1. Level II Agricultural Business Operations

2. What is the objective... ?  To produce a more efficient dairy animal  Milk producers want healthy cows, acceptable yields and cows that are efficient at turning feed into milk. Improving all these factors will help to increase profits  Milk Production = Genetics + Environment

3.  Main breed:Holstein-Friesian 97% of the UK dairy herd  Other breeds:Ayrshire Jersey Shorthorn  Alternatives:MontbeliardeBrown Swiss Fleckvieh Scandinavian Red NormandeMRI/Rotbunt } 3% of UK dairy herd

4. Yield (Litres) 10,000 9,000 8,000 7,000 6,000 5,000 4,000 Moderate dairying systems -Increased breeding options -Lower merit Holstein with better quality/functional traits -Higher genetic merit Ayrshires/British Friesians -Dual purpose breeds/Crossbreeding Low input/Low output systems -Jersey/Dual purpose breeds -Crossbreeding to maximise non- productive traits (fertility/longevity) High input/High output systems -Limited breeding options -Holstein Friesian with high potential for milk yield

5. Selection of Breeding Stock  Faster genetic progress  Select bulls for desired traits: e.g.Milk yield Milk composition Fertility, Longevity, SCC  Consult DairyCo list of available bulls  Check pedigrees to avoid inbreeding Male side  Select replacements from your best cows: ◦ Milk recording ◦ Health records ◦ Physical characteristics ◦ Use heifers for breeding replacements  Slow genetic progress Female side

6.  Where do they come from... ?  Milk recording improves reliability of proofs deriving benefit to: - individual farmers - industry as a whole  Reliability of genetic proofs for bulls and cows depends on amount and quality of information used to produce them  Lower reliability proofs more likely to change over time as more information becomes available -Parents -Grandparents -Siblings -Genomic testing -Progeny Milk recording } Dairy Proofs

7.  Dependability of bull or cow to pass on their traits to next generation  Test bulls are born with a reliability of 35-40%  Test bulls with first crop daughters completing first lactation have reliability of 80-85%  Genomically tested bulls have reliability of around 60%  Widely used bulls with second crop daughters have reliabilities of up to 99% Genomic Indexes What is Reliability?

8. Genomics What is it... ?  Technology that examines the DNA profile of cattle (young bulls) to identify traits that we want to select for What is the benefit of it... ?  Identifies animals early in life that are likely to out- perform their contemporaries (especially brothers)  Increases the reliability of younger test bulls available through AI, shortening the interval by up to 4 years  More rapid genetic progress

9. Natural Service:  Putting all eggs in one basket  Limited genetic progress & low reliability (35-40%)  Where has he been bred – bull proofs, herd yield?  How long to be kept – breeding on his heifers? What are your herd aims:  Milk yield, quality – or both?  Non production traits – fertility, SCC, longevity?  Where are you now – herd genetic report? AI or Natural Service AI Bulls:  Greater reliability of proofs & genetic progress  Can select for a range of traits – yield, quality, fertility, etc.  Not limited to one bull – different bulls on different cows.

10.  Increased Yield  Improved Milk Quality  Reduced SCC/Mastitis  Increased Longevity  Improved Fertility  Reduced Lameness  No Calving Problems  All of the above … Milk, Fat and Protein kg … Fat and Protein % … SCC, Udders … Lifespan … Fertility Index … Locomotion/Feet & Leg … Calving Ease … £PLI Profitable Lifetime Index (£) Farmers’ Breeding Wish List

11.  Single Financial Figure - summarises all production and health PTA’s into a single financial figure for each individual breed  Expressed on a Lifetime Basis - indicates extra margin (£) a bull or cow is expected to pass onto it’s progeny in it’s lifetime  Bulls ranked on £PLI – the top 100 bulls have good productive and non-productive PTAs  Spring Calving Index (£SCI) – alternative ‘across breed index’ first launched in Aug 2014 designed specifically for spring calving herds Profitable Lifetime Index (£PLI)

12. Sire Proofs  Pedigree information  £PLI and PTAs for production traits  PTAs for non- production traits  Linear assessment

13. PTAs for: Milk yield (kg) Fat yield (kg) Protein yield (kg) Fat % Protein % Fertility SCC Lifespan Calving ease- direct - maternal Maintenance (Lwt) Milk Yield x  PTA is genetic merit a parent is predicted to transmit to its’ progeny.  Progeny’s Breeding Value is sum of PTAs it receives from it’s parents.  Progeny in turn passes on half it’s Breeding Value (i.e. it’s own PTA) to it’s progeny. Bull PTA = 363 Progeny (heifer) Breeding Value = 363 + 0 = 363 PTA = 182 Cow PTA = 0 Predicted Transmitting Ability (PTA)

14. Sire Proofs - £PLI and Production PTAs

15. Sire Proofs – Non-Production PTAs DairyCo proofs provide information on:  Fertility  Lifespan  SCC  Calving ease o Direct o Maternal  Maintenance

16.  Breed society assessment of dairyness characteristics  Based on appearance of female relations  Composite scores for dairyness, mammary and feet/legs  Udder traits most important and should generally be right of centre Sire Proofs – Linear Type Traits

17. What Should You Focus On... ? Irrespective of your system, where possible, select bulls from... a)Top 100 ranked bulls on £PLI list (currently £PLI > 380) and: b)Positive for BF% c)Positive for PR% d)Positive for Fertility e)Positive for Lifespan f)Negative for SCC } Specific criteria should be in line with your herd targets Tight selection criteria limits bull choice but will maximise potential genetic gain - avoid inbreeding

18.  Used in Northern Ireland to introduce hybrid vigour } Improved functional traits à Improved cow health à Improved lifespan à Improved fertility à Less mastitis à Less calf mortality Crossbreeding

19. Dairy Cow Breeding - Summary  Decide your system and breed for desired improvements e.g.Increased yield or protein Improved fertility or longevity  Bull or AI – AI enables more refined selection and improves potential genetic gain  Select your best cows  Choose bulls from the top 100 ranked on £PLI  Use team of 3-4 bulls and keep choice simple and effective

20. Level II Agricultural Business Operations

21. Key Issues  How many heifers do I need... ?  What age should they be at calving... ?  Target age and weight at breeding... ?  How do you monitor development... ?

22. How Many Heifers Do I Need... ? Replacement Rate:  Proportion of new heifers/cows entering the herd each year should equal the number leaving  Replacement rate in a stable 100-cow herd: e.g. 25 culls = 25 replacements = 25%  However, in an expanding herd, replacement rate will be higher to allow for expansion: e.g. 35 replacements in a 100-cow herd = 35%  A typical replacement rate in NI ranges from 23–36% and averages 29% (CAFRE Benchmarking)

23. Heifer Losses  Replacement rate counts only the heifers introduced to the milking herd.  Does not count losses along the way...  Reason for losses:  Pneumonia/Scour  Infertility  Casualties  Summer mastitis  Have at least 25% more heifers than you need  e.g. If you need 25 heifers replacements you will have to start out with 31 heifer calves or more

24. How Many Cows Do I Serve...? Calculations for a 100-cow herd  25% replacement rate = 25 heifers introduced  25% loss = 6 additional heifers  At least 31 heifer calves required  Half the calves born will be bulls: 62 calvings  Minimum of 62 cows bred to dairy bull Options:  Use sexed semen for first service of maiden heifers  Breed replacements from earlier calving cows

25. What Age Should They Be At Calving...?  Given a similar lifespan, earlier calving heifers have a longer productive life

26. Benefits of 24 Month Calving  Reduced costs of heifer rearing period due to earlier calving  Smaller heifers with less liveweight loss in early first lactation  Hence, better fertility in first lactation - greater survival from first to second lactation  More lactations on average - longer productive life  While less milk produced in first lactation, the extra lactation means greater lifetime yield

27. Target Age At Breeding... ? Age at first service (months) Age average heifer conceives (months) Age at first calving (months) 13.515.024.0 15.016.525.5 16.518.027.0 Excuses... ?  Too small to serve  Smaller heifers can’t compete  Increased management/feeding required  Better milk yields from larger heifers  Underestimate weights/lack of confidence

28. Target Weight At Breeding... ?  Aim for liveweight of 340-370 kg at first service  Don’t serve heifers less than 330 kg  Heifers should calve at 550-580 kg

29. Age (Months) 03691215182124 Aug-NovSilage + 2 kg heifer nuts Grass + 1 kg heifer nuts Silage + 2 kg heifer nuts Grass only Dec-FebSilage + 2 kg hfr nuts Grass + 1.5 kg hfr nuts Silage + 2.5 kg heifer nuts Grass + 1.5 kg heifer nuts Silage + 2 kg heifer nuts Mar-JulStraw + 3 kg heifer nuts Straw + 4 kg heifer nuts Grass + 1.5 kg heifer nuts Silage + 2 kg heifer nuts Heifer Feed Plans

30. How Do You Monitor Development... ? Serve at 340-370 kg liveweight

31. Dairy Heifer Replacements - Summary  To achieve a replacement rate of 25% in a stable herd, at least 30% heifer calves are needed  Calving at 24 months is the most efficient  Serve from 13.5 months at 340-370 kg  Monitor growth regularly using a weighbridge, girth band or wither stick