PHOTO: MARIO DUCHESNE
PHOTO: FUTURECOW
PHOTO: MARK PASVEER
BREEDING ▶▶▶
FutureCow sire – the Holstein “slick gene” as it’s known, allows cows with the gene to better handle heat through short and sleek hair that’s sometimes glossy.
Holsteins (full name Holstein Friesians) found worldwide, have undergone generations of selection in an environment that stresses low inputs, low levels of concentrate feeding and seasonal calving. “These cows are smaller and tend to gain body condition more easily than their US counterparts. They also have good repro- ductive performance. These attributes have increased interest in the use of New Zealand genetics in domestic pasture-based herds. However, milk marketing realities in New Zealand have led to selection for milk solids content and against fluid vol- ume. This factor should be considered when deciding whether to use New Zealand genetics for a breeding program. In gener- al, New Zealand genetics would best be used by seasonal, low-input operations or in component markets.”
Milk yields of the Brown Swiss are second-highest to the Holstein, and the milk has a butterfat:protein ratio that results in excellent cheeses.
However, Holstein genetics are now changing on a global scale due to one particular gene.
Although the common coat colour of the Canadienne is black (with some brown to russet also present), they perform well on pasture; they were bred specifically to do well on rough terrain.
12 ▶ DAIRY GLOBAL | Volume 9, No. 3, 2022
The Holstein “slick gene” The “slick gene”, as it’s known, allows cows with the gene to better handle heat through short and sleek hair that’s some- times glossy. According to Stephanie Rodriguez, marketing co-ordinator at Florida-based genetics company FutureCow, this gene has been studied for decades. “The slick phenotype was originally described in the US by Tim Olson and collab- orators in Senepol cattle that originated in the Caribbean Island of St. Croix and was inherited as a single and very dom- inant gene,” she explains. “Since then, the slick locus has even been mapped on bovine chromosome 20.” The gene is being used in breeding programs in many coun- tries, but it’s hard to pin down extent of use anywhere. In the US, Rodriguez says there is limited data available, but due to climate change, she believes dairy producers are becoming more aware of the benefits of the slick coat, and that use of this gene is increasing, especially in states that are hot and humid. The gene may have been introduced into the US, says Rod- riguez, in the mid 1980s in Florida when the Holsteins were inseminated with Senepol semen at a farm operation called Pine Valley Dairy. (FutureCow has been offering slick genetics since 2019 through two sires, one with genetics from the native Criollo Cattle of Puerto Rico.) Rodriguez adds, “Ac- cording to Olson and others in 2020, the slick animals at the University of Florida, which are registered with the Holstein Association, derive from the animals obtained from this cross- breeding work. The offspring (slick-haired Holstein) obtained have been reported to carry lower vaginal temperatures and lower respiration rates than wild-type Holstein cows.”
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36
