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The economic value of somatic cell counts

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 November 2017

A.W. Stott
Affiliation:
SAC, West Mains Road, Edinburgh, EH9 3JG, U.K.
G. Gunn
Affiliation:
SAC, West Mains Road, Edinburgh, EH9 3JG, U.K.
R. Humphry
Affiliation:
SAC, West Mains Road, Edinburgh, EH9 3JG, U.K.
R. Berry
Affiliation:
SAC, West Mains Road, Edinburgh, EH9 3JG, U.K.
H. Richardson
Affiliation:
National Milk Records plc, Greenways Business Park, Chippenham, SN15 1BN
D. Logue
Affiliation:
SAC, West Mains Road, Edinburgh, EH9 3JG, U.K.
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Extract

Veerkamp et al. (1998) make the case for including somatic cell count (SCC) in the index of total economic merit (ITEM, Veerkamp et al., 1995) used to rank dairy bulls and cows in the UK for breeding purposes. They go on to describe an empirical method to obtain a suitable economic value for SCC, reflecting the milk quality payment scheme. Since this work was carried out, the milk price has fallen while price penalties against SCC have risen. Bulk-tank SCC (BTSCC) has fallen in response. Some of this improvement may be due to culling cows with high cell counts. The objective of this work was therefore to establish an economic value for somatic cell counts which reflected the milk quality payment scheme and took into account culling strategy.

Type
Poster Presentations
Copyright
Copyright © The British Society of Animal Science 2000

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References

Veerkamp, R.F., Hill, W.G., Brotherstone, S., Stott, A.W. and Simm, G. 1995. Selection for longevity and yield in dairy cattle using transmitting abilities for yield and type. Animal Science 61: 189197.Google Scholar
Veerkamp, R.F., Stott, A.W., Hill, W.G. and Brotherstone, S. 1998. The economic value of somatic cell count payment schemes for UK dairy cattle breeding programmes. Animal Science 66: 293298.Google Scholar