News December 2020 - January 2021
New Feed Saved and Heifer Livability Traits Feed Saved (FSAV) and Heifer Livability (HLIV) are two new traits dairy producers can consider for genetic selection. Developed by the Council on Dairy Cattle Breeding (CDCB), FSAV and HLIV are available for the first time with the December 2020 Sire Summary. Feed Saved Genetic and genomic evaluations for FSAV are available for both Holstein males and females. The FSAV predicted transmitting ability (PTA) represents the expected pounds of feed saved per lactation based on Body Weight Composite (BWC) and Residual Feed Intake (RFI) evaluations. Larger, positive values are more favorable. Daughters of a sire with a FSAV of +200 are expected to consume on average 200 pounds less feed per lactation than expected based on their levels of milk, fat and production. Daughters of a sire with a FSAV of -300 pounds are expected to consume an average of 300 pounds of feed per lactation more than expected. Feed costs comprise a large portion of a dairy farm’s expenses, so selecting for more feed-efficient cows has the potential to reduce costs and improve profitability. Heifer Livability The HLIV trait measures the genetic probability of a heifer to stay alive until 18 months. HLIV PTAs express mortality differences as percentage
points, with a positive number being favorable. Initially this evaluation is available only for Holstein and Jersey animals. The average HLIV is equal to 96% in U.S. Holsteins and Jerseys. A Holstein bull with a HLIV PTA of +1.0% would be expected to average 97% of his heifers surviving. Daughters of a Holstein bull with a HLIV PTA of -1.0% are expected to have an average heifer livability of 95%. HLIV indicates a heifer’s overall resistance to causes leading to mortality. Selecting for improved heifer livability can improve animal health and welfare by decreasing disease incidence. It is expected that both FSAV and HLIV will be included in the Net Merit (NM$) index when it is revised in April 2021. Data for these traits can be accessed on the Select Sires website at www. selectsires.com.
Which traits to choose? There has never been a shortage of traits to choose from when selecting sires, and the list got a little longer with the introduction of FSAV and HLIV. Contemplating if, when and how to incorporate new traits can be overwhelming; but it does not have to be. CentralStar’s team of Consultants have the knowledge, experience, and functional expertise to help dairies maximize genetic investment creating more productive and efficient herds. Our Consultants are well-versed in deciphering the ever-changing massive amounts of data and aligning it with the goals of dairy producers. If you are not yet working with a CentralStar Consultant for genetic selection, planning and inventory management, ask your local CentralStar team how to get started on that path.