The Rural Voice, 1999-02, Page 13Scrap Book
Researchers
design new guide
for conformation
Researchers at the University
of Guelph's Centre for Genetic
Improvement of Livestock have
discovered a way to quickly and
efficiently measure the mobility
traits of dairy cattle, paving the
way for even more improvements
in breeding strategies.
"Historically, mobility has
been a trait considered important
for cattle -showing purposes," says
Dr. Paul Boettcher. "But now,
improved mobility is also believed
to translate into a better quality of
life for the animal, and an
economic saving for the farmer."
A cow's mobility can be
affected by the shape of its feet,
the structure of its legs and the
dimensions of its body.
Locomotive ability can also be
altered by the shape and capacity
of the udder and can vary with
floor surfaces.
Boettcher used the results of
two U.S. studies (where
researchers looked at how
environmental factors affect cow
lameness) to separate
environmental influences from
potential genetic influences
relating to mobility traits. He
found that cows with a low foot
angle — where the hairline at the
heel is close to the ground — were
genetically predisposed to
mobility problems. The sires with'
daughters who "hock -in" also tend
to have mobility pioblems as do
cows that are wide and deep or
generally heavy for their height.
Because there is a high genetic
correlation between these highly
visible traits and predisposition to
mobility problems, Boettcher says
a simple mobility score can be
used. He has worked with Klaas
Henstra, a visiting student from
the Netherlands to develop a quick
and easy method for farmers and
breeders to evaluate cow
mobility.0
— Source: University of Guelph
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FEBRUARY 1999 9