# Presentation: 747563

## Prospects for Increasing Profitability Using Genetic Reproductive Indexes

## Phenotypic trend in days open

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**4**

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**Lactation**

##  Two tall tales: 

**1. Reproduction is **_**only**_** a ****	****management issue **
**2. Genetics can not help solve fertility ****	****problems **

##  Reproductive evaluations

**Two types:**
**1.  Fertility of bulls as service sires **
**2.  Fertility of bulls’ daughters when they reach breeding age**

## 1. Fertility of bull as service sire (ERCR) 

**Called Estimated Relative Conception Rate (ERCR).  Measures the fertility as a service sire.**
**Defined as 70 day non-return rate. **
**Bulls have a fairly small range because infertile and lower fertility bulls are culled by the AI organizations.**
**See results from decisions quickly**

##  Evaluation accuracy

**Bulls need many breedings before confidence can be placed in a 70 day non-return rate **
**This makes it difficult to rely upon the information from a single herd**
**≥ ****40 services in a single herd in a short time by a reliable technician should give you **_**some**_** confidence in a non-return rate**

## Data 

**Breedings included in ERCR:**
**All from AgSource (Wisconsin)**
**All from DRMS (North Carolina)**
**All from Minnesota DHIA through   ****	****	****  Agri-Tech**
**AIPL assumed responsibility for computing in May 2006 **
**         ****(DRMS had computed 2x yearly since 1986)**

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## Breedings included in ERCR

**First services only**
**Cow services included (but no virgin heifer breedings)**
**Services from most recent 3 years **
**Only services to AI bulls**
**No crossbred matings (service sire breed must equal cow breed)**

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##  Evaluations published

**Bulls with a minimum of 300 or more breedings **
**Bulls under 13 years (unless Active AI)**
**August 2006 evaluation included:**
**597 Holstein bulls ****(Avg no. breedings=2502)**
**46 Jersey bulls ****(Avg no. breedings=1204)**

## Distribution of ERCR for Holstein bulls (August 2006)

**ERCR**

**Number of bulls**

## Distribution of ERCR for Jersey bulls (August 2006)

**ERCR**

**Number of bulls**

## Future plans for service sire fertility evaluations

**Use all reported breedings (instead of just first services)**
**Improvements to statistical model**
**Hopefully additional data from other centers and states**
**	****	****We are expecting to add California DHIA breedings soon**

## 2. Fertility of bulls’ daughters when they reach breeding age (DPR) 

**Called Daughter Pregnancy Rate (DPR).  Measures fertility of the daughters.**
**DPR is defined as percentage of open (non-pregnant) cows that are between 50 and 250 days in milk that become pregnant within 21 days **
**Bulls have somewhat bigger differences than in ERCR**
**Obtain results from decisions in 3 years**

## Days open and DPR by breed

**     ****Breed ****	****Avg. days open      Avg DPR (%)**
**	**
**Ayrshire****	**** 143                       22.4  **
**Brown Swiss****	**** 143                       22.4 **
**Guernsey****	**** 151                       20.5**
**Holstein****	**** 148                       21.2**
**Jersey****	**** 127                       26.5**
**Milk. Shorthorn****	**** 135                       24.5**
**DPR = 0.25 (2.33 – days open)**

## High DPR vs. Active-AI Holsteins

**     ****Traits ****	****High DPR bulls         All Active-AI**
**  **
**Milk (lbs)****	****349                       824 **
**Fat (lbs)****	****14                         32**
**Protein (lbs)****	****19                         26**
**SCS****	****2.84                      2.95**
**Productive Life (mo)****	****4.1                       0.8**
**DPR (%)****	****2.3                      -0.3**
**Net Merit Dollars****	****359                      236**
**# of bulls (DPR ****≥ 2.0)****	****24                      692**
**     ****	**

## Higher DPR vs. High Active-AI HO 

**     ****Traits ****	****     Higher DPR bulls         High All Active-AI**
**  **
**Milk (lbs)****	****748                   1142 **
**Fat (lbs)****	****28                       44**
**Protein (lbs)****	****29                       35**
**SCS****	****2.82                    2.90**
**Productive Life (mo)****	****4.8                      1.8**
**DPR (%)****	****2.3                      0.0**
**Net Merit Dollars****	****462                     358**
**# of bulls (DPR ****≥ 2.0)****	****12                      346**
**     ****	**

##  Interpretation for fertility: 

**1. These better bulls’ daughters are not only over $100 more profitable as shown in Net Merit but will give better fertility as well. Their DPR of +2.3 means their daughters will have 9.2 fewer days open than other cows in the typical herd.**
**2. Genetics can help solve fertility problems. The 16 day decline in days open from genetics can be recovered with genetic selection.**
**          ****This is a “permanent” gain.**

## Recommendations to breeders 

**Don’t select bulls solely on one trait because many traits have economic value **
**Consider economic value of all performance traits in your own market when making genetic choices**
**For herds wanting better reproduction, use an index that puts more weight on daughter fertility than those recommended for the general industry**

## Thank you!

***Thank you!***

**2006**

**Mid-Atlantic Dairy Grazing Conference, 2006 (****)**