Progress 09/15/23 to 09/14/24
Outputs
Target Audience:The overall goal of Discover Conference 45 is to bring together leading scientific opinion makers in the various disciplines related to productive lifespan and help clarify how these drivers may, or should, affect productive lifespan. Specific objectives of the Conference are as follows. First, provide a format and venue for researchers, consultants, and dairy producers to have in-depth discussions of cutting-edge science related to the biology and management of dairy cattle lifespan. Changes/Problems:The ADSA Discover Conference was conducted as planned. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Four graduate students received complementary registration and lodging. These students helped with the participant check-in and moved microphones in the conference room How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?ADSA Discover Conferences have presentations materials for participants but these materials are not for publication. All leading opinon makers on dairy cattle productive lifespan were either on the program or in the audience. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
The 45th ADSA Discover® Conference was held October 23 to 26, 2023 in Itasca, Illinois. Extended dairy cow lifespan is said to be good for sustainability, and the image of the dairy sector. In practice, however, the topic is complex and simple perceptions do not capture the breadth of the underlying questions. The conference was designed, therefore, to take an in-depth look at dairy cow lifespan and explore new perspectives in the modern era of dairy production. Speakers and attendees explored the many facets of lifespan including definitions (productive life vs longevity or lifespan), the underlying biology, genetics and genomic selection and important management factors including nutrition and housing. Importantly, economics were modeled across different countries and the environmental impact was assessed for herds under different production systems and with different age structures. Producer and industry panels provided diverse ideas about goals for lifespan in different countries and communities. The conference was successful in that there were topics that were generally agreed-upon (replacement of an individual cow should be based on her competitive economic merit; long lifespan should not be the goal unless it supports profitability). Disagreements existed across speakers and attendees on the importance of lifespan to consumer perspectives of dairying as well as its environmental impact. These disagreements identified important knowledge gaps and opportunities such as quantifying maturity and future cow performance, and the importance of early lactation culling. Rapidly changing genetics of cows, technological advances that affect heifer supply (embryo transfer, sexed semen etc.), new lucrative markets for dairy farms (including meat from cull cows and the sale of beef-dairy crossbred calves) and impending legislative action on climate change will impact dairy farms and their decisions to keep or cull their older cows. Despite advances in husbandry, precision dairy farming technologies and decision support tools, when cows should be replaced and what replacement rates should be remains an area for further investigation. There were 156 participants at the Conference.
Publications
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2024
Citation:
De Vries, A., M. Lucy, C. Baes, N. Friggens, P. Kononoff, D. Nydam, and E. Vasseur. 2024. Revisiting the 45th ADSA Discover Conference Dairy Cattle Lifespan. J. Dairy Sci. 107 (Suppl.1):119 (abstract 1403)
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Progress 09/15/23 to 09/14/24
Outputs
Target Audience:The overall goal of Discover Conference 45 is to bring together leading scientific opinion makers in the various disciplines related to productive lifespan and help clarify how these drivers may, or should, affect productive lifespan. Specific objectives of the Conference are as follows. First, provide a format and venue for researchers, consultants, and dairy producers to have in-depth discussions of cutting-edge science related to the biology and management of dairy cattle lifespan. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Four graduate students received complementary registration and lodging. These students helped with the participant check-in and moved microphones in the conference room. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?ADSA Discover Conferences have presentations materials for participants but these materials are not for publication. All leading opinon makers on dairy cattle productive lifespan were either on the program or in the audience. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
The 45th ADSA Discover® Conference was held October 23 to 26, 2023 in Itasca, Illinois. Extended dairy cow lifespan is saidto be good for sustainability, and the image of the dairy sector. In practice, however, the topic is complex and simpleperceptions do not capture the breadth of the underlying questions. The conference was designed, therefore, to take an indepthlook at dairy cow lifespan and explore new perspectives in the modern era of dairy production. Speakers and attendeesexplored the many facets of lifespan including definitions (productive life vs longevity or lifespan), the underlying biology,genetics and genomic selection and important management factors including nutrition and housing. Importantly, economicswere modeled across different countries and the environmental impact was assessed for herds under different productionsystems and with different age structures. Producer and industry panels provided diverse ideas about goals for lifespan indifferent countries and communities. The conference was successful in that there were topics that were generally agreedupon(replacement of an individual cow should be based on her competitive economic merit; long lifespan should not be thegoal unless it supports profitability). Disagreements existed across speakers and attendees on the importance of lifespan toconsumer perspectives of dairying as well as its environmental impact. These disagreements identified important knowledgegaps and opportunities such as quantifying maturity and future cow performance, and the importance of early lactation culling.Rapidly changing genetics of cows, technological advances that affect heifer supply (embryo transfer, sexed semen etc.), newlucrative markets for dairy farms (including meat from cull cows and the sale of beef-dairy crossbred calves) and impendinglegislative action on climate change will impact dairy farms and their decisions to keep or cull their older cows. Despiteadvances in husbandry, precision dairy farming technologies and decision support tools, when cows should be replaced andwhat replacement rates should be remains an area for further investigation.There were 156 participants at the Conference.
Publications
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2024
Citation:
De Vries, A., M. Lucy, C. Baes, N. Friggens, P. Kononoff, D. Nydam, and E. Vasseur. 2024. Revisiting the 45th ADSA
Discover Conference Dairy Cattle Lifespan. J. Dairy Sci. 107 (Suppl.1):119 (abstract 1403)
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