Intermizoo expands its horizons, dedicating itself to the Brown Swiss breed. This is not a new field, but a return, approached with the strength of over 50 years of experience in the Italian Holstein selection.

Lovernamur
The new Brown Swiss bull from Intermizoo

In April 2024, the first Brown Swiss bull branded Intermizoo made its debut in the dairy breeds’ bull lineup.

Lovernamur (DEJAVU x FLEZO x GLENN)

Lovernamur is one of the best Brown Swiss bulls available in Italy and is a descendant of TOP ACRES PRE BOUQUET EX94. In August, he was released with an excellent ITE index and high production indexes. Additionally, he boasts outstanding morphological traits, with a positive note on rump angle.

New ITE
The revision of the Total Economic Index

In November, Intermizoo participated in the AI Center Meeting organized by ANARB.
During this event, the Association presented the breed selection goals, changes, and proposed modifications to certain aspects, aiming to reward animals capable of meeting the needs of modern farmers.

Among these, the Total Economic Index (ITE) will undergo changes, and variations have also been proposed for the genetic evaluation of productive and morphological traits. The goal is to achieve indices that are more stable and reliable over time.

The ITE Index Revision
The Total Economic Index simultaneously considers various traits that are breed selection objectives.

Over the years, since its initial publication, the weighting has been redistributed between Production and Morphology or between Production and Functionality. Since 2006, the ITE has been based on a triangular balance of the main traits: Production, Morphology, and Functionality, which currently weigh 55%, 15%, and 30%, respectively.

By selecting for ITE, production trends have seen significant improvements over the years, though less extreme when considering morpho-functional traits.

In recent discussions with breeders, several key points have emerged:

  • The need to place greater importance on fertility traits;
  • Reducing the emphasis on milking speed;
  • Decreasing the specific weight given to leg and hoof traits.

This has led to the necessity of revising the index composition, which, with the new update, will be structured as follows:

  • Reduction in the weight of the milking speed trait;
  • Exclusion of the feet&legs component;
  • Removal of the fat percentage;
  • Reduction in the weight of the final score;
  • Increase in the weight of protein kg;
  • Equal weighting for fertility traits: calving interval, calving to first insemination, first insemination to conception, cow conception rate, and heifer conception rate.

These changes will take effect with the December 2024 data release. The revision of selection objectives represents a crucial step in improving the breed and ensuring it effectively meets the evolving needs of farmers and the entire livestock sector.