The Irish Cattle Breeding Federation (ICBF) has outlined that two changes will be seen in the Dairy Beef Index (DBI), following the November 2023 genetic evaluation.
The news of the changes to the DBI comes after the ICBF also announced changes to the Beef Eurostar evaluations.
According to the ICBF, the November 2023 Genetic Evaluations for dairy and beef cattle will go live on November 28.
The two changes to the DBI are as follows:
- Single-step calving evaluation;
- Addition of Bovine Tuberculosis (TB) resistance trait.
Single-step calving evaluation is a new methodology being added, and TB resistance is the new trait that will be added to the DBI in the November 2023 genetic evaluation.
Single-Step Calving Evaluation
In line with international best practice, the single-step evaluation method will now be applied to the calving evaluation which, according to ICBF, “will help to improve the accuracy of the evaluation by better leveraging the 2.5 million genotypes available to the evaluations”.
The ICBF has said impact of this change to the DBI will be “small”.
Addition of TB resistance trait to DBI
Resistance to Bovine Tuberculosis (TB) will now also be included as a trait in the dairy beef index.
The herd incidence of bovine tuberculosis (TB) in Ireland has increased. The data used in the TB genetic evaluation includes data from herd-management-groups that have several confirmed TB reactors.
The TB trait definition can be interpreted as the expected prevalence of TB infection in an animal’s progeny.
The breeding values for TB typically ranges from 1 to 14%, with lower values more desirable (i.e., expect fewer TB reactors).
“The inclusion of TB within the DBI should help to stop unfavourable TB genetic trends,” according to ICBF.