The Dairy Podcast Show - #36 - Unraveling the Genetic Trait of Resilience in Cows
May 16, 2023
Achieving a high daily milk production is a primary goal when selecting cow traits in a herd, but what does it take to consistently maintain highly productive cows? It is necessary to select resilient cows that are capable of sustaining continuous milk production throughout the entire lactation period. In this episode, featuring Fiona Guinan, we delve into various crucial aspects of the subject, such as the impact of stress during early cow life; the utilization of national herd datasets for the measurement of the influence of health on resilience; the development of genetic evaluations for resilience; the evaluation of lactation curves based on daily milk records; and the correlation between pen management, perturbations, and resilience.
What you'll learn:
1. The impacts of stress on calves
2. Cow resilience vs. consistency
3. Data quality for resilience genetic evaluations
4. Cow pen management
5. Perturbations in the milk curve of cows
Meet the guests:
MSc. Fiona Guinan
Experience
â—‹ Current: Ph.D. Fellow at the University of Wisconsin-Madison; Cooperative Researcher at the Council on Dairy Cattle Breeding; Cooperative Researcher at the National Dairy Herd Information Association.
Background
â—‹ M.Sc., Quantitative Genetics (The University of Georgia)
â—‹ B.Sc., Agricultural Science (University College Dublin)
Hobbies: I love to play traditional Irish music – I seldom go to a party without my button accordion! I also play camogie, an Irish sport that combines elements of field hockey and lacrosse and is known for being the fastest game in the world played on grass.
Favorite book, movie or TV series: my favorite movie is Moneyball.
Favorite quote: "There is no innovation and creativity without failure" – Brene Brown
A tip for success: Surrounding yourself with supportive, positive people is critical. Also, finding a great mentor in life is key to success!
Connect with our guest on Social Media: LinkedIn
