new ICBF Proofs

onyerbikepat wrote: »

Q. In the Euro-Star index there is a trait for daughter milk. How does ICBF measure the milking ability of suckler cows?

A. The milking ability of suckler cows is gauged by the performance of their calves. Calves with the highest average daily gains (ADG’s) in a herd are almost always from the milkiest cows in that herd. In order for this performance to be reflected in genetic indexes, it must be measured and this is done by weighing suckler calves between 150-250 days of age (approx. 5-8 ½ months). A weight on a calf at this age is more commonly known as a “milk weight” and gives a good indication as to the milking ability of the cow that the calf is suckling.
On-farm weighing is good practice as it gives farmers a detailed insight into the performance of their animals and allows ICBF to reflect the milking performance of suckler cows in genetic evaluations. It is vital that farmers not only weigh their animals but also supply these weights to ICBF. Weights can be recorded through the ICBF website (HerdPlus®) or through a farm software package. If a farmer avails of the ICBF weighing service then weights are automatically uploaded to the ICBF database


From;
http://www.icbf.com/?p=1332