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Lopes LSF, Schenkel FS, Houlahan K, Rochus CM, Oliveira GA, Oliveira HR, Miglior F, Alcantara LM, Tulpan D, Baes CF. Estimates of genetic parameters for rumination time, feed efficiency, and methane production traits in first-lactation Holstein cows. J Dairy Sci 2024; 107:4704-4713. [PMID: 38310964 DOI: 10.3168/jds.2023-23751] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2023] [Accepted: 12/26/2023] [Indexed: 02/06/2024]
Abstract
The large-scale recording of traits such as feed efficiency (FE) and methane emissions (ME) for use in genetic improvement programs is complex, costly, and time-consuming. Therefore, heritable traits that can be continuously recorded in dairy herds and are correlated with FE and ME traits could provide useful information for genetic evaluation. Rumination time has been suggested to be associated with FE, methane production (MeP; ME in g/d), and production traits at the phenotypic level. Therefore, the objective of this study was to investigate the genetic relationships among rumination time (RT), FE, methane and production traits using 7,358 records from 656 first-lactation Holstein cows. The estimated heritabilities were moderate for RT (0.45 ± 0.14), MeP (0.36 ± 0.12), milk yield (0.40 ± 0.08), fat yield (0.29 ± 0.06), protein yield (0.32 ± 0.07), and energy-corrected milk (0.28 ± 0.07), but were low and nonsignificant for FE (0.15 ± 0.07), which was defined as the residual of the multiple linear regression of DMI on energy-corrected milk and metabolic body weight. A favorable negative genetic correlation was estimated between RT and MeP (-0.53 ± 0.24), whereas a positive favorable correlation was estimated between RT and energy-corrected milk (0.49 ± 0.11). The estimated genetic correlation of RT with FE (-0.01 ± 0.17) was not significantly different from zero but showed a trend of a low correlation with dry matter intake (0.21 ± 0.13). These results indicate that RT is genetically associated with MeP and milk production traits, but high standard errors indicate that further analyses should be conducted to verify these findings when more data for RT, MeP, and FE become available.
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Affiliation(s)
- L S F Lopes
- Centre for Genetic Improvement of Livestock, Department of Animal Biosciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada, N1G 2W1.
| | - F S Schenkel
- Centre for Genetic Improvement of Livestock, Department of Animal Biosciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada, N1G 2W1
| | - K Houlahan
- Centre for Genetic Improvement of Livestock, Department of Animal Biosciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada, N1G 2W1
| | - C M Rochus
- Centre for Genetic Improvement of Livestock, Department of Animal Biosciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada, N1G 2W1
| | - G A Oliveira
- Centre for Genetic Improvement of Livestock, Department of Animal Biosciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada, N1G 2W1
| | | | - F Miglior
- Centre for Genetic Improvement of Livestock, Department of Animal Biosciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada, N1G 2W1; Lactanet Canada, Guelph, ON, Canada, N1K 1E5
| | - L M Alcantara
- Centre for Genetic Improvement of Livestock, Department of Animal Biosciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada, N1G 2W1
| | - D Tulpan
- Centre for Genetic Improvement of Livestock, Department of Animal Biosciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada, N1G 2W1
| | - C F Baes
- Centre for Genetic Improvement of Livestock, Department of Animal Biosciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada, N1G 2W1; Institute of Genetics, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, 3012 Bern, Switzerland.
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Guarnido-Lopez P, Devant M, Llonch L, Marti S, Benaouda M. Multiphase diets may improve feed efficiency in fattening crossbreed Holstein bulls: a retrospective simulation of the economic and environmental impact. Animal 2023; 17 Suppl 5:101030. [PMID: 38065781 DOI: 10.1016/j.animal.2023.101030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2023] [Revised: 11/01/2023] [Accepted: 11/02/2023] [Indexed: 01/31/2024] Open
Abstract
Beef industry needs alternative feeding strategies to enhance both economic and environmental sustainability. Among these strategies, adjusting the diet dynamically according to the change of nutritional requirements (multiphase diet) has demonstrated its economic and environmental benefits in pig production systems. Therefore, this retrospective study aims to assess, through simulation, the theoretical economic and environmental benefits of introducing a multiphase diet for crossbreed bulls feeding (one or more diet changes). For this, individual data of BW, BW gain, and daily intake were recorded from 342 bulls during the last fattening period (112 days). These data were used to estimate individual trajectory of energy and protein requirements, which were subsequently divided by individual intake to calculate the required dietary energy and protein concentrations. The area between two functions (i.e., ƒ1: constant protein concentration in the original diet during fattening and ƒ2: estimated protein concentration requirements) was minimised to identify the optimal moments to adjust the dietary concentration of energy and protein. The results indicated that both energy and protein intake exceeded requirements on average (+16% and +28% respectively, P < 0.001), justifying the adoption of a multiphase diet. Modelling the individual trajectories of required metabolisable protein (MP, g/kg DM) during the fattening period resulted in exponential decay model in relation to BW [32120 × exp(-0.026 × BW) + 59.9], while the dietary net energy concentration followed a slightly quadratic model [2.26-0.0026 × BW + 0.000003 × BW2]. Minimisation of the area between curves showed two optimal moments to adjust the diet: at 312 kg and 385 kg of BW, indicating three diet phases: (a) <312 kg, (b) 312-385 kg, and (c) 385-600 kg. For the second and third phases, the dietary energy and protein concentration should be 70 g MP/kg DM and 1.70 Mcal/kg DM and 61 g MP/kg DM and 1.65 Mcal/kg DM, respectively. These diet adjustments might improve economic profitability by 29 €/animal, reduce estimated nitrogen excretions by 16% (P < 0.001), and maintain similar weight gain (P > 0.16) compared to the commercial diet. However, the decrease in dietary energy concentration led to increased fibre concentration, which in turn increased the estimated CH4 emissions of animals with the multiphase diet (+44%, P < 0.001). Hence, multiphase diet could theoretically reduce feeding cost and nitrogen excretion from fattening cattle. Further in vivo studies should confirm these results and find optimal nutritional strategies to improve economic profitability and environmental impact.
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Affiliation(s)
- P Guarnido-Lopez
- Institut Agro Dijon, 26 bd Docteur Petitjean, 21079 Dijon, France
| | - M Devant
- Ruminant Production Program, Institut de Recerca i Tecnologia Agroalimentàries, Torre Marimon, 08140 Caldes de Montbui, Barcelona, Spain
| | - L Llonch
- Ruminant Production Program, Institut de Recerca i Tecnologia Agroalimentàries, Torre Marimon, 08140 Caldes de Montbui, Barcelona, Spain
| | - S Marti
- Ruminant Production Program, Institut de Recerca i Tecnologia Agroalimentàries, Torre Marimon, 08140 Caldes de Montbui, Barcelona, Spain
| | - M Benaouda
- Institut Agro Dijon, 26 bd Docteur Petitjean, 21079 Dijon, France.
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Fregulia P, Neves ALA, Dias RJP, Campos MM. A review of rumen parameters in bovines with divergent feed efficiencies: What do these parameters tell us about improving animal productivity and sustainability? Livest Sci 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.livsci.2021.104761] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
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Charlebois S, Bowdridge E, Lemieux JL, Somogyi S, Music J. Supply Management 2.0: A Policy Assessment and a Possible Roadmap for the Canadian Dairy Sector. Foods 2021; 10:964. [PMID: 33924953 PMCID: PMC8145998 DOI: 10.3390/foods10050964] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2021] [Revised: 04/22/2021] [Accepted: 04/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Many believe the current Canadian Dairy supply management system is outdated. Examining a recent consumer survey suggests consumers, especially among the younger generations, have mixed feelings about how the Canadian dairy industry is good for the environment or whether animals in the sector are humanely treated. The general Canadian public strongly supports financial stability for farmers, though is not fully educated about how supply management works. Issues regarding the centralization and amalgamation of the industry, making many regions underserved; recent milk dumping due to a strong shift in demand caused by COVID-19; and the popularity of dairy alternatives, show that the dairy sector in Canada is ill-prepared for major change. Dairy farmers are receiving compensation for trade deals recently ratified by the federal government, creating a precedent that will lead to an overcapitalized industry. The aim of this paper is to review the industry's current state and suggest a roadmap for a more prosperous future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sylvain Charlebois
- Agri-Food Analytics Lab, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS B3H 4J1, Canada; (E.B.); (J.-L.L.); (J.M.)
| | - Eric Bowdridge
- Agri-Food Analytics Lab, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS B3H 4J1, Canada; (E.B.); (J.-L.L.); (J.M.)
| | - Jean-Luc Lemieux
- Agri-Food Analytics Lab, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS B3H 4J1, Canada; (E.B.); (J.-L.L.); (J.M.)
| | - Simon Somogyi
- Arrell Food Institute, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON B2T N1G, Canada;
| | - Janet Music
- Agri-Food Analytics Lab, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS B3H 4J1, Canada; (E.B.); (J.-L.L.); (J.M.)
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Effects of Incorporating Dry Matter Intake and Residual Feed Intake into a Selection Index for Dairy Cattle Using Deterministic Modeling. Animals (Basel) 2021; 11:ani11041157. [PMID: 33920730 PMCID: PMC8072614 DOI: 10.3390/ani11041157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2021] [Revised: 04/10/2021] [Accepted: 04/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The inclusion of feed efficiency in the breeding goal for dairy cattle has been discussed for many years. The effects of incorporating feed efficiency into a selection index were assessed by indirect selection (dry matter intake) and direct selection (residual feed intake) using deterministic modeling. Both traits were investigated in three ways: (1) restricting the trait genetic gain to zero, (2) applying negative selection pressure, and (3) applying positive selection pressure. Changes in response to selection from economic and genetic gain perspectives were used to evaluate the impact of including feed efficiency with direct or indirect selection in an index. Improving feed efficiency through direct selection on residual feed intake was the best scenario analyzed, with the highest overall economic response including favorable responses to selection for production and feed efficiency. Over time, the response to selection is cumulative, with the potential for animals to reduce consumption by 0.16 kg to 2.7 kg of dry matter per day while maintaining production. As the selection pressure increased on residual feed intake, the response to selection for production, health, and fertility traits and body condition score became increasingly less favorable. This work provides insight into the potential long-term effects of selecting for feed efficiency as residual feed intake.
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Xie Y, Miao C, Lu Y, Sun H, Liu J. Nitrogen metabolism and mammary gland amino acid utilization in lactating dairy cows with different residual feed intake. Anim Biosci 2021; 34:1600-1606. [PMID: 33677918 PMCID: PMC8495352 DOI: 10.5713/ab.20.0821] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2020] [Accepted: 01/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE This study was conducted to enhance our understanding of nitrogen (N) metabolism and mammary amino acid (AA) utilization in lactating cows with divergent phenotypes of residual feed intake (RFI). METHODS Fifty-three multiparous mid-lactation Holstein dairy cows were selected for RFI measurements over a 50-d experimental period. The 26 cows with the most extreme RFI values were classified into the high RFI (n = 13) and low RFI (n = 13) groups, respectively, for analysis of N metabolism and AA utilization. RESULTS Compared with the high RFI cows, the low RFI animals had lower dry matter intake (p<0.01) with no difference observed in milk yield between the two groups (p> 0.10). However, higher ratios of milk yield to dry matter intake (p<0.01) were found in the low RFI cows than in the high RFI cows. The low RFI cows had significant greater ratios of milk protein to metabolizable protein (p = 0.02) and milk protein to crude protein intake than the high RFI cows (p = 0.01). The arterial concentration and mammary uptake of essential AA (p<0.10), branched-chain AA (p<0.10), and total AA (p<0.10) tended to be lower in the low RFI cows. Additionally, the low RFI cows tended to have a lower ratio of AA uptake to milk output for essential AA (p = 0.08), branched-chain AA (p = 0.07) and total AA (p = 0.09) than the high RFI cows. CONCLUSION In summary, both utilization of metabolizable protein for milk protein and mammary AA utilization are more efficient in cows with lower RFI than in the high RFI cows. Our results provide new insight into the protein metabolic processes (related to N and AA) involved in feed efficiency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yunyi Xie
- Institute of Dairy Science, MOE Key Laboratory of Molecular Animal Nutrition, College of Animal Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Chao Miao
- Institute of Dairy Science, MOE Key Laboratory of Molecular Animal Nutrition, College of Animal Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Yi Lu
- Institute of Dairy Science, MOE Key Laboratory of Molecular Animal Nutrition, College of Animal Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Huizeng Sun
- Institute of Dairy Science, MOE Key Laboratory of Molecular Animal Nutrition, College of Animal Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Jianxin Liu
- Institute of Dairy Science, MOE Key Laboratory of Molecular Animal Nutrition, College of Animal Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
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Pryce JE, Haile-Mariam M. Symposium review: Genomic selection for reducing environmental impact and adapting to climate change. J Dairy Sci 2020; 103:5366-5375. [PMID: 32331869 DOI: 10.3168/jds.2019-17732] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2019] [Accepted: 12/03/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
The world has been warming as greenhouse gases accumulate. Worldwide from 1880 to 2012, the average surface temperature has increased by about 0.85°C and by 0.12°C per decade since 1951. The world's cattle population is a contributor to atmospheric methane, a potent greenhouse gas, in addition to suffering from high temperatures combined with humidity. This makes research into reducing the global footprint of dairy cows of importance on a long-term horizon, while improving tolerance to heat could alleviate the effects of rising temperatures. In December 2017, genomic estimated breeding values for heat tolerance in dairy cattle were released for the first time in Australia. Currently, heat tolerance is not included in the Balanced Performance Index (Australia's national selection index), and the correlation between heat tolerance breeding values and Balanced Performance Index is -0.20, so over time, heat tolerance has worsened due to lack of selection pressure. However, in contrast, sizable reductions in greenhouse gas emissions have been achieved as a favorable response to selecting for increased productivity, longevity, and efficiency, with opportunities for even greater gains through selecting for cow emissions directly. Internationally considerable research effort has been made to develop breeding values focused on reducing methane emissions using individual cow phenotypes. This requires (1) definition of breeding objectives and selection criteria and (2) assembling a sufficiently large data set for genomic prediction. Selecting for heat tolerance and reduced emissions directly may improve resilience to changing environments while reducing environmental impact.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennie E Pryce
- Agriculture Victoria Research, AgriBio, Centre for AgriBioscience, Bundoora, Victoria 3083, Australia; School of Applied Systems Biology, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Victoria 3083, Australia.
| | - Mekonnen Haile-Mariam
- Agriculture Victoria Research, AgriBio, Centre for AgriBioscience, Bundoora, Victoria 3083, Australia
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