# Presentation: 731229

## Selection of dairy cattle for lifetime profit

## Objectives

**Document USA Net Merit index**
**Discuss traits to include, estimation of economic values**
**Compare current national selection indexes**
**Begin with table from Holstein International (February 1999, p 71)**

## Slide 3

**Notes:**
Index Documentation Previously Published in Holstein International

## Slide 4

## Slide 5

## Expression of Economic Indexes

**Report proportion of emphasis (relative value / ****Σ |relative values|)**
**Reformat into two-way table of traits by countries (Bennet Cassell’s idea)**
**Also display history of USA indexes (table of traits by years)**

## Relative emphasis on traits in USDA economic indexes (PD$, MFP$, CY$, and NM$) and Holstein Association TPI across time

|  | Year Introduced and Index Name |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
|  | 1971 | 1976 | 1977 | 1980 | 1984 | 1987 | 1989 | 1992 | 1994 | 1997 | 2000 | 2000 |
| Trait | PD$ | TPI | MFP$ | TPI | CY$ | TPI | TPI | TPI | NM$ | TPI | TPI | NM$ |
| Protein |  |  | 27 |  | 53 | 40 | 34 | 50 | 43 | 50 | 41 | 36 |
| Fat | 48 |  | 46 |  | 45 | 40 | 34 | 17 | 25 | 17 | 16 | 21 |
| Milk | 52 | 60 | 27 | 60 | -2 |  |  |  |  6 |  |  |  5 |
| % Fat |  |  |  | 20 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| Longevity |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 20 |  | 13 | 14 |
| SCS |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |   6 |  |   1 |   9 |
| Udder |  |  |  |  |  |  | 17 | 17 |  | 11 |   9 |   7 |
| Feet / legs |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  5 |   5 |   4 |
| Size |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  -4 |
| Final Score |  | 40 |  | 20 |  | 20 | 17 | 17 |  | 17 | 14 |  |

## Relative emphasis in selection indexes for other countries with many Holsteins

|  | Country (Interbull Code) |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
|  | USA | DEU | FRA | NZL | NLD | CAN | GBR | AUS | ITA | DNK | SWE | ESP |
| % of Interbull Population | 17.4 | 
15.3 | 
12.3 | 
10.6 | 
9.3 | 
4.7 | 
4.7 | 
4.5 | 
4.3 | 
4.1 | 
1.5 | 
1.2 |
| Index Name | NM$ | RZG | ISU | BW | DPS | LPI | PLI | APR | PFT | S – I | TMI | ICO |
| Trait |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| Protein | 36 | 45 | 35 | 42 | 35 | 43 | 57 | 36 | 42 | 21 | 21 | 51 |
| Fat | 21 | 11 | 10 | 13 | 8 | 14 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 10 | 4 | 10 |
| Milk |  5 |  |  | -22 | -14 |  | -19 | -20 |  | -3 | -4 |  |
| % Protein |  |  | 2 |  |  |  |  |  | 3 |  |  | 5 |
| % Fat |  |  | 2 |  |  |  |  |  | 2 |  |  |  |
| Longevity | 14 | 6 | 13 | 10 | 12 | 8 | 15 | 12 | 8 | 6 | 6 |  |
| SCS / mastitis | 9 | 14 | 13 |  | 11 | 3 |  | 7 | 10 | 15 | 12 |  |
| Fertility |  | 1 | 13 |  | 7 |  |  |  |  | 9 | 10 |  |
| Other diseases |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 2 | 3 |  |

## Relative emphasis in selection indexes for other countries with many Holsteins (cont.)

|  | Country (Interbull Code) |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
|  | USA | DEU | FRA | NZL | NLD | CAN | GBR | AUS | ITA | DNK | SWE | ESP |
| % of Interbull Population  | 17.4 | 15.3 | 12.3 | 10.6 | 9.3 | 4.7 | 4.7 | 4.5 | 4.3 | 4.1 | 1.5 | 1.2 |
| Index Name | NM$ | RZG | ISU | BW | DPS | LPI | PLI | APR | PFT | S – I | TMI | ICO |
| Trait |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| Udder traits | 7 | 8 | 8 |  |  | 17 |  |  | 13 | 9 | 12 | 17 |
| Feet / legs | 4 | 5 | 1 |  | 3 | 11 |  |  | 6 | 5 | 9 | 8 |
| Size | -4 | 2 | 2 | -13 |  | 4 |  | -4 |  | 2 |  |  |
| Dairy character |  | 3 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| Rump |  | 2 | 1 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| Final score |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 4 | 2 |  | 9 |
| Calving ease |  | 3 |  |  | 10 |  |  |  |  | 6 | 12 |  |
| Growth / meat |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 4 | 6 |  |
| Milking Speed |  |  |  |  |  |    <1 |  | 4 |  | 6 |  |  |
| Temperament |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 5 |  | 2 | 3 |  |

## Questions

**Do cow shows and judging contests help or harm education?**
**What is feed cost for protein, fat?**
**Does milk volume have negative value only because of quotas?**
**Milk volume quotas in Europe?**
**People quotas in Australia, NZ?**

## Prices of Milk and Water

**Cost to USA consumers    ($ / liter)**
**American bottled water****	****	****0.16**
**Canadian spring water****	****	****0.51**
**Skim milk****	****	****	****	****0.66**
**2% milk****	****	****	****	****0.68**
**3.5% (whole) milk****	****	****	****0.72**
**French Alps water****	****	****	****1.35**
**Milk requires water, cheese does not**

## Conclusions

**Many traits in addition to yield contribute to dairy cattle profit**
**Longevity, fertility, and health traits have high value**
**Direction unclear for some traits**
**Indexes have improved rapidly in recent years**