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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Beltsville, Maryland (BARC) » Beltsville Agricultural Research Center » Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #358901
Research Project: Improving Dairy Animals by Increasing Accuracy of Genomic Prediction, Evaluating New Traits, and Redefining Selection Goals

Location: Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory

Title: Advances in dairy cattle breeding to improve resistance to mastitis

Author
item Cole, John

Submitted to: Book Chapter
Publication Type: Book / Chapter
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/21/2019
Publication Date: 12/21/2019
Citation: Cole, J.B. 2019. Advances in dairy cattle breeding to improve resistance to mastitis. In: van der Werf, J., Pryce, J. , editors. Advances in Breeding of Dairy Cattle. Sawston, Cambridge, UK: Burleigh Dodds Science Publishing Ltd. p. 229–253. https://doi.org/10.19103/AS.2019.0058.13.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.19103/AS.2019.0058.13

Interpretive Summary: Mastitis, an infection of the mammary gland, is the most costly disease affecting dairy cattle because of its high incidence and negative effects on milk production and composition. Genetic selection for highly productive dairy cows has been very successful; however, udder health has declined in many dairy breeds because of its unfavorable correlations with milk production. Poor udder health increases veterinary and farm labor costs, increases the rate at which cows leave the herd, decreases farm revenue, and reduces animal welfare. However, genetic selection can be used to improve udder health just as it has been used to increase production. Selection may be based on direct (e.g., cases of clinical infection) or indirect (e.g., somatic cell counts) indicators of mastitis. In addition, many new ways of measuring udder health that can be used in genetic improvement programs recently been described.

Technical Abstract: Mastitis, an inflammatory response associated with bacterial infections, is generally regarded as the most-costly disease of dairy cattle because of its high incidence and effects on milk production and composition. Genetic selection for highly productive dairy cows has been very successful; however, udder health has declined in many dairy breeds because of its unfavorable correlations with milk production. Poor udder health increases veterinary and farm labor costs, increases rates of involuntary culling, decreases farm revenue, and adversely impacts animal welfare. However, genetic selection can be used to improve udder health just as it has been used to increase production. Selection may be based on direct (e.g., cases of clinical infection) or indirect (e.g., somatic cell counts) indicators of mastitis. Several new phenotypes that can be used to select for healthier udders have recently been described, including electrical conductivity of milk, lactoferrin levels, cytokine concentrations, and mid-infrared spectra of milk samples.