In the Nordic countries breed- ing for improved fertility has been taking place for more than 40 years.
On many dairy farms, visual inspection of cows in heat is sup- plemented with activity data measured by pedometers hung around the necks of cows and heifers. This kind of data enables more accurate detection of cows in heat and subsequently fewer inseminations to achieve pregnancy. Activity data has not yet been included in breeding value esti- mates, but research has shown that this is possible. Moreover, activity data can provide information about strength of heat and insemination time. The latter is of interest because re- search has shown that the time windows for insemination with conventional and sexed semen are different to maximise the chance of conception. According to farmers who use activ- ity data for heat detection, they have seen an increase in fertil- ity results compared to not using activity data. The greatest challenge to the use of activity data in breeding value estima- tion seems to be access to data as it is not straight forward to transfer large volumes of activity data from measuring equip- ment to the respective databases in the Nordic countries.
Improving daughter and male fertility The last 40 years of breeding for improved fertility in the Nor- dic countries has purely focused on improving daughter fer- tility – achieving a pregnancy with the fewest possible semen
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doses and as quickly as possible after calving. With the intro- duction of genomic selection in 2008, we have seen a clear difference in the age of the insemination bulls. A typical age for a proven bull before genomic selection was at least six years whereas some of the insemination bulls used today are under one-year age. Semen quality from very young bulls after maturity is known in general to have lower pregnancy rate than an old bull. Due to this reality, VikingGenetics is focusing more on the evalua- tion of semen quality from young bulls. Little research has been done within this aspect, mainly because data are not readily available. In addition to cow data, data is needed on the bulls themselves. This should be detailed enough for enough data on each individual jump and be able to trace each dose from jump to insemination. VikingGenetics has ini- tiated ‘The Digit Bull’ project to shed light on male fertility and find areas for improvement. In conclusion, it is clear that VikingGenetics not only offer good opportunities for excellent fertility at Nordic dairy farms, but also for dairy farmers abroad who choose to use its products in their herd. The shift in focus to also include male fertility means that VikingGenetics remain an important company when it comes to achieving excellent fertility results around the world.
Figure 1 - How VikingGenetics bulls compare with bulls from other countries. DFS NLD CAN USA DEU FRA ITA
PHOTO: VIKINGGENETICS
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