Education
The Never-Ending Quest for Outcross Genetics: How Important is it?
Genetic gains during the genomic era have more than doubled from earlier times, and we now select for a much more complete array of traits including fertility, health and feed...
Predicted Transmitting Ability versus Breeding Value
The field of dairy cattle genetics uses two “languages”, Predicted Transmitting Ability (PTA) and Breeding Value. Evaluations from the US are expressed in PTA’s while most other countries use Breeding...
Conformation and PTAT: What are the Differences?
In general, a good bull is a good bull, no matter what country he is used in! That sounds like a perfectly reasonable statement, right, yet there are exceptions to...
Feet and Legs: It’s Complicated!
Genetic advancement has been impressive, not only for production but for health and type traits too. Udders are now much more uniform across the breed than ever before, and a...
Recumbency: Calves that Can’t Stand Up
The latest genetic disorder to be identified in the Holstein breed involves calves that appear normal but can’t stand up. It has taken researchers more than a year to unravel...
Canada Releases the World’s First Methane Efficiency Genetic Evaluations
In a world-first, the April genetic evaluations in Canada include the new trait of Methane Efficiency. It is expected that this new genetic selection tool should enable dairy producers to...
Do Grazing Conditions Require a Different Type of Cow?
Holsteins have become the universal dairy cow and dominate in most major dairy countries. However, it may not be a “one size fits all” situation. The interaction of genetics with...
Why Don’t we Have Greater Uniformity Among Fitness Traits Around the World?
Productive Life, Herd Life, Lifespan, Survival – it seems almost every country uses a different name. Who knew there were so many ways to refer to longevity; and that’s just...
Round-Table Which Total Performance Index Do You Prefer?
Which total merit index do you use in choosing the bulls for your herd? Which traits do you focus on in particular? Which traits do you put less emphasis on?...
“Surrogate Sires”: The Concept is now a Reality
How many times has this thought occurred? When an outstanding sire has a shortage of semen supply, or an elite bull is injured and cannot produce semen, or even when...
Single-Step: Next Generation in Genetic Evaluations
Genomic evaluations first arrived in 2009 and created a revolution in Holstein breeding that more than doubled the rate of genetic gain. Continued refinements and improvements have produced incremental increases...
Mastitis – The New Heavyweight Among Health Traits
Theoretically, a breeding value for somatic cell score (SCS), as is routinely calculated in most countries around the world, could continue to serve as a genetic indicator for udder health...