ABS Global Announces TransitionRight™ Genetics Preventing Transition Cow Disorders Through Genetics



ABS logoABS® Global, the world leader in bovine genetics, reproduction services, and artificial insemination technologies, is excited to introduce a revolutionary genetic selection tool to global dairy farmers-TransitionRight Genetics. This patent-pending technology will help to resolve the age-old struggles of how to prevent and react to health issues that arise during the transition cow period. ABS customers can now use TransitionRight to select genetics that minimize the need for preventive and reactionary measures often necessary during this time.

Right before and after a cow gives birth, her health is impacted by a negative energy balance and immune system suppression. This can lead to serious health issues such as metritis, ketosis, mastitis, and other transition cow disorders. With 75 percent of disease in dairy cows occurring during the first 30 days in milk and as much as 50 percent of high-producing cows affected1, transition cow disorders take a major toll on dairy farmers. In one year, farmers can lose up to 10 percent of their herds in the first two months following calving2. Prevention through genetics has not been available to help reduce multiple post-calving disorders-until now!

"Producers have done their best year after year to manage health issues during the transition cow period with the various tools that have been available to them," said Saskia Korink, ABS Global Chief Operating Officer. "Now, our customers can change their approach and start selecting TransitionRight Genetics to break this costly cycle-saving them time and up to $100 over the life of the cow."

Since 2008, ABS Global has dedicated a team of scientists and geneticists to gather data and develop a proprietary genetic database-Real World Data. Consisting of more than 20 million cow records from around the globe, Real World Data provides the foundation for genetic selection tools including ABS Sire Fertility and TransitionRight-both created to help customers make better-informed genetic selections.

"By using real producer data from commercial herds, ABS Geneticists have developed a solution for a very serious problem that all dairy farmers are faced with," said Katie Olson, Ph.D., Lead Research Scientist. "TransitionRight measures health traits related to the transition cow period and scores sires with an economic ranking. We've equipped our customers with an easy-to-use tool to choose genetics that improve a herd's robustness against metritis, ketosis, mastitis, and other transition cow issues. The introduction of these genetics will help prevent multiple post-calving metabolic disorders that occur during transition- the most crucial period in a cow's life."

ABS will provide an economic ranking for its Holstein sires beginning August 11, 2015 and will use Real World Data to update the ranking monthly.

For more information about TransitionRight and other ABS Global genetic tools visit the ABS website at: www.absglobal.com

1 Major Advances in Disease Prevention in Dairy Cattle. 2006. LeBlanc, S.J. et al. Journal of Dairy Science , Volume 89 , Issue 4 , 1267 – 1279 and Monitoring metabolic health of dairy cattle in the transition period. 2010. LeBlanc. J Reprod Dev. 2010 Jan;56 Suppl:S29-35.

2 Reproductive performance of North American dairies by geographic region. 2015. C. F. Vergara*, F. Bitencourt, L. Johnson, D. Vallejo, and H. Lopez. J. Anim. Sci. Vol. 93, Suppl. s3/J. Dairy Sci. Vol. 98, Suppl. 2

About ABS
Headquartered in DeForest, Wisconsin, U.S.A., ABS Global is the world-leading provider of bovine genetics, reproduction services, artificial insemination technologies, and udder care products. Marketing in more than 70 countries around the globe, ABS has been at the forefront of animal genetics and technology since its founding in 1941. ABS Global is a division of Genus plc .
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8.3.2015