German researchers develop way to study breeding suitability of dairy cows

Researchers in Germany have successfully developed a way to study the breeding suitability of dairy cows, the German Federal Agency for Agriculture and Food (BLE) said Friday. Three new methods to study the body condition, biological rest period and the health status of dairy cows have been developed, said BLE. With the newly available health and fertility parameters, farmers will be able to promote the health and longevity of their animals, researchers said. Firstly, the scientists developed the OptiCow 3D camera technology that records the body condition of the animals automatically when passing through the sensor system. Thus, the body condition of dairy cows is checked regularly, which is important due to the metabolic stability of the cows. The second phase of the project consisted of the development of milk progesterone tests, with which farmers can study biological rest periods and if conception took place successfully. Scientists also developed a method for haptoglobin analysis, which provides information about the health of animals and simplifies locating sick cows in a herd. The first two tests are already commercially available with the third currently being worked upon for release.