IGENITY^® for dairy

IGENITY^® — Somatic Cell Score

Somatic cell analysis helps you guard against mastitis.

The earlier you get a jump on mastitis, the lower the risk of it eating into your bottom line.

There are three accepted cornerstones for preventing and guarding your herd against mastitis:

• Managing environmental conditions (bedding, milking procedure and equipment)
• Vaccination
• Genetic selection (using somatic cell score)

Somatic cell analysis lets you select against mastitis susceptibility.

The somatic cell analysis is part of the comprehensive IGENITY profile and uses the power of DNA to help identify which calves, heifers and cows have the genetic potential for improved performance and the ability to transmit this potential to their offspring. This powerful information can help producers make confident selection, management and marketing decisions.

Somatic cell analysis, combined with powerful analyses for productive life (PL), fertility and milk production in the profile, helps producers manage vital health traits earlier than ever before, which can significantly increase financial rewards.

Somatic cell directly affects the bottom line.

• Somatic cell score is a strong indicator of genetic potential for susceptibility for mastitis¹

• Animals with genetic potential for low somatic cell tend to make more milk²

• Milk quality is essential and high somatic cell cuts into valuable premiums paid by milk and cheese processors

How the somatic cell analysis can uncover value for you.

• Somatic cell is a strong indicator of genetic potential for susceptibility for mastitis.¹

• Conservative USDA numbers put the cost of one point of somatic cell at $150 per lactation.

• The somatic cell analysis in the IGENITY profile shows a 0.45 somatic cell point difference between an animal with a score of 1 from the IGENITY profile and one with a score of 10.

• This translates to $68 of potential value per animal, per lactation, uncovered through the somatic cell analysis.

• Cows with a score of 10 for somatic cell in the IGENITY profile will have the genetic potential for 50% more incidence of mastitis than a cow with a score of 1.

¹Switsky-Neutkens D. Select for mastitis resistance, Dairy Today 2001:28.

²VanRaden PM. Net merit as a measure of lifetime profit: 2006 revision. Available at:
http://aipl.arsusda.gov/reference/nmcalc.htm. Accessed June 30, 2008.