Managing Inbreeding with SMS
A Management Value
There's no doubt about it, inbreeding reduces the productivity and profitability of a herd. If you're concerned about inbreeding, don't sell yourself short by using just any mating program. SMS allows in-depth pedigree information to be used to help manage inbreeding levels and prevent the losses they cause.
| 1 Percent Increase in Inbreeding Costs: |
| 75 pounds milk per lactation |
| 2.5 pounds fat per lactation |
| 2.5 pounds protein per lactation |
| 13.1 days of productive life |
| $24.11 in lifetime net income |
The Type You Demand
Type not only shows on the shavings, it also shows in the lifespan of your cows. Positive type traits correlate to the longer life of a cow and an improved bottom line. Select's professional SMS Evaluators strive to advance the type of your herd, putting more money in your pocket.
According to the herd-life research conducted by Holstein Association U.S.A. Inc., every +1.0 STA increase in Foot and Leg Composite results in an increased nine days of productive life. Udder Composite proves even more influential as every +1.0 STA increase yields 18 additional days of productive life. The following table summarizes how these type improvements can improve your bottom line:
Improving Type Increases the Bottom Line
| Type Improvement | Resulting PL Increase | Dollar Increase Per Cow Per Year1 |
Dollar Increase Per Year in a 500-Cow Herd |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 STA Increase in FLC | 9 days | $76.52 | $38,260 |
| 1 STA Increase in UDC | 18 days | $53.04 | $76,520 |
1Average milk production per cow in 2006 was 19,951, according to Progressive Dairyman's 2006 U.S. Dairy Statistics, which translates to 65.4 pounds per cow, per day, based on a 305-day record; all-milk price average in 2006 was $12.90 cwt or $0.13 per pound, according to USDA.