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Selection Indices
Selection thus far has concentrated mainly on production traits including:
- Milk yield
- Protein yield
- Fat yield
- Lifespan
When selection pressures are placed only on production traits, there can be a subsequent deterioration in health, fertility and welfare of dairy cattle. However, recent work at SAC has shown that by broadening the breeding goals, such negative impacts on health and welfare can be halted, and even reversed. New breeding goals will require the inclusion of non-production traits, such as mastitis resistance and lameness susceptibility.
Results of work at SAC showed that milk, fat and protein yield will still continue to increase after the inclusion of non-production traits within the index. If the non-production traits are excluded, the incidence of mastitis and lameness may well continue to increase, which will have negative impacts on the costs of production and welfare.
Currently only 16% of the Profitable Lifetime Index (£PLI) is concerned with non-production traits. The proposal is that this should rise to 23%. Broadening the goals will lead to an increase in profit, not necessarily by increasing output but by reducing the costs of production. As many of these production costs are directly associated with dairy cow welfare, a reduction in costs should facilitate an improvement in welfare.
Any change in £PLI will require regular up-dating to remain in line with changes in the economic values of its constituent parts.
For more information on how £PLI can benefit returns, click on 'Effects Of Including Health & Fertility In Profitable Lifetime Index (£PLI)' on the right.
You can also view SAC Research Notes and information on the costs of disease to the dairy sector by using the link on the right.
Information on how broader breeding goals could benefit animal welfare in organic dairy systems is also provided in this section using the tab to the top left.