THE ISRAELI BREEDING PROGRAM THE ISRAELI BREEDING PROGRAM

THE ISRAELI BREEDING PROGRAM

THE ISRAELI BREEDING PROGRAM 1. 300 elite cows selected based on their genetic evaluations. About ½ of these cows are mated to local elite bulls, and the remainder with elite foreign bulls. 2. About 60 bulls calves sons of elite cows are purchased by the AI institutes yearly.

THE ISRAELI BREEDING PROGRAM 3. All first parity cows are inseminated with semen from young bulls. About 100 milk daughters are produced from each sire. 4. In addition, 20, 000 cows are inseminated with semen from high P. I. Bulls.

THE ISRAELI BREEDING PROGRAM 5. About five elite sires are selected based on first parity daughter evaluation, and are returned to general service. 6. These five sires are mated to about 1, 000 virgin calves to test for dystocia and calf mortality.

THE ISRAELI BREEDING PROGRAM 7. All other virgin calves are mated to proven sires with favorable evaluation for dystocia. 8. All later parity cows are inseminated with semen from proven bulls at a flat rate fixed to cover operational costs of the AI institutes and the ICBA.

Development of Israeli Selection Index Trait Coefficient CM - Calv Mortality DC – Difficult Calving Persis. – Persistency

Selection Index Percent from index Trait contribution Index coefficients SDg Trait 17. 8 231 7. 9 29. 2 Fat Kg. 39. 9 517 23. 7 21. 8 Protein Kg. 12. 5 162 300. 0 0. 54 SCS 15. 1 195 26. 0 7. 5 Dau. Fertilety 8. 0 103 0. 6 172 Longevity 4. 0 52 10. 0 5. 2 persistency 1. 2 15 3. 0 5. 14 DC 1. 6 21 6. 0 3. 43 CM 100 1, 296 Total

Genetic Trends

Herd. Book Genetic Trends, 2013 Average Breeding value of cows by birth year

Herd. Book Genetic Trends, 2013 Average Breeding value of cows by birth year

Herd. Book Genetic Trends, 2013 Average Breeding value of cows by birth year Percent