With several plenary speakers and numerous breakout sessions, members of the DCRC and producers invited to participate had the opportunity to learn from the industry’s best scientists and geneticists during the council’s recent two-day conference.
Heifer inventory
Heifer surplus is the ominous cloud hanging over many producers’ heads. Evaluating which heifers should continue living in your herd and which should find a new home has become easier with the help of genomic testing and evaluation, but it still poses as a daunting task. Understanding what you have and having a clear goal of where you would like to be within the next two years will aid in the elimination of the “bottom end” of your herd, experts explained.
Fernanda Ferreira from the University of California – Davis suggested considering the animals currently making you money before investing all of your cash in youngstock. Using sexed semen in older cows may not be the answer either, though.
“In the long run, increasing culling rates for ‘better’ heifers isn’t always economically smart,” Ferreira said during her presentation.
Numbers, numbers, numbers
Natalia Martinez-Patino of Zoetis discussed genomic testing, why it’s a tool and how you can make it work for you. She touched on how selection indexes should reflect the needs of the herds using them, and she warned that traits aren’t always measured in the same manner across indexes. Martinez-Patino said that using genomic testing and eliminating bad genetics can help “plug the drain of rising heifer costs.”
“It’s harder to make sense of the data than to acquire it,” said John Cole of Urus. In a data-reliable industry, there are a lot of numbers at our fingertips. Cole reminded audience members about the importance of understanding what numbers mean.
Luis Mendoca with Merck Animal Health emphasized the importance of keeping accurate herd records to maximize profitability on your reproduction program.
“Historical information, facilities, management goals and the environment are all contributing factors that play into reproduction. Which of these areas can you improve in?”
Crossbreeding
The beef x dairy discussion was in full swing throughout the duration of the conference, with a mention of it in almost each breakout session or plenary presentation.
Ferreira touched on how to get the most from these crossbred calves and noted the large variation in crossbred prices depending on the breed of the animal, according to research done in southern California.
Ferreira also listed four factors for consideration when using beef semen in your herd:
- Crossbred calf prices at 1 day old
- Price of replacement heifers
- Reproduction performance
- Calf management on the facility
Dairying for the future
Jack Britt kicked off the conference with a presentation about “dairying for the future.” Britt discussed the state of the dairy industry in several countries around the world and how the U.S. is ahead of them in some ways and falling behind in others. He believes that in the future, we will start “catering to the consumers’ concerns” and “moving away from conventional dairy products.”
During one of the plenary sessions, Robin White of Virginia Tech discussed some of the dairy industry’s successes when it comes to sustainability and efficiency. “The dairy industry is automatically driven to be efficient,” White said. “Efficiency then drives sustainability, which is what consumers are preferring these days.”
Wise counsel from a veteran producer warned members at the conference against breeding for the current market. “One thing I think dairy producers forget to consider when making breeding decisions is to not breed for today,” said Don Bennick, owner of North Florida Holsteins and panelist at the DCRC meeting. “Don’t make your breeding decisions based on the market today because you’re not going to be milking that heifer for almost two years.”
