Update of Economic Breeding Index Donagh Berry, Siobhan Ring, Alan Twomey, Alan Hurley, Morgan O Sullivan, Sinead McParland Teagasc, Moorepark, Ireland Donagh.berry@teagasc.ie
Relative emphasis Evolution of the EBI 100% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% Milk Fertility Calving Beef Maintenance Health Management
Sub-index Trait Weight Emphasis Emphasis Milk (kg) -0.09 11% Production Fat (kg) 1.04 3% 33% Protein (kg) 6.64 19% Fertility Calving interval (d) -12.43 24% 35% Survival (%) 12.01 11% Calving difficulty dir (%) -3.52 3% Calving Calving difficulty mat (%) -1.73 1% Gestation (d) -7.50 4% 9% Maintenance Calf mortality (%) -2.58 1% Cow (kg) -1.65 7% 7% Carcase weight (kg) 1.38 5%
Breeding objectives CAN USA NLD UK AUS NZL USA 0.84 NLD 0.87 0.87 UK 0.85 0.85 0.82 AUS 0.74 0.64 0.69 0.75 NZL 0.49 0.44 0.44 0.54 0.78
NextGen results - 2016 National Average Elite Days in milk 150 153 Milk solids to date (kg) 277 293 Fat % 4.12 4.41 Protein % 3.41 3.57 Live-weight 534 514 BCS 2.81 2.95 Submission 3 weeks (%) 91 96 6 wk in-calf rate (%) 51 77 9 wk in-calf rate (%) 69 91
NextGen results - 2016
Economic values Milk price (29.5 c/l) International projections (e.g., RaboBank) does not suggest otherwise Feed prices ( 250/t) No reason to change Farmer feedback Live-weight
Missing suites of traits Product quality Fatty acid content, protein profile, processing ability BreedQuality Environmental load (incl. feed intake) Methane, nitrogen, feed intake RapidFeed Health (incl. disease) and welfare Production diseases HealthyGenes
Animal health Genetics creates the potential Disease destroys the potential Management realises the potential Animal health is the new fertility and breeding has a role in its control
Heritability Breeding possible?? 0.25 0.20 Fertility ~3% 0.15 0.10 0.05 Limiting factor is data! 0.00 Trait
Categories of traits Close to implementation TB, cystic ovaries Data available but no genetic parameters Johnes, IBR, cow health traits, calf health traits, claw health Data not available and no genetic parameters Liver-fluke, pneumonia, neospora, salmonella,
0.00 0.00 0.05 0.10 0.15 0.20 0.25 0.30 0.35 0.40 0.45 0.50 0.55 0.60 0.65 0.70 0.75 0.80 0.85 0.90 0.95 Axis Title 0.04 0.08 0.12 0.16 0.20 0.24 Animal Health 0.28 0.32 0.36 0.00 0.00 0.03 0.01 0.06 0.09 0.02 0.12 0.03 0.15 0.04 0.18 0.05 0.21 0.06 0.24 0.07 0.27 0.08 0.30 0.09 0.33 0.10 0.37 0.11 0.41 0.12 Lameness Mastitis Predicted Daughter prevalence probability of TB Cow Incidence Herd incidence Daughter prevalence Tuberculosis Cystic ovaries Worse 10% PTA 31% 13% Best 10% PTA 5% 8% Daughter prevalence Daughter prevalence
Number of sires Liver-fluke 18 16 14 12 10 8 6 4 2 0 Predicted probability of Fluke Cow Incidence Daughter prevalence 30 daughters 10 herds N=86 Herd incidence Worse 10% PTA 41% 45% Best 10% PTA 47% 48%
Number of Sires IBR 10 9 8 14% heritable 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90 95 100 Prevalence (%)
Hoof disorders Overgrown Bruising White Line 50% of cows had at least one hoof-disorder
Breeding for reduced lameness Overgrown Bruising White Line 8% heritable 24% heritable 21% heritable
Expected response to selection
Product quality
57.5 58.0 58.5 59.0 59.5 60.0 60.5 61.0 61.5 62.0 62.5 63.0 63.5 64.0 64.5 65.0 65.5 66.0 66.5 67.0 67.5 68.0 68.5 Proportion Saturated fatty acid content 0.25 0.20 0.15 0.10 0.05 0.00 Saturated fat content in fat (%)
57.5 58.0 58.5 59.0 59.5 60.0 60.5 61.0 61.5 62.0 62.5 63.0 63.5 64.0 64.5 65.0 65.5 66.0 66.5 67.0 67.5 68.0 68.5 Proportion Saturated fatty acid content 0.25 0.20 National Average Elite P<0.05 0.15 0.10 0.05 0.00 Saturated fat content in fat (%)
2.425 2.475 2.525 2.575 2.625 2.675 2.725 2.775 2.825 2.875 2.925 2.975 3.025 3.075 3.125 3.175 3.225 3.275 3.325 3.375 Proportion Casein content 0.20 0.18 0.16 0.14 National Average Elite P<0.001 0.12 0.10 0.08 0.06 0.04 0.02 0.00 Casein content
0.65 0.66 0.67 0.68 0.69 0.70 0.71 0.72 0.73 0.74 0.75 0.76 0.77 0.78 0.79 0.80 0.81 0.82 0.83 0.84 0.85 0.86 0.87 0.88 0.89 0.90 Proportion Omega-3 content in fat 0.25 0.20 National Average Elite P=NS 0.15 0.10 0.05 0.00 Omega3 content in fat (%)
Mid-infrared spectroscopy (MIR) Fatty acids Protein composition Coagulation properties Value 2.0 1.8 1.6 1.4 1.2 1.0 0.8 0.6 0.4 0.2 0.0 Wavelength
Feed intake and efficiency
Number of sires Feed intake and efficiency Feed intake for same yield and body size 30 25 1.5 t DM/lactation 6 t DM/cow 20 15 10 5 0-3.0-2.5-2.0-1.5-1.0-0.5 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 Feed intake (kg DM/day)
Fat:protein and energy balance MIR reading 2.0 1.8 1.6 1.4 1.2 1.0 0.8 0.6 0.4 0.2 0.0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200 1400 Pin Number Milk fat content Milk protein content : Predicted Energy Balance
Energy Balance MJ/day True & MIR-predicted Energy Balance 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0-10 -20-30 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 Week of Lactation JDS. 98: 1310-1320
Energy Intake MJ/day True & MIR-predicted Energy Intake 205 200 195 190 185 180 175 170 165 160 155 150 Week of Lactation JDS. 98: 1310-1320
Intake predicted for Belgian Holsteins ADSA 2013 (Bastin)
Genetic parameters Heritability True Predicted (IRL) Predicted (BEL) Energy Intake 0.35(0.02) 0.20 (0.01) 0.20 Energy Balance 0.16(0.02) 0.10(0.01) 0.43 RFI 0.10(0.05) 0.16(0.01) - r g True & predicted EB = 0.54 r g True & predicted intake = 0.84 JDS. 98: 1310-1320 WCGALP 2014 (McParland) ADSA 2013 (Bastin)
Validation of genetic evaluations Breeding values predicted for intake 198 animals with actual intake recorded MIR predicted intake for these animals removed from genetic evaluation EBV (MJ/d) Actual intake (MJ/d) Low -1.5 154 Medium 4.4 156 High 10.2 163
Accuracy of prediction International Genomic Evaluations 0.55 0.50 0.45 0.40 0.35 0.30 0.25 0.20 0.15 0.10 Single country Multi-country No country phenotypes
Conclusions Breeding is for 7-10 years time What will the likely issues be? Animal health and disease, feed intake and efficiency, product quality