Phenotypic
selection of
dairy cattle
June 2023
PRINCIPLES OF DAIRY CATTLE SELECTION
Judging dairy cattle is a comparative evaluation of cattle in
which animals are ranked based on their closeness to “ideal”
dairy conformation.
Desirable dairy conformation involves functional traits
associated with high milk production .
In order to judge dairy cattle, you must familiar with the
parts of a cow.
…Cont
Selection can be two types; man-made and natural selection.
manmade selection takes in to account both the usefulness and
the survival of the animals (Bainesagn, 2015).
Cattlekeepers in Ethiopian prefer to select their herd based on
marketable traits
such as milk yield, growth rate and reproductive performances
of the heifers/cows, however traits such as coat color and
adaptability
What is the difference B/n phenotype & genotype
The genotype refers to the genetic material passed between
generations, and the phenotype is observable characteristics
or traits of an organism.
Phenotypic selection occurs when individuals with certain
characteristics produce more surviving offspring than
individuals with other characteristics.1 Jul 2007
….Cont.
An organism's genotype is the set of genes that it
carries. An organism's phenotype is all of its observable
characteristics —
which are influenced both by its genotype and by the
environment.
Horro cattle are traditionally reared for high fat content in
milk (Ayantu et al., 2012)
while Kereyu cattle are preferred for high milk yield as fresh
milk usually consumed by the pastoral community (Shiferaw,
2006).
But based on individual performance and pedigree selection is
better.
pastoral communities prefer the breed's with better milk
production ability and adaptive capability to environmental
stresses.
Selection of dairy heifer
Theobject in selecting heifer is choose those which will
develop in to dairy cattle
The first essential is the heifer be a healthy ,growth
individual with promise of developing into a cow of at least
average size for the breed .
Rounded development at the heart girth ,indicate health and
vigorous growth.
Good dairy form
In another essential ,the heifer does not show angularity as
a cow in milk
because withers, hips and other prominent parts of the
skeletal carry more flesh.
Dairy cows should however, be with out blockness, such as
thick, heavy brisket, thick wither and tights and meaty loin.
• heifer is the foundation stock of the future dairy herd.
• Selection of replacements for culled cows can only be effective if
good replacement heifers are available in the farm stock.
• A good management program will result improving calf mortality, age
at first insemination, age at first calving and calving interval .
• Raising dairy heifers begins with choice of a bull likely to produce
animals with high genetic potential for milk.
• A well managed dairy farm should have as many heifer calves born
every year as there are cows in the herd.
How should you select heifers?
Heifers should be selected on structural soundness
be in good health and have good growth potential.
Generally,evaluating your production records are helpful in
determining growth potential if any
Boran heifers
Horro heifer
What factors impact dairy selection
Environmental factors include:
Weather, climate and geography – Temperate climates with milder
seasons put less stress on cows than climates with more extreme
weather.
Feed – Weather and climate can also affect the abundance and
quality of feed, which translates to quantity and quality of milk
produced.
What are 3 traits used in dairy cattle
selection
Reproduction, longevity and health traits are used in a
number of breeding programs for dairy and beef cattle
And there is growing interest in behavioral traits associated
with animal welfare and ease of management/docile.
How do you pick the best heifer?
Pick heifers that look feminine rather than blocky, coarse and
masculine.
You don't want a heifer that looks like a steer
You also don't want a heifer that's extremely long-necked or too
short-necked, which makes her look like a male.07-Ama-2021 she
may be infertile
Infertility in farm animals is due various causes such as nutrition,
physiological disturbances and infectious causes
What age is best for a heifer?
Theage at which heifers should be first mated depends upon the
economics of management input against returns.
Wellgrown exotic breed heifers can be mated as early as 15
months to calve at 24 months, but require extra managerial effort if
good results are to be obtained
At what age do heifers come into heat?
A heiferhas her first estrus, or heat, at puberty.
The age at puberty is influenced by genetics, nutrition, and
body weight.
Heifers fed an appropriate diet will generally reach
puberty between 9 and 15 months of age
Age at first service reported in Ethiopia
Age at first service reported in Ethiopia include about 32.4±1.4 to
53.9 months for Boran cattle
And 48.42±0.05 to 55 months for Horro cattle. But the reviewed
AFS result obtained for Ogaden breed was shorter than any of other
indigenous breed.
Breeding
the sexual propagation of animal is known as breeding.
animal breeding the branch of animal science that addresses the
evaluation of the genetic value of live stock.
Selecting for breeding animals with superior estimated breeding
values in growth rate, meat, milk, wool or other desirable traits
Breeds:
a stock of animals within a species having a distinctive appearance
and typically having been developed by deliberate selection are
known as breeds.
Example: dairy breeds, beef breeds.
Examples of some dairy breeds:
1.Holstein Friesian
2.Jersey
3.Ayrshire
4.Guernsey
For the purpose of breeding of dairy cattle ,the following two features
are always taken into consideration
1.Selection
2.Mating plan
Selection of dairy cattle can be done in two ways:
Phenotypic selection
Genetic method of selection
Necessity of knowledge of selection
The farmer who knows the characteristics of good dairy type has a
decided advantage over the untrained person.
A competent person can select high producing cows with a fair
degree of accuracy .
An experienced person can evaluate a productive cow quickly and
the person having little knowledge will be disappointed in many of
his selections.
Phenotypic selection
It is the process of selection based on inviduals Observable
characteristics determined by environmental influences and genetic
makeup.
Phenotypic selection criteria of dairy cows
1. Parts of dairy cow
2. Dairy type
3. Dairy tendency
4. Score card
What should I look for in a dairy heifer
A famine head
A long lean neck
A sharp and angular withers
A long barrel
A lot of space b/n ribs
Ribs that are flat in shape (not round)
A flat (not round)conformation in the part of her leg b/n the hocks
and dew claws.
wide through the chest floor.
Dairy type
Breeds which are kept for milk purposes have a certain well defined
form which address a cow as “dairy type” there are some
distinguishing features in dairy types that can separate dairy breeds
from other breeds.
General Appearance
Femininity: Femininity is desired in the dairy cow.
A feminine cow will be sharp and clean fronted, with a
lean neck and long, smooth muscling.
Femininity in the cow is related to dairy character.
Feminine cow Non-feminine cow
Balance: With a smooth blending of body parts, the cow
will appear symmetrical and balanced. If the cow is well
balanced, her body parts will blend smoothly, giving a
more attractive appearance.
Size: The dairy cow should be an appropriate size for the
breed. No matter what breed, the cow should show stature
and quality of appearance and up standing-ness and stretch.
Know the characteristics and standards for the breeds.
The distinguishing features of the dairy type of cow during high
yielding a lactation
i. Angularity of form
ii. Development of milking organs
iii. Development of feeding capacity
I. Angularity of form
After calving , a good dairy cow loses weight and becomes
angular in appearance . This means the parts of skeleton
project from the the body and appear to be much sharper.
Fleshy parts of the body become thinner after calving.
Thighs become thin and the outer surface becomes
somewhat in curvy.
The best dairy cows are as rule the most angular within the
same breed.
Mature Holstein Cow Mature Jersey Cow
Height 1.4m Height 1.2m
Weight 680kg weight 450kg
Cautions : animals that have become thin as a result of under-
feeding become angular too. Thus it may mislead while
judging a dairy cattle .
So the angularity cows composing a group or ring is best
evaluated when all carry approximately the same degree of
flesh.
FRAME/CAPACITY
“Attractive individuality indicating vigour, strength, size and stature
with harmonious blending and proportional balance of parts; head
indicating femininity with adequate strength, mid-section relatively
large providing ample capacity.”
Head
broad muzzle with large, open nostrils
jaws meet properly without overlap
strong lower jaw
broad forehead
Shoulder
set smoothly against the chest wall and withers
Chest
wide floor, resulting in ample width between the legs
Desirable width and power through chest Narrow and pinched through the chest
Heart Girth
large and deep
full at the elbows with well sprung fore ribs
fore ribs blend smoothly into the shoulders
Crops
well filled
Back
strong and straight
vertebrae are well defined
DESIRABLE BODY CAPACITY
deep through the heart
back strong and straight
broad, strong loin
ribs high and wide
..cont.
Undesirable Body Capacity
shallow through the heart
back fleshed
weak over the loin
narrow ribbed
Look at body capacity as being three dimensional.
Always consider the length, depth and width of the dairy animal
Rump
“Long, wide and clean cut, blending desirably with the loin.”
Hook Bones
wide, but not prominent
slightly higher than the pins
Pin Bones
wide apart and free from patchiness
slightly lower set than hooks
Pelvic Angle
moderately sloped with pins set slightly lower than the hooks
Rump angle
8/10cm
Extremely nar ow rump intermediate rump extremely wide rump
Development of milking organs
Cows of high production almost invariably have large udders
and a rule, the udders of such cows remain large through out
most of the lactation period.
A well developed large udder is a good indication of dairy
capacity
An udder which has a wide and level attachment at the front and
a high and wide attachment at the rear possesses larger capacity.
udder
Capacious udder is more pendulous
The udders of greatest capacity have a high proportion of
secreting tissue and they collapse or reduce greatly in size,
following milking
Immediately after calving the udders remain hard and firm for at
least 4 to 6 weeks.
Feet and Legs
“Clean and strong boned, with shape and movement of feet
and legs resulting in proper carriage of the animal.”
Feet
short and well rounded, with deep heel
toes slightly spaced
correct angle, durable
Legs
Pasterns - strong
- of medium length
How to condition score
Body condition influences productivity, reproduction, health, and
longevity of the dairy cow. Thinness or fatness can be a clue to
underlying nutritional deficiencies, health problems, or improper
herd management.
Body condition scoring of the milking herd and dry cows on a
routine basis is an excellent tool to help manage the herd more
effectively and reduce the incidence of metabolic disorders at
calving.
A 1-9 or 1-5 scale; for accurate scoring, both visual and tactile
appraisals are necessary
Fore udder should be strongly and firmly attached to the
lower line of the abdominal wall. Loose attachment of
udder to the abdominal increases the chance of mastitis
in dairy cattle.
Firm attachment of the fore udder can be identified
absence of wrinkles at the site of attachment.
A huge udder is not necessarily a sign of a high milk
yield, in fact, it is recommended that one should choose a
cow with a medium-sized (but wide base) udder that
should not hang below its hock joint.
The teats should be average-sized and evenly placed and
oriented (pointing straight down) on the udder.
The udder should be of intermediate depth. The udder should
never hang below the hocks of a cow of any age.
It should be slightly quartered on the sides. The Median
Suspensory Ligament is the strong supportive ligament which
runs lengthwise through the center of the udder.
Terminology for Dairy Cattle Judging
General Appearance:
straighter and stronger over the topline
wider and stronger over the loin
more level over the hooks
free of excess flesh over the rump
smoother over the tail head
longer from the hooks to the pins
straighter from the withers to the trailhead
sharper and cleaner at the withers
moves more easily and strongly
more correct set to the rear legs
stronger and more correct in the pasterns
carries herself with more style
Frame / Capacity:
taller at the point of the withers
more depth and openness in the rib
deeper through the heart
fuller through the crops and fore rib
showed more spring of rib
more capacious through the middle and mid
section
wider through the chest floor
fuller in the shoulder
shows more stretch and scale
Feet and Legs
deeper in the heel
stands on a stronger, straighter set of legs
stands more squarely on her legs
flatter and cleaner bone in the rear leg
more correct set to the leg
stronger on her pasterns
tracks more correctly
Hock angle
Too Bended: 2
Good: 5
straight: 1
GALATOOMA
