On April 1, the routine five-year genetic base change was implemented for the U.S. genetic evaluations produced by the Council on Dairy Cattle Breeding (CDCB). Here is what farmers and industry professionals need to know. 

Similar to our beef counterparts, we could someday assume that all dairy cows are polled. Because of genetic improvement, that assumption is closer than we might think. Don’t wait until the industry shifts. The future is polled.

Would you ever consider planting a field in 2025 without consulting an agronomist, soil sampling, yield mapping, GPS and various other methods to ensure a successful harvest? These practices in plant agriculture are a no-brainer, so how can we apply the same methodology to dairy genetics?

When you are contemplating the gender ratio of your calf crop, you must answer the question, “Do you need a pregnancy aimed at future herd genetics or short-term profitability?”

Francisco Peñagaricano, with the University of Wisconsin – Madison, believes selective breeding could provide practical and effective options for dairy farmers seeking to mitigate emissions from their future herds.

For the past few years, we have developed and run several research studies in the low desert of California to answer some of these questions surrounding the type of beef-on-dairy crosses and how they perform in a feedlot. Here is a brief overview of what we have observed.

Data that leaves the farm destined for the National Cooperator Database fuels genetic improvements in dairy cattle through male and female genetic evaluations, independent research to support new selection traits, and national benchmarking.