HERD improvement is making some giant steps, according to Australian Dairy Herd Improvement Scheme education and extension manager Michelle Axford.
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“In my time in herd improvement, no time has had as much improvement as at present,” she said.
In the past year she said there had been huge jumps in the genotype information available for the Holstein and Jersey breeds, with more cows in the reference population leading to more information and a 5 per cent to 7pc lift in reliability of genomic Australian Breeding Values across key traits.
Ms Axford spoke at the SA Dairy Conference about the benefits data could bring to a herd. She said by testing heifers as calves through genotyping, breeders could have access to the equivalent of eight lactations worth of information.
“You can make sure you’re picking the right heifers for the herd and find other occupations for the rest,” she said.
But it was not just in genotyping where improvements could be made. By paying more attention to the ABVs of bulls, there was the potential to boost yields significantly.
“Studies show that, across every feeding system, it is beneficial to use better genetic merit animals,” she said.
“An extra 50 units of genetic merit (in the sire) can equate to an extra 5.6 kilograms of fat, 5.1kg of protein per cow a year in a total mixed ration herd and 2.6kg of fat and 2.6kg of protein in a pasture-based feeding system.”
This was particularly evident in the daughter fertility ABV trait, where five units improvement could mean a 9pc increase to the six-week rate a cow gets back in-calf.
“If you’re thinking of things you can improve, using bulls with a higher daughter fertility ABV is one really easy one,” she said.
Ms Axford said bull selection could often be something sidelined in many operations.
“I would guess people take 0.07pc of time on bull choices,” she said. “This is investing in the second largest asset – the cows.”
She said the amount of information available could seem overwhelming.
“Look at what traits are important to the profits in the herd and use the tools to make the job easier,” she said. “Keep the focus on what is driving the profit.”
