Do our cows lack strength?  Do our cows lack strength?  by Chad
Dechow  Many breeders believe that today’s cows lack the
strength needed to withstand the rigors of high production. In
recognition of the need to emphasize a balance between high
yield and cow fitness, a new category called Dairy Strength was
added to the PDCA (Purebred Dairy Cattle Association) scorecard
in 2009. The intent was to shift emphasis away from ultra-thin
dairy cows and toward a balance of dairy character with
strength.  While many assume that selecting for strength will
result in more robust cows, genetic research has failed to
document evidence that selecting for higher strength will be
beneficial. Studies have compared strength scores to herd life,
fertility and disease incidence. Strength scores are rarely
correlated in a favorable manner with these measures of health
and fitness, and are often correlated in an unfavorable
direction.  Despite research to the contrary, I believe dairy
producers are not mistaken about a general lac