Most dairy producers understand the importance of a comprehensive reproduction management plan. A majority of the research revolves around bringing cows into heat, breeding to get pregnancies, and calving the animal with minimum stress during the transition times. Although these are all very important to dairy producers, deciding which bulls to use is of great importance as well. With the release of the February NAAB bull proofs, now is the time for dairy producers to re-evaluate their breeding programs looking specifically at the genetics component. First, we need to be reminded the importance of genetics to your dairy enterprise. When you evaluate your cows or your production records, you need to remember that what you see is a combination of their genetics and your management practices. Bull proofs show the differences that exist between the bulls. For instance, if bull A is +1000 pounds for milk and bull B is +500 pounds of milk, the daughters of bull A will produce 500 pounds more milk per lactation than daughters of bull B. Herd bulls are still in use in many dairy facilities today. Many dairy producers feel that a bull is easier and just as effective as using A.I. bulls available from bull studs. Research has shown that using herd bulls are not as genetically profitable as A.I. bulls. According to research, daughters of A.I. bulls generated $148 more net income than daughters of non-A.I. bulls. In addition to the financial disadvantage, herd sires cost money to feed, can transmit diseases and, of course, can cause safety problems. Using A.I. bulls also brings added decision-making to the reproduction management plan. First and foremost, dairy producers need to set goals for their dairy operation. There are so many bulls available today, that setting goals for your farm helps sort through all of these. You must decide what traits are the most important to you in your operation. If you choose to only select for one trait like udder depth, you can make a tremendous amount of progress – more than if you select for many traits. You might also lose sight of some other traits that are still important. Choosing to use an index (combination of numerous traits) is a more likely and realistic option. You can develop your own selection index or you may use one that has been developed by the A.I. organizations and NAAB. Lifetime net merit dollars is a very common index that many dairy producers use because it combines production traits, type traits and health traits. Lifetime new merit dollars is used in all breeds in the United States. Each breed also has their own index like Holstein’s type-production index. Breeding goals need to be evaluated each year just like your overall farm goals. Doing this keeps them current and also allows you to decide if you are heading in the right direction. Synchronizing heifers is quickly becoming a common breeding practice to ease labor and time constraints with the reproduction programs. Choosing the correct bulls goes right along with this to ensure that you are the most efficient and profitable as you can be. For more information, call Eric Sonnek at (320) 255-6169 or (800) 450-6171.
