The usefulness of a new udder health index to decrease mastitis incidence

Y. de Haas; G. de Jong; W. Ouweltjes; J. ten Napel; J.J. Windig

The usefulness of a new udder health index to decrease mastitis incidence

In: Mastitis control

Authors:

Y. de Haas

Y. de Haas ¹Animal Sciences Group, P.O. Box 65, 8200 AB Lelystad, the Netherlands
²CRV, P.O. Box 454, 6800 AL Arnhem, the Netherlands

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G. de Jong

G. de Jong ²CRV, P.O. Box 454, 6800 AL Arnhem, the Netherlands

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W. Ouweltjes

W. Ouweltjes ¹Animal Sciences Group, P.O. Box 65, 8200 AB Lelystad, the Netherlands

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J. ten Napel

J. ten Napel ¹Animal Sciences Group, P.O. Box 65, 8200 AB Lelystad, the Netherlands

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, and

J.J. Windig

J.J. Windig ¹Animal Sciences Group, P.O. Box 65, 8200 AB Lelystad, the Netherlands

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Type:: Chapter

Pages:: 145–152

DOI:: https://doi.org/10.3920/9789086866496_024

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Genetic selection for udder health in the Netherlands is currently based on indirect traits combined in an udder health index. This index has an accuracy of 0.74 for young unproven bulls. Genetic trends of udder health over the years are horizontal despite a strong selection on milk yield and the negative genetic correlation with udder health. Although this indicates that the unfavourable effect of selection on milk yield on udder health is counteracted, there is room for improvement by constructing a better udder health index. A new index is proposed to reduce both clinical and subclinical mastitis in equal proportions that consists of (1) average SCC in early lactation (5-150 days), (2) average SCC in late lactation (151-400 days), (3) absence or presence of a test-day SCC above 150,000 cells/ml, (4) proportion of test-day SCC above 150,000 cells/ml and (5) number of patterns of peaks in SCC. This index results in an accuracy of 91% for young unproven bulls, which implies more distinction between the best and worst sires with respect to their udder health breeding values. With the new index udder health breeding values are estimated for bulls and cows using the national database for a test run. Average breeding vales of bulls and cows vary from -9 to +6% for bulls and from -4 to +6% for cows. Both the higher accuracy and the presence of genetic variation improves possibilities to select sires and dams that improve udder health genetics, and to realise a favourable genetic trend in the future.

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Mastitis control

From science to practice

E-Book ISBN:: 9789086866496

Publisher:: Wageningen Academic

Print Publication Date:: 30 Oct 2008

Subjects
- Life Sciences

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The usefulness of a new udder health index to decrease mastitis incidence

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Mastitis control

From science to practice

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