Breeding for longevity and survival in dairy cattle (original) (raw)

Thc aim of dairy cattle brceding should be to improvc lifetime profit, rattrer than longevity in itsclf. It is most likcly, though, O16t traits rhar dercrmine longevity will be selccad for, and thus the ability to livc longer will improve. Health and rcproductive traits are describcd as the most imporrant in dercrmining longevity. The main focus of the articlc is on describing methods used as indicators of longevity: sayabilities, sundval scores, and failure time analysis. Mcasurcs of prcduction ard involuntary cdting (c.g. mastitis, reproduaion) are suggested for usc as selection criterion, if measured in the population. If not, other indicalor traits, such as somatic cell counts, could bc used irsrcad. If no or few hcalth and reproduction traits arc available in a population, breeding values for length of pmductivc lifc adjustcd for thc within-herd milk production deviuion, analyzed with failure time analysis' could bc used as a complement to milk production.