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Prospects for Increasing Profitability Using Genetic Reproductive Indexes

Prospects for Increasing Profitability Using Genetic Reproductive Indexes. 1. Phenotypic trend in days open. Lactation. 2. 3. 4. 5. Two tall tales:. 1. Reproduction is only a management issue 2. Genetics can not help solve fertility problems. Reproductive evaluations.

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Prospects for Increasing Profitability Using Genetic Reproductive Indexes

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  1. Prospects for Increasing Profitability Using Genetic Reproductive Indexes

  2. 1 Phenotypic trend in days open Lactation 2 3 4 5

  3. Two tall tales: • 1. Reproduction is only a management issue • 2. Genetics can not help solve fertility problems

  4. Reproductive evaluations • Two types: • 1. Fertility of bulls as service sires • 2. Fertility of bulls’ daughters when they reach breeding age

  5. 1. Fertility of bull as service sire (ERCR) • Called Estimated Relative Conception Rate (ERCR). Measures the fertility as a service sire. • Defined as 70 day non-return rate. • Bulls have a fairly small range because infertile and lower fertility bulls are culled by the AI organizations. • See results from decisions quickly

  6. Evaluation accuracy • Bulls need many breedings before confidence can be placed in a 70 day non-return rate • This makes it difficult to rely upon the information from a single herd • ≥ 40 services in a single herd in a short time by a reliable technician should give you some confidence in a non-return rate

  7. Data • Breedings included in ERCR: • All from AgSource (Wisconsin) • All from DRMS (North Carolina) • All from Minnesota DHIA through Agri-Tech • AIPL assumed responsibility for computing in May 2006 (DRMS had computed 2x yearly since 1986)

  8. Breedings included in ERCR • First services only • Cow services included (but no virgin heifer breedings) • Services from most recent 3 years • Only services to AI bulls • No crossbred matings (service sire breed must equal cow breed)

  9. Evaluations published • Bulls with a minimum of 300 or more breedings • Bulls under 13 years (unless Active AI) • August 2006 evaluation included: • 597 Holstein bulls (Avg no. breedings=2502) • 46 Jersey bulls (Avg no. breedings=1204)

  10. Distribution of ERCR for Holstein bulls (August 2006) Number of bulls ERCR

  11. Distribution of ERCR for Jersey bulls (August 2006) Number of bulls ERCR

  12. Future plans for service sire fertility evaluations • Use all reported breedings (instead of just first services) • Improvements to statistical model • Hopefully additional data from other centers and states We are expecting to add California DHIA breedings soon

  13. 2. Fertility of bulls’ daughters when they reach breeding age (DPR) • Called Daughter Pregnancy Rate (DPR). Measures fertility of the daughters. • DPR is defined as percentage of open (non-pregnant) cows that are between 50 and 250 days in milk that become pregnant within 21 days • Bulls have somewhat bigger differences than in ERCR • Obtain results from decisions in 3 years

  14. Days open and DPR by breed • Breed Avg. days open Avg DPR (%) • Ayrshire 143 22.4 • Brown Swiss 143 22.4 • Guernsey 151 20.5 • Holstein 148 21.2 • Jersey 127 26.5 • Milk. Shorthorn 135 24.5 DPR = 0.25 (2.33 – days open)

  15. High DPR vs. Active-AI Holsteins • Traits High DPR bulls All Active-AI • Milk (lbs) 349 824 • Fat (lbs) 14 32 • Protein (lbs) 19 26 • SCS 2.84 2.95 • Productive Life (mo) 4.1 0.8 • DPR (%) 2.3 -0.3 • Net Merit Dollars 359 236 • # of bulls (DPR ≥ 2.0) 24 692

  16. Higher DPR vs. High Active-AI HO • Traits Higher DPR bulls High All Active-AI • Milk (lbs) 748 1142 • Fat (lbs) 28 44 • Protein (lbs) 29 35 • SCS 2.82 2.90 • Productive Life (mo) 4.8 1.8 • DPR (%) 2.3 0.0 • Net Merit Dollars 462 358 • # of bulls (DPR ≥ 2.0) 12 346

  17. Interpretation for fertility: • 1. These better bulls’ daughters are not only over $100 more profitable as shown in Net Merit but will give better fertility as well. Their DPR of +2.3 means their daughters will have 9.2 fewer days open than other cows in the typical herd. • 2. Genetics can help solve fertility problems. The 16 day decline in days open from genetics can be recovered with genetic selection. • This is a “permanent” gain.

  18. Recommendations to breeders • Don’t select bulls solely on one trait because many traits have economic value • Consider economic value of all performance traits in your own market when making genetic choices • For herds wanting better reproduction, use an index that puts more weight on daughter fertility than those recommended for the general industry

  19. Thank you! Mid-Atlantic Dairy Grazing Conference, 2006 (19) 2006

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