Is our dairy cow sustainable for the

future?

L. B. HansenUniversity of Minnesota

Cow desired by dairy producers

•Early maturing

•High milk production

•Sound fertility

•Functional udder

•Mobility (lameness)

•Disease resistance

•Long herd life

Change of Holsteins over the past 35 years

•Dramatic gain in milk production (+10,000 lb)

•Much better udders

•Larger body size (much taller and deeper)

•Less body condition (much “sharper”)

Traits historically ignored for Holsteins

• calving difficulty

• stillbirth

• cow fertility

• cow health

• cow longevity

Change of Holstein cows

Birth year M.E. Milk (lb) # of Lactations Days open

1960 13,813 3.63

103

1970 15,228 3.48

115

1980 17,699 3.17

117

1990 20,959 2.78

125

2000 25,321 2.76

142

2005 26,077 2.70

**137

Longevity of cows

• The typical Holstein cow in the U.S. has somewhat more than two lactations

• About 10% of Holstein cows die on farms

• Less chance to voluntarily cull cows with time, because cows cull themselves (fertility, lameness, health)

• Replacement heifers cost about $1500

• Cull cow prices are currently very high

7

Body size of cows

• Is bigger better? • No! Not based on research

• Natural tendency to choose bigger cattle

• Show ring demands large body size

• Holsteins are becoming bigger and bigger with time

9

10

Genetic relationships with longevity(on scale of +1 to -1)

Trait 1980-821

1995-972

Milk +0.43 –0.11

Body condition (“sharpness”) +0.41 –0.25

Stature +0.05 –0.13Strength –0.13 –0.20Body Depth –0.07 –0.291Weigel et al. (1998) J. Dairy Sci. 81:2040.2Tsuruta et al. (2005) J. Dairy Sci. 88:1156.

Birth year of cows

Optimum score for longevity(on scale of 1 to 9)

Trait U.S.1 Germany2 Canada3

Body condition 3 (round) 5 9 (sharp)

Stature 2 (low set) 3 (low set) 9 (tall)

Strength 3 (narrow) 1 (very narrow) 9 (wide)

Body depth 3 (shallow) 2 (shallow) 7 (deep)

1Caraviello et al. (2004) J. Dairy Sci. 87:2677.2Buenger et al. (2001) J. Dairy Sci. 84:1531.3Sewalem et al. (2004) J. Dairy Sci. 87:3938.

Smallerand

Rounder

Current Goal Future Goal ??

Lameness

• Dr. Temple Grandin: Lameness is the single largest animal welfare issue facing the dairy industry today

• Bigger cows have more weight on legs & feet, and they have more problems with cow comfort in stalls

• At least 25% (and perhaps 30% to 35%) of U.S. dairy cows are clinically lame

Average inbreeding of U.S. Holsteins

Birth year Inbreeding (%)

1992 3.0

1998 4.3

2004 5.1

2010 5.7

Relationship to Holstein breed

• Elevation (born 1965) 15.4%

• Chief (born 1962) 14.2%

• Blackstar (37.5% Elevation and Chief) 16.0%

• BW Marshall (grandson of Elton) 14.6%

• Mtoto (grandson of Starbuck and of Blackstar) 14.4%

• Durham (son of Elton out of a Mark) 14.0%

• Valiant (son of Chief) 13.6%

• Starbuck (son of Elevation) 13.6%

• Mark (son of Chief) 13.4%

Genomics• It’s the latest “magic bullet”

• It’s being called a “revolution” – probably

not

• Genomics is an elegant new tool to improve the efficiency of progeny testing of young bulls

• Should be effective in “weeding out” the “stinkers” – the young bulls that lack top genetics for traits

• Should NOT be used for across-breed selection – but it is!

• The “hype” continues

Impact of genomics

• Planet +0.24 +4 12.0%

• O-Man +0.14 -10 13.4%

• Shottle +2.80 +3 13.4%

• Goldwyn +3.16 +1 11.8%

• Ramos +0.48 -11 10.4%

• Bolton +2.15 +11 12.0%

Bull Stature Days open Relationship

Overview of California study

• Six cooperating dairies in central California

• Holstein cows bred to A.I. sires from numerous breeds• Holstein

Normande

Montbeliarde

Nordic Red (Swedish Red and Norwegian Red)

•

•

•

Total removals during first lactation

Holstein 416 8.7 15.9

All Crossbreds 1,075 2.6 ** 7.4 **

Normande-Holstein 251 3.6 * 9.6 *

Montbeliarde-Holstein 503 2.4 ** 7.0 **

Nordic Red-Holstein 321 2.2 ** 6.2 **

Prior to 1st Calving toBreed Cows milk recording 305 days

------------ (%)

------------

** p < .01, * p < .05

Days open

Pure Normande- Montbeliarde- Nordic Red- Holstein Holstein Holstein

Holstein

----------------------------- (days) -----------------------------1st lactation (360) 148 (232) –21 ** (477) –16 * (305) –14 *

2nd lactation (275) 144 (196) –17 * (396) –24 ** (254) –11 †

3rd lactation (180) 146 (146) –14 † (302) –16 * (181) –14 †

4th lactation (97) 147 (93) –16 (195) –27 ** (116) –1

5th lactation (37) 157 (43) –34 * (72) –48 ** (33) –19

All lactations 148 –20 ** –26 ** –11 *Cows were required to have 250 days in milk.

Number of cows in parentheses.

** p < .01, * p < .05, † p < .10

Average of all 305-day lactations

Pure Normande- Montbeliarde- Nordic Red- Trait Holstein Holstein Holstein Holstein

Milk (lb) 25,169 –3468 ** –1483 ** –1920 **

% Fat 3.58 +0.15 +0.11 +0.13

Fat (lb) 902 –93 ** –27 ** –33 **

% Protein 3.09 +0.17 +0.09 +0.11

Protein (lb) 777 –71 ** –25 ** –30 **

Fat (lb) + Protein (lb)1679 –164 ** –52 ** –63 **

% of Holstein –9.8 % –3.1 % –3.8 %

Lactations 1,100 807 1,653 1,107

** p < .01

Longevity

Subsequent Pure Normande- Montbeliarde- Nordic Red-calving Holstein Holstein Holstein

Holstein

------------------------------ (%) -------------------------------1st calving (165) --- (168) --- (369) --- (218) ---

2nd calving (124) 75 (148) +13 ** (328) +14 ** (186) +10 **

3rd calving (84) 51 (123) +22 ** (276) +24 ** (155) +20 **

4th calving (48) 29 (89) +24 ** (203) +26 ** (110) +21 **

Number of cows in parentheses.

** p < .01

Pure Normande- Montbeliarde- Nordic Red- Trait Holstein Holstein Holstein

Holstein

Milk (lb) 61,918 +3,703 +10,592 ** +7,033

*

Fat (lb) 2,195 +238 * +488 ** +349 **

Protein (lb) 1,921 +210 * +395 ** +291 **

Fat (lb) + Protein (lb)4,117 +448 * +883 ** +640 **

% of Holstein +11 % +21 % +16 %

Cows 165 168 369 218

Production within the 4-year period (1,461 days) after first calving

** p < .01, * p < .05

Lifetime productionwithin 4 years of first calving

Input values for lifetime profit

• $1200 – replacement cost

• $250 – live heifer calf

• $100 – live bull calf

• $125 – dead cow disposal

• $525 – cull cow

• $40 – breeding cost• Feed costs for daily fat-corrected milk of

each cow with fixed body weight of 1200 lb

(first lactation) and 1500 lb (later lactations)

• $5.33 – average daily feed cost

• Actual value of all solids and SCC in milk for U.S. from 2007 to 2009

• $15.61/cwt – average milk price

Projected lifetime profit (ignoring differences in health costs)

Pure Normande- Montbeliarde- Nordic Red- Trait Holstein Holstein Holstein

Holstein

Days in the herd 946 d 1263 d 1358 d 1305 d

Lifetime profit $4312 $5441 $6480 $6247

Difference --------- +$1129 ** +$2168 ** +$1935 **

% of Holstein +26 % +50 % +45 %

Cows 165 168 369 218

** p < .01

Profit per day in the herd (ignoring differences in health costs)

Pure Normande- Montbeliarde- Nordic Red- Trait Holstein Holstein Holstein

HolsteinCows 165 168 369 218

** p < .01

Profit per day $4.51 $4.23 $4.74 $4.66

Difference from Holstein ─$0.28 ** +0.23 ** +0.15 **

% of Holstein daily profit ─6.2 % +5.1 % +3.3 %

Swedish Red

Montbeliarde

Holstein

Example of a 3-breed rotation

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Designed crossbreeding study with

large dairies in Minnesota• 10 dairies enrolled during 2008

• Rotational crossbreeding with ProCROSS

• Holstein Montbeliarde Swedish Red

• Holstein Swedish Red Montbeliarde

• 4185 pure Holstein heifers and cows enrolled

• 40% bred to Holstein A.I. bulls

• 30% bred to Montbeliarde A.I. bulls

• 30% bred to Swedish Red A.I. bulls

Designed crossbreeding study with 10 large dairies in Minnesota

Trait Average of dairies

Number in each dairy 743 cows

Milk 28,370 lb

Fat 1014 lb

Protein 822 lb

SCC 225,000

Designed crossbreeding study with 10 large dairies in Minnesota

Trait Average of dairies

Days open 132 days

Services per conception 2.5

Calving interval 13.6 months

Stillbirth rate 7.6%

Death rate 7.9%

Turnover rate of cows 34 %

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1-08 284d 24,720 3.9% 952 2.9% 710305-day mature equivalent – 32,890 lbPregnant on 1st service at 69 days open

Montbeliarde x Holstein

35

Swedish Red x Holstein

1-10 288d 24,650 3.5% 875 3.1% 770305-day mature equivalent – 30,360 lbPregnant on 1st service at 71 days open

Conclusions

• Selection against body condition on top of production has reduced fertility and longevity of Holstein cows

• Cows that are more moderate in size have advantages over big cows for fertility, health, and longevity

• The cow that is best for most dairies is “smaller and rounder” than what has been the goal

Conclusions (continued)

• Inbreeding of Holsteins has been increasing at a continuous rate of +0.1% per year

• Genomics will likely accelerate the rate of increase in inbreeding within Holsteins

• Genomics is marketed as a “magic bullet” that will improve the fertility and health of cows, which is doubtful

Conclusions (continued)

• Crossbreeding eliminates concerns about inbreeding and, instead, provides a boost from hybrid vigor

• Hybrid vigor has greatest and immediate impact on traits related to fertility, health, and longevity

• Consumers embrace production systems that improve the health and well-being of livestock

• Sustainability of dairying can be improved by the use of carefully designed crossbreeding systems