Software Resources, Mating Programs

By: Jordan Siemers and Cooper Galton

Dairy Cattle Mating Strategies

Introduction:

The expected population of the world by 2050 is around 9 billion. As producers, we have to find a way to continually increase our production in an ever growing world. One way to do such, is through genetic advancement. The goal of this page is to inform producers about breeding options, and the different ideas that people have to mate their animals for maximum performance and profitability. The thing that the genetics companies realize is that each herd has different needs that they can address with genetics.

The Goals of Dairy Cattle Breeders everywhere:

Produce a large quantity of high value milk
Good reproductive performance
Good health status
Good longevity
Easy to manage
Good conformation: reflective of health, reproductive performance and longevity
Low environmental footprint – Resilient to external factors

Mating strategies available from many genetics companies resemble the goals of Cattle breeders:

Corrective Conformation
Conformation Improvement
Inbreeding Management
Crossbreeding for Dairy
Fertility
Young sire proving (PTA mate)
Health Management
Beef x Dairy
Disease Resistance

The reasons that mating strategies have taken center stage over the past decade:

Mating programs have been implemented because it has been getting more and more difficult to stay current with bulls. As farm sizes have increased, farmers have more and more on their plates, and delegate this task to a genetics company to take care of for little to no charge. The more we learn about genetics through the implementation of genomics, it is getting more difficult to handle matings by hand, and more helpful to receive help from a computer.

Corrective Conformation
- AAA Mating service (Phenotypic)
- Analyzers code cows to help producers breed for healthy, balanced cows
- Codes range from 1-6 where the first number on the left is the number of most importance on the number on the right has the least importance.
- Bulls- Coded for transmitting ability: Cows-Coded for needs
  #1 Dairy, #2 Tall, #3 Open, #4 Strong, #5 Smooth, and #6 Style
- All bulls in AI have been evaluated for AAA, and is a very popular mating strategy.
  We realize that AAA itself doesn’t use genomic data, however genomic data can help shift AAA to make combinations that are more rare.
- Functionality type traits are crucial for cows that want to stay in the herd for a long time. Sure some cows are good at getting pregnant, milking, and good overall health
- AAA is a proven method that uses type to create profitable balanced cows.
Conformation Improvement
- Select SiresShow Case Selections
  Group of high type bulls that will increase productive life through functional type traits
- Semex ShowTime
  Group of high type bulls that will increase functional type traits
- St. Jacobs ABCBreeder’s Choice
  Group of carefully mated bulls from famous dams that help increase balance and general conformation.
Inbreeding Management
- Select SiresStrataGEN
  A unique cycling wheel breeding system, using genomic insights to achieve individual herd breeding goals, the ultimate goal is to minimize inbreeding.
- Accelerated Genetics
  Population mating tool that identifies bulls which are safe to use across a group of cattle at random to eliminate inbreeding depression.
Crossbreeding for Dairy
- Select Sires/Creative Genetics
  Eliminates inbreeding depression. Should lead to Hybrid-VigorReduces chances of having homozygous recessive undesirable alleles
Fertility
- Select SiresSRS (Select Reproductive Solutions)
  Trained consultants design a program around individual dairies to increase repro success.
- SemexReproMax
  Bulls with high combination of high SCR and Fertility Index (HCR, CCR, & DPR)
- Accelerated Genetics ReproConnection
  Bulls that have high SCR that work well on heat synchronization
Young sire proving (PTA mate)
- Select SiresPGA (Program for Genetic Advancement)
  Allows for the newest/hottest bulls to be used regardless of any desired traits. 5-10 unit max on first order
- SemexGenomax
  Bulls that are progeny tested with close to 100 daughters. These bulls will have all been pre-selected based on their DNA profile before they enter progeny testing.
- GenexG-Map
  Uses cow PTA’s to make matings to young genomic bulls
- Accelerated Genetics PACE
  All out sprint at creating high genotypic progeny, but keeps in mind high reliability on Production and Type
- AltaG-Star
  Only uses highest GTPI or NM$ bulls on the whole herd
Health Trait Management
- SemexHealthSmart
  Bulls that have a combined high health trait and production values.
Beef x Dairy
- Helping bridge the small beef market with beef cross replacements, sire fertility is better, and brings value of cull calves up dramatically
- Select SiresBreeding to Feeding
- Accelerated Genetics EDGE
- GenexBreeding to Feeding
- SemexRepromix Beef Solutions
- Three high conception beef sires in 1 unit: Helps dramatically increase conception.
Disease Resistance
- Semex Immunity+
  A genotyped unit developed by Prof. Mallard at the University of Guelph
- Only tags bulls Immunity plus if they are high responders to the test, which is believed to be homozygous.

Conclusion

Genetic advances must be made by 2050 if we have any chance at feeding a world of 9 billion people.
All of these mating programs have a role in current dairying all over the world to satisfy the different world markets.
When several of these are used in combination, the results will improve the timing of genetic gains, as we are seeing today.