Page 11 - AWA Vol.42-No.1 issue

DAIRY FARMING

progress than selection based on ex-
pected values,” Jonas explains. “But Use Levucell SC To Help Dairy Cows Cope With
even more striking is the advantage
of targeted breeding with your best Ration Changes This Winter
animals.” Dairy farmers are be-
ing advised to use the
Using only conventional semen, a
farmer can inseminate a maximum rumen-specific live
yeast Levucell SC to
of 30 percent of the herd with a beef help cows cope with
bull without risking a shortage of re- ration changes this win-
placement heifers. According to the ter.
study, using genomic breeding val-
Csaba Adamik, re-
ues under this strategy yields an ad- gional business manag-
ditional 50 dollars of lifetime merit.“
er for Scotland at Lalle-
But the real value of genomic test- mand Animal Nutrition,
ing is realized when the information says that forage short-
is used to sharpen selection by in- ages on many farms will result in more ration changes than normal this win-
seminating top animals with sexed ter, leading to an increased risk of rumen instability and the potential for
semen,” Jonas says. With sexed se- lost milk production.
men, only 40 percent of the herd “It’s been a very mixed year for forage quality and quantity across the
needs to produce replacements, and UK,” says Mr. Adamik.
60 percent can be inseminated with “While areas such as Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland have gen-
a beef bull. In the study, this strategy erally fared well, prolonged drought conditions in other regions have left
doubled the genetic progress when farmers facing tight stocks going into autumn and winter.”
selection was based on genomic Why a forage budget is essential for dairy farmers
breeding values instead of expect-
Dairy farmers are advised to prioritise assessing forage quality and quan-
ed values. Combined, genomic se- tity so that they have enough time to secure additional feed.
lection and sharper selection can
generate more than 200 dollars of “If you leave it too late, it can be difficult – especially in areas where there
additional genetic progress per gen- are forage shortages – because you’ll be competing with other farmers in
eration. the area for any excess forage,” adds Mr. Adamik.
Cost-effective forage options to supplement winter feed stocks
“Farmers gain the highest return
from breeding when they combine Early in the autumn, purchasing a standing crop can be a more cost-effec-
genomic testing with a strategy tive option than waiting to buy the forage once it has been ensiled.
based on sexed semen and beef Thereafter, Mr Adamik says other options available include:
sires,” Jonas concludes. l • Vegetable by-products
How does genomic selection work? • Sub-standard potatoes
In genomic selection, DNA from an • Draff
ear tissue sample or hair follicle is • Brewer’s grains
analyzed in the laboratory. A “snap- “You can also feed extra concentrates, but there’s a limitation on how
shot” of the DNA is taken, identifying much, so you are better off trying to close that gap with forage-type prod-
around 70,000 markers. Each marker ucts or replacers,” adds Mr. Adamik.
is linked to a heritable trait. Genom- How Levucell SC optimises rumen function and improves feed effi-
ic profiles have now been collected ciency
from millions of cows, and for these
To help cows cope with changing rations and to maximise the value of
animals both breeding values and available forage, Mr. Adamik recommends feeding the rumen-specific live
performance records are known. To yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae CNCM I-1077 – known commercially as
determine a calf’s genomic breeding Levucell SC.
value, its profile is compared with the
“We’re likely to see more ration changes than normal this year, with cows
profiles and associated breeding val- having access to certain feeds for only a short period of time before moving
ues stored in the database. Because on to something else,” says Mr. Adamik.
of the very large dataset, highly reli-
able predictions can be made about “Levucell SC will provide the rumen with more stability and help to even
the calf’s breeding value. Farmers out these challenging periods in ration quality by optimising rumen func-
who use genomic testing can view tion and increasing ration digestibility.
the breeding values of all their ani- “This will ensure the best possible feed efficiency and return on invest-
mals clearly in HerdOptimizer. For ment for any bought-in feeds.”
users of SireMatch, genomic breed- He says research has shown that, depending on the acid load level of the
ing values are automatically incorpo- diet, grass silage can have its NDF digestibility in the rumen increased by
rated into mating recommendations. 5-9% when the yeast is fed, resulting in increased feed efficiency and milk
yields.
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Vol. 42 No. 1 9