In breeding circles we seldom talk about labor costs or how the bulls we use affect the ratio of milk cows to workers. With labor costing between 15% (robotic or very large herds paying minimum wage) to 25% (small show oriented herds with higher skilled staff) of total on-farm costs, we are talking about a cost item that has a moderate to high opportunity for cost savings. So how does genetics factor into those savings? Let’s do some calculating on that and see where we end up.

Have an Open Mind

It likely goes without saying, that as a Bullvine subscriber you are looking for the new and novel. However when it comes to total labor cost, we must all be prepared to change our ways. And the first habit to change could well be how we select the bulls we use. Labor intensive animals or animals that do not fit into group management need not apply for work on bottom line focused farms. If the marketing of show animals is your business then perhaps this article is not for you. However if your business is the efficient production of fat and protein from your farm with perhaps some sale of surplus breeding animals then you are the audience this article is written to stimulate. (Read more: FACT VS. FANTASY: A Realistic Approach to Sire Selection and From Fantasy to Reality – Top sires to address herd culling problems)

Know and Adhere to Minimums

To save time and to achieve your objectives you are advised to have a genetic plan for you herd (Read more: What’s the plan?). Types up your plan as it relates to bulls indexes and post it by your semen / embryo tank. That way you can quickly show any genetic supplier what your requirements are. That way no semen or embryos need to go into your tank that do not follow your plan. Minimums could be something like 40 pounds of fat, 30 pounds of protein, DPR 1.0, UDC 1.0, FLC 1.0, SCS 2.90, PL 4.0, NM$ 650, gTPI 2000,  …etc.  I leave it to you to convert the numbers into your corresponding values should you reside outside the USA.

Determining Your Minimums

Since sires used account for 90% of the genetic advancement in most production focused herd, the following thoughts are provided for readers to apply when considering sire indexes and labor required.  The same rationale applies to embryos and live animals purchases.

Reproduction

Poor reproduction takes a big toll on dairy farms and considerable extra time and effort for difficult calvings, treating metritis cases, breeding more than once, heat checking, treating infertile cows and entering the information into the herd management software. The Bullvine estimates that 10% of the labor force could be tied up with issues relating to poor reproduction. Extensive genetic information is available on sires on calving ease (direct & maternal), daughter pregnancy rates / daughter fertility, and semen conception rate. In a two hundred cow milking herd wouldn’t it be a real profit plus if one worker in ten could be eliminated because the bulls used were genetically superior for reproduction traits?

Some breeders would like it to go even further as they would like to know which sires produce heifers that come into heat by one year of age. But sadly that data, if it exists, does not make it to DPR or DHI and therefore no genetic evaluations can be calculated.

Milking

Two primary areas immediately come to mind where genetics affect the labor associated with milking. These are the actual time to milk and the time to treat cows with mastitis. Cows are not uniformly the same. Cows faster than average are no problem but slow cows slow down their side of the parlour or they must take a second turn around the rotary. Of course slow milkers cut back on the number of cows one robot can accommodate. But it does not stop there. Very short teats, rear teats too close, poor milking temperament and overly deep and meaty udders all add to the effort and time that workers must put in at EVERY milking. Two minutes longer to milk every cow in a tie stall barn can almost double the hours to milk and in a parlour the extra two minutes for a portion of the herd can add an hour to each milking. Remember it isn’t only milking speed but it is also getting the milking unit to stay on short teats and the treating of cows with mastitis and having to keep their milk separated. Every worker puts in 2000 hours per year on the job. Sires that produce daughters that take an extra two minutes at each milking in 3x 200 cow herds can require the expense of an extra worker very quickly.

Movement

Breeders recognize that lameness is a big expense for their farms as well as being an animal welfare issue that consumers are increasingly aware of.  Part of the increased expense is the extra labor that is required to treat lame animals and move lame animals to and from milking. Feet and pastern strength are not very heritable but if there are enough daughters in a bull’s proof there is very good information to use in selecting sires. Another index that is also useful when selecting bulls to use is rear legs rear view. It is not simple to determine the added hours it takes to deal with lame cows but in some problematic herds it could add up to many hours per week.

Setting Your Minimums

Check the sires you have been using. Do they qualify as labor savers? If they don’t then perhaps the best move to make is to dump their semen and get semen from bulls that qualify as labor savers. To be within the top 17% of the breed for traits that affect labor required, bulls must have the following minimum indexes:

The Bullvine Bottom Line

On December 3^rd new bull indexes will be released. Life on the farm has the potential to require less labor or fewer labor intensive jobs if you select sires that SAVE LABOR. December 3^rd is less than two weeks away. It is time to start re-writing the genetic plan for your herd.

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