British Cattle Conference Organised by The British Cattle Breeders Club

Registered in England 480001 Registered Charity 271147

President: Maurice Bichard

Chairman: Roger Trewhella

Secretary: Heidi Bradbury

British Cattle Breeders Club Underhill Farm Glutton Bridge Earl Sterndale, Buxton Derbyshire SK17 0RN Tel: 07966 032079 E.Mail: [email protected] Web: www.cattlebreeders.org.uk

ANNUAL CONFERENCE 2016 1 Contents

How to make cattle breeding a profitable business – does genomics hold the key? David Alvis, Managing Director, Yorkshire Dairy Goats, The Farm Offices, St Helens Farm, Seaton Ross, York, YO42 4NP 5

Beefing up beef breeding in Ireland using DNA technology Dr Donagh Berry, Geneticist, Animal & Bioscience Research Dept, Animal & Grassland Research & Innovation Centre, Teagasc, Moorepark, Fermoy, Ireland 8

Improving carcass traits using genetics and genomics in the beef sector D. Holroyd1, J. Draper1, I. Kerr2, A. Glasgow2, S. Mead2, M. Coffey 3 and K. Moore3 1ABP UK (ABP), Birmingham, B37 7YB; 2British Limousin Cattle Society (BLCS), Leamington Spa, CV32 5JG; 3Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC), Kings Buildings, West Mains Road, Edinburgh, EH9 3JG 12

Development of a pen-side diagnostic test for liver fluke infection in cattle and sheep Tessa Walsh, PhD Student at the University of Liverpool 15

Improving carcase and eating quality through breeding and management Kim Matthews1, Kirsty Moore2, Jimmy Hyslop3, Carol-Anne Duthie2, Liz Ford1, Ian Richardson4, Sam Boon1 1Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) Beef & Lamb; 2Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC); 3SAC Consulting; 4University of Bristol 19

Driving beef profitability using maternal composite genetics Billy O’Kane, Crebilly Farm, 170 Crebilly Road, Ballymena, Co Antrim, Northern Ireland 22

Breeding for TB resistance – the ‘TB advantage’ Marco Winters, Head of Genetics, AHDB Dairy, Agriculture & Horticulture Development Board, Stoneleigh Park, Kenilworth, Warwickshire, CV8 2TL 24

TB – what a vet would do Den Leonard BVSc DBR MRCVS, Lambert, Leonard and May, Old Woodhouses, Broughall, Whitchurch, Shropshire, SY13 4AQ 28

Making a future in dairy farming? Gwyn Jones, Chairman of AHDB Dairy, AHDB Dairy, Stoneleigh Park, Kenilworth, Warwickshire, CV8 2TL 35

Use of the UK breeding indices within my herds Keith Davis, Daniels Farm, Blakeney, Gloucestershire, GL15 4AQ 37

Advanced breeding technology advances for cattle farmers David Black BVM&S DBR MRCVS, Veterinary Surgeon, Paragon Veterinary Group, Carlisle House, Townhead Road, Dalston, Carlisle, CA5 7JF 39

Combining genomics with social media to provide a marketing choice Stuart Rogers, Longmoor Farm, Gillingham, Dorset, SP8 5QW 43

The role of the digital cushion in dairy cattle lameness Reuben Newsome, PhD student, School of Veterinary Medicine and Science, University of Nottingham, LE12 5RD 45

Preparing the next generation of farmers and dairy herd staff Ian Tremain, Head of Agriculture Innovation, Bridgwater College, Cannington Centre, TA5 2LS 48

A European view on the future dairy farmer: will there still be room for emotion? Dr Sophie Eaglen, Global Business Development Manager, Genetics/Genomics, CRV Innovation, The Netherlands 50

Keeping on track and staying there Philip Metcalfe, Metcalfe Farms, Washfold Farm, Leyburn, North Yorkshire, DL8 5JZ 53

Leaning on a gate contemplating cattle Professor John Wibberley PhD, NSch, FRAgS, Orchard Close, Shaldon, Devon 55

2 BRITISH CATTLE BREEDERS CLUB Rounding-up the year

papers. Looking outside our own industry, and our own borders, the methodical use of genomics being deployed by Yorkshire Dairy Goats enabled us to learn valuable lessons for the cattle sector; while the focus on precision dairy is raising the stakes in The Netherlands as well.

Similarly, the fast emerging developments in embryo transfer, combined with karryomapping and genomic screening offers scope for ever greater genetic progress. At the same time, it was highly encouraging to hear how other players in the supply chain are partnering our breeding interests to provide more value to consumers.

We were blessed to have some first rate examples from practising farmers. Each showed an enthusiasm, along with attention to detail, which will bring inspiration and success to the cattle industry – from animal health and welfare to marketing to communication.

Our Cattle Breeders Conference at the end of In conclusion, I would like to thank, and congratulate, January concludes my year as chairman on a high. Heidi Bradbury after her first year as secretary. It is Such a good attendance speaks volumes about the never easy to follow someone who knows the ropes way in which the British Cattle Breeders’ Club has after a number of years in post; in BCBC’s case, Heidi developed. We were particularly proud and honoured made sure everything went without a glitch. I offer my to have Defra and AHDB launch TB Advantage – the best wishes to the committee for the forthcoming year, world’s first breeding measure of TB resistance – at and I have no doubt that Iain Kerr, my successor, will the Conference. bring the same professionalism and level of achieve- ment that he has shown at the British Limousin Cattle Across two-and-a half days the blend of speakers, Society. the quality of their presentations, and their enthusiasm all combined to stimulate debate in the hall, and on- For anyone who may be tempted to come along for the going discussion beyond it. Changing the programme first time, or who missed this year’s Conference, please format to end with a panel session on the last go to www.cattlebreeders.org.uk and dip into some of afternoon also ensured that delegates could head the papers, which are available as ‘Talking Slides.’ for home at a good time. Already I am looking forward to next year’s Conference There are too many speakers to mention individually. from Monday 23rd to Wednesday 25th January – put it Suffice to say that the attendee feedback survey in the diary now. confirmed the thread that ran through the programme. Genomics remains an important, and intriguing, Roger Trewhella technology and was a recurring theme across many Chairman

ANNUAL CONFERENCE 2016 3 The British Cattle Breeders Club

CLUB PRESIDENTS

1956 Joint Presidents: Sir John Hammond CBE, FRS Joint Presidents: Mr George Odlam 1965 Professor Alan Robertson OBE, FRS (retired 1987) 1988 Dr Tim Rowson OBE FRS (died 1989) 1990 Sir Richard Trehane (retired 1997) 1997 Mr John E. Moffitt CBE, DCL, FRASE (retired 2005) 2005 Mr W Henry E. Lewis (retired 2011) 2011 Dr Maurice Bichard

CHAIRMEN (Please note, the year of office would be completed at the conference of the following year)

1949–1951 R. H. Howard 1976 T. A. Varnham 1997 1952 B. H. Theobald 1977 David Allen 1998 Tony Blackburn 1953 Mrs D. M. Wainwright 1978 H. W. S. Teverson 1999 Chris Watson 1954–1956 Peter Redfern 1979 D. A. Nutting 2000 Henry Lewis 1957 C. B. Cooper 1980 Dr J. W. B. King 2001 John Downing 1958–1959 Major C. Wheaton-Smith 1981 J. M. Johnston 2002 Christopher Norton 1960–1961 Brevit-Colonel S. V. Misa 1982 J. E. Moffitt 2003 Mark Roberts 1962 E. J. Boston 1983 D. J. Bright 2004 Philip Kirkham 1963 M. O. K. Day 1984 Sir Richard Trehane 2005 David Hewitt 1964 F. J. Coney 1985 Richard Linnell 2006 Dr Duncan Pullar 1965 E. J. Wynter 1986 B. P. Pringle 2007 Dr Mike Coffey 1966 Miss J. H. Barry 1987 J. R. Mulholland 2008 Paul Westaway 1967 H. N. Haldin 1988 Peter G. Padfield 2009 Rob Wills 1968 H. N. Haldin/P. Dixon-Smith 1989 Malcolm J. Peasnall 2010 Lucy Andrews 1969 P. Dixon-Smith 1990 Mike Trevena 2011 Duncan Sinclair 1970 Miss M. Macrae 1991 Chris Bourchier 2012 Philip Halhead 1971 R. G. Galling 1992 Barrie Audis 2013 Neil Darwent 1972 N. J. D. Nickalls 1993 Dr Geoff Simm 2014 Philip Hadley 1973 J. A. Moss 1994 Geoff Spiby 2015 Roger Trewhella 1974 Mrs S. Thompson-Coon 1995 Tom Brooksbank 2016 Iain Kerr 1975 J. W. Parsons 1996 Miss Sybil Edwards

SECRETARIES

1949 R H Holmes 1950–1956 Edward Rumens 1957–1959 Miss H. Craig-Kelly 1960–1961 Rex Evans 1962–1993 Colin R. Stains 1994–1998 Malcolm Peasnall 1999–2000 Janet Padfield 2000–2015 Lesley Lewin 2015 onwards Heidi Bradbury

4 BRITISH CATTLE BREEDERS CLUB How to make cattle breeding a profitable business – does genomics hold the key?

David Alvis Managing Director, Yorkshire Dairy Goats, The Farm Offices, St Helens Farm, Seaton Ross, York YO42 4NP; [email protected]

In 2009 an American Hereford cow of some of the wealthiest figures in commercial producers and buyers named L1 Dominette 01449, made British society, for whom ownership of beef and more recently with the history as the source of the first of a prominent pedigree herd was a return to our shores of our own Bovine genome ever to be symbol of success and status, not traditional breeds, improved and sequenced. That discovery has, in unlike owning a Premiership football optimised for the modern market by the intervening 6 years, team today. our erstwhile customers in North revolutionised cattle breeding around America and the Antipodes. the world and marked the beginning Up until WWII, Britain was also a key of an important new chapter in a source of genetics for many of the So what can the industry do to regain story that is as old as human worlds leading beef producing this lost ground and what lessons can civilisation itself. nations, with breeds such as the be learned from the experiences of Hereford, the Shorthorn and the other sectors? Cattle breeding and the evolution of ubiquitous Aberdeen Angus widely human society have been inextricably exported around the globe. They I have been fortunate over the course linked since man first domesticated were particularly successful in North of my career to have had exposure the cow over 8,000 years ago. Cattle, & South America, Africa and to a number of different sectors of possibly more than any other animal, Australia where their influence the UK food supply chain and have been instrumental to mankind’s continues to this day, both as consequently have learned the success, as a source of food, purebreds or where crossed with importance of market focus and clothing, power, heat, fertiliser, native breeds of both Bos Taurus innovation in maintaining competitive currency and medicine; the word and Bos Indicus to improve meat advantage and ultimately profitability. vaccine after all being derived from quality and productivity. ‘vacca’, the Greek for cow. As a potato grower and marketer in But in the post war years, UK beef the 1990s I witnessed the rapid Evidence of organised cattle breeding seemingly lost its way. rationalisation of that industry against breeding can be found in historical Genetic progress stalled, especially the backdrop of rising the multiple records of most early societies, when compared to other livestock retailer power and the removal of the among them ancient Egypt, where sectors such as pigs and poultry or potato marketing scheme. This the importance of cattle as a source even the dairy industry, whose rate of necessitated a wholesale change of of wealth and power is widely genetic gain in recent decades has focus among UK potato growers, illustrated in preserved artefacts and far outstripped that of the beef sector. from a traditional trading mindset to in the tomb engravings of many one more focused on consistently prominent ancient Egyptians. Consequently Britain has seen its producing what your customer position as the ‘go to’ nation for elite wanted, when they wanted it, or risk In Britain, cattle breeding reached its beef genetics eroded; firstly by the losing your business to your zenith in the 19th and early 20th rise in popularity of continental competitors. centuries when many of the breeds breeds such as the Limousin, we know today were first identified Charolais and Belgian Blue, whose Innovation in terms of product, and breed societies formed. Breed superior growth rates and carcass process and service provision were all improvement was a favoured pastime conformation found favour with key to success and those businesses

ANNUAL CONFERENCE 2016 5 that recognised this early on and funding from InnovateUK, have For Yorkshire Dairy Goats, the first adapted their business models developed what we believe to be the step has been to identify markers and accordingly thrived, whilst many world’s first commercial genomic establish Genomic Estimated others fell by the wayside. evaluation platform for dairy goats. Breeding Values (GEBVs) for milk yield, milk composition and functional As a producer of goat’s milk today, In simple terms, Genomics works by conformation traits. I am also acutely aware of the need analysing the DNA of an individual to consistently deliver a quality animal to look for the presence or Using current and historical product and service to support the absence of Single Nucleotide phenotypic data we are confident continued success and growth of the Polymorphisms or SNPs within that that the GEBVs we now have for premium brand we supply. Yorkshire animals genome. SNPS are one of these traits are sufficiently reliable Dairy Goats and its customer St the most common forms of genetic for us to use them as the principle Helens Farm, the business from variation and are typically highly selection tool for our in house which Yorkshire Dairy Goats evolved preserved throughout evolution within breeding programme. This allows in 2013, has built their 30 year a population and as such a map of us to confidently use younger high success on this principle. SNPs acts as an excellent source of genetic merit males and females genetic markers for research. earlier than we would have historically We are a market driven business been able to, as we no longer have to that lives and dies by our ability to By cross referencing SNP markers wait for the results of progeny testing. establish and maintain customer with observed Phenotypes or loyalty by producing a consistently physical trait data, reliable genomic We have also begun validating the high quality product and we do this breeding values can potentially be genomic key on other populations of by constantly innovating and fine established for a wide range of traits dairy goats, with reliable phenotypic tuning our processes to improve and as such an animal’s genetic data, in other countries. Blind ranking performance in every aspect of merit can be established effectively of these animals using GEBVs alone what we do. from birth, long before those traits and then comparing the results with have been expressed. their actual phenotypic performance Genomics is now a significant has yielded encouraging results, component of this and is an area This potentially allows for earlier and which when combined with the actual where the business has invested a more accurate identification of elite performance of the first daughters of significant amount of time and money (and undesirable) breeding animals, genomically selected sires coming in in recent years to build and thus shortening the generation into our own herd, has given us the improve the genetic base that interval and accelerating genetic confidence to invest further, looking determines the potential performance progress. for GEBVs for more complex of the herd and ultimately the composite traits such as Mastitis business. It may sound simple but the reality resistance and Feed conversion has been a long process that has efficiency. Historically Yorkshire Dairy Goats required very large data sets of has operated a successful in-house reliable Phenotypic data. However this has been a long and conventional progeny testing resource hungry process that would programme to identify potential elite Modern High-throughput SNP also not have been possible without breeding males. By keeping analysis means that the cost of the extensive and detailed production extensive animal performance and genomic testing is coming down and pedigree records of thousands pedigree records, this enabled the rapidly and is now a relatively cheap of goats going back many years. business to deliver considerable and straightforward process. The genetic gain over the flat 25 years challenge and cost lies in the Few, if any, individual UK beef but the emergence of Genomics in production of a genomic ‘key’ that producers will have the size of data other species provided an opportunity can reliably make sense of the sets or indeed the resources to to harness this technology to genomic data generated. conduct such a programme in house, potentially accelerate this process but that doesn’t mean that it can’t be and more accurately select for The real prize however is that, done. desirable traits in the future. provided sufficient high quality phenotypic data is available, it has Genomics has the same potential to Building on the experience gained the potential to identify genetic revolutionise beef breeding as it has from the dairy cattle sector and using markers, not just for the more easily in other species. The key to success the 30 years of detailed animal recorded traits such as milk yield or in the beef sector, in my opinion is co- performance and pedigree records growth rate, but also for harder to operation, co-ordination and clarity of that the business has collected, measure but equally commercially vision at a breed society or supply- Yorkshire Dairy Goats in partnership valuable traits such as disease chain level, to identify what traits with Mike Coffey and his team at resistance, fertility and feed really drive value going forward and SRUC/Roslinand supported by conversion efficiency. how they can be measured, selected

6 BRITISH CATTLE BREEDERS CLUB for and improved on an industry amplify the numbers of elite female Strategy Board (now Innovate UK) scale. animals produced, will help exploit and more recently via the Agri-Tech the benefits of genomic selection Strategy to support commercially led As I mentioned earlier the genotyping by further accelerating the rate of innovation partnerships between component of the process is now genetic gain achievable, thus im- businesses and the research relatively inexpensive and straight- proving the efficiency and ultimately community to develop the means of forward, but to quote Prof Mike the profitability of the sector. exploiting these opportunities. Coffey ‘In the age of the cheap Genotype, Phenotype is King’. All this requires a level of investment The emergence of a number of and commitment which at an Innovation centres over the coming Accurate and reliable trait individual farm level might seem months, and in particular the Centre measurement is key to unlocking extremely daunting during these for Innovation Excellence in Livestock the potential of genomics in any economically challenging times, but if – CIEL in York (www.cielivestock. application and setting up the the industry is to face the future and co.uk) will provide a focal point for the infrastructure to capture, collect and all the opportunities it offers with industry to access a broad spectrum process this data is the big challenge confidence, it needs to start co- of research capability to support their for the beef sector. operating now. ambitions in this regard.

However if this can be achieved, And help is at hand. The UK has a The future for beef breeding in the then the opportunity for rapid genetic great depth of established and well UK is bright. We have all the improvement and with it, better proven expertise in this field and components for a world leading physical and financial performance novel sensor and trait measurement industry and the time for that industry are indisputable. technology is evolving at a rapid to act is now. Co-operation, Co- pace, as is the ability to process the ordination and Clarity of vision are Beyond simple genomic analysis, huge data sets that this will generate. the three key principles that will make the emergence of other advanced beef breeding a profitable business breeding technologies such as The UK government has also again. Ovum Pickup/IVF for cattle and the invested considerable money in increasing use of sexed semen to recent years through the Technology

ANNUAL CONFERENCE 2016 7 Beefing up beef breeding in Ireland using DNA technology Dr Donagh Berry Geneticist, Animal & Bioscience Research Dept, Animal & Grassland Research & Innovation Centre, Teagasc, Moorepark, Fermoy, Ireland; [email protected]

The basics Interest in the more wide-spread animal results in a now-proven more application of genomic technology in accurate genetic evaluation. Genomics is the study of DNA. cattle breeding has, however, rapidly DNA is the building blocks of genes intensified in recent years. This The technology commonly used and it is the genes that determine growing excitement has been fuelled internationally heretofore in genomic whether an animal has the potential, by the rapidly declining cost of selection programs exploits DNA for example, to grow or be fertile – acquiring a genotype but also information at 54,001 locations across whether an animal achieves its advancements in the statistical the animal’s DNA. These tiny genetic potential is dependent on the methodology to effectively and changes in the DNA sequence of an management the animal is exposed efficiently analyse the vast quantities animal are commonly called SNPs to. DNA is present in all cells and of genomic data being generated. (pronounced “snips”) and the platform remains the same throughout an While heretofore applications of used to determine the genotype of an animal’s life; in other words the DNA genomics in cattle breeding exploited animal is referred to as a SNPchip of a calf taken at one day of age is knowledge on only a few pieces of (pronounced “snip-chip”). Ireland the same as that animal’s DNA DNA (e.g. Merial/Igenity marker developed its own SNPchip for use in several years later. Apart from panels), today’s application of dairy and beef cattle. A total of 53988 identical twins, each animal has a genomic selection utilises information SNPs are now included on the different DNA profile. This is com- on tens or hundreds of thousands of SNPchip; the characterisation of monly referred to as the animal’s pieces of DNA of an individual. The SNPs on the chip is in Table 1. genotype. increased information available per The potential immediate uses of genomic information in cattle production is in Figure 1. Other more Figure 1: Potential immediate uses of genomics in cattle production. futuristic uses include personalised management, development of diagnostics and vaccines amongst Parentage Increased accuracy of others. assignment genetic evaluations

The use of genomic information in cattle breeding is not new. Genomics Breed Mating has being used routinely in parentage composition advice testing. Because each animal inherits Genomics half its DNA from its sire and its dam, parentage assignment can be accurately undertaken based on the Inbreeding Monitoring DNA information of the individual lethal genes and its parent(s). Genomics is also routinely used in cattle breeding in Traceabilityraceability the screening of (AI) bulls for known lethal major genes or congenital Personalised Monitoring defects. DNA can be obtained from management major genes blood, hair or tissue samples.

8 BRITISH CATTLE BREEDERS CLUB Table 1: Characterisation of the SNPs included on the Irish SNP-chip custom Table 2: Percentage of carrier genotype platform. Holstein-Friesian animals for known lethal recessive mutations. SNPs Number Percentage Base Illumina commercially available carrriers low density panel 6909 Brachyspina 1.76 Dairy genomic evaluations 40446 CVM 2.28 Imputation to high density 5765 BLAD 0.53 Imputation to microsatellites 1927 DUMPS 0 Prediction of Angus and Hereford breed proportion 800 Total “Illumina” SNPs (duplication major effect (e.g.myostatin, DGAT1) exists in the list above) 45521 are also included on the SNP-chip. All tests can be undertaken with just a Lethal mutations 4 single biological sample which could Mutations in known major genes 291 be blood, hair, ear biopsy, meat, or semen and is available to all farmers Research SNPs 8173 for !22; this price is 8% of the cost several years ago and is expected to become cheaper in the coming years. Imputation is a process where our genotyped), and can be used for knowledge of inheritance of DNA genomic evaluations. Ireland is in the Frequency of major-gene facilitates the prediction (called process of transitioning all parentage variants in Irish cattle imputation) of SNPs that are not testing in cattle (and sheep) to SNPs. actually genotyped. Therefore a Embarking on such an initiative, Knowledge of the carrier status of lower density, lower cost genotype however, would require all back- candidate parents for different genetic platform can be used to generate pedigree to be re-genotyped with mutations (e.g.myostatin) and the higher density genotype information. SNPs. An innovative approach was impact of mating animals of different To avoid the necessity of imputation developed to predict (termed impute) genotype status is crucial to a in dairying, all 40,446 SNPs used in microsatellites from the available successful herd-breeding program. the Irish dairy genomic evaluations SNPs. This therefore eliminates the Knowledge on how the frequency of are included on the Irish SNP-chip. necessity to re-genotype back- these mutations is changing across Parentage testing to date is pedigree with SNPs with obvious time can provide useful information undertaken using microsatellites cost-savings. SNPs are also included for breed societies of the impact of which are a different form of DNA on the custom SNP-chip to aid in the prevailing breeding strategies on likely variation to SNPs. Microsatellites are accurate prediction of the proportion future consequences. Table 2 more expensive to undertake, can of Angus and Hereford in a (meat) summarises the frequency of different contain errors, and can only be used sample. Mutations in genes of known mutations in a population of 14,128 for parentage testing (i.e. cannot be lethal effects (e.g. CVM, BLAD, Irish Holstein-Friesian animals; Table used for genomic selection). SNPs, DUMPS, Brachaspyina) as well as 3 summarises the prevalence of in contrast, are considerably less mutations leading to congenital several mutations in Irish purebred expensive per unit genotype, are, on defects (e.g.Congenital contractural beef cattle. The proportion of a whole, more accurate for parentage arachnodactyly also known as fawn Holstein-Friesian animals with the (in)validation but also assignment calf, Arthrogryposis Multiplex or Curly A1A1, A1A2 and A2A2 genotype was (even without the dam being Calf Syndrome) or in genes of known 14, 45, 41% respectively. Of the

Table 3: Allele frequency for a range of mutations in the myostatin gene for different purebred beef animals.

nt821 FL94 Q204X nt748 nt324 nt267 nt414 nt748 nt419

Angus 2.0 99.7 50.0 20.8 100.0 0.0 79.2 20.8 0.0 Blue 99.1 100.0 100.0 0.0 100.0 0.0 100.0 0.0 0.0 Charolais 0.0 83.6 85.2 32.3 95.3 0.0 67.7 32.3 0.0 Hereford 0.0 99.8 49.9 57.2 99.9 0.0 42.8 57.2 0.0 Limousin 2.3 5.7 97.5 5.3 100.0 0.0 95.3 5.3 50.4 Simmental 0.0 99.9 100.0 31.3 97.7 15.8 68.8 31.3 0.0

ANNUAL CONFERENCE 2016 9 animals that were carriers of the sires that are available to them. performance records available, the lethal mutations, 66% (Bracyspina) Therefore, close monitoring in the greater will be the accuracy of to 79% (BLAD) were females. Of the trend of genotypes for each mutation genomic predictions of young calves. animals that were CVM carriers, at the population level can provide an 2.5% to 3% of them were also early warning of likely future issues, Based on earlier research in beef carriers of brachyspina and BLAD, at the population level, both for cattle in Ireland, it was obvious that a respectively. herdbook breeders but also commer- very large population of genotyped cial farmers. The advantage of the and phenotyped animals would be It is well known, for example, that Irish SNP-chip is that with just a required to develop an accurate calvings from the mating of animals single sample, the status of each genomic evaluation that worked well carrying the nt821 variant in the animal for each mutation is obtained across breeds. This led to a national myostatin gene (i.e. the double as well as also parentage testing and initiative to genotype a large muscling gene) have a greater more accurate prediction of genetic population of Irish beef cows likelihood of requiring assistance at merit. (http://www.icbf.com/wp/wp- calving. Knowledge of the nt821 content/uploads/2013/07/Selection-of- status of the cow and potential mates Genomic evaluations animals-for-use-in-beef-genomic- for such mutations can therefore be The first step in a successful selection-program.pdf). extremely useful in making mating genomic selection program is to decisions but also in the manage- accurately quantify the impact each Genomic evaluations were under- ment of the cow prior to and around of the pieces of DNA have on the taken using 104,169 beef genotypes calving. For example, the progeny plethora of animal characteristics including a combination of AI sires, from a mating between two carrier recorded such as growth rate, natural mating sires and cows. To test parents has a 25% chance of being carcass traits, fertility, and other traits whether genomic information could a double copy carrier, 50% of being of economic importance. To achieve aid in the prediction of future perform- a single copy carrier, and a 25% of this, genotype and performance ance, a genetic evaluation was not carrying the deleterious allele. records on several thousands of undertaken using data up to the year animals are required. These animals 2008; the genetic merit of animals Although extremely useful for an can be either cows themselves or born after the year 2008 was individual mating decision, farmers their sires. The greater the number predicted based on DNA information are generally limited to using the of animals with both genotype and only and compared to their genetic

Table 4: Heritability (h2), traditional reliability, genomic reliability and progeny equivalents of the improvement in reliability from including genomic information in 2014 born beef animals.

Reliability – validation

Trait h2 Traditional Genomic Progeny equivalent

Calving difficulty – direct 0.1 0.34 0.52 21.8 Calving difficulty – maternal 0.04 0.34 0.52 56.2 Calf mortality – direct 0.02 0.35 0.53 113.6 Gestation length 0.4 0.28 0.49 4.6

Farm docility 0.35 0.13 0.45 6.3 Linear docility 0.35 0.23 0.47 5.5 Cow docility 0.35 0.23 0.47 5.5

Milk Score 0.337 0.25 0.48 5.7 Maternal weaning wt 0.252 0.15 0.38 5.9

Age at first calving 0.3119 0.21 0.46 6.3 Calving interval 0.024 0.16 0.44 95.7 Survival 0.017 0.14 0.43 139.5

Car. Weight 0.402 0.25 0.48 4.6 Car. Fat 0.352 0.22 0.46 5.4 Car. Conformation 0.32 0.21 0.46 6.1 Feed intake 0.434 0.12 0.42 4.2

10 BRITISH CATTLE BREEDERS CLUB merit in the year 2015 (which genomic information can help resolve “unrelated”. By knowing the DNA of included their performance such discrepancies and therefore aid each full-sib, the expected inbreeding information). The prediction accuracy in decision support to avoid the of the progeny could be determined. varied per trait but was approximately mating of close relatives but also Similarly, a grandsire-granddaughter 0.60 to 0.70. The improvement in facilitate the mating of animals mating could result in a non-inbred reliability for the individual traits is in related in pedigree but not related at progeny; again knowledge of the DNA Table 4. The relative improvement in the genomic level. Genomic of the grandsire and granddaughter reliability (in terms of progeny information through the development could be used to estimate the likely equivalents) was greatest for the of more accurate predictions of inbreeding accruing from such a lower heritability traits of fertility and genetic merit also facilitates mating. Moreover, many lethal survival; this is particularly relevant personalised management or more recessive mutations (i.e. DNA since it actually takes longer in the tailored management strategies mutations that result in the death of life of a bull to receive information where, for example, animals of the embryo, foetus or calf) have been on the fertility performance of his greater potential for growth rate or purged out of most populations by daughters. Having genomic milk yield can be fed accordingly. restrictions imposed that AI sires information on an animal is This is currently undertaken at a cannot be carriers of known lethal equivalent to the animal have fertility breed level but we know within breed mutations. Firstly every individual performance on almost 100 differences in performance clearly (including humans) are carriers of at daughters – not bad for an animal exist. least 2–20 lethal mutations which who is potentially only 3 weeks have yet to be detected but secondly of age! The future of cattle breeding culling genetically elite sires carrying a known lethal mutation can reduce Every cell in all cattle contain Other uses of genomic information overall genetic gain. In the future, approximately 3 billion (3,000,000,000) in cattle production when (almost) all animals, male and tiny pieces of DNA. Genomic female, are genotyped, it will be Knowledge of the breed proportion evaluations globally currently exploit possible to develop more accurate of an animal or meat sample is useful approximately 54,001 of these. By mating advice schemes to avoid the for meat provenance but also in the exploiting information on all 3 billion matings of carrier animals and design of mating programs to (in reality tens of millions), more minimise the accumulation of maximise heterosis. The breed accurate genomic predictions could inbreeding. composition of an animal resulting be achieved which persist across from the mating of at least one generations and breeds. Conclusions crossbred parent cannot be known with certainty without exploiting DNA One of the greatest benefits of The new technology called genomic information. Only a small number of genomics in the near future will be selection will increase the reliability of SNPs are required to achieve genomic matings or precision genetic evaluations of cattle; the extremely accurate traceability breeding. Full sibs on average share extent to which the reliability improves systems from fork to farm. Incorrect half their DNA but considerable will depend on the number of animals or missing pedigree information variation exists around this average. with genotype and performance seriously biases inbreeding estimates The mating of two full sibs could information available. The increased of animals but also the estimated (theoretically) result in no inbreeding. reliability from genomics means extent of relationship between This phenomenon exists because greater confidence that the published animals. For example, the estimated although each full sib received half its values of a given animal will translate relationship between two full sibs DNA from its sire and dam, the two into progeny performance or in other with no parentage recorded (or full sibs could actually have received words less fluctuations in proofs over incorrect parentage) is zero while in a totally different complement of DNA time. This all results in accelerated fact we know this is not true – from each parent and are therefore genetic gain.

ANNUAL CONFERENCE 2016 11 Improving carcass traits using genetics and genomics in the beef sector D. Holroyd1, J. Draper1, I. Kerr 2, A. Glasgow 2, S. Mead 2, M. Coffey 3 and K. Moore 3 1ABP UK (ABP), Birmingham B37 7YB; 2British Limousin Cattle Society (BLCS), Leamington Spa CV32 5JG; 3Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC), Kings Buildings, West Mains Road, Edinburgh EH9 3JG

Introduction Using Visual Image Analysis (VIA) UK and was truly innovative in that to genetically improve carcass the selection tools produced will allow The UK beef industry produced yields selection for new previously 885,000 tonnes of beef in 2012 from unavailable, but economically 2.7million head of cattle. However, Analysis of the VIA data revealed a important, traits. It has the potential to the UK is not self-sufficient with £25/carcass (4kg) difference in the increase value along the whole supply nearly 20% of beef consumed retail value of strip loin between the chain for British beef by focusing needing to be imported. As an very best and very worst carcasses. breeding on carcass traits of real industry we are striving to increase As part of the project it was shown economic significance. production but at the same time that these differences have a strong improve the overall sustainability genetic component with the Using these new breeding tools to (environmentally and profitability) of heritability of strip loin being 0.28 increase beef production and help to the industry. Genetic improvement is after adjusting for the carcass weight. increase the UK’s self-sufficiency a cost effective, sustainable and Moderate heritabilities were also which will be important as the cumulative way of increasing both estimated for the other primal cut worldwide demand for beef increasing production and sustainability in the yields considered. as developing countries grow. The UK beef industry. This is even truer project provided a first step in with the development of genomic The project combined abattoir VIA developing an integrated supply chain technologies that allow accurate carcass information on slaughter in which UK producers could genomic prediction of an animal’s animals and genotypes from profitably increase beef production by genetic potential for carcass traits Limousin animals (mostly sires, but circa 220,500 tonnes before the UK (an end of life trait) from birth. In also influential cows) to produce a market is saturated. It has also helped order to use genetics to improve UK Limousin SNP key for carcass to protect the UK market by enabling production and sustainability, ABP traits. The SNP key can be thought home produced beef to benefit from UK (ABP), British Limousin Cattle of as a library containing the different being closely linked to UK Customer Society (BLCS) and Scotland’s DNA signatures represented in the requirements. Benefits have and will Rural College (SRUC) undertook a Limousin population and matches be even more noticeable overtime four year project to produce Visual these signatures to the different as more and more carcass data Image Analysis (VIA) carcass trait carcass attributes. Therefore from accumulates. The whole supply chain genomic breeding values for UK looking at the DNA signature alone has and will continue into the future Limousin cattle. The project was co- (i.e. when the animal is a calf) we see an increased benefit, and this funded by the government-backed can predict with high accuracy if the includes benefits for Pedigree Innovate UK and BBSRC. The animal has good or bad genetics for Limousin breeders, ABP finishers, project was completed at the end of the carcass traits at slaughter. This ABP, retailers and ultimately the 2015 and the first UK genomic will allow Limousin breeders to more customer. breeding values (GEBVs) will be accurately select beef animals that available for VIA carcass traits in the meet processor and retailer Not only does the introduction of 2016 official Limousin genetic specifications. The project was the GEBVs for VIA carcass traits now evaluations. first of its kind to be carried out in the provide opportunity for substantial

12 BRITISH CATTLE BREEDERS CLUB genetic progress of carcass but it their customers is that they require or by using links from the Genesure also now provides opportunities that primal’s, joints and steaks supplied web pages. If you already have an strengthen market signals between from lighter carcasses which will account with BASCO then when you the individual sectors within the beef satisfy ever changing consumer log on to ‘My Page’ you will see a few supply chain. The processors are demands. From 10th November 2015 more options that are used to order having increasing issues within their ABP have been using the new 15 tests and view results. If you don’t sector with cattle delivered out of point VIA grid to pay their farmers. already have accounts with BASCO specification. Increases in animals use the ‘register here for free’ option that meet required specification will ABP now have the opportunity to to set up an account. Using the ‘Place now be possible as a result of this reward farmers more fairly and more My Order’ option will show a list of new technology and over time accurately compared to the old animals in your ownership and you increase in yields will be seen as the method of grading cattle. In the past, can select the animals you would like uptake by breeders is increased. cattle could have been deducted to test, for these animals you then payment due to human error, and/or pick which combination of genetic The Limousin breed – the largest rewarded when they should have tests you would like. Once your order breed in the UK – now has the extra been deducted for poorer yielding has been submitted, the Society office value of offering another tool to aid cattle. VIA and the new payment grid will dispatch the required bags for management and selection decisions allows for fair and consistent way of sampling. These will be bar coded on farm to increase animal perform- grading cattle. ABP also have the and will also show the animal’s UK ance, increase efficiency, sustain- ability to be able to use the carcass number. Collected hair samples are ability and to ensure there is a future trait genomic evaluations for further returned to the Limousin office that for the Beef industry in the UK. The developments within its breeding will then coordinate sending the current methods of genetic evaluation programmes, health scores, animal sample to the genotype laboratory. used within the pedigree sector are performance. At any time breeders can track the EBVs for 400 day live weight and status at the order by using the ‘Track ultrasound fat and muscle depth of How Genomic breeding values My Order’ option. animals. These EBVs provide will be implemented in UK information for the commercial sector Limousin cattle GEBVs will be reported back to the when choosing bulls to purchase and owner on the BASCO member area produce offspring for slaughter. Genomic breeding values (GEBVs) via the ‘View/Publish Genotyping However, when the commercial for VIA carcass traits will be provided Results’ option. It is not compulsory sector sell cattle to the abattoir they as part of the 2016 official Limousin for the GEBV to be made public and are paid according to the EUROP genetic evaluations. In order to gain the owner of the animal will decide if grid based on carcass weight and a Carcass Trait GEBV, a DNA the GEBV will be published (by EUROP conformation grid and 1–5 sample (hair or tissue sample) needs clicking a publish box on the fat class. The different methods of to be genotyped for the animal. To webpages) and once published the assessing carcass information along coordinate the process of genotyping GEBV will remain published. Once the supply chain mean that market cattle, the project partners have published the GEBV results will be signals are diluted along the chain. developed Genesure. Genesure Ltd published via BASCO in the same Using the same method of assessing is a company set up by the project way existing EBVs are presented, carcass – VIA carcass traits – along partners who will administer the and will be available at the same time the whole of the supply chain, from genotyping of the animal’s DNA and conventional EBVs are published, or pedigree breeders to the abattoirs produce the GEBV results. In when the publish box has been ticked will enable the beef industry to addition, Limousin breeders will also by the owner. If the animal has a produce animals with improved be able to order and manage testing GEBV available but the owner has carcass that consistently meet for single gene tests (e.g. myostatin, decided not to publish it, a message market specification. polled, colour etc) that are under- conveying this will appear on the taken with the breed society.The BASCO search engine for that The introduction of VIA machines website www.genesure.co.uk will be animal. delivers greater transparency and available very soon. consistency in Cattle Grading for As part of the genomic evaluation ABP Farmers. The VIA machines As breeders use the BASCO used to calculate GEBVs, some now enable ABP to introduce the webpages for registering cattle, animals will receive EBVs for these new improved 15 point grid which performance recording and viewing traits even though they are not more accurately reflects the retail and searching for animals based on genotyped. This is because we have value of carcass meat. For example: their EBVs, Genesure have used the sufficient VIA abattoir data and The R will now have a premium of BASCO platform to provide online pedigree information to compute the 5p/kg. Using the old method of tools to allow breeders to order VIA EBV. VIA EBVs for these un- grading previously wouldn’t reward GEBVs for animals that they own. genotyped animals will be published for this. One of the clear signals ABP The online pages can be accessed on the BASCO webpages provided is now receiving from the market and directly from BASCO www.basco.org the EBV accuracy is greater 50%.

ANNUAL CONFERENCE 2016 13 Whilst this may seem confusing have economical to pay for a GEBV. Once Limousin beef population as well as EBVs and GEBVs published, it will an animal has been genotyped for the wider beef industry as we be clearly marked if it is a GEBV. GEBVs, publication of carcass trait genetically improve animals to have However, GEBVs and EBVs are both EBVs will cease so that it only ever better yielding carcass. breeding values that can be directly has one breeding value at one time. compared as they are computed at Acknowledgements the same time, and thus can be used Conclusions This project is a collaboration in exactly the same way. As with the The implementation of the VIA involving ABP UK, British Limousin GEBVs, these EBVs are produced carcass trait genomic selection has Cattle Society and Scotland’s Rural from completely independent sources been an exciting time for the beef College and is co-funded by the of data and once a high accuracy industry. It will now provide many government backed Innovate UK EBV is available then it is not benefits and opportunities for the UK and BBSRC.

‘The Business of Cattle Breeding – A Conflicting or Complementary Route?’

The Club would like to thank all the following sponsors:

MAJOR SPONSORS: Asda • AHDB Dairy • Illumina Mole Valley Farmers • Waitrose And all the following: ABA Viking • ABP UK • Afimilk • AHDB Beef & Lamb British Limousin Cattle Society • CIS • DairyPro • Dovecote Park ForFarmers • Hereford Cattle Society • Holstein UK • Neogen National Milk Records • Shepherd Publishing Shorthorn Cattle Society • SRUC • Stabiliser Cattle Company Thatchers Cider Company

14 BRITISH CATTLE BREEDERS CLUB Development of a pen-side diagnostic test for liver fluke infection in cattle and sheep

Tessa Walsh PhD Student at the University of Liverpool

Introduction Following a period of development Anaemia and weight loss are typical within the snail, infective cysts called of chronic disease and it can occur Fasciola hepatica (the liver fluke) is a metacerariae are released from the on both sheep and cattle. Many fluke common parasite of cattle and sheep snail; they attach onto the grassand infections, characterised by low that affects animals worldwide and is are eaten by the cattle or sheep as burden are sub-clinical, so rarely the cause of the disease, fasciolosis. they graze. Once ingested the diagnosed but they with infection Recently, it has been shown that juvenile fluke emerge and burrow cause reduced weight loss and lower prevalence of liver fluke has been through the gut wall to the liver. milk yields. increasing significantly within the UK. Once there, the juvenile fluke spend This has been linked to many factors about 6 weeks migrating and feeding The rising prevalence of liver fluke including climate change, changing on the liver tissue and blood, before over recent years has led to an farming practices (e.g. extended finally reaching the bile ducts as increased dependence on the use of grazing periods), increased mature adults which are able to anthelmintics. The drug of choice, movement of animals and steward- produce eggs which are passed out triclabendazole (TCBZ) (for example ship schemes. In UK dairy herds, onto pasture within the animal’s Fasinex, Combinex, Tribex, and infections with liver fluke are dung. It takes approximately 8–14 Endofluke) is used mainly for its estimated to cause decreases in weeks from ingestion of the cysts unique ability to target both adult and milk yield of approximately 8–15% before eggs are detectable. juvenile fluke within the host and is per cow per year, or 1100 litres per therefore able to combat the large cow. In beef cattle, infections can There are two types of fasciolosis, numbers of migrating juvenile fluke result in reduced weight gain, leading acute disease and chronic disease, during acute infections. Advice on the to individual animals taking an extra determined by the number of cysts treatment of liver fluke can be found 80 days to reach market weight at ingested by the animal over time. on the COWS (Control of Worms a cost of £30–200 per animal. Acute infections are usually Sustainably) website: http://www. Estimates in sheep also show that associated with the ingestion of large cattleparasites.org.uk/fluke.html. The fluke infection increase costs by £3–5 numbers of infective cysts over a emergence of resistance to TBCZ is per ewe, through reduced daily live short period of time. This leads to therefore an urgent concern to UK weight gain. severe abdominal pain, weight loss farming. These results highlight the and anaemia as a result of the need for reliable and sensitive The liver fluke has a complex life extensive liver damage caused by diagnostic tests. cycle involving an intermediate host, the sudden migration of large the mud snail Galba truncatula. This numbers of juvenile fluke through Current diagnostics means that typical ‘flukey’ areas are the liver tissue. The acute form of the wet and muddy pastures which are disease results in sudden death in The diagnosis of liver fluke infection is the main habitat of the snail. The infected sheep, and farmers can lose traditionally based on the detection of lifecycle begins with an infected host up to 10% of their flock in a matter of eggs in dung, using faecal egg counts passing eggs onto pasture within its days with little warning. This form of (FEC) and presence of eggs is dung. These eggs then develop and the disease however, is rarely seen indicative of current infection. How- hatch to an aquatic larval stage, in cattle. Chronic infections result ever, over recent years a number of which is able to infect the snail. from ingestion of smaller numbers of highly sensitive and specific diagnostic Warm (above 10°C) and wet cysts over a longer time period, tests have been developed to replace conditions favour an increased rate allowing the adult fluke to establish these traditional methods. These tests of development for the stages of the themselves in the bile ducts of the are largely based on the detection of parasite in the environment. liver before clinical signs appear. specific molecules within samples.

ANNUAL CONFERENCE 2016 15 One such test is the Copro-antigen for testing. This can add significant Designing the test test, which has been developed to time and cost to the diagnosis, This design of this test will be based detect specific fluke molecules within especially in cases of acute disease. around antibody detection because the dung of infected animals. Another antibodies are produced early in test is able to detect host antibodies What is the aim of this project? infection. The first aim of this project against fluke using individual serum The aim of this project is produce a was to identify which fluke molecule samples or milk samples. Milk pen-side diagnostic test which is able would be the best to use in the test. samples are a great advantage in to provide the farmer with accurate The picture in Figure 1 is the results dairy farming as they are much and immediate results for detecting of analysis of the major secretions of easier to collect and less invasive. liver fluke infection in individual the fluke on a gel. The gel shows that Bulk milk tank samples can also be animals. The test itself would be one a specific molecule, Cathepsin L1 is tested to estimate how much that farmers could use themselves easily detectable within these infection is present within the herd. through for example blood taken from samples. These tests hold a slight advantage an ear prick, or even through saliva over FEC in being able to detect or milk. This would remove the need CL1 is a protease enzyme which is infection earlier, before the adult for samples to be sent to the secreted in large amounts by the fluke fluke are present. laboratory for testing and therefore and is thought to permit the parasite reduce costs for farmers, but also to infect a wide range of mammalian Why we need improved speed up the time taken to get hosts and play a key role in its patho- diagnostics results. By testing individual animals genicity. This enzyme is responsible All of these tests have significant treatment could be targeted at the for digestion of nutrients, facilitating limitations. For instance, FEC are individual, reducing costs and slowing the migration of the parasite through only able to confirm infection once the spread of resistance to flukicide the liver and also has been implicated the adult fluke have matured and drugs. in the inactivation of host immune producing eggs at approximately defence molecules. This has resulted 10–14 weeks after infection. This test The test could be used to detect liver in this protein being recognised as an does not detect the presence of the fluke infection in dairy cattle at drying important target for vaccine studies. migrating juvenile flukes, which can off as there is a very limited time cause clinical disease as early as window for treatment. It would also CL1 is a highly immunodominant 3 weeks after exposure. The be valuable in detecting infection in molecule, which means that is one of sensitivity of FEC can also be very individual beef cattle during housing, the main targets of the host immune low and variable, particularly in cattle; and ideally provide a much earlier response. The host immune response this test may only detect fewer than detection system for liver fluke involves the natural production of 7 out of 10 infected cattle. To add to infections in sheep and help in the antibodies to help combat infection, this, studies have also shown that treatment of acute fasciolosis. and it is these antibodies against liver fluke eggs can become trapped in the gall bladder leading to intermittent egg detection.The use of Figure 1: Results of analysis of the major secretions of the fluke run on a gel. composite FEC (pooling dung It shows that the molecule Cathepsin L1 (CL1) is easily detectable in these samples from several individuals samples, as highlighted by the arrow. within the herd) is able to give an idea whether a herd or group of animals is infected; however it does not give information about the level of infection within the individual. This therefore does not allow for targeted treatment to the individual.

Whilst the Copro-antigen test is able to detect infection slightly earlier that the FEC (at approximately 8 weeks post infection), we have found that the Copro-antigen test is no more sensitive than the FEC. The detection of host antibodies is complicated by the fact antibodies have been found to remain circulating for several weeks following treatment.

All of the above tests require samples to be sent to the laboratory

16 BRITISH CATTLE BREEDERS CLUB Figure 2: (A) shows the increase in antibody response over the course of a 16 week infection in an experimentally infected sheep. Host antibody response is detectable at 4 weeks post infection, and the main target for this antibody response is CL1, as highlighted by the arrow. (B) shows the same increase in antibody response to liver fluke infection in two naturally infected calves over the course of their first grazing season. The arrow again highlights that CL1 is the main target of the host antibody response.

CL1 that we aim to detect with our some can be made to qualitative the project this year has to isolate diagnostic test. This test will (presence or absence of disease), or clone the gene for the CL1 therefore work in a similar way to semi quantitative or occasionally fully enzyme and then put it into yeast. laboratory antibody detection tests; quantitative (intensity of infection). The yeast cells can be stimulated to however this test will aim to provide Currently, no such test exists for the produce the fluke CL1 enzyme, which results much faster. Figure 2a shows monitoring of liver fluke infection in is then known as a recombinant the increase in the antibody response livestock. protein (Figure 4). The recombinant to liver fluke infection in an experi- protein will be identical every time mentally infected sheep over a 16 In order to design the LIFA, we it is produced and therefore will week period. It also shows that CL1 require large amounts of the target provide good uniformity in the pen- is one of the main targets for this molecule, CL1. The second aim of side test. host response. Figure 2a also shows that host antibodies against fluke Figure 3: A diagram showing the design of a lateral flow strip assay. A sample infection can be detectable as early is added to the sample pad, and begins to migrate along the test strip. Results as 4 weeks post infection. Figure 2b are interpreted by the presence or absence of the test lines (O’Farrell, 2013). shows that the same response can be detected in calves naturally infected over the course of their first year grazing season.

Lateral flow immunoassays (LIFAs) (Figure 3) are used in a wide variety of settings and are rapidly gaining popularity for use as a diagnostic technology. The first tests commer- cially produced were for detection of human pregnancy and now kits are commercially available for the monitoring of ovulation, detecting infectious disease, such as viruses, bacteria and parasitic infections, analysing drug abuse etc. LIFAs can have several different designs, and

ANNUAL CONFERENCE 2016 17 Figure 4: This figure shows successfully Conclusions transformed yeast colonies containing the A LIFA will provide a much quicker and simpler method for detecting CL1 gene, as highlighted by the arrows. individual animals infected with liver fluke on farm. This will aid in the These cells can now produce the CL1 fluke target treatment of animals reducing the reliance on blanket drug enzyme, known as a recombinant protein, treatments of whole herds or flocks and therefore not only improve which is identical each time it is produced. health and welfare of infected individuals but also aid in slowing the rapid increase in resistance seen in liver fluke populations.

The next steps for the test will involve designing the remaining molecular components of the test, and then the actual test itself. For this we will probably contact a local biotechnology company to help, and once we have the final product, we will validate our LIFA against other currently available diagnostic tests for fluke infections.

18 BRITISH CATTLE BREEDERS CLUB Improving carcase and eating quality through breeding and management

Kim Matthews1, Kirsty Moore2, Jimmy Hyslop3, Carol-Anne Duthie2, Liz Ford1, Ian Richardson4, Sam Boon1 1Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) Beef & Lamb; 2Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC); 3SAC Consulting; 4University of Bristol

The objectives of rearing cattle for Table 1: Percentage of prime beef by fat classes in GB, 2004–2014. beef include producing as much meat as possible of the highest possible Fat class Target quality, sustainably (which includes fat classes profitably). 1&2 3 4L 4H 5L 5H 1 to 4L

Improving carcase quality 2004 8.3 28.2 46.4 15.8 1.0 0.1 82.9 Beef carcase quality in GB is 2005 8.8 27.1 46.1 16.6 1.3 0.2 82.0 assessed by the EUROP system, 2006 10.3 27.7 45.8 15.0 1.0 0.1 83.8 which is an indirect indicator of meat 2007 11.3 28.7 44.5 14.4 1.0 0.1 84.5 yield from the carcase. Tables 1 and 2008 13.4 31.1 43.8 11.0 0.6 0.1 88.3 2 show that there has been some improvement in the carcase quality 2009 12.1 30.8 44.0 12.1 0.9 0.1 86.9 of beef cattle over the ten years to 2010 11.8 30.6 44.1 12.4 1.0 0.2 86.5 2014, with carcases generally 2011 12.5 31.8 42.2 12.4 0.9 0.2 86.5 becoming leaner and of better 2012 12.7 32.7 41.3 12.2 0.9 0.1 86.7 conformation. This may reflect better 2013 13.1 33.2 41.8 11.0 0.8 0.1 88.1 selection for slaughter. Nevertheless in 2014 only 55% of prime cattle 2014 10.7 32.2 42.8 13.3 1.0 0.1 85.7 slaughtered in Britain met the target of E, U or R for conformation and 1, 2, 3 or 4L for fat class. Table 2: Percentage of prime beef by conformation classes in GB, 2004–2014. One means of improving carcase Conformation class Target quality is to breed cattle for better conformation carcase characteristics, improving classes the genetic attributes for carcase EUUROO P E, U, R traits. Currently this is being done indirectly through measuring growth 2004 0.1 1.5 11.3 45.4 27.3 12.5 2.0 58.3 rate and associated carcase traits 2005 0.2 1.5 12.0 44.7 26.1 13.5 2.0 58.4 on the live pedigree animal – fat depth and muscle depth/area using 2006 0.3 1.7 13.4 44.9 25.4 11.9 2.4 60.3 ultrasound. We know the value of this 2007 0.3 2.0 13.6 44.3 26.3 11.7 1.8 60.2 to be £4.9 million per annum (Amer 2008 0.3 1.8 12.3 43.8 28.5 11.3 2.0 58.2 et al., 2015). It may be possible, 2009 0.4 2.3 13.0 44.2 26.6 11.5 2.1 59.9 however to breed directly for the 2010 0.5 2.3 13.1 42.2 25.5 14.0 2.4 58.1 traits measured in the abattoir. 2011 0.7 2.9 13.7 41.1 23.8 15.4 2.4 58.4 2012 0.8 3.8 14.6 41.4 22.5 14.5 2.4 60.6 Abattoir data for genetic evaluation 2013 1.0 4.6 16.5 41.4 21.7 12.5 2.1 63.5 When combined with other national 2014 0.9 5.0 17.7 41.1 21.3 11.8 2.2 64.7 databases, abattoir data are suitable

ANNUAL CONFERENCE 2016 19 for producing national beef genetic Table 3: Summary of EBVs for sires with 10 progeny (n14,829). evaluations for the traits farmers are paid for. This project being Trait Avg St. Dev Min Max undertaken by Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC) is a follow on from Slaughter Age (days) 2.897 16.487 135.700 134.660 an AHDB funded feasibility study Carcase Weight (kg) 0.998 12.491 63.262 64.210 which showed the data could be Conformation (class) 0.689 1.549 7.201 7.998 collected, validated and merged. Fat (class) 0.058 2.085 9.930 8.201 The focus of the project is on ADCG (average daily producing genetic parameters and carcase gain) (kg/day) 0.004 0.022 0.135 0.127 genetic evaluations for carcase weight, conformation and fat class for those breeds with sufficient data in the BCMS database. Unfortunately The most extreme animals were Improving eating quality some breeds do not have sufficient checked for each EBV to confirm the A wide range of factors can influence data because they are numerically result. In most cases these were the eating quality of beef available small or the sire has not been animals for which slaughter data to consumers. Delivering optimum recorded on the passport for were available and they showed an quality relies on the adoption of a enough animals. extreme, but valid phenotype. Given whole chain approach. Individual they had directly measured data, retailers, however, adopt differing The project, funded by AHDB (Beef these animals also tend to have specifications to suit their business & Lamb and Dairy) and Hybu Cig generally high accuracies and even needs and the practices intended to Cymru (Meat Promotion Wales) is if restricted to those that have 10 improve meat quality, operated in now nearing completion. Nearly 4 progeny we still see a wide range in isolation, may not be fully effective. million carcase records have been EBVs reported. This variation also In 2011, AHDB Beef & Lamb (EBLEX) assembled and matched with BCMS means that good rates of genetic conducted a retail beef survey records and other data sources to progress are likely. following concerns that there was an assemble the best possible ‘super- undesirable and avoidable degree of pedigree’ file. Simple correlations were also variation in the toughness of English undertaken between the raw beef at retail. Sirloin steaks and From this set of data a smaller set phenotypes and the resulting EBV. topsides from six major retailers were was extracted for the calculation of Generally, correlations suggest a shear force tested for tenderness over genetic parameters (heritability strong relationship between observed a three month period and the findings values and genetic correlations). The phenotype and the underlying reported. analysis so far has resulted in the genetics but this relationship was development of genetic parameters weakest for slaughter age, suggest- This was repeated in 2015, although for carcase traits (fat class, weight (in ing a strong effect of management/ the sample was expanded to include relation to age) and conformation). environment which is unsurprising. the increasingly prominent discount Heritabilities (within breed) are mainly The relationship was strongest for retailers. This has enabled assess- in the range of 0.2 to 0.4 which is conformation, suggesting a very ment of changes in the tenderness of very encouraging – indicating the strong genetic component, again beef at retail. The results from sirloin breeding for these traits using unsurprising. steaks suggest an improvement in commercial carcase data is not only quality. This is thought to be partly possible, but also likely to result in Table 4: Correlation between the raw due to changes in packaging good rates of progress. unadjusted phenotype and EBV for methods, from high oxygen modified each trait for the UK all breed atmosphere packs to vacuum packs A larger subset of the data has population. and vacuum skin packs. been used to produce EBVs for 2,416,966 animals (those with a 3 Slaughter Age 0.22 Animal age and meat quality generation pedigree) for the carcase traits. Table 3 shows a summary of Net weight 0.50 Despite improved attention to these EBVs for the UK population. Conformation 0.71 processing and packaging practices These EBVs have been rebased to Fat 0.55 to improve eating quality, there 2010 born animals so an average ADCG 0.36 remains uncertainty about the of 0 is not expected, and EBVs can attention being given to live-animal be interpreted as a comparison to factors. In particular there has been the average 2010 born animals, The project team are now preparing relaxation of rules regarding the i.e. a carcase weight EBV of 2kg to examine the EBVs for a sample of maximum age of cattle sourced for has the genetics to produce 2kg animals by breed and discuss the quality beef specifications. The more than the average 2010 use of the new carcase trait EBVs correct age limit for quality beef born animal. with the breed societies. production from steers and heifers is

20 BRITISH CATTLE BREEDERS CLUB Table 5: Shear force values (maximum force in kg) for steaks assess in 2011 trained sensory panel assessment and 2015. of eating quality. These analyses are not yet complete, but the results of 2011 2015 the gristle weight indicate that whilst the weight of gristle increased with Overall Average 4.9 3.6 each growth phase, in the short and Overall Minimum (most tender) 2.5 1.9 medium periods, the gristle as a Overall Maximum (most tough) 10.0 6.6 proportion of both the joint and the Average for retailer with lowest value 3.9 2.9 loin weight did not differ. However, Average for retailer with highest value 5.8 4.0 in those animals that had been subject to a growth check, and hence longer growth period, the gristle had increased disproportionally to the often debated. With some prime beef account so that no one sire joint growth. cattle not being ready for slaughter dominated within any one group until 30–36 months of age there is a for either steers or heifers. The results of this work will help need to know if meat from these inform guidance to supply chains older cattle is tougher. A project, All 24 animals from the short-term on the appropriate age of cattle at being undertaken at SRUC (funded finishing growth path group slaughter to ensure quality prime by AHDB), has been established to completed their finishing phase and beef production. examine the effects of alternative were slaughtered in 3 batches in the lifetime growth paths on animal summer of 2013. All 24 animals from Conclusion performance, carcase characteristics the medium term finishing growth and meat eating quality parameters. path group were slaughtered in 3 While improvements have been made batches in autumn 2013 – spring in both the carcase and eating quality The first phase of the project was to 2014. The long term group were of beef in England, further research assemble Limousin cross finishing slaughtered in the 2015/16 winter. underway will help deliver further cattle at the SRUC Beef Research This long-duration group had a improvements to ensure that the Centre. These cattle have been pattern of growth typical on many customer receives the quality they finished according to three target commercial systems with periods of require. growth paths: growth interrupted by periods of little or no growth. Reference • Short duration growth path: Amer, P., Byrne, T., Fennessy, P., Jenkins, G., 12–16 months of age Once slaughtered, bone-in loin Martin-Collado, D. and Berry, D. (2015). Review • Medium duration growth path: joints of beef were recovered from of the genetic improvement of beef cattle and 18–26 months of age all carcases and dispatched to the sheep in the UK with special reference to the potential for genomics. AbacusBio Limited. • Long duration growth path: University of Bristol for subsequent 28–36 months of age assessment and eating quality analysis. This includes assessment Both steers and heifers were of the composition, including allocated to alternative growth path thickness and weight of gristle and groups taking individual sire into intramuscular fat content, and finally

ANNUAL CONFERENCE 2016 21 Driving beef profitability using maternal composite genetics

Billy O’Kane Crebilly Farm, 170 Crebilly Road, Ballymena, Co Antrim, Northern Ireland; [email protected]

The biggest risk facing the UK beef Maternal Profit Drivers generally regarded as giving sustain- industry is reduced per capita able profit. This is much easier to consumption due to competition from • Fertility – Our farm has moved achieve with smaller cows and cheaper, more efficiently produced from 10% empty in 12 weeks to increasingly difficult when cow weight meats like chicken and pork. To 3% empty in 9 weeks. exceeds 650kg. The average cow counteract this, as an industry we • Calving Interval – 400 days to 361 weight in our herd is 620kg. must ruthlessly improve the efficiency days of beef production rather than • Birth Assistance – 25% to 3% Two Year Old Calving Birth Mortality – 5% to 2% constantly demanding higher farm • Virtually all large-scale beef producing gate prices and subsidies. There are countries of the world calve heifers at The combination of these factors has many useful lessons that can be 2 years old. Compared to 3 year old seen calves weaned per 100 cows learnt from our competitor industries calving, this increases net profit by put to bull rise from 83 to 95 and – mainly the use of specialist hybrid over £40 per cow per year every year calving move from indoor with 24 hr maternal genetics. of her life. So early puberty-type supervision to outdoor checked twice cows, preferably containing at least daily with subsequent improvement Two Facts: 50% native breed influence and good in family life. • The biggest profit driver in suckler heifer rearing are a necessity. beef production is total kilos of When considered alongside Net Feed Efficiency calves weaned per hectare, and temperament and structural the biggest influence on this is cow correctness (udders and feet), this Feed efficiency is usually considered type. increases longevity and reduces in the context of influencing the • Approx 2/3 of the cost of producing replacement costs. profitability of beef finishing. While a kilo of suckler beef is the cost of this is very true, the main financial keeping the cow. Cow Size/Weight – Bigger, heavier effect of feed efficiency is in the cost cows do not wean bigger heavier of keeping the cow. Trials carried out Taking these together it is clear that calves. Eblex, DARD and Teagasc in the USA have shown that harness- suckler farms need to use cows figures all show that 600kg cows ing this trait will readily reduce the which cost less to keep and have a wean the same weight of calves as cost of keeping a Cow/Calf unit by higher relative output, ie efficient 800kg cows. More of the smaller £100 per year without reducing output. cows can be kept on the same land cows. Hybrid Vigour area at minimal extra cost, resulting Various trials, including on our own in substantially more kilos weaned We all know the definition – how farm, have demonstrated that using per hectare. This is expressed in much better is a cross-bred offspring the best maternal genetics alone can the Cow Efficiency Percentage compared to the average of its pure- improve total kilos weaned per defined as: bred parents. In a four way cross, the hectare by up to 30% and net profit extra output is 22%. This is one of per cow by up to £300. Total kilos of calves life’s very few “Free Dinners” and it is weaned at 200 days a no brainer to utilise this. So, cross- If we get cow type right, we can use bred cows are an essential. which ever terminal sire which suits Total kilos of cows put to the bull our farm system. If we get cow type Milk Yield wrong, it is virtually impossible to UK average is below 40%. US Agri- We generally think – milky cow make money. economists say that 50% is the figure heavy weaned calf. This is true,

22 BRITISH CATTLE BREEDERS CLUB however, if an excessively milky cow Conclusion On our farm, after much eg Holstein X is kept on inadequate Efficiency of suckler beef production experimentation, we have achieved grazing like marginal hill, then body and consequent farm profit will be this by using American Stabilisers, condition and conception rates will massively improved by using which is a scientifically developed 4 fall. This has a greater negative specialist maternal genetics. breed maternal composite based on financial effect than the benefit of the Basically cows should be cross-bred, the pig/poultry model. extra calf weight. So for maximum fertile, easily calved, easily fleshed, In effect – a chicken with a rumen. profit, milk yield potential must be adequately milky, preferably polled, matched to the nutritional potential of under 650kg and able to wean over the farm. 50% of their own weight.

ANNUAL CONFERENCE 2016 23 Breeding for TB resistance – the ‘TB advantage’

Marco Winters Head of Genetics, AHDB Dairy, Agriculture & Horticulture Development Board, Stoneleigh Park, Kenilworth, Warwickshire, CV8 2TL; [email protected]

Summary driven (i.e. production), to a much onwards (2). Today, we now know stronger emphasis on reducing input this prediction to be true, with year The important contribution of cost (i.e. improved health, fertility and on year SCC levels reducing since genetics to the long term advance- longevity) leading to a modern its peak in 2008 (Figure 1) despite ment of the national dairy herd is well balanced breeding goal. continued increases in yield. accepted. Improving trends, as a consequence, in a wide range of An example of how the availability Today, PTAs are available for many traits such as milk production, and use of genetic information can traits and their application for non- conformation and several fitness drive industry performance for an production traits is becoming traits is further evidence of this. It economically important trait is increasingly important, with now over would be unimaginable that as part Somatic Cell Count (SCC); the first 67% of the UK Profitable Lifetime of a national progress strategy, health related trait to be made Index (£PLI) being directed towards genetics could be ignored, despite available to the UK dairy industry. fitness (cost) traits (Figure 2). other important and on-going Because SCC is heritable, we have management enhancements. Now, been able to calculate Predicted Genetic evaluations for bovine with the knowledge that bovine Transmitting Abilities (PTA) for bulls, tuberculosis tuberculosis (bTB) is similarly which have been used in selection affected by an underlying degree of since 1998 (1). Based on the shifts in Premiered at the BCBC 2016 genetic resistance, the availability of genetic trends, it was predicted that Conference, from 19th January 2016 the TB Advantage is expected to we should observe a gradual Holstein breeders have a new genetic contribute to long term improvements improvement for the national herd index to help them make more in the national TB situation, if used average SCC values from 2008 informed breeding selections. The alongside other important industry TBcontrol measures. Figure 1: Average SCC by Year of Production (Source: AHDB Datum; 2016). Introduction Over the centuries breeders have successfully capitalised on the fact that on farm animal Performance is a combination of Genetics and Environment (P=G+E). Simply by selecting animals with favourable genetic merit for a variety of production and fitness traits, breeders have been able to make both permanent and cumulative changes to the performance of their herd in a cost effective way.

With the availability of this informa- tion, the dairy breeding goal changed over time from being mostly output

24 BRITISH CATTLE BREEDERS CLUB Figure 2: Relative weighting of traits within £PLI. disease, remain core components of the strategy to eliminate TB from the national herd.

Using the TB Advantage The TB Advantage provides an indication of the degree of resistance to bTB a bull is predicted to pass on to his offspring and, like all genetic indexes used by breeders, it is a Predicted Transmitting Ability (PTA). It is expressed on a scale which typically runs from 4 to 4, with the majority of bulls ranking between 2 and 2, and a positive index is desirable. Maternal calving ease For every point of a bull’s TB 0.3% Direct Advantage, it is expected that one per calving ease cent fewer daughters become infected 1.6% during a TB breakdown. Therefore, the difference between daughters of the best (approx 3 TB Advantage) and the worst (approx 3 TB new PTA published by AHDB Dairy, animals included in the evaluation Advantage) bulls is therefore around named the TB Advantage, can be released in January 2016 exceeds six percent, which mean that six fewer added to existing selection criteria, to 650,000. cases of bTB could be expected per help breed dairy cows with better 100 cows in just one generation if the resistance to bovine tuberculosis The introduction of the TB Advantage best bulls are chosen over the worst. (bTB). continues a long tradition of innova- And as with all genetic improvement, tion in genetic indexes in the UK, and the benefits are cumulative, building Although no one in the industry is the industry has become accustomed up over the generations. claiming the TB Advantage will be a to using genetic indexes for health cure-all for bTB, it certainly has the and fertility, and has seen significant Analyses have shown that the scope to improve an animal’s genetic improvement in the traits correlations between TB Advantage resistance to the disease and, like which have been targeted. and other trait PTAs of interest for all genetic improvement, benefits will selection are generally small, but accumulate over the generations. The heritability of bTB resistance is favourable. This is good news, as this about nine percent, which means that means that breeders do not have to The index has been developed of all the variation we can detect in make strong compromises if they following extensive research the trait, about nine per cent is due to wish to incorporate the index in their undertaken by the University of genetics. This is on a par with some breeding plan (Table 1). The Edinburgh, Roslin Institute and other health traits, including Somatic strongest and most favourable Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC) Cell Count, which as shown earlier, correlations is with the £PLI, which and supported by Defra, the Welsh breeders have been improving may not be surprising given that this Government and the Agriculture and through genetic selection for a already incorporates a high proportion Horticulture Development Board number of years and consequently of ‘fitness’. (AHDB) (3, 4, 5, 6). are now seeing the benefit in improved performance on farm. It is important to note that the TB By using data from the APHA Advantage should form only part of (Animal and Plant Health Agency) All of this gives us confidence that a broader breeding strategy. Breeders from animals which react to the the TB Advantage will be an effective already know that too much emphasis official bTBskin test and are sent to tool in the fight against bTB, but it on any one area in breeding can slaughter, we have been able to does not detract from the other detract from others, so it is advised to identify patterns of resistance control measures which must continue to select service sires on the amongst different bloodlines. continue to be taken as part of the basis of all traits important to a broader disease eradication plan. business. This knowledge forms the basis of Continuing with the usual measures the genetic index, which is the first of biosecurity, the protection of cattle There are many factors which should genetic index for bovine TB to be against infected wildlife and the influence whether to add the TB used in the world. The number of routine monitoring of cattle for the Advantage to a breeder’s breeding

ANNUAL CONFERENCE 2016 25 Table 1: Correlations between the TB Advantage and other traits. indication of how likely the index is to change as more information is Trait No. sires Correlation added. The reliability for the TB Advantage ranges from 20 to 99 per Milk kg 9,835 0.03 cent, with an average reliability of 65 Fat kg 9,835 0.04 per cent for bulls with UK daughters, Protein kg 9,835 0.05 and 45 per cent for those with a Fat % 9,835 0.01 genomic index only. Although the reliability of genomic predictions for Protein % 9,835 0.03 the TB Advantage is currently less SCC 9,813 0.05 than for some other indexes, it can Lifespan 9,727 0.08 still be used as part of a herd’s Fertility index 7,274 0.06 breeding strategy and has shown to Calving ease (direct) 4,494 0.07 be valuable in predicting future performance. Also, as more data is Calving ease (maternal) 4,754 0.07 added over time all PTA’s will rise in Maintenance 5,904 0.05 reliability. Profitable Lifetime Index (£PLI) 9,835 0.11 An analysis was conducted whereby genomic predictions were made for bulls which had daughter information criteria; these are likely to include genomic contribution to their TB for TB in 10 to 20 herds (n450 whether a herd is within or close to a Advantage than for other bulls). Their genomic prediction, bTB affected area or whether it is felt components of their genetic index which excluded daughter information, that having progeny by a bull with a due to the lack of bTB information was subsequently compared against better TB Advantage will give some from international sources. Longer the proportion of their daughters that commercial benefit, such as when term, this information may be were culled for bTB. Figure 3 shows selling livestock. available from other countries such the relationship between the genomic as Ireland. Any breeder obtaining a prediction for TB advantage and the However, if all other traits are equal, UK genomic index for females in their number of daughters culled. The 450 it would definitely be preferable to herd will also now obtain a score for bulls in the analysis were grouped in use a bull with a positive TB TB Advantage. 10 percentile groups, ranging from the Advantage and using bulls with an worst 10% on genomic TB Advantage extremely negative TB Advantage is How reliable is the TB Advantage? prediction to the best 10%. This figure inadvisable as it is likely to increase Genetic indexes are published with clearly demonstrates, that despite the susceptibility of a herd to bTB. a reliability figure which gives an the lower reliability, the genomic Like all genetic improvement, this is a step-by-step approach, but by taking Figure 3: Relationship between genomic predictions for TB Advantage those steps in the right direction, (YS GPTA – x axis) vs future percentage of daughters infected with bTB breeders are undoubtedly helping to (y-axis) (grouped in 10 percentile groups). stack the odds in their favour.

Which animals will have a TB Advantage? Initially, only Holsteins will have a TB Advantage because there’s considerably more data available for the Holstein than for any other breed. The index will be calculated for bulls which either have daughters milking in the UK (daughter-proven bulls) or have had their genotype taken (genomic bulls). In effect, this means there will be very few commercially available Holstein bulls which don’t have a figure calculated for TB Advantage. However, breeders should note that some bulls which have obtained their progeny indexes outside the UK will have a larger

26 BRITISH CATTLE BREEDERS CLUB predictions can serve as a useful of the TB Advantage; Prof. Georgios Bishop, S.C. (2010). Bovine tuberculosis: The guide for future performance of the Banos (SRUC/Roslin Institute), Prof. genetic basis of host susceptibility. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 277 bull’s offspring. Mike Coffey and Prof. Raphael (1695), pp. 2737–2745. Mrode (SRUC/Edinburgh Genetic When and where is the TB Evaluation Services), Prof. John Bermingham, M.L., More, S.J., Good, M., Advantage published? Woolliams and Prof. Steve Bishop Cromie, A.R., Higgins, I.M., Brotherstone, S. and (Roslin Institute) Berry, D.P. (2009). Genetics of tuberculosis in The TB Advantage is published by Irish Holstein-Friesian dairy herds. Journal of Dairy Science, 92: 3447–3456. AHDB Dairy as part of the routine References dairy cattle genetic evaluations Bishop, S.C. and Woolliams, J.A. (2010). On service, computed in collaboration Mrode, R.A., Swanson, G.J.T. and Winters, M.S. (1998). Genetic parameters and the genetic interpretation of disease data. with EGENES at SRUC. Indexes are evaluations for somatic cell counts and its PLoS ONE 5, e8940 (doi:10.1371/journal. published three times a year in April, relationship with production and type traits in pone.0008940). August and December. They are some dairy breeds in the United Kingdom. always available on the AHDB Dairy Animal Science, 66: 569–576. Brotherstone, S., White, I.M.S., Coffey, M.P., Downs, S.H., Mitchell, A.P., Clifton-Hadley, R.S., website at: dairy.ahdb.org.uk Winters, M. (2008). The Genetic influence of More, S.J., Good, M. and Woolliams, J.A. Mastitis. Proceedings of the British Mastitis (2010). Evidence of genetic resistance of cattle Acknowledgement Conference, p13–20. to infection with Mycobacterium bovis. Journal of Dairy Science, 93 (3), pp. 1234–1242. Co-workers in the project team Allen, A.R., Minozzi, G., Glass, E.J., Skuce, responsible for the implementation R.A., McDowell, S.W.J., Woolliams, J.A. and

ANNUAL CONFERENCE 2016 27 TB – what a vet would do

Den Leonard BVSc DBR MRCVS Lambert, Leonard and May, Old Woodhouses, Broughall, Whitchurch, Shropshire SY13 4AQ; [email protected]

Cattle TB history was noted in the 1960’s that cattle also that there were high sett TB was persisting in some areas of densities and badger disease Tuberculosis of cattle in the UK was the South West of England, whereas prevalence in the areas where cattle relatively rapidly controlled following the rest of the UK saw TB virtually measures were failing to eradicate the decision to become officially TB completely eradicated in cattle. the disease in cattle. In areas where free (99.8% of herds and 99.9% of cattle TB was successfully controlled cattle testing free of disease) in the Veterinary surgeons at the time badger disease was very low or non- middle of the last century, which hypothesised that a reservoir of existent, based on studies of many saw the introduction of attestation. infection must exist and consequently thousands of road killed badgers. This involved testing, culling and many wildlife species were Other than deer, most other species restricting movement of infected examined, particularly in the TB did not appear to have sufficient cattle herds, which is the model hotspots. It was determined in the disease susceptibility to act as across the entire developed world 1970’s that the badger was a reservoir hosts for TB. for control of bovine TB. However it significant reservoir of infection and During the 1970’s various badger Figure 1 culling exercises were undertaken in an attempt to control the disease, predominantly in the South West of England. Repeated gassing of setts was the most effective culling method, but this was banned in 1982 (it was deemed inhumane) and was followed by various less effective strategies involving trapping and shooting. It’s important to understand that gassing of setts (mainly with hydrogen cyanide) had been commonplace around the UK and was considered a normal part of the management of wildlife. Consequently the badger population was kept relatively low compared to today. Other factors such as maize silage (anecdotally) may have contributed to the subsequent rise in the badger population too.

The badger had been protected to a degree in 1973 in an Act that was aimed at preventing cruel practices known as ‘badger baiting’. However, farmers and countrymen did use other From the Dunnet report 1986 (Appendix 4) showing the period where vets legal methods to control the badger noticed a difference between geographical areas for TB persistence in cattle, population before and after this Act. which prompted a search for a reservoir of infection in wildlife In 1992 the Protection of Badgers Act

28 BRITISH CATTLE BREEDERS CLUB came into force which fully prevented Figure 2: Proportion of total herds with reactors (both confirmed and any interference with badgers or unconfirmed) 1962 to 1996. their setts. Although the potential for licensing to cull to prevent livestock 3.5 disease is in the act, these were generally not awarded, other than for a handful of now very paltry 3 government attempts to control remaining TB hotspot areas. South-West England In the mid 1990’s TB rose sharply, 2.5 particularly in the South West of England. Despite the fact that every effectively delivered badger cull 2 always reduced cattle TB the whole issue of badger culling became highly politicised and in 1996 1.5 Professor Krebs was invited to report on the history to date and include recommendations to government

for the future. Proportion of total herds (%) 1

Although the more aggressive/ effective badger cull efforts pre 1996 0.5 were acknowledged by Prof Krebs to Rest of England and Wales have been highly effective against TB in cattle, he decided that they hadn’t been conducted as a true scientific 0 controlled experiment. They were also the subject of much public 1962 1964 1966 1968 1970 1972 1974 1976 1978 1980 1982 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 controversy and hence he advised Year the government to conduct a large 5 year multi-site randomised controlled study into the effectiveness From the Krebs report, 1997, showing the start of the exponential rise in TB in of badger culling on the incidence of the UK, which began in 1982 and coincided with the banning of gassing badger cattle TB, rather than to revert to an setts, and then rose again post the 1992 Protection of Badgers Act aggressive badger removal strategy there and then before things Figure 3: The Thornbury study area – badger removal trial. Cattle herds with escalated further. confirmed TB and badger sett numbers. Many academics deny the relevance of the outcomes of extensive badger cull operations such as Thornbury, where cattle TB reduced to zero for ten years following complete badger removal of the area. In fact they refer to them as ‘non-scientific’. It is not uncommon for academics to con- clude ‘More research is needed . . .’ despite what appears to the onlooker as common sense. It would be interesting to see the total spend by government on TB research since the Krebs report.

The Randomised Badger Culling Trial (RBCT) The Independent Scientific Group the Randomised Badger Culling Trial culling and no culling (as a control (ISG) were formed and chaired by or RBCT. The trial consisted of 11 area). Reactive culling was aban- Prof John Bourne in 1998 to design areas split into 3 groups of doned early as this was felt to be and implement the trial, known as behaviours: proactive culling, reactive causing increased TB.

ANNUAL CONFERENCE 2016 29 Although the initial trial design (ISG future control of cattle TB in Britain’. any certainty. It was admitted during first report 1998) described proactive However this should have read ‘. . . Parliamentary Questions by Mr cull areas as: badger culling, as performed in the Bradshaw that there was a high rate RBCT, cannot . . .’. This conclusion of trap disruption and/or theft (around ‘The target would be to cull as large was reached before the true long two thirds of traps) during the cull a proportion of badgers resident term effects of the cull had had operations. It seems likely that this within the treatment area as possible, chance to fully materialise, which would involve some level of badger and to prevent recolonization by takes several years. removal/relocation by the saboteurs. further culling on a regular basis’. The perturbation effect from culling is One of the main reasons behind their yet to be observed anywhere outside This was watered down by the new conclusion was the finding of what of the RBCT in other badger cull Labour government ministers, who has been called ‘the perturbation zones, to my knowledge. used an interpretation of the Bern effect’ which they claim to be due to convention to set a maximum cull infected badgers dispersing from cull Current government policy on effort of 70% of the population in the areas, and general social group badger culling area, thus compromising the disruption, that results in spread effectiveness of the cull, even if outward of TB in the badger Although the RBCT was designed to performed maximally to meet this population creating a detrimental end the controversy surrounding new 70% target. There were many effect (rise in cattle TB) immediately badger culling it seems to have critics of the cull effectiveness of the outside the cull zone. However within increased it. Having had time to RBCT, which was also hampered by the RBCT proactive cull zones, review the longer term effects of the an outbreak of Foot and Mouth despite the relatively poor cull effort, RBCT and to consider methods to Disease in 2001, and continually TB in cattle reduced for at least 10 reduce the perturbation effect, the disrupted by animal rights activists. years post culling. current stance of the government is to grant licenses for badger culling The ISG drew their conclusions The perturbation effect itself has when very strict criteria can be met relatively early from a long term been the subject of some controversy regarding efficiency, safety and disease control point of view and partly because the effect of human humaneness of culling method. The stated in 2007 that ‘. . . badger culling relocation of badgers during the license conditions contain measures cannot meaningfully contribute to the RBCT could not be measured with to reduce the possibility of any perturbation effects by using large areas, hard boundaries and high Figure 4 culling rates.

Two pilot study areas to assess a methodology of conducting badger culling using controlled shooting were set up with a view to satisfying the license criteria from these three important aspects. More importantly this level of detailed approach would be required to counter the certain Judicial Review that would be demanded by the Badger Trust to attempt to prevent any culling taking place. Without the risk of this Judicial Review, licensed culling may well have gone on with much less cost and delay. The government appointed an Independent Expert Panel to oversee and assess year 1 of the pilot studies, whose conclusion was that the culls had failed to meet the targets set. An extension was granted in year 1 to allow the cull operators to increase the effectiveness of the cull (and consequently reduce the risk of disease) and recommendations from the IEP were carried forward to subsequent years to improve the Full references for this graph are on www.bovinetb.info performance of the cull effort.

30 BRITISH CATTLE BREEDERS CLUB These pilots were subjected to heavy Figure 6: Geographical distribution of TB breakdowns 1986, 1996 and 2006. disruption from protesters but it was shown that using a combination of controlled shooting and cage trapping that this methodology could be used to the satisfaction of the Chief Veterinary Officer and Natural England, particularly where interference with the cull effort was policed effectively.

The pilots were deemed to be very costly, but the overwhelming element of the cost was not related directly to the culling of badgers per se. It was heavily weighted to the policing to control protesters and to actually design and study what was going on From the ISG report 2007 rather than the cost of simply undertaking it. It is rare for these costs to be publicly broken down how few persistent TB breakdown Today England is split into 3 regions, accurately. The government are now cattle farms there were in the decade known as the high risk area (HRA), keen to encourage more areas of the before 1997, but also how persistent low risk area (LRA) and the Edge UK to apply for licenses to create cull repeat infection on farms was starting area. In the LRA persistent recurring zones, albeit with sufficient to increase in the known infected TB outbreaks on farm are extremely professionalism to satisfy Natural areas of the UK, particularly following rare. This phenomenon predominantly England’s licensing criteria. This will the Protection of Badgers Act (1992). occurs in the HRA. Following the require farmers to work together to FMD 2001 outbreak Cumbria (in the create their own zones that meet the Figure 6 from the ISG report shows LRA) had bovine TB seeded in cattle relevant license criteria. how TB has radiated from original farms due to repopulation from TB hotspots very slowly, rather than infected cattle areas. Devon (in the Geography of TB in England being spread universally across the HRA), similarly struck by FMD, also Figure 5 from the Krebs report shows UK. had post-FMD repopulation and also had TB infection in cattle. However, standard cattle control measures Figure 5: Herds with more than one breakdown. applied in Cumbria reduced TB in that county rapidly such that despite its high cattle population and movements it still today has very low TB incidence in cattle. Figure 7 shows a post-FMD comparison of the two counties. There are far more stringent cattle measures occurring in Devon, due to the TB levels, than Cumbria, but to no good effect.

Figure 8 shows the steady rise of TB in each of the areas of the UK according to their current allocation to HRA, LRA etc.

Interestingly the more highly infected areas (particularly HRA and Wales), when viewed in this long term way, show parallelism to rises and falls of cattle infection, despite being geographically distinct. It suggests a common background reason for the From Krebs report, 1997, showing the number of herds with repeat TB infection rates to rise and fall together breakdowns at the relative times. Repeat breakdowns are now much more over the years in these areas for commonplace sadly. reasons unrelated to their individual

ANNUAL CONFERENCE 2016 31 Figure 7 These slow multi-year fluctuations population densities, which means also show the danger in analysing cattle measures (test/cull/restrict alterations in TB infection status of movement etc.) are able to work. geographical areas over short timescales (less than 10 years). Cheshire is in the so-called ‘edge TB fluctuates up and down from year area’. In 2014, 102 road kill badgers to year, but in highly infected areas from Cheshire were examined by steadily rises through the decades. Liverpool University laboratories, and In areas with minimal wildlife a quarter of them were found to be infection (Scotland and the LRA) positive for TB. This is around a 100- TB is controlled perfectly adequately fold increase in the prevalence of (as shown above) using relatively badger TB compared to the last ordinary cattle measures akin to most major study of Cheshire badgers. of the rest of the developed world, where wildlife infections and/or Badger vaccination population densities of these All the studies into badger vaccination reservoir species are controlled. The have shown that the vaccine is risk to these low risk areas of the UK unable to prevent all vaccinated increases constantly as we allow the badgers from becoming infected. infection in the HRA to increase It also has shown that it fails to unabated, as this increases the reduce the prevalence of TB infection opportunity of trans-locating infection in vaccinated badgers when into the LRA through cattle move- compared to unvaccinated, as ments. The LRA is also at risk detailed in Figure 9. Note also the because nothing appropriate is being high proportion of infected badgers in done to stop the steady outward this study of wild UK badgers both at From www.bovinetb.info where it is radiation of background wildlife the start and end of the study period, fully referenced. infection. Currently trans-located, as detailed in this graph, displaying data from the largest published study Figure 8 of vaccination of wild badgers (Carter et al, 2012).

It has been shown that BCG vaccination can reduce the severity of TB in badgers and slow the progression of disease, but nevertheless they still become infected. Consequently it is likely that following the cessation of any vaccination program in infected badger populations, residual infection will remain and result in the future population becoming more infected again. This is exacerbated by the fact that we are only able to vaccinate around 70% of the targeted population with current methods and it is unclear if there would be sufficient manpower or vaccine to roll this out more widely. It is also unclear when, if ever, it would be appropriate to stop vaccinating if this option was deemed to be beneficial.

Wales has an area known as the TB policy. It may be that this parallel cattle movement based infections in Intensive Action Area (IAA) where fluctuating rise and fall of cattle TB the LRA rarely result in long term badger vaccination is the method of reflects the level of infection or the breakdowns as seen in the HRA. choice for control of wildlife infection. population dynamics of the badger, This is likely to be because LRA This was to be a 5 year plan, and which may itself relate to the severity badgers are currently relatively 4 years have been completed. The of winters or other such factors. uninfected and/or have lower cost of vaccinating this area, which is

32 BRITISH CATTLE BREEDERS CLUB Figure 9 that piecemeal small scale efforts at badger culling will make TB worse. This should be discouraged in favour of appropriately delivered, legal and effective licensed culling if we want to make progress against TB in the UK. Farmers need to work with the government to make sure the best outcomes are achieved for both our livestock and wildlife. We owe it to the future UK badger population to reduce their disease levels, even if this means we manage a healthier population dynamic for the species, through controlling population density and targeted removal of diseased social groups, as is the case with many TB reservoir host species around the world.

Summary In the absence of wildlife infection existing cattle measures (skin testing, movement restriction and culling of infected cattle etc.) work very well across the world at controlling TB and this includes the non-wildlife-infected areas of the UK. Cattle measures worked across almost all of the UK during a time when it was permissible to limit the badger population and particularly their interaction with cattle (pre 1992).

Taken from www.bovinetb.info which references the source of the data Every effectively conducted cull of from Carter et al, 2012 Table S5 badgers in the UK has resulted in lowered cattle TB, and this lowering of 1.4% of Wales, is just under £1m per to historical efforts (albeit not well TB rises with the effectiveness of the year, but the delivery of the documented) that occurred in the cull effort (Krebs report, 1997). vaccination effort has been highly South West of England, and in Any efforts to control badger effective in relative terms (>70%). Ireland, that completely failed populations should be within the law Given the constraints of BCG because of the wildlife reservoir of under license and this is correct to mentioned above there will be infection that resulted in the reduce the potential risks suggested residual infected badgers at the end persistence of disease as noted in all by the perturbation effect. of the 5 years, and newly born of the government reports on the unvaccinated cubs arriving every subject since 1980. In Ireland the In published studies of infected year following the cessation of this badger population density and TB badger populations BCG vaccination program. Therefore it is highly infection rate is much lower following has failed to reduce the prevalence unlikely that this short term program their culling program, and they are of infection in vaccinated badger will result in any long term benefit to more hopeful, because of this, that populations compared to badgers or cows, albeit we may learn badger vaccination will have a better unvaccinated. something of the feasibility of badger chance of being a feasible vaccine as a component of TB component of TB control. If we were in a position to reduce control in wildlife and/or cattle. the badger population and its infection Throughout the UK there is likely to level sufficiently then badger In the IAA there are also much more be illegal culling of badgers at some vaccination may become more stringent cattle measures and level, and this complicates the entire feasible as a part of the control general attempts in terms of interpretation of the outcomes of strategy, but only if sufficient vaccine biosecurity on farms aimed at policy, as it is not measured by and an appropriate delivery method controlling TB. This is not dissimilar anybody. The evidence does suggest is available.

ANNUAL CONFERENCE 2016 33 Unlawful ineffective badger culling Key Historical Government reports: Badger vaccination: BCG Vaccination Reduces has the potential to increase TB ‘Badgers, Cattle and Tuberculosis’ – Risk of Tuberculosis Infection in Vaccinated (Zuckerman, 1980) Badgers and Unvaccinated Badger Cubs (Carter spread. et al, 2012 – see table S5 available on the online ‘Badgers and Bovine Tuberculosis – a review ‘plosone’ version of the paper for prevalence data) of policy’ (Dunnet 1986) References ‘Bovine Tuberculosis in Cattle and Badgers’ – Wales Intensive Action Area – reports available (Krebs, 1997) on the Welsh Government website www.bovinetb.info – recommended for well referenced material and the source of some of ‘Bovine Tuberculosis in Cattle and Badgers’ – Cheshire Badgers – Prof Bennett (unpublished the graphics used above (with permission). (King, 2007) data – 2014 study at Liverpool University)

The next BRITISH CATTLE CONFERENCE run by the British Cattle Breeders Club

will be held on 23rd to 25th January 2017 Telford Hotel and Golf Resort, Great Hay Drive, Sutton Heights, Telford, Shropshire, TF74DT

More details from the Secretary on 07966 032079 Email: [email protected] Website: www.cattlebreeders.org.uk

34 BRITISH CATTLE BREEDERS CLUB Making a future in dairy farming?

Gwyn Jones Chairman of AHDB Dairy, AHDB Dairy, Stoneleigh Park, Kenilworth, Warwickshire, CV8 2TL

We live in challenging times and no this forum I am determined to do Milk price has reduced significantly real recovery in sight for the dairy what we can in this area, but it will of quicker than on-farm costs; how long market until supply and demand align course be in preparation for the next we remain in the trough and how and stocks are used up. Price is the downturn. It will not provide any quickly the market recovers will be best ‘fertilizer’ and we are now solutions for this one. key factors to determine just how paying for the high returns which many dairy farmers will survive this encouraged investment and How sustainable is the UK dairy period. It is notable in (Figure 1) that increased production over the past industry? What makes the difference the percentage of vulnerable dairy few years around the world and a between profitable operations and businesses has increased drama- period of sluggish commodity prices less profitable ones? It is of course tically in the last 12 months and as seems set to last for some time. the combination of milk price, good we head for the spring and even management practices and cost lower prices, it will become more We must therefore adapt both our control. However, the durability or challenging. AHDB analysis shows minds and practice over the coming resilience of dairy businesses when that there has been a strong correla- weeks and months; given the scale facing a long period of low milk price tion between UK milk prices and the of the challenge, nothing less will see also needs the support of a healthy fall in UK dairy farmers over previous us through. Volatility was the most balance sheet and in many cases years (Figure 2), but no real correla- important topic by some distance the support of the bank. In the case tion with national production as many during our AHDB ‘Activity Meetings’, of tenant dairy farmers an under- cows sold by those exiting the industry where we met and listened to our standing and realistic landlord is also are bought and milked by others. levy-payers; the scale of challenge to important as incomes plummet. Many their businesses and what we at businesses have invested recently One thing I do know is that we do AHDB can do to assist. and in future, the timing of large have some world class dairy farmers investment will be crucial in volatile in this country, operating different The danger of volatility is not markets. systems to a very high standard. necessarily the height of the peaks and the depth of the troughs (although the higher and lower they Figure 1. are the more difficult it is), but the length or duration of the periods in question and it is due to the steady fall of milk prices over many months with the prospect of a long period facing us before things improve, that the challenge ahead is so severe.

We at AHDB are here to help by providing advice, information, technical data and market information and comment; all of which enables dairy farmers to make better decisions. We have launched our ‘Volatility Forum’ which will look at all the different ways of mitigating the worst effects of volatility across all sectors, learning from other countries, other volatile markets and experts in this field. As Chairman of

ANNUAL CONFERENCE 2016 35 Figure 2. regardless of system, and failure to do so is hugely costly. We see some farmers growing double the tonnage of maize when compared to others and the difficult question ‘should I be growing maize’ needs to be asked on many farms? AHDB publish grass growth information on our website and you can sign up to our ‘Forage to Knowledge’ monthly newsletter.

When it comes to genetics and breeding, a question often asked is ‘would the loss of an honest broker in this area matter?’ Should we not leave it to the market? Frankly, I think it would matter a great deal, reputa- tional and financial. The robust cow, longevity and welfare are issues that matter to the general public and with genomics AHDB can again make sure that we are covering all the areas not just the immediate commercially advantageous. Genomics opens At AHDB I see our task as champion- improve, they will continue to do many doors which dairy farmers will ing this, and whilst celebrating our things better and we are there to take advantage of, especially disease diversity, the right cow, the right assist them and others who wish to including bovine TB. Finally, without system, on the right farm with the do the same. the ‘honest broker’; who safeguards right contract; let’s sell that to the the dairy farmer? customer. However, some systems Given that dairy farmers all over the are easier to operate than others and world, including New Zealand, found Our published combined data sources likely to be more profitable for the that their cost of production went up shows the national picture on genetics majority of dairy farmers and this is with the higher milk price over the used and this tells us a great deal an area to look at? years, everyone now needs to re- about the next generation of cattle adjust, cut those costs and look being bred. Commercial companies Our markets are under pressure and again with a fresh pair of eyes on were apprehensive about the we need to compete. There is no their business? Due to the volatile introduction of the daughter Fertility escape from competition in this new nature of markets, we need to take a Index and would have preferred it world and it is just as intense in our longer period whilst planning our not to be introduced back in 2005; domestic market as it is for exports. businesses, looking at least three ironically they were the first to react We have many advantages in this years ahead in order to smooth out to the data by selecting better bulls country, farm size, farm structure, the peaks and troughs which gives a and removing poorer bulls, bringing very favourable climate, and a huge more accurate forecast. about improvement. market at home; no other country in Europe has all four. Yet, we import One area which seems to be equally We have shown that we can improve more cheese than we produce in this important regardless of system is fertility without sacrificing production country and that will not change milk from grass and forage and yet traits, in 2008 we predicted that the unless we can compete and attract we see very low average figures UK should start seeing a reduction in investment from processors. which have fallen over recent years. national somatic cell counts (SCC), There is a great deal to do here, based on forward prediction of I know we can do this and I see starting with the basics. Almost half genetic merit, genetic indexes are great dairy farmers every day. I see the grassland in the UK is not delivering. It really is worth the effort my job as Chairman of AHDB Dairy, corrected for acidity, which means and we are proud to be part of this to assist and encourage dairy that performance and return from area where we are up there with farmers to do better and survive the inputs will be low. world leaders in an area where market challenge. The best farmers everyone in the dairy industry are always the ones who ask ‘How Growing grass and forage, utilising benefits. can I improve – how can I do this it efficiently and turning it into milk better?’ They will find ways to is a central plank of dairy farming

36 BRITISH CATTLE BREEDERS CLUB Use of the UK breeding indices within my herds Keith Davis Daniels Farm, Blakeney, Gloucestershire, GL15 4AQ; [email protected]

I am a partner in a family dairy Zealand Friesian) and back to one that we did not miss. During the farming partnership that farms on another Holstein, Linde Alfred. Each time without any livestock on the farm the edge of the Forest of Dean, time we change breed and tack it we had time to look back at what we Gloucestershire with my brother and was always for the same reason. The had been doing on the farm prior to our wives. The partnership was reason being was to breed a more F&M. Where we were making money started by my brother and I’s profitable cow. The problem was that and where we were not. Also it gave Grandfather and Father when they we just did not know what the best us the chance to set up the farm in a purchased the farm in 1952, although combination of drivers was for way that was more family friendly. We my Grandfather had been a farmer in profitability in a cow. We knew it was needed a farming system that allowed his own right on a smaller farm 10 a combination of type, milk yield, milk for people to have more time off, and miles away which he had paid for by quality, fertility and longevity but we actually take periods away from the working in a factory at night and just did not know what the best farm for holidays. As part of this plan working on his farm during the day, combination was. By the early 1990’s we decided to drop cow numbers with the help of my father when he we were still struggling with the back from 155 to 130 but get the came home after school. We now combination of drivers for the same total yield for the herd and milk 125 autumn block calved high profitable cow but had become more calve them all in a late summer (July– output Holstein cows through two convinced (rightly or wrongly) it lay mid-October) block. This we realised Lely Astronaut A3 robots installed in somewhere in the Holstein breed and would be quite a challenge but it was 2010. Prior to installing the robots we became more consistent users of the one we were non-negotiable on, milked through an 11:22 swing over breed. It was during this period that because I had a young family that I herringbone parlour installed in 2002. we started using PIN (Profit index) wanted to spend more time with, my I also manage the dairy unit at the forerunner of PLI (Profit lifetime brother had just got married and our Lydney Park Estate for Lord index) to help us make breeding father was approaching his 70th Bledisloe, which now milks 800 decisions. This we believed was the birthday. Jersey cross cows (expanding to answer to our breeding conundrum of 1,000 cows in 2016) once a day on a the correct combination of profitability Just prior to F&M the herd had started low cost grazing based system. This drivers. (It actually was only the first to show quite an improvement in unit has changed radically from the step in the right direction as several yields due to the use of the high PIN one that I took over, which was a things had been left out of the genetics. We decided as part of our fully housed high output system equation such as conformation and plan to continue to using high PIN milking 350 pedigree Holstein three health traits). During this period we genetics, infact to make sure that we times a day. used bulls such as Skalsumer Sunny did not fall short of our plan for a Boy, Jabot, F16 Rocket, Eastland more profitable farm with less cows The breeding policy for the family Cash and Etazon Leaf. As this we included in the plan to put partnership never seemed to have decade progressed and more and together a herd in the top 1% for PLI. any continuity. This in some ways more of these high PIN bulls, So on restocking the farm we made was acceptable when the majority of daughters started to enter the herd, the decision to use PLI (PIN had now bulls available were predominantly of we started to feel that at long last we change over to PLI) as the sole Friesian type, but as more extreme were starting to move in the correct criteria for the purchase of the entire Holsteins became available and the direction. replacement herd. When we started black and white breeds became more restocking the farm in the late polarised, it started to become more In 2001 the herd was unfortunately summer of 2001 there was a large of an issue. By 1990 we had within a slaughtered out due to Foot and selection of cattle available for matter of a few years gone from Mouth (F&M). Obviously this was a purchase, so I was entrusted by my using MMB Sunnylodge Supreme particularly bad time to be on the father and brother to source 130 high (Holstein) to Crewipool Emperor farm, but looking back at it from PLI bulling heifers. The way I did this (British Friesian) to Riverdown Jester some distance today, it was a time of was slightly radical, in that I did not go (Holstein) to Crocketts Pollux (New good opportunity for the farm and and look at the heifers. I would

ANNUAL CONFERENCE 2016 37 telephone the vendor and ask them if sense checking these budgets with Now in 2016 after solely using all bulling heifers were in the top 5% other farms the decision was made in breeding indexes for breeding of genetics for PLI (at the time this 2007 to change the system from a decisions at home we have a herd of was above 50 I think). If they said fully housed dairy unit to a grazing high yielding Holstein cows that are they were and could verify this with based unit. fertile and easy to manage and only the appropriate paperwork, we by coincidence as it was never in our bought them there and then over the It quickly became obvious that the plan, the highest PLI herd in the UK. telephone. The 130 bulling heifers PLI was not quite the correct index to They yield in excess of 10,200 litres were sourced from 6 different farms be used for breeding, as the Holstein of which over 4,700 litres come from in England and Wales and a group of cows we had were too large and forage. Whilst feeding no fancy 10 were imported from the heavy for our heavy clay soils and products such as yeasts, fats or even Netherlands as incalf in May 2002. also lacked the extreme fertility minerals, (the only minerals are in required for a tight spring block the concentrate fed in the robots). We started serving all the heifers to calved herd. Being a fan of the PLI The herd is block calved from early easy calving high PLI Holstein bulls index I wondered if there was a July until mid-October with an empty in October 2001 so that we would version of the index for grazing rate (cows chosen to breed but failing recommence milking in 2002. This based systems. The only one to get in calf) of between 12% and gave us some time to replace the old available at the time was the BW 15%. Which to a low input spring herringbone parlour and do some (Breeding Worth) index used in New calving herd would not be a great other renovation work on the farm Zealand, so we immediately started figure but I believe is more than buildings that we never seemed to using this index for our breeding acceptable for the high yielding have time to do before. decisions. On a visit to the system we have. All of these things I Moorepark research station in believe are hugely important if a dairy In November 2002 some 4 months Southern Ireland in 2008 we came farm is to be profitable in these times after we had restarted milking, I was across the research that Jersey cross of volatility. approached to take over the Holsteins were actually the best management of the dairy unit at animal for the grazing dairy system, At Lydney Park Estate we have seen Lydney Park Estate. Fortunately with so from 2008 we started to cross our not only the grazing system prove the new simpler system with block Holstein cows with Jerseys rather itself but have seen the type of animal calving and not rearing all calves than our original choice of New we milk rapidly change to the (something we had used to do) it Zealand Friesian. This was relatively requirements of the low input grazing allowed me to take over this unit on a straight forward as the BW index is based system we need in just 3 part time basis. At the time this was a an across breed index so we could generations. This being robust, highly fully housed dairy unit of 350 very easily see which bulls would be fertile cows with a desire to graze in pedigree Holsteins as mentioned the best for us to use. We continued challenging conditions, that produce earlier. The breeding of this herd had to use the BW index until 2011 when high percentages of fat and protein in once again been without focus and I was introduced to the EBI their milk. The conception rates to had mainly been driven by cost of (Economic Breeding Index) from service have gone from 40% to any semen and not much else. This I Southern Ireland. This index although service when we first started the changed once again to be PLI driven very similar to the BW was more grazing system with the Holsteins but within tight budgetary constraints. appropriate to our system in the UK (31% when they were fully housed) to and where we ourselves at Lydney 59% during the last breeding season As time went on the owner of the Park Estate were coming from. and the empty rate has dropped from estate Viscount Bledisloe wanted to Especially the high weighting on over 20% to 9% in 2015. Whilst milk get a better return for his investment fertility, as the Irish had had a yields have dropped considerably in dairy farming and requested problem within their national herd over the period (around 10,000 litres myself and the farms manager Gavin and so had we at Lydney Park Estate when fully housed to just above 4,000 Green to look into ways of making a plus the values it put on its milk litres) the profitability of the farm has better return for the dairy unit and the constituents. So in 2011 we started increased dramatically. rest of the farm. As part of our to use the EBI and still use it until research into different options we today, although this year we will be So looking back at the decision we looked to see what if any advantages using it in conjunction with the new made back in 2002 to use breeding our dairy unit had, and being situated SCI (Spring Calving Index) indexes as our sole breeding decision in the middle of what could be 335 developed by AHDB Dairy. My hope maker. I am sure we would not be in hectares of grazing, that at the time is that over the next few years the the fortunate position we are today was mostly in arable rotation, with no few wrinkles that are in the SCI – in with robust, easy care, profitable cows roads to cross cows over was by far that a number of the newer New that fit our systems and put us in a the most obvious. We therefore went Zealand and Irish bulls are not listed strong position for the future years to visit a number of grazing based – so that we at Lydney can make this of volatile milk prices, if we had not dairy farms and took some advice index that is developed specifically done so. from a grazing consultant Mike Bailey for UK spring block calving herds the in drawing up a detailed budget. After only index we use.

38 BRITISH CATTLE BREEDERS CLUB Advanced breeding technology advances for cattle farmers

David Black BVM&S DBR MRCVS Veterinary Surgeon, Paragon Veterinary Group, Carlisle House, Townhead Road, Dalston, Carlisle, CA5 7JF; [email protected]

Introduction The development of a technique than epidural anaesthesia known as ovum pick-up (OPU), minimising clinical risks and Cattle fertility continues to fall which facilitated the recovery of pre- pharmacological interventions worldwide, and the global human ovulatory oocytes from live donors population is rising, accompanied by OPU collections can be performed (Pieterse et al., 1988) was largely • an ever-increasing need for sustain- more frequently, so more oocytes responsible for the expansion in able protein production. There is can be collected in a shorter time commercial application of IVF, therefore a requirement to amplify period increasing the number of transfers of and exploit existing genetics, and IVF embryos carried out worldwide to Oocytes can be collected from improve cattle production efficiencies. • 41,000 during 2000 (Thibier, 2001). both juvenile heifers and pregnant donors during the first trimester, Background Since 2000 there has been little extending the number of potential Embryo transfer was first change in the number of transfers of embryos, which can be produced documented by Walter Heape who, in-vivo produced embryos, with The technique can be used on in 1890, introduced two Angora numbers having plateaued at around • animals with a range of repro- rabbit fertilised ova into a previously 550,000 per year, while the number ductive disorders which might not mated Belgian hare doe rabbit that of transfers of in-vitro produced otherwise be able to continue carried them to full term along with embryos has steadily increased to breeding four of her own offspring (Heape, over 630,000 in 2014 (Perry, 2015). 1891). The technique was refined This has been largely driven by a • Less semen is used per fertilisation and utilised in many species, steady, steep increase in the number so multiple donors can be fertilised becoming a commercial breeding tool of transfers in South America with a single straw – saving money in cattle by the 1970s; conventional (especially with bos indicus cattle and utilising limited semen stocks multiple ovulation and embryo which seem more suited to these A wide range of bulls can be used, transfer technology (MOET) has techniques) until 2014 when this • due to the frequency of collection, since then undergone serial slowed. While between 2013 and giving greater scope for genetic improvements (Christie, 2001), such 2014 there has been a sudden 91% improvement as non surgical recovery and increase in the numbers of OPU/IVP transfer, cryopreservation, sexing, embryos in North America, yet there IVP to amplify genetic gain and enhanced regimes for has been little change in the numbers superovulation, and been applied transferred in Europe (Perry, 2015). The Food and Agriculture extensively to increase the Organization of the United Nations reproductive rate of cows of high Advantages of OPU/IVP (UN FAO) predicts that by 2050, genetic merit. The techniques of Ovum Pickup global demand for animal protein will (OPU) and In-Vitro Embryo rise by 85% from the level required in Since the birth of the first calf after Production (IVP) have significant 2008, driven by population growth transfer of an embryo produced by advantages over both traditional reaching 9 billion, and increasing in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) was reported breeding programmes or the use of affluence in developing countries with (Brackett et al., 1982), advances conventional multiple ovulation a concurrent switch from largely have been made in the development embryo transfer (MOET); vegetable based diets to meat and of relatively simple methods for dairy products. To achieve this as producing bovine embryos in-vitro as • The process is non-surgical and well as to reduce the impact livestock reviewed by Thompson (1996). requires minimal treatment other farming might have on climate

ANNUAL CONFERENCE 2016 39 change, greenhouse gas (GHG) and hence the number of embryos or ‘cowstopper’ embryos one week emissions and the demand for fresh suitable for transfer is effectively after an insemination; part of their water, there is a plethora of existing doubled. effect is to create an additional source and on-going research. It is of IFNT and therefore improve imperative that there is a greater With declining pregnancy rates in maternal recognition of pregnancy. amplification and distribution of these dairy cattle (Royal et al., 2000, IVP embryos can be produced outputs. Cattle breeders recognise Dobson et al., 2007), any solutions relatively cheaply from abattoir that it is important to generate as to improve fertility are attractive to ovaries to act as ‘support’ embryos – many offspring as possible from farmers, and IVP has been unpublished results (J.S. Mullan, genetically superior or important suggested as a means of bypassing, personal communication) suggest that animals, and although the widespread or at least limiting some of the known around 70% of calves born assisted use of artificial insemination has led problems. Although Sartori et al. by this method are the dam’s own, to very significant improvements in (2006) found that embryo transfer did the others either being the implanted the genetic merit of cattle, there is a not improve overall pregnancy rates ‘support’ embryo or twins. need to amplify female genetic lines compared with artificial insemination as well. Efficient OPU/IVP has a role in lactating dairy cows there was an Crossbreeding has been widely used to play in the future. apparent benefit of ET when single in the beef industry for decades and ovulating follicles were small. Yet there has been a trend towards more The potential of IVP (Demetrio et al., 2007) concluded crossbreeding in the dairy herd The rate of genetic selection for that the transfer of fresh embryos did recently, particularly to avoid dystocia quantitative traits can be increased increase the probability of conception problems with Holstein heifers (Olson by using advanced breeding of lactating Holstein cows and et al., 2009). At least 10% heterosis technologies such as multiple suggested it was because ET can can be expected for total genetic ovulation embryo transfer (MOET) or bypass the negative effects of merit, mainly due to increased ovum pickup and in-vitro fertilisation increased milk production and low longevity and improvement of OPU/IVF (Hansen and Block, 2004). progesterone on the early embryo. functional traits. There is however This is achieved by improving the This effect was most evident in high- some evidence of recombinant loss, accuracy and intensity of selection, producing cows and is thought to be and it is critical for long-term in conjunction with reducing the associated with the increased dry crossbreeding that genetic gain within generation interval. Further matter intakes associated with higher the parental breeds is not reduced technological developments are likely milk production resulting in lower (Sorensen et al., 2008). So, IVP is to further enhance the technique. circulating progesterone, possibly as likely to have a place not only in With the bovine genome now a result of increased hepatic blood amplifying purebred genetics, but mapped to over 3 billion base pairs, flow and therefore faster metabolic also in creating F1 embryos for or 22,000 genes (Larkin, 2011) our clearance (Vasconcelos et al., 2003). crossbreeding programmes. current understanding of genotypes They also demonstrated that high will further enhance our ability to body temperature measured on day IVP as a basis for other select parents to use in IVP 7 had a negative effect on conception technologies programmes, and even of individual rates and embryonic retention. This embryos prior to transfer. links to findings of a review paper Nuclear cloning and transgenesis are (Rutledge, 2001) which suggested possible, but are currently limited In most dairy systems, farmers that a major pathway is in the effects largely by societal concerns, which require replacement heifers for their of maternal heat stress on the early have swung from initial debate about herd of a breeding that they desire, cleavage stage embryo. Thus higher the potential cloning of humans to that so bull calves are unwanted and pregnancy rates can be obtained with of using human embryos to produce wasteful, unless they can be of a transfer of late cleavage stage stem cells for research (Wadman, cross that will be suitable for embryos. 2007) – however these techniques fattening. The advances in reliability will also benefit from improved IVP of sexed semen for conventional The IVP technique is also useful in technologies, and are likely to artificial insemination (AI) have led to individual infertile cows, where the become a breeding tool of the future an interest in this being used in IVP causes are failure of ovulation or (Campbell et al., 2007). systems. Sexing of embryos by fallopian transport or where the biopsy of the 7 day embryo using a uterine environment will not support Intracytoplasmic sperm injection micro-blade has been used a pregnancy (such as low grade (ICSI) is a technique where a single successfully commercially (Lacaze et endometritis) or in situations of early sperm cell, with acrosome and sperm al., 2008), usually to select female embryonic death (Hansen, 2006). An membrane intact is directly injected embryos but is time consuming on essential part of the establishment of into a metaphase II oocyte, and then farm, and there is wastage of the pregnancy is the production of cultured in-vitro. Although this is a male embryos. Use of sexed semen interferon T (IFNT) by the elongating technique now widely used in human means that 98% of all embryos blastocyst. This is the basis behind assisted reproduction, it yields produced are of the desired gender, the technique of implanting ‘support’ relatively poor blastocyst numbers

40 BRITISH CATTLE BREEDERS CLUB and pregnancy results in livestock. While against a background of would greatly enhance the statistical However it may be a technique to be increasing dairy cattle disease power of intervention studies. used for genetic salvage, transgenic incidence (NAHMS 2007), production, or to improve efficiencies Immunity™ has been developed by Conclusion in IVP systems especially when using Semex. Currently this involves testing OPU and IVP are ever more widely sexed semen, which is less robust sires for two different types of used in other parts of the world, and than conventional semen (Garcia- immune response; cell-mediated and are now available in the UK and Rosello et al., 2009). antibody-mediated, with those top Europe. The embryo genomic 10% of responders being designated techniques are at an early stage of The diagnosis of genetic traits and/or as Immunity™ and with a predicted development with initial markets being diseases in IVP embryos or heritability of these traits being 30%. elite breeders, but these are certain to preimplantation genetic diagnosis Studies by Thompson-Crispi (2014) become mainstream breeding tools (PGD) has been well established in have now identified genomic markers for all cattle in the future. humans for more than 20. Biopsy of associated with these immune bovine embryos using a laser and responses, and Chromosome 23 has References micromanipulator to extract between been identified as carrying the genes 1 and 10 cells is actively being for the Bovine Histocompatability Brackett, B.G., Bousquet, D., Boice, M.L., developed in the UK. Whole genome Complex (BoLA) which is closely Donawick, W.J., Evans, J.F. and Dressel, M.A. amplification (WGA) then precedes associated with regulating immunity (1982). Normal development following invitro interrogation with single nucleotide fertilization in the cow. Biology of Reproduction, in cattle. Most recently it has also 27, 147–158. polymorphism arrays (SNP chips). been shown that resistance to bovine Any ‘gaps’ in the SNP calls can be Tb has a genetic component, and Campbell, K.H.S., Fisher, P., Chen, W.C., Choi, ‘filled in’ by comparison to the these developments will in the future I., Kelly, R.D.W., Lee, J.H. and Xhu, J. (2007). Somatic cell nuclear transfer: past, present and genomic DNA of the parents (a allow genomic selection for these future perspectives. Theriogenology, 68, technique known as karyomapping). very beneficial traits. s214–s231. Thus, rather than targeting individual genes for sequence specific Christie, W.B. (2001). Embryo transfer in By genomically interrogating the domestic large animals. In: Noakes, D.E., detection of traits or diseases, embryo itself, there will be a Parkinson, T.J. and England, G.C.W. (ed.) karyomapping uses linkage reduction in the production and Arthur’s Veterinary Reproduction and Obstetrics, information to map the inheritance of rearing of unwanted offspring, which 8th ed.: W.B. Saunders. chromosome specific segments upon in turn reduces ethical concerns and Demetrio, D.G.B., Santos, R.M., Demetrio, which those loci are contained, thus decreases the carbon footprint of C.G.B. and Vasconcelos, J.L.M. (2007). Factors it relies on association with multiple cattle production. Conversely an affecting conception rates following artificial linked markers, rather than artificial insemination (AI) stud bull is insemination or embryo transfer in lactating identification of causative alleles holstein cows. Journal of Dairy Science, 90, worth many thousands of pounds 5073–5082. (Handyside et al., 2010a, Handyside and young candidate sires can be et al., 2010b). Cattle breeders are marketed from 2 years old if the SNP Dobson, H., Smith, R.F., Royal, M.D., Knight, increasingly making use of SNP chips chip indicates them to be of sufficient C.H. and Sheldon, I.M. (2007). The high- to assess the genetic merit of animals producing dairy cow and its reproductive genetic merit. Commercial farmers performance. Reproduction in Domestic Animals, and these have proven to be more will more readily be able to select 42, 17–23. efficient and cheaper than traditional genetics that suit their farm or progeny testing, while increasing Garcia-Rosello, E., Garcia-Mengual, E., Coy, P., ambitions, such as disease Alfonso, J. and Silvestre, M.A. (2009). selection pressure and greatly resistance or health traits. Intracytoplasmic sperm injection in livestock expediting the introduction of superior species: an update. Reproduction in Domestic genetics into the breeding herd. IVP as an experimental tool Animals, 44, 143–151. Handyside, A., Gabriel, A., Thornhill, A.R., Traits targeted using SNP chips If parameters from within an IVP Clemente, E., Reitter, C., Affara, N. and Griffin, include somatic cell count, daughter program such as oocyte collection D.K. (2010a). Preliminary validation of SNP pregnancy rate, productive life, rates, fertilisation rates, cleavage genotyping and karyomapping for stillbirth rate and calving difficulty, rates or blastocyst rates, could be preimplantation genetic diagnosis of fifty eight and this technology has also opened correlated with subsequent autosomal single gene defects. Human Reproduction, 25, I322–I323. possibilities for increased power to pregnancy, then in the future these select for lower heritability traits. The markers of fertility would facilitate Handyside, A.H., Harton, G.L., Mariani, B., advantage of SNP chip use is its smaller and faster studies being Thornhil, A.R., Affara, N., Shaw, M.-A. and undertaken. It is also anticipated that Griffin, D.K. (2010b). Karyomapping: a universal multiplicity – it is potentially method for genome wide analysis of genetic applicable for any trait; the major specific genes in the cumulus cells disease based on mapping crossovers between disadvantage is the cost (monetary may be markers of oocyte quality parental haplotypes. Journal of Medical and environmental) of taking and this would give an even quicker Genetics, 47, 651–658. pregnancies to term before testing of assessment of intervention effects. Hansen, P.J. (2006). Realizing the promise of offspring and subsequent introduction If crossover trials of small groups of IVF in cattle–an overview. Theriogenology, to the breeding programme. animals were to be possible, this United States.

ANNUAL CONFERENCE 2016 41 Hansen, P.J. and Block, J. (2004). Towards an Perry, G. (2015). 2014 Statistics of Embryo Sorensen, M.K., Norberg, E., Pedersen, J. and embryocentric world: the current and potential Collection and Transfer in Domestic Farm Christensen, L.G. (2008). Crossbreeding in Dairy uses of embryo technologies in dairy Animals. International Embryo Transfer Society Cattle: a Danish perspective. Journal of Dairy production. Reprod Fertil Dev, 16, 1–14. Newsletter, 33, 4: 9–18. Science, 91, 4116–4128.

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42 BRITISH CATTLE BREEDERS CLUB Combining genomics with social media to provide a marketing choice

Stuart Rogers Longmoor Farm, Gillingham, Dorset, SP8 5QW; [email protected]

Introduction yield, fertility and youngstock health. known local Holstein breeder. This Current performance data for the was something that I was very At the age of 34, my passion for Longmoor herd is summarised in conscious about, wanting our cows cows and dairy farming is as strong Table 1. and herd to become recognised within now as it was when I was a young the industry. The desire to establish boy. In 2010, it was this passion that At Longmoor Farm, I farm in ourselves both locally and further drove the relocation of our dairy partnership with my father and afield resulted in us creating the business and the Cherwell herd of mother. My wife, Helen, is a farm Longmoor brand, setting up the pedigree Holsteins from Oxford to animal vet at Friars Moor Veterinary website and embracing social media. Longmoor Farm in Dorset, a move Clinic Ltd. She is a key member of which allowed us to reassess our the team, helping to keep us at the When I started engaging on social business and future goals. forefront of animal health and media, I had no idea how useful it welfare. Consultancy is provided by would be, allowing us to reach a As many of you will know, moving a Christine Pedersen and Tim worldwide audience. It brings together dairy farm is no mean feat! The move McKendrick of The Dairy Group and like minded individuals and allows was an internal transfer within The both were influential in ensuring that sharing of knowledge quickly and Duchy of Cornwall Estate and we the move to Longmoor Farm was a efficiently. Those with shared goals now farm 380 acres, 230 acres of success. can form groups on Twitter and which is ring-fenced. We are Facebook, allowing observation of currently milking 250 pedigree Marketing and Social Media farms, analysis of breeding goals and Holsteins averaging 10,014 litres, critiquing of breeding choices. For calving all year round. The move to Having moved, the decision was example, the group Polled Partners, Longmoor Farm allowed us to made to register all calves born at which was set up a year ago, consists increase cow numbers, and the Longmoor Farm with a new prefix, of dairy farmers who all use polled facilities that we have subsequently Longmoor. The main reason for this genetics in their herds or supply developed have resulted in better change was to highlight our new polled semen. It allows the instant cow and youngstock facilities start; whilst Longmoor Farm was a dissemination of information and compared to the Oxfordshire unit. familiar name to many, Longmoor discussion amongst a relatively small This is reflected in the improved Holsteins was completely new. number of members (60) who are performance data of our cows since However, moving to the South West 2010, including increases in milk meant that we were no longer a well- invited to join the group if they share the breeding goal of introducing polled genetics into their herd. Table 1. Traditionally, promotion of your herd Milk sold/cow (litres) 10,014 would have occurred in the show ring, Butterfat (%) 4.04 but on social media, marketing of Milk protein (%) 3.16 your herd can be carried out on a Milk from forage (litres) 2,815 daily basis. It allows cows to be photographed in their ‘working SCC 93 clothes’, giving an insight into their Daily growth rate for pre-weaned calves (kg/day) 0.86 performance in the herd situation. Average age at first calving (months) 23.5 It has proved to be an extremely Overall pregnancy rate (% rolling 12 months) 49 powerful tool for us in promoting our Services/conception (rolling 12 months) 2.3 new herd, leading to heifer sales and farm visits.

ANNUAL CONFERENCE 2016 43 Farming is an isolated profession and Selective genomic testing of heifer international dairy herd is polled. This social media provides links with like- calves started at Longmoor in July is where social media is a vital tool in minded individuals. You can never 2012. Results from genomic testing both promoting its benefits and allow underestimate the power of social has reinforced assumptions formed engagement between breeders media and its ability to promote from traditional classification and around the world. Our first polled knowledge sharing, spread performance scoring of heifers. More heifers are entering the herd now and awareness and provide support. importantly it has also identified high our aim is for every cow to breed a Equally, you have to be aware that scoring heifer replacements from calf with a 50% minimum chance of everything that you post is in the families that would otherwise have being polled. At Longmoor Farm, the public domain and is open to been overlooked. use of genomic testing to incorporate scrutiny. By engaging in social polled genetics is an opportunity to media use, you are not only The test results provide you with increase the marketable value of promoting your individual business extensive information about the our herd. but are representing the dairy genetic potential of a heifer/cow industry. allowing you to make increasingly Summary informed breeding decisions. Ideally, It is a huge privilege to be in a Genomic Breeding all heifer replacements should be position to breed cows. My focus has tested. It is easy to form emotional always been to improve the health My father was one of the early attachments to cow families and adopters of Holstein genetics and and fitness traits of both the Longmoor convince yourself that a heifer Herd and the individual cow. Genomic has been an incredible guide and replacement will perform as well or mentor in my development as a cow testing allows me to make more better than her family history. informed breeding decisions to breeder and manager. Having closely Genomic testing may confirm this followed its introduction to the UK, I promote rapid genetic gain and attachment or can provide uncomfort- improve the productivity of the herd. chose to embrace genomic breeding able reading! However, the use of relatively early in 2010 to increase genomics increases the rate of Genomics has been hugely influential the accuracy of breeding decisions. genetic improvement and increases Whilst we were initially cautious, the in improving the availability of polled herd efficiency by identifying the Holstein bulls, which has allowed us first heifers that were bred weaker bloodlines. genomically outperformed their to develop a niche market in the conventionally-bred counterparts in Longmoor Herd alongside improving Introducing polled genetics to the quality of the heifers produced. both type and production. This gave the Longmoor Herd us the confidence to use genomic Across the industry it is important that semen more extensively and in the Recently, my interest in genomic we embrace marketing to advertise past three and a half years we have bulls has focused particularly on the such developments to fellow breeders not bought a proven bull. incorporation of polled genetics into and demonstrate dairy farming’s the Longmoor Herd. Personally, I find commitment to breeding healthy cattle I believe that our early adoption of that there are not enough hours in a and rearing them under the highest genomic semen makes us an normal day, so the use of polled welfare conditions. With the develop- innovator within the UK. I am semen allows us to dedicate the time ment of social media, farmers have incredibly confident in the genomic that would otherwise be spent unprecedented access to the bulls being offered; today’s genomic dehorning to more important tasks. consumer, and the power to reach bulls are tomorrow’s proven bulls. There is also increased pressure out and demonstrate that the industry from the consumer to eliminate the is developing and addressing their Genomic Testing and Breeding dehorning process. Don’t forget, by concerns. Goals opening up our farms on social media all aspects of the farming Social media has provided the Fitness and health traits have always process are under scrutiny. Longmoor Herd with the platform to been my key breeding goals. We are market itself to a worldwide audience. not looking to breed an extreme cow Whilst polled bulls have traditionally Establishing a brand identity and at Longmoor Farm, but a healthy and been viewed as underperformers engaging with new audiences via productive one. Every space in our relative to their horned counterparts, Twitter and Facebook has been an cubicle shed counts, so filling each genomics has driven a vast extremely positive step in developing cubicle with a productive and profit- improvement in polled genetics and the future potential of our herd. able cow is key. There are huge the selection of bulls available is hidden costs to retaining heifers that increasing rapidly. The Longmoor prefix is now widely are underperforming herd members recognised as a herd embracing and and genomic testing provides us with The polled gene is dominant, sharing the use of genomics to an early means of identifying weaker allowing genetic gains to be achieved improve the genetic fitness of our herd replacements. quickly, however, only 1% of the dairy cattle.

44 BRITISH CATTLE BREEDERS CLUB The role of the digital cushion in dairy cattle lameness

Reuben Newsome PhD student, School of Veterinary Medicine and Science, University of Nottingham, LE12 5RD

Introduction such as claw overgrowth, lying times The hypothesised reason for body and social competition, underfoot condition loss predisposing lameness Lameness is a common affliction conditions and physiological changes is that thinning of the digital cushion of dairy cows that causes pain, around parturition can increase or leads to poorer cushioning capacity decreases production and increases prolong the downwards forces and greater forces on the germinal likelihood of culling. Many diseases exerted through the pedal bone epithelium of the sole. A thin digital cause lameness, and can be (Newsome et al., 2016, open cushion has been shown to increase grouped as either infectious (e.g. access). In addition to these, the risk of lesions and lameness digital dermatitis) or the non- capacity of the digital cushion in (Machado et al., 2011, Toholj et al., infectious: the claw horn lesions dissipating the forces during foot 2013), but no work has yet repeatedly (most commonly, sole ulcer, sole strike is instrumental to protecting the measured the digital cushion to haemorrhage and white line disease). germinal epithelium of the sole from assess whether change in thickness However, the mechanisms by which compression and disruption of occurs with body condition loss, or the claw horn lesions occur are growth. whether thinning of the digital incompletely understood. Recent and cushion, rather than absolute ongoing work at the University of Study 1: The digital cushion thinness, leads to lameness. Nottingham, School of Veterinary Medicine and Science, explores the The digital cushion is a connective The first aim of this study was to disease process, to help understand tissue structure that sits beneath the determine how the digital cushion why the claw horn lesions occur and pedal bone of the foot, and contains changes throughout lactation and with what can be done to prevent them. large depots of adipose tissue. The changes in body fat measures. The Described here are two studies that fat is high in mono-unsaturated fatty second aim was to discern whether summarise our understanding of the acids and is bound by a connective absolute or changes in digital cushion claw horn lesions. tissue capsule. It acts as a non- thickness influence future lameness compressible fluid structure that and lesions. The claw horn lesions almost dissipates forces during foot strike, certainly occur through a similar transferring the forces to the Study 1: Materials and methods mechanism. This mechanism structures that are designed to appears to be through compression absorb shock and bear weight: the A longitudinal study monitored 180 of and contusion within the germinal wall. This reduces the peak load on cows on 2 high yielding robotic dairy epithelium in the sole of the foot that the germinal epithelium at any point herds (>11,500 litres per 305 day produces the claw horn. Contusions and protects against claw horn lesion lactation) throughout 1st, 2nd, 3rd and occur to differing extents and at formation. 4th lactations at 5 assessment points: different locations, which appears to approximately 8 weeks prior to calving cause the differences between lesion Epidemiological work has and during the 1st, 9th, 17th and 29th location (e.g. sole versus white line) demonstrated that body condition week of lactation. The digital cushion and severity (e.g. haemorrhage vs loss preceded lameness events, and corium were measured using ulceration). Two factors are pivotal in whether lameness was defined by ultrasonography at each assessment the formation of these lesions: poor mobility (Randall et al., 2015, point. Additionally, body condition greater downward forces exerted by Lim et al., 2015) or by the treatment score and back fat thickness the pedal bone and poorer of lesions (Green et al., 2014). (measured ultrasonographically) were cushioning of these forces; both Cross-sectional work has also shown recorded. Lesions present on claws result in greater forces exerted on the that body condition score was were recorded at assessment points, germinal epithelium and increased associated with digital cushion and cows were mobility scored likelihood of damage. Many factors thickness (Bicalho et al., 2009). fortnightly throughout the study.

ANNUAL CONFERENCE 2016 45 Three statistical models were built to Study 2: Bone development on development on the most severely assess: the pedal bone with repeated affected foot was best predicted by lameness (published open access: lameness history. 1. The association between digital Newsome et al., 2016, in press) cushion thickness and body fat. Study 2: Discussion 2. The effect of a thin digital cushion Study 2: Introduction Age explained much variation in bone and low body condition on future A second study looked at chronicity development. The association lesion formation. of the claw horn lesions. It has been between bone development and a 3. The effect of a thin digital cushion shown that delayed treatment previous history of lameness was a and low body condition on future increases recovery time, occurrence novel finding, and bone development lameness. of lesions increases risk of further appeared to be specific to claw horn lesions in subsequent lactations lesions. Study 1: Results (Hirst et al., 2002) and that the Several mechanisms for the formation lesions can become chronic, whilst Firstly, digital cushion thickness was of bone development are plausible. early detection and effective associated with body fat measures. Inflammation occurring at the sole treatment reduces recurrence of However, this association was ulcer site during sole ulcers (as seen lameness (Groenevelt et al., 2014). obscured at some assessment points in Study 1) could elicit bone develop- Untreated lesions could incur by lesion occurrence: the digital ment on the flexor tuberosity, which damage to the internal anatomy of cushion was abnormally thickened then exerts greater forces on and the foot, including to the flexor when a sole ulcer was present, cause further contusions within the tuberosity of the pedal bone, upon pointing to inflammation in and germinal epithelium of the sole during which bone development occurs with thickening of the digital cushion. foot-strike. Inflammation could also age (Tsuka et al., 2012). Similar Secondly, the digital cushion was utilise fat depots within the digital bone development occurs in humans thinnest immediately after calving, cushion for the production of inflam- where high load passes around before cows had lost condition. matory mediators and decrease its ligament insertions, often as Thirdly, the thin digital cushion future cushioning capacity. Both of incidental findings with no clinical thickness at any point during the these mechanisms could precipitate significance (Benjamin et al., 2000). study increased the risk of further lameness and could become Our aim was to assess whether bone subsequent lesions and lameness. self-perpetuating. In order to stop development at slaughter was Only sometimes was the thin digital irreparable anatomical damage within associated with poor locomotion and cushion related to body condition. the foot, early identification of claw CHL incidence during a cow’s life. horn lesions and effective treatment Study 1: Discussion could be critical, particularly for first Study 2: Materials and methods lifetime cases of lameness.This The results present a novel insight A retrospective cohort study imaged further emphasizes the importance of into the role of the digital cushion in 142 hind feet from 72 Holstein- non-steroidal anti-inflammatories in lameness. They add to the evidence Friesian dairy cows culled from a lesion treatment, to resolve that body condition loss is a key research herd (SRUC Dairy inflammation at the sole ulcer site and component of claw horn lesions, and Research Centre, Dumfries, UK) prevent permanent damage to the additionally highlight that body using computed tomography. Bone surrounding structures. condition is only one of many factors development on the pedal bone was that must be addressed in lameness measured and tested as the outcome Conclusions control: many factors could cause a in a linear regression model. thin digital cushion, such as peri- The claw horn lesions are principally Explanatory variables described parturient hormones causing laxity in a result of two factors: downward mobility score, which had been the suspensory apparatus of the foot forces on the germinal epithelium of assessed weekly throughout life from (as seen immediately after calving, the sole through the pedal bone, and first calving, age and occurrence of and all of these have potential cushioning of forces during foot strike. lesions throughout life. implications on lameness. Many factors, including body condition, can influence the function Study 2: Results The work also demonstrates the of the digital cushion. If the digital inflammation present during lesion Bone development increased with cushion becomes too thin, lesions formation. This strengthens the age, was greater in cows that had and lameness occur. Further, message that lameness is a experienced a claw horn lesion inflammation at the sole ulcer site manageable disease, that early during life, and was greater with likely initiates bone development on detection and effective treatment are poorer mobility (the mobility score the pedal bone, which then places instrumental in controlling it and that variable tested was ‘the proportion of greater forces on the germinal non-steroidal anti-inflammatories are weekly mobility scores at which a epithelium and causes lameness to an essential component of treatment cow was lame, during the 12 months perpetuate. These studies suggest (Thomas et al., 2015). preceding slaughter’). The bone that managing the risk factors for

46 BRITISH CATTLE BREEDERS CLUB lameness, in addition to early Hirst, W.M., Murray, R.D., Ward, W.R. and Randall, L.V., Green, M.J., Chagunda, M.G.G., detection and effective treatment of French, N.P. (2002). A mixed-effects time-to- Mason, C., Archer, S.C., Green, L.E. and event analysis of the relationship between first- Huxley, J.N. (2015). Low body condition lameness, which includes non- lactation lameness and subsequent lameness in predisposes cattle to lameness: An 8-year study steroidal anti-inflammatory therapy, dairy cows in the UK. Preventive Veterinary of one dairy herd. J. Dairy Sci., 98: 3766–3777. are pivotal to lameness control on Medicine, 54: 191–201. farm. Thomas, H.J., Miguel-Pacheco, G.G., Bollard, Lim, P.Y., Huxley, J.N., Willshire, J.A., Green, N.J., Archer, S.C., Bell, N.J., Mason, C., M.J., Othman, A.R. and Kaler, J. (2015). Maxwell, O.J.R., Remnant, J.G., Sleeman, P., References Unravelling the temporal association between Whay, H.R. and Huxley, J.N. (2015). Evaluation Benjamin, M., Rufai, A. and Ralphs, J. R. lameness and body condition score in dairy of treatments for claw horn lesions in dairy cows (2000). The mechanism of formation of bony cattle using a multistate modelling approach. in a randomized controlled trial. J. Dairy Sci., 98: spurs (enthesophytes) in the Achilles tendon. Prev Vet Med, 118: 370–7. 4477–4486. Arthritis Rheum., 43: 576–583. Machado, V.S., Caixeta, L.S. and Bicalho, R.C. Toholj, B., Cincovic´, M., Stevancˇevic´, M., Bicalho, R.C., Machado, V.S. and Caixeta, L.S. (2011). Use of data collected at cessation of Spasojevic, J., Ivetic´, V. and Potkonjak, A. (2009). Lameness in dairy cattle: A debilitating lactation to predict incidence of sole ulcers and (2013). Evaluation of ultrasonography for disease or a disease of debilitated cattle? A white line disease during the subsequent measuring solar soft tissue thickness as a cross-sectional study of lameness prevalence lactation in dairy cows. Am. J. Vet. Res., 72: predictor of sole ulcer formation in Holstein- and thickness of the digital cushion. J. Dairy 1338–1343. Friesian dairy cows. Vet. J. Sci., 92: 3175–84. Manson, F.J. and Leaver, J.D. (1988). The Tsuka, T., Ooshita, K., Sugiyama, A., Osaki, T., Green, L.E., Huxley, J.N., Banks, C. and Green, influence of concentrate amount on locomotion Okamoto, Y., Minami, S. and Imagawa, T. M.J. (2014). Temporal associations between and clinical lameness in dairy-cattle. Anim. (2012). Quantitative evaluation of bone low body condition, lameness and milk yield in a Prod., 47: 185–190. development of the distal phalanx of the cow UK dairy herd. Prev. Vet. Med., 113: 63–71. hind limb using computed tomography. J. Dairy Newsome, R., Green, M.J., Bell, N.J., Sci., 95: 127–138. Groenevelt, M., Main, D.C.J., Tisdall, D., Chagunda, M.G.G., Mason, C.S., Sturrock, C.J., Knowles, T.G. and Bell, N.J. (2014). Measuring Whay, H.R. and Huxley, J.N. (2016). Linking the response to therapeutic foot trimming in Bone Development on the caudal aspect of the dairy cows with fortnightly lameness scoring. Distal Phalanx with Lameness during Life. Vet. J., 201: 283–288. Journal of Dairy Science, In Press.

ANNUAL CONFERENCE 2016 47 Preparing the next generation of farmers and dairy herd staff

Ian Tremain Head of Agriculture Innovation, Bridgwater College, Cannington Centre, TA5 2LS; [email protected]

Bridgwater College started life in This investment linked to the vision, and performance within the rural 1921 as the Somerset Farm Institute, that if we are to have an industry sector particularly within Agriculture. like many agricultural colleges it was which is able to meet the challenges However employers in rural areas formed following the First World War of the future we need suitably trained can face particular constraints in with the intention of increasing the and motivated people to rise to the accessing the pool of skills they self sufficiency of food produced in challenge. require due to the remote nature of the UK. With Somerset being a the business. Businesses in rural strong agricultural county it grew Currently the majority of staff areas are more likely than businesses and became nationally renowned employed on dairy farms comprise in urban areas to have to outsource particularly for dairying, cheese the sons and daughters of the work, as a result of skills shortages. production and commercial owners, farm workers who are over horticulture. 50 years of age, and Eastern Students from rural areas are more Europeans. More and more farming likely to meet expected standards Later it became Cannington College families children are looking outside whilst at college, with a higher of Agriculture and prospered agriculture for employment as they proportion achieving merit and particularly in the 1950’s, 1960’s and have seen their parents doing hard distinction. The proportion of people 1970’s. However with a downturn in physical work all their lives, in many working in Agriculture with agriculture and a lack of vision and cases for little reward. qualifications at or above degree investment student numbers began level, apprenticeships at Level 3 and According to Landex, land based and to dwindle in the 1980’s and 1990’s 4 or equivalent is continuing to grow environmental industries will require leaving the governors with some and there is a direct relationship to 148,000 more people by 2020, and difficult choices. By 2004 agricultural productivity and efficiency. 447,000 to replace those leaving the student numbers had fallen to 27. sector through retirement. The farm was in a poor state of The government is very focused repair and the herd of dairy cows So how do we attract, educate and regarding the implementation of a was not one to be proud of. retain for the long term, high calibre wide-ranging programme of staff to work in the dairy and opportunities to improve the skills Like many organisations faced with livestock sector here in the UK? base and curriculum opportunities to difficult choices it sought out a larger strengthen the quality of the work more financially stable partner, and Today around 1% of the British work force in land based careers with was fortunate to find one, in the force work directly on farms. particular reference to post-16 skills nearby further education college in Approximately 480,000 people. provision and improving opportunities Bridgwater. Fortunately the senior However if we take the wider food for young people to progress within team could see the strategic and farming industry is with its allied the sector through a range of advantage of being in agriculture and trades, this accounts for approxi- potential career choices. land-based studies and began to mately 3.5 million people or 13% of make investments in the farm along the British workforce. Collectively Several actions are being taken that with the overall College Estate. we produce 63% of the food that is will improve access to high quality consumed here in Britain, which education and training in Agriculture: In the past 10 years over £5 million means we could increase output has been invested in the facilities at overall just to supply the home • Colleges will respond to the needs the college farm which includes a market, without the need to find of employers, including both large new milking parlour and cow housing, export markets. and medium employers. slurry storage, forage clamps, and more recently the innovation centre To continually improve skills is a • To promote skills provision that is and bio security building. priority for enhancing productivity responsive to the land based

48 BRITISH CATTLE BREEDERS CLUB industry priorities, colleges will Work experience An increasing number of students go invite employers and partners to onto study at HE level and some Students gain invaluable work participate in the reshaping and progress onto a Masters or other experience whilst studying at college ongoing review of local post-16 postgraduate qualification in a related as it increases their chances of skills provision. area such as crop science and getting part time work and more management, animal technology and importantly a job after they have • Both College based and agricultural technology. Others may completed their college courses. Not employment based training form go on to a different undergraduate only do they have the opportunity to part of successful skills systems degree course such as veterinary complete a placement day as part of that have been adopted across the science, there are many different their course, they also find relevant world. They can offer young people ways to gain a qualification in work in the holidays. This involves in particular high quality, targeted agriculture. training that allows them to earn working on farms taking part in as many activities as possible and while they learn. Generation Y & Z where possible shadowing the farm • The government is committed to manager to develop an understanding Has agriculture done enough to increasing the quantity and quality of farm management. There is also understand what generation Y (those of agricultural education/ the option of voluntary projects that born 1977–1994) and even genera- apprenticeships in England. It is involve agricultural and environ- tion Z (born 1995–2012) want in the introducing a UK-wide levy on mental work that students can be workplace? During those periods the larger employers to help fund the involved in. Other options that some world has moved from the industrial increase in apprenticeships students get involved in include age to the information age. The training. The government’s volunteering abroad on agriculture expectation of businesses will have measures will strengthen projects in farms, forests and nature to change and recognise that workers apprenticeships in rural areas: reserves. are maybe equally as important as customers. The government will increase • The major employment opportunities apprenticeships in rural areas within agriculture are not just in farm The needs and wants of future including by tripling apprentice- management. Other opportunities generations will be greater than those ships in food and farming and by exist with commercial ancillary of past generations. The need to helping small tourism businesses companies both in the UK and understand what generations Y and Z to provide more, high quality abroad. Find information on wants is essential in adapting on farm apprenticeships. employers in environment and practices and procedures. It means • From April 2016, employers will agriculture, engineering and changing from a protocol culture to a not have to pay National Insurance manufacturing, and other job sectors. collaborative culture. contributions for most apprentices under the age of 25. Skills for a CV For an in-depth study on how to attract and keep staff motivated, do • Funding reforms, such as the Throughout agriculture courses read Andrew Brewers Nuffield farming digital apprenticeship voucher, students develop a wide mix of report, titled ‘Who will milk the cows?’ will put control of funding for technical skills and knowledge, which is available free of charge on apprenticeships directly into the including land use, farming practice the Nuffield International website. hands of employers. and food production, as well as an understanding of the scientific, ethical http://www.nuffieldinternational.org/rep Strong conditions for rural and business principles that underpin _pdf/1441530372Andrew-Brewer- business growth the agricultural industry. report-2013.pdf Enterprise and competition are vital Students confirm that employers are for productivity growth. They drive If you know a young person particularly interested in transferable considering career choices you could innovation and efficiency and help skills such as: ensure that resources flow to their always direct them to the Brightcrop most productive uses. Rural areas • numeracy and IT website. are full of enterprise. There are 430 • initiative registered businesses per 10,000 of http://www.brightcrop.org.uk population in predominantly rural • organisation areas compared with 400 businesses • ability to plan and conduct An excellent resource which gives per 10,000 of population for England research information and may help a young as a whole. But businesses need person explore the opportunities • communication, including within agriculture and acts as a the right conditions to become influencing and leadership established with the main ingredient signpost of where to go next. being suitably trained and motivated • teamwork staff. • ability to manage projects

ANNUAL CONFERENCE 2016 49 A European view on the future dairy farmer: will there still be room for emotion?

Dr Sophie Eaglen Global Business Development Manager, Genetics/Genomics, CRV Innovation, The Netherlands; [email protected]

Introduction ‘phosphate rights’ which in many prerequisite change of management cases are based on a pre-growth With a rapidly growing world that often comes with the new way of herd size. The seemingly contra- population, it is estimated that protein farming ensures considerable dictory changes follow up on production will have to double by hesitation as well. When relying on restrictions on the use of antibiotics 2050 with half of the available machines that yield large amounts of that were introduced in 2014. The resources. Furthermore, it is data and statistics, is there still constant adaptation that is asked of predicted that rising wealth shall emotion left in farming? the Dutch dairy farmers is resulting increase the demand for high quality in a sense of insecurity about what Genomic Herd Management food with optimal nutritional value. is yet to come. Meanwhile, consumers are becoming When following the trend to higher more involved in food production, adoption of technology for more and the demand for high quality food Meanwhile, as technology is rapidly efficient management in the field of is predicted to rise parallel to developing, companies are cattle breeding, one cannot miss the increasing wealth. It is clear that continuously offering new products rise in genomic testing. The active dairy farmers worldwide are facing a to dairy farmers as a means to help and routine genotyping of heifer challenge. farm at top efficiency. New terms calves, have picked up rapidly in the such as ‘smart dairy farming’ or recent 5 years, particularly in The Dutch farmers are already facing the ‘precision livestock farming’ have United States of America and France. need to farm with optimal efficiency popped up with increasing frequency While the adoption of genomic to stay profitable. While continuously in Dutch dairy farming jargon. The selection has suffered a lengthy striving for continuity as margins on trend towards adopting new period of skepticism, milking dairy are under threat, current technology in aid of optimal farming daughters of young genomic bulls are European market developments and in The Netherlands is well visible in slowly replacing the skepticism with new Dutch environmental regulations the increased use of the milking trust. Genomic testing uses genomic are squeezing the Dutch dairy robot. Currently, it is estimated that selection technology to estimate farmers into a corner. The number approximately 15% of Dutch dairy genomic breeding values for female of dairy farms is decreasing but the farmers are actively milking with one animals in the exact same manner as number of cows in The Netherlands or multiple robots. CRV year it does for bulls. As such, farmers is still growing. 2015 was a statistics for 2015 show that of the receive information about the genetic particularly challenging year. When top producing 16 dairy farms in The merit of their young animals with twice the milk quota was removed in April, Netherlands this year, 7 are currently the reliability compared to parent consequently, herds started to automating milk production. The average. This allows for strategic expand. What quickly followed surge of technological development young stock selection and reduces however, were new regulations on is however producing products that the risk of raising costly cattle which phosphate emissions imposed to are very novel which often require a do not contribute to herd profitability prevent The Netherlands from considerable investment before when milking. Alongside the genomic exceeding thresholds set in Brussels. showing returns. Although welcomed breeding values, genomic tests also Consequently, Dutch dairy farmers by a good proportion of Dutch yield information on any genetic now need to justify their phosphate farmers, the lengthy period of defect or genetic characteristics of the emission by their so-called allocated acclimation and the sometimes animal. Avoiding carrier matings, for

50 BRITISH CATTLE BREEDERS CLUB Figure 1: Number of male and female genotypes entering US national A future vision: The Internet of evaluation per year. Things and The Connected Cow Continuous investment into R&D projects ensure that the above listed applications are just the beginning. The International Data Corporation (IDC, www.idc.com) expects that by the end of 2020, 212 billion devices will be globally connected to the internet. This represents 40 times more devices than people. The linkage of devices, and data collected by these devices, via the Internet is referred to as ‘The Internet of Things’. Agriculture is expected to not be an exception. When all sensors, apps and genomic information are even- tually linked through their connection example the recently discovered research on the link between to WiFi, this will likely lead the dairy CDH mutation, or carrier matings genotype and phenotype currently industry’s version of ‘The Internet of towards a polled or A2 herd can conducted globally, it is almost Things’, or more appropriately: ‘The thereby be made. impossible not to anticipate that in 10 Connected Cow’. A first cooperative years’ time, much more information project that makes footsteps towards Figure 1 shows the exponential on the future performance of an this connection of several novel growth of the number of low density animal shall be extracted from the applications for support in dairy female genotypes entering the US DNA profile in support of herd farming is Smart Dairy Farming national breeding value estimation management. (www.smartdairyfarming.nl) of which (Cole, 2015). In France, approxi- Lely, AgriFirm, CRV, Wageningen mately 8% of the dairy farms have Sensor Technology University, Utrecht University and actively genotyped in 2014 (Le Alongside genomic technology, a Friesland Campina are among the Mezec et al., 2015). The Netherlands trend towards the use of sensor collaborating partners. currently counts just over 300 herds technology is also visible in The which have genotyped their whole Netherlands. Pedometers that offer Back to the farmer herd and use the genomic aid in heat detection are most information for the strategic breeding commonly used, but farmers also For the farmer, industry expects that of their herd, towards individual have access to sensors that allows subsequent large amounts of created breeding goals. Data collected on for precise measuring of physical data, statistics and accompanied these 300 farms have shown that activity, rumination activity, feed advice allows high return on invest- approximately 10–13% of calves intake, temperature and blood ment, when abided by. Optimal get wrongly assigned to either the concentrations. monitoring of all herd management complete bottom or top of the list aspects as well as planning out when ranked on their parent Next developing sensors give specific breeding strategies to average breeding value for milk farmers information on the remote increase the herd’s genetic level yield, compared to their ranking measuring of body condition of an facilitates management at the based on their estimated genomic animal through imaging technologies required efficiency. However, fully breeding value for the same trait. as well as the precise location of an trusting generated data and resulting Consequently, selecting the top 75% animal in the barn for quick retrieval. statistics, without the instinctive need of animals for breeding the next Nutrition apps allow precision feeding to actually observe the animals as generation based on genomic merit by listing exact measurements of an additional factor in the decision resulted in an average breeding ingredients for optimal feed mixtures, making is not a trivial matter. value for milk in this group of +100kg validated by sensors taking samples Assuming the current market milk compared to a group selected of the generated feed. Routine circumstances and the future world on parent average (Eaglen et al., sampling of milk has also been used perspectives for the dairy industry 2015). The current value of genomic to great success. Milk sampling shall remain to allow little space for testing is expected to increase in the results now not only provide fat and flexibility in herd management. Dairy next decade, as is the adoption of protein content but can also partition farmers are passionate and a large routine genotyping. CRV expects these in the exact fatty acid and portion of emotion separates a farmer 50% of Dutch farmers to genotype whey vs. casein composition as well from a general businessman. every newborn animal by 2020. In indicate an early detection of Hesitation and skepticism to the rapid addition, given the large amount of pregnancy. changes in the industry are therefore

ANNUAL CONFERENCE 2016 51 largely present. Will there still be often having enjoyed higher References room for future dairy farmers to carry education, shall likely not experience Cole, John. (2015). AGIL, USDA out their profession with the same a reduced passion in dairying but http://www.slideshare.net/jbcole amount of emotion as their rather a transformed one. Willing to Le Mezec, P., et al. (2015). Genomics, sexed predecessor? Current anecdotal be businessmen and women, they semen: changes in reproduction choices in evidence in The Netherlands shall likely maintain their passion to French dairy herds, EAAP, Warsaw, Poland. suggests that despite present make optimal use of all available Eaglen, S., et al. (2015). Genomic testing of reluctance, adoption of varying opportunities for the successful cows and heifers: An industry perspective. degrees of technological aids has continuation of his or her business. EAAP, Warsaw, Poland. also unburdened the Dutch dairy They will be ready for the challenge farmer, allowing more time with that faces food producers worldwide, family. Dairy farmers of the future, in the decades to come.

52 BRITISH CATTLE BREEDERS CLUB Keeping on track and staying there Philip Metcalfe Metcalfe Farms, Washfold Farm, Leyburn, North Yorkshire DL85JZ; [email protected]

I would like to thank the British Cattle (pedometers) and these helped us a avoid cows sorting feed which I’m Breeders Club for asking me to give lot catching cows bulling that we had sure you agree they are experts at. you a presentation. missed, one negative is that it’s difficult to tell when is the best time to We are looking at a self-propelled Metcalfe farms is a partnership serve the cow because data is only feeder wagon because we think it will consisting of retired parents John captured at milking time. We have save time and we will get a more and Thora with three sons, David, had a collar system on our maiden consistent dry matter forage by direct Brian and Philip, we farm 2,700 acres heifers which is updated every fifteen cutting from the face instead of cut in the heart of Wensleydale. minutes, this has worked very well for out blocks getting rained on. timing of insemination, and similar Alongside a haulage and contracting Automatic scrapers were fitted in the businesses we have 900 pedigree collars will be fitted to cows when we start in the new parlour. nineties which saved time, but we Holsteins expanding to 1,300 later on have learned they are not very good this year depending on milk price. Ten years ago we fitted Automatic for cow’s feet so as they have come A 200KW anaerobic digester is on back flush and teat dipping, after to the end of their lives we have gone site and we have 900 mules ewes some teething problems this system back to basics and scrape out with a crossed with Texel for fat lambs. has proved to be a good investment loader three times a day. reducing mastitis and chronic high Today I am going to explain how cell count cows, I would recommend We have been using RMS or Green technology is helping us achieve a it to anyone, but it must be watched bedding for two years now, we find it good performance from the dairy carefully for faults. a great bedding material with no hock herd, but I do think we can improve abrasions and very clean cows. The further with one or two changes in Back flush will be fitted to the new Defra recommendations are sensible the pipeline which I will mention later. rotary but we are either going to and should be followed. This system manually dip the cows or auto spray, is saving us 50k in bedding costs. A few KPI’S, 10,800 litre milk as the parlour is much bigger we feel average, 3.85 Butterfat, 3.25 Protein, going back to basics with post dip The Anaerobic Digester has been a 180 Cell Count. might be the best option. One of the success, we didn’t fund it, but for providing the site, feed stock(slurry) One third of the herd is classified big selling points of the large rotary and running it we are saving about very good or excellent. is the faster through put, hopefully 400 cows per hour, this will cut cow £150 a day in electricity and £40,000 The milking parlour is a good place standing time by up to two hours a year in nitrogen through the to start, it’s a 32:32 Fast Exit that has making a massive difference on improved digestate. Also it’s offsetting been used for over 20 years and will eating and resting time for the cows much of the carbon dioxide produced soon be replaced by a 72 point which should help foot health, fertility by the cows, but this system only rotary. The Fast Exit stall work was and hopefully improve yield. works with having cows housed all regarded as state of the art when we the time which won’t be for everyone. installed it, through puts of 130 cows In the future robotics could be fitted per hour were being achieved with to the new parlour but I think it’s too With hoof care we have had an one person milking without much early and expensive at the moment automatic footbath for a number of prep being carried out, this has to invest in this technology. years now which makes it easier to do slowed down now we do full prep. with water and chemical being piped Large swingover parlours probably On the feeding side we have run a to it, when we get the new parlour are as fast, this parlour is very large Keenan for many years, the working, a longer 3.5 metre bath has compact though with cows standing Pace weigh system is an excellent been bought so feet get more dips as square onto pit. way to input rations and record what the cows go through. is actually being fed to the cows. We Fifteen years ago the cows were have also invested in a straw grinder A lameness monitor called Step fitted with activity monitors to get straw to a consistent length to metrix was evaluated a year ago and

ANNUAL CONFERENCE 2016 53 will be fitted on the new parlour, this case with the correct treatment or About eighty percent of the semen works by weighing the cow left or even letting the case self-cure again used is from genomic sires, I believe right and flagging up any subtle saving antibiotic usage and money. in this technology because two heifers changes, we liked the system and that we had sampled that have calved found just a bit of corrective We have used computerised calf are nearly exactly the same as their modelling was good enough to cure machines for a lot of years now profile. Some breeding advisors will the slightly lame cow. finding them working well, as the tell you to use a lot of different sires herd has grown we have bought to spread this risk, this is rubbish With mastitis probably the best thing extra second hand machines for a because you will lose the uniformity we have seen results from is using a quarter of the new price. We have of your herd. teat sealant at dry off, since we learned that the best results come started ten years ago fewer cows from keeping calves in individual To conclude, if you’re thinking of have been getting infection in the dry pens for ten days before introducing investing in technology ask yourself period, for six months we have tried to the machine. Also the machine could the same task be done in a selective therapy only giving needs to be kept clean with teats and more simple way by organising you antibiotic tubes to cows over 180 to pipes changed after each batch. or your staff better? 200 cells, this again is working well with no increase of infection in the With breeding we are using sexed Who will keep an eye on it to see dry period and a big drop in antibiotic semen on most of the maiden when it breaks down? usage and money saved. heifers, a beef sire and embryos going onto what I think is the bottom What will it be like in a few years’ In the near future when we have end, all this could change because I time, will it last? more time between milking’s we are think we will end up genomic testing going to do farm culturing of mastitis all heifer calves and that will tell us Learn from other farmers, they are the cases to see if we can target the which heifers are the best or worst. best consultants!

54 BRITISH CATTLE BREEDERS CLUB Leaning on a gate contemplating cattle

Professor John Wibberley PhD, NSch, FRAgS Orchard Close, Shaldon, Devon; [email protected]

Cattle Early offered ‘on approval’ by the late success of that campaign with TB Kenneth Beeston of Burley Farm, now the scourge that it is among As a baby, I could peer out of my Allestree, Derbyshire. Many were cattle and farming communities. I was pram and see cows in the field either Ayrshires, Friesians or early instructed in the points of good adjoining our garden. Was it brain- Shorthorns but other breeds featured beef cattle by Lord (Henry) Plumb’s washing?! If so, I’m most grateful! as well, notably Channel Islanders – late uncle, Mr Mander, who stressed I relish contemplating cattle (Figure 1). Jerseys and Guernseys. With Robin ‘not too much daylight underneath’ Beeston, who was a couple of years and ‘a leg at each corner’! We older than me, we foraged around suckled our calves on several cows, Figure 1: A Cow hiding behind a tree the cattle troughs and moved among including old Joanie (an Ayrshire/ contemplating humans (Uganda) their chained heads seeking locust Shorthorn cross) – who we had taken (carob) beans, the tastiest ingredients to market several times but couldn’t of their rations. It was before the bear to part with her despite her days of rendered offal inclusions! unpredictable temperament! My Leaning on that Garden Gate was favourite to hand-milk was Gertie the also rewarded by observing horses, Guernsey. Like the Masai today, with including Ladybird, June Beeston’s whom I work in Kenya, we shared the pony, and her father in hunting gear same udder for house-milk with training with his hounds in pursuit suckling calves. And, yes, I caught around him. But it was the cattle that TB in the form of a very heavy cold riveted my attention – and still do. probably through milking fresh milk straight into my mouth when thirsty Cattle Coaching in summer!

From the age of 7, I spent part of all My 1st form School Book Prize was school holidays, and some weekends, Kenneth Russell’s version of at my aunt’s farm where we originally Fishwick’s Dairy Farming. However, had two dairy herds of Ayrshires and the only question I can remember Shorthorns, subsequently replaced from my entire schooldays was one by beef cattle, largely horned from our Ethics and Civics Master in Herefords at first, then polled and the VIth form:- ‘When did you last cross-bred Herefords. I travelled at lean on a gate and contemplate a first by train in the Guard’s Van under cow?’ – Everyone laughed out loud, his charge for the 22 miles down the except me who took the question As a toddler, as soon as I could line from Derby to Tamworth, where I literally and tried to decide in my mind stand up, I was to be found leaning was met by my aunt – frequently with whether it was Mrs Richardson’s on a small gate that ran from our a calf confined in the back of the Jerseys up in the village, or someone Derbyshire garden into the adjoining vehicle in a Hessian sack with only else’s Herefords that I had last con- field full of cows. I spent hours its head peeping out. From the age templated over a gate! I have since watching them and apparently of 12, I cycled the 30 miles from had many occasions to reflect on how described them when going in to be home to farm, going over some profound was that question . . . milked to my grandmother as ‘going seven level-crossings through de’ords’. It was my first ‘sentence’, Burton-upon-Trent where trains I worked one summer with Nigel at and I suppose it was ‘going forwards’, supplied breweries’ transport. Much the late John Arnold’s Dairy in the plodding line falling in behind the of my cattle moving duties as a child Shuttington, North Warwickshire. I’m boss cow for milking. They were not revolved around TT testing, and I not sure how helpful I proved but he just any old cows but cattle being gained the impression that this was did give me the accolade of downing traded – even, like foreign stamps for the full-time occupation of vets! six successive large mugs of tea child collectors at the time, being How far we have slipped since the faster than anyone he’d ever seen

ANNUAL CONFERENCE 2016 55 before! When arriving at the main hope of continuance was China, Pakistan and Brazil. While University of Reading to study diversification to tap into additional milk production has increased, agriculture in 1965, I met John income streams, including value- number of producers has rapidly Arnold, his open brown smock flying addition to cattle products. During the declined, especially in N. America & either side as he drove his bull down quarter-century from 1989–2014, the Europe. England & Wales lost 7,000 Friar Street in Reading for the UK, Ireland and France lost over of 17,000 dairy farmers between Reading Bull Sale; ‘What are you 71% of their dairy farmers, while 2003–2013. However, India has a doing here lad?’ said he. ‘Trying to Spain and Portugal lost some 93% National Milk Day (November 26th) learn something’ said I! ‘But what are of their dairy farmers. in honour of the late Dr Verghese you doing with yon Bull?’ It is difficult Kurien, Father of ‘The White to imagine driving a bull down Friar During FMD, while I was Chairman Revolution’, popularly known as ‘the Street in the heart of Reading today! of FCN (now Farming Community Milkman of India’ (John, A., Sathyan, One of the memorable early facts Network) many farming families drew A., Rehman, F. & Marydas, M. (2014) I learned in Reading was that it comfort in their anguish from Biblical A Day for the Milkman of India. Indian typically takes 400 litres of blood to pronouncements about cattle and Currents XXVI (49) 32–34). India’s flow through the udder to produce God’s care for them – as the ‘Owner self-sustaining dairy industry stems one litre of milk. Working at Highclere of the cattle on a thousand hills’ from Kurien’s belief and practice in Estate after Reading, I had to count (Psalm 50:10) and as telling Jonah nurturing the capabilities of farmers cattle on the hill. ‘How many should (Ch.4:11) of His care for the ‘many for socio-economic transformation. there be?’ I asked. ‘I’ll tell you when cattle’ in Nineveh (near modern day Kurien’s innovative social entre- you get back’ said the wise farm Mosul) and His recognition that to preneurship driven by his integrity, manager! lose cattle – ‘to have none in the fearlessness and perseverance, led to stall’ – is a devastating blow to a establishment of the dairy cooperative Cattle Consolidation cattle breeder (Habakkuk 3:17). movement, starting in Anand and In FCN today, we are very aware replicated elsewhere as Amul. He As we contemplate the changes of of the particular impacts of TB also founded the Institute of Rural the past fifty years in cattle breeding movement restrictions on cattle Management Anand (IRMA) to and care, with a global perspective, breeders, and on farming in general. promote equitable and sustainable let’s try to celebrate the positives and development. This successful beware the potential negatives. It’s Cattle worldwide collectivisation led to formation of good to peer over our shoulders to Of some 1.4 billion cattle in the India’s National Dairy Development contemplate cattle worldwide . . . world, around 260 million are dairy Board (NDDB) to replicate the Amul In my Nuffield Farming Scholarship cows and around 150 million families model nationwide. Operation Flood in studies of factors affecting dairy farm are engaged in milk production 1970 was the world’s biggest dairy survival in seven countries from worldwide (FAO, 2014). India is the development project and made India 1988 (thanks to The Trehane Trust), world’s leading milk producer with a milk self-sufficient country. Kurien I discovered that the main threat to 16% of the total from some 45M was passionate to ensure farmers survival was over-borrowing while the dairy cows, followed by the USA, gained control of primary production, processing and marketing. He deplored political hijacking of some cooperatives, believed in democratic Cattle Contemplations control of autonomous cooperatives Our British cattle spread worldwide to put their stamp on bovine hide freed from government interference Until the French connection came by Continental cattle frame – with farmer sovereignty over Late Nineteen-fifties Charollais began the massive rumen fray resources managed. Where Breeders chased big guts for maize, with Dairies in a Holstein haze, And global warming pundits blamed cows’ methane-belching habits named In India, sacred cattle wander But don’t they know that cow-muck makes grass grow much better, and the steaks everywhere and were said in bygone From pasture-fed beef taste the best, and pass the global warming test? – days to be perhaps the biggest With carbon capture in the soil and oxygen return to foil depositors at the Banks! On the Those belching bullocks in feedlots; let’s not allow them draw the shots, international impact of cattle, in 1997 Let’s not lose wide genetic scope, our biodiverse cattle hope, a Japanese Fishing Boat was sunk by With good AI, sexed semen, MOET, with genomics (think we know it?) a falling Russian Cow! Some cattle But let’s heed the bigger vision, not lose cattle breeds’ precision had been rustled by Russian soldiers Fitting landscapes, varied systems, heritage of farm-based wisdoms, in a transport ’plane but once airborne Using collars sensitive, to monitor, see how they live, they moved around, so to avoid With markets niche from field-to-plate, our Food Chain sov’reignty of late; crashing they’d jettisoned some cows It’s good to see Longhorn revival, Aussie imports for survival, through the rear door of the ’plane, As for me, I’m from South Devon,cattle there are straight from heaven! one of which had sunk the boat. The Their docile temp’raments a joy; to contemplate them my rest ploy! fishermen were unhurt but were arrested since the boat-owner didn’t

56 BRITISH CATTLE BREEDERS CLUB believe their story; however, it proved • MOET (Multiple Ovulation and Post-election violence in 2008 to be true. The Americans said it Embryo Transfer) and ‘top of disrupted dairying in the Rift Valley. illustrated the appalling state of pops’ dams The concentration of milk processing Russian air safety, while a German as in other countries has the potential Sexed semen – Cogent since diplomat said it rained ‘cats and • to encourage larger herds leading 1995 (up to 93% reliability of dogs’ in England, so why not cows to displacement of small ones, and female progeny) in Russia?! this trend could soon outstrip the • Cloning – the issue is not its safety welcome expansion of dairying in Cattle Contemplaters to consumers per se but loss of Kenya during the past decade to meet These have included poets and gene pools tapped and of growing population and rising writers. Thus, William Wordsworth breeders’ selective skills and consumer demand for dairy products ‘The cattle are grazing, their heads intergenerational knowledge in situ locally. Loss of dairy farmers never raising; there are forty feeding transfer begs the question, what alternative productive activity can they engage in as one’. While Robert Louis • Genomics – and the precision it Stevenson wrote in the 19th century, to contribute to Kenya’s real economy offers albeit within reduced rather than boosting unemployment ‘The friendly cow all red and white, parameters? I love with all my heart: she gives me and its community/ geopolitical cream with all her might to eat with • ‘Smart’ collars and precision instability threats? The same question apple tart’. Ogden Nash (The Cow, monitoring of all key factors of applies to China’s current drive to 1931) concluded, ‘The Cow is of the welfare and productivity dismantle its legendarily energy- bovine ilk, one end is moo, the other efficient farming systems and milk!’ For the instruction and perhaps Cattle Farming Viability consolidate their cattle and other challenge of the more adventurous ventures into large, input-hungry Cattle farming is not simply about industrialised operations . . . Through British Cattle Breeders, Gelett improved breeding and feeding to Burgess wrote, ‘I never saw a Purple AFCP (Agri-Food Charities maximise production but rather it’s Partnership) in the UK (www. Cow, I never hope to see one, but I about optimising farming systems. can tell you anyhow, I’d rather see afcp.co.uk), we can help to collate Kenya will illustrate what I mean. funding for appropriate charitable than be one!’ When asked about his Kenya has some 2.75 million farmers authorship of this ditty, he replied, research and initiatives towards im- around 650,000 of whom produce proved cattle systems pioneered here. ‘Ah yes, I wrote “The Purple Cow” – milk. Some 80% of Kenya’s milk I’m sorry now I wrote it, but I can tell producers have fewer than 5 cows, Viability of cattle farming is you anyhow, I’ll kill you if you quote and these small ventures (including challenged at present product prices it!’ I think we’re safe now, Burgess those started by entrepreneurial by contrast with pricing in other died in 1951! Another farmer using AI youths) have been increasing since sectors. A farmer who had recently wrote, ‘The calf was so ugly it should the 2003 restructuring of the Kenya replaced his vehicle decided to get have come without a passport but Dairy Board and revival of a new his own back when his car dealer with an invoice to the AI Company KCC (Kenya Co-operative Creamery) came round to buy a cow from him instead!’ An anonymous writer, together with import/export adjust- (Figure 2; US material, adjusted for poking fun at Damien Hirst’s well- ments. Send-A-Cow charity helps. inflation/exaggeration!). known pickled cow and calf, wrote:- ‘A Cow and Calf are cut in half and placed in separate cases; to call it Figure 2: Cattle Farmer’s Guide to Pricing a Cow (Cattle Breeders know this Art, however smart, casts doubt on plus zeros!) Art’s whole basis!’ But in that instance, it’s been more profitable BASIC COW £1200.99 than keeping live cows. Shipping & handling 50.75 Extra Stomachs 179.25 Cattle Developments Two-tone Exterior Finish 150.99 On the breeding front, we wrestle Produce Storage Compartment 130.75 with the pros and cons of:- Heavy-duty Herbage Chopper 180.99 Four-spigot high output drinks unit 165.25 • Cross-breeding to blend Automatic Fly-swatter 99.99 productivity with resilience for Genuine Cowhide upholstery 185.75 harsher climes and diets (such as Deluxe Dual Horns 85.25 the Jersey x Nguni for KwaZulu- Automatic Fertiliser Attachment 350.99 Natal, RSA; and the Jersey-based 4x4 Traction Drive Assembly 884.40 Jamaica Hope) Pre-delivery Wash & Comb 75.25 FARMER’S SUGGESTED LIST PRICE 3740.60 AI – ‘top of pops’ bulls and • Additional Dealer Adjustments 400.00 ‘Holsteinisation’ as leading breed TOTAL PRICE (Including Options) 4140.60 worldwide

ANNUAL CONFERENCE 2016 57 Conclusions behaviour and condition of their • Reviewing selection criteria for cattle for their welfare, beyond the changing circumstances and Contemplating Cattle has at least 7 nowadays routine ‘condition- markets; future-proofing applications, of which the first is scoring’ perhaps the most philosophical and • Pure Joy – viewing to relish the applicable for all, while the other 6 • Health & Well-being – vital fruits of one’s past breeding or are for cattle farming folks:- checking for signs of health and stock-care decisions early disease detection Relaxation & Stress Therapy – • There’s a strong association between cattle metabolise slower than we • Breeding management – from rumination and meditation (‘chewing do; their cudding/rumination can detailed observation as well as over thoughts’) . . . Please take more soothe us in an increasingly fast- precision-monitoring time to lean on those gates and paced world • Breeds conservation and retaining contemplate cattle for their good and • Stockmanship – cattle keepers farmer/breeder control over their yours! must regularly observe the futures

58 BRITISH CATTLE BREEDERS CLUB