Economic Optimisation of Dairy Cattle Breeding

For the milk production systems in Switzerland, the weights of the traits in the total breeding value are derived using a new method that takes into account not only the revenue but also the direct costs.

In Swiss dairy breeding, several economically important traits are bred for at the same time. To maximise breeding progress, the traits in a total breeding value are weighted. This weighting is based on economic circumstances and population-genetic foundations. In terms of economic importance, major changes in individual traits have been reassessed in recent decades. The establishment of comparable gross margins per cow in a reference population allows for more targeted analyses of economic significance.

The inclusion of the revenue and the direct costs per cow

For the calculation, the costs for replacements, supplementary feed, mating and veterinary care were subtracted from the milk and meat revenue. A good picture of the impact on profitability can be obtained by performing these calculations for a large number of cows. A specific production system can also be selected through the choice of cows. In the example involving grassland-based feeding, the average gross margin per cow was CHF 3,627.00 with a standard deviation of CHF 1,306.00, and the average margin per kg of milk was CHF 0.65.

The traits contribute differently to economic progress

The weightings were calculated based on the change in gross margin and the genetic standard deviations. For grassland-based dairying, eleven traits were weighted, namely fat quantity, protein quantity, protein content, cell count, mastitis resistance, productive lifespan, fecundity, persistency, sacrum height, feet & legs, and udder (see Figure).