DairyCo

Genetics of Health and Fertility

Published 15 January 10

There is evidence from previous research on dairy cattle from Scandinavia, the USA, the UK and elsewhere, of unfavourable associations between milk production, fertility and some diseases, including mastitis and lameness. This implies that if selection continues to be mainly for high production alone, there will continue to be a decline in genetic merit for health and fertility.

The MDC-funded research reported on here addressed several issues that are vital to halting the decline in genetic merit for health and fertility in the UK dairy herd.