The NorwegBox 83
Norwegian Red Cattle – selection for functional traitsian Red (NRF) is a high-producing dairy
cattle breed in which fertility and health have been
included in a selection index (known as the Total
Merit Index) which has been in operation since
the 1970s. The case of the NRF provides a practical
illustration that production and functional traits can
be successfully balanced in a sustainable breeding
programme. This achievement has been based on
an effective recording system and a willingness to
place sufficient weight on the functional traits. The
programme is run by GENO, a cooperative owned
and managed by Norwegian dairy farmers. Currently,
ten traits are included in the Total Merit Index. The
following list shows the relative weight given to each:
Milk index 0.24
Mastitis resistance 0.22
Fertility 0.15
Udder 0.15
Beef (growth rate) 0.09
Legs 0.06
Temperament 0.04
Other diseases 0.03
Stillbirths 0.01
Calving ease 0.01
Key features of the programme include the fact
that more than 95 percent of herds participate in the
recording system and are on a computerized mating
plan, 90 percent of matings are carried out using AI,
and there is 40 percent use of test bulls. All diagnosis
and health registration is carried out by veterinarians,
and databases are maintained for pedigree and
AI-related information. About 120 young bulls are
tested annually with progeny groups of 250 to 300
daughters – thus enabling the inclusion of traits with
low heritability (such as mastitis with a heritability
of 0.03 and other diseases with 0.01) while still
providing a selection index with high accuracy.
Milk production per lactation in the best herds
exceeds 10 000 kg, with the top cows producing more
than 16 000 kg. The genetic trend is positive with
respect to fertility – the average 60 day non-return rate
in the population is 73.4 percent. Between 1999 and
2005 incidence of mastitis in NRF cows was reduced
from 28 percent to 21 percent, and it is estimated that
of this reduction 0.35 percent per year was the result
of genetic improvement. Major calving difficulties are
reported in less than 2 percent of calvings, and less
than 3 percent of calves are stillborn.
The sustainability of the breeding programme is
promoted by a number of factors:
• Both production and function are expressed
by many traits, and they are both strongly
weighted in the breeding strategy.
• Many different combinations can result in a
high total breeding value. This allows for the
selection of animals from different breeding
lines and, thus, automatically reduces the risk of
inbreeding.
• The breeding work is based on data from
ordinary dairy herds, which guarantees that the
breeding programme produces animals that are
well adapted to normal production conditions.