Elevage Biologique - Itab

Network Eco-AI (Bio-KI)
W.J. Nauta
Louis Bolk Institute
The Netherlands
www.louisbolk.nl / w.nauta@louisbolk.nl
Introduction
The network Eco-AI is an initiative of 10 organic dairy farmers who are interested in cattle breeding. The network is financed by EU funding for the
development of rural areas and supervised by the Louis Bolk Institute.
Organic farmers are still very much depending on conventional breeding companies and their bull supply. However such bulls are selected for the
high input conventional farms and often ‘made’ by super ovulation, IVF and embryo transfer (ET). These type of animals and the breeding systems
are not in line with the intensions of organic farming. That is the reason that this group of farmers will set up a breeding program within the organic
sector by selecting bulls from the best bull mothers from organic dairy farms and breeding without ET.
Goal
• Developing an effective and affordable organic breeding program based on the best animals of organic farms and
without the use of modern reproduction technologies.
Breeding program: “YOUNG BULL” SYSTEM
Since organic farming is still small, we have about 25.000 female animals at 320 farms in The Netherlands, a commonly used test-system is to
expensive and will lead to inbreeding. Therefore we try to set up an ‘young bull’ system. This system was developed for the Guernsey breed by Dr M.
Bichard and Dr. J. Woolliams (Roslin Inst. UK). They select each year 15-20 young bulls from the best mothers and use these bulls one year for
breeding. The bulls are used evenly over the population while taking care of inbreeding. After collecting semen, the bulls are slaughtered or sold for
natural breeding. In this way they always use in average the best genetics for the next generation with a short generation interval.
For the organic Eco-AI breeding plan, we select bulls from cows that realized a high life performance of milk production and outstanding
performance in the herd.
Breeding goal:
• High life production
• High protein percentage (> 3.3% protein)
• High fertility, good udder health, good conformation and functionality
• Good condition score, good calving ease.
Structure: “by the farmers, for the farmers”
• Breeding commission selects best bull mothers and bulls.
• Farmers/Breeders send the bull for semen collection to a EU certified AI station for the collection of 1000-3000 straws (costs are 2500-
3500€ including blood tests and photo of the bull).
• Eco-AI coordinates and stimulates the marketing of the bulls.
• Price per straw is €8-10. Owner of the bull will become €5/straw of the first 500 straws sold. Eco-AI and AI station are paid €2,50 per
straw each.
First results:
In November 2009 the first Eco-AI bull Bio-Opneij-Wytze P was put on the market. It is a red Holstein bull
that is polled . His Father is Lawn Boy, a bull with outstanding durability. The mother and mothers-mother
produced together about 70.000 kg milk. The mother is a daughter of Kian x Stadel and has very high
percentages of milk fat (5%) and protein (4%).
Up to now 720 dosis of semen from Opneij-Wytze are sold to organic and also some conventional farms.
In October 2010 we will put 3 more bulls on the market. A 100% HF bull, a 50%HFx50%White headed bull
and a 100% Dutch Friesian bull. All from mothers that produced already 57, 85 and 90 tons of milk with
3,35, 3,53 and 3,58% protein in the milk.
In December 2 more bulls will follow, A 100% Brown Swiss (JunkerxJubilent) and 100% Red HF (Kian x
Stadel)
In 2010 we try to select again 7-10 bulls. In total we will grow to about 20 bulls per year.
Possible markets are also Belgium and Germany. In this countries we will also try to select bulls.
Eu funding for development of rural areas.