Selection of dairy cattle

for lifetime profit

Paul M. VanRaden
Animal Improvement Programs Laboratory
Agricultural Research Service, USDA, Beltsville, MD
paul@aipl.arsusda.gov

2002
 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)

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 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)

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 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

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 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

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 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

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 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?

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 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

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 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

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