Sire Selection

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Archive for Sire Selection

Why Most US Dairy Farmers Lean Republican: A Look Into the Numbers and Reasons

Monday, August 12th, 2024

Wondering why most US dairy farmers are Republicans? Let’s delve into the numbers and reasons behind this trend. Are you curious about the political landscape of your industry?

Have you ever considered how your deeply held political beliefs influence your day-to-day farm operations? This is a significant factor for many dairy producers in the United States, impacting everything from feed pricing to regulations to sire selection. Most dairy farmers in America identify as Republicans, and their political allegiance can shape their attitudes toward government policies, trade barriers, and environmental rules. These beliefs influence their voting habits and how they run their dairy farms. Do your political beliefs align with your farm management practices? This is a crucial issue, especially considering the future of agriculture. ‘Politics isn’t just a game; it has real-world implications for American farms and livelihoods.

Statistics Prove the Point: Farmers Leaning Republican

Statistics also support this. According to a 2018 American Farm Bureau Federation survey, about 75% of farmers and ranchers, including dairy farmers, identified as Republican [source: American Farm Bureau Federation, 2018]. Another National Milk Producers Federation study found similar results, with 70% of respondents favoring Republican beliefs [National Dairy Producers Survey, 2022]. In 2020, 75% of counties with large dairy farms voted Republican [source]. Individuals and PACs associated with the dairy industry made $5.1 million in federal contributions during the 2020 election cycle. Most of that money went to Republicans, as it has for the past 20 years. Republicans received 71 percent of donations from the dairy industry, a slight drop from the 2018 cycle when 74 percent went to the GOP [source]. These statistics provide a clear picture of the political situation in the dairy farming sector.

From New Deal Democrats to Reagan Republicans: The Evolution of Dairy Farmers’ Political Affiliation

sheds light on the present situation. Many farmers were staunch supporters of the Democratic Party in the middle twentieth century, mainly due to Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal initiatives to aid struggling farmers during the Great Depression. However, as the century progressed, farmers’ political leanings shifted towards the Republican Party. This change was most pronounced during the Reagan era in the 1980s when Ronald Reagan’s policies and rhetoric resonated with the values of small government and free markets, which appealed to many in the agricultural sector. Understanding this historical context can help us better comprehend the current political affiliations in America.

The political shifts among dairy farmers reflect broader changes in rural America. The increasing consolidation of farms and technological advancements like milking robots have reshaped the economic landscape, often leading to support for the Republican Party’s tax reduction and deregulation programs. However, these changes are not confined to domestic factors. They are also influenced by global trade dynamics, which have altered American dairy farmers’ political affiliations as they seek fewer government restrictions and more opportunities for direct market access. Over the years, this transformation has mirrored a growing alignment with a political party, which is believed best to address the agricultural community’s economic and social needs.

Economic Factors: Fueling Dairy Farmers’ Republican Leanings

Economic policies have traditionally influenced American dairy producers’ political choices. Let us look at some of the primary aspects that make the Republican Party an appealing option for many in the dairy sector. Let us first look at tax policy. One of the Republican platform’s central planks is tax cuts, especially for corporations and people. Lower taxes result in increased take-home income and reinvestment possibilities for dairy producers. For example, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 included significant tax cuts that aided many farmers by lowering their tax burden.

Subsidies are another essential aspect. The dairy business often depends on government assistance to maintain market prices and provide farmers with a consistent income. Republicans have long supported significant agricultural subsidies to streamline these programs, decrease waste, and boost efficiency. These subsidies give critical financial comfort and stability amid volatile market situations, allowing dairy producers to feel safer and supported.

Trade agreements also have an essential effect on developing farmers’ political views. The Republican Party often highlights the necessity for free trade agreements, potentially opening up worldwide markets for dairy goods. Expanding export prospects gives farmers a bigger product market, which may be critical for sustaining profitability in a competitive global dairy business. These economic policies create a scenario where dairy producers may find the Republican Party’s agenda more aligned with their commercial interests and long-term viability.

Social and Cultural Values: Resonating with Republican Ideologies

Regarding social and cultural values, dairy farmers often agree with the Republican Party’s ideology. Imagine a close-knit rural village where everyone knows each other’s names and family traditions are highly valued. Do you feel proud of these parts of your life as a dairy farmer? If so, you are not alone. For many, these ideals translate into a desire for less government and less intrusion.

Rural Community Values: The countryside fosters a strong feeling of community and mutual assistance. This close-knit community promotes a lifestyle centered on self-sufficiency and assisting others. Many dairy producers and independent business owners favor policies encouraging autonomy and free enterprise. Research conducted by the American Farm Bureau Federation found that over 60% of farmers felt that conservative policies help rural regions.
Family Traditions: Generational farming is more than a profession; it is a way of life carried down through generations. Such traditions are generally associated with conservative social attitudes and a strong feeling of duty to maintain that way of life. How many times have you considered the legacy you will leave? Most people think it is an essential aspect of their political beliefs.
Attitudes toward Government Intervention: Many dairy farmers see government rules and initiatives as roadblocks that impede their business. From strict environmental restrictions to complicated subsidy schemes, the consensus is that less government intervention would make farming simpler and more sustainable. A National Milk Producers Federation study found that 55% of respondents backed smaller governments.

Reflecting on these common principles simplifies understanding why many dairy farmers support the Republican Party. Could these variables influence your political beliefs?

Trade Wars and Tariffs: Economic Impacts on Dairy Farmers’ Political Affiliation

Recent political developments have undoubtedly had a significant impact on the dairy business. When President Donald Trump launched trade fights with important allies such as China, Canada, and Mexico, dairy farmers were caught in the crossfire. Tariffs on American dairy goods increased, causing a significant decline in exports. According to the United States Dairy Export Council [USDEC], dairy shipments to China dropped by more than 50% at one time. This was a devastating blow for many in the dairy sector, highlighting the urgent need for dairy farmers to consider the political implications of such decisions.

Why is this relevant to political leanings? Financial stability is a top need for dairy producers. Republican programs often offer fewer restrictions and more tax cuts, which might seem more tempting amid international trade conflicts. Furthermore, the Trump administration issued relief packages to farmers hit by tariffs. This kind of direct financial assistance might build feelings of loyalty and appreciation for the party in power at that time.

Many small dairy producers supported Trump’s immigration plans, which sought to eliminate illegal labor. They said that big dairy farms broadly used this illegal labor, resulting in reduced milk costs. Trump’s strategy, which targets unlawful labor practices, was perceived as leveling the playing field, giving smaller businesses a better opportunity to compete in the market. One small dairy farmer said, “When huge farms exploit inexpensive labor, and labor is 15-20% of operation costs, it puts excessive strain on smaller farms like ours”. Trump’s immigration policy was an attempt to balance the scales.

On the other hand, things sometimes need to be clarified. Some farmers claim that the short-term benefits do not exceed the long-term harm caused by disrupted markets and lost customer connections. This might swing some people back to the Democratic side, particularly as the Biden administration has worked to normalize trade ties and concentrate on sustainable agricultural methods via revised Farm Bill provisions [source]. The long-term consequences of these policies continue to impact political affiliations and voting patterns across America’s dairy heartlands.

A Notable Minority: Dairy Farmers Who Support the Democratic Party

While it is true that the vast majority of dairy farmers favor the Republican Party, it is equally important to recognize that a sizable minority support the Democratic Party. Some dairy farmers believe that the Democratic Party’s emphasis on environmental sustainability and proactive, progressive agricultural policy better aligns with their beliefs and long-term goals for the dairy sector. They may refer to Democratic measures focused on lowering carbon footprints in agriculture, which are crucial for tackling climate change. Many feel that this issue will directly affect their livelihoods. Furthermore, some farmers support the Democratic focus on healthcare reform and social safety nets, seeing these policies as critical to their families’ well-being and community stability. This current heterogeneous political environment within the dairy farming community emphasizes the different variables driving individual vote choices, resulting in a more complicated and nuanced picture than would first seem the case.

The Bottom Line

Examining the evolution of dairy farmers’ political affiliations demonstrates that significant economic factors, such as the Farm Bill’s effect and farm-level profitability, play essential roles in shaping these political leanings. Furthermore, tying social and cultural standards to Republican values reinforces this inclination. According to statistics, the majority of dairy farmers lean Republican. As you examine these concerns, consider your political ideas and how they relate to the daily realities of your employment, company, and community. What stance will influence your political decision? How do you balance solving current difficulties and planning for the future? Given the rapid developments in the dairy farming sector, examine how your political actions may impact the future of dairy farming in America.

Key Takeaways:

Most US dairy farmers identify as Republicans due to economic, social, and cultural factors.
Economic issues like tariffs and trade policies heavily influence their political leanings.
Social values shared with the Republican Party also play a significant role.
Political affiliations impact farm operations, government policy attitudes, and voting habits.
In 2020, 75% of counties with large dairy farms voted Republican.
71% of federal contributions from the dairy industry went to the GOP.
Dairy farmers’ political affiliations have evolved from the New Deal era to modern-day influences like tax cuts and subsidies.

Summary:

The majority of US dairy farmers identify as Republicans, influenced by economic, social, and cultural factors. Economic concerns, such as tariffs and trade policies, play a big role, along with shared social values. Their leanings affect farm operations, attitudes toward government policies, and voting habits. In 2020, 75% of counties with large dairy farms voted Republican, and 71% of the federal contributions from the dairy industry went to the GOP. The political affiliations of dairy farmers have evolved from the New Deal during the Great Depression to present-day factors like tax cuts and agricultural subsidies, reflecting the complex relationship between policies and partisan support.

Learn more:

Categories : Dairy Industry

Wham! Bam! Thank You, Ma’am…Why breeding decisions require more thought and consideration

Tuesday, June 18th, 2024

Unlock the secrets to successful dairy cattle breeding. Are your decisions thoughtful enough to ensure optimal results? Discover why careful planning is essential.

Understanding the intricacies of dairy cattle breeding is not a task to be taken lightly. It’s a complex art that requires thoughtful decisions, which serve as the bedrock of a sustainable farm. These decisions, whether immediate or long-term, have a profound impact on your herd’s vitality and the economic success of your dairy farming.

Today’s decisions will affect your herd’s sustainability, health, and output for future generations. Breeding dairy cattle means choosing animals that enhance the genetic pool, guaranteeing better and more plentiful progeny. The variety of elements involved in these choices, from illness resistance to genetic diversity, cannot be overestimated.

This article is designed to empower you to make informed breeding choices. It emphasizes the importance of balancing short-term needs with long-term goals and the role of technology in modern breeding methods.

The Critical Role of Thoughtful Decisions in Dairy Cattle Breeding

Think about how closely environment, managerial techniques, and genetics interact. Your herd’s future is shaped via deliberate breeding aims. It’s not just about selecting the best-yielding bull; it’s also about matching selections with long-term goals like improving features like milk production, fertility, and health while appreciating genetic links impacting temperament and other characteristics.

Genetic enhancement in dairy breeding is a blend of science and art. It requires a deep understanding of your business’s beneficial traits. This involves a continuous commitment to change, particularly in understanding the genetic links between variables like milk production or health and temperament. The choice of sire must be intelligent and comprehensive, considering all these factors.

Including temperamental qualities in breeding plans highlights the difficulty of these choices. Environmental factors across different production systems affect trait expression, so precise data collection is essential. Informed judgments, well-defined breeding goals, and coordinated efforts toward particular goals depend on milk yield data, health records, and pedigrees.

Decisions on thoughtful breeding are vital. They call for strategy, knowledge, and awareness. By concentrating on controllable variables and employing thorough herd data, dairy farmers may guide their operations toward sustainable, lucrative results, ensuring future success.

Understanding Genetic Selection for Optimal Dairy Cattle Breeding

Choosing bulls for certain features shows the mix of science and art in dairy cow breeding. Apart from increasing output, the objectives include guaranteeing sustainability, health, and behavior and focusing on excellent productivity, health, and good behavior. Positive assortative mating, which is breeding individuals with similar traits, helps raise milk output and herd quality.

A well-organized breeding program must include explicit selection criteria and control of genetic variety to avoid inbreeding. Crucially, genomic testing finds animals with excellent genetic potential for milk output, illness resistance, and temperament. Friedrich et al.’s 2016 work underlines the relevance of genetic variations influencing milk production and behavior.

Genomic discoveries in Canada have improved milking temperament and shown the genetic linkages between temperament and other essential characteristics. Breeders must provide sires with proven genetic value as the priority, confirmed by thorough assessments so that genetic advancement fits production targets and sustainable health.

The Long-Term Benefits of Strategic Breeding Decisions

Strategic breeding decisions are not just about immediate gains; they shape your herd’s future resilience and output. By emphasizing the long-term benefits, we aim to foster a sense of foresight and future planning, ensuring sustainability and enhancing genetic development. Choosing sires with high health qualities helps save veterinary expenses and boost overall herd vitality, enabling the herd to withstand environmental challenges and diseases. This forward-thinking strategy prepares your dairy business for a prosperous future.

Genetic variety also lessens vulnerability to genetic illnesses. It improves a breeding program’s flexibility to market needs, climatic change, or newly developing diseases. While preserving conformation and fertility, setting breeding objectives such as increasing milk supply calls for careful balance but produces consistent genetic progress.

The evolution of genetic testing is revolutionizing dairy cow breeding. This method allows for precisely identifying superior animals, empowering farmers to make informed breeding choices and accelerate genetic gains. The assurance of resource optimization ensures that only the most significant genetic material is utilized, guaranteeing the best herd health and production outcome. This reassurance about the effectiveness of modern techniques aims to inspire confidence and trust in these methods.

Performance-based evaluation of breeding programs guarantees they change with the herd’s demands and industry changes. This means that your breeding program should be flexible and adaptable, responding to the needs of your herd and industry changes. Using sexed semen and implanted embryos gives more control over genetic results, enabling strategic herd growth.

Well-considered breeding choices produce a high-producing, well-rounded herd in health, fertility, and lifespan. Balancing production, sustainability, and animal welfare, this all-encompassing strategy prepares dairy farms for long-term success.

Tools and Techniques for Making Informed Breeding Decisions

Although running a successful dairy cow breeding program is a diverse task, you are not alone. Genetic testing is a method for identifying early animals with excellent illness resistance and milk output. This scientific breeding method improves genetic potential, promoting profitability and sustainability. Having such instruments helps you know that you have the means to make wise breeding selections. This section will delve into the various tools and techniques available as a breeder or dairy farmer and how they can help you make informed breeding decisions.

One cannot stress the importance of herd statistics in guiding wise breeding choices. Correct data on milk output, health, and pedigree let breeders make wise decisions. This data-centric strategy lowers negative traits by spotting and enhancing desired genetic features, producing a more robust and healthy herd.

Retaining genetic variety is also vital. Strictly concentrating on top achievers might cause inbreeding, compromising herd health. A balanced breeding program with well-defined requirements and variety guarantees a solid and efficient herd.

For guiding the gender ratio towards female calves, sexed semen technology is becoming more and more common, hence improving milk production capacities. Similarly, intentionally improving herd genetics by implanting embryos from elite donors utilizing top indexing sires enhances.

Fundamentals are regular examinations and changes in breeding strategies. Examining historical results, present performance, and new scientific discoveries helps to keep the breeding program in line.

Avoiding Common Pitfalls in Dairy Cattle Breeding

None of even the most incredible instruments can prevent all breeding hazards. One often-common error is depending too much on pedigree data without current performance records. Although pedigrees provide background, they need to be matched with current statistics.

Another problem is ignoring concerns about inbreeding. While this may draw attention to positive qualities, it can also cause genetic problems and lower fertility. Tracking inbreeding and promoting genetic variety is crucial.

Ignoring health in favor of more than simply production characteristics like milk output costs money. A balanced strategy values udder health and disease resistance and guarantees long-term herd sustainability.

Ignoring animal temperament is as troublesome. Choosing excellent temperaments helps handler safety and herd well-being as stress lowers output.

Adaptation and ongoing education are very vital. As welfare standards and genetics improve, the dairy sector changes. Maintaining the success of breeding programs depends on being informed by studies and professional assistance.

Avoiding these traps calls for coordinated approaches overall. Maintaining genetic variety, prioritizing health features, and pledging continuous learning help dairy herds be long-term successful and healthy using historical and modern data.

The Economics of Thoughtful Breeding: Cost vs. Benefit

Cost	Benefit
Initial Investment in High-Quality Genetics	Higher Lifetime Milk Production
Use of Genomic Testing	Improved Disease Resistance and Longevity
Training and Education for Breeding Techniques	Enhanced Breeding Efficiency and Reduced Errors
Advanced Reproductive Technologies	Accelerated Genetic Gains and Shortened Generation Intervals
Regular Health Monitoring and Veterinary Care	Decreased Mortality and Morbidity Rates
Optimized Nutritional Programs	Improved Milk Yield and Reproductive Performance

Although the first expenses of starting a strategic breeding program might appear overwhelming, the long-term financial gains often exceed these outlay. Modern methods like genetic testing, which, while expensive initially, may significantly minimize the time needed to choose the finest animals for breeding, are included in a well-considered breeding strategy. This guarantees that only the best indexing sires help produce future generations and simplifies choosing.

Furthermore, employing sexed semen and implanted embryos helps regulate the herd’s genetic direction more precisely, thus maybe increasing milk output, enhancing general productivity, and improving health. Such improvements immediately result in lower expenses on veterinarian treatments and other health-related costs and more milk production income.

One must also consider the financial consequences of juggling lifespan and health with production characteristics. Although sound milk output is crucial, neglecting elements like temperament and general health might result in more expenses for handling complex animals. Including a comprehensive breeding strategy guarantees a more resilient and productive herd, providing superior returns over time.

Furthermore, ongoing assessment and program modification of breeding initiatives enables the best use of resources. By carefully documenting economically important characteristics, dairy producers may maximize efficiency and production and make wise judgments. This data-driven strategy also helps identify areas for development, guaranteeing that the breeding program develops in line with the herd’s and the market’s requirements.

Ultimately, knowledge and use of these long-term advantages determine the financial success of a deliberate breeding plan. Although the initial outlay might be significant, the benefits—shown in a better, more efficient herd—may guarantee and even improve the financial sustainability of a dairy running for years to come.

The Future of Dairy Cattle Breeding: Trends and Innovations

Year	Expected Improvement in Milk Yield (liters/year)	Expected Increase in Longevity (months)	Projected Genetic Gains in Health Traits
2025	200	3	10%
2030	350	5	15%
2035	500	7	20%

As the dairy sector develops, new trends and ideas change cow breeding. Genomic technology has transformed genetic selection, making it possible to identify desired features such as milk production and disease resistance. This speeds up genetic advancement and increases the precision of breeding choices.

Furthermore, data analytics and machine learning are increasing, which enable breeders to examine vast performance and genetic data. These instruments allow individualized breeding techniques to fit particular herd objectives and environmental variables and, more precisely, estimate breeding results. This data-driven strategy guarantees that every choice is measured toward long-term sustainability and output.

Additionally, holistic breeding goals, including environmental sustainability and animal welfare, are increasingly stressed. These days, breeders prioritize milking temperament, lifespan, and feed efficiency. Studies like Friedrich et al. (2016) show the genetic connections between specific characteristics and general agricultural profitability.

Reproductive technologies like in vitro fertilization (IVF) and embryo transfer (ET) powerfully shape dairy cow breeding. These techniques improve herd quality via the fast multiplication of superior genetics. Combined with genetic selection, these technologies provide unheard-of possibilities to fulfill farmers’ particular needs, from increasing milk output to enhancing disease resistance.

The sector is nevertheless driven forward by combining biotechnology with sophisticated breeding techniques. Precision genetic changes made possible by gene editing technologies such as CRISpen introduce desired phenotypes. From improving efficiency to reducing the environmental effects of cattle production, these developments solve essential problems in dairy farming.

Finally, the complex interaction of genetics, data analytics, reproductive technologies, and biotech developments defines the direction of dairy cow breeding. Using these instruments helps dairy farmers make wise, strategic breeding choices that guarantee their herds flourish in a changing agricultural environment.

The Bottom Line

In essence, wise decision-making determines the success of your dairy cattle production program. Understanding genetic selection, matching production features with health, and using modern methods can help you improve herd performance. A sustained business depends on avoiding typical mistakes and prioritizing economic issues.

Investing in careful breeding plans can help you turn your attention from transient profits to long-term rewards. Give characteristics that increase income priority and reduce costs. One benefits greatly from a comprehensive strategy involving efficient feed cost control and consideration of herd wellbeing.

Thinking about the long-term consequences of your breeding decisions results in a solid and profitable herd. Maintaining knowledge and initiative in breeding choices is crucial as the sector changes with fresh ideas and trends. Commit to deliberate, strategic breeding today and see how your herd performs and how your bottom line changes.

Key Takeaways:

Thoughtful breeding decisions are vital for the long-term health and productivity of dairy herds.
The selection of genetic traits should be backed by comprehensive data and rigorous analysis.
Strategic breeding can enhance milk production, disease resistance, and herd quality over generations.
Investing in high-quality genetics upfront leads to significant economic benefits over time.
Modern tools and technologies, such as genomic testing, play a crucial role in informed breeding decisions.

Summary

Dairy cattle breeding is a complex process that requires strategic decision-making and careful selection of animals to ensure healthier and more productive offspring. Genetic improvement in dairy breeding is both science and art, requiring a deep understanding of beneficial traits. Sire selection must be comprehensive and strategic, involving accurate data collection from milk yield, health records, and pedigrees. Positive assortative mating, which focuses on high productivity, health, and favorable behaviors, significantly improves milk production and herd quality. A well-structured breeding program requires clear selection criteria and genetic diversity management to prevent inbreeding. Genomic testing is critical for identifying animals with top genetic potential for milk yield, disease resistance, and temperament. Breeders must prioritize sires with proven genetic merit, validated through rigorous evaluations, to align genetic progress with sustainable health and productivity goals. The economics of thoughtful breeding include cost vs. benefit, with initial investment in high-quality genetics leading to higher lifetime milk production, improved disease resistance, enhanced breeding efficiency, reduced errors, advanced reproductive technologies, regular health monitoring, veterinary care, and optimized nutritional programs.

Learn More

In the realm of dairy cattle breeding, knowledge is power. To make informed decisions that will lead to healthier, more productive herds, it’s essential to stay updated on the latest strategies and techniques. Here are some valuable resources to deepen your understanding:

Categories : Dairy Cattle Breeding Strategies

Who Said You Can’t Breed For Higher Fertility?

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Wednesday, April 30th, 2014

If you were to describe the perfect program to achieve top female fertility in your herd, what would it be? Would your program include heifers calving at 22 months of age and every 11-13 months thereafter until lifetime production reaches 275,000 lbs (125,000 kgs) of milk? For decades breeders have heard that they can’t breed for fertility. It’s all management and nutrition. Well that story is changing. Let’s examine how genetics can play a role in improved fertility in a herd.

The Current Scenario

The CDCB (Council on Dairy Cattle Breeding) has summarized the following current reproduction information on the current US dairy cattle.

Holstein cows take 2.5 breedings per conception. Jerseys take 2.2.
Holstein cows average 80 days in milk before they are bred. Jerseys average 77 days.
Average calving interval for Holstein cows that calve back is 13.8 months. Jerseys average 13.0 months.
Average conception rate for Holstein cows is 32%. Jerseys average 41%.
Average age at first calving in Holsteins is 26 months. Jerseys average 23.5 months.

These stats for Holsteins and Jerseys are provided for breeders to benchmark their herds, not to start a breed war. In five years’ time even if a Holstein herd was able to achieve the current Jersey average it will not be good enough. The three biggest factors that stand out from these stats and that are in need of correction are: 1) days to first breeding; 2) number of breedings before conception; and 3) age at first calving.

As it turns out the reproductive performance of North American dairy cows and herds reached their lowest level in 2007 and since then there has been minor genetic improvement.

Source: CDN – March 2010 – A Look at Fertility from Two perspective

Breeders Must Address Fertility

An attitude shift is needed. We must move from tolerance of fertility to awareness that genetics plays a role. Not all breeders have accepted the need for change. The Bullvine analysed the sires with the most progeny registered with Holstein US over the past two weeks and found that nine, yes nine, of the top twenty had negative genetic ratings for Daughter Pregnancy Rate (DPR). In fact two sires had significant negative ratings of -2.5 and -3.5. In addition four of the twenty had only slightly positive ratings. In total 13 of the top 20 sires were not breed improvers for DPR. That is significant!

Some breeders have paid attention to the management side of fertility and have increased their pregnancy rate by aggressive heat detection, by using professional A.I. reproduction specialists (Read more: Artificial Insemination – Is Doing It Yourself Really Saving You Money?) by installing heat detection devices or by using hormone level monitors (Read more: Better Decision Making by Using Technology). However from the latest reports from milk recording, half the herds have a pregnancy percent of less than 15%. And only 10% of herds have a pregnancy rate of 21% or more. Clearly more attention needs to be paid to getting cows and heifers pregnant.

Genetic Tools to Aid with Fertility

Daughter Pregnancy Rate (USA) and Daughter Fertility (Canada) are the primary genetic evaluation ratings to use when selecting for improved female fertility. These indexes are created using data from insemination, milk recording and type classification.

However there are eleven other genetic ratings that have some influence on reproduction. Individually they may not be significant but collectively they can contribute to reproductive problems or solutions.

Calving Ease – difficult births delay cows coming into heat
Maternal Calving Ease – normal delivery benefits – cow, calf and staff
SCC – cows with mastitis are less likely to conceive
Feet – problem cows are not mobile and do not show heats
Rear Legs Rear View – cows that toes out are not as mobile
Milk Yield – high milk yield stresses cows. Breed for high fat and protein yields on lower volumes of milk.
Body Condition Score – high yielding cows that retain body condition are more fertile
Persistency – high lactation yielding cows that have flatter lactation curves put less strain on their bodies
Inbreeding – inbreeding negatively affects reproduction
Haplotypes – information is now coming available to show that certain haploids hinder reproduction
Semen Conception Rate – although not a genetic rating, low fertility semen should be avoided

Those are the tools available today. We can expect that, with the current research into genomics and reproduction, there will be new ratings to assist with breeding more reproductively sound animals in the future.

Selection Matters

The Bullvine recommends that after breeders short list the sires they intend to use that they eliminate sires that do not have a DPR over 1.0 or a DF over 103. Yes, female fertility is included in TPI, NM$ and LPI but the emphasis on fertility in these total merit indexes is not high enough to result in major genetic improvement for fertility. The following lists of bulls are examples of bulls that significantly improve total merit as well as female fertility.

Table 1 Top Ranking US Sires by Daughter Pregnancy Rate

Table 2 Top Ranking CDN Sires by Daughter Fertility

Action Plan

It is important for both herd viability and sustainability that the following steps be followed.

Do not use bulls that are genetically inferior for reproductive traits.
Genomically test heifer calves. Eliminate reproductively inferior cows and heifers.
Include genomic reproductive information when correctively mating females.
Use heat detection devices, hormone level monitoring equipment or intensive staff heat detection.
Use herd management software and herd protocols to assist with reproductive management.
Ensure that animal housing and animal grouping result in healthy animals
Feed cows and heifers according to their performance and reproductive needs
Employ staff training and education program for reproduction.

The Bullvine Bottom Line

The genetic attention starting to be given to female reproduction on dairy farms is long overdue. The first step for breeders is to include reproduction in your herd genetic improvement plan (Read more: What’s the plan?). In as little as five years, by following a progressive proactive plan, breeders will significantly reduce their losses due to reproduction.

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Cull Cows, Sire Selection And Lost Money. Are You Missing The Connection?

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Tuesday, April 15th, 2014

What comes to your mind, when you see or hear about a cow that has produced 200,000 pounds of 4.0% fat and 3.5% protein milk and is due to calve again soon? Too often as breeders we immediately look at her conformation and expound about her great feet and legs or mammary system. Unfortunately we are missing the important questions. What proportion of her birth mates have already been culled. Why were they culled? From a profitability point of view milk producers are missing the obvious. Culling information needs to be used for both breeding and management purposes. There’s no excuse for ignoring the statistics.

Jerseys Do It Better

Recently released American figures from milk recorded farms show that Jerseys are the best, when it comes to achieving the lowest culling percentage.

Table 1 Breed Culling Rates

	NAME	SIRE STACK	SCORE	GTPI	NM$	PTAT	FAMILY	OWNER
1	LADYS-MANOR PL SHAKIRA-ET	Planet x Shottle x Mandel Debut	87	2443	839	3.49	Ladys-Manor Ruby Jen	De-Su Holsteins, LLC
2	ROYLANE SHOT MINDY 2079-ET	Shottle x Oman x Manat	86	2409	792	2.87	CMV Melwood Mindy	Buschur Dairy Farms, Inc.
3	LADYS-MANOR DORCY ODA	Dorcy x Auden x Outside	86	2389	756	3.06	Ladys-Manor Delightful Jem	My Ladys Manor Farm
4	LARCREST CRIMSON-ET	Ramos x Shottle x Outside	91	2384	741	3.15	Larcrest Juror Chanel	Larcrest Holsteins
5	LADYS-MANOR DORCY AMIRA	Dorcy x Planet x Goldwyn	86	2372	768	2.9	Ladys-Manor Autumn	My Ladys Manor Farm
6	LARCREST CASE-ETS	Planet x Ramos x Shottle	86	2369	815	2.68	Larcrest Juror Chanel	Diamond Genetics
7	LARCREST CAKE-ET	Super x Shottle x Outside	86	2346	688	3.09	Larcrest Juror Chanel	Sandy-Valley Farms
8	COOKIECUTTER MOM HALO-ET	Man-O-Man x Goldwyn x Champion	88	2338	656	3.33	Snow-N Denises Dellia	Phillip Wilson, Kyle M. Gett
9	WEBB-VUE GABOR MYCALA-ET	Gabor x Baxter x Goldwyn	87	2330	696	3.22	Burket-Falls KL Sabrina	Robert A. Webb
10	CLEAR-ECHO M-O-M 2150-ET	Man-O-Man x Ramos x Hershel	87	2320	608	3.49	Clear-Echo Hershl D-Rac 822	De-Su Holsteins, LLC
11	BEN-AKERS PLANET LUISE26-ET	Planet x Jose x Ramos	85	2319	819	2.45	Ricecrest Luke Lisa	De-Su Holsteins, LLC
12	STRAUSSDALE PLANET ELLA	Planet x Shottle x Spike	87	2310	726	3.01	Brandts Encore Edith	Straussdale Holsteins LLC
13	SULLY PLANET MONTANA-ET	Planet x Shottle x Oman	86	2302	649	3.08	Sully Shottle May	De-Su Holsteins, LLC
14	AMMON-PEACHEY SHAUNA-ET	Planet x Shottle x Oman	87	2302	701	2.69	Wesswood-HC Rudy Missy	Seagull Bay Dairy
15	RICKLAND FREDDIE 3509-ET	Freddie x Shottle x Outside	83	2298	675	2.96	Oakfield Outside Brynn	Greg Rickert
16	VISION-GEN SH FRD A12276-ET	Freddie x Jet Stream x Outside	86	2298	681	2.89	Morningview Converse Judy	Oakfield Corners Dairy
17	DE-SU 9955-ET	Freddie x Boliver x Addison	85	2297	705	2.48	Neu-Way Patron Allie	De-Su Holsteins, LLC
18	LADYS-MANOR PL SHANDRA-ET	Planet x Shottle x Mandel Debut	87	2285	702	3.21	Ladys-Manor Ruby Jen	Joel Krall & Tim Crouse
19	NEWELL KRAMER 1571	Kramer x Pronto x Best	83	2280	704	1.66	Newell 548 Best	Ken Newell
20	MS M-P SEQUOIA LILLY-ET	Sequoia x Bolton x Shottle	85	2279	734	2	M-Pondhill Shottle Lana	Pond Hill Dairy
21	LARCREST CHENOA-ETS	Planet x Ramos x Shottle	87	2277	699	2.66	Larcrest Juror Chanel	Larcrest Holsteins
22	LARCREST CHIMA-ETS	Planet x Ramos x Shottle	88	2275	700	2.63	Larcrest Juror Chanel	Larcrest Holsteins
23	MS WELCOME MM LULITA CRI-ET	Man-O-Man x Shottle x Magna	85	2274	634	3.01	Welcome Blackstar Lass	Genesis Cooperative Herd
24	SYNERGY PLANET PASSION-ET	Planet x Oman x Outside	86	2273	702	2.61	Walkup Bell Lou Etta	Synergy Farm LLC
25	PINE-TREE FREDDIE ALEXA-ET	Freddie x Boliver x Zack	85	2273	698	2.44	Jafral Prelude Prissy	Pine Tree Dairy

So why are Jerseys rated as the best? What makes them 32% better than Holsteins? As nearly as I can determine, for both male and female perspective, it comes down to one area – superior reproduction! Jersey cows have a conception rate of 42 to 48%. This gives them a 27% lead over the Holstein conception rate of 33 to 36%. This conception rate gap accounts for 85% of the difference in culling rates between Jerseys and Holsteins.

Hat’s off to the Jersey breed and breeders. It’s little wonder that the Jersey breed is experiencing a resurgence in commercial milk production herds.

For a considerable time, judges and classifiers have been trained to penalize cows with high pins. However with mature Jersey cows that principle does not necessarily hold true. Even with high pins, Jerseys still get into calf. What I’m seeing, when I study proven and genomic bull proofs that it is much more accurate to judge reproduction by looking at Daughter Pregnancy Rate (DPR), when selecting bulls to use to improve herd genetics for fertility.

Before leaving the Jersey breed, it should be noted that the challenge for Jersey breeders is to improve their cattle for somatic cells (SCS), from an average of 2.94 compared to Holsteins at 2.80.

Stop Ignoring Culling Reports

Breeders are eternal optimists. So we try for five, six or seven services to get a cow in calf. We use sires that have a proof over 3.00 for SCS. We use bulls that leave daughters with shallow heels that toe out in the rear. Why is that? We all have read the annual reports of culling reasons? Do we think we’ll get lucky? Do we not respect the sire proofs?

Table 2 Culling Reasons that have a Genetic Component

	NAME	SIRE STACK	SCORE	GTPI	NM$	PTAT	FAMILY	OWNER
1	LADYS-MANOR PL SHAKIRA-ET	Planet x Shottle x Mandel Debut	87	2441	840	3.65	Ladys-Manor Ruby Jen	De-Su Holsteins, LLC
2	LADYS-MANOR DORCY ODA	Dorcy x Auden x Outside	85	2407	773	3.12	Ladys-Manor Delightful Jem	My Ladys Manor Farm
3	ROYLANE SHOT MINDY 2079-ET	Shottle x Oman x Manat	85	2402	805	2.66	CMV Melwood Mindy	Buschur Dairy Farms, Inc.
4	LARCREST CRIMSON-ET	Ramos x Shottle x Outside	91	2348	710	3.1	Larcrest Juror Chanel	Larcrest Holsteins
5	CLEAR-ECHO M-O-M 2150-ET	Man-O-Man x Ramos x Hershel	87	2347	649	3.52	Clear-Echo Hershl D-Rac 822	De-Su Holsteins, LLC
6	COOKIECUTTER MOM HALO-ET	Man-O-Man x Goldwyn x Champion	88	2334	661	3.32	Snow-N Denises Dellia	Phillip Wilson, Kyle M. Gett
7	SULLY PLANET MONTANA-ET	Planet x Shottle x Oman	86	2323	657	3.27	Sully Shottle May	De-Su Holsteins, LLC
8	BEN-AKERS PLANET LUISE26-ET	Planet x Jose x Ramos	85	2316	812	2.49	Ricecrest Luke Lisa	De-Su Holsteins, LLC
9	LARCREST CASE-ETS	Planet x Ramos x Shottle	86	2315	755	2.81	Larcrest Juror Chanel	Diamond Genetics
10	AMMON-PEACHEY SHAUNA-ET	Planet x Shottle x Oman	87	2299	686	2.82	Wesswood-HC Rudy Missy	Seagull Bay Dairy
11	STRAUSSDALE PLANET ELLA	Planet x Shottle x Spike	87	2295	703	3.23	Brandts Encore Edith	Straussdale Holsteins LLC
12	LADYS-MANOR PL SHANDRA-ET	Planet x Shottle x Mandel Debut	87	2287	696	3.34	Ladys-Manor Ruby Jen	Joel Krall & Tim Crouse
13	CHERRY CREST MANOMAN ROZ-ET	Man-O-Man x Elegant x Outside	86	2284	630	2.93	Whittier-Farms Outside Roz	Siemers Holsteins
14	RICHMOND-FD POMPEY-ET	Massey x Ramos x Pippen	87	2281	721	2.18	Richmond-FD Ramos Poppy	Pine Tree Dairy
15	COOKIECUTTER SS HEY 7043-ET	Man-O-Man x Goldwyn x Champion	83	2281	605	3.42	Snow-N Denises Dellia	Zimmerview Dairy
16	RALMA PLANET CENTURY-ET	Planet x Bolton x Durham	86	2273	647	3.34	Ralma Juror Faith	Siemers Holsteins
17	MS M-P SEQUOIA LILLY-ET	Sequoia x Bolton x Shottle	83	2271	734	1.99	M-Pondhill Shottle Lana	Pond Hill Dairy
18	DE-SU 9955-ET	Freddie x Boliver x Addison	85	2268	684	2.57	Neu-Way Patron Allie	De-Su Holsteins, LLC
19	RMW SUPER ARIANE-ET	Super x Goldwyn x Oman	83	2264	612	3.14	Unicorn Chairman Lynn	De-Su Holsteins, LLC
20	SYNERGY PLANET PASSION-ET	Planet x Oman x Outside	86	2263	687	2.7	Walkup Bell Lou Etta	Synergy Farm LLC
21	RICHLAWN SUPER APRIL APPLE	Super x Zade x Shottle	83	2261	702	2.06	Muranda Rudolf Lily	Genesis Cooperative Herd
22	JK-GOLD DORCY PASTRY-ET	Dorcy x Toystory x Outside	83	2260	619	2.92	Rabur Outside Pandora	Corwin Holtz and True Farms
23	DIRT-ROAD MANOMAN CAMEO-ET	Man-O-Man x Goldwyn x Tugolo	86	2259	651	2.55	Cooks-Valley Bell Curly	Steve & Amanda Killian
24	MS WELCOME LATH TAMMI	Latham x Colby x FBI	86	2258	578	2.82	Clear-Echo 2635 Bol 1204	Welcome-Stock Farm
25	LARCREST CHIMA-ETS	Planet x Ramos x Shottle	88	2256	673	2.58	Larcrest Juror Chanel	Larcrest Holsteins

The above culling reasons come from the cows culled in 2013 from Canadian milk recorded herds. Where a reason was provided, 73.6% of the cows were culled for reasons associated with genetics. The first cull should always be when you’re selecting sires. Stop using the ones that are causing problems that you are continually culling for. For information on what to cows that remain the longest in a herd, it is recommended that breeders read She Ain’t Pretty – She Just Milks That Way! There is a point where optimistically hoping for better results is simply foolish.

Do the Math

If we are still in doubt about the importance of considering culling in sire selection, let’s think about the dollars and cents of each of these statistics on lost dollars:

Every case of mastitis = -$300.
An extra 30 days in the dry pen, due to cows not getting in calf until the current average of 162 days in milk = -$150
Loss of genetics, when a top cow is culled = -$500
Five pounds less in average milk yield per cow per day, due to a long calving interval = -$200 per cow per year

Added costs and loss of production because of cows with moderate foot problems = -$400
Added insemination and semen cost with each insemination beyond second service =-$75.

Lost potential revenue from fewer calves born = -$250 (female) -$100 (male)
Low cull rates allow breeders to save on the cost of raising all heifers born = +$2000.
Low cull rates means selling excess heifers (3-24 months @ +$400 to +$2000.)

When you do the math on all of these factors, it is not hard to see how is possible to run up lost revenue and added costs that total $500 to $1000 per cow. That’s too large a number, when you consider that a cow producing 25,000lbs. of $20 cwt milk generates $5,000 in revenue per year. Quite simply, the math tells us that breeding to avoid culling should be a consideration in every herd’s breeding plan (Read more: What’s the plan?)

Sire Selection Steps to Minimize Culling

The goal is to maximize genetic progress, maximize profit and minimize (unreasoned) culling. The Bullvine recommends the following process for selecting sires.

Consider only the top fifty proven or one hundred genomically evaluated sires based on gTPI, gLPI, NM$ or JPI (Jersey).
Remove from the list any sire above 9% EFI (Effective Future Inbreeding) or above 14% for relationship.
Remove from the list any Holstein sire that does not have a PL of 5.0 or HL of 108.
Remove from the list any Holstein sire that does not have a DPR of 1.0 or a DF of 105.
Remove from the list any Holstein sire that is not below 2.90 for SCS.
For Jersey sires the minimums should be PL 1.5, HL 105, DPR 0.0 or DF 102. And maximum of 3.00 for SCS.
Minimum standards for gTPI, gLPI, NM$ or JPI may be lowered for polled bulls but do not lower the minimums for Pl, DPR or SCS.
As Red and RC Holstein Sires are mainly popular with show type breeders and their proofs are considerably lower, the Bullvine does not recommend that commercially focused breeders use those sires.

What`s Your Culling Blindspot?

Any discussion of culling has to consider those breeders who don’t cull enough. Sometimes the situation arises where a breeder is most proud of the fact that it is rarely necessary to buy new animals. The pride is in being self-sustaining. This is all well and good as long as it doesn’t mean that you’re breeding the same problem over and over. For want of a low culling rate the good of the entire herd could be lost. There is no future in that.

Which brings us to the opposite problem with culling numbers. Occasionally you will meet a breeder who reports a high (35% or more) culling rate and it’s hard not to be shocked. However, we must always ask the second question, “Why?” It’s the rationale behind the culling. For example, if the high rate is because the breeder is always looking to raise only the animals that are going to live up to their genetic potential and not invest time and money in the rest, that is a plan. That could mean that more heifers don’t make it through their first lactation. The culling number is a tool – not good or bad on its own. However, it can’t be ignored and it must work for the goals of each individual dairy operation.

The Bullvine Bottom Line

Culling is a cost that must be minimized for breeders to maximize their net returns per cow per year. The traits associated with reproduction, udder health and feet & legs need to receive much more consideration than has been occurring in the past. Know what your herd needs from both a genetic and a management standpoint. Align your corrective mating to proactively impact your culling rates. Although the heritabilities for culling rates are low, it is surprising how much you can improve them in five years. If you don’t consider them, in those same five years could place yourself out of the market, when it comes to selling breeding stock or embryos. Cull cows and lost money. It`s up to you to make the connection.

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Duds and Studs – Why you shouldn’t use the same sires as the AI units

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Friday, February 21st, 2014

One in ten. Those are the numbers that AI units use when they’re making matings to get the next great sire. You see AI companies aren’t trying to produce the 10 best sires that they possibly can. No. They want that one extreme top of the pack sire that outpaces all of the others. As far as they’re concerned, the other nine sires can have their throats cut. Just because a sires is a sires of sons, does not mean he will be a good sire of daughters.

For years we have all been guilty of it.

We, the breeders, talk to the sire analysts to find out what sires they are making contract matings to. Then we try to decide which hot new sire we will use. For some it is because we want to see our names in lights, or sire catalogues at least, for others it’s because they want to get rich. The thing is we have had it all wrong. (Read more: You’re Fired: The Future of the Sire Analyst) First of all you must realize that the Sire Analysts are not all wrong. It’s simply that they had a different breeding goal than you do. Sire analysts and their genetic teams back at the AI units are looking to get that one sire that could change the breed. For their purposes, they can easily afford to get nine duds if just one of those sires turns out to be a super stud. In today’s marketplace having that winner means they don’t even need to touch the other nine.

But what does that mean for you the breeder?

You are the one left holding the bag or more accurately, left cutting the throat of the other nine sires born on your farm. Not to mention the fact that you now have to milk the full sisters. And furthermore, the problem becomes even more amplified, because you now have nine really expensive recipients for every sister that turns out.

Let’s plug the numbers on this.

After doing many different variations of the costs to produce these programs (Download the Bullvine Dairy Cattle Investment Calculator) we find that it costs at least $7,000 to get a calf on the ground. So if you are having to produce 10 bulls to get the single one, that means that he’s costing you at least $70,000. Now let’s look at the revenue side. Sure studs will offer you open ended leases, but in order to move enough semen to get you $70,000 in commission checks, your sire would have to be a top 10 PA gTPI sire or #1 in a very popular niche, such as polled (Read more articles about Polled Dairy Cattle) or health and fertility (Read more articles about Fertility). Anyone who has plugged the numbers in to see what it costs the average breeder to produce a top sire, knows that it just doesn’t pencil out into the black. So it’s not surprising that we have seen many of the once very prolific sire producing breeders stop producing bulls all together.

That brings us to the female side of the equation.

Sure you can hope to get that one outlier on the female side as well. But again where is the revenue? It’s certainly not from selling the top females (Read more: An Insider’s Guide to What Sells at the Big Dairy Cattle Auctions 2013). Not that you would be willing to because you need that female to produce the next generation. So how do you make your money back? It’s certainly not from getting enough milk out of the 9 other females to warrant the more than $100,000 it has cost you to produce those 10 females.

So what is a breeder to do?

The answer is pretty simple. Breed for the kind of cow that makes you money. That is the long lasting, high producing kind. But instead of focusing on those sires that are just as likely to give you the great one as the next dud, look for those sires that are more apt to produce consistent reliable results. That means looking for the sires and cow families that consistently have high quality genetics generation after generation. In truth one in ten does not make a Master Breeder even though can make for a very profitable AI company.

While bull studs are looking for those sires that produce the greatest range, meaning those that will give you the extreme high, and willing to take the risk in getting the extreme low, you need to look for the exact opposite. You want the sire that breeds the most consistent pattern throughout their daughters. When there is a consistent pattern to work with, then you can make that much better breeding decisions. Most people equate reliability to consistency. But that is not the case. Reliability is more just the total amount of information, not how spread out their daughter population is. Over the years there have been many great bloodlines that produce reliable results generation after generation, that the AI units typically do not work with because they are not likely going to give you a list topper. In the past USDA and CDN made available how much variety each sires has in their daughter population for different traits, but now, you have to request such information. This is probably the greatest information a breeder could have when trying to produce consistent results.

Without that information, you have to do two things. First look at the pedigree and see the genomic tests to their siblings. If they is an extreme difference between all the siblings, then you know this is more of a home run hitter instead of a hitting for average. Second through maternal line. Is the dam the only success stories in her family, is there a consistent pattern throughout the maternal line. Lastly look at sire stack. When in doubt I always go back to sire stack. Very seldom do I have a sire the totally deviates from the tendencies of their sire stack. Sure they will have much greater numbers, but I find that when it pattern is always the same.

The Bullvine Bottom Line

It really doesn’t matter what kind of cow you are breeding for. Whether it’s the next World Dairy Expo Champion (Read more: The Top 7 Sires of 2013 that will Breed the Next World Dairy Expo Champion and 7 Sires to Use in Order to Breed the Next World Dairy Expo Champion) or the Index Superstar (Read more dairy cattle mating recommendations), there is no shortcut to success. Instead of looking for one out of the park home run hitter, you need to look for the sire and matings that are going to deliver those strong team players that hit for average. Sires that generation after generation deliver consistent results. So next time you make your mating decisions don’t use the hottest sire of the day or the sire that the sire analyst told you to. Use the sires that you know will deliver those consistent results seven out of ten times, because in today’s marketplace breeders cannot afford to be cutting the throats of the also rans and losers.

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Supermodels, Show Cows and the Future of Dairy Cattle Breeding

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Wednesday, November 27th, 2013

Iman, Giselle, Claudia, Hailey, Frosty, and Charity….What do they all have in common? Besides that they are all so famous that they are recognizable by just one name, they are also famous for something else …their exceptional beauty. In the same way that supermodels are perceived to be the “perfect” woman, great show cows are often perceived to be the “ideal” cow. The problem is that, in the real world that may not be the case and, in fact, might be doing some breeders more harm than good.

You see, when we talk about ideal conformation of a cow, we look for many of the same things that we do in a supermodel. We want them to be long and skinny, unblemished and perfectly proportioned. The problem is, when you are looking for the perfect production cow, many of those traits may be detrimental to their ability to be a low maintenance, high performance animal.

The image of an ideal cow was one that was developed for a milk production system that was geared around one on one care of each animal, typically in tie stall. In that environment, you have the ability to work extensively with each animal and the time to do whatever it takes. The reality is that 85% of the milk that is produced these days happens in environments that are not able to give that level of individualized care.

The Bullvine Holstein Mature Model Cow

Tall, long, skinny works great on the runway, but not in a commercial milk production facility. These girls are high maintenance. They require lots of extra attention in order to look this great. That is something that milk producers cannot afford when, in reality, they are looking for the exact opposite. (Read more: FACT VS. FANTASY: A Realistic Approach to Sire Selection and The Perfect Holstein Cow)

The Bullvine Total Performance 2 Yr Old Cow

You see each milk producer’s ideal cow will be different. That is because their production facilities are different and, as a result, the cows that excel in those facilities will be different. (Read more: Are Today’s Holstein Cows Too Tall?) A great example of this is a robotic system versus a tie stall. While a breeder in a tie stall environment strives for taller, longer and wider, these traits may actually cause problems for some robotic systems. Sure you can always make the robots bigger, but what happens for those breeders who cannot afford to be continually upgrading? Instead these producers are more concerned about teat placement, calving ease and temperament. These traits typically do not find their way onto the radar of breeders who are looking to breed the next World Dairy Expo or Royal Grand Champion. (Read more: Robotic Milking: More than just automation it’s a new style of herd management)

Significant differences in production environments are the biggest reason that the gap is widening between what the typical seed stock producer considers the ideal cow and what the commercial producer’s ideal cow looks like. . This is occurring despite breed associations’ attempts to narrow the gap. The reality is there are so many different requirements with each different production environment that one breeder’s definition of the ideal cow can be very different from another’s. It also begs the question “Is there really such a thing as an ideal cow anymore?”

In fact there are many mindset differences among breeders who derive their revenue from different sources. You see it’s understandable that producers who make a significant portion of their income from selling seed stock would be more concerned about how the animal looks. These producers usually have qualifiers like, she has to be over 2 points for type (+10 Conformation in Canada), while many commercial producers could care less about using type as a qualifier for sire selection. A great example of this is Don Bennink from North Florida Holsteins. (Read more: NORTH FLORIDA HOLSTEINS. Aggressive, Progressive and Profitable!! ) Don points out that “Bulls with + 3 and + 4 type proofs have daughters that are too big and too sharp for commercial dairymen. For this reason gTPI or TPI are essentially ignored in bull or female selection. Net Merit $ has some value.” The latest correlation of final type score with stature is .77. Worse yet, the correlation of udder composite with stature is .57. That means if you breed 100% for udder composite, you will increase stature at more than half the rate that you would if you bred for stature alone. That is one of the reasons that Don does not even look at conformation when he is making sire selection. Instead he chooses the following qualifiers: 60 pounds or more of protein; 5 or above for P.L.; 1 or above for DPR; 2.9 or less for SCC; 5. 8 or below for Calving Ease. Interestingly enough when you apply these requirements you will find that the top 30 sires that meet them are between +1.50 and +4.00 for PTAT, have strong udders, positive feet and leg scores, and, probably, are not as tall or as wide chested and deep bodied as some of your typical high type sires, but they possess functional type.

Just like super skinny supermodels, when a cow is extremely underweight, it can cause many reproductive issues. First a cow’s menstrual cycle often stops or becomes irregular when she is too skinny. While that typically does not cause as many problems in yearlings and 2 year olds, as a cow gets older this can make it harder and harder to get them back in calf. Not only is it harder for underweight cows to conceive, it’s also harder for them to sustain the pregnancy, as menstrual irregularities affect the uterine lining that supports a fetus.

The Bullvine Bottom Line

Great show cows are like having a supermodel on your arm. They are eye candy pure and simple. Don’t get me wrong, I love to look at and take photos of a great show cow. And guess what? Showing a great show cow makes you look good as well. It’s not just self-aggrandizement either. There’s no shame in feeling proud of breeding or exhibiting the greatest looking cow at the show. It takes significant effort to exhibit a great show cow, so when it pays off, more power to you. The pitfall is that these great cows are also typically high maintenance. While that may not be an issue for your business, for most commercial producers it simply does not work!

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Let’s Talk Mating Strategies

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Thursday, September 12th, 2013

Whenever two or more breeders get together they talk ‘bulls’. Which ones are you using? Why? What results are you seeing? Do your results match what his proof says he will do? More recently talk has been about genomic indexes and if, when proven, bulls’ proof will match the genomic index. So why is this talk so important? Today half the semen being sold is from genomically evaluated bulls. And quite simply it is because 90% of the improvement in herd comes from the sires used in a herd or a population. Some may disagree saying that cow families are extremely important. However in the majority of herds a cow has one to two heifers and not all of those heifers will calve at least once in the herd. So which sires and how they are used will make the difference between genetic progress or genetic backsliding.

Before Bull Proofs

Before Bull proofs, well in fact before BLUP bull proofs, genetic progress was limited at best. Breeders used cow families to select their bulls from. often crossing cow families to get the result they wanted. In the history books we read about the successes but there were in fact more failures than successes. BLUP indexes (1970’s) were the first accurate genetic measurements available and they started the upward climb genetically. Today we take for granted that proven bulls will do what the proofs say they will do. How fortunate we are that the animal breeding industry has dedicated researchers that made the study and application of cattle breeding their careers. We no longer need to hope that the bull we choose will click with our herd. We have the facts to base our decisions on.

Mating Programs

A.I. organizations for many years now have provided services to interested breeders on which sires should be used in a herd or on which cows a sire will work best. As we all know many breeders use these services, at least as a guide, while other breeders wish to retain sire selection to their own system.

One key factor in mating programs, no matter who offers it or if a breeder has his own is what results a breeder wishes to achieve. Breeding is not simply using top ranked sires. It is about taking the cows in your herd and mating them to a sire to achieve your goals. Even the very elite sires have limitations. Doubling up their limitations with cows will the same limitations is not progress.

How Accurate

Until heifers and cows had genomic results, breeders often selected bulls based on their genetic indexes and females on their phenotypic information (yields and classification). Now with genomic values breeders know with 65-70% accuracy a female’s genetic merit and that plus their phenotypic information, if a breeder wants to use it, represent the female side. For bulls their genetic indexes are the most accurate information to use. The only difference between genomic indexes and a daughter proven bull in addition to the genomic index is the accuracy / reliability of the information 70% vs 90+%.

Corrective Mating

Breeders need to ask themselves if they want a solid herd for the traits of importance to them. In which cases using a corrective mating strategy is likely the way to go. Most A.I. mating services are based on this strategy. You take each cow or group of cows and you determine their limiting factors. Traits like low milk yield, low %F, high SCS and weak fore attachment. The program searches for the bull or bulls that correct the limitations that the females have. By breeding this way breeders wanting a uniform herd with reasonably high genetic merit for most traits can be achieved within 5-6 generations of females.

An example of corrective mating would be if you have a typical Baxter daughter you would look for a bull that would, at least, improve %P, wide front teats and daughter fertility. Most breeders whose major income source is the milk check would be satisfied to achieve those corrections.

Complimentary Mating

There are breeders that take a different approach to improving their herd. These breeders are not so concerned about having a very uniform herd. They want to have a herd that excels for certain traits. Traits like show type, fat & protein yield and longevity. Breeders practicing this strategy will first off select bulls that sire daughters that build upon the breeder’s priority areas. The example where we often see this practiced by breeders are those who participate in showing. They always make sure the bulls they use leave daughters with style and stature. But there are other examples. For instance breeders that have the goal of having a least half their cows complete five lactations and 125,000 lbs of milk. These breeders are willing to give up on items of lesser importance to them to achieve their big ticket traits.

An example of complementary mating would be if you have a typical Baxter daughter you would look for a bull that would build on Baxter’s genetic strengths in milk yield, fat yield, median suspensory, heel depth and herd life. Breeders planning to derive significant income from the sale of breeding stock will want to have available for sale stock that excel above average.

Plan for Improvement

So many traits and various methods of expressing indexes can make the job of reading and understanding a challenging one. The Bullvine provides the following table to show where indexes are relative to the cows in North America:

It is important to use bulls that are significant improvers if a breeder wishes to make advancement. For cows or heifers that already have high indexes it takes a significant improver bull to even holder these females at their current indexes. Remember that if a cow is -0.5 for Daughter Pregnancy Rate (in Canada 95 for Daughter Fertility) it takes using a bull that is +1.5 (110 in Canada) to even get the resulting calf to be above average.

The Bullvine Bottom Line

First know what you want to achieve from the matings in your herd. Make sure that you or your advisors base sire selection on corrective mating to limit faults. Use complimentary mating to enhance the strengths already present in your females. Every journey has a starting point and an end point. The route to get to the end is the breeder’s choice.

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Flukes and Pukes – What Happens When You Don’t Have a Plan

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Friday, August 23rd, 2013

Sure when a mating works out you say you planned it or it was the result of a great mating decision. But what do you say when it doesn’t work? Most of the time you blame the sire. In reality, you cannot leave your breeding programs to chance. If you do you are just as likely to end up with a puke as you are to get a great one by a fluke.

No matter what your breeding goals are you need to have a plan (Read more: What’ the plan?). Recently there has been a lot of discussion resulting from our interview with Don Bennink (Read more: North Florida Holsteins: Aggressive, Progressive and Profitable and The Truth About Type and Longevity). Bennink does not look at type when making his mating decisions. Instead, Don uses the following criteria when selecting what herd sires to use:

60 pounds or more of protein
5 or above for PL
1 or above for DPR
2.9 or less for SCC
8 or below for Calving Ease

While some of us may not agree with Don’s filters for which sires he uses, there is no arguing that he has a very clear plan. A clear plan that is based on what works for the management style and profitability of his North Florida Holsteins. .

While many breeders dream about getting a cow that looks like this

The problem with many breeders’ breeding programs is that they don’t have a plan that centers around the way their farm makes money. Think about it. How often do you select a mating sire for the reasons you typically cull animals, as opposed to what your perceived ideal cow looks like? Sure when it works and you get that great show cow you claim that it was planned and was a result of years of thought and that you have cattle sense. BS to that. Unless you set out a clear plan for your herd, then claims that these animals are a result of great “dairysense” are just bull. Trust me I have walked through herds and asked them, what the “iffier” looking ones are sired by and more often than not they blame it on the sire not working instead of taking responsibility for not having a plan and making smart breeding decisions.

The reality is they should be breeding for something like this

Sure flukes do happen. But, even in the show ring these days, I see less and less flukes and more and more show winners coming from generations of great breeding that have had careful thought put into exactly which sire to use. For most of these herds that does mean using the high type sire that is obviously getting the job done. But if you are like most breeders you are not making your money selling show winners. Your money is coming from those that deliver the most milk, as efficiently as possible, and last for multiple lactations. So tell me why don’t your sire selection filters reflect this production goal?

Now you ask me, “Andrew how do you know that we are not doing this?” and my answer to that is pretty simple. Most breeders are not looking at fertility and SCS as their top two filters, and yet those are the top two reasons most cows are culled from the herd (Read more: FACT VS. FANTASY: A Realistic Approach to Sire Selection). Instead I hear comments like she needed more dairy strength as a key issue. Did you know four out of the top five sires for dairy strength are below +1000 kg. of milk. And four of the five are also negative on at least protein% or fat% deviations. So I ask you how much does dairy strength correlate to overall production?

The Bullvine Bottom Line

Don’t get me wrong there are herds that have done very well and been very profitable breeding for high type generation after generation. Two great examples are Ferme Jacobs (Read more: Ferme Jacobs: Success Is All In The Family!) and Quality Holsteins (Read more: Quality Holsteins – Well-deserved Congratulations and Quality Cattle Look Good Every Day). Both these herds have bred for type generation after generation and have amazing high conformation herds to visit. But that is because they had taken a lot of time and energy to carefully plan out how they will make money and how their breeding program will map to it, instead of the other way around. The big lesson is that instead of leaving everything to chance you need to have a plan, otherwise all you will end up with are the flukes and pukes.

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Pick The Right Bull – Your Future Depends on The Decisions You Make Today!

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Tuesday, August 6th, 2013

There are many ways to get from Point A to Point B whether you’re on the asphalt highway or the genetic highway. A genetic plan for your herd is like a GPS – it can help you reach your genetic destination faster, with fewer detours and more profit in your pocket. It really depends on picking the coordinates that mean the most to you.

Your Future Starts Now!

The time to put in place a genetic plan is now. The bulls used will be 90% of that plan in all but the very elite genetic herds. In those herds the emphasis will be 60% bulls and 40% females. Remember that with a four year average generation interval in a herd, it means that the bulls selected this month will form the base of the herd you are milking in four to five years time.

The Clock is Ticking!

Next week will be bull selection time again for dairy cattle breeders. It’s time to decide whether to stick with the same or similar bulls or is it time to chart a new course? Over the past few month The Bullvine has covered various breeding approaches covering the spectrum from a main focus on show winning animals such as Riverside Jerseys (Read more: Riverside Jerseys: Travelling Hearts – A Girl, A Guy and Their Jersey Love Story) to a very definite focus on functional profitable cows as selected at North Florida Holsteins (Read more: NORTH FLORIDA HOLSTEINS. Aggressive, Progressive and Profitable!!). Both these breeders have a dynamic plan and they follow it successfully. Both have secured a profitable pinnacle but there are many who struggle in various low points in between. We feel their struggle relates directly to herd genetics decision planning that is unfocused or not undertaken at all.

Where Has the Money Gone?

The premium for selling good quality purebreds no longer exists. The animals that formerly sold for $4,000 to $10,000 now bring just slight over the cost of raising them. The market for replacement cows is a fraction of what it once was. With the use of technology such as sexed semen and better herd management practices, herds that formerly bought replacements have enough of their own. The few they do have to sell contributes to lowering the market price for replacements.

On the bull side, indexes for young sires are now almost twice as accurate thanks to genomics. Fewer are being sampled and incentives for young sire use or price discounting of their semen have disappeared.

Show Money is a “No Show”

There once was a market for animals that could win the county show. Today, with 4H calves being one exception, the average milk producer have discontinued exhibiting cattle. At a practical level, the large tall show type animals aren’t the best fit for modern housing facilities. The trend is that show type farms will be a much smaller portion of national herds. Where once perhaps up to 20% of farms selected bulls based mainly on their PTAT or CONF proofs, that is likely to be one in a thousand farms within five years time. Selecting bulls only on their type indexes will not position breeders to generate a profit from cattle sales or to have efficient milk production.

Where is the Money Now?

Cattle sales once made up 10 to 30% of revenue for purebred breeders. Today the milk check is the key revenue source. The embryo market does not match former cattle sale levels. The most valuable animal on the farm is no longer the 4-5 year old brood cow but the high genomic indexing 6-8 month old heifer from a proven cow family. Buyers want first lactation females only. Second and later lactation females are suspected as being sold for a problem (i.e. high SCS). Commercial breeders are speaking out for efficient more agile cows with high yields. We can expect to see the trend for high prices for the genetically elite but after that there will be little or no premium pricing.

Put Your Money Where the Bull Is

If your farm’s primary focus is profit from efficient fat and protein production, then consider using NM$ as your primary selection index. Once you have a list of bulls over NM$ of 600 you can eliminate bulls from that list based on their inferiority for traits that you feel are important.

Using second tier bulls (gTPI below 2100, gLPI below 2500 or NM$ below 600), daughter proven or genomically tested, will not give you animals or a herd that are in demand by other breeders. Red adds little to a breeding program unless you can generate significant income from cattle sales. It would be a wise move to start using polled bulls on a portion of your herd. (Read more: Is Polled the NEW Red?) It is false economy to use anything but the top bulls. Don’t skimp when it comes to buying the semen from the top bulls for genetically advancing your herd. Do not be swayed by a salesperson. They are looking out primarily for their own bottom line. It only works if it’s right for your plan. Using the right bulls will drive up your revenue and keep costs due to genetic issues under control.

Healthy is Wealthy

Using bulls with breeding values in the bottom 60% of the population for Daughter Pregnancy Rate, Daughter Fertility, SCS, Productive Life and Herd Live (below 1.0 on USA indexes of below 105 on Canadian indexes) will mean that you are not advancing the genetic merit of your herd for these increasingly important traits as fast as your fellow breeders are. Today more accurate predictions are available on bulls for their daughters’ longevity, SCS and fertility, using genomic indexes. With the increasing number of animals per worker, there is less time for individual care. Genetic selection for better health and reproduction is high on the priority list. Feet and hoof care are receiving more management attention but on the genetic side this area needs more focus. Technology, equipment and management of herds are advancing all the time and health and reproduction needs to keep up. Never forget that animal treatment and welfare are also receiving more focus. Polled is going mainline and herds with lame animals will be centered out for negative attention. (Read more: From the Sidelines to the Headlines, Polled is Going Mainline!)

The Bullvine Bottom Line

Without clear thinking, five years from now you may find you haven’t made any forward genetic progress. Analyze your genetic program. If certain decisions you made in the past are no longer producing profitable results, then be ruthless, and move on to something better. Times have changed. Have you?

Not sure what all this hype about genomics is all about?

Want to learn what it is and what it means to your breeding program?

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6 Steps to Understanding & Managing Inbreeding in Your Herd

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Monday, June 3rd, 2013

Many articles and various approaches have been written over the past couple of years on how to deal with inbreeding in dairy cattle (Read more: 20 Things Every Dairy Breeder Should Know About Inbreeding and INBREEDING: Does Genomics Affect the Balancing Act?). However the herd breeding approach towards inbreeding that is best suited for individual dairymen is not a one size fits all.

Out-Crossing

Frequently the method recommended is to find out-cross sires and to use them on a herd rather than closely related or inbred sires. The Bullvine produced such a list a few months back (Read more: 12 Sires to Use in Order to Reduce Inbreeding). However totally out-cross sires are almost non-existent as very few Holstein A.I. breeding bulls do not contain, in their first three generations, a cross to, at least, one of Bolton, Blitz, Durham, Goldwyn, Oman, Planet, or Shottle.

Sires From the Past

But we should not despair. This problem has been the same challenge for the past century. In the past there were concerns about too much concentration of the Holstein bloodlines when Rudolph, Blackstar, Valiant, Elevation, Astronaut, Rockman, the Burkes and the Montvics were in their hay days. It is not new in 2013. A few years back Holstein International produced an article on the extreme focus, around the world, on Blackstar as he had a few hundred sons that were sampled in A.I. But we moved on past the Blackstar focus and outcross sires came along and saved the breed from a one sire focus.

Recent Out-Crosses

The most recent ‘heroes’ to assist with avoiding inbreeding Holsteins have been Shottle, Oman and Planet. They themselves have average to below average inbreeding percentages – 6.25%, 5.06% & 7.27% respectively. We must remember that it was not their lower inbreeding percentages that attracted breeders to them it was what their daughters could do in every breeder’s herd. They were all out-crosses when they arrived on the scene. However, they were all used heavily, perhaps too heavily. In fact it is not the bulls that are the problem. It is our over abundant use of sires on close relatives that lead to them becoming inbreeding concerns.

Why Inbreeding was Practiced in the Past

Before the era of genetic evaluations, inbreeding was employed in what was called ‘Line Breeding’. The concept was to find a family that had the attributes a breeder wanted and then to double, triple or even quadruple up the cow or bull in the pedigree of the next generations. Breeders persist in using the line breeding approach even though we now have very accurate genetic indexes. As a result we are creating an inbreeding problem for ourselves. Especially for traits like fertility, immunity, vigour and longevity. In 2013 these traits are coming to the forefront in the breeding of dairy cattle.

What is Average for Inbreeding?

In the USA inbreeding is expressed by a term called Inbreeding Coefficient, whereas in Canada it is called Inbreeding Percent. The average value for each appear to be similar with the average inbreeding in Holsteins in Canada being 5.87% in 2009.

Here are some examples of inbreeding percent that can be expected from within family matings:

Brother- Sister 25%
Half Brother – Half Sister 12.5%
First Cousins 6.25%
Second Cousins 3.13%

In other words, the average animal in the Canadian Holstein populations was almost equivalent to being the result of mating first cousins.

Sire Selection & Inbreeding

Choosing sires to minimize inbreeding is not as simple as going to CDN.ca or DairyBulls.com and finding the top (lowest) bull for inbreeding percentage or inbreeding coefficient. Thus eliminating from your breeding program any bull that is over average for inbreeding. You must also consider the bloodlines in your herd and the inbreeding of your females.

It can happen that a cow and a bull each have low inbreeding percents but due to being from similar bloodlines the resulting progeny are inbred. Take Goldwyn for example. His sire, James, has an inbreeding percent of 3.67%. His dam, Baler Twine’s value is 9.74%. Yet when mated because of the intense line breeding to both Grand and Aerostar, Goldwyn’s inbreeding value is 15.69%. The line breeding did allow for his genetic make-up to be homozygous at many loci. We all know how he stamps out show type. However breeders planning to line breed further with Goldwyn in the pedigree should be concerned about the definite possibility of inbreeding depression for health and fertility traits. Sire stack does not show inbreeding as accurately as inbreeding coefficient or percent does.

For breeders interested in some bulls with below average inbreeding values, The Bullvine offers the following lists. Note that we have chosen bulls with high total merit indexes and above average for Daughter Pregnancy Rate and Daughter Fertility. There is no benefit to using a sire that has a low inbreeding number yet produces daughters that have low fertility or are lacking in any of healthy fast growing calves, immune animals, SCS, Feet & Legs or Mammary System. Of course the lack of heifer information across herds could be our Achilles Heel in the not too distant future in genetically advancing our heifers.

Tables 1 – Top Sires with Lower Inbreeding Levels

Name	Inbreeding	Index	Fat	Protein	UDC/MS	FLC/F&L	SCS	DPR/DF	Net Merit	Sire Stack
USA Sires
Amighetti Numero Uno	3.6	2456 (GPA TPI)	89	47	2.7	2.21	2.59	1.3	836	Man-O-Man x Shottle x
Co-op O-Style Oman Just	4.1	2246 (GTPI)	47	56	1.21	2.11	2.71	2.4	728	Oman x Teamster x
Farnear-TBR-BH Cashcoin	5	2470 (GPA TPI)	78	52	2.88	1.24	2.56	1.4	904	Observer x Goldwyn x Shottle
De-Su Observer	5.5	2332 (GTPI)	61	52	3.02	0.89	2.76	0.6	792	Planet x Oman x BW Marshall
Canadian Sires
Regan-ALH Diplomat	5.34	2905 (GPLI)	49	73	8	10	2.81	101	327	Mr Burns x Oman x Durham
UFM-DUBS AltaEsquire	5.69	2864 (GLPI)	110	63	1	4	2.79	103	466	Oman x Sam x Patron
Genervations Lexor	5.79	3291 (GPA LPI)	90	84	11	14	2.89	100	652	Man-O-Man x Goldwyn x Durham
Swissbec Brekem	5.85	3227 (GPA LPI)	72	80	13	10	2.87	102	641	Bookem x Man-O-Man x Mr Burns
Other Sires
O-Man End-Story	3.81	2915 (Mace LPI)	80	69	6	7	3.13	103	483	Oman x Besn x Luke
Bertaiola Mincio	4.3	2927 (Mace LPI)	74	45	16	11	3.06	100	460	Bolton x Iron x Mtoto
Koepon AltaClassman	5.29	3180 (Mace LPI)	94	73	8	10	2.71	103	721	Man-O-Man Shottle x Aerostar
KNS Reminder	5.74	3199 (Mace LPI)	106	79	7	10	2.86	101	681	Sudan x Oam-O-Man x Goldwyn

The Bullvine cautions breeders using genomic sires to not use just one sire. Many of the top sires on the genomic listings have average to above average inbreeding numbers. So it is best to use many genomic sires. Many breeders wisely use from 5 to 20 doses of a genomic sire and then move to another high genomic sire.

Six Suggested Practices

Avoid using any sire that has above average inbreeding numbers especially if his pedigree has similar sires to the females in your herd.
After identifying sires with average to below average inbreeding numbers, make sure they are superior for traits important in your breeding program like fat yield, protein yield, feet & legs, mammary system, udder health and fertility.
Use a sire’s genetic and inbreeding indexes when selecting sires and do not practise line breeding.
If there is a sire that you would like to use but his inbreeding index is on the higher side then use his top two non-inbred genomics sons.
Use computerized sire mating programs as they consider inbreeding when making sire recommendations.
A.I. organizations should publish the inbreeding values for the sires they sample, prove and market.

The Bullvine Bottom Line

Inbreeding is a consideration but not the driving force when it comes to improving the genetic merit of a dairy herd. Line breeding served its purpose in the past but now can be detrimental to lowering inbreeding in dairy cattle. By following the suggested practices you will not only be able to better understand inbreeding, you will actually accelerate you genetic advancement, by not avoiding those sires that you thought would have been a inbreeding problem. It’s important to remember just how much effect inbreeding will have, and how does that compare to the difference in genetic merit between the sires you are choosing from.

Not sure what all this hype about genomics is all about?

Want to learn what it is and what it means to your breeding program?

Download this free guide.

FACT VS. FANTASY: A Realistic Approach to Sire Selection

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Tuesday, November 13th, 2012

How often do you select a mating sire for the reasons you typically cull animals, as opposed to what your perceived ideal cow looks like? Further to our discussion about what the Perfect Holstein Cow looks like we here at the Bullvine started to ask ourselves, “How often do we choose our matings based on what we think the perfect cow looks like? vs. what our true management needs are?” Far too often sire selection is based on the fantasy of breeding that next great show cow or VG-89-2YR instead of facts needed to breed that low maintenance cow that will stay in your herd for many lactations and produce high quantities of milk. Do your sire selections overlook your management needs?

Speedy Selection. Long-Lasting Problems

Discernment is the hardest part of sire selection. Seeing your herd for what it is and what its genetic needs are is step one. Step two is choosing what will work for you almost three years from now when the daughters of the sires you use today will be entering the milking string. The old adage was “breed for type and feed for production.” But how many breeding stock animals have you sold recently based solely on conformation? How many will you be selling in three years based on their type? What are the revenue sources for your farm now and in the future? If your answer is “We get our revenue from the milk cheque from as few cows as possible and with as much profit per cow as possible” then selecting for type could mean that your sire selection is out of alignment with your management needs.

How Can You Tell If You Are You Out of Sync?

One place to determine where your herd has issues is to look at the reasons for and the frequency of culling. Every cow that leaves your herd for any reason other than a profitable sale is an indicator of the issues that could be arising from sire selection that is out of alignment with what is going on in your herd.

The Bullvine found the following information on milking age females that are removed from herds:

Over 35% of cows in a herd are replaced annually. That is costly!
The top known reasons for culling or removing cows are:
- Infertility / reproduction 23.1%
- Sold for dairy purposes 21.4%
- Mastitis 13.8%
- Feet and Legs 9.6%
- Low production 7.6%
- Total 75.5%
The other known reasons for culling or removing cows are:
- Injury 10.0%
- Sickness 7.0%
- Old Age 2.4%
- Diseases 1.8%
- Bad Temperament 0.9%
- Difficult Calving 0.9%
- Conformation 0.9%
- Slow Milker 0.6%
- Total 24.5%

Are You Breeding to Spend Money or Are you Breeding to Make Money?

You may be comfortable with your culling rate especially if it isn’t too far off “normal”. However when you look closely at the cows that remain in your herd how “needy” are they? Staff time, vet calls, hoof trimming, semen, drugs, supplies, extra time in the dry cow pen and removing cows from herds before they reach maturity – these all add up to significant dollars down the drain. Therefore, anything that can be done in sire selection to minimize these costs goes right to improving the financial bottom line. All unbudgeted costs mean less profit. If an animal is culled early, it does not matter where she placed at the local show or that her sire was a popular bull that left fancy udders. If he also left poor feet and low fertility, that costs you money.

A More Realistic Approach: Breed for the Bottom Line Not Just the Top Number

Often top bulls for total index are put forward to breeders for their use, without regard for the bull’s limiting factors. The Bullvine doesn’t support that approach. We recommendation that minimum sire selection values be set for the reasons cows are culled so that sires used in a herd don’t create new problems while the breeder tries to solve the current ones.

Here are the Bullvine we recommend the following requirements bulls should meet to be considered for use by bottom line focused breeders:

In Canada
- Lifetime Profit Index > +2000*
- Daughter Fertility > 100
- Somatic Cell Score < 2.90
- Feet & Legs > +5
In USA
- Total Performance Index > 2000*
- Daughter Pregnancy Rate > 1.0
- Somatic Cell Score < 2.90
- Feet & Legs Composite > 1.0

* A high minimum value has been set for both LPI and TPI to address the removal of cows for low production and so animals sold for dairy purposes can be in demand for their milk producing ability.

THE BULLVINE BOTTOM LINE

Every dairy breeder wants a superior herd and wants to eliminate the daily annoyances, costs and loss of valuable cows due to infertility, mastitis and feet problems and low production. Breeders should choose the best sires that correct the actual problems that they face in their herd instead of chasing a fantasy that has nothing to do with their reality.

Not sure what all this hype about genomics is all about?

Want to learn what it is and what it means to your breeding program?

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You’re Fired: The Future of the Sire Analyst

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Friday, September 21st, 2012

Do artificial insemination companies still need to pay high priced sire analysts to run the roads being nothing more than glorified tail hair pullers? There once was a time when the skill of the sire analysts was the biggest differentiator an A.I. company had. However, things have changed and the question now becomes,”Is the role even needed anymore?”

I am not trying to say that the current crop of sire analysts are not as good as some of their predecessors. What I am saying is that, with the introduction of genomics, the role of the sire analyst has all but been replaced. Or has it?

Who shot the sire analyst?

Technology has replaced the sire analysts and genomics is the smoking gun. Gone are the days where a sire analyst could chose to contract a cow because he had confidence in her or the breeding program. Also gone are the days when it was the sire analyst’s job to identify which cows are the real deal and which ones are just smoke and mirrors (read The Hot House Effect on Sire Sampling and Has Genomics Knocked out Hot House Herds).

Now more than ever it’s a numbers game. Now it isn’t who can sample the most bulls, but rather with genomics, it is simply a matter of whether the numbers add up. There once was a time if a cow was not at least an 87+ point cow she would never even get a second look from an A.I. company. Now we are seeing bulls being sampled from Good Plus 2yr olds or even maiden heifers (Read – Is Good Plus Good Enough?)

What is a sire analyst to do?

As A.I. companies are being forced to get lean in order to keep operation cost down, you notice fewer sire analysts running the roads. Many new A.I. companies don’t even have people in these roles. So what are these soon to be unemployed, self-confident analysts to do? Well rest assured the smart ones will learn to adapt. Moreover, the others will quickly learn Darwin’s Theory of Evolution. It’s no longer about how great a cattle judge they are. Today it will come down to three things:

How well they negotiate contracts
the first thing I would do is train every single one of these individuals on how to become the best negotiators they can be. The future of their A.I. companies depends on how well these front line individuals can procure top cattle and negotiate the best value deal they can. The power has shifted and it’s no longer breeders being excited that an A.I. company is even speaking to them, it has now become a bidding war (Read Top 10 Questions to Ask Before You Sign That A.I. Contract). I would even recommend that sires analysts get paid 100% based on the deals they negotiate. Much like in sales those that are great will rise to the top and make a lot of money, and those that can’t will find themselves going pretty hungry.
How well they build relationships
The best way to become an expert negotiator is to be able to build great relationships. When any parties sit down to work out a deal, it comes down to who you know and trust. All things being equal, the breeders who own the cattle with the top genomics are going to make a deal with individuals that they know and trust. If they can’t trust you, no amount of “extras” are going to make up for the lack of it.
No longer an expert cattle evaluator they are now breeding advisers
For years sire analysts have been put on pedestals as these great evaluators of cattle, and many where. In many cases top breeders are just as smart or even smarter at doing this. Today that particular skill is not as relevant as it once was. The evaluation part is being done by the “number crunchers” back at the office (aka the geneticists). However, a great way for A.I. companies to get a head start on their competition is to help breeders breed the next generation of great ones. Share the wealth of knowledge that the “number crunchers” provide with the partner herds that you are looking to sample from, so that you can become that trusted adviser that will give the edge when it becomes contract negotiation time.

The Bullvine Bottom Line

Would I fire all the sire analysts? Yes, if they can’t adapt and become relationship builders and trusted advisers who know how to negotiate a win-win deal for both sides. The predictability and reliability that genomics has brought to the industry has taken the role of sire selection from an art form to a very calculated science. Those sire analysts that recognize this and adapt will thrive. Those that don’t should start polishing their resumes.

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Archive for Sire Selection

Wondering why most US dairy farmers are Republicans? Let’s delve into the numbers and reasons behind this trend. Are you curious about the political landscape of your industry?

Statistics Prove the Point: Farmers Leaning Republican

From New Deal Democrats to Reagan Republicans: The Evolution of Dairy Farmers’ Political Affiliation

Economic Factors: Fueling Dairy Farmers’ Republican Leanings

Social and Cultural Values: Resonating with Republican Ideologies

Trade Wars and Tariffs: Economic Impacts on Dairy Farmers’ Political Affiliation

A Notable Minority: Dairy Farmers Who Support the Democratic Party

The Bottom Line

Key Takeaways:

Summary:

Learn more:

Unlock the secrets to successful dairy cattle breeding. Are your decisions thoughtful enough to ensure optimal results? Discover why careful planning is essential.

The Critical Role of Thoughtful Decisions in Dairy Cattle Breeding

Understanding Genetic Selection for Optimal Dairy Cattle Breeding

The Long-Term Benefits of Strategic Breeding Decisions

Tools and Techniques for Making Informed Breeding Decisions

Avoiding Common Pitfalls in Dairy Cattle Breeding

The Economics of Thoughtful Breeding: Cost vs. Benefit

The Future of Dairy Cattle Breeding: Trends and Innovations

The Bottom Line

Key Takeaways:

Summary

Learn More

The Current Scenario

Breeders Must Address Fertility

Genetic Tools to Aid with Fertility

Selection Matters

Table 1 Top Ranking US Sires by Daughter Pregnancy Rate

Table 2 Top Ranking CDN Sires by Daughter Fertility

Action Plan

The Bullvine Bottom Line

Other posts you might like:

Jerseys Do It Better

Table 1 Breed Culling Rates

Stop Ignoring Culling Reports

Table 2 Culling Reasons that have a Genetic Component

Do the Math

Sire Selection Steps to Minimize Culling

What`s Your Culling Blindspot?

The Bullvine Bottom Line

Other posts you might like:

For years we have all been guilty of it.

But what does that mean for you the breeder?

Let’s plug the numbers on this.

That brings us to the female side of the equation.

So what is a breeder to do?

The Bullvine Bottom Line

Other posts you might like:

The Bullvine Bottom Line

Other posts you might like:

Before Bull Proofs

Mating Programs

How Accurate

Corrective Mating

Complimentary Mating

Plan for Improvement

The Bullvine Bottom Line

Other posts you might like:

The Bullvine Bottom Line

Other posts you might like:

Your Future Starts Now!

The Clock is Ticking!

Where Has the Money Gone?

Show Money is a “No Show”

Where is the Money Now?

Put Your Money Where the Bull Is

Healthy is Wealthy

The Bullvine Bottom Line

Other posts you might like:

Out-Crossing

Sires From the Past

Recent Out-Crosses

Why Inbreeding was Practiced in the Past

What is Average for Inbreeding?

Sire Selection & Inbreeding

Tables 1 – Top Sires with Lower Inbreeding Levels

Six Suggested Practices

The Bullvine Bottom Line