Transcript Slide 1

Genetic Selection as a Tool
for Battling the Decline in
Reproductive Performance:
A Dairy Perspective
Kent A. Weigel, Ph.D.
Department of Dairy Science
University of Wisconsin
Background
Reproduction of Lactating
Cows vs. Yearling Heifers
Cows
Heifers
7-8
11-14
Multiple ovulation rate (%)
20-25
1-3
Pregnancy loss (%)
20-30
3-5
Anovulation (%)
20-30
1-2
Diameter of the ovulatory follicle (mm)
16-18
14-16
Estrous cycle length (d)
20-29
20-23
Duration of estrus (hr)
Lopez et al., 2004
Estrus Characteristics
Lopez et al., 2004
Duration of Estrus
Lopez et al., 2004
Multiple Ovulation
Lopez et al., 2004
Year of Conception
2003
2002
2001
2000
1999
1998
1997
1996
1995
1994
1993
1992
1991
1990
1989
1988
1987
5
1986
1985
1984
1983
Twinning (%)
Twinning Rate in Holsteins
Silva del Rio et al., 2006
Kinsel et al., 1998
4
3
2
1
0
Importance of
Body Condition Score
Anovulatory Condition
Lopez et al. 2004
Anovulatory Condition
Lopez et al. 2004
Milk Yield vs. Embryonic Loss
between 31 to 45 d of Pregnancy
P = 0.81
Pregnancy Loss, %
14
12
10
8
6
4
2
0
Low
Low milk = 36 kg/d
High milk = 52 kg/d
High
Santos et al., 2004
Body Condition vs. Embryonic Loss
14
Lost
Maintained
Gained
Late Embryonic Loss, %
12
10
N=250
8
P < 0.05
6
4
N=147
N=103
2
0
Silke et al., 2004
Selection for
Female Fertility
Indirect Selection for Fertility
 Length of Productive Life (available since 1994)
 Total months in milk by 7 years of age
 Limit of 10 months per lactation
 Rewards a short calving interval
 Dairy Form (received negative economic weight in 2005)
 Poor body condition = poor fertility
 Can measure milk production directly
 Shouldn’t reward angularity
Evaluation of Female Fertility
 USDA Animal Improvement Programs
Laboratory introduced national genetic
evaluations for female fertility in 2003
 Dairy sires from all breeds are evaluated
based on the fertility of their daughters
 The animal model system for fertility is
the same as for production traits
 Evaluations are released 3 times per year
Evaluation of Female Fertility
 Input data are days open measurements
from the DHI milk recording system
 Days open (calculated from the last
reported insemination) is confirmed with
subsequent calving dates, if possible
 Animals with no subsequent calving are
assigned an arbitrary value of 250 days
 Days open data are transformed to
21-day pregnancy rates
Today’s Fertility Data
 Introduced in February 2003
> 40 million records > 16 million cows
 Based on days open data, including:
 Breeding date confirmed by calving (57%)
 Breeding date without next calving (19%)
 Breeding date conflicts with next calving (5%)
 Next calving, but no reported breeding (6%)
 Culled due to infertility (5%)
 No fertility information (8%)
 Published “daughter pregnancy rate”
Example Bulls for DPR
1H6360 Wizard
DPR +3.7%
200H3101 Freelance
DPR -3.8%
1% DPR ≈ 4 days open
The 21-day pregnancy rate of Wizard daughters will be 7.5% higher, on
average than for Freelance daughters, and Wizard daughters will have
30 fewer days open per lactation
Genetic Trend in
Milk Yield
Genetic Correlation = 0.31
Genetic Trend in
Daughter
Pregnancy Rate
Introduction of
Productive Life
Selection for
Male Fertility
Evaluation of Male Fertility
 Regional evaluations of male fertility have
been carried out by dairy records
processing centers for many years
 USDA-AIPL recently began computing
“phenotypic” evaluations for service sire
conception rate (i.e., direct effect)
 Evaluations are published as the expected
percentage change in conception rate,
including both genetic and environmental
factors
Example Bulls for SCR
29H10483 Jammer
SCR + 4
9,731 inseminations
14H4099 Billion
SCR - 3
4,422 inseminations
Expect a 7% difference between these bulls in conception
rate, under equivalent management conditions
Additional Fertility Traits
 As a by-product of evaluations for service
sire conception rate, two new female
fertility traits were introduced in 2009
 Cow conception rate measures the
expected difference in conception rate
due to the female (i.e., maternal effect) in
lactating animals
 Heifer conception rate measures the
expected difference in conception rate in
non-lactating animals
National Fertility Database
Reproductive Events (up to 20 segments)
Type of reproductive event code
Date of reproductive event (YYYYMMDD)
H
S
A
N
E
I
J
P
O
X
G
USDA
Format 5
Observed in estrus (heat) but not inseminated
Synchronized estrus event (injection or other methods)
Artificial insemination
Natural service breeding
Embryo donation
Embryo implantation (reporting sire of embryo)
Embryo implantation (reporting dam of embryo)
Confirmed pregnant
Confirmed not pregnant (open)
Cow given a "do not breed" designation
AI breeding with gender selected semen
Selection for Animal Health
Pregnancy Risk by Calving Disorder
Risk of Pregnancy
1.21
1.14
1.07
1
0.93
0.86
0.79
0.72
Normal
Twins
Pulled Calf Dead Calf
Calving Disorder
Stillbirths and Female Fertility
Bicalho et al. (2007)
Pregnancy Risk by Repro. Disorder
Risk of Pregnancy
1.21
1.14
1.07
1
0.93
0.86
0.79
0.72
None
Retained
Placenta
Reproductive Disorder
(in 1st 75 d Postpartum)
Metritis
Pregnancy Risk by Mastitis Infection
Risk of Pregnancy
1.21
1.14
1.07
1
0.93
0.86
0.79
0.72
No
Mastitis Infection
(in 1st 75 d Postpartum)
Yes
Pregnancy Risk by Metabolic Disorder
Risk of Pregnancy
1.21
1.14
1.07
1
0.93
0.86
0.79
0.72
None
Displaced
Abomasum
Ketosis
Metabolic Disorder
(in 1st 75 d Postpartum)
Pregnancy Risk by Mobility Disorder
Risk of Pregnancy
1.21
1.14
1.07
1
0.93
0.86
0.79
0.72
None
Lameness
Mobility Disorder
(in 1st 75 d Postpartum)
Management Software
Dairy Comp 305
 Valley Ag Software, Tulare, CA
 ~ 4,000 large herds
PCDART
 DRMS, Raleigh, NC
 ~ 3,000 medium-sized herds
DHI-Plus®
 DHI-Provo, Provo, UT
 ~ 300 very large herds
Displaced
Abomasum
DA
D.A.
LDA
RDA
L-DA
R-DA
DAS
DALF
DART
DAR
DAL
Ketosis
KETOSIS
KETOTIC
KET
KETO
KETOS
KET1
KET2
KET3
KETI
KETR
KETS
KETH
KETD
KETP
METB
Disease Codes
Mastitis
MAST
RF
LF
RR
LR
MLFQ
MLRQ
MRRQ
MRFQ
MLF
MLR
MRR
MRF
RFMT
LFMT
LRMT
RRMT
M2TIT
MASTALL
MAST2Q
MAST3Q
Lameness
ABCS
ABSS
HROT
HFROT
LAMINIT
LAME
WRAP
LAMI
LIMP
SOREFT
ABCSRR
ABCSLR
FOOT
FEET
Cystic Ovaries
CYST
CYSTG
CYSTO
CYSTIC
RCYST
LCYST
CYSTRO
CYSTLO
Metritis
MET/RP
MET
METR
RP
RETAINP
RETP
INFU
INF
MTRI
RETN
RPL
RPIN
RPRE
UCND
RTPL
UINF
PYOM
UTCN
RE-PLA
Summary of the Data
(Alta Advantage herds and selected DRMS herds)
Displaced
Abomasum
Ketosis
Mastitis
Herds
313
250
429
212
340
418
Cows
75,252
52,898
105,029
50,611
65,080
97,316
Sires
2172
1205
4983
1109
3071
2163
3%
10%
20%
10%
8%
21%
Lactation
Incidence
Rate
Cystic
Lameness Ovaries
Zwald et al., 2004
Metritis
Heritability Estimates
Displaced Abomasum
14%
Ketosis
6%
Mastitis
9%
Lameness
4%
Cystic Ovaries
4%
Metritis / Retained Placenta
6%
Zwald et al., 2004
Predicted Transmitting Abilities
for Daughter Health
Displaced
Abomasum
Ketosis Mastitis Lameness
Cystic
Metritis
Ovaries
Disease Probability
per Lactation
(Best 10 Sires)
0.017
0.063
0.129
0.077
0.052
0.151
Disease Probability
per Lactation
(Worst 10 Sires)
0.061
0.132
0.259
0.131
0.091
0.271
Zwald et al., 2004
Challenges with Health Traits
• Differences in exposure
• e.g., mastitis pathogens
• Inconclusive test results
• e.g., Johne’s disease
• Incomplete reporting
• incorrect diagnosis
• underestimated severity
• selective treatment
• temporary recording
• Restrictions on access to the data
National Health Database
Health Events (up to 20 segments)
Type of health event code
Date of health event (YYYYMMDD)
USDA
Format 6
Health Traits
Cystic Ovary
CYST
Diarrhea/Scours
DIAR
Digestive Problem/Off Feed
DIGE
Displaced Abomasum
DA--
Downer Cow
DOWN
Dystocia
DYST
Johne's Disease (clinical)
JOHN
Ketosis/Acetonemia
KETO
Lameness
LAME
Mastitis (clinical)
MAST
Metritis
METR
Milk Fever/Hypocalcemia
MILK
Nervous System Problem
NERV
Reproductive problem other than CYST, DYST, METR, RETP
REPR
Respiratory Problem
RESP
Retained Placenta
RETP
Stillbirth/Perinatal Survival
STIL
Teat Injury
TEAT
Udder Edema
EDEM
Management Traits
Body Condition Score
BCS-
Milking Speed
SPEE
Temperament
TEMP
Lifetime Net Merit (NM$)
23% Fat
23% Protein
17% Productive Life
-9% Somatic Cell Score
6% Udder Composite
3% Feet & Legs Composite
-4% Body Size Composite
9% Daughter Pregnancy Rate
6% Calving Ability
Impact of Crossbreeding
Breed Differences (vs. Holstein)
Ayrshire
Brown
Swiss
Guernsey
Jersey
Milking
Shorthorn
Milk Yield (lb)
-5,258
-4,204
-6,107
-6,516
-7,106
Fat Yield (lb)
-134
-79
-81
-75
-244
Protein Yield (lb)
-130
-70
-136
-103
-198
Somatic Cell Score
-0.16
-0.10
+0.07
+0.19
-0.07
Productive Life (mo)
+0.3
+0.8
-8.5
+3.2
-2.2
Daughter Preg. Rate (%)
+2.4
+1.1
+0.8
+5.5
+4.5
Genetic differences between breeds represent twice the
difference in average predicted transmitting ability (PTA)
from the USDA-AIPL multi-breed genetic evaluations
Fertility of Crossbred Cows
(Heins et al., 2006)
fertility
during1st
lactation
Pure
Holstein
Normande Montbeliarde
x Holstein
x Holstein
Scandinavian
Red x Holstein
No. Cows
677
421
805
529
Days Open
156
133**
137**
142**
Different from pure Holsteins: † P<0.10, * P<0.05, ** P<0.01
Fertility and Udder Health
of Crossbred Cows
(Dechow et al., 2007)
Holstein
½ Swiss
½ Holstein
¾ Swiss
¼ Holstein
Brown Swiss
Number of Cows
2125
256
105
926
Age at Calving (mo)
25.9a
25.7a
26.6b
26.6b
Days Open
156b
144a
153ab
156b
Somatic Cell Score
2.73ab
2.54a
2.66ab
2.78b
Different superscripts within a row indicate
Statistical significance at the P<0.05 level
Longevity of Crossbred Cows
(Heins et al., 2006)
Pure
Holstein
survival
during1st
lactation
survival
until 2nd
calving
Normande Montbeliarde
x Holstein
x Holstein
Scandinavian
Red x Holstein
No. Cows
724
437
806
549
until 30 d
96%
98%
99%
98%
until 150 d
93%
97%*
97%*
96%
until 305 d
86%
94%*
96%*
93%*
No. Cows
565
392
561
389
within 14 mo
44%
62%**
64%**
60%**
within 17 mo
61%
76%**
78%**
73%**
within 20 mo
67%
79%**
83%**
77%**
Different from pure Holsteins: † P<0.10, * P<0.05, ** P<0.01
http://www.wisc.edu/dysci
UW-Madison Dairy Science…Committed to Excellence in
Research, Extension and Instruction
Any
Questions?