Advancements in technology are the fuel behind every leap in dairy efficiency. Just like the machines in the field and the barn, today’s cows carry more power under the hood than cows of a decade ago – more milk, better fertility and stronger resistance to disease.

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. 

The current trend in the dairy industry is to decrease age at conception, thereby decreasing age at first calving (AFC) to decrease raising costs by generating income from milk production sooner.