Selection of animals based on pedigree information alone is less reliable. Waiting for daughter performance for selection of bull is very costly and takes 8-10 years in Indian condition. Genomic Selection refers to selecting animals using information from pedigree as well as information on dense DNA markers (i.e. Single Nucleotide Polymorphism-SNP) spread across genome. This… Continue reading Genomics
ONBS using Multiple Ovulation and Embryo Transfer (MOET) is to set an elite herd (or a few elite herds) of males and females and carry out intensive selection and testing within herd/s selecting males and females at an early age using family information and not on their progenies as in the case of the Progeny… Continue reading Sib – selection (Open Nucleus Breeding System (ONBS))
When bulls are evaluated and selected only on the basis of performance of their parents and grand parents, the process is referred to as Pedigree Selection (PS). In a situation where a large numbers of animals of a particular breed spread over many villages in the breeding tract and where there is a limited or… Continue reading Pedigree Selection
Progeny Testing refers to evaluation of bulls on the basis of their daughter’s performance. This long term and complex programme is considered to be scientifically best approach in achieving genetic improvement in a particular breed. Progeny testing is a practical and the best option for achieving genetic improvement in the breed spread over many villages… Continue reading Progeny Testing
As parents pass on half their genes to their progenies, better performing animals selected as parents, produce offspring that have better than average genetic values than the previous generation. How much genetic progress is achieved depends on genetic variation, intensity and accuracy of selection and generation interval. Three basic methods are used to select parents:… Continue reading Bull Production
India has been blessed with a large repository of indigenous bovine population with rich bio-diversity. There are 50 well-defined breeds of cattle and 17 breeds of buffaloes. These breeds have evolved over generations, surviving due to their adaptability to harsh climatic conditions, ability to perform on poor quality feed and fodder, resistance to diseases etc.… Continue reading Breeds
To make dairying profitable, Productivity (milk production per animal) needs to be increased. Productivity of dairy animals can be increased by: Better feeding and management of the existing animals. However, by this, milk production cannot be increased beyond the animal’s genetic potential Improving Genetic potential for milk production in future generation of animals by using… Continue reading Genetic Improvement
Procurement of raw materials and the feed formulation are the most important components of a cattle feed plant. Proper decisions taken on scientific lines not only help in producing feed of desired quality but also helps in minimising the cost of feed production. This is possible by following LCF formulation based on the linear programming.… Continue reading Formulation Support to CFPs
BUFFALO FEED Buffaloes contribute more than 50 per cent of India’s milk production. Milk composition and feed utilisation efficiency of buffalo varies considerably from that of cattle. Buffalo milk contains higher fat, total solids, proteins, caseins, lactose and ash than cow milk. In view of this, it is essential to have a feed that can… Continue reading New Feed Variants
Compound cattle feed is a mixture of various concentrate feed ingredients in suitable proportion. Commonly used ingredients in compound cattle feed include grains, brans, protein meals/cakes, chunnies, agro-industrial by-products, minerals and vitamins. Compound cattle feed is an economical source of concentrate supplements and it could be in the form of mash, pellets, crumbles, cubes, etc.… Continue reading Compound Cattle Feed
