What is WMS? THE WORLD’S LARGEST AND MOST SUCCESSFUL MATING PROGRAM With 9.5 million matings in over 60 countries in 2019 alone.
Why WMS? Alan & Tom Buttimer milk 120 cows on a grazing platform of 45 acres just outside Clonakilty. The herd is currently producing an annual yield of 9,200KG milk and 645KG milk solids per cow. Alan and Tom started using WMS six years ago. ‘Before we used WMS, I used to keep the pedigree certificates beside the AI flask. Whenever a cow was on heat I would go through the pedigree to avoid inbreeding, which wasted a lot of time,’ says Alan. ‘Now, I just open up the WMS folder, and I have three choices right in front of me. WMS saves me time, money, and helps me manage my semen stocks more efficiently as well. I couldn’t imagine going through a breeding season without it.’
Who are the WMS team? “With a larger selection of bulls than ever before, it can be hard to keep on top of inbreeding, recessives and haplotypes - all of which can have a negative impact on a herd & its profitability. By using WMS you help eliminate these costly risk.” Andrea Rafferty - WMS Evaluator
“Using linear scoring to improve a herds conformational traits and selecting bulls accordingly, based on their herd criteria is very satisifying. The mating program helps farmers by improving herd uniformity and increasing longevity.” Claire Kirby - WMS Coordinator
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