Australians are Breeding Heat Resistant Cows
The world’s first genetic index helps farmers breed cows that can tolerate higher temperatures.
While hot weather is great for a day at the beach or in an air-conditioned mall, it’s not that good for spending a day outside in the sun. This is especially true for animals who do not have ways to cool off.
Dairy cows are very affected by the hot and muggy summer weather, reported ABC News. Milk production can drop between 25 to 40 percent because the heat causes them to stop eating and drinking. But a genetic index was published in 2017 for farmers using artificial insemination called the Heat Tolerance Australian Breeding Value (ABV) is helping farmers to breed cows that can tolerate higher temperatures.
The ABV Tool
ABV was developed by Dairy Australia – an organization that supports the dairy industry – and Agriculture Victoria and the tool accesses the cow’s ability to withstand heat stress, according to Dairy News Today. Each breed is assigned a score that is based on statistical analysis of milk production in relation to temperatures and humidity. As the climate gets hotter, this information is vitally important to farmers.
Trevor Parrish, a fourth-generation dairy farmer in New South Wales, started using the ABV data when it became available. He saw that heat was causing challenging conditions for his 300-head Holstein herd. He has been selecting sires that show a high tolerance for heat ever since.
“To me it made a lot of sense to have a look into it and try and use bulls that were [more] heat tolerant so it would help the next generation moving forward,” Parrish told ABC.
Before that, reported ABC, he used other strategies to keep his cows cool and milked his cows in the morning and later in the afternoon so that the heat didn’t affect the milk production as much.
“Farmers have already done a lot to help cows cool during hot days,” said Thuy Nguyen, the creator of the Heat Tolerance ABV. “But adding genetics on top of all that is significant because it's better for the animals and improves the bottom line for the farmers when they go through the warmer season, which we know is becoming more apparent due to climate change.”
To test a cow, the ABV requires a genetic sample like a hair tuft. Any score over 100 shows that the cow has a high tolerance for heat and that this is an animal that should be bred.
ABV Receives International Acclaim
Breeding heat tolerant cattle by using the ABV has received much support in Australia and around the world. The tool is currently being tested in the US.
“The US tested our ABV and found that it works in their conditions so it's great to see it make waves globally,” said Stephanie Bullen, Dairy Australia's national animal health and welfare lead.
She was a panelist at the HERD-25 conference that was held in Bendigo, Australia where the ABV was discussed and received international acclaim. Afterall, the genetic index does more than just help the farmers, it also helps the cows.
“I think it's important to put the cow at the center of this conversation; those cows are going to be uncomfortable in that hot weather,” Bullen said. “ It's about maintaining the cow's welfare as much as it is maintaining the productivity effects.”
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