Genetic evaluation of female fertility in non-Holstein cows in the UK

The aim of this study was to examine the feasibility of using nationally recorded data for calving, insemination and milk information to produce fertility genetic evaluations for non-Holstein breeds of dairy cows. Data and pedigree were extracted for first lactation Ayrshire (AYR), Guernsey (GUE) and Jersey (JER) cows from national milk recording organisation databases. After data validation, almost 25,000 individual first lactation AYR cow records were shown to have a mean calving interval of 395 days and an average of 1.61 inseminations per calving. Over 23,000 GUE cow records were shown to have a mean first calving interval of 395.5 days and an average of 1.77 inseminations per calving. Over 41,500 first lactation JER cow records were shown to have a mean calving interval of 389 days and an average of 1.65 inseminations per calving. Initial genetic evaluations showed that there is wide genetic variation, and therefore scope for selection, in fertility traits in all three breeds. There was a genetic decline in fertility seen in some breeds, equating to 38p per cow per year in the AYR breed, 40p in the GUE breed and 28p per cow per year in the Jersey breed. These costs are cumulative and include only the fertility management costs and not the associated culling costs. This study shows that routine extraction and genetic evaluation of female fertility in non-Holstein dairy cows is possible and will allow the breeds to include fertility in their future selection decisions.