Whereas…

Whereas when using the Lactanet site for identifying animals, the lack of Herd Management numbers can make finding animals tricky.

Whereas using Lactanet’s mobile app should provide better links to the animal’s genetic evaluation summary page on the web site.

Therefore…

Therefore, it is proposed that Lactanet add Herd Management numbers to the animals in their system for display on the web site.

Further be it resolved that the Lactanet Mobile App direct customers to the animal’s genetics profile page on the Lactanet web site with easy access to the other pages.

 NameLocation
MoverLindsay GreenoughGreenfield, Nova Scotia
1st SupporterScott MacdonaldSussex, New Brunswick
2nd SupporterPeter SinclairGoshen, Nova Scotia
3rd SupporterAndrew HornbrookSussex, New Brunswick
4th SupporterBen RoyKentville, Nova Scotia

Whereas…

Whereas a large portion of the Colour Breed breeders have mixed herds and small populations of some breeds.

Whereas having herd averages published is great publicity for the smaller breeds and important data for people to see.

Whereas Breed associations such as Ayrshire Canada recognize herd averages with as few as five completed records while Lactanet requires ten.

Therefore…

Therefore, be it resolved that Lactanet recognize herd averages with as few as five completed records in their annual reports.

 NameLocation
MoverLindsay GreenoughGreenfield, Nova Scotia
1st SupporterScott MacdonaldSussex, New Brunswick
2nd SupporterPeter SinclairGoshen, Nova Scotia
3rd SupporterAndrew HornbrookSussex, New Brunswick
4th SupporterBen RoyKentville, Nova Scotia

Note: For official annual herd averages, Lactanet requires a minimum of ten completed lactations for Holstein, Jersey and Ayrshire breeds and a minimum of five completed lactations is used for Brown Swiss, Canadienne, Guernsey and Milking Shorthorn.

Whereas…

Whereas more and more purebred animals show a coat with white spots.

Whereas an “OCS” white spot must be recorded in the herdbook without affecting the purity of an animal.

Whereas many breeders fail to provide such information.

Whereas the mode of transmission is not clearly defined.

Therefore…

Therefore, it is proposed that, at the time of milk recording, the identification of “OCS” is added to the animal’s information and that an annual statistical follow-up is made.

 NameLocation
MoverDave LabrieSt-Cyprien, Quebec
1st SupporterJosée CharronVerchères, Quebec
2nd SupporterIsabelle DupréSt-Germain de Grantham, Quebec
3rd SupporterÉtienne Boivin-CôtéSt-Gédéon, Quebec
4th SupporterMikhaël DaigleSt-Ferdinand, Quebec

Note: OCS refers to Off Colour Spot and this code is used by some breed associations to identify animals with white or off-colour markings that are not representative of the breed characteristics in terms of coat colour and/or pattern. Often the off colour spot is found on the underside of the belly or the animal has a white core in the tail switch. When observed, OCS must be reported to the breed association at the time of application for herdbook registration or if develops after registered. For some breeds, reporting OCS may affect the animal’s eligible level of purity for herdbook registration.

Whereas…

Whereas Lactanet’s genetics services are funded by breed associations and artificial insemination centers.

Whereas the main users of the Lactanet site are Canadian breeders.

Whereas they require quick access to their data.

Whereas the ease of use of the Lactanet site should have a beneficial effect on the number of visits to the site by Canadian producers.

Therefore…

Therefore, it is proposed that the list of offspring of an animal be, by default, the list of its Canadian offspring and optionally its international offspring.

 NameLocation
MoverAlphonse PittetSaint-Tite, Quebec
1st SupporterÉlyse GendronSt-Polycarpe, Quebec
2nd SupporterPascal MartinSainte-Cécile de Milton, Quebec
3rd SupporterLouis St-AubinSt-Clet, Quebec
4th SupporterJulie DuchesneSt-Narcisse, Quebec

Whereas…

Whereas the composite index system for major type traits is not perfect.

Whereas the composite system allows bulls to benefit from bonuses in their indexes, by possessing a quality in a defect of the breed.

Whereas the composite system inflicts penalties on bulls for having a common defect with the breed.

Whereas modifying the genetic indices with bonuses and penalties completely distorts the understanding of the individual.

Whereas modifying a genetic index to help a breed out of genetic tendencies (straight legs, short teats, taller stature) is not the only way Lactanet has.

Whereas modifying a genetic index to help a breed get out of genetic tendencies (straight legs, short teats, tall stature) makes some breeders feel like they are being mothered by Lactanet.

Whereas some breeders feel bereaved following the disappearance of linear indices in the major criteria; a benchmark from field data that allowed them to better cross their animals, (including exhibition).

Whereas some A.I. centers have already followed suit to carry out so-called composite matings, by mating males and females with the desirable traits together and thus get a maximum of bonuses to fictitiously boost the proof of their young bulls.

Whereas this will lead to the next way of getting bulls that are over-evaluated.

Whereas current breed defects (straight legs, short teats, tall stature) originated from breeders who only mated the best animals together based on total indexes (TPI, LPI, PRO$, CONF) regardless of inbreeding or to conformation criteria and not to the breeding choices of breeders-selectors.

Therefore…

Therefore, it is proposed to ask Lactanet to make the linear indexes of the major type traits available for consultation by the user somewhere on their site (new column, separate tab, etc.)

It will never be asked to abolish the composite indexes, but it would be interesting for any breeder to be able to compare, if he wishes, the two types of indexes for the major type traits for the same bull for example. We thought that presenting in this way is very possible. This is in the spirit of consultation and comparison of major indexes. All with the aim of making the best purchase first, and to mate our animals even better. Raising a heifer costs over $4000 today with inflation, it is better to know more than not enough before making our purchases and our inseminations.

 NameLocation
MoverReno DesaulniersAmos, Quebec
1st SupporterYanick SylvainLauney, Quebec
2nd SupporterFabien BeaudoinPalmarolle, Quebec
3rd SupporterJacques GravelAmos, Quebec
4th SupporterJonathan Ten-HaveLandrienne, Quebec

Whereas…

Whereas the Relative Breeding Value (RBV) for the trait MILKING SPEED is based on subjective evaluations, without direct measurement, made in first lactation.

Whereas the person doing the subjective assessment is not always a person who does the milking, and therefore not able to offer a fair assessment.

Whereas acow can be evaluated with a fast milking speed (desirable) because her milk production is low and conversely, a cow can be evaluated with a slow milking speed (undesirable) because her milk production is high.

Whereas genetic selection based on the RBV for MILKING SPEED, mostly on young bulls with a genomic evaluation, offers disappointing and inconsistent results for this trait in the barns.

Whereas withrobotic milking systems, the amount of milk and/or fat per minute from each cow influences the economic performance of the herd.

Whereas with these systems, productive and fast milking cows are preferred.

Whereas many milking systems offer accurate milking speed data from which it is possible to calculate a produced amount of milk and/or fat per minute for all milkings of each animal.

Therefore…

Therefore, it isproposed that Lactanet develop a new genetic index based on objective milking system data, measuring the ability of cows to give a high milk yield quickly that would be expressed as a Relative Breeding Value (RBV), based on a calculation of the amount of fat produced per minute of milking.  This new index would set aside any subjective evaluation and replace the current index.

 NameLocation
MoverStéphanie BeaucheminSte-Anne-De-La-Pérade, Quebec
1st SupporterPatrick AllenSt-Anselme, Quebec
2nd SupporterJonathan LampronSte-Séraphine, Quebec
3rd SupporterBéatrice Le MaySainte-Croix-De-Lotbinière, Quebec
4th SupporterJonathan GiguèreHam-Nord, Quebec