Identification of Genetic Markers for the Improvement of Breeding in the Endangered Cattle Breed DSN for an Animal Friendly and Sustainable Production of Animal Products

The goal of the project is the genetic improvement of German Black Pied cattle, an endangered cattle breed, to make them economically more attractive. DSN is a dual-purpose breed with focus on milk production. There is a high interest to maintain the breed since (1) the animals are robust, resistant, long living, highly fertile, and possess good calving characteristics; (2) they meet the consumer’s expectation of a dairy cow grazing on the pasture and milk yield not selected for maximum performance, (3) the ancestors of DSN contributed to the genetic origin of the German Holstein breed. The genetic studies of DSN animals aim at obtaining better selection parameters for breeding within the small purebred DSN population in order to improve them so that they represent a very suitable product for organic dairy farms.