Implementation of an Economic Lifetime Net Merit for the Dual-Purpose German Black Pied Cattle Breed

Saskia Meier,Dierck Segelke,Gudrun A Brockmann,Paula Korkuć,Sandra Kipp,Günther Filler,Danny Arends

doi:10.3390/agriculture11010041

Abstract

Recently, a Total Merit Index (RZ€) has been developed for German Holstein dairy cattle on the basis of margin in Euro. Our aim was to adjust this lifetime net merit for the dual-purpose German Black Pied cattle breed (DSN) accounting for beef production in addition to milk performance and fitness traits. We used the estimated breeding values of DSN sires and developed a breeding value for carcass weight and quality. Furthermore, we adjusted the German Holstein marginal profits per standard deviation, which are used to calculate the estimated breeding values, to DSN-specific values. The DSN Net Merit is the sum of the three sub-indices DSN Net Milk, DSN Net Fitness, and DSN Net Beef, which contribute to the DSN Net Merit with 52.84%, 43.43%, and 3.73%, respectively. The DSN Net Merit that was calculated for 33 DSN sires ranged between EUR −1114 and +709. The DSN Net Merit strongly correlates with the Total Merit Index. The implementation of the DSN Net Merit is useful for selection and mating decisions. Especially, the sub-index DSN Net Beef, which does not correlate with existing breeding values, can be used to maintain the dual-purpose character of DSN while modestly improving milk yield. The approach can be easily adapted to other dual-purpose breeds.

Highlights

Breeding values of sires and/or dams give breeders the opportunity to base their breeding selection on the respective breeding goal defined in the breeding program
Since economical breeding values are becoming common in more and more countries, we developed the equations for calculating a dual-purpose German Black Pied cattle breed (DSN) Net Merit for DSN sires
This approach was done on the basis of equations that had been developed for German Holstein dairy breed

Summary

Introduction

Breeding values of sires and/or dams give breeders the opportunity to base their breeding selection on the respective breeding goal defined in the breeding program. The breed description of the German Black Pied cattle (DSN, “Deutsches Schwarzbuntes Niederungsrind”) aims for a dual-purpose-type cattle with cows producing about 7000 to 8000 kg of milk per year and young bulls with a daily weight gain of more than 1000 g per day during the fattening period. Breeding for single-purpose dairy cattle was economically not recommended during EU milk price quota regulation [1], the replacement of dual-purpose DSN cattle with the single-purpose high-milk-yielding Holstein Friesian breed from North America was a continuous process in the 20th century. As the milk yield from dual-purpose breeds is lower than dairy breeds—albeit the marginal revenues for fattening of dual-purpose calves are higher than for calves from dairy breeds [3]—farming a dual-purpose breed presents an economic challenge.

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