From the April 15^th 2006 onwards Danish, Swedish and Finnish bulls and dairy cows have been benchmarked by the same standard when it comes to EBVs for milk production. The new common indices for milk production mean that dairy farmers in the three countries can directly compare, which of their cows within the same breed have the best genes for milk production. Additionally, bulls that are offered in all three countries now also have the same EBVs now.

So the association Nordic Cattle Genetic Evaluation (NAV) has reached another important milestone in the effort to develop a common estimation of breeding values for dairy breeds in the three countries. In April last year NAV published the first common EBVs for body, feet&legs, udder, fertility, temperament and milking time, and the next goal is to ready-develop the common breeding values for udder health and calving ease.

According to the plan all breeding values are calculated with the same statistical model and scale in the three countries and therefore the cattle breeding associations and breeding co operations will have the basis to choose directly between all cows and bulls in the three countries in selection of breeding animals.

Basis for cooperation on breeding
"The immediate benefits are that the dairy farmers in the three countries have developed and adopted new and better breeding values and that there are three countries to share the development and operating costs” says manager Gert Pedersen Aamand from NAV. "But the large perspective is that we now can directly compare the breeding values of the animals in the three countries, which gives us the opportunity of choosing between a larger population of animals in practical breeding – that is when breeding animals have to be chosen “. Gert Pedersen Aamand adds that the breeding organizations are already discussing a closer cooperation on practical breeding, between the countries.

More resources for future development
Lars-Inge Gunnarsson from Sweden, who is the chairman of Nordic Cattle Genetic Evaluation, is satisfied with the fact that a new step is taken in the direction of a complete set of common Nordic EBVs.

"Common EBVs are a prerequisite for us to be able to go on with the cooperation in the practical breeding work in the North" says Lars-Inge Gunnarsson, who is also chairman of Svensk Avel. "But the most positive perspective is that, we have much more resources for developing new EBVs and methods together, so that Nordic dairy farmers both get a better prediction of breeding values and save money at the same time" says Lars-Inge Gunnarsson.

He continues to praise the cooperation and mentions that the delay for the service was caused by the fact that it has required considerably more work than expected, to find a common Nordic solution. "But the most important thing is that now, we have some common EBVs with great reliability and support" he finishes.

New and better model
The new common breeding values for yield are calculated with a statistic model called Test Day Model that is generally known as the best and most advanced model. So that gives the estimation of breeding values a step forward in time. Finland has got a considerable improvement of the Test Day Model already used. Denmark and Sweden originally planned to develop a TD model each. Now the three countries share the costs in proportion to the number of dairy cattle in each country.

New scale
The adoption of the new statistical model and a new common scale causes some changes in the index figures for each individual animal and in the ranking of them. This can cause some confusion in the beginning, but it only indicates that the estimation has become more accurate, assures Gert Pedersen Aamand, manager of NAV.

More information:
Chairman of Nordic Cattle Genetic Evaluation,
Lars-Inge Gunnarsson, Mobil: + 46 709 709 828.