Milk production of the mother is associated with birth ...€¦ · Red deer: more milk, fat,...
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Milk production of the mother is associated with birth weight rather than sex of calf Marleen Visker, Yu Wang, Mathijs van Pelt, Henk Bovenhuis Animal Breeding and Genomics Centre, Wageningen University, the Netherlands CRV BV, Animal Evaluation Unit, the Netherlands [email protected] ; [email protected]
Transcript of Milk production of the mother is associated with birth ...€¦ · Red deer: more milk, fat,...
Milk production of the mother is associated with birth weight rather than sex of calf
Marleen Visker, Yu Wang, Mathijs van Pelt, Henk Bovenhuis
Animal Breeding and Genomics Centre, Wageningen University, the Netherlands
CRV BV, Animal Evaluation Unit, the Netherlands
Sex bias in maternal investment
Trivers-Willard hypothesis:
Investment in male / female offspring related to expected
reproductive benefit, dependent on maternal condition
• Ratio male / female offspring
• Amount / quality of milk
Sex bias in milk production
• Red deer: more milk, fat, protein, lactose for male calves (Landete-Castillejos et al. 20051)
• Rhesus macaque: similar milk energy for sons and daughters (Hinde 20092)
• Human: higher milk energy for sons (Powe et al. 20103)
1. Behav Ecol Sociobiol (2005) 57: 267-2742. Am J Hum Biol (2009) 21: 512-5193. Am J Hum Biol (2010) 22: 50 - 54
• US Holstein: more milk for heifer calves (Hinde et al. 20144)
• 2.39x106 lactations, 1.49x106 cows
• Mixed model: calf sex, parity and year
• 142 kg (parity 1), ± 100 kg (parity 2 - 5)
Sex bias in bovine milk production
• Canadian Holstein: more milk for heifer calves (Canadian Dairy Network, 20145)
• 5.4x106 lactations, 2.5x106 cows
• Mixed model: calf sex, parity and year
• 60 kg (parity 1 & 2), ± 100 kg (parity 3 - 5)
4. PLOSOne (2014) 9: e861695. www.cdn.ca
• French Holstein: more milk for bull calves (Barbat et al. 20146)
• 7.4x106 lactations, lactation 1 to 3
• Mixed model: calf sex, herd-year, age at calving, month of calving, preceding days dry (parity 2&3), breeding value (cow), permanent environment
• Max 40 kg (parity 2)
• New Zealand Holstein: more milk for heifer calves (Hayr et al. 20147)
• 5.7x105 cows, lactation 1 to 3
• Mixed model: calf sex, sex × parity, herd-year, animal
• 29 kg (parity 1)
Sex bias in bovine milk production
6. http://www.plosone.org/annotation/listThread.action?root=789557. http://lib.dr.iastate.edu/etd/14047/
• Danish Holstein: more milk for bull calves (Græsbøll et al. 20158)
• 71,088 cows, 2 lactations each
• Mixed model: calf sex, calving ease, year, and herd
• 24 kg (parity 1) and 49 kg (parity 2)
Sex bias in bovine milk production
• Dutch Holstein ?
8. PLOSOne (2015) 10: e0124051
Aim
Quantify effect of sex of calf on subsequent
305-day milk production in Dutch dairy cows
Materials and methods
305-day milk production records (2007-2013)
Dutch Holstein Herdbook, CRV
1,615,765 Lactations (50.5% male calves)
861,273 Holstein Friesian cows7,303 Herds
Results – arithmetic means
305-day milk production for male and female calves
Higher milk yieldafter giving birthto male calves
7000
7500
8000
8500
9000
9500
1 2 3 4 5 6
Up to 90 kg (1%)in parity 2 and 4
Results – arithmetic means
305-day milk production for male and female calves
7000
7500
8000
8500
9000
9500
1 2 3 4 5 6
250
300
350
400
450
1 2 3 4 5 6
200
250
300
350
400
1 2 3 4 5 6
Materials and methods
Sire model (ASReml):Y = µ + b1*gestation length + b2*lactation length
+ sex of calf + calving ease + birth weight+ sire of cow + Herd-Year-Season + error
Calving ease: 1 – 4 (1=easy)
Birth weight: 1 – 12 (1=17.5 - 22.4 kg ... 12=72.5 - 77.4 kg)
Sire of cow: 3 generations pedigree
Results – predicted means
305-day milk production for male and female calves
Higher milk yield after giving birth to female calves
in parity 1 (24 kg, <0.5%)
Higher milk yield after giving birth to male calves
in parity 3 (21 kg, <0.5%)6000
6500
7000
7500
8000
8500
1 2 3 4 5 6
Results – predicted means
305-day milk production for male and female calves
6000
6500
7000
7500
8000
8500
1 2 3 4 5 6
250
275
300
325
350
375
400
1 2 3 4 5 6
200
225
250
275
300
325
350
1 2 3 4 5 6
Results – calving ease
0
100000
200000
300000
400000
500000
1 2 3 4
More difficult calvingfor male calves
Results – calving ease
Lower milk yieldafter more difficult calving
-600
-500
-400
-300
-200
-100
01 2 3 4
Only 0.4%of calvings
Results – calving ease
-600
-500
-400
-300
-200
-100
01 2 3 4
-25
-20
-15
-10
-5
01 2 3 4
-20
-15
-10
-5
01 2 3 4
Results – birth weight
0
100000
200000
300000
400000
500000
20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75
Higher birth weightsfor male calves
6000
7000
8000
9000
10000
25 30 35 40 45 50 55
Results – birth weight
305-day milk production affected by birth weight
Higher milk yieldafter giving birthto heavier calves
25 -> 55 kg619 kg in parity 1 (8.4%)
1008 kg in parity 2 (12.0%)
6000
7000
8000
9000
10000
25 30 35 40 45 50 55
Results – birth weight
305-day milk production affected by birth weight
250
300
350
400
450
25 30 35 40 45 50 55
200
250
300
350
400
25 30 35 40 45 50 55
Conclusion
No conclusive effect of sex of calf on subsequent milk, fat and protein production of the mother
Higher birth weight of calf results in higher milk, fat and protein production of the mother
