ABS Global has introduced a new genetic selection tool to global dairy farmers – TransitionRight Genetics. This technology will help to resolve the age-old struggles of how to prevent and react to health issues that arise during the transition cow period.
Company customers can now use this genetic selection tool to select genetics that minimize the need for preventive and reactionary measures often necessary during this time.
Right before and after a cow gives birth, her health is impacted by a negative energy balance and immune system suppression. This can lead to serious health issues, such as metritis, ketosis, mastitis and other transition cow disorders. With 75 percent of disease in dairy cows occurring during the first 30 days in milk and as much as 50 percent of high-producing cows affected, transition cow disorders take a major toll on dairy farmers.
In one year, a farmer can lose up to 10 percent of his or her herd in the first two months following calving. Prevention through genetics has not been available to help reduce multiple post-calving disorders – until now.
Since 2008, the company has dedicated a team of scientists and geneticists to gather data and develop a proprietary genetic database – Real World Data. Consisting of more than 20 million cow records from around the globe, Real World Data provides the foundation for the genetic selection tool TransitionRight.
“By using real producer data from commercial herds, ABS geneticists have developed a solution for a very serious problem that all dairy farmers are faced with,” says Katie Olson, lead research scientist. “It measures health traits related to the transition cow period and scores sires with an economic ranking. We’ve equipped our customers with an easy-to-use tool to choose genetics that improve a herd’s robustness against metritis, ketosis, mastitis and other transition cow issues.”
ABS will provide an economic ranking for its Holstein sires beginning Aug. 11 and will update the ranking monthly.
For more information, visit the ABS website. PD
—From ABS Global news release
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