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Breeding for robust cows that produce healthier milk: RobustMilk

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  30 July 2013

R. F. Veerkamp*
Affiliation:
Animal Breeding and Genomics Centre, Wageningen UR Livestock Research, 8200 AB Lelystad, The Netherlands
L. Kaal
Affiliation:
Animal Breeding and Genomics Centre, Wageningen UR Livestock Research, 8200 AB Lelystad, The Netherlands
Y. de Haas
Affiliation:
Animal Breeding and Genomics Centre, Wageningen UR Livestock Research, 8200 AB Lelystad, The Netherlands
J. D. Oldham
Affiliation:
SRUC, Kings Buildings, West Mains Road, Edinburgh, EH9 3JG, UK
*
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Abstract

For centuries, animal breeders have very effectively been selecting livestock species, making use of the natural variation that exists within the population. As part of the developments towards broader breeding goals, the RobustMilk project was designed to develop new practical technologies to allow breeders to re-focus their selection to include milk quality and dairy cow robustness and to evaluate the consequences of selection for these traits taking cognisance of various milk production systems. Here we introduce the background to robustness, the value of expanding milk quality analysis (including the possibility of using milk quality characteristics as proxy measures for robustness traits), interactions between robustness and milk quality traits and the need for different breeding tools to enable delivery of these concepts to the industry. Developing a database with phenotypes from research herds across Europe, phenotyping tools using mid-infrared red spectroscopic analysis of milk, and the development of statistical and genomic tools for robustness and milk quality formed the core of the project. In the following papers you will read the outcomes and developments that happened during the project.

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Full Paper
Copyright
Copyright © The Animal Consortium 2013 

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