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Influence of Artificial Breeding on Production in Michigan Dairy Herds¹

Department of Dairy, Michigan State University, East Lansing

ABSTRACT

Daughters of bulls in artificial breeding units were compared with non-A.B. heifers in the same herds at the same time, to assess the genetic progress in production achieved by artificial breeding in Michigan herds on D.H.I.A.—I.B.M. test. Holstein A.B. heifers produced 124 lb. more milk and 3.7 lb. more fat in their first lactation than did their non-A.B. contemporaries. Guernsey non-A.B. heifers exceeded A.B. heifers by 6 lb. of milk, but produced 3.9 lb. less fat. Jersey A.B. heifers produced 16 lb. more milk, but had 2.7 lb. less fat.

The differences, A.B. heifers minus non-A.B. heifers, tended to increase slightly but not significantly as the average fat production of other contemporary cows increased, except for Jerseys, where they tended to decrease slightly.

No interaction between A.B. sires and herds existed when each A.B. daughter's record was expressed as a deviation from the average of all non-A.B. cows in the same herd.

¹ Journal Paper Ho. 2374. Michigan Agricultural Experiment Station.