1. Experiences from running a pedigree recording system for endangered cattle breeds
Anna Rehnberg, Norwegian Genetic Resource Centre
Seminar ”Challenges and opportunities in the management of animal genetic resources”
Ås, 10 December 2009

2. Outline Introduction of the endangered cattle breeds
A historical overview of the development of the Cow Database for native endangered cattle breeds (Kuregisteret)
Merging the Cow Database with the National Recording Scheme for dairy cattle (Kukontrollen)
Extracts from the Cow Database
How can we use the recorded data for better management of the endangered cattle breeds?

3. 900 cows 600 cows 810 cows 900 cows 240 cows 250 cows 280 cows
Sided Trønder and Nordland
Telemark
Døla
Western Red Polled
Eastern Red Polled
Western Fjord
900 cows
600 cows
810 cows
900 cows
240 cows
250 cows
280 cows
190 cows
1030 cows
800 cows

4. Registration of endangered cattle breeds
Organized by the Committee on Farm Animal Genetic Resources and the Norwegian Museum of Agriculture (NLM) in
Registered breeds were: Døla (DF), Telemark (TF), Western Fjord (VFF), Western Red Polled (VR) and Eastern Red Polled (ØR)
Owner, name, breed, date of birth, ancestors
Intet krav til merking og registrering av dyr i 1989 – kom en gang på 90-tallet.

5. The Cow Database for endangered cattle breeds
Endangered cattle breeds needed a pedigree recording system
A first version was developed in 1990
Administrated by the Norwegian Museum of Agriculture until 1. July 2009
From 1 July 2009 the administration was moved to the Norwegian Genetic Resource Centre
Punkt 1. Moste of the farmers were not members of the national recording scheme system
Tilsluttning??

6. The Cow Database for endangered cattle breeds
Pedigree print-out for each animal in the herd
Three generations
Important tool for the farmers breeding work
A tool for the public administration
Monitor the development of the breeds
Provide breeding advice
Control system for national production subsidies

7. A second version of the Cow Database
Established in 1995 by Nordic Gene Bank Farm Animals (now Nordic Genetic Resource Center)
Inbreeding coefficient
Pedigree completeness
Possible mating lists
Avkommets utslag på innavl

8. Arguments for a third version of the Cow Database
Out-of-date server, a new version of the Cow Database has been planned for many years
Strong request from the farmers to only register in one database
Include farms with endangered cattle breeds who only reports registration to the National Recording Scheme
Be able to get more information from the database that can be used for better management

9. The third version of the Cow Database
Reorganization and updating of the Cow Database started in 2008 and the merging with the National Recording Scheme was performed in October 2009 in cooperation with the Section of Geomatics at the Norwegian Forest and Landscape Institute
Cows of the endangered cattle breeds are now automatically updated from the National Recording Scheme to the Cow Database
The section of geomatics has a broad experience of hosting and developing large databases.
Their expertise has been of great importance when developing the third version of the cow database

10. Presented reports are based on
Female cows (> 2 years)
Pure bred (>87,5%)
Five breeds

11. Reports from the third version of the Cow Database
Before merging*
From the National Recording Scheme
Updated Cow Database in 2009
Number of farms
375 52
427
Number of animals
2091
459
2550
*with the National Recording Scheme
54 % of all farms with endangered cattle breeds are members of the National Recording Scheme

12. Development of breeding females 1990-2009
Farge
Raselag
God melker

13. Development of farms

14. Number of born calves

15. Number of farms with endangered cattle breeds by county
Tromsø 4 7
Trondheim 11 37 59 89 38 25
Bergen 55 11 32 5
Oslo 10 26 5 12

16. Future use of the Cow Database
Data will be used to give advice on public administration and breeding strategies
Public administration
The shown reports from the Cow Database will be used for monitoring the development of the breeds
Other reports who are planed to be extracted are
Number of breeding males per generation
Number of offspring per breeding female
Average age of the breeding females
County level – how many animals of each breed

17. Future use of the Cow Database
Advice on breeding strategies
Extract data that can be used in a inbreeding control program like EVolutionary Algorithms (EVA)
Select AI bulls based on their average genetic relationship to the rest of the population
Eva: Based on optimal selection, a method of controlling the average relationship to parents
This tool can provide us guidelines, but it also important to be aware of that practical considerations (betraktninger, hensyn) and assessments (bedømmelse) has to me made

18. Thank you for your attention!
Click to edit Master text styles
Breeding advicement
Second level
Third level
Fourth level
Fifth level

19. Merging Challenges when merging to databases
How are farms and animals connected in the to databases and how can we make sure to merge them correctly?
Issues that are unproblematic in one database offers a challenge in the other
New problems appear when proceeding
BUT the problems have so far been solvable
There are still a few challenges left before the merging can be considered as 100 % full filed and successful
Although – the database is now more complete than before merging!!

20. Reports from the third version of the Cow Database
From the National Recording Scheme
52 new farms
459 new animals
Total number of farms are now 430
Total number of animals are now 2550
54 % of all farms with endangered cattle breeds are members of the National Recording Scheme
TABELL!!
I dag er 98% av alle melkekyr besetninger en del av Kukontrollen
Likevel er 46% av våre besetninger ikke en del av Kukontrollen. Noen har dyra som ammekyr – men sannsynligvis ikke halvparten. Det vil være interessant å se på muligheten å få inn ammekyr i Storfekjøttkontrollen – for da å se hvor mange som fortsatt står utenfor de nasjonale husdyrkontrollene.

21. The third version of the Cow Database
Reorganization and updating of the database to prepare merging with the National Recording System
Easier than before to extract data
rapporter