SELECTIONS - Winter 2003
Don't Cut Corners With Your Dairy's Foundation
By David Thorbahn, general manager and executive vice president
Most of you have experienced constructing a building, be it a barn, parlor or even
a home, so you know how important it is to not cut corners on the most important
part-the foundation. Similarly, producers should not cut corners with the genetic
foundation of their herds, as doing so can risk future profitability.
We all know that the dairy industry is volatile, especially today, and costs are
always of concern. While all producers are looking for ways to reduce expenses,
it is imperative that genetic considerations are studied carefully.
Genetics are like building blocks: every animal builds on the previous generation.
The genetics in your herd today are the foundation for future profitability, as
they build on previous generations. Semen costs typically range from 0.5 percent
to 2 percent of the total cost of operational inputs,so using top-quality genetics
is one of the best investments producers can make. Using herd bulls or
lower-quality A.I. genetics can be a huge financial mistake.
While sampling young sires is an important responsibility of producers to ensure
the advancement of dairy breeds, sampling should be organized through a
progeny-testing program, and should not be more than 30 percent of the breedings
in your herd. Although using young sires does provide an A.I. advantage, using
the top proven net merit sires at Select provides you superior returns, as shown
in Figure 1. Additional advantages of proven sires include known calving
ease, type traits and fertility. These are not available with young sires.
Figure 1. Documenting the A.I. Advantage.
| Group/Traits |
Milk |
Fat |
Protein |
Lifetime Net Merit |
Top 10 NM$ Select sires1
(average PTAs) |
+1,692 |
+48 |
+52 |
+$396 |
| Young Sires (average PAs)2 |
+1,197 |
+36 |
+41 |
+$316 |
| Non A.I. Sires2 |
+356 |
+12 |
+13 |
+$108 |
| The A.I. Advantage: |
+841 |
+24 |
+28 |
+$208 |
Source: The U.S. Department of Agriculture
1August 2002
2November 2002
For those who consider using herd bulls, the financial and genetic losses
are even greater. Figure 1 clearly outlines this principle. If a producer cut
costs by using a herd bull rather than artificial insemination, $208 would be
lost per head in lifetime net merit. Looking at the bigger picture, with
100 cows, the lifetime production value lost would be $20,800. If you
look at the Select Sires proven advantage over young sires, $80 would be lost
in lifetime net merit per head, with production losses of $8,000 for 100 cows.
In addition, there is a whole gamut of other problems herd bulls can introduce...
- Inaccurate record keeping. Because it's difficult to know
when a cow is inseminated by a herd bull, it's also difficult
to know when she is expected to come back into
heat or calve. Longer dry periods and therefore more
difficult transitions into the milking string often result.
- Safety. Herd bulls are notorious for their aggressiveness,
and are a hazard to employees. The growing trend of
hired labor has put an intense focus on employee safety,
as well as related legal and financial issues. This safety is
just as important for farms with family employees.
Imagine losing a loved one to a preventable tragedy.
- Calving difficulty. Herd bulls are not proven for known
calving ease.
Proven sires have solid genetic information from which you can
make sound breeding decisions. With today's tough economic times,
it's important to make decisions that will benefit your long-term
profitability as much as possible.
One way to do this is to breed cows that last. Producers with high culling
rates especially suffer losses, as they don’t have the herd base needed to
generate a profit. Holstein Association USA and Kent Weigel, University of
Wisconsin-Madison, both published studies on which traits contribute to longevity,
reporting that udders, feet and legs are strongly correlated. As a result,
Select Sires has designated a group of sires as Herdlife Builders™ to identify
bulls that sire traits essential to longer, more productive lives (see
article on page 8).
Using balanced genetics to build your herd foundation is the key to developing the
most profitable herd possible, contributing to your success in good times and bad.
Don't let the economic times influence your breeding decisions in a negative manner-
your future depends on the genetic base you develop now.
™Herdlife Builders is a trademark of Select Sires Inc.
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