If dairy producers had a crystal ball, genetic planning would be a piece of cake. Unfortunately – even in the age of artificial intelligence and economic predictions – we lack the magic to predict future markets. Instead, we must use the tools available to us, and often those tools include the experience of others.
Progressive Dairy interviewed genetic experts from across the industry with one goal in mind: to arm you with the knowledge and questions needed to make an effective genetic plan. They outlined three main steps: establish a baseline, set your strategy and stick to it.
Establish a baseline
Each expert has a few questions he or she asks producers when they meet to discuss genetic planning, regardless of herd size. They might structure these questions a little differently, but they boil down to three key points to help consultants understand what each herd needs.
1. How are you paid for your milk?
Understanding how clients are paid for milk is a priority to each consultant. Do you live in a cheese market? Is fluid your game? Maybe you fall in a niche category and get paid for producing A2A2 or organic milk. Where your milk is going should greatly influence your genetic plan.
“If you’re in a fluid market and protein has zero value, you should not select for protein,” says Francisco Peñagaricano, Judge John J. Crown Chair in dairy genetics at the University of Wisconsin – Madison. “You should select for traits that have economic value. This is for profit; this is not a hobby.”
Trent Olson, North America genetic services senior consultant for ABS, suggests having an open conversation with your milk buyer to better understand the market you’re selling to.
“What are they making? What type of milk is the most efficient and beneficial for them to process?” Olson says. “The milk that leaves your driveway needs to be tailored to what the processor needs and how your milk check is constructed.”
2. Why do cows leave your herd?
What criteria puts a cow on your cull list? What common themes are you seeing?
“It’s really what a cow does the worst that gets her culled, not what she does the best,” Olson says.
If you’re seeing a lot of mastitis, lameness or reproductive events, a genetic plan can help with that. While management is important, genetics play a large role in the overall health of an animal. Selecting for specific traits can help keep cows off the cull list.
3. What are your farm goals and how do they influence breeding decisions?
Are you planning to expand in a few years? Do you have flexibility to be pickier with which animals you’re retaining? Are you aiming to produce high-value genomic or type animals? Are you loyal to one bull stud or representative? Do you have a good market for beef-on-dairy calves in your area?
“You can have all the goals in the world, and if you don’t have a good way to measure it, you don’t know if you’re making any progress,” says Gwen Powers, senior director of technical services at Genex. “I think it’s important to establish how we are going to look at this plan.”
Once you’ve answered each of these questions, experts can pinpoint your priorities and consider other concerns or improvements you’d like to make within your herd. This is the baseline you’ll work from as you create a genetic plan.
Get strategic
How do you structure a genetic strategy? Should you cherry pick bulls based on traits? Are indexes a better fit for you? How do you factor genomic testing in?
“Use the best genetics – period,” says Kevin Jorgensen, senior sire analyst for Select Sires. “‘Best’ is a user-defined term because each producer has different wants and needs.”
Your herd is unique and your genetic plan will be, too. The index that your neighbor uses might not be the best fit for your situation.
“The biggest thing that’s often overlooked is trying to understand all the traits that go into a selection index (NM$, TPI, etc.) if that’s what you’re solely selecting on,” says Ben Voelz, technical services and sales support manager for STGenetics. “I would say a high percentage of dairy farms don’t fully understand all the traits and know where the emphasis is within those different indices. Make sure you understand what traits are being emphasized, and don’t blindly follow the industry in terms of a one-size-fits-all approach.”
Your genetic expert can help you understand just what these indexes mean for your herd. A recent Progressive Dairy Podcast episode also addresses this topic.
Genomic advantages
Genomic testing can be a helpful tool in genetic planning.
“What direction can we take the animals to make them the most profitable with the information we’re given?” says Ryan Lauber, territory manager at Neogen. “Each farm will have a different approach. Genomics have a place – I use precision planting as an example – we can go plant corn without a GPS, but long-term results in the field show that precision is where the real benefit lies.”
Genomic testing helps you identify those animals with the genetic potential to make you the most money and decide how to manage the rest – sell them, use them as embryo recipients or breed them to beef. Genomic testing can quickly advance a herd, but not without patience and persistence.
“Animal husbandry and management are drivers of herd performance, but genetic potential determines how the herd will grow and evolve,” says Cassie Endres, dairy genetics specialist with Zoetis. “It takes about three years to see genetic progress when the next generation enters the milking herd. Genetic testing is not about instant gratification but about playing the long game. That patience pays off because, with every generation, the genetic database evolves.”
Peñagaricano notes that utilizing new information as it comes available is advantageous when genomic testing.
“We have genetic evaluations every four months, so you should be able to select new semen and new bulls for the tank every four months,” Peñagaricano says. “With genomics, you should use 100 percent of your semen from young genomic bulls. With these young bulls, it’s kind of like roulette at the casino if you put a lot of emphasis on one or two of them – what you have to do is spread the risk and use many of them. My suggestion is to update your tank every three months after each genomic evaluation and buy the best young genomic bulls on the market.”
Stick to it
Executing your genetic plan is often harder than it seems, especially when it takes years to see the fruits of your labor. Sticking to the goals you’ve set and consistently breeding within parameters you’ve made can seem monotonous, but it will set you in the right direction.
“I think one of the biggest things we see is herds changing direction a bit too frequently,” Powers says. “Picking a goal and sticking to it – whether that be a custom index or industry-available index – so we can measure that progress is key.”
Remember to keep things simple. Ask yourself, ”Are my employees going to be able to quickly grasp and implement the plan I have developed?”
“Whatever the strategy is, it is important to keep the plan simple and streamlined,” Endres says. “If it is so complex to the point your team can’t execute it, it’s just a plan on paper.”
Creating the next generation
Jorgensen notes the industry has shifted from prioritizing getting cows pregnant to maximizing the investment of each pregnancy.
“Genetics are an investment – an incredibly important one,” he says. “Especially in this historically low heifer population: Every calf counts, and cows are going to need to live longer. I think we’ve seen the trend move from ‘It’s all about creating a pregnancy’ to ‘It’s about making the next generation.’”
Efficiency is a priority in every aspect of the dairy industry. Genetic improvements are no exception. Creating each pregnancy with a plan and purpose is integral in improving your return on investment.
