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Dairy Cattle Breeding

Percentage of Sire's Daughters Having a Second, Fourth, and Sixth Lactation

Department of Animal Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York

ABSTRACT

For the past 35 years I have been listening to the controversy between dairy cattle breeders concerning the amount of emphasis to place on milk production as contrasted to type characteristics. The production proponents argue that the sale of milk is the largest source of income for dairy farmers, and that the faster we turn over our population the more rapidly we can improve our cattle. They do say that when cows leave the herd for reasons other than that we have a better replacement, this slows down the rate of genetic gain.

The proponents of type argue that high producing cows burn out and leave the herd at a young age; long-lived cows are average or below average producers as young cows; better type cows stay in the herd longer; cows must stay in the herd for several lactations to pay for the cost of raising them.

To answer some of the arguments above, let us consider recent studies on this question.