Download How sustainable are the dairy cattle breeding programs in Oceania?

How sustainable are the dairy
cattle breeding programs in
Oceania?
Bevin Harris, Jennie Pryce and Bill Montgomerie
Background
New Zealand
Low input – pasture based dairy systems
365 day inter-calving interval
Breed Breakdown
Other
95% Spring calving
Jersey
Average herd size 330 cows
3.8 million cows
HFxJ Cross
Ayrshire
Holstien Friesian
Background
Australia
Medium -high input – pasture + grain dairy systems
417 day inter-calving interval
Split spring and autumn
calving
Breed Breakdown
HFxJ Cross
Jersey
Other
Average herd size 187 cows
2.1 million cows
Holstien Friesian
Genotype by Environment
Protein Yield Across Country Genetic
Correlations
NZL
AUS
USA
NLD
NZL
1.00
AUS
0.85
1.00
USA
0.75
0.75
1.00
NLD
0.75
0.75
0.87
1.00
IRL
0.85
0.85
0.75
0.80
Selection Objectives
Australia
APR index
Profit ranking on milk production, health, fertility,
type and survival
New Zealand
BW index
Efficiency measure incorporating milk production,
health, fertility and longevity
Background
New Zealand
Progeny testing resources
LIC
Ambreed
Semayr
Liberty
Other
Bulls
300
121
37
34
28
Holstein
Jersey
Red
HFxJ
Bulls
222
154
48
99
Majority of cows breed from bulls progeny tested in
NZ
Background
Australia
Progeny testing resources
Bulls
Holstein
220
Jersey
33
Other
16
50% of cows breed from bulls progeny tested in AU
Influence of Holstein in
Oceania in the HF breed
Australia
New Zealand
Greater than
80% in Holstein
Friesian cows
1980
1990
2000
2006
Levels of inbreeding
Australia
M. Haile-Mariam et al. (2007)
Levels of inbreeding
New Zealand
Inbreeding trend in New Zealand dairy cows
3.5
3
Holstein-Friesian
Jersey
Ayrshire
Crossbred
2.5
2
1.5
1
0.5
04
06
20
20
00
02
20
20
96
98
19
19
94
92
90
Year of birth
19
19
19
86
88
19
19
82
84
19
19
78
80
19
19
74
76
19
19
72
19
19
70
0
Inbreeding Avoidance
New Zealand
AI technicians have hand-held computers
(DataMate™)
Real-time control of inbreeding
Avoidance of mating close relatives at the time of
insemination
Mate allocation in LIC breeding scheme to maintain
long term genetic diversity by accounting for the
future coancestry among selected bulls
Inbreeding Avoidance
Australia
Research outlining the incorporation of economic
consequence of future inbreeding depression into the
economic index for bull selection
Method has been shown to reduce the relationship
among selected bulls
Maintaining Diversity
New Zealand
Increasing levels
of crossbreeding
Increasing
population size
5 million cows
2010
70
Holstein Friesian
60
50
HF-J Cross
40
30
20
Jersey
10
Ayrshire
0
1985
1987
1989
1991
1993
1995
Year
1997
1999
2001
2003
Conclusions
Pasture based genetics
Viable progeny testing schemes in New Zealand
New testing schemes in Ireland
Sourcing genetics worldwide to complement New
Zealand genetics
Increasing population size in New Zealand
Increasing levels of crossbreeding offsetting
increasing levels of inbreeding from selection
Conclusions
Pasture based genetics
Expansion of pasture based systems in South
America and South Africa
Increased demand for a source of pasture based
genetics
It is important that cow populations in New Zealand
continue to maintain a wide genetic base whilst
continuing to genetically improve the animals under
pasture management system