Hybrid Dairy Cattle and Systems for Maximizing Hybrid Advantage

Abstract

Systems for selecting, generating, and breeding hybrid dairy cattle are described, as are methods for maintaining herds of hybrid cattle.

1 .- 19 . (canceled) 
     
     
         20 . An F1 herd of hybrid female cattle comprising:
 a plurality of F1 hybrid animals, each of which was generated from an F1 hybrid embryo comprising a haploid genome of an F0 female gamete and a haploid genome of an F0 male gamete, wherein one or both of the male and female F0 gametes is from an F0 individual selected based on performance characteristics of prior F1 hybrid individuals resulting from a cross of gametes from the F0 individual.   
     
     
         21 . The F1 herd of hybrid female cattle of  claim 20 , comprising:
 a plurality of F1 hybrid animals, each of which was generated from an F1 hybrid embryo comprising a haploid genome of an F0 female gamete and a haploid genome of an F0 male gamete, wherein each female gamete is from a female within the same F0 family.   
     
     
         22 . The F1 herd of  claim 20 , wherein each member of the plurality of F1 hybrid animals is characterized by level of one or more performance characteristics that is superior to that of either F0. 
     
     
         23 . A plurality of F1 hybrid embryos, each of which comprises a haploid genome of an F0 female gamete and a haploid genome an F0 male gamete, wherein one or both of the male and female F0 gametes is from an F0 individual selected based on performance of prior F1 hybrid individuals resulting from a cross of gametes from the F0 individual. 
     
     
         24 . The plurality of F1 hybrid embryos of  claim 23 , wherein said haploid genome is obtained from male F0 gametes that have been sex select to primarily including sperm of one gender or the other. 
     
     
         25 . The plurality of F1 hybrid embryos of  claim 23 , wherein the embryos are cultured and frozen after fertilization for future implantation. 
     
     
         26 . The plurality of F1 hybrid embryos of  claim 23 , wherein the embryos are generated from gametes of cross-bred F0 cattle. 
     
     
         27 . (canceled) 
     
     
         28 . (canceled) 
     
     
         29 . (canceled) 
     
     
         30 . The F1 herd of  claim 22 , wherein said performance characteristics are selected from the group comprising: milk production, longevity, semen production, age at first calving, body depth, cell counts, cow conception rate, dairy form, daughter calving ease, daughter pregnancy rate, daughter still birth, fat pounds, fat percent, feet and legs score, fertility, final score, foot angle, fore udder attachment, front teat placement, heifer conception rate, ketosis, lameness rate and/or degree, locomotion, milk productive life, milking speed, protein percent, protein pounds, rear legs rear view, rear legs side view, rear teat placement, rear udder height, reproductive life, resistance to cold, resistance to disease, rump angle, rump width, somatic cell score, sire calving ease, sire still birth, size, stature, strength, teat length, udder cleft, udder conformation, and udder depth. 
     
     
         31 .- 59 . (canceled) 
     
     
         60 . The herd of female cattle of  claim 20 , wherein said hybrid F1 embryo is cross-breed embryo selected from the group consisting of a Holstein/Norwegian Red hybrid, a Holstein/Jersey hybrid, a Jersey/Norwegian Red hybrid, a Friesian/Danish Red hybrid, Brown Swiss/Ayrshire, Guernsey/Ayrshire, Milking Shorthorn/Ayrshire, Brown Swiss/Guernsey, Guernsey/Milking Shorthorn, Milking Shorthorn/Brown Swiss. 
     
     
         61 . The F1 herd of hybrid female cattle of  claim 20 , wherein said F0 female gamete is obtained from a female line selected based on performance characteristics of F1 hybrid offspring and said F0 male gamete is obtained from a male line selected based on performance characteristics of F1 hybrid offspring. 
     
     
         62 . The F1 herd of hybrid female cattle of  claim 20 , wherein said plurality of F1 hybrid animals comprise one or more heifers or cows pregnant with an hybrid F1 embryo comprising a haploid genome of an F0 female gamete and a haploid genome of an F0 male gamete wherein one or both of the male and female F0 gametes is from an F0 individual selected based on performance characteristics of prior F1 hybrid individuals resulting from a cross of gametes from the F0 individual. 
     
     
         63 . A method for maintaining a breeding stock line comprising the steps of:
 (a) generating a first plurality of F1 progeny of a first F0 dam and a first F0 sire;   (b) generating a second plurality of F1 progeny of a second F0 dam and a second F0 sire;   (c) comparing individuals of said first plurality of F1 progeny (a) and said second plurality of F1 progeny (b) and identifying an individual with at least one superior measured production performance characteristic;   (d) selecting an F0 dam, an F0 sire, or a combination thereof, whose F1 progeny individual is identified in step (c); and   (e) fertilizing a mature oocyte with sperm to produce an F1 embryo, wherein said mature oocyte is from said selected F0 dam, said sperm is from said selected F0 sire, or both.   
     
     
         64 . The method of  claim 63 , further comprising repeating step (a) one or more times and comparing the individuals of the F1 progeny according to step (c) and selecting according to step (d). 
     
     
         65 . The method of  claim 63 , further comprising freezing said F1 embryo. 
     
     
         66 . The method of  claim 63 , wherein said step (e) is repeated one or more times to generate a plurality of F1 embryos. 
     
     
         67 . The method of  claim 63 , wherein said first F0 dam and said second F0 dam are of the same line. 
     
     
         68 . The method of  claim 63 , wherein said first F0 dam and said second F0 dam is a different breed than said first F0 sire and said second F0 sire, respectively. 
     
     
         69 . The method of  claim 63 , wherein said first F0 sire is the same animal as said second F0 sire. 
     
     
         70 . The method of  claim 63 , wherein said at least one measured production performance characteristic is selected from the group consisting of milk production, longevity, age at first calving, body depth, cell counts, cow conception rate, dairy form, daughter calving ease, daughter pregnancy rate, daughter still birth, fat pounds, fat percent, fertility, fore udder attachment, front teat placement, heifer conception rate, ketosis, lameness rate, lameness degree, locomotion, milk productive life, milking speed, protein percent, protein pounds, rear teat placement, rear udder height, reproductive life, resistance to cold, resistance to disease, resistance to mastitis, resistance to metritis, somatic cell score, size, udder conformation, and udder depth. 
     
     
         71 . The method of  claim 63 , wherein said first F0 dam, first F0 sire, second F0 dam, or second F0 sire is a dairy breed selected from the group consisting of Holstein, Friesian, Norwegian Red, Danish Red, Brown Swiss, Guernsey, Ayrshire, Jersey, Red & White, Milking Shorthorn, Lineback, Dutch Belted, Burlina, Belarus Red, Canadienne, Carora, Danish Jersey, Frankeston Red, German Black Pied, Brahman, Illawarra, and Meuse-Rhine-Issel.