Throwing INVESTMENT DOLLAR$ &

GENETIC PROGRESS Away

How Much Are You Willing to Loseto Inbreeding?

Let’s face it! The choice of bloodlines is getting narrow. Accurate identification and ultilization of this information is essential to avoid the economic impact associated with inbreeding depression

Anyone who milks cows for a living, loses profit and genetic progress from inbred cows. In fact, Virginia Tech data pegs the effects of inbreeding on lifetime performance of Holsteins at over $US 24 lost in lifetime net income for each percent increase.

Producers face hard choices between high numbers of bulls that are related to high numbers of cows or low numbers of available outcrosses. Many times they are unaware that the animal they are creating will be inbred

Some Inbreeding Examples:
1) Mating a bull to his daughters: results in progeny that are 25% inbred
2) Mating a bull to his sister: results in progeny that are at least 12.5% inbred
3) Mating a bull to his granddaughter: results in progeny that are at least 12.5% inbred

The negative effects of inbreeding.
1) Reduces health, fertility, vigor and productivity of dairy cattle
2) Reduced conception rate and calf survival
3) Lethal conditions resulting in undiserable genes

The detrimental effects of inbreeding start the day the mating decision is made. A mating program to reduce inbreeding by only 1.5% is worth $12 per mating. Twelve dollars per mating is something every profit oriented dairyman needs to be concerned about.

Assumptions used in calculation:
- In breeding depression of 60 lbs. per 1% inbreeding
- 50% of pregnancies result in a heifer
- 85% of heifers born enters the milking herd
- 3.2 average number of lactation
- $12.50 per cwt milk price .784 (net present dollars, 5% interest rate)

Tips to consider in a mating program:
1) Choose high-ranking bulls with knowledge of of sires & maternal grandsires of those bulls and cow data of your herd
2) Work with the pedigree of a cow or heifer that is related to one or more of your chosen sires
3) Keep sound pedigree information of your herd

Information courtesy of Holstein Association USA and Virginia Tech

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Posted Oct 10th

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