Milk Producer - December 2009 - (Page 33)

RESEARCH By Vanessa Perkins Genetic improvements New indexes help farmers select cattle with strong reproductive performance I mproving your herd’s able female fertility and reproductive performcalving traits such as age of ance has led a Univerfirst service, gestation sity of Guelph professor to length, calving ease and analyse certain traits and 56-day non-return rate. their genetic associations The evaluation system, leading to more timely and now routinely run at the accurate breeding value Canadian Dairy Network, estimates. uses software based on Department of animal quantitative genetics and and poultry science adjunct statistics that lets farmers professor Dr. Filippo Migselect superior cows to be lior is developing selection dams of future generaindexes for daughter fertility tions. and calving ability. These “With the advent of indexes help farmers select genomics, we will have a cattle with strong reproducgood estimate of the anitive performance throughmal’s genetic worth for out their lifecycle. reproduction traits without Historically, dairy cattle seeing its performance,” have been selected for milk says Miglior. “This decreasquality and quantity, and Indexes will help maximize conception rates, resulting in es time spent waiting until for conformation traits cows having easier calvings and a calf live at birth. animals are mature and such as mammary system saves money that would and feet and legs. While these proAn offspring’s fertility or producnormally be spent on rearing a potenduction traits lead to increased milk tion rates are not determined by sire tially unproductive animal.” production, researchers have found and dam genetics alone. Environthey contribute to lower fertility. mental factors, including feeding sys“The objectives of the indexes are tems and sanitation, also heavily Vanessa Perkins is a student writer with the University of Guelph’s office to maximize the conception rate for influence an animal’s fertility. That is cows, reduce recycling time and have why good management practices, of research.Collaborators include Drs. Gerrit Kistemaker and Pete Sullivan at the cow conceive earlier, as well as such as ensuring proper nutrition and the Canadian Dairy Network, and Dr. have an easy calving and a calf live at health, are still essential. Asheber Sewalem at Agriculture and birth,” says Miglior, also an AgriculMiglior’s research comes from the ture and Agri-Food Canada research genetic evaluation system developed Agri-Food Canada. The project was scientist. “The Canadian evaluation by Dr. Janusz Jamrozik and professor funded by the DairyGen Council of the Canadian Dairy Network, the system for reproduction is probably Larry Schaeffer at the university’s Natural Sciences and Engineering the best worldwide at this time, and Centre for Genetic Improvement of many countries are following the Livestock. It is based on a 16-trait Research Council and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. Canadian model.” animal model that includes all availMilkPRODUCER | December 2009 | 33

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Milk Producer - December 2009

Milk Producer - December 2009
Contents
Editor's Notes
DFO Chair's Message
Dairy Update
Industry Roundup
DFC Promotion
Office Management
Seven Issues That Matter
Herd Health
Research
Applied Science
Ruminations
Markets
New 'N' Noted
Back Forty

Milk Producer - December 2009