Genetics for a Better Cow Herd

Improving fertility in cows involves leveraging genetic selection and advanced genomic tools to enhance reproductive performance.

But genetic potential is only half the battle. Environment is the other half, said University of Missouri Extension state beef genetics specialist Jamie Courter at the recent Missouri Livestock Symposium in Kirksville.

“Fertility is a lowly heritable trait and, therefore, a lot of environmental factors can negatively impact a female with otherwise high genetic merit,” Courter said.

An animal’s phenotype, or the traits seen, is a combination of their genotype (genetic merit) and the environment in which they are raised. Environmental factors can include both Mother Nature as well as management decisions on the farm, she said. [VIEW FULL ARTICLE]