If you were in need of replacements, would you be excited to buy your heifers?

“I used to raise a lot of heifers just because it was cheap to raise them and if one didn’t work out, there were others to replace her,” Souza says. “That doesn’t work anymore. You have to be very intentional with the heifers you choose to raise.”

2022 was the first year Sydney Bullard was a dairy youth exhibitor at World Dairy Expo (WDE) and the experience ignited motivation within her to work more closely with the show animals and assist them in reaching their full potential.

There is a widespread misconception that dairies must wait to see financial returns from genomic testing — that cash-strapped dairies can’t justify the investment for potential long-term gains. A close look at the numbers produced from a carefully considered genomic testing plan tells a different story — one of increased efficiency and more immediate returns. But how?

“I think, done the right way and with proper management all the way through, these calves are better than the native beef,” said Dan Dorn.

When it comes to new breeding strategies in your herd, there is a lot to navigate. How does this impact replacement inventory? What are the trade-offs? Novel strategies usually have an extra cost – right? 

Should this cow stay in the herd or should she find a new career? Robots don’t lie. Let their data help you decide.