Dairy management challenges to genetic improvement

From University of Minnesota Extension Folder 356"Genetic progress results from the wise choice of parents for each new generation of herd replacements. Calf losses , poor reproductive performance, and herd health problems limit selection choices and profit. Dairy farmers can use management skills to reduce infertility , calf losses, and improve herd health. These traits cannot be improved rapidly through genetic selection because they are not very heritable. Dairy herds which have had wisely chosen artificial insemination (AI) sires and good management have shown genetic improvement rates of 125 to 150 pounds of milk per cow per year. With recent improvements in the quality of AI sires, dairy managers have the opportunity to accelerate this rate of genetic change up to 230 pounds of milk per cow per year-more than 12,000 pounds yearly in a 60-cow herd ."--First page.B. J. Conlin (University of Minnesota), Adapted by Rex Ricketts (Dairy Husbandry Department, College of Agriculture)New 9/79/8