Epsilon Archive for Student Projects

Abstract

Sweden signed, in 1992, the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and has thus assumed responsibility for the indigenous biodiversity. That also means that Sweden has a conservation responsibility for the Swedish Friesian (SLB) (SJV, 2007a). In a survey conducted by the Board of Agriculture (SJV) in 1996, it appeared that there were around 780 cows and heifers of the SLB breed (SJV, 1997). SJV did in 2006 a plan for the development of livestock genet-ic resources and the number of cows of SLB was estimated at approximately 200. This meant that the SLB was in need of being conserved and SJV assumed it would be categorized as threatened.

The primary objective of conservation of a breed is to reduce the loss of the original genetic variation (Lacy et al., 1995). Conservation program is used to ensure that inbreeding and the effective population size is within reasonable limits (FAO, 2007). There are, in theory, three types of conservation: in situ, ex situ in vivo and ex situ (FAO, 2006). The best way to con-serve a breed is to use a combination of conservation methods (FAO, 1998; Oldenbroek, 2007).

In this study, animals consisting of 75-100% SLB were considered as descending from earlier Swedish Friesian. Based on data from the Swedish Dairy Association and the Central data-base of animals (cattle), CDB, the result was that there are 296 such cows, spread over 114 herds. Most herds are in Skåne, Västra Götaland and Jönköping County.

The average kinship, for those individuals with 75-100% SLB (born 2000-2007), was 0.032 with a standard deviation (SD) of 0.0257. The average kinship of cows with 100% SLB (born 2000-2007) was higher, at 0.172 with an SD of 0.0489. The average kinship ranged between 0.0035 and 0.0855 for animals with 75-100% SLB and between 0.0172 and 0.2270 for the animals with 100% SLB.

When breeding values of the SLB and Holstein population were compared it showed that Holstein, in particular, has better milk index, body, legs and udders than SLB, whereas SLB has better meat index, female fertility, and higher resistance to other diseases.

There are several cows of SLB that you can consider using in the future SLB-breeding be-cause they are less related to the rest of the individuals than the average. Since many of the SLB-cows contains genes from Holstein these figures should be interpreted with caution and one should carefully check the cows’ relationships and share of SLB so that not too many animals with Holstein genes are crossed in.

The conservation of the SLB-breed is of great interest for the farmers having the breed. Inter-views with farmers showed that they believe that SLB is a tolerant breed with good calving characteristics and provide more meat at slaughter. They feel that their work is an uphill struggle, however, especially in selecting breeding bulls, because there is not much genetic material available. In order to get a functional breeding many of the farmers think that the breed needs an own association with its own record. They also think that they may qualify for compensation and that a breeding plan needs to be established. The main responsibility should be with SJV. It was also found that there are associations that are interested in doing an inventory and thus start a conservation program for SLB.