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BonD - A novel breeding program to improve Beef bulls for use ON Dairy cows

Title: BonD - A novel breeding program to improve Beef bulls for use ON Dairy cows

Funded by: GUDP

AU project manager: Tenure Track assistant professor Alban Bouquet

Collaboration partners: QGG, MAPP Center, ANIVET, AGRO, SEGES Innovation, Viking Genetics, Himmerlandskød, COOP, Viking Danmark

Project period: 01/03/2024 – 28/02/2028

Funding amount: 14,999,296 DKK

Project description

In Denmark, the share of dairy cows inseminated with semen of beef bulls is increasing because beef x dairy crossbred calves have a higher economic value than surplus dairy calves. Beyond their higher economic value, these crossbred calves also have a 60%-lower climate impact than beef calves raised in suckler herds. There is currently a high demand for beef bull semen used on dairy cows (BonD bulls) both on domestic and global markets, and this demand is expected to grow in the near future.

To meet this demand, there is a strategic need for Viking Genetics to optimize its breeding program and efficiently select for novel traits of importance for the beef industry such as feed efficiency, methane emission and beef meat quality. These traits are usually difficult to breed for due to limited phenotyping capacity. However, this capacity has been recently expanded in Denmark with a focus on Beef x Dairy calves, opening thereby unique opportunities.

The overarching aim of this project is to design a state-of-the-art breeding program to supply Danish dairy farms with semen of elite BonD bulls bringing added value for the whole beef chain. Using interdisciplinary research at the interface between breeding and genetics, animal science, social and environmental sciences, we will:

1) update breeding goals by including novel traits (feed efficiency, methane emission and eating quality) considering perspectives of the whole value chain, from producers to consumers,

2) estimate environmental impacts of these breeding goals at farm and industry level, and

3) implement improved genomic evaluations and optimized breeding schemes ensuring high genetic gain for traits recorded on crossbred calves.