This document discusses selection of high quality dairy animals and monitoring herd performance. It describes important points for selecting animals such as breed characteristics, production ability, and docility. Selection should be based on factors like body conformation, health, and past lactation performance. Methods of selection mentioned include mass selection, tandem selection, independent culling, and using a selection index. Monitoring herd performance allows for early problem detection. Methods discussed are tracking clinical disease, feed intake, milk production, and body condition scoring.

1. SELECTION OF HIGH QUALITY
ANIMALS,METHODS OF SELECTION &
MONITORING THE PERFORMANCE OF
HERD
Dr. SONAWANE AKSHAY S
(ANIMAL NUTRITION)

2. Selection :- It is the process in which certain
individuals in a population are given opportunity
to produce offspring of desirable traits.

3. SELECTION OF HIGH QUALITY ANIMALS :-
 IMP. POINTS REGARDING SELECTION OF ANIMALS :-
 Animal should be selected based upon its breed characters and
milk producing ability
 History sheet or pedigree sheet which are generally maintained
in organized farms, which gives complete history of animal
 The cow should allow anybody to milk and should be docile

4.  The maximum yield by dairy cows are noticed during the
first five lactations , so generally the selection should be
carried out during first/second lactation
 Three successive complete milking has to be done and an
average of it will give a fair idea regarding production by a
particular animal
 Maximum yield is noticed till 90 days after calving

5.  Milk vein :- A tortuous ,big bulging and
zig-zag milk vein is prominent in front
of udder on both side of belly

6.  A dairy cow should have well proportionate head
& neck, wide nostrils, prominent facial veins,
large bright eyes & dewlap with gracious folds

7. BREEDS CHARACTERS OF HIGH YEILDING DAIRY
COWS :-
 Attractive individuality with feminity, vigour, harmonious
blending of all parts, impressive style
 Animal should have wedge shaped appearance of body
 The udder should be well attached to the abdomen
 The skin of the udder should have a good network of
blood vessels

9.  All four quarters of the udder should be well
demarcated with well placed teats
 Teat placement & size :- Teat should be about 2
inches long, cylindrical and placed squarely under
each quarter(not to one side or another side)

10. Selection of animal for milk production
:-
 Breed characters
 Body conformation
 Body weight
 Ancestors performance
 Health condition
 Age

11.  Number of lactations
 Date of delivery
 Month of pregnancy
 If non-pregnant, how many times it came in to heat
 The udder should be in good shape & easy to milk

12. Methods of selection :-
1.Mass selection :-
 The selection is based on individuals performance
 Animal may be selected for breeding on basis of its
performance in one/more characters.
 The selection is effective when only one character is taken at
a time than many characters
 The offspring's will show higher performance than their
parents. this is because mass selection increase the
occurrence of the desirable genes in a population.

13. 2. Tandem selection :-
 Selection of one trait for a given period of time followed by
selection for a second trait and continuing…. in this way all
imp. traits are selected.
 Tandem selection is practiced for only one trait at a time and
the selection is continued till the desired character is
achieved.
 This method has drawback as achievement made in the first
character in the first period is lost when attention is directed
to another character unless the character selected are
genetically related.

14. 3. Independent culling method :-
 In this method of selection ,a few characters are considered
at a time and a minimum standard is set for each trait.
 Selected animals should meet minimum standard for each of
the characters.
 The effectiveness of this method depend upon the standard
kept for each of the traits.
 Individual who do not achieve the minimum standard ,which
are already fixed within stipulated time are automatically
culled from stocks.

15. 4. Selection index :-
 Selection index is a method of artificial selection in which
several useful traits are selected simultaneously and it is
based on total scour card / index
 Total scour index is combined value of all character under
consideration of giving weightage to each character
depending upon its economic value.
 In this method each character depending upon the heritability
and economic value .
 It is the most effective method of selection.

16. Monitoring the performance of herd
:- Objectives :-
 Routine action, observations are useful for early detection of
problems
 Herd/ group level:- To monitor the success of current management
with goal of early detection of problems/ deviation from the
management programs.
 Individual level :- To identify cows at high risk for disease with the
goal of intervention for these individuals to prevent/mitigate
clinical disease.

17. Methods of Monitoring :-
1. Clinical disease records :-
 A starting point for assessment of peri-partum health
is to have accurate records of the farm specific
incidence of the clinical disease of importance of
herd.
 This would typically include the no. of cattle that
had dystokia, Retention of Placenta, Milk fever,
Metritis or that were culled or dried in early
lactation.

18. 2. Measurement of feed intake :-
 Adequate feed intake by all peri partum cattle is
important for health & production.
 It is therefore desirable to measure feed dry matter
intake (DMI) in prepartum and early postpartum cows.
 Although measurement of only group average intake
may be possible in commercial free stall barns.

19. 3. Milk production :-
 Milk production is expected to increase rapidly in early
lactation and a consistent rise should result from good
health and feed intake.
 Therefore daily measurement of milk production in the
first weeks of lactation gives idea about health of
animal i.e. if cows suffering with diseases then milk
production will be decreased.

20. 4. Body condition scoring :-
 It is the method of evaluating fatness or thinness in cows
 Body condition influences productivity, reproduction,
health and longevity of dairy cattle
 Thinness or fatness can give idea about nutritional
deficiencies , health problems or important herd
management

21.  Over conditioning or fatness, may result from poor
nutrition
 A fat cow is more susceptible to metabolic problems
and infections, and is more likely to have difficulty at
and after calving.
 Under conditioning or thinness, can frequently lower
production and milk fat levels because of insufficient
energy & protein reserve to maintain production.

23. References,
 Essentials of Animal production & Management
- Ramadhar Singh
 Textbook of Animal breeding – S.S Tomar
 Internet

24. Thank you…..!!!!