40 years of breeding for improved disease resistance in dairy cattle
Presented by
Lars Peter Sørensen
Genetic Development Manager
VikingGenetics
www.vikinggenetics.com
Nordic countries: low use of antibiotics because …
Strict legislation regarding treatment of farm animals• Health agreement schemes – permits treatment of some diseases
Very high management level• High milk production requires healthy animals
Selective breeding for improved animal health• Udder health
• Claw health
• Metabolic and reproductive disorders
2
www.vikinggenetics.com
Sale of antibiotics in European countriesSales in mg/PCU (Population correction unit) of veterinary antimicrobial agents marketed for food-producing
animals 2014 weighted according to the proportion of cattle in the countries EU member states
Source: European Medicines Agency, European Surveillance of Veterinary Antimicrobial Consumption; ‘Sales of veterinary antimicrobial agents in 29 European countries in 2015’
137.9
54.5
51.9
51.4
48.2
46.0
41.6
29.1
26.0
22.8
15.5
9.9
7.4
4.4
0.0 20.0 40.0 60.0 80.0 100.0 120.0 140.0 160.0
Italy
Germany
Poland
Spain
France
Portugal
Belgium
Ireland
Austria
Netherlands
United Kingdom
Finland
Denmark
Sweden
Weighted mg/PCU
www.vikinggenetics.com
Nordic Total Merit (NTM)
All traits with an
economic value are included in
NTM
>90traits
combined in
14 trait groups
Production Health & Reproduction
Conformation
www.vikinggenetics.com
Case: udder health
Low heritability: udder health 4% (milk yield ~30%)• Phenotype = 4% breeding + 96% environment
Unfavorable correlation with yield: yield ↑, mastitis cases↑
Genetic trend
Effect of breeding
Direct vs. indirect selection
5
www.vikinggenetics.com
Udder health, genetic trend
6
Genetic effect is
permanent and
cummulative
www.vikinggenetics.com
Effect of breeding
Breeding value 80 90 100 110 120
Mastitis, % 17.4 14.7 12.0 9.3 6.6
7
Number of daughters with mastitis in relation to the bulls’ breeding value for udder health
Source: Nordic Cattle Genetic Evaluation, 2020
www.vikinggenetics.com8
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
early stage of 1stlactation
middle and laststage of 1st lact
2nd lact 3rd lact
Mastitis treatments per 100 cows in 2008 and 2018, Danish Holstein
2008 2018
Effect of breeding and management
Simplification: difference between 2008 and 2018
• Less antibiotics used: 4,270 kg
• Less discarded milk: 17.2 mill. kg
• Less permanent milk loss: 54.9 mill. kg
Fact box
• Number of Danish Holstein cows: 325,000• Distribution on lactations: 1st: 40%; 2nd: 35%; 3rd+: 25%
• Lactation yield, kg: 1st: 8,689; 2nd: 10,162; 3rd+: 10,582
• Milk discarded for 8 days because of treatment with antibiotics• Permanent milk loss of 10 % restored
• 63 g antibiotics per treatment
www.vikinggenetics.com
Direct vs. indirect selection
Direct registrations: mammary treatments since early 1980s
Indirect measures: somatic cell count, fore udder attachment and udder depth
Advantage of direct recordings is higher reliability of breeding values → increased genetic progress
Udder health weighted according to actual cost → balanced breeding goal
9
DATA IS KING!
www.vikinggenetics.com
Effects of improved udder health
Fewer treatments → less use of antibiotics
Better food safety, less discarded milk and better milk quality
Improved longevity → lower replacement rate
Improved animal welfare
Fewer replacement heifers are needed → increased use of beef semen• Lower environmental and climatic impact from beef crosses
Improved economy for herd owner
10
WIN WIN SITUATION FOR SOCIETY ☺
Thank you!
11