Genetic Selection as a Tool for Battling the Decline in

Reproductive Performance: A Dairy Perspective

Kent A. Weigel, Ph.D.

Department of Dairy Science

University of Wisconsin

Background

Reproduction of Lactating Cows vs. Yearling Heifers

Cows Heifers

Duration of estrus (hr) 7-8 11-14

Multiple ovulation rate (%) 20-25 1-3

Pregnancy loss (%) 20-30 3-5

Anovulation (%) 20-30 1-2

Diameter of the ovulatory follicle (mm) 16-18 14-16

Estrous cycle length (d) 20-29 20-23

Lopez et al., 2004

Estrus CharacteristicsEstrus Characteristics Lopez et al., 2004

Duration of Estrus Lopez et al., 2004

Multiple Ovulation Lopez et al., 2004

Twinning Rate in Holsteins

0

1

2

3

4

5

1983

1984

1985

1986

1987

1988

1989

1990

1991

1992

1993

1994

1995

1996

1997

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

Kinsel et al., 1998

Silva del Rio et al., 2006

Year of Conception

Twin

ning

(%)

Importance of Body Condition Score

Anovulatory Condition Lopez et al. 2004

Anovulatory ConditionAnovulatory Condition Lopez et al. 2004

Santos et al., 2004

Low milk = 36 kg/dHigh milk = 52 kg/d

Milk Yield vs. Embryonic Loss between 31 to 45 d of Pregnancy

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

Low High

Pre

gn

ancy

Lo

ss, %

P = 0.81

N=250

Body Condition vs. Embryonic Loss

Silke et al., 2004

N=103N=147

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

La

te E

mb

ryo

nic

Lo

ss

, %

Lost Maintained Gained

P < 0.05

Selection for Female Fertility

Indirect Selection for Fertility Length of Productive Life (available since 1994)

Total months in milk by 7 years of age

Limit of 10 months per lactation

Rewards a short calving interval

Dairy Form (received negative economic weight in 2005)

Poor body condition = poor fertility Can measure milk production directly

Shouldn’t reward angularity

Evaluation of Female Fertility

USDA Animal Improvement Programs Laboratory introduced national genetic evaluations for female fertility in 2003

Dairy sires from all breeds are evaluated based on the fertility of their daughters

The animal model system for fertility is the same as for production traits

Evaluations are released 3 times per year

Evaluation of Female Fertility Input data are days open measurements

from the DHI milk recording system

Days open (calculated from the last reported insemination) is confirmed with subsequent calving dates, if possible

Animals with no subsequent calving are assigned an arbitrary value of 250 days

Days open data are transformed to 21-day pregnancy rates

Today’s Fertility Data Introduced in February 2003

> 40 million records > 16 million cows

Based on days open data, including: Breeding date confirmed by calving (57%) Breeding date without next calving (19%) Breeding date conflicts with next calving (5%) Next calving, but no reported breeding (6%) Culled due to infertility (5%) No fertility information (8%)

Published “daughter pregnancy rate”

Example Bulls for DPR

1H6360 WizardDPR +3.7%

1% DPR ≈ 4 days open

200H3101 FreelanceDPR -3.8%

The 21-day pregnancy rate of Wizard daughters will be 7.5% higher, on average than for Freelance daughters, and Wizard daughters will have

30 fewer days open per lactation

Genetic Trend in Milk Yield

Genetic Trend in Daughter

Pregnancy Rate

Genetic Correlation = 0.31

Introduction ofProductive Life

Selection forMale Fertility

Evaluation of Male Fertility Regional evaluations of male fertility have

been carried out by dairy records processing centers for many years

USDA-AIPL recently began computing “phenotypic” evaluations for service sire conception rate (i.e., direct effect)

Evaluations are published as the expected percentage change in conception rate, including both genetic and environmental factors

Example Bulls for SCR

29H10483 JammerSCR + 4

9,731 inseminations

14H4099 BillionSCR - 3

4,422 inseminations

Expect a 7% difference between these bulls in conception rate, under equivalent management conditions

Additional Fertility Traits As a by-product of evaluations for service

sire conception rate, two new female fertility traits were introduced in 2009

Cow conception rate measures the expected difference in conception rate due to the female (i.e., maternal effect) in lactating animals

Heifer conception rate measures the expected difference in conception rate in non-lactating animals

Reproductive Events (up to 20 segments)Type of reproductive event codeDate of reproductive event (YYYYMMDD)

National Fertility Database

H Observed in estrus (heat) but not inseminatedS Synchronized estrus event (injection or other methods)A Artificial inseminationN Natural service breedingE Embryo donationI Embryo implantation (reporting sire of embryo)J Embryo implantation (reporting dam of embryo)P Confirmed pregnantO Confirmed not pregnant (open)X Cow given a "do not breed" designationG AI breeding with gender selected semen

USDA Format 5

Selection for Animal Health

Pregnancy Risk by Calving Disorder

Calving Disorder

Risk

of P

regn

ancy

0.72

0.79

0.86

0.93

1

1.07

1.14

1.21

Normal Twins Pulled Calf Dead Calf

Stillbirths and Female FertilityBicalho et al. (2007)

Pregnancy Risk by Repro. Disorder

Reproductive Disorder(in 1st 75 d Postpartum)

Risk

of P

regn

ancy

0.72

0.79

0.86

0.93

1

1.07

1.14

1.21

None RetainedPlacenta

Metritis

Pregnancy Risk by Mastitis Infection

Mastitis Infection (in 1st 75 d Postpartum)

Risk

of P

regn

ancy

0.72

0.79

0.86

0.93

1

1.07

1.14

1.21

No Yes

Pregnancy Risk by Metabolic Disorder

Metabolic Disorder(in 1st 75 d Postpartum)

Risk

of P

regn

ancy

0.72

0.79

0.86

0.93

1

1.07

1.14

1.21

None DisplacedAbomasum

Ketosis

Pregnancy Risk by Mobility Disorder

Mobility Disorder(in 1st 75 d Postpartum)

Risk

of P

regn

ancy

0.72

0.79

0.86

0.93

1

1.07

1.14

1.21

None Lameness

Dairy Comp 305 Valley Ag Software, Tulare, CA ~ 4,000 large herds

PCDART DRMS, Raleigh, NC ~ 3,000 medium-sized herds

DHI-Plus® DHI-Provo, Provo, UT ~ 300 very large herds

Management Software

Displaced Abomasum Ketosis Mastitis Lameness Cystic Ovaries Metritis

DA KETOSIS MAST ABCS CYST MET/RPD.A. KETOTIC RF ABSS CYSTG METLDA KET LF HROT CYSTO METRRDA KETO RR HFROT CYSTIC RPL-DA KETOS LR LAMINIT RCYST RETAINPR-DA KET1 MLFQ LAME LCYST RETPDAS KET2 MLRQ WRAP CYSTRO INFUDALF KET3 MRRQ LAMI CYSTLO INFDART KETI MRFQ LIMP MTRIDAR KETR MLF SOREFT RETNDAL KETS MLR ABCSRR RPL

KETH MRR ABCSLR RPINKETD MRF FOOT RPREKETP RFMT FEET UCNDMETB LFMT RTPL

LRMT UINFRRMT PYOMM2TIT UTCN

MASTALL RE-PLAMAST2QMAST3Q

Disease Codes

Summary of the Data(Alta Advantage herds and selected DRMS herds)

Zwald et al., 2004

Displaced Abomasum Ketosis Mastitis Lameness

Cystic Ovaries Metritis

Herds 313 250 429 212 340 418

Cows 75,252 52,898 105,029 50,611 65,080 97,316

Sires 2172 1205 4983 1109 3071 2163

Lactation Incidence Rate

3% 10% 20% 10% 8% 21%

Heritability Estimates

Zwald et al., 2004

Displaced Abomasum 14%

Ketosis 6%

Mastitis 9%

Lameness 4%

Cystic Ovaries 4%

Metritis / Retained Placenta 6%

Predicted Transmitting Abilitiesfor Daughter Health

Zwald et al., 2004

Displaced Abomasum Ketosis Mastitis Lameness Cystic

Ovaries Metritis

Disease Probability per Lactation (Best 10 Sires)

0.017 0.063 0.129 0.077 0.052 0.151

Disease Probability per Lactation (Worst 10 Sires)

0.061 0.132 0.259 0.131 0.091 0.271

• Differences in exposure• e.g., mastitis pathogens

• Inconclusive test results• e.g., Johne’s disease

• Incomplete reporting• incorrect diagnosis• underestimated severity• selective treatment• temporary recording

• Restrictions on access to the data

Challenges with Health Traits

Health Events (up to 20 segments)Type of health event codeDate of health event (YYYYMMDD)

National Health Database

Health Traits Cystic Ovary CYST Diarrhea/Scours DIAR Digestive Problem/Off Feed DIGE Displaced Abomasum DA-- Downer Cow DOWN Dystocia DYST Johne's Disease (clinical) JOHN Ketosis/Acetonemia KETO Lameness LAME Mastitis (clinical) MAST Metritis METR Milk Fever/Hypocalcemia MILK Nervous System Problem NERV

Reproductive problem other than CYST, DYST, METR, RETP REPR

Respiratory Problem RESP Retained Placenta RETP Stillbirth/Perinatal Survival STIL Teat Injury TEAT Udder Edema EDEM

Management Traits

Body Condition Score BCS-

Milking Speed SPEE

Temperament TEMP

USDA Format 6

Lifetime Net Merit (NM$)23% Fat

23% Protein17% Productive Life

-9% Somatic Cell Score6% Udder Composite

3% Feet & Legs Composite-4% Body Size Composite

9% Daughter Pregnancy Rate6% Calving Ability

Impact of Crossbreeding

Breed Differences (vs. Holstein)

Genetic differences between breeds represent twice thedifference in average predicted transmitting ability (PTA)

from the USDA-AIPL multi-breed genetic evaluations

Ayrshire Brown Swiss

Guernsey Jersey Milking Shorthorn

Milk Yield (lb) -5,258 -4,204 -6,107 -6,516 -7,106

Fat Yield (lb) -134 -79 -81 -75 -244

Protein Yield (lb) -130 -70 -136 -103 -198

Somatic Cell Score -0.16 -0.10 +0.07 +0.19 -0.07

Productive Life (mo) +0.3 +0.8 -8.5 +3.2 -2.2

Daughter Preg. Rate (%) +2.4 +1.1 +0.8 +5.5 +4.5

fertilityduring1st

lactation

Different from pure Holsteins: † P<0.10, * P<0.05, ** P<0.01

Fertility of Crossbred Cows(Heins et al., 2006)

Pure Holstein

Normande x Holstein

Montbeliarde x Holstein

Scandinavian Red x Holstein

No. Cows 677 421 805 529

Days Open 156 133** 137** 142**

Fertility and Udder Health of Crossbred Cows

(Dechow et al., 2007)

Holstein ½ Swiss ½ Holstein

¾ Swiss ¼ Holstein Brown Swiss

Number of Cows 2125 256 105 926

Age at Calving (mo) 25.9a 25.7a 26.6b 26.6b

Days Open 156b 144a 153ab 156b

Somatic Cell Score 2.73ab 2.54a 2.66ab 2.78b

Different superscripts within a row indicate Statistical significance at the P<0.05 level

survivalduring1st

lactation

Different from pure Holsteins: † P<0.10, * P<0.05, ** P<0.01

Longevity of Crossbred Cows(Heins et al., 2006)

survivaluntil 2nd

calving

Pure Holstein

Normande x Holstein

Montbeliarde x Holstein

Scandinavian Red x Holstein

No. Cows 724 437 806 549

until 30 d 96% 98% 99% 98%

until 150 d 93% 97%* 97%* 96%

until 305 d 86% 94%* 96%* 93%*

No. Cows 565 392 561 389

within 14 mo 44% 62%** 64%** 60%**

within 17 mo 61% 76%** 78%** 73%**

within 20 mo 67% 79%** 83%** 77%**

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