Interbull and International Genetic

Evaluations in Dairy Cattle -

Global trends

Freddy Fikse

Interbull Centre Director

Uppsala, Sweden

Dramatic Internationalization of Dairy Cattle Breeding

Rapid breed changes in 25 years

Friesian ”Holsteinization” via N.A.

Braunvieh Brown Swiss via N.A.

Jersey N.Z., USA, Denmark

Ayrshire Scandinavia

• The Polish FAO-experiment with 10 HF-strains

• Heavy increase in international trade of semen

Few Bulls Heavily Used …

Sire: To-Mar Blackstarempty

#sons: 3800

Sire: Rothrock Tradition Leadman

#sons: 2700

98

100

102

104

106

108

1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 Year

Fertility index

SRB

SLB

Genetic trends in female fertility for SRB and SLB

Outline

� What is Interbull

� International comparisons

� Selection of dairy bulls: global perspective

� Global trendso Genetic progress

o Diversity

� Concluding remarkso components of sustainable breeding programs

Interbull is …

� A non-profit, non-governmental

organization

� Promoting the development and

execution of international

comparisons of cattle

Interbull Activities

� Communication: publications,

meetings, workshops, homepage

� Conduct R&D

� Technology support to members

� International genetic evaluations

Interbull Supporters

� EAAP

� IDF

� FAO

� ICAR

� EU

� ~40 member countries

International Comparison

Country A

Bull A6

Bull A3

Bull B3

Country B

Bull B6Bull B5Bull B3Bull B1

Country A

Bull A6Bull A3Bull B5Bull B3Bull B6Bull B1

Country B

Bull A6Bull B6Bull B5Bull B3Bull A3Bull B1

MACE

International ranking

Genetic Correlation

Low input grazing herds of New Zealand

Intensely managed herds in North America

0.60

0.100.818Calving interval

0.090.745Non-return rate

0.170.815Interval calving-first ins.

0.070.805Maternal stillbirth

0.110.695Direct stillbirth

0.090.7711Maternal calving ease

0.110.7812Direct calving ease

0.140.7119Longevity

0.070.854Clinical mastitis

0.050.9023Somatic cells

0.050.8424Protein yield

SD of rgMean rgPopsTrait

Mean Genetic Correlations Holstein

Global perspective on selection of dairy bulls

“Many countries selecting on Interbull breeding values causes loss of genetic

variation”

Accounting for G×E in Interbull evaluations

enlarges gene pool

Before Interbull …

33475US

04841697582NL

04641397075809086SW

NZUSNLNZUSNLNZUSNL

LongevitySomatic cellsProtein

Number of bulls in common between the top 100 lists

Holstein

17910010Simmental

19210010Red Dairy Cattle

28210010Jersey

30910024Holstein

1401006Guernsey

1791009Brown Swiss

rg < 1rg = 1

Number of top bullsNumber of

populations

Breed group

Any positive effect of rG<1?

Effects on Genetic GainHolstein, protein yield

0

1

2

3

Selection

differential

National International

Gain in sel. diff.range 0.06 - 1.71median 0.53

Effects on Genetic GainHolstein, somatic cells

0

1

2

3

Selection

differential

National International

Gain in sel. diff.range 0.04 - 1.31median 0.39

Relative emphasis on functional traits in Total Merit Indexes

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

DNK GBR FRA DEU CHE USA CAN NLD ITA ESP NZL AUS IRL JPN ISR

(Miglior et al., 2005)

No of Traits in TMI

9NM$United States

6BWNew Zealand

4NTPJapan

9PFTItaly

6PLIGreat Britain

11ISUFrance

9ICOSpain

13RZGGermany

9APRAustralia

TMI for Foreign Bulls

97NM$United States

100BWNew Zealand

100NTPJapan

95PFTItaly

100PLIGreat Britain

96ISUFrance

97ICOSpain

95RZGGermany

93APRAustralia

Covered by Interbull

service portfolio

TMICountry name

Interbull Evaluations -Traits

� Production

� Conformation

� Udder health

� Longevity

� Calving traits

� Female fertility

Size of Operation

107 710JER

6900GUE

97 418BSW

1011 671RDC

1020 638SIM

2599 084HOL

No. populationsNo. bullsBreed

Production traits May 2007

Global trends

Mean BVs for HOLSTEIN bulls per birth year

75

80

85

90

95

100

105

110

115

1985 1990 1995 2000

Year

DFS

/SW

E S

cale

Protein

SCC

CalvDir

Mastitis

Global Trends in Mastitis Traits and Calving Ease

Mean BVs by birth year for RDC bulls

75

80

85

90

95

100

105

110

115

1985 1990 1995 2000

Year

DFS

/SW

E S

cale

PR

SCC

CalvDir

Mastitis

Global Trends in Mastitis Traits and Calving Ease

Mean BVs of HOLSTEIN bulls per birth year

75

80

85

90

95

100

105

110

115

1985 1990 1995 2000

Year

DFS

/SW

E S

cale

Protein

Longev

CFI

DaysOp

Global Trends in Fertility and Longevity

Mean BVs of RDC bulls by birth years

75

80

85

90

95

100

105

110

115

1985 1990 1995 2000

Year

DFS

/SW

E S

cale

Prot

Longev

CFI

Days op

Global Trends in Fertility and Longevity

Percentage bulls after 5 bull sires

0

20

40

60

80

100

1980

1981

1982

1983

1984

1985

1986

1987

1988

1989

1990

1991

1992

1993

1994

1995

Birth year

Pe

rce

nta

ge

BSW JER GUE HOL

Number of sons per bull sire

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995

Birth year of bull sire

Nu

mb

er

of

so

ns

BSW JER GUE HOL

Tools to manage inbreeding exist

� Selection for TMI

� Optimum contribution selection

o Considers relatedness to the population

in addition to genetic merit

Sustainable Breeding

� Continuous genetic improvement

� Marketable products

� Broad breeding objectives

� Control of inbreeding

�Positive examples:

o Guernsey, Nordic Red

Developments of international

genetic evaluations of dairy cattle

for sustainable breeding programs

Fikse & Philipsson

Interbull Centre

AGRI Bulletin 41, 31-45