EBVs help breed an easy-calving hera

摘要

Plentiful feed across most parts of Australia and the resulting record cattle prices have producers looking to beef up the productivity of their herds. Ease of calving is a significant driver of productivity gains, and livestock researcher Pamela Lawson found out what role bull selection has in determining calving ease. Calving ease is one of the most important economic traits in bulls because only live calves make money. As well as impacting on the levels of calf and dam mortality in a herd, the calving ease trait also dictates the future calving ability of females retained in the herd as breeders (including how quickly and easily they get back in calf) and potential labour and veterinary costs at calving time.