Breeding future profits Workshop Presentation

AI Promotion 2006.Breeding Future Profits.: 

AI Promotion 2006. Breeding Future Profits. Breeding Workshop for Stakeholders. March 2006

Agenda: 

Agenda We are in Crisis – ICBF Decline in AI usage: NFS supplementary survey – Teagasc Moorepark Breeding better replacements - ICBF Why use EBI – Teagasc Advisory Planning the breeding season – Teagasc Advisory Increasing AI in 2006: Key factors – Participants (work-group sessions).

We are in Crisis!: 

We are in Crisis! AI has dropped to historic (and international) low levels. EBI now developed. International competitiveness? Across industry initiative with four parts in 2006: Workshop Advertisements MART Events Survey & plan for 2007

Decline in AI usage - NFS Supplementary Survey: 

Decline in AI usage - NFS Supplementary Survey 1Laurence Shalloo, 1Brendan Horan and 2Anne Kinsella 1Dairy Production Research Department, Teagasc, Moorepark, Fermoy Co. Cork 025 42306 2National Farm Survey unit, Teagasc, Athenry, Co Galway Breeding Workshop for Stakeholders. March 2006

Slide6: 

NFS Survey carried out annually Sample size of 1200 farmers Sample weighted in order for it to be representative of all farmers in the country Approximately 400 dairy and suckler farmers Supplementary survey twice yearly

Dairy and Cattle Breeding Questionnaire: 

Dairy and Cattle Breeding Questionnaire 340 respondents to the dairy survey 24 removed due to exiting in the next 3 years Average farm size was 56.3ha Average herd size was 54 cows Average age of respondents was 49 years

Do you plan to remain in dairying for the next 3 years?: 

Do you plan to remain in dairying for the next 3 years? Yes: 92.2 No: 7.8

Question 1 Do you use AI?(P value<0.001): 

Question 1 Do you use AI? (P value<0.001) Yes 87.6% No 12.4%

What percentage of cows and heifers did you mate to AI in 2004?: 

What percentage of cows and heifers did you mate to AI in 2004? Region = Not significant Age = Not significant Dairy herd size = Significant

Herd Size: 

Herd Size

What percentage of cows and heifers did you mate to AI in 2004 to breed replacement animals?: 

What percentage of cows and heifers did you mate to AI in 2004 to breed replacement animals? Region = Not significant Age = Not significant Dairy herd size = Significant

Herd Size: 

Herd Size

What was the reason why you didn’t breed more cows to AI in 2004?: 

What was the reason why you didn’t breed more cows to AI in 2004? AI usage category significant (P<0.001) 1=AI costs, Labour=2, Ability to detect heat=3, Confidence in Bull selection=4, Lack of suitable facilities=5, Inconvenience in AI process=6, Other=8,

Reasons for not more AI usage by AI use category: 

Reasons for not more AI usage by AI use category

Do you use heat detection aids?Yes: 58.9%, No: 41.1% (P value 0.005): 

Do you use heat detection aids? Yes: 58.9%, No: 41.1% (P value 0.005)

How often do you heat detect?: 

How often do you heat detect? Outside of milking times, herd size was an important factor influencing the amount of heat detection carried out (P=0.06)

Q: Do you AI before introducing the stock bull?: 

Q: Do you AI before introducing the stock bull? Yes= 69.1%, No= 30.9% Herd size (P value <0.001)

Q: For how many weeks do you use AI before introducing the stockbull?: 

Q: For how many weeks do you use AI before introducing the stockbull? Herd size, age of farmer or region had no effect on this variable Average = 5.85 weeks

Q: What method of AI is used?: 

Q: What method of AI is used?

Q: How do you select your AI dairy bulls for dairy herds?: 

Q: How do you select your AI dairy bulls for dairy herds?

Q: Selection criteria by Usage level?: 

Q: Selection criteria by Usage level?

Q: Have you heard of EBI?Yes: 90.9, No: 9.1: 

Q: Have you heard of EBI? Yes: 90.9, No: 9.1

Q: What criteria do you use to select beef bulls for use in the dairy herd?: 

Q: What criteria do you use to select beef bulls for use in the dairy herd?

Conclusions: 

Conclusions Large proportion of farmers use AI 55% of cows and 39% of heifers bred to AI 38% of cows and 23% of heifers bred to AI for replacement purposes Labour, Ability to detect heat and inconvenience are the important reasons why more AI isn’t used Fifty nine percent of farmers are using heat detection aids with tail paint the most common

Conclusions contd.: 

Conclusions contd. Cows are heat detected 1.5 times outside of milking (Herd size significant) Average length of AI usage is 5.9 weeks Dairy bulls are selected using EBI, Milk constituents and production mainly Milk recording was higher on larger herds and herds that use more AI Breed and calving ease are the most important traits for selecting beef bulls for the dairy herd

Breeding Better Replacements: 

Breeding Better Replacements Breeding Workshop for Stakeholders. March 2006

What is EBI?: 

What is EBI? A profit based index (€)

Background to EBI: 

Background to EBI Introduced in February 2001, replacing old RBI Profit based index (€/lactation) Included information on 2 new traits – CI & SURV Objective; “high profit = high solids + good fertility + long herd life”

Development of EBI: 

Development of EBI

EBI 2006: 

EBI 2006 Balance between output & costs. Past focus just output. EBI = Profit

EBI & AI Sires: 

EBI & AI Sires Difference of 1500 litres in milk yield Difference of 18 days in calving interval! Each +100 M kg = +1 day CI Top EBI Bull RUU – Ruud

EBI & Reliability: 

EBI & Reliability Proofs will change depending on reliability. Farmers should use a minimum of 3 bulls. Targets for progeny testing; Reliability of a team of 10 bulls = 93% Target for proven bulls ; 100 dtrs & 100 hrds = 80%

Key pointers: 

Key pointers A bull with an EBI of €100 will leave €100 more profit/lactation than the average animal. The average animal was a cow born in 1995 and milking in 2000 (EBI = €0) Heifer yield of 5,700 kg, 3.73 BF, 3.32 Ptn, CI = 385 days. On average using a bull of +100 kg & -5 days CI on this cow will result in a heifer with; 5,800 kg milk & 380 days CI.

Why do we need a progeny test program?: 

Why do we need a progeny test program? Currently achieving €5/cow/year Optimal gain = €23/cow/year Need sires proven to perform in Irish conditions. Highest EBI young bulls are in Ireland Aim to test 100 bulls with 100 daughters. To have confidence in AI the industry needs a new top bull each year You must promote progeny testing.

Stock Bull vs. AI: 

Stock Bull vs. AI Average EBI of Stock Bulls is €8! Difference of €97-€8=€89/lactation 20% replacement rate = €1,600 (300k litre herd)

Summary: 

Summary EBI – a profit index (output – costs) Evolving as more & better information becomes available. Breeding programs under-developed Too much stock bull (low EBI & low rel). Need to scale up progeny testing Aim to test 100 bulls/year New “top bull” each year & increased genetic gain for farmers/industry (€23/cow/year or 0.5 cents/litre).

Why use EBI?: 

Why use EBI? Breeding Workshop for Stakeholders. March 2006

Current situation.: 

Current situation. Replacement Rate = 26% Calving Interval = 394 days EBI = €24

Breeding Targets: 

Breeding Targets Replacement Rate of 18% Calving Interval of 365 days Herd EBI + €5 per year or €75 by 2015 Calving pattern 70 : 20 : 10 and 75% calved in first 6 weeks

Cost of not meeting targets: 

Cost of not meeting targets Replacement Rate > 18% Loss in profit of 0.14 cpl per % over 18% Calving Interval > 365 days Loss in profit of 0.12 cpl per day over 365 days For every €5 increase in EBI, profit will increase by 0.7 cpl

Breeding Targets: 

Breeding Targets 400,000 litres produced Calving Interval = 380 days Replacement rate = 30%

EBI & Fertility: 

EBI & Fertility Results from 15 years of Teagasc research Selection on EBI = more fertile cows. Similar trends for milk solids. EBI is pointing farmers in the right direction.

EBI – Making more money: 

EBI – Making more money Profit difference per 40 cows is €7,000

EBI – milk price & common profit: 

EBI – milk price & common profit EBI + €5 milk price + 0.07 cpl common profit + 0.3 cpl For a 400,000 litre herd, increasing EBI by €5 will increase milk price by + €280 Increase common profit by + €1,200

Summary: 

Summary High EBI = High Profit High Profit from improved milk solids fertility

Planning the breeding season: 

Planning the breeding season Breeding Workshop for Stakeholders. March 2006

What’s Important in Herd Fertility?: 

What’s Important in Herd Fertility?

EBI & Fertility: 

EBI & Fertility Genetics - the one guaranteed way to improve fertility.

Slide50: 

Aids to heat detection; tail paint, kamars, oestrus-aid

Calving to service interval: 

Calving to service interval

BODY CONDITION SCORE & PREGNANCY RATE AFTER 6WKS: 

BODY CONDITION SCORE & PREGNANCY RATE AFTER 6WKS Excessive loss also reduces pregnancy rate

Timing of AI: 

Timing of AI Bulling in early morning = serve that morning Bulling in afternoon/evening = serve next morning

INSEMINATION FACTORS: 

INSEMINATION FACTORS DIY v Commercial AI service No difference in average pregnancy rates No difference in variation Fresh v Frozen-thawed semen AI sire (greater than 50 inseminations) Large differences between sires AI v Natural service No difference

Breeding season targets: 

Breeding season targets Overall 365 day calving interval 80% herd calved in 6 weeks 10% herd empty at end of a 13 week breeding season 3 week breeding season targets 90% of cows bred All cows calved 40 days bred or treated

Straws per replacement heifer: 

Straws per replacement heifer Target no. at calving : 10 No.for breeding : 12 No. live at birth : 13 No. dead at birth : 1 No. pregnancies : 28 No. AI straws : 56 Straws per replacement : 5.6

Breeding Heifers: 

Breeding Heifers Birth Date: Jan – March Target Bulling Weight: 330 Kgs Cycling Plane of Nutrition Bred 1 week ahead of (or as soon as) main dairy herd Use high EBI “easy-calving” AI sires.

Herd EBI Reports: 

Herd EBI Reports EBI Report: Starting point for herd breeding decisions EBI target improvement = €5/year

ICBF Active Bull List: 

ICBF Active Bull List Use EBI report & ICBF Active Bull List to select bulls. Range of bulls in top 10: High EBI (RUU), high fertility (TIH), high milk (OJI) To achieve €5 herd improvement, must use “team of bulls” that are €50 above herd average.

Breeding Chart: 

Breeding Chart Easier recording of AI data. Balance cows & bulls for EBI.

Typical Breeding Timetable: 

Typical Breeding Timetable

Summary: 

Summary Important factors: genetics, heat detection, BCS & calving spread. Not as important: Timing of AI & insemination factors. 5.5 dairy AI straws required per replacement. Use ICBF Active Bull List & herd EBI report. Plan your breeding season – start now. Fail to plan…..plan to fail.

Increasing AI in 2006: Key factors.: 

Increasing AI in 2006: Key factors. Breeding Workshop for Stakeholders. March 2006

Increasing AI in 2006: 

Increasing AI in 2006 Working in groups: “What are the 5 key factors that will increase AI in 2006”? Feedback & discussion.