Historic genetic progress

Farmers have been selecting for increased milk production for many decades, and genetic improvements have increased milk yields across the UK.

Average Holstein production has risen by 4,500 kg since the 1980s, to 9,500 kg in milk-recorded herds today. Although much of this increase is down to better management, better genetics have also played an important part.

At the same time, cow conformation has improved, with many functional traits, including Feet and Legs and Udder, now vastly better than they were in the past. For many producers, the focus has now moved to include health and fitness traits, as well as production and type. This has been monitored closely for at least 30 years.

Genetic improvement highlights

Lifespan declined throughout the 1990s, when the industry selected heavily for production. However, genetic selection in the past two decades has led to considerable improvement in lifespan. Fertility has similarly improved, having also declined through selection for production in the 1990s. Since being included in £PLI (2007), it’s started to recover rapidly. As shown by the figure below, the UK’s average calving interval has improved - back to mid-1990s levels,and is expected to further improve over the coming years. SCC has similarly improved since it was included in £PLI in the early 2000s. It had also suffered as an unintended consequence of selection for milk production.