Understanding the genetics of survival in dairy cows

Journal of Dairy Science

Volumn 96, Issue 5, 2013, Pages 3296-3309

  Pritchard, T ^a   Coffey, M ^a   Mrode, R ^a   Wall, E ^a  

^a SCOTTISH AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE   (United Kingdom)

Author keywords

Dairy cattle; Genetic parameter; Heifer; Survival

Indexed keywords

AGE; ANIMAL; ARTICLE; CATTLE; FEMALE; GENETICS; LONGEVITY; NEWBORN; PREGNANCY; QUANTITATIVE TRAIT; SEASON;

AGE FACTORS; ANIMALS; ANIMALS, NEWBORN; CATTLE; FEMALE; LONGEVITY; PREGNANCY; QUANTITATIVE TRAIT, HERITABLE; SEASONS;

ANIMALIA; BOS; FRIESIA;

EID: 84876740386     PISSN: 00220302     EISSN: 15253198     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.3168/jds.2012-6219     Document Type: Article

References (49)

1. Bach A. Associations between several aspects of heifer development and dairy cow survivability to second lactation. J. Dairy Sci. 2011, 94:1052-1057.
2. BCMS. 2012. Cattle Keeper's Handbook. Accessed Sep. 12, 2012. http://rpa.defra.gov.uk/rpa/index.nsf/vContentByTaxonomy/BCMSPublications%20and%20GuidanceCattle%20Keeper's%20Handbook?OpenDocument.
3. Berglund B., Steinbock L., Elvander M. Causes of stillbirth and time of death in Swedish Holstein calves examined post mortem. Acta Vet. Scand. 2003, 44:111-120.
4. Brickell, J. S., N. Bourne, and N. D. C. Wathes. 2007. The incidence of calf mortality on dairy farms in southern England. Page 107 in Proc. British Society of Animal Science, Southport, UK. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK.
5. Brickell J.S., McGowan M.M., Pfeiffer D.U., Wathes D.C. Mortality in Holstein-Friesian calves and replacement heifers, in relation to body weight and IGF-I concentration, on 19 farms in England. Animal 2009, 3:1175-1182.
6. Brickell J.S., Pollott G.E., Clempson A.M., Otter N., Wathes D.C. Polymorphisms in the bovine leptin gene associated with perinatal mortality in Holstein-Friesian heifers. J. Dairy Sci. 2010, 93:340-347.
7. Brotherstone S., Coffey M.P., Banos G. Genetic parameters of growth in dairy cattle and associations between growth and health traits. J. Dairy Sci. 2007, 90:444-450.
8. Brotherstone S., Veerkamp R.F., Hill W.G. Predicting breeding values for herd life of Holstein-Friesian dairy cattle from lifespan and type. Anim. Sci. 1998, 67:405-411.
9. Buchanan F.C., Van Kessel A.G., Waldner C., Christensen D.A., Laarveld B., Schmutz S.M. Hot topic: An association between a leptin single nucleotide polymorphism and milk and protein yield. J. Dairy Sci. 2003, 86:3164. -3166.
10. Cervantes I., Gutierrez J.P., Fernandez I., Goyache F. Genetic relationships among calving ease, gestation length, and calf survival to weaning in the Asturiana de los Valles beef cattle breed. J. Anim. Sci. 2010, 88:96-101.
11. Chamberlain T. Understanding the economics of dairy farming Part 1: Income, costs and profit. Livestock 2012, 17:30-33. 10.1111/j.2044-3870.2012.00137.x.
12. Correa M.T., Curtis C.R., Erb H.N., White M.E. Effect of calfhood morbidity on age at first calving in New York Holstein herds. Prev. Vet. Med. 1988, 6:253-262.
13. Eaglen S.A.E., Coffey M.P., Woolliams J.A., Wall E. Evaluating alternative models to estimate genetic parameters of calving traits in United Kingdom Holstein-Friesian dairy cattle. Genet. Sel. Evol. 2012, 44:23. 10.1186/1297-9686-44-23.
14. Esslemont R.J., Kossaibati M.A. Incidence of production diseases and other health problems in a group of dairy herds in England. Vet. Rec. 1996, 139:486-490.
15. FAWC (Farm Animal Welfare Council). 2009. Opinion on the welfare of the dairy cow. Accessed July 29, 2011. http://www.fawc.org.uk/pdf/dcwelfar-091022.pdf.
16. Forabosco F., Jakobsen J.H., Fikse W.F. International genetic evaluation for direct longevity in dairy bulls. J. Dairy Sci. 2009, 92:2338-2347.
17. Fuerst-Waltl B., Fuerst C. Mortality in Austrian dual purpose Fleckvieh calves and heifers. Livest. Sci. 2010, 132:80-86.
18. Fuerst-Waltl B., Sørensen M.K. Genetic analysis of calf and heifer losses in Danish Holstein. J. Dairy Sci. 2010, 93:5436-5442.
19. Garnsworthy P. The environmental impact of fertility in dairy cows: A modelling approach to predict methane and ammonia emissions. Anim. Feed Sci. Technol. 2004, 112:211-223.
20. Gilmour, A. R., B. J. Gogel, B. R. Cullis, and R. Thompson. 2006. ASReml User Guide Release 2.0. VSN International Ltd., Hemel Hempstead, UK.
21. Goyache F., Gutiérrez J.P., Alvarez I., Fernández I., Royo L.J., Gómez E. Genetic analysis of calf survival at different preweaning ages in beef cattle. Livest. Prod. Sci. 2003, 83:13-20.
22. Guerra J.L.L., Franke D.E., Blouin D.C. Genetic parameters for calving rate and calf survival from linear, threshold, and logistic models in a multibreed beef cattle population. J. Anim. Sci. 2006, 84:3197-3203.
23. Gulliksen S.M., Lie K.I., Sølverød L., Østerås O. Risk factors associated with colostrum quality in Norwegian dairy cows. J. Dairy Sci. 2008, 91:704-712.
24. Hansen M., Madsen P., Jensen J., Pedersen J., Christensen L.G. Genetic parameters of postnatal mortality in Danish Holstein calves. J. Dairy Sci. 2003, 86:1807-1817.
25. Hazel L.N. The genetic basis for constructing selection indexes. Genetics 1943, 28:476-490.
26. Heinrichs A.J., Heinrichs B.S. A prospective study of calf factors affecting first-lactation and lifetime milk production and age of cows when removed from the herd. J. Dairy Sci. 2011, 94:336-341.
27. Henderson L., Miglior F., Sewalem A., Kelton D., Robinson A., Leslie K.E. Estimation of genetic parameters for measures of calf survival in a population of Holstein heifer calves from a heifer-raising facility in New York State. J. Dairy Sci. 2011, 94:461-470.
28. Heringstad B., Chang Y.M., Gianola D., Klemetsdal G. Genetic analysis of clinical mastitis, milk fever, ketosis, and retained placenta in three lactations of Norwegian Red cows. J. Dairy Sci. 2005, 88:3273-3281.
29. Heringstad B., Chang Y.M., Gianola D., Østerås O. Short communication: Genetic analysis of respiratory disease in Norwegian Red calves. J. Dairy Sci. 2008, 91:367-370.
30. Hultgren J., Svensson C. Lifetime risk and cost of clinical mastitis in dairy cows in relation to heifer rearing conditions in southwest Sweden. J. Dairy Sci. 2009, 92:3274-3280.
31. Lombard J.E., Garry F.B., Tomlinson S.M., Garber L.P. Impacts of dystocia on health and survival of dairy calves. J. Dairy Sci. 2007, 90:1751-1760.
32. Menzies F.D., Bryson D.G., McCallion T., Matthews D.I. Mortality in cattle up to two years old in Northern Ireland during 1992. Vet. Rec. 1996, 138:618-622.
33. Ortiz-Pelaez A., Pritchard D.G., Pfeiffer D.U., Jones E., Honeyman P., Mawdsley J.J. Calf mortality as a welfare indicator on British cattle farms. Vet. J. 2008, 176:177-181.
34. Philipsson J., Foulley J.L., Lederer J., Liboriussen T., Osinga A. Sire evaluation standards and breeding strategies for limiting dystocia and stillbirth. Report of an E.E.C./E.A.A.P. working group. Livest. Prod. Sci. 1979, 6:111-127.
35. Pollott G.E. Short Communication: Do Holstein lactations of varied lengths have different characteristics?. J. Dairy Sci. 2011, 94:6173-6180.
36. Sivula N.J., Ames T.R., Marsh W.E., Werdin R.E. Descriptive epidemiology of morbidity and mortality in Minnesota dairy heifer calves. Prev. Vet. Med. 1996, 27:155-171.
37. Svensson C., Linder A., Olsson S.O. Mortality in Swedish dairy calves and replacement heifers. J. Dairy Sci. 2006, 89:4769-4777.
38. Szyda, J., M. Morek-Kopec, J. Komisarek, and A. Zarnecki. 2011. Evaluating markers in selected genes for association with functional longevity of dairy cattle. BMC Genet. http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/1471-2156-12-30.
39. Tozer P.R., Heinrichs A.J. What affects the cost of raising replacement dairy heifers: A multiple-component analysis. J. Dairy Sci. 2001, 84:1835-1844.
40. Van der Fels-Klerx H.J., Martin S.W., Nielen M., Huirne R.B.M. Effects on productivity and risk factors of bovine respiratory disease in dairy heifers; a review for the Netherlands. Neth. J. Agric. Sci. 2002, 50:27-45.
41. van der Poel W.H., Middel W.G., Schukken Y.H. Antibody titer against bovine respiratory syncytial virusin colostrums-fed dairy calves born in various seasons. Am. J. Vet. Res. 1999, 60:1098-1101.
42. Visscher P., Thompson R., Yazdi H., Hill W.G., Brotherstone S. Genetic analysis of longevity data in the UK: Present practice and considerations for the future. Interbull Bulletin 21 1999, Interbull, Jouy-en-Josas, France, Pages 16-22.
43. Wall, E., S. Brotherstone, and M. P. Coffey. 2006. Development of a robustness index for UK dairy cattle. In Proc. 8th World Congr. Genet. Appl. Livest. Prod., August 13-18, 2006, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil, Communication 01-10. Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil.
44. Wall E., Brotherstone S., Kearney J.F., Woolliams J.A., Coffey M.P. Impact of nonadditive genetic effects in the estimation of breeding values for fertility and correlated traits. J. Dairy Sci. 2005, 88:376-385.
45. Waltner-Toews D., Martin S.W., Meek A.H. Dairy calf management, morbidity and mortality in Ontario Holstein herds. II. Age and seasonal patterns. Prev. Vet. Med. 1986, 4:125-135.
46. Warnick L.D., Erb H.N., White M.E. Lack of association between calf morbidity and subsequent first lactation milk production in 25 New York Holstein herds. J. Dairy Sci. 1995, 78:2819-2830.
47. Wathes D.C., Brickell J.S., Bourne N.E., Swali A., Cheng Z. Factors influencing heifer survival and fertility on commercial dairy farms. Animal 2008, 2:1135-1143.
48. Wells S.J., Dargatz D.A., Ott S.L. Factors associated with mortality to 21 days of life in dairy heifers in the United States. Prev. Vet. Med. 1996, 29:9-19. a.
49. Wells S.J., Garber L.P., Hill G.W. Health status of preweaned dairy heifers in the United States. Prev. Vet. Med. 1996, 29:185-199. b.