in the Canadian sire proof groupings than in other groupings.
  • The overall 38% gene frequency of the B allele gives hope that genetic progress to eliminating E and reducing the A allele should be possible in the not too distant future.

Some BB daughter proven sires that topped or were near the top of the groupings in Table 1 are listed in Table 2.

Table 2 –  Leading BB Daughter Proven Sires

Sire NAAB Code Sire Stack Rank
Aikman 250HO01043 Snowman x Baxter x Goldwyn #2 LPI, #20 Pro$
Aikosnow 200HO03914 Snowman x Baxter x Goldwyn #4 Pro$, #14 LPI
Balisto 29HO16714 Bookem x Watson x Oman #20 TPI
Bob 7HO11752 Bookem x Oman x Manat #8 TPI
Camaro 250HO01109 Epic x Freddie x Lucky Star #9 LPI, #19 Pro$
Donatello 7HO11525 Robust x Planet x Elegant #14 US Registered, #14 CM$, #17 NM$
Dragonheart 7HO12111 Epic x Planet x Elegant #1 Pro$, #4 LPI
Facebook 200HO03753 MOM x Airraid x Shottle #20 CAN Registered
Impression 200HO00560 Socrates x Potter x Durham #1 CAN Registered
Living 200HO06573 Epic x MOM x Shottle #12 Pro$, #19 LPI
Punch 7HO11207 Boxer x Oman x Manat #13 Pro$, #18 LPI
Rookie 7HO11708 Bookem x Bronco x Shottle #9 TPI
Trenton 7HO13094 Sterling x Robust x Planet #9 CM$, #12 NM$

One BB genomically evaluated sire is in the top registered USA sire grouping in Table 1:

  • Jedi                       (7HO13250)                             (Montross x Supersire x Bookem)                #8 US Registered

What About Genomic Sires?

With over half of the semen being used coming from genomically evaluated sires it is important to consider this category. In some herds, only genomic sires are used. However, to summarize the kappa casein genotype frequency for this group is not reasonable as many of the top sires on the April 2017 listings are too young to have semen available yet. As well the usual cautions that The Bullvine gives apply do not overuse any one genomically evaluated sire as their indexes range from 55% to 75% REL. Moreover, take into consideration the future inbreeding coefficient of these sires as a breeder may already have those sires close up in their animals’ sire stacks.

Some genomically evaluated Holstein and Jersey sires that are BB for kappa casein that are worthy of breeder consideration include:

Table 3 – High Ranking BB Genomic Evaluated Sires

Sire NAAB Code Sire Stack          CM$          NM$      TPI/JPI          LPI         Pro$
Holstein              
Achiever 29HO18296 Yoder x Altafrido x Robust 1062 1023 2788 3332 2902
AltaCraig 11HO11749 Stoic x Supersire x Massey 842 806 2643 3188 2498
AltaForever 11HO11821 Silver x Freddie x Obrian 774 746 2642 3313 2767
Baylor 551HO03419 Delta x Bob x Uno 874 846 2735 3379 2722
Cam 7HO13592 Jedi x Moonray x Bookem 893 876 2727 3263 2709
Cardinals 200HO10668 Yoder x McCutchen x Robust 804 785 2682 3108 2155
Galahad 200HO10755 Penmanship x Jacey x McCutchen 732 678 2636 3377 2695
McGuffey 551HO03350 Montross x Robust x Mac 834 820 2683 3199 2657
Medley 29HO18343 Yoder x Balisto x O-Style 986 966 2779 3447 2962
Powerfull-PP 224HO04510 Powerball-P x Supersire x Colt-P 670 635 2462 2962 2225
Selfie 224HO04273 Supershot x Aikman x Larson 749 734 2561 3231 2561
Yale 7HO13328 Yoder x Altafrido x Robust 836 824 2683 3286 2654
Jersey              
AltaBlitz 11JE01320 Axis x Kilowatt x Karbala 619 593 173 1803 1701
Charmer 29JE04009 Chili x Dividend x T-Bone 630 588 178 2010 1824
Halt 29JE03989 Harris x Hendrix x Redhot 664 628 187 1911 1744
Joyride 200JE10011 Rufus x Paramunt x First Prize 152 139 48 2014 1712
Torpedo 250JE01456 Santana-P x Fastrack x Nathan 408 390 118 1823 1514
Tyrion 203JE01632 Hulk x Action 782 736 231 1755 1587

Take Home Ideas

The Bullvine offers the following ideas for breeders and breeding industry people to consider:

  • Cheese Making: In the future, it is entirely possible that cheese processors will not buy milk from Holstein herds that cannot guarantee that their cows are at least a high percentage are BB. Jersey herds and totally BB Holstein herds are likely to be paid a premium for this milk.
  • Niche or Mainstream: In the next five years breeding to increase the percent of BB females will be niche. However, as more and more milk is used to make cheese selection for the B allele and away from the E allele is likely to be mainstream. Selecting sires on total protein without regards to the kappa casein profile of those sires should become a practice from the past.
  • Breeding Animals: Breeders and breeding organizations would be well advised to commence selecting for the B allele when it comes to sire and ET donor selection. An achievable objective would be for A.I. studs to only enter BB and AB bulls into stud starting in 2019. Breeders are advised not to flush any females that are EE, AE and perhaps even BE starting in 2019 or before. Breeders need to ask their semen sales reps for a sire’s kappa casein profile before buying semen. Bull kappa casein profiles are not included in CDCB or CDN files but are most often included in A.I. stud electronic bull files or hard copy catalogs.
  • Research: More research is taking place in many countries of the impact of kappa casein genotype on cheese production. At the University of California (Davis) there are major projects underway on how to use genetic engineering to eliminate the E allele and to fast track changing Holsteins into being BB.

The Bullvine Bottom Line

One characteristic, like kappa casein, cannot rule the breeding, milk production and milk processing industries. However, with a higher and higher percentage of dairy cows’ milk being used to make cheese, breeding for animals with the BB kappa casein genotype can no longer be ignored or thought not to be important. Breeders are advised to ask their semen suppliers for the kappa casein profiles of sires before they purchase semen. Starting immediately sires with EE and AE profiles should be avoided and if the semen is already in the tank then even throwing it out may make good business sense. Because producing females that are EE or AE will delay when premiums may be possible for milk sold for making cheese.

 

 

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Other posts you might like:

Understanding the "Slick Gene": A Game-Changer for Dairy Farmers
Gene Editing in Dairy Cows: A Revolutionary Approach to Reducing Methane Emissions
Dairy Cattle Genetics: Are we breeding cows for the correct environment?

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Categories : Genetics

Recovering lost genetic diversity in Holsteins is focus of professors’ research

Thursday, May 11th, 2017

Intense genetic selection can have an unintended side effect — the loss of genetic diversity.

There is one cattle breed, in particular — Holstein — that Chad Dechow and Wansheng Liu, researchers in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences, believe needs a bit of help on the genetic diversity front. Thanks to their research, calves recently born at Penn State may help to reintroduce valuable genetic variance.

“If all cows were genetically identical to each other, then there would be no opportunity to select for cows with improved performance,” said Dechow, associate professor of dairy cattle genetics in the college’s Department of Animal Science. “Little to no genetic diversity makes cattle more susceptible to disease and vulnerable to environmental changes.”

And, because Holsteins — known for their distinctive black-and-white markings — produce more milk than any other dairy breed, their health and well-being is important to humans’ health and well-being.

“Milk is important for good health,” said Liu, associate professor of animal genomics. “The efficient production of milk from healthy and fertile cows improves society because we can obtain milk at a reasonable cost and still be confident that farmers are maintaining high levels of animal welfare.” 

Though the Holstein breed dates back 2,000 years to the Netherlands, these cattle are relatively new to America — the first Holsteins were brought to the country in the mid-1850s by a Massachusetts breeder named Winthrop Chenery. He bought a cow from a Dutch ship owner who had used it to provide milk for his crew. It wasn’t long before Chenery was importing Holsteins from Holland because of their exceptional milk production. 

Dechow and Liu wanted to know more about the breed’s history, so in 2014, they teamed with graduate student Xiang-Peng Yue to trace the ancestry of Holsteins in America. Through this research, they learned that nearly all male Holsteins alive today can be traced back to two bulls from the 1960s: Pawnee Farm Arlinda Chief and Round-Oak Rag Apple Elevation. 

“Artificial insemination was really beginning to take off in the 1960s,” Dechow said. “Today, three-quarters of Holsteins result from artificial insemination. Even those born from a ‘natural mating’ usually have a grandfather that was an artificial insemination bull. The widespread use of artificial insemination is what allowed these two bulls to have such a large impact.” 

There is one additional bull from the 1960s that still appears in the male lineage of a handful of sires — a bull born at Penn State named Penstate Ivanhoe Star. He and Pawnee Farm Arlinda Chief share a common male ancestor born in 1890 called Paul De Kol.

While these bulls were responsible for many offspring in the country, they were not the only bulls used for breeding during that era. In fact, thousands of sires from that era have descendants through female lineages. However, over the course of time, the other sires’ lines failed to thrive for several reasons. Penstate Ivanhoe Star is an example.

“He carried two lethal genetic recessives. Once those defects were discovered, many of his male descendants were removed from the population so that the defects would not be propagated so widely,” said Liu, a leading authority on bovine Y-chromosome variations.

This narrowing of the genetic base is not a good thing for Holsteins because it leads to inbreeding, which has the potential to cause genetic defects, poor health and poor milk production.

The researchers then set out on what they thought would be a difficult task — finding descendants of other lineages that existed in the 1960s. Their first call was to the National Animal Germplasm Program in Fort Collins, Colorado, a repository under the United States Department of Agriculture that collects reproductive samples from agriculturally important species. Dechow, who serves as the dairy species chair for the program, thought it would be a good place to start. 

And, he was right — as luck would have it, the repository recently had procured semen from two lost Holstein lineages from the University of Minnesota and ABS Global. The samples were used to fertilize eggs to create a dozen embryos from genetically elite Holstein females owned by one of the nation’s largest dairy genetics companies — Select Sires Inc. Embryos from the first lineage were implanted in surrogate heifers at Penn State’s dairy farm last summer. 

The first group of bouncing baby bovines — three males and three females — were born in April, all healthy and full of spunk. Their growth and health is being tracked by animal science doctoral student Han Longfei to determine how they compare to calves from other lineages. An additional 10 calves from the second lost lineage are expected to make their appearance later this year.   

With the calves are, from left, Chad Dechow, associate professor of dairy cattle genetics; Lydia Hardie, postdoctoral scholar; and Han Longfei, doctoral student. 

“After several years of planning, seeing those first calves was exciting,” Dechow said. “The team really didn’t know what they would look like, and the first calf’s white face with white eyelashes was the first thing that we noticed. Of course, how they look is the least important aspect of the project, and what we really hope is that the lost genetic diversity they represent eventually will be reintroduced to the Holstein population.”

Liu agreed, adding, “We are very happy to see the calves and bring back these lost lines. These calves will further advance our research in cattle genetics, and with that knowledge we can continue to improve genetic diversity, the health of Holsteins and milk production.” 

Dechow and Liu thanked partners on the project, including Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences, the National Animal Germplasm Program, Trans Ova (which produced the embryos), Select Sires Inc., the University of Minnesota and ABS Global. Perhaps the most important partners, Dechow noted, are the management team and employees at the Penn State dairy farm who care for the calves every day.

“Many people and companies have provided resources to help resurrect these lineages, so it really has been a broad-based industry effort that we believe will enhance the breed’s diversity and make dairy breeders better stewards of our genetic resources,” Dechow said.

Source: Penn State

Categories : Genetics

More, better bulls for Australian dairy farmers

Monday, May 1st, 2017

This week’s release of Australian Breeding Values (ABVs) by DataGene has highlighted a trend that has seen more, young Holstein bulls of high quality coming through the ranks over the past year.

The April ABV release will be the first published by DataGene, having taken on the genetic evaluation roles performed by the Australian Dairy Herd Improvement Scheme (ADHIS) over the past 30 years.

DataGene Genetic Evaluation manager, Michelle Axford, said there were notable increases in the genetic merit of the top Holstein young bulls (see table).

This time last year there were no young, genomic Holstein bulls with a Balanced Performance Index – BPI – above 300 in the Good Bulls Guide. Now there are more than 25. In fact, the average BPI of the top 50 young bulls is now over 300, representing a more than 20% increase over the past year. Also, there is a wider range of bull companies represented by the top 10 Holstein bulls, going up from two last April to five in this release. 

“That’s great news for Australian dairy farmers. Having access to more, better, young bulls means more choice. And by always choosing bulls that carry the Good Bulls logo, dairy farmers can be confident their breeding choices will contribute to an overall improvement in their herd’s genetic merit for profit,” she said.

The past three years has also seen a steady increase in the number of Holstein bulls genomically tested (see graph).

Mrs Axford said that while DataGene had taken on the role of genetic evaluation and broader herd improvement roles, ABV releases were very much a case of ‘business as usual’.

“DataGene has some major projects on the go, including the development of the much-awaited centralised data repository, but the industry can be assured that the routine ABV releases continue as normal,” she said.

DataGene is an initiative of Dairy Australia and the herd improvement industry.

 

Source: DataGene

Categories : Genetics

Kenya to use embryo transfer technology to improve dairy cattle breeds

Monday, April 24th, 2017

Kenya plans to use embryo transfer technology in order to improve its dairy cattle breeds, the government agricultural agency said on Thursday.

Agricultural Development Corporation (ADC) Managing Director Richard Aiyabei told Xinhua in Nairobi that a significant proportion of the country’s dairy population consists of local breeds which have low milk production.

“Embryo transfer technology will be used to increase the average daily milk production from the current 15 liters per cattle to 30 liters per cattle,” Aiyabei said on the sidelines of the Kenya Alliance of Resident Associations Bi Monthly talk series on Kenya’s Food Insecurity.

“Using Embryo transfer technology, we could easily upgrade dairy cattle breeds within a short time,” he added. ADC plans to roll out the embryo transfer technology in order to produce 50,000 heifers annually.

“Embryo transfer is a better way to improve cattle breeds as opposed to use of conventional breeding methods,” Aiyabei added. He noted that improved heifer breeds will be sold to small scale farmers at subsidized rates.

He noted that Kenya’s milk production is unable to meet growing demand. “The majority of the milk produced is from small scale farmers and hence we need to focus on them in order to enhance production,” the government official said.

ADC currently has over 1.6 million acres of land for both crop and livestock production.

 

Source: African News

Categories : Genetics

Researchers Tap Into Power of Genomics to Breed Feed-efficient Dairy Cattle

Tuesday, March 7th, 2017

At the University of Guelph, researchers are tapping into the power of genomics to breed dairy cattle that are more feed-efficient and produce less methane, while still maintaining the high productivity, health and fertility of dairy cows, thereby getting their wish in the form of a huge database to support the project.

“An ongoing challenge for us in doing these studies on novel traits is the time and money required to collect all the data we need,” said Luiz Brito, a post-doctoral researcher, who holds a PhD Degree in Animal Genetics and Genomics from The University of Guelph.

“One option is to combine data from various research groups around the world who are working on the same traits, as we all have similar goals.”

According to GenomeAlberta, the main purpose of such a database is to increase the reliability of genomic prediction of breeding values for feed efficiency and methane emission in Canada and international partners. In addition, a larger dataset will increase the likelihood of scientific discoveries, such as a better understanding of the genetic architecture and other factors that influence these novel traits.

Churning up data

As difficult as it is for researchers to gather large amounts of data, developing a database to house and make sense of it all is no small feat either.

“We’ve been working with the Canadian Dairy Network (CDN) to set up a secure database and a computationally efficient data exchange to make it all possible. The database will be housed at the CDN which already hosts the national database containing all dairy performance data in Canada, so they have the infrastructure in place to collect large data sets.”

Brito is thrilled to receive data from partners all over the world including Australia, the United States, the UK, Switzerland, and Denmark, with negotiations underway for more countries to join in. At the same time, it presents some unique challenges.

“Because each partner collects and stores data in a different format, I’m working right now on standardizing the process to convert all data to a common format that we can use and redistribute to participants. It’s important to be comparing apples to apples.”

“We’re gathering information on genotypes, pedigrees and phenotypes. As part of the Efficient Dairy Genome Project, in addition to the two main traits, we’re also looking at ones that help measure or can be biological indicators of those two such as milk production and composition and rumen microbiome.”

The more the merrier

They say “more isn’t always better”; in this case, however, Brito would disagree.

“The more data we collect, the more accurate the genomic selection becomes. And as we generate more precise breeding values, it means the producer can make greater genetic progress, boosting the bottom line through greater feed efficiency while reducing the environmental footprint of dairy production in Canada and worldwide.”

As someone from a farming background, Brito is excited both by that prospect and the fact that the database he’s working on is vital to the project’s success.

He’s also encouraged by the long-term prospects for the database.

“It will ensure a continuous and secure flow of information that remains functional long after this project ends. We want something in place that will continue receiving data and re-distributing it to our partners for years to come.”

So nothing against ties and socks, but for a memorable researcher gift, you can’t top a fully stocked database. And if they try returning it for a refund, good luck with that.

 

Source: The Cattle Site

Categories : Genetics

Epigenetics will be a Driver for Future Successful Dairying

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Tuesday, February 14th, 2017

Dairy breeders spend considerable time choosing the next round of bulls to use. That’s important because improvements in genetics has a significant influence on the generations that follow.  Nevertheless, future performance will depend on how epigenetics regulates the DNA acquired through breeding.  When epigenetics enters the picture,  breeders will need to re-consider how they breed and manage their dairy cattle.

What’s Epigenetics?

Epigenetics underlies processes that affect health, ­ fertility, longevity and many traits of dairy cattle. Epigenetic effects differ from direct genetic effects because the animal’s DNA sequence is not changed by epigenetic processes. Rather, epigenetic processes act by regulating whether genes within DNA sequences are “turned on” or “turned off” without any change in the DNA sequence. (Read more: FORGET GENOMICS – EPIGENOMICS & NUTRIGENOMICS ARE THE FUTURE)

Genetic and Epigenetic Differences

Traits such as milk yield, milk protein, conception rate, somatic cell count and udder conformation are heritable, meaning that differences among animals in these traits can be accounted for by family relationships among sires, dams and ancestors. Heritability ranges from around 3% to over 50% for various traits, therefore 3 to 50% of differences among animals are accounted for by differences in their DNA sequences.

The non-genetic variation in traits is included in what we refer to as environmental effects. Weather, feed, facilities, management practices and everything else that cattle are affected by in a herd fits into environmental effects.  Many responses of cattle to environmental effects are regulated by epigenetic or closely-related processes at the cellular level in animals.

Epigenetic effects do not change an animal’s DNA sequence (genome). Instead, epigenetic effects alter how individual genes or groups of genes are controlled or as geneticists say “silenced or differentially regulated” throughout an animal’s life. Originally, epigenetic effects were thought to represent only alterations that could be passed to the next generation without changing in the animal’s genetic code. More recently it seems that epigenetic effects may impact various tissues and organs during certain periods in the animal’s life, without being passed to the next generation.

Epigenetic Triggers

Animal scientists are using the term “developmental programming” to define practices that may trigger epigenetic effects. Developmental programming may act through epigenetic or similar pathways to influence almost any trait of interest in dairy cattle. For dairy farmers, it matters little whether the action occurs through one mechanism or another, as long as responses are predictable and repeatable.

Repeatability means that there is a fairly predictable pattern of an action causing a specific or response separated by weeks, months, years or generations. That makes it challenging to determine cause and effect, without careful observations, good records and repeated verification.

Epigenetic effects may be triggered by conditions associated with natural biological process or by adverse conditions such as negative energy balance, heat stress, exposure to toxins or other disturbances. Epigenetic effects can be either positive or negative, so as we learn more it will be useful to incorporate management practices that stimulate positive effects and limit negative ones.

Epigenetic Effect #1        Calf Feeding and Future Performance

One epigenetic or epigenetic-like effect is the latent response to feeding higher levels of milk or replacer to heifer calves. Calves fed at higher levels produce more milk in first lactation about 2 years later, so the response occurs beginning about 700 days after the action. Preliminary data suggest that heifers fed more milk develop more mammary epithelial cells that become milk-secreting cells when first lactation begins. This is the kind of epigenetic effect that one would see for stem cells that are dividing rapidly when the milk is being fed. The exact regulatory mechanism for this effect is yet to be determined.

Epigenetic Effect #2        Milking Frequency Immediately After Calving

Similar to the situation in calves fed more milk, it has been demonstrated that cows milked 4X daily during the first 3 weeks of lactation and then 2X daily thereafter produce considerably more milk than cows milked 2X from freshening. The 4X milking early in lactation apparently stimulates development of more milk-secreting cells and these then remain throughout lactation, even when milking frequency drops to 2X.

Epigenetic Effect #3        Embryo Survival

It is highly probable that negative epigenetic effects occur when eggs (oocytes) are developing within the ovary when a cow is under stressful conditions. Such can be the case for the egg ovulated by an energy and/or health stressed cow that comes into heat 80 days post calving. The egg ovulated at day eighty actually started growing as an oocyte within her ovary about 3 weeks before calving.

 Oocytes that develop under these stressful conditions have low survivability as embryos. Their fertilization rate is normal, but they degenerate and die at a higher rate in the first week after fertilization. This is a classical example of an adverse epigenetic effect. Our North Carolina State research team published the first report of this effect in 1992. It is referred to as the Britt Hypothesis and it has taken about 25 years for scientists to begin to understand this phenomenon at the DNA level.

Stay Tuned As We Learn More

There is a strong interest in understanding how epigenetics affect the developing fetus and how management of the pregnant cow influences the future long-term responses of the calf she is carrying. During fetal stages, tissues that will form muscles, mammary tissue, the immune system and all other systems undergo development.  We will see a lot of new discoveries about epigenetics in these areas in the years ahead and this will give us tools to support development of better calves during pregnancy.

Husbandry practices trigger many of the epigenetic effects, both good and bad.  Understanding how such effects are mediated will give us husbandry tools to improve both DNA-based genetics and ways to regulate the DNA in a beneficial manner.

The Bullvine Bottom Line

The Bullvine found that this information shared by Jack Britt assisted us in better understanding the topic of epigenetics.  Yes, epigenetics is yet one more piece of the puzzle that progressive breeders are likely to use in the future to both breed and manage their dairy herds.

 

 

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Other posts you might like:

Breeding for Kappa Casein to Increase Cheese Yield
Creating the Perfect Dairy Cow….For Your Herd
Gene Editing in Dairy Cows: A Revolutionary Approach to Reducing Methane Emissions

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Categories : Genetics

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