DairyTalk 683: Gestation Length, Calf Size, and Stillbirth: What Genetics Reveals About Difficult Calvings - by Helmut Demmelhuber

DairyTalk by Helmut Demmelhuber · Sep 23, 2026 · 19m

This podcast episode is based on a scientific study investigating the genetics of gestation length and calving traits in Canadian Holsteins. Researchers analyzed traits including calving ease, calf size, stillbirth, and gestation length in both heifers and mature cows to better understand the genetic factors behind difficult births. The results point to a highly polygenic architecture, meaning that reproductive outcomes are influenced by many genetic variants rather than a small number of major genes. Although heritability is generally low, genomic selection can still create cumulative…