October 27, 2014

LIC successfully produces bulls with shorter gestation periods

Livestock Improvement Corporation (LIC), which supplies about three-quarters of New Zealand's bull semen, had been working to breed bulls with a shorter gestation interval of their resulting offspring.

This has resulted in a major breakthrough which occurred in the dairy industry this spring. In New Zealand's South Canterbury, a surprise delivery saw separate Hereford calves born 30 days earlier than is normally the case in dairy cows. Both offspring were in good health, and had normal birth weights.

The calves - a heifer and a bull - were bred with embryo transfer technology, using top Hereford cattle in partnership with Shrimpton's Hill at Cave, South Canterbury.

Malcolm Ellis, LIC's short gestation breeding programme manager, says the early birth of the Hereford calves is "by far the biggest achievement" since the farm improvement co-operative began researching short gestation 15 years ago.

"With the standard gestation length of dairy cows being 282 days, these calves will make a significant impact on programme going forward, and the options we provide our farmers to shorten gestation length of their cows", Ellis explained. "Being born 30 days early gives these calves a gestation length breeding value (BV) of -14. This means that when the bull calf is mated to a typical dairy cow, it will create a Hereford-cross calf that will be born seven days early."

He added that the early-born calves have sought-after gestation genes, which is highly-heritable to future offspring, and will contribute to LIC's Hereford and combination-marker options, which deliver offspring with a white or mottled face, making them easy to identify in paddocks.

Semen from the bull calf born at South Canterbury will be collected by LIC in 2015, while the heifer calf will become a donor for embryo transfers.

According to LIC, shortening gestation length is at the forefront of dairy genetics; it is a way to help farmers bring late calving cows forward, and get more 'days in milk'.

This development could mean significant revenue earnings for the industry due to improved productivity.

The co-op has a number of short gestation options that farmers are utilising at the end of their AB mating period this spring. These options ranges between five and 10 days earlier of calving on-farm.