SIMPLE STEPS TO NAVIGATE THE HEIFER SHORTAGE
David C. Thorbahn, President and C.E.O., Select Sires Inc.
Throughout 2024, headlines surged with mentions of “declining heifer inventories” and “heifer shortages.” Last February, Farm Progress reported a 20-year low and with only 12 months since that report, we can assume those numbers aren’t strikingly different. The heifer shortage is a significant concern because it has the potential to influence lactating cow numbers and milk production, but there are steps you can take to ensure that a heifer shortage doesn’t affect your herd’s progress or profitability.
Focus on calf health and maximize your completion rate.
Data collected from Select Sires field staff throughout the U.S. indicates an average 12.1% non-completion rate, with some herds experiencing as high as 25%. You can look at calf health through two lenses: genetic and environmental. Select Sires publishes all calf health traits evaluated by Zoetis and the Council on Dairy Cattle Breeding (CDCB). Many field staff have compared female genomic values for Zoetis Calf Respiratory Disease, Calf Scours and Calf Wellness Index™ with health events recorded on the farm, and the evidence supports usage of these traits in your selection index.
The other lens is environmental, which is critical for gene expression. Whether you’re raising dairy calves or beef on dairy calves, the first few days, weeks and
months are extremely important. Select Sires offers an expansive line of herd health products that help with successful transfer of passive immunity and set calves up to maximize their potential.
The new CowManager® lifetime ear sensors could also be part of your strategy. From calf to cow, the system provides real-time data to detect diseases early and tailor treatment by age, allowing you to address health, fertility, transition, and nutrition issues anytime. CowManager has been experiencing major growth and success across the U.S. and around the world and can now be implemented for the animals’ entire lifespan.
Use genetic and/or performance data to rank females.
Whether you have genomic information or performance data, find an accurate way to rank females within your herd. You want to create pregnancies from your best cows to enhance profitability in the next generation. Ranking females also signals your low performers and presents an opportunity to generate a beef on dairy calf that can drive more dollars back to the dairy.
Work with your local Select Sires consultant to consider your herd’s goals for growth or maintenance and process your data using an inventory calculator.
Your strategy for use of embryos, sexed, beef and/or conventional semen is very dependent on your herd’s goals. Do you plan to expand? Are you focusing on improving efficiencies with your current cow numbers? Do you want to diversify the operation with beef on dairy? Select Sires consultants use proprietary inventory calculators to create a breeding strategy using sexed semen, beef semen, conventional semen and embryos to make sure your herd achieves its goals while also avoiding a heifer shortage. u
UPCOMING GENETIC BASE CHANGE: WHAT TO EXPECT
WHAT? WHEN? HOW? WHY?
The genetic base is a reference point used to scale Predicted Transmitting Ability (PTA) values.
The genetic base of U.S. evaluations is adjusted every five years to account for genetic advancement. These adjustments will be reflected in the 2025 sire summary.
The reference point used in U.S. evaluations is the genetic average of cows born five years ago. In 2020, the average PTA for each trait for cows born in 2015 was set to 0. In 2025, the PTAs will be updated so that the average for cows born in 2020 will be 0.
Chuck Sattler, Vice President of Genetic Programs, Select Sires Inc.
The genetic base is adjusted so that PTA values continue to provide a reasonable indication of an animal’s genetic improvement potential.
Beginning in April 2025, the CDCB and Holstein Association USA will use an updated genetic base for calibrating published PTA values. The 2025 base change is bigger than previous adjustments, but this is good news! It means that our cows are improving faster than ever. The amount of base change is a direct result of the genetic progress made by the industry in the previous five years. Table 1 shows the projected base change adjustment for each breed.
The base change adjustment provides a good opportunity for dairy producers to assess their genetic improvement strategy. With accelerating genetic trends, an effective selection strategy is more important than ever. Use of a selection index like Herd Health Profit Dollars® (HHP$®) is the most effective approach to improve several traits at the same time. The adjustments coming in April will mean you will likely need to recalibrate the selection levels used for A.I. sires and which cows are bred to beef or sexed semen.
Genetic progress within herds continues to accelerate due to genomic evaluations and advanced reproductive technologies such as sexed semen, embryo transfer and in-vitro fertilization. This makes the upcoming base change a little more disruptive than previous adjustments. Selection standards will need to be adjusted following the April 2025 evaluations. It’s a good opportunity to evaluate genetic management strategies to assure your future cows will be profitable producers. For more information about the base change and how it will influence Select Sires’ genetics, tune in to Select Sires’ Facebook Live discussions on Friday, April 4, 2025. Check the Select Sires Inc. and Select Sires Jerseys Facebook pages closer to the April sire summaries for broadcast times. u
FAMILY MATTERS
The power of pedigrees is undeniable when it comes to breeding philosophies and mating cows. A solid foundation and comparable bloodlines can produce impactful animals not only for their breeders within their own herds, but for Holstein breeders globally. Father and son duo 14HO15179 TROOPER and 7HO16276 SHEEPSTER hail from impressive maternal lines that are leaving their mark on the Holstein breed.
TROOPER
A late bloomer of sorts, TROOPER is one of the younger 250HO14134 RENEGADE sons, following in the successful footsteps of popular brothers 7HO15085 PARFECT and 7HO15112 TAOS. “TROOPER’s dam and grandam are exceptional cows, but he was initially somewhat overlooked as a GForce™ sire,” says Rick VerBeek, Select Sires dairy sire analyst. “He’s a bit of a poster child for the importance of daughter-proven sires. He absolutely thrived when his daughter data came through.”
Backed by six generations of Very Good or Excellent dams, five of which are Dams of Merit or Gold Medal Dams, TROOPER is the No. 1 TPI® (+3196) and No. 2 HHP$® (+$1,208) sire in Select Sires’ proven lineup.
“TROOPER’s dam, Plain-Knoll Legndry 1551-ET (VG-86-VGMS), and her maternal line have had a tremendous influence on our herd,” says Steve Buschur, owner of Plain-Knoll Holsteins, New Weston, Ohio. “1551 was a herd favorite. Unfortunately, we lost her too soon, but she was the ideal kind of cow we strive to breed for. RENEGADE was an easy mating choice on her and fit our breeding program well. He offered strength, udder quality and production while correcting her rear legs when viewed from behind. And we see those traits follow through with TROOPER being a sound feet and legs sire.”
Buschur continues to use TROOPER in his herd while incorporating his sons intensively. “I tend to use a sire and then move on to his sons if he worked well for us,” notes Buschur. “We’ve transitioned to using SHEEPSTER quite heavily. The SHEEPSTER x 7HO15167 GAMEDAY and GAMEDAY x TROOPER matings are pretty much golden crosses for us.”
Buschur notes SHEEPSTER is an easy-to-use sire on their farm. “He complements most cows in the herd. No traits need
to be protected when using the bull. He has good balance, his production traits are exceptional and he fits my breeding philosophy of moderately sized cows with solid Type and good health traits.”
SHEEPSTER
Arguably one of TROOPER’s most popular sons, SHEEPSTER hails from the prolific OCD Acura Soy 60075-ET (EX-90-EX-MSGMD-DOM) cow family at Oakfield Corners Dairy in Oakfield, New York. “Soy 60075 was an ideal model for the modern, working dairy cow,” says Alicia Lamb, Oakfield Corners Dairy owner. “There are two branches of the family. They aren’t flashy cows; not the type of cow you notice immediately in the herd. They’re solid, wide, strong cows with exceptional mammary systems and sound feet and legs. Trouble-free cows that can thrive in a freestall setting, and the kind we love to breed for.”
“SHEEPSTER resulted from a mating created by Oakfield Corners as part of a herd agreement with Select Sires,” recalls VerBeek. “He is by far the headliner bull produced from the Soy 60075 family. He’s a rare bull that possesses balance and extremes at the same time. Based on his genomics he has been one of the most dominant breeding bulls of his generation thus far.” Lamb agrees, “He really is a ‘once in a lifetime’ kind of bull. He’s a franchise-type sire that we feel fortunate to have bred.”
A complete sire, SHEEPSTER ticks boxes for both indexes and balanced production, health and type, and continues to be used heavily as a mating sire at Select Sires. With 57 sons in the program, SHEEPSTER sons dominate the NxGEN® and GForce lineups. Topping the TPI (+3393) and NM$ ($1,376) lineups, 7HO17191 MICAN is a SHEEPSTER x GAMEDAY.
The Lambs continue to utilize SHEEPSTER in their breeding program as an outcross sire on non-Soy 60075 cow family members but are leaning heavily into his maternal line to develop their next generation. “We continue to breed from his maternal sisters, focusing on high GTPI sires and diversity matings. We hope to incorporate some Red and Polled genetics as well.”
The influence these sires have had, both as sires of sons and females, and now grandsons, is having a significant positive impact on the breed. There is no denying that rock-solid maternal lines, coupled with a thoughtful sire stack, has generated two of the most impactful sires of this generation. u
POLLED GENETICS: THE BEST IS YET TO COME
Mark Kerndt, ART ™ Program Manager, Select Sires Inc.
The Holstein breed has made significant progress over the last 100 years due to various new technologies, improved management practices, including data recording, and the skills of dairy cattle breeders worldwide. The introduction of genomic evaluations in 2009 has sped up this progress impressively and the adoption of in-vitro fertilization embryo production on many dairies has accelerated breed progress even more. Dairy producers have the ability to select for more and more traits concerning cow and calf health. Herds continue to get larger, necessitating that cows and calves compete in larger pens and groups. More farms utilize robotic milkers, calf feeders and other technologies to help alleviate the labor challenges experienced on many farms. These advancements and industry shifts require us to breed Holstein cattle that need less individual attention – simply put, trouble-free. Therefore it makes sense that the next step in the evolution of our breed is to breed the horns out of Holstein dairy cattle.
Dehorning practices have certainly become more humane over the years, but it is still an unpleasant task. Whether you use dehorning paste soon after the birth of a calf or a hot iron dehorner before that calf is three months of age, the task does cost dairies time and money. Dairies enrolled in the Farmers Assuring Responsible Management (FARM) program are required to use pain management practices to alleviate the pain and stress a calf experiences from horn bud removal. I have seen publications estimate that dehorning costs a dairy as much as $5 to $25 per calf. If dehorning stress interrupts the calf’s growth and health cycle, those costs could be much higher.
In dairy markets around the world, especially in Europe, there is a high demand for Polled genetics. The demand is in part due to consumer pressure concerning animal welfare. If you can market some or all of your herd’s milk through on-farm processing, then creating a Polled herd may allow you to capture a premium for that product. Over the past few years, we have seen a number of global food companies adopting policy statements encouraging the use of Polled genetics in the herds from which they source their milk.
The Polled gene is dominant, meaning if at least one parent contributes the Polled allele to its offspring, the resulting calf will be hornless. However, throughout history, breeders saw the Polled trait as a novel trait because dollars would be sacrificed when compared to the superior production and health traits that the horned population was able to contribute. Select Sires has worked closely with the industry’s most elite breeders to close the gap between the Polled and horned population. Select Sires’ NxGEN® lineup offers the highest genetic merit sires that will create the most profitable next generation of Holsteins. The difference between the horned NxGEN sires and the Polled NxGEN sires is currently less than +100 Herd Health Profit Dollars® (HHP$®). When you consider dehorning costs and the potential added value Polled genetics can offer your future milk markets, now is certainly the time to consider adding a Polled genetic component to your overall breeding program.
NxGEN Lineup SELECT SIRES’ POLLED HOLSTEIN GENETICS
Strategies for incorporating Polled genetics into your herd:
1 2 3 4 5
Only use gender SELECTED™ semen when using Polled sires. The use of sexed semen is common practice now on many farms, but you certainly can’t waste opportunities to grow your Polled herd by making Polled Holstein bull calves.
Consider genomic testing your heifer calves, including receiving the Polled gene test to confirm if your calf is indeed Polled. Current CDCB haplotype calls for Polled are not 100% accurate and require gene testing confirmation. Keep accurate records of which calves are confirmed Polled.
Train your maternity and calf employees to feel for horn buds. These are already highly skilled people, but if you are truly going to capture the cost savings of using Polled genetics, they need to identify these Polled calves instead of continuing to perform dehorning measures on every calf born.
Work with your Select Sires genetic advisor to identify Polled sires that rank high for the indexes or traits that are important to your farm. Whether its NxGEN, GForce™ or daughterproven, each lineup offers high-ranking Polled sires for desired indexes, valuable production, health and conformation traits.
Consider adding one PP (homozygous Polled) sire to your program. PP sires will create 100% hornless calves. Yes, this can mean lowering your genetic benchmarks for one generation, but cattle breeding is a longterm investment and finding a balanced PP bull is the fastest way to dehorn your herd. This can also allow you to use a high genetic horned sire on Polled females to add diversity of pedigree to your herd and create high genetic Polled calves in the future.
As stewards of all the dairy cattle breeds, Select Sires is serious about the continued evolution of our dairy cattle worldwide.
A CLOSER LOOK AT TRI-START JR+ PASTE
Dayane Da Silva, PhD, Ruminant Nutritionist, Form-A-Feed Inc.
In the realm of livestock health, particularly for young calves, the importance of immune support cannot be overstated. Calves are vulnerable to various diseases, and ensuring their robust health from an early age is crucial for their growth and productivity. One product that has gained attention for its efficacy in enhancing calf health is Tri-Start Jr+ paste (TSP+).
Comprehensive disease coverage
One of the standout features of TSP+ is its extensive disease coverage. Unlike competitive products in the marketplace, which typically cover only three pathogens, TSP+ targets a broader spectrum of pathogens, including: E. coli, Salmonella (both Typhi and Dublin), Rotavirus, Coronavirus, Clostridium, and Cryptosporidium. This wide range of protection is essential for calves, as it helps safeguard them against some of the most common and harmful pathogens they often encounter in the first eight weeks of life.
Significant reduction in scours
If not properly managed, scours can lead to dehydration, weight loss and even death. TSP+ has demonstrated remarkable efficacy in this regard, with studies showing a 60% reduction in scours among calves treated with the product. This significant reduction highlights the effectiveness of TSP+ in maintaining calf health and preventing disease.
Unique and valuable inclusion of IgY
A significant component of TSP+ is IgY, or immunoglobulin Y, an antibody derived from the egg yolks of hens immunized with specific pathogens. Just as immune protection is transferred passively by a lactating mother via colostrum, hens passively transfer protection to their young by secreting immunoglobulin and other immune factors into their eggs for use by the hatching chick. Antibody products from avian sources, such as chickens, can be used to achieve passive immunity in other animals. Not a replacement for colostrum, but a valuable supplement
While TSP+ provides significant immune benefits, it is not a replacement for colostrum. High-quality colostrum, which needs to be fed within the first four hours after birth, provides the initial crucial antibodies that calves need. In addition, however, TSP+ can be administered after feeding colostrum to provide ongoing immune support. The IgY in TSP+ can still be absorbed if given when the enterocytes (cells in the gut) are open, and even if this window is missed, IgY will continue to bind to pathogens in the gut, helping to eliminate them.
Enhancing gut health and the immune system
TSP+ is designed to not only protect against pathogens but also to enhance overall gut health and boost the immune system. It combines direct-fed microbials (DFM), IgY, short-chain fatty acids, and vitamins to provide a holistic approach to calf health. This combination helps to create a healthy gut environment, which is essential for the overall well-being and growth of the calf.
Incorporate TSP+ into your calf rearing program today IgY antibodies present in TSP+ offer a multitude of benefits for calf health. From broad-spectrum pathogen coverage and significant reduction in scours to enhanced gut health and immune function, TSP+ is a valuable supplement for ensuring the wellbeing of young calves.
What is IgY?
The immunoglobulins are transferred from the hen’s serum to the yolk. While IgM and IgA are found in chicken eggs, the principal immunoglobulin is IgY, which is found in the yolk of the egg. IgY (Y stands for yolk) is an immunoglobulin class specific to avians and analogous in function to that of mammalian immunoglobulins. IgY has a similar structure as mammalian IgG with some minor differences in the heavy chains.
The IgY antibodies in TSP+ are specifically purified and extracted to target specific pathogens. Studies have shown that IgY antibodies are effectively absorbed by calves, leading to increased levels of total serum protein and albumin, both of which are indicators of the calf’s immune status. Higher levels of these proteins suggest better immune function, meaning calves are better equipped to fight off infections.
The IgY antibodies used in TSP+ are harvested from hyper-immunized hens that are under special vaccination programs to create specific calf anti-E. coli, anti-Salmonella, anti-Bovine Rotavirus, anti-Bovine Coronavirus, anti-Clostridium and anti-Cryptosporidium IgY antibodies. Those specific IgY antibodies can effectively provide passive immunity or work as antibody-binding blocks with the ability to flush pathogens out of the animal’s gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Oral consumption of specific IgY antibodies protects the calf against the specific organism(s) with which the hen was stimulated. IgY has been proven effective in controlling and preventing diarrhea not only in calves, but in piglets, mice and poultry too. 1 2 3 Why Choose Tri-Start Jr+?
Broad Pathogen Coverage
The extensive range of pathogens that TSP+ protects against ensures that calves receive comprehensive immune support, reducing the risk of infections and diseases.
Proven Efficacy
The significant reduction in scours and the increased levels of immune indicators in calves treated with TSP+ provides strong evidence of its effectiveness.
Holistic Health Support
By combining antibodies with DFMs, short-chain fatty acids, and vitamins, TSP+ supports not just the immune system but overall gut health and development. u
DuBourdieu, 2019. Nutraceutical in Veterinary Medicine
DON’T PLAY GAMES WITH YOUR HERD’S HEALTH
“If you think you can manage around health problems, you’re starting at the 25-yard line,” says Greta Snider Halahan of Singing Brook Farms in Imler, Pennsylvania.
With a genetic focus on health traits and functional type, the 300-cow herd values communication, prevention and protocols. Their success is the result of a great team in the barn and judicious recording of health events and other cow-side notes, which are critical to Halahan as she manages the herd remotely from nearly 150 miles away.
Singing Brook Farms was founded in 1950 by Halahan’s grandfather, Obie Snider. Today, the partnership is between her father, Bruce, and brother, Ross, with Greta proudly filling the roll of herdsman to drive progress and efficiency within the dairy herd.
Feedback loop
Communication, prevention and protocols is a sort of feedback loop for Singing Brook with each effort a reflection of the former and a determining factor in the success of the following. Halahan’s remote management style is unique and while she visits the herd weekly, more than 50% of her time is spent sorting through data behind a computer screen. She uses a cloud-based platform called Slack to encourage dialogue and record keeping among her teammates working in all areas of the farm, from calf management and milking to breeding and herd health.
She compares the Slack platform to a bulletin board where all teammates can share updates, challenges and triumphs. One particular update that Halahan posts daily includes somatic cell count (SCC) reports allowing parlor workers to reply with any changes in protocol or challenges that may have contributed to a drop or spike. Although “spike” is a strong description considering Singing Brook’s considerably low SCC with their last 10 pickups each under 100,000.
Team members can also review Halahan’s comments on every fresh cow in which she simply describes how individual animals are acting or recovering. They review those records to identify patterns and pinpoint challenges at dry-off or pre-fresh. Halahan explains, “There’s no such thing as a fresh cow problem. It’s a pre-fresh or even a dry-off problem.” In addition to post-calving notes, they rely heavily on the nutrition module and transition alert feature from CowManager.® She also uses CowManager to watch cows hourly following a treatment to verify its efficacy and can then make adjustments to their protocol for the next time they need to treat a sick cow.
Culling decisions are heavily influenced by their communication, prevention and protocol feedback loop. “By systematically using the same procedures and looking at data, we are able to make culling decisions with confidence,” says Halahan. Behind the scenes, she calls it “the triangle of doom” but it’s a logical approach when one breaks it down. They have a list of common ailments and risk factors, such as: high SCC, off-feed, pregnant with twins, a drop in milk production and over-conditioned. If a cow checks three of those boxes, she is culled before dry-off. Halahan likes to refer to their cull list as a “good game” list, meaning she culls cows before they become problematic but after they’ve exceeded their return on investment. “It’s like I’m giving them a high five and telling them ‘good game.’”
Genetic goals
A large part of Halahan’s proactive strategy is genetics. She uses a football reference to amplify the importance of genetics, “If you think you can manage around health problems, you’re starting at the 25-yard line.” With the help of Premier Select Sires team members, including Michelle Cornman, Steve Hoover and Jason Mearkle, they have developed a genetic strategy to create cows that thrive in Singing Brook Farms’ environment.
“You have to know yourself and know what your farm can manage. All farms have health issues, but which ones are you better at managing and recovering from? What costs you the most money?” explains Halahan. With this in mind, Singing Brook is hyper-focused on health traits and functional type. They use Herd Health Profit Dollars® (HHP$®) to determine sires, with added attention to Cow Respiratory Disease, Lameness Resistance, Zoetis and CDCB mastitis resistance traits and Somatic Cell Score. For functional type, they pay attention to udders and feet and legs.
In addition to sire selection and mating strategy, Premier Select Sires uses the farm’s genomic data to quartile the herd and assign sexed, conventional and beef semen. Genomic reports and performance data reflect genetic selection, Halahan says “The cows perform exactly how the numbers say they should. It takes years to see the results of your genetic decisions, but its reaffirming to see the top and the bottom is getting narrower. We are raising the bar!”
Information that leads to solutions
Halahan describes farming as a 10,000 piece puzzle and she and her team have to get the pieces in the right place in order to be successful. She believes that her role is to provide information, encourage dialogue and review data, but the on-farm component that her team provides is critical, and that combination yields solutions. Their genetic strategy is a key component within their efforts to be proactive. Cows have to be healthy, efficient producers and easy keepers. Because of this, genomics, health records and cow-side management combine to make the most profitable decisions at Singing Brook Farms.
STRATEGY WITHOUT COMPLIANCE MAKES FOR EMPTY EFFORTS
HOW LEVERAGING A TEAM APPROACH BOOSTS COMPLIANCE AND ENHANCES PROFITABILITY
Even the greatest plans fall short without the right team and precise implementation. The McCarty family manages dairies on multiple sites, including McCarty Family Farms in Northwest Kansas and MVP Dairy, owned in partnership with the VanTilburg family in Celina, Ohio. With four facilities in total, they milk 19,000 cows with a 4.2% butterfat and 3.33% protein average. Their genetic goals are similar to many of today’s progressive dairies with a focus on health, components, feed efficiency and longevity. However, in addition to their genetic strategy, the teams at each facility also work with Select Sires consultants to outline practical implementation steps and analyze compliance data to take the operations to new heights.
Developing a strategy
Genomic information is the foundation of their genetic strategy. They genomic test and rank all females based on genetic merit. Amber Kirk, account lead for Premier Select Sires, and Greg Collins, North America select dairy solutions data and training support for Select Sires Inc., run the herds’ data through an inventory calculator each month to determine a tailor-made breeding strategy. This strategy aligns with the dairies’ goals and also reflects any shifts or changes in the market.
Kirk explains, “We routinely work with Holstein USA to identify a handful of animals for their flush program. Greg’s monthly rankings determine the ‘unicorn’ and elite heifers. Unicorns are defined as the top 3% for NM$, TPI®, and/or DWP$®. I individually mate these heifers to NxGEN® sires. The elite heifers are the top 100 ranked females and these are mated to NxGEN sires using Select Mating Service® (SMS®). And finally, the remaining heifers are either assigned GForce™ sexed semen or beef semen based on their rankings, with the bottom 10-15% on service to beef. The heifers assigned GForce sexed semen are also mated using SMS.”
The recent beef on dairy boom is a prime example of a need to shift their strategy. While McCarty Family Farms and MVP Dairy weren’t one of the earliest adopters of a beef on dairy program, they have quickly capitalized on the opportunity and are using ProfitSOURCE® sires to create highly valuable beef on dairy calves.
Ken McCarty explains that selection for beef sires has evolved over time and will continue to evolve as they learn more about which traits are most important to buyers. “Originally, we were blunt force – just black hide and exceptional calving ease. While avoiding dystocia and prioritizing fertility are fundamental traits, our relationship with our beef on dairy calf buyer has developed. We have really given them the opportunity to influence which ProfitSOURCE sires meet their needs from growth to terminal.”
Outlining implementation
In addition to the tools and consultation provided by Amber Kirk and Greg Collins, the dairies’ have outstanding teams working at each site. With so many advisors and team members involved in decision making and implementation, Kirk hosts monthly check-ins that she calls ‘all hands on deck meetings.’ These meetings are an opportunity to review the current strategy, make necessary changes and have an open dialogue about execution and results. Collins says, “It’s all about communication and understanding the goals of McCarty Family Farms and MVP Dairy.
It’s one thing to put a paper out there and say ‘this is the strategy,’ but listening to the teams in the barns and answering questions about implementation leads to better results.”
McCarty explains, “We can be as complex as we want to be in the meeting room, but when it comes to cow-side intervention and day-to-day management, our plan has to be extremely simple. That’s where the inventory calculators and ranking tools have become absolutely critical. Once the team on the ground has a straightforward plan to operate from, we focus on compliance.”
Analyzing compliance
Lyle Kruse, retired vice president of U.S. market development for Select Sires Inc., recalls McCarty being the first dairyman to approach him with ambitions to focus on compliance. McCarty says, “We’ve become pretty obsessive about performance metrics like genetic identification and mating compliance because as facilities, management and nutrition improve, the true bottleneck becomes genetics.” The focus on compliance revealed gaps between the genetic strategy and cow-side management, with the most noticeable discovery of 28% parentage errors when they first started genomic testing. Today, Kirk and the teams pay close attention to compliance on both dairy and beef breedings and monthly compliance reports average 96-99% for mating recommendations. Collins evaluates the empirical data that proves the dairies are implementing the strategy set in place.
Over time, the teams at each site have bridged any gaps between strategy and implementation. McCarty says, “The proof is in the pudding. These efforts are paying off with an accelerated rate of improvement and only more to come!” u
MIKE LARSON, LARSON ACRES INC.
THE NUMBERS DON’T LIE
Mike Larson is a self-described “numbers man.” He carefully analyzes genomic and performance data to better understand his herd and capitalize on mating opportunities. Improving health and efficiency generation over generation is one of his leading goals and he leans into his partnerships with Select Sires and Zoetis to make strategic genetic decisions. Located in Evansville, Wisconsin, Mike Larson is part of the fourth generation at Larson Acres and he’s proud to work alongside the farm’s fifth and sixth generation.
With health and efficiency on the target, Larson leverages genetics to keep lameness at bay. Nationally, lameness is one of the top-five reasons that cows leave the herd and 17% of cows qualify as lame at some point during their lactation. Lameness isn’t typically an isolated incident either. As Mike explains, lameness drives down profits by depressing feed intake, milk production and fertility, not to mention associated treatment costs.
Larson Acres is a 2,900-cow herd and developing a strategy to reduce lameness begins with exceptional record keeping. In a recent interview on The Select Sires Podcast, Larson explains that every hoof trimming is initially entered into DairyComp305 as a “LAME” remark, but with the help of Brian Kelroy, dairy production specialist at Zoetis, they mine that data to pinpoint lameness events. Those events are then compared to genomic data, the best and worst quartiles are identified, and Larson Acres can make the most strategic mating decisions to generate future replacements.
Zoetis’ Lameness Resistance trait is based on Zoetis’ multi-year field study that included 11 Holstein herds throughout the U.S. with an average 4,180 cows. The calculations for the wellness traits
are updated routinely as more records are added. The Lameness Resistance trait is measured as a Standard Transmitting Ability (STA) with the average being 100. Kelroy explains, “You’re generally going to see a range from 77-80 up to maybe 113-115 for Lameness Resistance STA values. The center point is 100, consider it the average. So if we’re looking at jumping to 105, then we’re looking at a 25% decrease in incidence rate. And if you go from 100 to 95, you’re looking at a 25% general increase in incidence rate. Below 95 and we’re looking at a really high or elevated incidence rate for lameness.”
Larson Acres’ incorporation of Lameness Resistance is well worth the effort and the numbers simply don’t lie. Between the top and bottom quartile, there is 63% less prevalence of lameness cases. The top 25% of cows average 105 Lameness Resistance and carry an average disease cost of $26 per cow, while the bottom quartile of cows average 93 Lameness Resistance and carry an average disease cost of $69 per cow. By genomic testing and keeping meticulous records, the Larsons can see the impact that health traits have on the dairy’s bottom line. u
S ELECTIONS
With the highest integrity, maximize the productivity, profitability, and sustainability of livestock producers who feed the world.
For more information, visit www.selectsires.com or call (614) 873-4683. Product of the USA.
12/24 CDCB/HAUSA Genomic Evaluations. 01/25 Zoetis data. Evaluations for non-conformation traits are Powered by CDCB™. All bulls listed in this issue qualify for semen export to Canada. ™Calf Wellness Index is a trademark of Zoetis Inc., its affiliates and/or its licensors. GForce, ART and gender SELECTED are trademarks of Select Sires Inc. All gender SELECTED semen is processed using Ultraplus™ technology. Ultraplus is a trademark of STGen LLC. ®Dairy Wellness Profit Index and DWP$ are registered trademarks of Zoetis Inc., its affiliates and/or its licensors. CowManager is a registered trademark of Agis Automatisering. Total Performance Index and TPI are registered trademarks of Holstein Association USA. NxGEN, Build A Better Calf, Herd Health Profit Dollars, HHP$, ProfitSOURCE, Your Success Our Passion. and the Select Sires logo are registered trademarks of Select Sires Inc., Plain City, Ohio. Buyer assumes all responsibility for use, storage and handling of products. Select Sires Inc. makes no claims or warranties, expressed or implied. Manufactured for Select Sires Inc., 11740 U.S. 42 N, Plain City, OH 43064. Lameness statistics sourced from USDA. 2018. Dairy 2014, “Health and Management Practices on U.S. Dairy Operations, 2014”USDA–APHIS–VS–CEAH–NAHMS. Fort Collins, CO#696.0218
7 = Select Sires, 14 = Accelerated Genetics, 250 = GenerVations
Monitor your herd's health and productivity from calf to cow with our lifetime e ar sensors. They provide real-time data
detect diseases early and tailor t reatment by age, allowing
