The 13th Guernsey World Conference has just finished in Toronto and as at the last two that I attended the general feeling is of an opportunity missed, but there did seem to be more awareness of the challenges around to our breed.
The opening paper and by far the most positive of the Conference was by Keith Woodford from Lincoln University, Christchurch New Zealand. Keith and his wife Annette had joined the tour in Toronto and had visited the farms with us and so those interested in the A2 Milk saga were able to have their questions answered. Keith gave the backround to the science behind the differences between A1 and A2 Beta Casein and the proven fact that Beta Casomorphin 7 “the Devil in the Milk” as Keith has described it is only released when Beta Casein A1 is digested. There have been new developments with a Russian researcher having designed a blood test for BCM 7 and also in Czechoslavakia where research into child development has produced startingly differences between children reared on infant formula and those who are breast fed.
It is interesting that the reaction of those hearing about A2 for the first time and who have roles in the dairy industry is that A2 is a “threat” to the industry, but never that it is an opportunity! One leading US semen supplier revealed that of the 100 proven Holstein sires in their stud 33 were A2xA2 including one bull from who over 1.5 million straws have been sold, but although they have the results they are not published as “there is already too much information” on the proof sheets. All credit then to LIC in New Zealand who do declare the A2 status of all bulls from all breeds. Keith Woodford reckons that more than 1/3 of the 4 million cows in New Zealand are now known to be A2xA2 and of course if mated to A2xA2 sires will produce an additional 600,000 heifer calves each year that will be A2xA2.
The second paper was on Climate Change from Andrew Casebow who produced lots of slides on the changes since the last ice age and estimates of the rising world population and falling available land area and water resources and concluded that demand for food would rise, but had no solutions or suggestions to offer.
The final paper of the day was from Maurice Bichard, who suggested that “pedigree” breeders and American breeders in particular were not doing enough for the commercial breeder and that was the reason for the decline of the Guernsey numbers. I know of only one “pedigree” Guernsey herd in the UK that is kept only for the “show ring” all of the others depend on their milk income. The problem in my view is low milk price and the failure to find premium markets for the milk.
Maurice produced a graph showing annual gain for milk, fat, protein in the last genectic base period (cows born between 2000-2005) for Guernseys, Jerseys and Holsteins in the UK and the USA which showed a slightly greater rise for UK Guernseys than for Jerseys and Holsteins but still at half the levels than the scientific establishment think possible in the theoretical world in which they reside.
He berated the US for still wanting to use proven bulls to breed the next generation and for not using young unproven sires, ignoring the fact that the USA continue to use three times as many young bulls a year than the rest of the Guernsey world put together! The discussion was just warming up when time was called as the coach was due to take the delegates to the dinner and auction.
The second day was heavy going with papers about genomics a science that is developing at a great pace and that will allow much greater understanding of the genetics of each individual animal and for disease control etc.
Flavio Schenkel from Guelph University explained a project for which he has funding agreed which will allow for the genomic testing of 100 proven Guernsey bulls from Canada or elsewhere, whilst US AGA and the WGCF also have money put aside for this purpose. A minimum of five hundred different bulls semen is required. The delegates agreed to draw up lists of proven semen in their own countries and then contribute that which has the least common ancestors.
Flavio had examined the pedigrees of US, Canadian and South African Guernsey databases and not surprisingly there was much greater relationship between the US and Canada than South Africa and suggested that South Africa might be a source of “outcross” genetics. Unfortunately the underlying disease problems in South Africa mean that they are not able to export semen. When asked why Australia and UK data had not been included the answer was that no response had been recieved to the request!
The second paper was from Curt von Tassell from AIPL who has pioneered most of the work on the bovine genome, he explained the rapid development of the chips used for testing from the first chip (3) used for parentage, to the current (50) used for more detailed breakdown to the HD (850) which will soon be commercially available. Much more work remains to be done with the Guernsey but the Holstein and Jersey genomes are already quite well understood and it will be by contrasting and comparing with those that the “best”young bulls for use in AI will be identified.
During questions Curt displayed the results from the HAP-Map project from which the bovine genomics have developed and in which Guernsey Island and the USA provided samples and this showed definitive differences between breeds or in the case of composite breeds such as the Santa Gertrudis from Brazil the proportions of the different breeds that provided the crosses.
The third paper was from Jan Phillipson from Interbull who looked at fertility trends across the dairy breeds which show that Guernsey fertility has declined by 10 days in 10 years which is slightly greater than in other breeds. Jan then produced three “what if” scenarios the third of which seemed to blow a hole in Maurice Bichard’s proposition of the day before. The scenario’s looked at the” loss of genetic gain”if a move was made from Proven sires to all young sires if Fertility was added to the GMI, the loss was predicted at -53% where all young bulls were used.
At present only data from daughters of the sire and maternal grandsires are used to calculate Fertility Indexes with no contribution from the cow family (the data has lower reliability) but different measures are used in the US and the UK.
Discussion on the bus yesterday suggested several other factors that may be just as relevant.
The final paper on the last day was from Brian van Doormall the head of CDN (the Canadian Dairy Network) which is similar to CDI but gives more information and which I have used a lot on this trip to look up the cows of interest, he just been appointed as CEO of Holstein Canada. Brian spent the first half of his paper on Genomics (a failure on behalf of the organisers to brief him) but wanted to explain how genomics will impact on recording services in the future. CDN have an application before the Canadian Government whereby each new born calf will have a DNA sample probably taken as part of the ear tagging process, which will provide total tracebility for beef and dairy as well as all the genetic spin offs.
Doubtless the UK will eventually duplicate this service at three times the cost as usual.
The conference ended with the outgoing WGCF Chairman summarising the discussions of the “Executive” board who meet every morning and promising “action”.
The real benefit for me is to meet with the breeders from the other countries, to look at cows together, to exchange information about bull progeny and find out what is going on in the Guernsey World.
The above are my reactions the WGCF website will doubtless in time publish the “full papers” but will not carry the responses of the delegates.