Genomic testing of dairy cattle and using gender-sorted semen could help lift farm productivity and profitability in the same way as vital inputs such as fertiliser and feed.
That’s according to STGenetics Eastern USA Manager Kevin Ziemba, who presented to dairy farmers and herd improvement specialists at International Dairy Week (IDW) at Tatura.
Kevin explained how dairy farmers were making “rapid genetic gain” by using sexed semen – ensuring the birth of female calves – to breed the top of their dairy herd, and beef semen to breed the bottom.
Genomics – a DNA sample from a heifer that determines its future profitability, including production and health traits – determines the genetically superior or top animals and the genetically inferior or bottom animals.
This practice ensures that dairy herd replacements – females – are bred from the best genetics, while dairy-beef crosses bred from the bottom-end of the herd are sold into a terminal meat market.
Using the example of a dairy with 4000 calves, Kevin said genomics enabled the operation to reduce its culling rate across six years – saving money in calf rearing costs and maximising milk production thanks to cow longevity.
Gender-sorted semen is also now used on the bottom-end of dairy herds to ensure the beef animal is a male – or steer – to maximise feed conversion and meat yield.
STGenetics also unveiled a new farmfit™ product, a new generation of animal welfare technology, which is still in testing and development.
Farmfit™ is a bolus inserted into a 4 month-old calf that monitors the core body temperature and activity of that animal watching for signs of illness or distress.
This information is then sent to the mobile phone of the farm manager for ease of analysis and treatment.
Kevin told the IDW crowd that early detection of sickness, thanks to the bolus, decreased treatment costs.
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