A Scottish-born calf, known as Hilda, represents an historic moment for the world’s longest-running livestock genetics project.
The calf is the first of the 16th generation of the famous Dumfries-based Langhill Herd – a vital source of data for the UK dairy industry for more than half century – and, significantly, she is the first member of the herd to be born through IVF.
Hilda is part of the so-called Cool Cows project at Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC), which aims to establish a “nucleus of highly methane-efficient animals”. A spokesperson for SRUC said that the IVF calf could to help “accelerate the dairy industry’s journey to net zero.”
They said, “Fertilising Hilda’s mother’s eggs in a lab means the next generation of the Langhill Herd has arrived eight months earlier than previously possible. With the process set to be repeated, it means that researchers are doubling the rate of genetic gain and thereby accelerating the accumulation of data to breed more efficient dairy cows.”
The partnership between SRUC, Cumbria vets Paragon and Semex has received £335,000 from the Digital Dairy Chain’s Collaborative Research & Development Grant Competition. The competition is managed and awarded independently by the UK’s national innovation agency, Innovate UK.
SRUC’s project lead Professor Richard Dewhurst said, “With global consumption of dairy produce continuing to grow, breeding livestock for sustainability is extremely important. The birth of Hilda is potentially a hugely significant moment for the UK dairy industry.
“We will use a new genomic assessment alongside existing production and environmental efficiency indices to select elite, methane-efficient heifers for breeding. The Cool Cows project will produce a greater number of offspring from these donors, rapidly establishing a nucleus of highly methane-efficient calves.”
Project Lead Rob Simmons, Director and Lead Vet – Advanced Breeding at Paragon, said, “As the first veterinary practice to be awarded an RCVS Outstanding achievement in Environmental Sustainability, Paragon were delighted to help develop and deliver this important project to help support sustainability in the dairy sector. Genetic improvement in methane efficiency is going to be key to continuing to provide nutritious food to the public, while controlling the impact of methane emissions on the environment in the future.”