In this episode of The Select Sires Podcast, Host Ethan Haywood is joined by CDCB Geneticist Taylor McWhorter, Ph.D., and Industry Relations Manager Katie Schmitt to unpack a comprehensive set of updates to U.S. dairy cattle daughter fertility evaluations. The discussion explores how reproductive traits, including Daughter Pregnancy Rate (DPR), Cow Conception Rate (CCR), Heifer Conception Rate (HCR), and Early First Calving (EFC), are being refined to better reflect modern dairy management practices, such as activity monitoring, synchronization protocols, and more individualized breeding strategies. With decades of data and on-farm records supporting these updates, the new models aim to more accurately separate genetics from management influence, giving producers stronger tools for genetic selection.
A key highlight of the episode is the introduction of a brand-new fertility trait: First Service to Conception (FSC). This trait focuses specifically on the number of days from first insemination to successful conception, offering producers a clearer view of reproductive efficiency after breeding begins. Unlike DPR, which captures the full interval from calving to pregnancy, FSC isolates conception performance and provides a complementary metric for improving reproductive outcomes. The episode also explains how updates to data handling, such as improved modeling of voluntary waiting periods and delayed inclusion of daughter records, are designed to enhance evaluation stability and accuracy across herds and breeds.
Listeners will gain valuable insights into how these changes will appear in the upcoming August genetic evaluations, what to expect in terms of Predicted Transmitting Ability (PTA) ranges and trait interpretation, as well as how to effectively incorporate both new and existing fertility traits into breeding programs. Additional information can be found on the
CDCB website.