Langhill aims to breed tomorrow's dairy cow

摘要

The Edinburgh-based Langhill dairy herd has developed from a demonstration unit into one of the UK's leading dairy research centres. Shirley Macmillan reports on the work currently underway within the herd and looks at some of the areas that will be examined in the future. Research projects destined to take Langhill towards the year 2000 should provide the answers to what makes the high genetic merit cow tick -and how to manage those qualities for optimum performance efficiency. They will also allowresearchers to improve selection strategies to breed tomorrow's dairy cow: one that is profitable for the producer, yet doesn't burn out or suffer from stress. The Langhill dairy herd, at Roslin, Edinburgh, has become one of the UK's leading dairy research centres, says Dr John Oldham, head of Genetics and Behavioural Science at SAC.