WEBVTT

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Welcome to another episode of the Bullvine Podcast,

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where we dive deep into the latest trends, breakthroughs,

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and controversies shaping the global dairy industry.

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Today, we're unpacking the highlights from this

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past week's genetic evaluations. from reshuffled

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rankings to fertility triumphs and inbreeding

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alarms there's a lot to digest so grab your coffee

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or better yet your milk and let's get started

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first up let's talk about the top 100 tpi sires

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for april 2025. the big story here is the genetic

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base change a recalibration that's shaking up

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rankings across the board genosaurus captain

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et holds strong at number one with an impressive

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3441G TPI, despite recalibrated production trait

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values. Meanwhile, SDG cap Garza ET keeps his

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solid number 2 spot. But it's not all stability.

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There's been significant movement in the rest

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of the top 10. For example, SGC E climbed to

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number 3 with a TPI of 3389, while plain null

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Renegade Trooper dropped from number 3 to number

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8, despite gaining points. The recalibration

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isn't just about rankings. It's reshaping how

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we interpret production traits. Milk production

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values saw numerical decreases across the board,

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but don't be fooled. These adjustments reflect

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statistical resets rather than diminished genetic

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potential. Breeders should focus on relative

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rankings rather than absolute numbers as they

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plan their next moves. Well, hello there and

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welcome to the deep dive. Today, we're diving

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headfirst into the Holstein genetic evaluations

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from April 2025. And well, trust me, this isn't

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just another quarterly update. We're talking

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about a major shakeup, you know, a real recalibration

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of the genetic landscape thanks to a significant

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base change. It's like. Someone decided our genetic

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ruler needed a whole new set of markings and

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the dairy world is definitely taking notice.

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That's absolutely right. For everyone tuning

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in, the dairy farmers, the breeders, the industry

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folks who live and breed these numbers, this

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deep dive is all about unpacking what this base

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change means for your breeding decisions and,

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you know, ultimately your profitability. Yeah.

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We know you're busy, so our goal isn't to drown

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you in statistics, but to really illuminate the

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practical implications of these shifts. And,

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you know, when you say shifts, we mean significant

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ones. Predicted transmitting abilities, those

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PTAs we rely on so heavily, have been slashed

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across the world. We're talking upwards of 20

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% in some cases. For Holstein specifically, the

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average drops were around 750 pounds of milk,

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45 pounds of fat, and 30 pounds of protein. Now,

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we know that might look like a pretty dramatic

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downturn on paper, enough to make you spill your

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coffee, maybe. Right. But there's a really important

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reason behind this. And by the time we're done

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here, you'll have a much clearer understanding

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of what's going on and what truly matters moving

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forward. Exactly. And to navigate this new terrain

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effectively, the key concept to wrap your head

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around is relative genetic merit. Even with these

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big numerical adjustments, the truly elite animals,

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you know, the top care bulls, have largely maintained

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their positions at the peak. That's a crucial

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piece of the puzzle, and it's what we'll be digging

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into today. Okay, let's unpack this big genetic

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-based change then. What exactly is it? Why did

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it happen now? Okay, so think of a genetic base

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change like resetting the average. We're essentially

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recalibrating all the genetic values so that

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the average genetic merit of Holstein cows born

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in 2020 becomes our new zero point. It's like

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re -anchoring our measurements to a more current

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population. The base year of 2020 was chosen

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to reflect the genetic merit. of the current

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milking population more accurately. As genetic

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progress steadily marches on, you know, the average

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genetic value of the breed naturally increases.

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So resetting the baseline helps us to see the

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current top animals more clearly when compared

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against a contentiary standard rather than, well,

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against a population from decades ago. So it's

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a statistical adjustment, right? To keep things

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in perspective, not a sign that our Holsteins

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have suddenly become less genetically gifted.

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That's a really crucial distinction because those

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initial numbers could definitely, you know, raise

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some eyebrows in the marn. Precisely. That's

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the key point. The inherent genetic potential

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within these animals hasn't shrunk overnight.

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What's changed is the yardstick we're using to

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measure and compare that potential. And as you

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pointed out, the numerical changes, particularly

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for those fundamental production traits like

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milk, fat, and protein, are substantial. It's

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vital to recognize that this isn't isolated to

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a few animals. It's a widespread statistical

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recalibration affecting the entire Holstein breed.

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Right. Now, despite these... Pretty significant

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number crunching exercises. We're hearing that

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the cream of the crop, those elite bulls, have

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by and large held on to their top spots. That

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might seem a little counterintuitive. How does

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that work? Well, what's truly fascinating here

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is how relative genetic merit shines through.

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While the absolute PTA values have indeed come

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down across the board due to this base change,

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the relative differences in genetic merit between

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the highest ranking bulls and the average of

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the breed have remained remarkably consistent.

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Take RP Cord, for example. He's still commanding

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the top spot with a GTPI of 3 ,537. And right

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on his heels is Darth VDR at 3 ,504. Their actual

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numerical values have certainly been adjusted

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downwards, but their position of superiority

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relative to the overall whole stand population

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is largely unchanged. You've got some specific

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examples to illustrate this, right? Someone like

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Genosaurus Captainet, a name many of our listeners

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will definitely recognize. What kind of numerical

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shift did he experience? Exactly. Genosaurus

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Captainet actually saw his TPI nudge upward slightly

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from 3336 to 3441. Yeah. Now, on the surface,

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that might look like a positive jump, right?

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Yeah, sounds good. But his milk PTA took a significant

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dip from a hefty 2 ,542 pounds down to a still

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respectable 1 ,872. We also saw numerical decreases

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in his PTAT, utter and posit, and productive

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life. PTAT went from 1 .1 to 0 .28, UDC from

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1 .65 to 0 .83, and productive life from 5 .0

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down to 3 .7. Wow. Now, it's absolutely critical

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to reiterate, this doesn't imply that Captain

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suddenly became a less valuable genetic asset.

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It simply reflects the new baseline. His genetic

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advantage relative to the current Holstein population

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remains strong, which is why he continues to

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be a leading proven sire. So if I'm understanding

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this correctly then, some bulls might have even

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gained a few TPI points numerically but still

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seen their overall ranking in the breed slip

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slightly, while others managed to hold steady

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or even climb the ranks despite the general downward

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pressure on PTA values. That really underscores

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the importance of focusing on those relative

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shifts in position, doesn't it? It's not just

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about the raw numbers anymore. Precisely. You

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hit the nail on the head. The base change has

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essentially dealt us all a new hand, and understanding

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where each bull now sits in this new ranking

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order is absolutely paramount for making informed

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breeding decisions. Some bulls who were perhaps

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extreme outliers for certain traits might have

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experienced a more pronounced adjustment, potentially

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leading to a change in their overall position,

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even if their fundamental genetic merit remains

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high. All right, let's dive into those GTPI frontrunners

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in a bit more detail. You mentioned Rippey Cord,

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ABAJZ, Darth Vader, and Watchmen as the Bulls

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currently sitting in the top five spots. What

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are the key strengths and, you know, the standout

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PTA figures that contribute to their lofty rankings

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in this new evaluation? Okay, so leading the

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charge, as we've already mentioned, is RIP Cord,

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boasting that impressive 3 -5 -37 GTPI. His real

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strength lies in his remarkably well -balanced

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profile. He brings a significant amount to the

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table. table in terms of milk production. We're

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looking at 1 ,496 pounds coupled with excellent

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fat production at 126 pounds and a solid 62 pounds

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of protein. He's really a true all -around genetic

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powerhouse. And what about AB, who's right on

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his heels in that number two spot? What's his

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story? AB, with a GTPI of 3 ,526, truly shines

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when it comes to those crucial component percentages.

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He boasts an exceptional 0 .34 % for fat and

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0 .11 % for protein. In today's economic climate

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where milk component pricing plays such a vital

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role in profitability, that's a really significant

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advantage for producers. Absolutely. Then we

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have Jay -Z and Darth Feed Air, both comfortably

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above that 3 ,500 GTPI threshold. What are the

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defining characteristics that set them apart?

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Well, Jay -Z clocks in with a GTPI of 3 ,506

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and offers a very compelling overall package

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of desirable traits, just solid across the board.

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Darth Vader at 3504 GTPI is particularly noteworthy

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for his outstanding milk production. He's putting

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up an impressive 2 ,228 pounds of milk, which

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is actually the highest milk yield among these

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current top five GTPI sires. That's a lot of

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milk. And rounding out that elite top tier is

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Watchmen. What makes him a standout in this competitive

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group? Watchman, with a GDPI of $3 .499, offers

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a really attractive combination of robust production

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figures and truly exceptional health -related

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traits. His health index of 8 .7 is particularly

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noteworthy, indicating a strong genetic predisposition

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for healthier and less problematic daughters.

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Hmm, valuable. Yeah, that's something that can

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have a real impact on long -term farm efficiency.

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You also highlighted some leading proven sires.

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For those of our listeners who, you know, prefer

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to rely on data from actual milking daughters,

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who are the top contenders in the proven bull

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category right now. Right. On the proven side,

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Genisaurus Captain Ed, as we've... already discussed,

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maintains the top spot with a GTPI of 3 ,441G.

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Falling closely behind him is SDG Cap Garza 8

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at 3 ,418, and Stegian Kellenthorstinette has

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emerged as a strong number three contender with

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a GTPI of 3 ,389. Okay. These bulls have already

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demonstrated their genetic merit through the

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performance of their daughters in, you know,

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real -world conditions, providing that added

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layer of confidence for some breeders. Now, while

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GTPI is a fantastic overall index to consider,

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for many commercial dairy producers, the bottom

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line really comes down to dollars and cents,

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right? So let's shift our focus a bit to the

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net merit champions. Who's leading the way in

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terms of projected economic efficiency in this

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new evaluation? Yeah, good point. When we talk

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about net merit dollars, that's NMDU. Darth Vidyar

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actually takes the crown there with an impressive

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$1 ,270. Oh, wow. Right behind them in terms

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of projected lifetime profitability are rapicord

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at $1 ,239 and endurance at $1 ,222. These are

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the bulls that the number suggests will generate

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the most economic value in commercial dairy herds

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under current market conditions. What specific

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combinations of traits are driving those high

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NML values for these top bulls? economic contenders?

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Is it just milk? Well, for Darth Vader, it's

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that powerful combination of very high milk production

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again, exceeding 2 ,200 pounds, coupled with

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excellent component values at 145 pounds of fat

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and 69 pounds of protein. Endurance, on the other

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hand, really shines when it comes to component

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percentages, boasting a superior 0 .35 % for

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fat while still maintaining solid milk production.

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Okay. And Ripicord, as we observed for this GTPI,

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offers that excellent all -around balance across

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a range of economically important traits, including

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a strong productive life of 4 .5 and a respectable

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fertility index of 1 .7. It's really interesting

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to see that strong correlation between high TPI

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and high net merit. It suggests that the overall

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genetic merit as captured by TPI is indeed aligning

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pretty well with projected economic efficiency

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in these April evaluations. And I understand

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there have been some significant shifts in how

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net merit itself is calculated, right? That's

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a critically important point for our listeners

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to be aware of. Yes. The updated NMO formula

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now places a significantly greater emphasis on

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certain key traits. The waiting for fat production

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has increased by 13%. The emphasis on feed efficiency

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has seen a substantial jump of 41%. 41%. Yeah,

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big jump. And the waiting for livability has

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been dramatically increased by 100%. Wow, doubled.

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Doubled, yeah. This clear shift in emphasis towards

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milk components, efficiency of production, and

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the longevity of cows in the herd is definitely

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reflected in the trait profiles of these top

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net merit bulls. It signals a potential shift

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in breeding goals for many farms, moving beyond

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just sheer milk volume to really focus on the

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quality and the value of the milk produced, as

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well as the overall efficiency and durability

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of the animals. Makes sense. Now, for those breeders

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who have a keen eye for the show ring and maybe

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prioritize those highly desirable confirmation

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traits, who are the leading type specialists

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in this latest evaluation. Right. For our confirmation

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enthusiasts, StoryArk currently leads the pack

00:12:42.340 --> 00:12:45.460
with a remarkable PTAT of 3 .88. Very high. Yeah.

00:12:46.279 --> 00:12:49.679
Falling closely behind in terms of type are SHG

00:12:49.679 --> 00:12:55.059
LEGO at 3 .83 PTAT and Admire at 3 .71 PTAT.

00:12:55.539 --> 00:12:57.559
These are the bulls that are really excelling

00:12:57.559 --> 00:12:59.759
in those visual appeal traits that are so important

00:12:59.759 --> 00:13:02.080
in the show ring. And what are the specific confirmation

00:13:02.080 --> 00:13:04.879
strengths that these leading type bulls typically

00:13:04.879 --> 00:13:08.399
bring to the table? Utters. Feet and legs. Generally,

00:13:08.440 --> 00:13:10.220
they exhibit exceptionally high utter composite

00:13:10.220 --> 00:13:12.720
scores, with StoryArts leading the way in that

00:13:12.720 --> 00:13:15.919
category at 2 .74 UDC. They also tend to have

00:13:15.919 --> 00:13:19.559
very strong feet and leg composites, with SHG

00:13:19.559 --> 00:13:21.440
Lego particularly standing out in that area with

00:13:21.440 --> 00:13:25.480
a score of 2 .22 FLC. Okay. These are precisely

00:13:25.480 --> 00:13:27.340
the kinds of traits that catch the judge's eye

00:13:27.340 --> 00:13:30.159
and will also contribute to longevity and soundness

00:13:30.159 --> 00:13:32.340
in the herd. But there's often a bit of a trade

00:13:32.340 --> 00:13:34.159
-off, isn't there, between pursuing that extreme

00:13:34.159 --> 00:13:36.659
type and those high production and economic indexes

00:13:36.659 --> 00:13:37.980
that we were just discussing. It's a balancing

00:13:37.980 --> 00:13:40.360
act for many breeders, I imagine. Oh, absolutely.

00:13:40.909 --> 00:13:43.470
That's very often the case. Bulls that are extreme

00:13:43.470 --> 00:13:46.210
outliers for type traits sometimes tend to have

00:13:46.210 --> 00:13:49.110
lower TPI and net merit values compared to the

00:13:49.110 --> 00:13:51.389
top production -focused leaders. For example,

00:13:51.649 --> 00:13:55.169
StoryArx, despite his incredible PTAD of 3 .88,

00:13:55.389 --> 00:13:59.590
has a TPI of 2244 and a net merit of minus 601.

00:13:59.690 --> 00:14:02.809
Minus 600. Oof. Yeah. This really highlights

00:14:02.809 --> 00:14:04.889
the different breeding priorities and the strategic

00:14:04.889 --> 00:14:07.210
choices that breeders need to make based on their

00:14:07.210 --> 00:14:10.029
individual goals. Definitely. However, you mentioned

00:14:10.029 --> 00:14:11.759
there There are some options available for breeders

00:14:11.759 --> 00:14:13.659
who are aiming for more of a middle ground, maybe

00:14:13.659 --> 00:14:16.000
bulls that offer a good combination of both desirable

00:14:16.000 --> 00:14:19.320
type and solid overall merit. Absolutely. For

00:14:19.320 --> 00:14:21.100
those breeders seeking a more balanced approach,

00:14:21.679 --> 00:14:24.240
Star Power RC is an excellent option to consider.

00:14:24.379 --> 00:14:27.559
He boasts a very respectable PTAT of 3 .08 while

00:14:27.559 --> 00:14:30.379
still maintaining a competitive TPI of 3 .137

00:14:30.379 --> 00:14:33.799
and a positive net merit of $445. Okay, that's

00:14:33.799 --> 00:14:37.190
more like it. Yeah. And Palo Ayan, with a TPI

00:14:37.190 --> 00:14:41.590
of 3085 and a PTAT of 3 .12, is another strong

00:14:41.590 --> 00:14:44.129
contender in that category, offering a compelling

00:14:44.129 --> 00:14:46.830
blend of both type and overall genetic merit.

00:14:47.009 --> 00:14:49.149
These bulls demonstrate that you don't necessarily

00:14:49.149 --> 00:14:51.309
have to sacrifice one completely for the other.

00:14:51.409 --> 00:14:54.139
Good to know. Now, it's not just the traditional

00:14:54.139 --> 00:14:56.100
black and white Holsteins making significant

00:14:56.100 --> 00:14:58.779
strides in genetic progress, is it? Let's talk

00:14:58.779 --> 00:15:00.580
about the exciting advancements we're seeing

00:15:00.580 --> 00:15:02.799
in the red and white Holstein genetics. Oh, yeah.

00:15:02.799 --> 00:15:04.759
The red and white segment of the breed is truly

00:15:04.759 --> 00:15:07.399
on an impressive upward trajectory. We now have

00:15:07.399 --> 00:15:09.379
several red and white bulls that are exceeding

00:15:09.379 --> 00:15:12.059
that significant 3 ,200 TPI threshold, which

00:15:12.059 --> 00:15:14.679
is a real milestone. Papaya red is currently

00:15:14.679 --> 00:15:17.720
leading the charge with a TPI of 3 ,285 and also

00:15:17.720 --> 00:15:20.100
boasts very respectable type values at 1 .99

00:15:20.100 --> 00:15:22.960
PTTAT. Nice. Morris Red is right up there with

00:15:22.960 --> 00:15:26.000
a TPI of 32 .16 and a strong net merit of 1 ,005

00:15:26.000 --> 00:15:29.500
lays. And Pegasus Red comes in at 3 ,162 TPI

00:15:29.500 --> 00:15:31.740
with an exceptionally high health index of 9

00:15:31.740 --> 00:15:33.769
.4. Those are some really impressive numbers,

00:15:33.830 --> 00:15:35.769
especially that health index on Pegasus Red.

00:15:35.850 --> 00:15:37.649
What are some of the specific strengths that

00:15:37.649 --> 00:15:39.450
we're seeing emerge in these leading red and

00:15:39.450 --> 00:15:41.690
white sires? Well, Morris Red really stands out

00:15:41.690 --> 00:15:44.429
with his impressive milk production of 1 ,499

00:15:44.429 --> 00:15:47.210
pounds and that strong net merit figure we mentioned

00:15:47.210 --> 00:15:49.450
earlier, indicating his potential for significant

00:15:49.450 --> 00:15:53.129
economic contributions. Pegasus Red's exceptional

00:15:53.129 --> 00:15:56.029
health traits, as indicated by that high health

00:15:56.029 --> 00:15:58.649
index, are a huge advantage for herd health and

00:15:58.649 --> 00:16:01.289
longevity. Right. And we shouldn't forget Parby

00:16:01.289 --> 00:16:03.590
Red. who offers a well -balanced profile with

00:16:03.590 --> 00:16:08.090
a TPI of 3144 and good type at 1 .63 PTAT, demonstrating

00:16:08.090 --> 00:16:11.049
the increasing depth and quality in the red and

00:16:11.049 --> 00:16:13.669
white gene pool. It really sounds like breeders

00:16:13.669 --> 00:16:16.929
who have a preference for color genetics no longer

00:16:16.929 --> 00:16:19.029
have to feel like they're compromising on overall

00:16:19.029 --> 00:16:21.090
genetic merit compared to their black and white

00:16:21.090 --> 00:16:23.370
counterparts. Is that fair to say? That's absolutely

00:16:23.370 --> 00:16:25.850
correct. The top -tier red and white bulls are

00:16:25.850 --> 00:16:27.789
now highly competitive with their black and white

00:16:27.789 --> 00:16:29.509
counterparts in terms of overall performance

00:16:29.509 --> 00:16:32.409
and genetic indexes. The performance gap is definitely

00:16:32.409 --> 00:16:35.379
closing, which is... Well, incredibly exciting

00:16:35.379 --> 00:16:37.639
for breeders who are interested in color or who

00:16:37.639 --> 00:16:39.879
are looking to diversify their herds. Definitely

00:16:39.879 --> 00:16:41.899
exciting times for red and white. Now, every

00:16:41.899 --> 00:16:43.940
genetic evaluation update seems to bring with

00:16:43.940 --> 00:16:46.139
it some surprises, you know, bulls that make

00:16:46.139 --> 00:16:48.059
unexpected leaks up the rankings or experience

00:16:48.059 --> 00:16:50.860
significant drops. What were some of the notable

00:16:50.860 --> 00:16:53.240
movements and exciting newcomers in this April

00:16:53.240 --> 00:16:56.860
2025 evaluation? We certainly witnessed some

00:16:56.860 --> 00:16:58.740
significant shifts in the rankings this time.

00:16:59.360 --> 00:17:02.159
ABI and Jay -Z made a spectacular entrance right

00:17:02.159 --> 00:17:04.960
near the top of the GTPI list, debuting at impressive

00:17:04.960 --> 00:17:08.519
GTPIs of 3 ,526 and 3 ,506, respectively. Big

00:17:08.519 --> 00:17:12.119
debuts. Huge. Genesaur's capital of Oyeet also

00:17:12.119 --> 00:17:14.559
made a notable climb into the top 10, landing

00:17:14.559 --> 00:17:18.789
at number 9 with a TPI of 3 ,257. And RMD daughter

00:17:18.789 --> 00:17:22.950
SE game day TR also surged in the top 10, coming

00:17:22.950 --> 00:17:26.549
in at 3253 TPI. These kinds of rapid ascensions

00:17:26.549 --> 00:17:28.609
really highlight the ongoing impact of genomics

00:17:28.609 --> 00:17:30.849
and identifying and quickly propagating superior

00:17:30.849 --> 00:17:33.309
genetics. On the flip side, were there any established

00:17:33.309 --> 00:17:35.529
players who saw significant drops in their rankings?

00:17:35.589 --> 00:17:37.990
Always interesting to see who falls. Yes, there

00:17:37.990 --> 00:17:40.890
were a few notable declines. Plain Null Renegade

00:17:40.890 --> 00:17:43.950
Trigger TR, somewhat surprisingly, despite actually

00:17:43.950 --> 00:17:47.210
gaining 75 TPI points in this evaluation, slipped

00:17:47.210 --> 00:17:48.970
in the rankings from number 3 down to number

00:17:48.970 --> 00:17:52.089
8. Huh. Even with a gain. Yeah. Shows how relative

00:17:52.089 --> 00:17:54.349
it is. But perhaps the most dramatic falls were

00:17:54.349 --> 00:17:56.690
experienced by genosaurus capenum maguiretta,

00:17:56.789 --> 00:17:59.430
who plummeted from number five all the way down

00:17:59.430 --> 00:18:02.950
to number 43 with a TPI of 3 ,160. Ouch. And

00:18:02.950 --> 00:18:06.309
delicious H. noon Tampa 8 TRTE, who dropped from

00:18:06.309 --> 00:18:11.170
number nine to number 49 at 3 ,153 TPI. These

00:18:11.170 --> 00:18:13.170
kinds of significant movements really underscore

00:18:13.170 --> 00:18:15.549
the dynamic nature of genetic evaluations and,

00:18:15.589 --> 00:18:17.569
well, the impact that a base change can have

00:18:17.569 --> 00:18:19.769
on relative rankings within the breed. Definitely

00:18:19.769 --> 00:18:21.970
shakes things up. And what about new and noteworthy

00:18:21.970 --> 00:18:23.950
faces in the red and white category specifically?

00:18:24.009 --> 00:18:26.890
Any big debuts there? Yes. We saw some impressive

00:18:26.890 --> 00:18:29.250
debuts from newcomers in the red and white category,

00:18:29.470 --> 00:18:32.289
most notably papaya red and parby red, which,

00:18:32.329 --> 00:18:34.750
again, further emphasizes the rapid genetic progress

00:18:34.750 --> 00:18:38.049
that is happening within colored genetics. Interestingly,

00:18:38.250 --> 00:18:40.170
the data reveals that we're seeing the highest

00:18:40.170 --> 00:18:42.549
rate of turnover in the red carrier category,

00:18:42.650 --> 00:18:46.269
with a significant 20 new bulls entering the

00:18:46.269 --> 00:18:50.460
top 20. 20 new bulls. Wow. Yeah, 20. This compares

00:18:50.460 --> 00:18:53.259
to 14 newcomers in the overall GTPI category,

00:18:53.519 --> 00:18:56.000
again reflecting both the emergence of new genetic

00:18:56.000 --> 00:18:58.779
talent and the significant influence of the base

00:18:58.779 --> 00:19:01.019
change on relative positions across the board.

00:19:01.240 --> 00:19:04.460
So with all this focus on achieving these elite

00:19:04.460 --> 00:19:06.859
levels of genetic merit and seeing some names

00:19:06.859 --> 00:19:09.380
popping up repeatedly, are there any potential

00:19:09.380 --> 00:19:11.779
concerns about the overall genetic diversity

00:19:11.779 --> 00:19:14.000
within the Holstein breed that these evaluations

00:19:14.000 --> 00:19:16.390
might be highlighting? That's a really important

00:19:16.390 --> 00:19:19.750
and forward -thinking question. The April 2025

00:19:19.750 --> 00:19:22.410
evaluations do reveal a noticeable concentration

00:19:22.410 --> 00:19:24.849
of genetic influence within certain prominent

00:19:24.849 --> 00:19:27.490
sire lines, particularly those with the CAP prefix.

00:19:27.809 --> 00:19:30.529
Right, the Captain Suns. Exactly, which indicates

00:19:30.529 --> 00:19:33.150
the significant impact and widespread use of

00:19:33.150 --> 00:19:35.930
Captain Suns at the upper echelons of the rankings.

00:19:36.730 --> 00:19:39.329
Now, while this demonstrates the remarkable speed

00:19:39.329 --> 00:19:41.390
of genetic progress that can be achieved through

00:19:41.390 --> 00:19:44.710
genomic selection, It does raise potential concerns

00:19:44.710 --> 00:19:46.829
regarding inbreeding levels within the breed

00:19:46.829 --> 00:19:49.130
if these trends aren't managed thoughtfully.

00:19:49.289 --> 00:19:52.029
And it's not just the influence of that single

00:19:52.029 --> 00:19:55.029
sire line, is it? We're seeing names like Ripcord

00:19:55.029 --> 00:19:58.329
and Darth Vader quite a bit, too. Exactly right.

00:19:58.450 --> 00:20:01.170
The widespread prevalence and high rankings of

00:20:01.170 --> 00:20:04.309
sires like Ripcord and Darth Vader across multiple

00:20:04.309 --> 00:20:07.289
different trait categories also point to a concentration

00:20:07.289 --> 00:20:09.609
of genetic influence from a few key individuals.

00:20:10.240 --> 00:20:12.539
While these bulls undoubtedly possess exceptional

00:20:12.539 --> 00:20:15.039
genetic merit across a range of important traits,

00:20:15.240 --> 00:20:17.160
their extensive use in breeding programs could

00:20:17.160 --> 00:20:19.259
lead to a narrowing of the overall genetic pool

00:20:19.259 --> 00:20:21.640
within the breed over time if breeders aren't

00:20:21.640 --> 00:20:23.619
consciously paying attention to maintaining diversity

00:20:23.619 --> 00:20:26.339
in their mating selections. Makes sense. In fact,

00:20:26.400 --> 00:20:29.000
the data indicates that inbreeding rates within

00:20:29.000 --> 00:20:31.579
the Holstein breed have increased by a significant

00:20:31.579 --> 00:20:35.970
28 % since 2015, which is a trend that definitely

00:20:35.970 --> 00:20:38.329
warrants careful consideration and proactive

00:20:38.329 --> 00:20:40.789
management strategies for the long -term health

00:20:40.789 --> 00:20:44.150
and resilience of the breed. 28 % increase since

00:20:44.150 --> 00:20:48.109
2015. That's quite something. Okay, so with all

00:20:48.109 --> 00:20:50.509
this in mind, the base change, the rankings,

00:20:50.730 --> 00:20:53.380
the diversity concerns. What are some really

00:20:53.380 --> 00:20:55.660
practical and actionable recommendations that

00:20:55.660 --> 00:20:58.059
you would offer to dairy farmers and breeders

00:20:58.059 --> 00:21:00.339
as they navigate these new genetic evaluations

00:21:00.339 --> 00:21:02.660
and start thinking about their future breeding

00:21:02.660 --> 00:21:05.220
programs? Okay, the first and most crucial step

00:21:05.220 --> 00:21:07.839
is to truly understand the implications of this

00:21:07.839 --> 00:21:10.640
genetic base change. As we've stressed throughout

00:21:10.640 --> 00:21:12.759
our discussion, when you're comparing these April

00:21:12.759 --> 00:21:15.700
2025 evaluation values to those from previous

00:21:15.700 --> 00:21:18.440
evaluations, it's absolutely essential to remember

00:21:18.440 --> 00:21:20.059
that the numerical differences you're seeing

00:21:20.059 --> 00:21:22.920
are largely a result of this statistical reset.

00:21:23.039 --> 00:21:26.079
Therefore, when assessing a bull's genetic merit

00:21:26.079 --> 00:21:28.240
in the current population, you should really

00:21:28.240 --> 00:21:30.380
be focusing on those relative rankings within

00:21:30.380 --> 00:21:33.160
the breed and their percentile ranks, rather

00:21:33.160 --> 00:21:35.559
than just fixating on the absolute numbers themselves.

00:21:35.940 --> 00:21:38.980
That makes perfect sense. The old benchmarks

00:21:38.980 --> 00:21:41.799
and absolute PTA targets that we might have used

00:21:41.799 --> 00:21:44.240
in the past, they might need to be adjusted in

00:21:44.240 --> 00:21:47.460
this new landscape. Precisely, yes. If you previously

00:21:47.460 --> 00:21:50.559
had specific selection thresholds based on absolute

00:21:50.559 --> 00:21:53.400
values, for instance, only considering bulls

00:21:53.400 --> 00:21:55.779
with a net merit above, say, a certain dollar

00:21:55.779 --> 00:21:58.940
figure like $1 ,000, you will very likely need

00:21:58.940 --> 00:22:01.539
to recalibrate those thresholds downwards to

00:22:01.539 --> 00:22:03.960
reflect the new average of the breed. Okay. A

00:22:03.960 --> 00:22:05.799
more effective approach might be to start considering

00:22:05.799 --> 00:22:08.019
using percentile rankings to maintain a similar

00:22:08.019 --> 00:22:10.440
level of selection intensity within the population.

00:22:10.779 --> 00:22:13.339
For example, instead of a fixed enema value,

00:22:13.539 --> 00:22:15.880
you might aim to select bulls that consistently

00:22:15.880 --> 00:22:18.579
rank in the top 10 or 15 % for net merit within

00:22:18.579 --> 00:22:21.099
the breed. Gotcha. And it sounds like this latest

00:22:21.099 --> 00:22:23.680
evaluation really reinforces the longstanding

00:22:23.680 --> 00:22:26.660
importance of taking a well -rounded and balanced

00:22:26.660 --> 00:22:29.440
approach to trait selection in our breeding programs,

00:22:29.559 --> 00:22:33.240
not just chasing one number. Absolutely. The

00:22:33.240 --> 00:22:35.480
success of bulls like Rip Peacord and Darth Vader,

00:22:35.640 --> 00:22:38.200
who exhibit excellence across a range of economically

00:22:38.200 --> 00:22:40.700
important traits, really highlights the value

00:22:40.700 --> 00:22:43.119
of aiming for a well -balanced genetic profile

00:22:43.119 --> 00:22:45.900
in your herd. Rather than chasing extreme values

00:22:45.900 --> 00:22:48.339
in just one or two specific traits, consider

00:22:48.339 --> 00:22:50.579
utilizing selection indexes that are specifically

00:22:50.579 --> 00:22:52.799
designed to align with your individual farm's

00:22:52.799 --> 00:22:55.339
unique production goals and economic priorities,

00:22:55.640 --> 00:22:58.039
whether that's emphasizing milk production, components,

00:22:58.440 --> 00:23:00.599
health traits, or, you know, a combination of

00:23:00.599 --> 00:23:03.720
all these factors. the growing importance of

00:23:03.720 --> 00:23:05.940
actively managing genetic diversity within our

00:23:05.940 --> 00:23:08.920
herds. What are some concrete steps that breeders

00:23:08.920 --> 00:23:11.039
can take to address this concern in their breeding

00:23:11.039 --> 00:23:13.640
decisions? Well, maintaining a healthy level

00:23:13.640 --> 00:23:16.299
of genetic diversity within your herd requires

00:23:16.299 --> 00:23:19.779
a conscious and proactive effort. When making

00:23:19.779 --> 00:23:22.660
breeding decisions, consider intentionally incorporating

00:23:22.660 --> 00:23:25.599
bulls from diverse and less common genetic backgrounds

00:23:25.599 --> 00:23:28.220
into your mating plans where it's appropriate

00:23:28.220 --> 00:23:31.059
and aligns with your overall goals. Make sure

00:23:31.059 --> 00:23:32.900
to utilize the inbreeding management tools that

00:23:32.900 --> 00:23:34.839
are often readily available through your genetic

00:23:34.839 --> 00:23:37.900
suppliers and breed associations. And don't overlook

00:23:37.900 --> 00:23:40.819
the potential value of using red carrier bulls

00:23:40.819 --> 00:23:43.019
as a strategic tool for introducing new genetic

00:23:43.019 --> 00:23:46.359
diversity and, well, the red coat color trait,

00:23:46.480 --> 00:23:49.259
into your herd, as they can offer valuable outcross

00:23:49.259 --> 00:23:51.920
pedigrees in some situations. Interesting point

00:23:51.920 --> 00:23:53.920
about the red carriers. And looking beyond just

00:23:53.920 --> 00:23:56.700
the raw numbers and indexes, what other crucial

00:23:56.700 --> 00:23:59.220
factors should breeders be taking into consideration

00:23:59.220 --> 00:24:02.359
when making their sire selections? Yeah, that's

00:24:02.359 --> 00:24:04.700
important. While these comprehensive genetic

00:24:04.700 --> 00:24:07.960
evaluations provide an incredibly valuable wealth

00:24:07.960 --> 00:24:10.700
of data and insights, it's absolutely crucial

00:24:10.700 --> 00:24:12.920
for breeders to look beyond the numbers alone.

00:24:13.539 --> 00:24:16.640
When possible, Consider the real -world performance

00:24:16.640 --> 00:24:19.420
data from a bull's actual milking daughters,

00:24:19.619 --> 00:24:22.019
paying close attention to the reliability figures

00:24:22.019 --> 00:24:25.359
associated with those evaluations. And always

00:24:25.359 --> 00:24:27.339
keep the critical factor of genetic diversity

00:24:27.339 --> 00:24:30.559
in mind as you make your selections. Don't hesitate

00:24:30.559 --> 00:24:32.839
to consult with experienced genetic advisors

00:24:32.839 --> 00:24:35.420
who can provide personalized insights and guidance

00:24:35.420 --> 00:24:37.740
tailored to your specific breeding objectives

00:24:37.740 --> 00:24:40.640
and the unique needs of your herd. Sound advice.

00:24:41.640 --> 00:24:43.640
Now, one area that I know has been on the minds

00:24:43.640 --> 00:24:45.519
of many of our listeners is the data related

00:24:45.519 --> 00:24:48.259
to calving traits. What's the latest update on

00:24:48.259 --> 00:24:50.339
that front in this April evaluation? Anything

00:24:50.339 --> 00:24:52.920
new there? That's an important and timely question.

00:24:53.059 --> 00:24:55.559
The updated data for calving -related traits,

00:24:55.720 --> 00:24:58.420
such as calving ease and stillbirth rates, is

00:24:58.420 --> 00:25:00.579
actually on a slightly different release schedule

00:25:00.579 --> 00:25:03.099
and was not included in this particular April

00:25:03.099 --> 00:25:06.039
evaluation update. We are currently anticipating

00:25:06.039 --> 00:25:08.200
that this updated information for calving traits

00:25:08.200 --> 00:25:10.599
will be released with the subsequent August genetic

00:25:10.599 --> 00:25:13.599
evaluations. In the meantime, it would probably

00:25:13.599 --> 00:25:15.680
be prudent for breeders to exercise a degree

00:25:15.680 --> 00:25:18.220
of caution when making significant breeding decisions

00:25:18.220 --> 00:25:21.500
based solely on the existing calving data, as

00:25:21.500 --> 00:25:23.920
those values will also undergo recalculation

00:25:23.920 --> 00:25:25.880
as part of the ongoing base change adjustments

00:25:25.880 --> 00:25:28.339
and are expected to be updated in the fall. Good

00:25:28.339 --> 00:25:31.279
to know. So, patience is needed on the calving

00:25:31.279 --> 00:25:34.220
traits front. All right, so the key takeaway

00:25:34.220 --> 00:25:36.359
for our listeners today seems to be that while

00:25:36.359 --> 00:25:39.059
these April 2025 Holstein genetic evaluations

00:25:39.059 --> 00:25:41.299
present us with a new set of numbers across the

00:25:41.299 --> 00:25:43.759
board, the fundamental principles of driving

00:25:43.759 --> 00:25:46.119
genetic progress within our herds remain largely

00:25:46.119 --> 00:25:49.140
the same. This base change essentially provides

00:25:49.140 --> 00:25:51.640
us with a more current and hopefully accurate

00:25:51.640 --> 00:25:54.279
snapshot of the genetic landscape within the

00:25:54.279 --> 00:25:56.640
Holstein population. Exactly. That sums it up

00:25:56.640 --> 00:25:59.359
well. We are still observing the continued dominance

00:25:59.359 --> 00:26:01.400
of those elite sires at the top of the rankings.

00:26:01.519 --> 00:26:04.960
And it's genuinely exciting to witness the ongoing

00:26:04.960 --> 00:26:08.099
and rapid advancements in genetic merit in both

00:26:08.099 --> 00:26:10.299
the conventional black and white Holsteins and

00:26:10.299 --> 00:26:14.039
the steadily improving and increasingly competitive

00:26:14.039 --> 00:26:17.579
colored breeds. Definitely. So I guess the provocative

00:26:17.579 --> 00:26:19.920
thought to leave everyone with is as you navigate

00:26:19.920 --> 00:26:22.200
these newly recalibrated numbers and consider

00:26:22.200 --> 00:26:25.049
your breeding strategies moving forward, How

00:26:25.049 --> 00:26:26.990
will you strike that critical balance between

00:26:26.990 --> 00:26:29.730
chasing those elite genetics that offer rapid

00:26:29.730 --> 00:26:32.170
potential for progress and diligently ensuring

00:26:32.170 --> 00:26:34.450
the long -term genetic diversity and resilience

00:26:34.450 --> 00:26:37.130
of your herd? It's certainly a question worth

00:26:37.130 --> 00:26:39.210
careful consideration as you make your breeding

00:26:39.210 --> 00:26:42.150
plans in this evolving genetic landscape. Absolutely.

00:26:42.210 --> 00:26:44.009
A crucial question. Well, thanks so much for

00:26:44.009 --> 00:26:45.809
joining us for this insightful deep dive into

00:26:45.809 --> 00:26:48.109
the April evaluations. My pleasure. Until our

00:26:48.109 --> 00:26:50.599
next discussion. Heading north to Canada, we

00:26:50.599 --> 00:26:52.940
see similar ripples from the genetic base change

00:26:52.940 --> 00:26:56.000
but with some unique twists. OCD Monkey leads

00:26:56.000 --> 00:26:58.819
the genomic bulls list with an impressive GLPI

00:26:58.819 --> 00:27:02.980
of 4079, showcasing balanced production and confirmation

00:27:02.980 --> 00:27:06.680
traits. On the daughter -proven side, SS IPAR

00:27:06.680 --> 00:27:09.339
Renegade retains its dominance with an LPI of

00:27:09.339 --> 00:27:13.099
3850. What sets Canada apart is its focus on

00:27:13.099 --> 00:27:15.930
balanced breeding, production efficiency, paired

00:27:15.930 --> 00:27:18.450
with improved health traits like fertility and

00:27:18.450 --> 00:27:21.430
longevity. Pulled genetics are also gaining ground,

00:27:21.569 --> 00:27:24.769
with bulls like Fraholm Vec Triton PP making

00:27:24.769 --> 00:27:27.049
notable debuts. All right, everyone, welcome

00:27:27.049 --> 00:27:29.950
back to the Bullvine Newsroom. We're diving headfirst

00:27:29.950 --> 00:27:34.130
into the April 2025 Canadian genetic evaluations.

00:27:34.829 --> 00:27:37.690
You know those new numbers hit and everyone scrambles

00:27:37.690 --> 00:27:39.410
to see what's what? Yeah, they're out there,

00:27:39.430 --> 00:27:41.660
and trust me, we've been pouring over them. You

00:27:41.660 --> 00:27:43.279
know, so you don't have to wade through all those

00:27:43.279 --> 00:27:45.180
spreadsheets. That's right. We're doing the heavy

00:27:45.180 --> 00:27:48.059
lifting here, folks. Distilling it down to the

00:27:48.059 --> 00:27:50.279
good stuff, the stuff that really matters for

00:27:50.279 --> 00:27:53.200
your breeding decisions. Absolutely. We've been

00:27:53.200 --> 00:27:56.259
analyzing both the genomic young guns and the

00:27:56.259 --> 00:27:59.559
daughter proven veterans. You know, those Holsteins

00:27:59.559 --> 00:28:01.480
with daughters out there proving their worth.

00:28:01.759 --> 00:28:04.759
Exactly. Giving you the inside scoop on the latest

00:28:04.759 --> 00:28:07.539
trends and movers and shakers in the genetic

00:28:07.539 --> 00:28:09.859
world. Yeah. Our goal here is to equip you with

00:28:09.859 --> 00:28:12.069
the knowledge you need. You know to make informed

00:28:12.069 --> 00:28:14.690
choices. Choices that are going to benefit your

00:28:14.690 --> 00:28:17.329
herd for the long haul. It's not just about the

00:28:17.329 --> 00:28:18.789
numbers, though, right? We're going to break

00:28:18.789 --> 00:28:21.369
it down into practical advice. Things you can

00:28:21.369 --> 00:28:24.049
actually use on your farm. From boosting that

00:28:24.049 --> 00:28:26.269
milf production to having cows that just keep

00:28:26.269 --> 00:28:28.410
on giving. Yeah, we're talking about longevity.

00:28:29.200 --> 00:28:32.640
healthy udders, strong feet and legs, all those

00:28:32.640 --> 00:28:35.220
factors that contribute to a thriving and profitable

00:28:35.220 --> 00:28:38.440
dairy operation. So settle in, grab your coffee

00:28:38.440 --> 00:28:41.059
or your favorite beverage, whatever, helps you

00:28:41.059 --> 00:28:43.960
unwind after a long day in the barn. And let's

00:28:43.960 --> 00:28:46.720
get this genetic deep dive started. Sounds good

00:28:46.720 --> 00:28:49.319
to me. Okay, so let's jump right into the genomic

00:28:49.319 --> 00:28:52.059
bowls, those up and comers, with all that genetic

00:28:52.059 --> 00:28:54.690
potential. And guess what? Sitting at the top

00:28:54.690 --> 00:28:58.269
of the genomic mountain is OCD Monkey Eat with

00:28:58.269 --> 00:29:02.470
a whopping GLPI of 4079. That's a name you're

00:29:02.470 --> 00:29:04.210
going to hear a lot, I think. He's not just a

00:29:04.210 --> 00:29:06.349
flash in the pan either. Those numbers are backed

00:29:06.349 --> 00:29:08.589
by some seriously impressive stats. Like what?

00:29:08.710 --> 00:29:10.930
Spill the beans. What makes this guy a genetic

00:29:10.930 --> 00:29:14.750
superstar? Okay, so we're talking plus 1267 kilograms

00:29:14.750 --> 00:29:18.480
of milk. Can you believe that? Plus 134 kilograms

00:29:18.480 --> 00:29:22.640
of fat and a solid 74 kilograms of protein. That

00:29:22.640 --> 00:29:25.059
milk figure alone, it's a significant jump from

00:29:25.059 --> 00:29:26.839
what we've seen in previous top bowls. Wow, that's

00:29:26.839 --> 00:29:28.319
a whole lot of milk. It's like having an extra

00:29:28.319 --> 00:29:30.220
cow in the barn without the extra mouth to feed.

00:29:30.359 --> 00:29:32.339
Pretty much. But it's not just about quantity,

00:29:32.440 --> 00:29:35.259
right? We need quality, too. And OCD monkey delivers

00:29:35.259 --> 00:29:37.079
on that front as well. Yeah, I was just going

00:29:37.079 --> 00:29:38.759
to say, he's got the looks to match those impressive

00:29:38.759 --> 00:29:41.880
numbers. A plus 11 mammary system and plus 12

00:29:41.880 --> 00:29:43.789
dairy strength, those aren't just for show. Not

00:29:43.789 --> 00:29:45.910
at all. A strong mammary system is essential

00:29:45.910 --> 00:29:49.470
for longevity. You know fewer udder issues, higher

00:29:49.470 --> 00:29:52.230
milk quality, and good dairy strength usually

00:29:52.230 --> 00:29:56.309
means a healthy, resilient cow. Fewer vet bills,

00:29:56.529 --> 00:29:59.089
more productive lactations. It's a win -win.

00:29:59.250 --> 00:30:01.210
So basically this bull is the whole package.

00:30:01.490 --> 00:30:04.789
Strong production, good conformation, healthy

00:30:04.789 --> 00:30:07.529
and long -lasting. What more could you ask for?

00:30:08.160 --> 00:30:10.019
Well, there are other strong contenders, too.

00:30:10.099 --> 00:30:12.720
I mean, right behind OCD Monkey, just a hair's

00:30:12.720 --> 00:30:16.039
breadth away, is Progenesis Impulse with a GLPI

00:30:16.039 --> 00:30:19.640
of 4078. Ah, yes. Another name that's been creating

00:30:19.640 --> 00:30:22.119
a buzz. What's this guy's specialty? Well, he's

00:30:22.119 --> 00:30:24.460
a bit of a fat specialist. He's got an impressive

00:30:24.460 --> 00:30:27.799
plus 132 kilograms of fat. So if you're on a

00:30:27.799 --> 00:30:30.440
component -based pricing system, that extra butterfat

00:30:30.440 --> 00:30:33.220
can really add up. More money in your pocket.

00:30:33.519 --> 00:30:36.740
Touching. More butterfat, more dollars, music

00:30:36.740 --> 00:30:39.400
to any dairy farmer's ears. And I hear he's also

00:30:39.400 --> 00:30:41.559
got something else going for him. Something that

00:30:41.559 --> 00:30:43.380
can save a lot of headaches down the line. You're

00:30:43.380 --> 00:30:45.019
talking about daughter fertility, right? Yep.

00:30:45.579 --> 00:30:48.099
Progenesis Impulse is known for siring daughters

00:30:48.099 --> 00:30:51.180
with good fertility. Reliable breeders, shorter

00:30:51.180 --> 00:30:53.740
calving intervals, less time and money spent

00:30:53.740 --> 00:30:55.920
on getting those cows pregnant. It's all part

00:30:55.920 --> 00:30:57.660
of that balanced approach we're seeing in these

00:30:57.660 --> 00:31:00.000
top genomic bulls. Speaking of balance, let's

00:31:00.000 --> 00:31:01.720
take a quick look at the rest of the genomic

00:31:01.720 --> 00:31:05.000
top five. We've got Attaway Beyond Fitness at

00:31:05.000 --> 00:31:10.740
4062, OCD Milana at 459, and Progenesis Melnick

00:31:10.740 --> 00:31:13.779
rounding out the group at 4038. It's like a who's

00:31:13.779 --> 00:31:16.299
who of balanced genetics. It's not about chasing

00:31:16.299 --> 00:31:19.660
one single trait anymore, right? The best bulls

00:31:19.660 --> 00:31:22.220
excel across the board. They offer that solid

00:31:22.220 --> 00:31:24.319
combination of high production, good confirmation,

00:31:24.440 --> 00:31:26.920
and those essential fitness traits. It's about

00:31:26.920 --> 00:31:28.839
the whole picture. Yeah, you need a cow that

00:31:28.839 --> 00:31:31.039
can not only produce milk, but also stay healthy

00:31:31.039 --> 00:31:33.460
and in the herd for a long time. It's about sustainability

00:31:33.460 --> 00:31:35.519
and efficiency. And it seems like the Canadian

00:31:35.519 --> 00:31:37.299
breeding program is really hitting the mark on

00:31:37.299 --> 00:31:39.299
that front. Definitely. And let's not forget

00:31:39.299 --> 00:31:40.740
about another trend that's gaining momentum.

00:31:41.279 --> 00:31:44.180
The rise of polled genetics. Oh yeah, that's

00:31:44.180 --> 00:31:46.740
a game changer. No more horns, less stress for

00:31:46.740 --> 00:31:48.980
the cows, less work for the farmers. It's a win

00:31:48.980 --> 00:31:51.720
-win for everyone involved. And speaking of polled

00:31:51.720 --> 00:31:53.779
genetics, we've got a newcomer making a splash

00:31:53.779 --> 00:31:56.910
in the top 30. Furholm Vivec Triton PP coming

00:31:56.910 --> 00:32:00.690
in at number 30 with a GLPI of 3952. That's right.

00:32:00.769 --> 00:32:03.170
And he's homozygous polled, meaning all of his

00:32:03.170 --> 00:32:05.809
offspring will inherit that polled gene. No horns

00:32:05.809 --> 00:32:08.349
guaranteed. Talk about peace of mind. But he's

00:32:08.349 --> 00:32:10.730
not just a pretty face, is he? Nope. He's got

00:32:10.730 --> 00:32:13.529
the numbers to back it up. Plus 940 kilogram

00:32:13.529 --> 00:32:17.849
milk, plus 105 kilograms fat, plus 63 kilogram

00:32:17.849 --> 00:32:19.950
protein. And here's what's really interesting.

00:32:20.089 --> 00:32:23.630
He's got a plus. 0 .58 % deviation for fat and

00:32:23.630 --> 00:32:26.750
plus 0 .25 % for protein, meaning his daughters

00:32:26.750 --> 00:32:29.069
are producing milk that's richer in those valuable

00:32:29.069 --> 00:32:31.150
components. So more milk and higher component

00:32:31.150 --> 00:32:33.250
percentages, that's a double whammy of profitability.

00:32:33.670 --> 00:32:35.990
Exactly. And it just goes to show that poll genetics

00:32:35.990 --> 00:32:37.609
are really coming into their own. You don't have

00:32:37.609 --> 00:32:39.890
to sacrifice production or any other trait for

00:32:39.890 --> 00:32:42.109
that matter. All right, let's move on from the

00:32:42.109 --> 00:32:44.349
young guns and talk about the seasoned veterans.

00:32:44.990 --> 00:32:48.390
The daughter proven bulls. These guys have daughters

00:32:48.390 --> 00:32:50.250
out there in the real world proving their worth

00:32:50.250 --> 00:32:52.670
day in and day out. And guess who's still holding

00:32:52.670 --> 00:32:54.650
on to that number one spot? I think we all know

00:32:54.650 --> 00:32:57.349
who you're talking about. SSIPR Renegade Eat.

00:32:57.789 --> 00:33:01.029
Still the reigning champion with an LPI of 3850.

00:33:01.710 --> 00:33:04.349
He's like the Tom Brady of dairy bulls. Just

00:33:04.349 --> 00:33:06.609
keeps on performing year after year. Well, he's

00:33:06.609 --> 00:33:08.869
definitely got the stats to back it up. Plus.

00:33:09.339 --> 00:33:13.000
1 ,154 kilograms of milk, plus 98 kilograms of

00:33:13.000 --> 00:33:16.279
fat, plus 67 kilograms of protein. And these

00:33:16.279 --> 00:33:18.220
are consistent results we're seeing across a

00:33:18.220 --> 00:33:20.019
huge number of his daughters. We're talking 1

00:33:20.019 --> 00:33:23.680
,509 daughters and 457 herds. That's a pretty

00:33:23.680 --> 00:33:26.430
solid sample size. Absolutely. And with that

00:33:26.430 --> 00:33:28.549
many daughters, we have a high level of reliability

00:33:28.549 --> 00:33:30.930
in this proof. So you can be confident that what

00:33:30.930 --> 00:33:32.529
you see is what you get. And what we see is a

00:33:32.529 --> 00:33:34.529
bull that sires daughters with outstanding production,

00:33:34.849 --> 00:33:37.730
good health, and fantastic feet and legs. Plus

00:33:37.730 --> 00:33:39.829
14 for feet and legs. That's a big deal when

00:33:39.829 --> 00:33:42.349
it comes to longevity. No doubt about it. Good

00:33:42.349 --> 00:33:45.329
feet and legs mean fewer lameness issues. Cows

00:33:45.329 --> 00:33:47.349
that can walk comfortably to the feed bunk and

00:33:47.349 --> 00:33:49.789
the milking parlor. They stay in the herd longer

00:33:49.789 --> 00:33:52.150
and produce more milk over their lifetime. So

00:33:52.150 --> 00:33:54.089
it's not just about production per lactation.

00:33:54.190 --> 00:33:57.000
It's about... total lifetime production. And

00:33:57.000 --> 00:33:59.519
Renegade Eat is definitely a champion in that

00:33:59.519 --> 00:34:01.579
regard. Right on his tail, though, is another

00:34:01.579 --> 00:34:05.559
Renegade son, Seymour's Renegade Rosline in second

00:34:05.559 --> 00:34:10.219
place with an LPI of 300 and 835. The Renegade

00:34:10.219 --> 00:34:12.980
legacy lives on. What makes this particular Renegade

00:34:12.980 --> 00:34:15.460
son stand out? Well, he's a real fat powerhouse,

00:34:15.559 --> 00:34:19.320
plus 144 kilograms of fat and an incredible plus

00:34:19.320 --> 00:34:22.280
1 .24 percent fat deviation. That's a huge jump

00:34:22.280 --> 00:34:24.860
in butterfat content. And for those of you on

00:34:24.860 --> 00:34:26.880
component -based pricing, that translates into

00:34:26.880 --> 00:34:29.300
some serious extra cash. More buddy fat, more

00:34:29.300 --> 00:34:31.679
money. It's a simple equation. And then rounding

00:34:31.679 --> 00:34:33.940
out our top three daughter -proven sires, we

00:34:33.940 --> 00:34:37.599
have Genesaurus John Boy Eat with an LPI of 327.

00:34:37.820 --> 00:34:39.659
He's a bit more balanced than the previous two.

00:34:39.880 --> 00:34:41.380
What do you mean by balanced? Well, he's got

00:34:41.380 --> 00:34:44.139
very respectable production numbers, but he also

00:34:44.139 --> 00:34:47.789
excels in those fitness traits. fertility, health,

00:34:47.989 --> 00:34:50.309
all those things that contribute to a long and

00:34:50.309 --> 00:34:52.389
productive life. If you're looking for a well

00:34:52.389 --> 00:34:54.909
-rounded bull, he's a great option. So he's like

00:34:54.909 --> 00:34:57.510
the all -around athlete of dairy bulls. Good

00:34:57.510 --> 00:34:59.989
at everything. Exactly. And then we've got a

00:34:59.989 --> 00:35:02.829
bit of a genetic anomaly in the top 10. Three

00:35:02.829 --> 00:35:07.289
bulls from Genisaurus. Captain It, Jackie N,

00:35:07.510 --> 00:35:12.440
and John Eaton. All tied at 3816 LPI. With almost

00:35:12.440 --> 00:35:14.400
identical proofs. Wait a minute. How is that

00:35:14.400 --> 00:35:16.860
even possible? Three bulls with the exact same

00:35:16.860 --> 00:35:18.519
genetic makeup? Well, they're full brothers.

00:35:18.760 --> 00:35:21.460
And they've performed almost identically in their

00:35:21.460 --> 00:35:24.300
daughter proofs so far. It's a testament to the

00:35:24.300 --> 00:35:26.900
power of genetics and the consistency that can

00:35:26.900 --> 00:35:29.119
be achieved through selective breeding. So it's

00:35:29.119 --> 00:35:31.599
like having triplets, but in bull form. Pretty

00:35:31.599 --> 00:35:33.530
much. And for you as a producer, it means you

00:35:33.530 --> 00:35:35.489
have multiple options for accessing the same

00:35:35.489 --> 00:35:37.130
great genetics. All right, let's shift gears

00:35:37.130 --> 00:35:39.469
now and talk about those bulls that are all about

00:35:39.469 --> 00:35:41.389
aesthetics. The ones that make you say, wow,

00:35:41.530 --> 00:35:44.210
that's a good looking cow. The confirmation specialists.

00:35:44.409 --> 00:35:47.289
The beauty pageant winners of the bovine world.

00:35:47.860 --> 00:35:50.500
Exactly. And leading the pack in the genomic

00:35:50.500 --> 00:35:53.780
category is Walnut Lawn PG Brightstar with a

00:35:53.780 --> 00:35:56.599
confirmation score of plus 20. That's like winning

00:35:56.599 --> 00:35:58.539
Miss Universe in the cow world. And he's not

00:35:58.539 --> 00:36:00.800
just a pretty face either. Nope. He's got the

00:36:00.800 --> 00:36:04.960
brains to match the beauty. Plus 1 ,285 kilograms

00:36:04.960 --> 00:36:08.619
milk. So you're not sacrificing production for

00:36:08.619 --> 00:36:10.539
confirmation. That's the best of both worlds

00:36:10.539 --> 00:36:13.119
right there. And right behind him, we have Walnut

00:36:13.119 --> 00:36:16.960
Lawn PG Love Story and Progenesis Artorias. both

00:36:16.960 --> 00:36:19.980
with plus 18 for confirmation. It seems like

00:36:19.980 --> 00:36:22.559
Walnut Lawn and Progenesis are really cornering

00:36:22.559 --> 00:36:24.840
the market on good looking bulls. They're definitely

00:36:24.840 --> 00:36:27.219
breeding for type. Yeah. And it's paying off.

00:36:27.360 --> 00:36:29.119
Now in the daughter proven category, the top

00:36:29.119 --> 00:36:31.579
confirmation sire is Blondin Energy with a score

00:36:31.579 --> 00:36:34.599
of plus 17. And he's not just good looking overall,

00:36:34.780 --> 00:36:38.190
he excels in some key areas. Right. Plus 13 for

00:36:38.190 --> 00:36:40.489
mammary system and plus 13 for feet and legs.

00:36:40.670 --> 00:36:43.230
Those are crucial traits for longevity and functionality.

00:36:43.610 --> 00:36:45.929
Yeah. A well -attached, high -quality, utter

00:36:45.929 --> 00:36:48.829
and strong sound feet and legs are essential

00:36:48.829 --> 00:36:51.250
for a long and productive life. Absolutely. You

00:36:51.250 --> 00:36:52.650
can have all the milk in the world, but if the

00:36:52.650 --> 00:36:54.369
cow can't walk to the feed bunk or has utter

00:36:54.369 --> 00:36:57.289
problems, it's all for nothing. Exactly. And

00:36:57.289 --> 00:36:59.329
then we have Black Silver Crushable Stan with

00:36:59.329 --> 00:37:02.269
plus 16 for confirmation. Another reliable choice

00:37:02.269 --> 00:37:04.789
for those who prioritize type. And rounding out

00:37:04.789 --> 00:37:11.829
our top three is VoWo A2P2PP with plus 15. Another

00:37:11.829 --> 00:37:14.590
polled bull making his mark on the confirmation

00:37:14.590 --> 00:37:17.210
front. It just goes to show that polled genetics

00:37:17.210 --> 00:37:19.329
are no longer a niche market. They're right up

00:37:19.329 --> 00:37:21.570
there with the best of the best. So it's clear

00:37:21.570 --> 00:37:24.170
that the Canadian dairy industry is making great

00:37:24.170 --> 00:37:27.050
strides in breeding better cows. Cows that are

00:37:27.050 --> 00:37:29.289
more productive, healthier, longer -lasting,

00:37:29.429 --> 00:37:31.869
and increasingly hornless. It's a really exciting

00:37:31.869 --> 00:37:33.889
time to be in the dairy business. It really is.

00:37:34.010 --> 00:37:36.389
And with all these new genetic tools and technologies

00:37:36.389 --> 00:37:39.250
at our disposal, the future looks bright. Brighter

00:37:39.250 --> 00:37:41.170
than ever. So what are some of the key takeaways

00:37:41.170 --> 00:37:44.349
from these April 2025 evaluations? What do our

00:37:44.349 --> 00:37:46.050
listeners need to know to make the best breeding

00:37:46.050 --> 00:37:48.329
decisions for their herds? Well, first and foremost,

00:37:48.429 --> 00:37:49.929
I think it's important to emphasize the importance

00:37:49.929 --> 00:37:52.730
of balanced breeding. We're seeing a clear trend

00:37:52.730 --> 00:37:55.869
towards bulls that excel across the board. High

00:37:55.869 --> 00:37:58.730
production, good conformation, strong fitness

00:37:58.730 --> 00:38:01.929
traits. It's not about chasing one extreme trait

00:38:01.929 --> 00:38:04.510
anymore. It's about the whole package. Right.

00:38:04.590 --> 00:38:07.110
You need a cow that can do it all, produce milk,

00:38:07.269 --> 00:38:09.170
stay healthy, and last a long time. Exactly.

00:38:09.599 --> 00:38:12.199
And secondly, the rise of pole genetics is something

00:38:12.199 --> 00:38:14.519
to pay close attention to. We're seeing more

00:38:14.519 --> 00:38:17.219
and more pole bulls ranking among the top sires,

00:38:17.260 --> 00:38:20.139
and that's only going to continue. So if you're

00:38:20.139 --> 00:38:22.139
not already incorporating pole genetics into

00:38:22.139 --> 00:38:24.559
your breeding program, now is the time to start

00:38:24.559 --> 00:38:26.460
thinking about it. No more horns, less stress

00:38:26.460 --> 00:38:28.699
for the cows, less work for the farmers. It's

00:38:28.699 --> 00:38:31.699
a win -win situation. Absolutely. And thirdly,

00:38:31.719 --> 00:38:33.579
we're seeing continued improvement in health

00:38:33.579 --> 00:38:36.320
traits. Daughter fertility, somatic cell scores,

00:38:36.500 --> 00:38:38.400
all those indicators are trending in the right

00:38:38.400 --> 00:38:41.340
direction. which means healthier cows, fewer

00:38:41.340 --> 00:38:44.079
vet bills, and more milk in the tank. Healthy

00:38:44.079 --> 00:38:46.860
cows are happy cows, and happy cows produce more

00:38:46.860 --> 00:38:49.440
milk. It's a simple equation. And finally, we're

00:38:49.440 --> 00:38:51.679
seeing a strong focus on production efficiency,

00:38:51.980 --> 00:38:54.960
especially those high component yields. With

00:38:54.960 --> 00:38:57.039
component -based pricing becoming more and more

00:38:57.039 --> 00:39:00.199
common, it's essential to breed cows that produce

00:39:00.199 --> 00:39:03.349
milk that's rich in fat and protein. So it's

00:39:03.349 --> 00:39:05.469
not just about quantity anymore. It's about quality,

00:39:05.550 --> 00:39:07.670
too. Exactly. It's about producing the kind of

00:39:07.670 --> 00:39:10.369
milk that consumers want and that processors

00:39:10.369 --> 00:39:12.829
are willing to pay a premium for. So to sum it

00:39:12.829 --> 00:39:14.929
all up, the Canadian dairy industry is on the

00:39:14.929 --> 00:39:16.809
right track. We're breeding better cows every

00:39:16.809 --> 00:39:18.710
year, cows that are more productive, healthier,

00:39:18.909 --> 00:39:21.130
and more efficient. And it's all thanks to the

00:39:21.130 --> 00:39:23.929
hard work and dedication of breeders, geneticists,

00:39:23.949 --> 00:39:26.690
and farmers across the country. So keep up the

00:39:26.690 --> 00:39:29.110
great work, everyone. And keep an eye out for

00:39:29.110 --> 00:39:31.789
those top sires in the April 2025 evaluations.

00:39:32.510 --> 00:39:35.010
They're the key to unlocking the genetic potential

00:39:35.010 --> 00:39:37.829
of your herd. Now, as you process all this information

00:39:37.829 --> 00:39:40.050
and look at your own herd and your own goals,

00:39:40.250 --> 00:39:42.789
what breeding decisions will you make to ensure

00:39:42.789 --> 00:39:45.590
the future success of your dairy operation? It's

00:39:45.590 --> 00:39:48.230
definitely something to think about. The future

00:39:48.230 --> 00:39:51.269
of dairy is in our hands, and these genetic evaluations

00:39:51.269 --> 00:39:54.170
are a powerful tool to help us shape that future.

00:39:55.050 --> 00:39:57.150
Thanks for joining us for this deep dive, folks,

00:39:57.250 --> 00:39:58.929
and we'll see you next time with more insights

00:39:58.929 --> 00:40:01.929
and analysis from the Bullvine Newsroom. Take

00:40:01.929 --> 00:40:04.769
care, everyone. Now let's talk fertility, a trait

00:40:04.769 --> 00:40:06.789
that's been under intense scrutiny worldwide.

00:40:07.829 --> 00:40:10.409
Countries like the US, Germany, and Canada are

00:40:10.409 --> 00:40:12.429
taking wildly different approaches to achieve

00:40:12.429 --> 00:40:15.869
gains in Holstein breeding. In the US, daughter

00:40:15.869 --> 00:40:19.030
pregnancy rate, DPR, has been dethroned as the

00:40:19.030 --> 00:40:21.469
dominant fertility metric. The new fertility

00:40:21.469 --> 00:40:24.269
index gives equal weight to cow conception rate.

00:40:24.590 --> 00:40:27.690
CCR, prioritizing cows that conceive quickly

00:40:27.690 --> 00:40:30.929
post -calving over long -term predictions. Germany

00:40:30.929 --> 00:40:33.550
focuses heavily on conception rates within its

00:40:33.550 --> 00:40:36.769
RZR index, but is shifting toward holistic health

00:40:36.769 --> 00:40:39.570
metrics as a foundation for reproductive success.

00:40:40.289 --> 00:40:43.170
Meanwhile, Canada takes a multi -trade approach

00:40:43.170 --> 00:40:45.969
that includes calving ease and gestation length,

00:40:46.210 --> 00:40:48.929
proving that fertility isn't just about conception,

00:40:49.250 --> 00:40:54.809
it's about durability. Kind of mind -blowing.

00:40:54.969 --> 00:40:57.150
20 years ago, if you were talking about Holstein

00:40:57.150 --> 00:41:00.070
fertility, it was a bit like discussing dial

00:41:00.070 --> 00:41:03.349
-up internet. You know, not exactly cutting edge.

00:41:03.590 --> 00:41:06.269
Hey, right. Ancient history. But fast forward

00:41:06.269 --> 00:41:09.679
to today and suddenly fertility is surging. What's

00:41:09.679 --> 00:41:12.579
fascinating is that the US, Germany, and Canada

00:41:12.579 --> 00:41:15.760
are all using like totally different playbooks

00:41:15.760 --> 00:41:18.500
powered by the almost magical advancements in

00:41:18.500 --> 00:41:21.480
genomics to build more fertile cows. And you,

00:41:21.619 --> 00:41:23.400
listening to us right now, making those crucial

00:41:23.400 --> 00:41:26.179
breeding decisions on your farm, you are smack

00:41:26.179 --> 00:41:30.260
dab in the middle of this global race for reproductive

00:41:30.260 --> 00:41:33.460
efficiency. Exactly. As someone, you know, deeply

00:41:33.460 --> 00:41:35.199
involved in the dairy industry, you're constantly

00:41:35.199 --> 00:41:38.730
juggling feed prices, milk markets. A million

00:41:38.730 --> 00:41:40.829
other things to keep your operation humming and

00:41:40.829 --> 00:41:43.190
profitable. And let's be brutally honest, if

00:41:43.190 --> 00:41:44.769
your cows aren't getting pregnant and staying

00:41:44.769 --> 00:41:47.630
pregnant, a lot of those other efforts, well,

00:41:47.690 --> 00:41:49.130
they feel like trying to fill a leaky bucket.

00:41:49.289 --> 00:41:51.250
Yeah, frustrating. Today, we're taking a real

00:41:51.250 --> 00:41:53.650
deep dive into how three of the big hitters in

00:41:53.650 --> 00:41:57.369
Holstein genetics, the U .S., Germany, and Canada,

00:41:57.469 --> 00:42:00.510
are tackling this really critical area of fertility.

00:42:01.170 --> 00:42:04.099
We've sifted through the... latest data and research

00:42:04.099 --> 00:42:05.719
so you don't have to spend your precious time

00:42:05.719 --> 00:42:08.280
wading through scientific papers. I, we did the

00:42:08.280 --> 00:42:10.320
homework for you. Think of this as getting the

00:42:10.320 --> 00:42:13.059
inside track on the strategies that are actually

00:42:13.059 --> 00:42:15.590
moving the needle. you know, the real game changers

00:42:15.590 --> 00:42:17.929
in fertility. So our mission for this deep dive

00:42:17.929 --> 00:42:21.010
is super clear. We want to dissect the specific

00:42:21.010 --> 00:42:23.449
fertility traits that are getting the most attention

00:42:23.449 --> 00:42:26.849
in the US, Germany, and Canada. We're going to

00:42:26.849 --> 00:42:28.989
pull apart their distinct approaches, really

00:42:28.989 --> 00:42:31.849
understand the why behind those approaches, and

00:42:31.849 --> 00:42:34.150
ultimately figure out what this all could mean

00:42:34.150 --> 00:42:37.150
for your breeding program and the future of your

00:42:37.150 --> 00:42:39.769
herd right there in your barns. And to do that,

00:42:39.789 --> 00:42:42.289
we're drawing on some seriously insightful information,

00:42:42.550 --> 00:42:45.050
looking at how these leading countries are not

00:42:45.050 --> 00:42:47.530
just measuring, but actively selecting for fertility.

00:42:47.849 --> 00:42:51.050
So grab a coffee, maybe a notepad, because we're

00:42:51.050 --> 00:42:53.030
about to take a fascinating look at the numbers,

00:42:53.250 --> 00:42:55.849
the underlying philosophies about what makes

00:42:55.849 --> 00:42:58.869
a fertile cow, and the very real impact these

00:42:58.869 --> 00:43:00.869
high -level decisions are having on the ground

00:43:00.869 --> 00:43:05.070
on dairy farms, just like yours. So before we

00:43:05.070 --> 00:43:08.349
get into the the nitty gritty of each country's

00:43:08.349 --> 00:43:10.590
strategy, let's just rewind the clock a bit.

00:43:10.710 --> 00:43:13.510
It wasn't always smooth sailing when it came

00:43:13.510 --> 00:43:15.769
to getting Holsteins to breed back efficiently,

00:43:16.010 --> 00:43:18.269
was it? No, definitely not. I mean, there was

00:43:18.269 --> 00:43:20.489
a period where milk production seemed to take

00:43:20.489 --> 00:43:22.989
center stage almost at the expense of everything

00:43:22.989 --> 00:43:25.369
else. Absolutely. If you look back from, say,

00:43:25.489 --> 00:43:28.449
the 1960s all the way up to the early 2000s,

00:43:28.449 --> 00:43:31.429
the focus in Holstein breeding was. heavily,

00:43:31.469 --> 00:43:33.429
heavily geared towards maximizing milk yield.

00:43:33.469 --> 00:43:35.650
Yeah, big time. And boy, did we see incredible

00:43:35.650 --> 00:43:37.989
gains in production. But, and this is a big but,

00:43:38.110 --> 00:43:41.030
with flashing neon lights, this came at a significant

00:43:41.030 --> 00:43:43.510
cost to the cow's ability to get and stay pregnant.

00:43:43.670 --> 00:43:45.889
Right. Fertility in the Holstein breed took a

00:43:45.889 --> 00:43:49.449
nosedive. It became... It really became a major

00:43:49.449 --> 00:43:52.010
concern for the entire dairy industry. Alarmingly

00:43:52.010 --> 00:43:53.949
so. It was like we were building these incredible

00:43:53.949 --> 00:43:57.030
milk producing machines that just weren't quite

00:43:57.030 --> 00:43:59.610
as good at the whole reproduction thing. Exactly.

00:43:59.750 --> 00:44:02.429
But the good news is that about two decades ago,

00:44:02.489 --> 00:44:05.769
there was a real industry wide push to start

00:44:05.769 --> 00:44:08.690
actively selecting for fertility traits again.

00:44:08.909 --> 00:44:11.809
A turning point. And as we mentioned right off

00:44:11.809 --> 00:44:14.130
the top, the arrival of genomics has been an.

00:44:14.320 --> 00:44:17.360
absolute game changer, really helping to reverse

00:44:17.360 --> 00:44:20.260
that concerning downward trend. It's like we

00:44:20.260 --> 00:44:22.500
finally found the right tools in the genetic

00:44:22.500 --> 00:44:25.599
toolbox to tackle this issue head on. Precisely.

00:44:25.639 --> 00:44:27.780
And what's particularly interesting is that the

00:44:27.780 --> 00:44:30.559
U .S., Germany and Canada all recognize this

00:44:30.559 --> 00:44:32.760
problem. They all saw the declining fertility

00:44:32.760 --> 00:44:35.039
and they all decided to address it proactively.

00:44:35.260 --> 00:44:38.119
However, each country developed its own very

00:44:38.119 --> 00:44:40.940
distinct approach, reflecting their unique priorities

00:44:40.940 --> 00:44:44.030
and philosophies. It's a great illustration that

00:44:44.030 --> 00:44:46.349
there isn't just one single right way to breed

00:44:46.349 --> 00:44:48.489
a fertile cow. Yeah, that's fascinating. Different

00:44:48.489 --> 00:44:50.949
roads can, and hopefully will, lead to the same

00:44:50.949 --> 00:44:53.309
destination. More fertile, more efficient, and

00:44:53.309 --> 00:44:55.550
ultimately more profitable cows for you. Okay,

00:44:55.630 --> 00:44:57.469
let's start by looking at what's happening in

00:44:57.469 --> 00:44:59.329
the United States. They've got their own way

00:44:59.329 --> 00:45:02.050
of evaluating fertility, and it revolves around

00:45:02.050 --> 00:45:05.610
a few key traits that they keep a close eye on.

00:45:05.710 --> 00:45:08.570
That's right. In the U .S., The Council on Dairy

00:45:08.570 --> 00:45:11.050
Cattle Breeding, or CDCB, you'll hear that acronym

00:45:11.050 --> 00:45:13.550
a lot. Yep, CDCB. Provides the essential genetic

00:45:13.550 --> 00:45:16.630
evaluations, and they focus on four key fertility

00:45:16.630 --> 00:45:19.730
traits. First, there's daughter pregnancy rate,

00:45:19.869 --> 00:45:22.949
or DPR. This is a metric many of you are likely

00:45:22.949 --> 00:45:24.809
familiar with. Yeah, yeah, DPR has been around.

00:45:25.010 --> 00:45:26.789
It essentially tells you the probability of a

00:45:26.789 --> 00:45:29.070
non -pregnant cow becoming pregnant during each

00:45:29.070 --> 00:45:32.059
21 -day heat cycle. Then you have cow conception

00:45:32.059 --> 00:45:35.820
rate, or CCR, which looks specifically at a lactating

00:45:35.820 --> 00:45:38.440
cow's ability to conceive each time she's bred.

00:45:38.599 --> 00:45:40.840
Oh, okay. There's also heifer conception rate,

00:45:40.980 --> 00:45:44.300
HCR, which, as the name suggests, focuses on

00:45:44.300 --> 00:45:46.699
conception in those all -important maiden heifers.

00:45:46.860 --> 00:45:49.679
Crucial. And finally, early first calving, or

00:45:49.679 --> 00:45:52.380
EFC, which indicates the age at which heifers

00:45:52.380 --> 00:45:54.630
have their first calf. Right. So those are the

00:45:54.630 --> 00:45:56.329
individual pieces of the puzzle. And to get an

00:45:56.329 --> 00:45:59.150
overall picture of a bull's or a cow's genetic

00:45:59.150 --> 00:46:02.090
merit for fertility, the U .S. Holstein Association

00:46:02.090 --> 00:46:05.269
combines these into their fertility index or

00:46:05.269 --> 00:46:07.590
FI. And this is where things get really interesting

00:46:07.590 --> 00:46:09.710
because there's been a pretty significant shakeup

00:46:09.710 --> 00:46:12.250
in how they actually calculate that index, isn't

00:46:12.250 --> 00:46:14.170
there? It's not the same formula it used to be.

00:46:14.269 --> 00:46:16.289
A dramatic shift, you could definitely say. Yeah.

00:46:16.599 --> 00:46:18.780
Up until very recently, the fertility index was

00:46:18.780 --> 00:46:20.900
heavily, heavily weighted towards DPR. Right,

00:46:20.960 --> 00:46:23.579
like 70%, wasn't it? Exactly. The old formula

00:46:23.579 --> 00:46:28.559
looked like this. FI equals 0 .7 DPR plus 0 .1

00:46:28.559 --> 00:46:33.840
PCR plus 0 .1 DCCR plus 0 .1 EFC ECA. So as you

00:46:33.840 --> 00:46:35.860
can see, DPR was the undisputed king, making

00:46:35.860 --> 00:46:38.900
up a whopping 70 % of the index. Yeah. However,

00:46:38.980 --> 00:46:42.219
as of August 2024, the formula has been revised

00:46:42.219 --> 00:46:47.059
to FI. 0 .4 time DPR plus, 0 .4 HCCR plus, 0

00:46:47.059 --> 00:46:50.460
.1 HCR plus, 0 .1 HAC. Notice anything significant?

00:46:50.639 --> 00:46:53.340
Whoa, yeah. 40 -40 split now between DPR and

00:46:53.340 --> 00:46:56.199
CCR. Exactly. DPR's weight has been practically

00:46:56.199 --> 00:46:59.739
cut in half, and cow conception rate, CCR, now

00:46:59.739 --> 00:47:02.059
carries exactly the same weight. It's a massive

00:47:02.059 --> 00:47:04.960
change after two decades of DPR being the dominant

00:47:04.960 --> 00:47:07.920
factor in U .S. fertility evaluations. Wow, that's

00:47:07.920 --> 00:47:10.320
a huge demotion for DPR. It was the top dog for

00:47:10.320 --> 00:47:13.139
so long. So what gives? Why the sudden change

00:47:13.139 --> 00:47:15.320
of heart? What prompted the U .S. to completely

00:47:15.320 --> 00:47:18.179
rethink how they're evaluating fertility after

00:47:18.179 --> 00:47:20.739
all this time? Well, the industry uncovered a

00:47:20.739 --> 00:47:23.659
pretty critical limitation. A real flaw with

00:47:23.659 --> 00:47:26.440
relying so heavily on DPR as the primary indicator

00:47:26.440 --> 00:47:29.320
of fertility. Okay. It turns out that DPR doesn't

00:47:29.320 --> 00:47:30.940
really take into account something called the

00:47:30.940 --> 00:47:35.300
voluntary waiting period or VWP. Ah, the VWP.

00:47:35.380 --> 00:47:37.239
Right. This is the period after a cow calves

00:47:37.239 --> 00:47:39.519
that dairy farmers intentionally wait before

00:47:39.519 --> 00:47:42.099
breeding her again. And this VWP can vary quite

00:47:42.099 --> 00:47:44.349
significantly from farm to farm. depending on

00:47:44.349 --> 00:47:46.489
management goals and herd health protocols. Makes

00:47:46.489 --> 00:47:48.989
sense. The problem is that cows in herds with

00:47:48.989 --> 00:47:51.909
longer VWPs would naturally appear less fertile,

00:47:52.010 --> 00:47:54.869
based on the DPR calculation, even if they conceived

00:47:54.869 --> 00:47:56.730
quickly and efficiently once they were actually

00:47:56.730 --> 00:47:59.679
bred. Ah, I see. So a cow in a herd where they

00:47:59.679 --> 00:48:02.880
wait, say, 100 days before breeding might look

00:48:02.880 --> 00:48:05.739
less fertile on paper based on DPR. Exactly.

00:48:05.840 --> 00:48:07.599
Not because she has trouble getting pregnant

00:48:07.599 --> 00:48:09.940
when bred, but simply because she had fewer opportunities

00:48:09.940 --> 00:48:12.119
to get pregnant within the standard measurement

00:48:12.119 --> 00:48:14.800
window after calving. That makes a lot of sense.

00:48:15.289 --> 00:48:17.949
Exactly. So the longer wait period artificially

00:48:17.949 --> 00:48:21.250
deflated their DPR, introducing a bias into the

00:48:21.250 --> 00:48:24.110
genetic evaluations. So by bumping up CCR to

00:48:24.110 --> 00:48:26.650
equal status with DPR, they're trying to get

00:48:26.650 --> 00:48:28.809
a more accurate picture of a cow's fundamental

00:48:28.809 --> 00:48:31.409
ability to conceive when she is actually bred,

00:48:31.650 --> 00:48:34.130
regardless of when that breeding occurs relative

00:48:34.130 --> 00:48:36.809
to her last calving. Precisely. And there's also

00:48:36.809 --> 00:48:39.969
a significant economic angle to this shift. As

00:48:39.969 --> 00:48:42.690
a spokesperson for the CDCB put it, this new

00:48:42.690 --> 00:48:45.920
40 -40 waiting of DPR and CCR isn't just a mathematical

00:48:45.920 --> 00:48:48.800
tweak, it's a survival strategy for today's dairy

00:48:48.800 --> 00:48:51.480
environment. A survival strategy, oh. Yeah. In

00:48:51.480 --> 00:48:53.860
this era of high input costs and tight margins,

00:48:54.219 --> 00:48:56.900
farms can't really afford to have cows that take

00:48:56.900 --> 00:48:58.739
a long time to conceive, even if they eventually

00:48:58.739 --> 00:49:01.199
do. They need cows that can get pregnant relatively

00:49:01.199 --> 00:49:03.260
quickly when they're ready to be bred. Makes

00:49:03.260 --> 00:49:05.739
sense, economically. It's about maximizing reproductive

00:49:05.739 --> 00:49:08.500
efficiency and getting those pregnancies established

00:49:08.500 --> 00:49:11.889
in a timely and cost -effective manner. The bottom

00:49:11.889 --> 00:49:14.690
line is, a pregnancy sooner rather than later

00:49:14.690 --> 00:49:17.510
often translates directly to better profitability.

00:49:18.320 --> 00:49:20.440
So the key takeaway for our listeners in the

00:49:20.440 --> 00:49:22.659
U .S., and really anyone using U .S. genetics,

00:49:22.900 --> 00:49:25.860
is that the long reign of DPR as the sole king

00:49:25.860 --> 00:49:28.360
of fertility, well, it's over. Pretty much, yeah.

00:49:28.460 --> 00:49:31.320
The new fertility index is signaling a shift

00:49:31.320 --> 00:49:34.860
towards really prioritizing those cows that can

00:49:34.860 --> 00:49:37.199
get pregnant now, not just those who might have

00:49:37.199 --> 00:49:39.519
a higher probability of getting pregnant over

00:49:39.519 --> 00:49:42.000
a longer period, which could be skewed by management

00:49:42.000 --> 00:49:45.599
practices like VWP. Precisely. It's a much more

00:49:45.599 --> 00:49:47.880
immediate and direct focus on the conception

00:49:47.880 --> 00:49:51.199
efficiency of lactating cows at the time of breeding.

00:49:51.440 --> 00:49:53.059
All right, let's hop across the Atlantic now

00:49:53.059 --> 00:49:54.980
and take a look at how Germany approaches this

00:49:54.980 --> 00:49:57.920
whole fertility puzzle. Their system sounds quite

00:49:57.920 --> 00:50:00.079
different, a real contrast to what we see in

00:50:00.079 --> 00:50:02.500
the U .S., if I remember correctly. It is indeed

00:50:02.500 --> 00:50:04.619
a different ballgame in Germany. They take a

00:50:04.619 --> 00:50:07.659
dramatically different tack with their RZR, which

00:50:07.659 --> 00:50:11.269
stands for reproduction index. RZR, okay. Unlike

00:50:11.269 --> 00:50:13.710
the U .S., with its four publicly available traits

00:50:13.710 --> 00:50:17.250
contributing to the EFI, Germany's RZR actually

00:50:17.250 --> 00:50:19.989
incorporates five different traits. But here's

00:50:19.989 --> 00:50:23.530
the real eye -opener. They place a massive 90

00:50:23.530 --> 00:50:26.010
% of the total index weight on traits directly

00:50:26.010 --> 00:50:29.150
related to conception. 90 %? Wow. That's a stark,

00:50:29.309 --> 00:50:32.570
almost unbelievable contrast to the U .S.'s newly

00:50:32.570 --> 00:50:35.539
balanced approach. It really highlights their

00:50:35.539 --> 00:50:37.639
core philosophy when it comes to breeding for

00:50:37.639 --> 00:50:40.079
fertility. 90 % on conception. That's not just

00:50:40.079 --> 00:50:43.119
a focus. That's almost an obsession. So what

00:50:43.119 --> 00:50:45.159
are the five specific traits that make up their

00:50:45.159 --> 00:50:47.840
RZR index and command such a significant weighting?

00:50:47.940 --> 00:50:51.340
Okay, they evaluate first the interval from calving

00:50:51.340 --> 00:50:54.099
to first insemination, which gets a 10 % slice

00:50:54.099 --> 00:50:56.219
of the RZR pie. All right, 10%. Then they look

00:50:56.219 --> 00:50:58.219
at non -return rate in heifers and non -return

00:50:58.219 --> 00:51:01.809
rate in cows. each contributing 7 .5 % and a

00:51:01.809 --> 00:51:04.829
substantial 37 .5 % respectively. Big chunk for

00:51:04.829 --> 00:51:07.289
the cows there. Huge chunk. Finally, they considered

00:51:07.289 --> 00:51:09.090
the number of services from first to successful

00:51:09.090 --> 00:51:12.090
insemination in both heifers, 7 .5%, and cows,

00:51:12.230 --> 00:51:15.849
again, 37 .5%. So, as you can clearly see, the

00:51:15.849 --> 00:51:18.610
overwhelming majority of the emphasis is placed

00:51:18.610 --> 00:51:21.530
squarely on those non -return rates, which...

00:51:21.719 --> 00:51:24.139
essentially indicate if a pregnancy was established

00:51:24.139 --> 00:51:27.480
and the overall efficiency of getting both cows

00:51:27.480 --> 00:51:30.260
and heifers pregnant as quickly as possible.

00:51:30.360 --> 00:51:32.519
That really hammers home their priority, doesn't

00:51:32.519 --> 00:51:34.340
it? It's all about getting those animals in calf

00:51:34.340 --> 00:51:37.380
quickly and efficiently, minimizing those open

00:51:37.380 --> 00:51:39.480
days. Absolutely. But you mentioned something

00:51:39.480 --> 00:51:42.960
earlier about the RZR's importance within their

00:51:42.960 --> 00:51:45.079
overall breeding goals maybe shifting a little

00:51:45.079 --> 00:51:47.940
bit. It's not the be -all and end -all anymore.

00:51:48.599 --> 00:51:50.500
You're absolutely right to pick up on that. What's

00:51:50.500 --> 00:51:53.519
quite telling is that Germany has been strategically

00:51:53.519 --> 00:51:55.900
decreasing the relative importance of the RZR

00:51:55.900 --> 00:51:58.619
within their overall total merit index, which

00:51:58.619 --> 00:52:01.239
is called the RZG. RZG, right. Now, this isn't

00:52:01.239 --> 00:52:02.940
to suggest that they suddenly don't care about

00:52:02.940 --> 00:52:05.820
fertility far from it, given that 90 % waiting

00:52:05.820 --> 00:52:08.320
on conception within the RZR itself. Yeah, 90

00:52:08.320 --> 00:52:11.460
% is hard to ignore. But it does reflect a growing

00:52:11.460 --> 00:52:14.039
and significant emphasis on other crucial factors,

00:52:14.199 --> 00:52:16.869
particularly health traits. They've developed

00:52:16.869 --> 00:52:20.349
and are increasingly prioritizing an RZ Health

00:52:20.349 --> 00:52:24.789
Index, which now includes evaluations for various

00:52:24.789 --> 00:52:27.750
reproductive health disorders alongside other

00:52:27.750 --> 00:52:30.949
health -related issues. Ah, so they're taking

00:52:30.949 --> 00:52:33.570
a broader view, looking at the bigger picture

00:52:33.570 --> 00:52:36.429
of the cow's overall well -being and how that

00:52:36.429 --> 00:52:39.289
foundational health ultimately impacts her ability

00:52:39.289 --> 00:52:41.989
to reproduce consistently and efficiently over

00:52:41.989 --> 00:52:44.489
multiple lactations. Exactly. Their breeding

00:52:44.489 --> 00:52:47.190
philosophy seems to be evolving towards the understanding

00:52:47.190 --> 00:52:49.670
that you can't simply breed for conception in

00:52:49.670 --> 00:52:52.690
isolation. Right. A cow that is genetically predisposed

00:52:52.690 --> 00:52:54.989
to be healthy, that recovers well after calving,

00:52:55.050 --> 00:52:58.349
and that has a robust immune system, is inherently

00:52:58.349 --> 00:53:00.829
going to be more likely to exhibit good fertility

00:53:00.829 --> 00:53:03.110
and remain a productive member of the herd for

00:53:03.110 --> 00:53:05.380
longer. Makes total sense. As the German Holstein

00:53:05.380 --> 00:53:07.619
Association has emphasized, and I think this

00:53:07.619 --> 00:53:09.679
really encapsulates their thinking, we don't

00:53:09.679 --> 00:53:11.739
just breed for conception. We breed cows that

00:53:11.739 --> 00:53:14.920
recover. A healthy uterus today often means three

00:53:14.920 --> 00:53:17.079
or more additional lactations tomorrow. That's

00:53:17.079 --> 00:53:19.599
a great quote. So in their overall breeding strategy,

00:53:20.079 --> 00:53:22.960
health is becoming increasingly recognized as

00:53:22.960 --> 00:53:25.599
the bedrock upon which good reproductive performance

00:53:25.599 --> 00:53:28.110
is built. So the key takeaway from Germany's

00:53:28.110 --> 00:53:30.909
approach seems to be a very strong initial and

00:53:30.909 --> 00:53:33.409
ongoing focus on the immediate ability to conceive

00:53:33.409 --> 00:53:36.369
efficiently, minimizing services and open days.

00:53:36.630 --> 00:53:39.170
But with a growing and crucial recognition that

00:53:39.170 --> 00:53:41.590
the cow's overall health, including specific

00:53:41.590 --> 00:53:44.530
reproductive health, plays a vital role in long

00:53:44.530 --> 00:53:47.030
-term reproductive success, cow longevity, and

00:53:47.030 --> 00:53:49.739
sustained profitability. Precisely. They're not

00:53:49.739 --> 00:53:52.159
just chasing pregnancies. They're trying to build

00:53:52.159 --> 00:53:54.920
a population of cows that are inherently reproductively

00:53:54.920 --> 00:53:57.840
sound, healthy, and therefore more durable and

00:53:57.840 --> 00:54:00.000
profitable in the long run. Okay, we've covered

00:54:00.000 --> 00:54:02.139
the U .S. with their newly balanced act and Germany

00:54:02.139 --> 00:54:04.260
with their conception obsession and growing focus

00:54:04.260 --> 00:54:07.840
on health. Now, let's head north to Canada. Their

00:54:07.840 --> 00:54:09.639
approach has often been described as the most

00:54:09.639 --> 00:54:11.960
comprehensive and multifaceted of the three.

00:54:12.119 --> 00:54:14.480
What makes their system stand out in the global

00:54:14.480 --> 00:54:16.280
landscape of Holstein fertility evaluations?

00:54:17.280 --> 00:54:19.300
Canada definitely takes a very holistic view,

00:54:19.360 --> 00:54:21.760
as you said. They employ what they consider a

00:54:21.760 --> 00:54:24.380
sophisticated multi -trait reproductive performance

00:54:24.380 --> 00:54:27.760
model that actually integrates both calving ease

00:54:27.760 --> 00:54:31.099
and direct fertility measures into its evaluation.

00:54:31.420 --> 00:54:33.619
Interesting. Calving ease, too. Yeah. When you

00:54:33.619 --> 00:54:35.079
look specifically at their daughter fertility

00:54:35.079 --> 00:54:37.900
index, it's not just relying on one or two key

00:54:37.900 --> 00:54:40.599
traits. It's actually comprised of six different

00:54:40.599 --> 00:54:43.440
fertility traits, reflecting more granular and

00:54:43.440 --> 00:54:46.159
comprehensive assessment. Six traits. That sounds

00:54:46.159 --> 00:54:48.320
like they're really digging down into the details

00:54:48.320 --> 00:54:50.579
and trying to capture a much more complete picture

00:54:50.579 --> 00:54:54.159
of a cow's reproductive capabilities. What are

00:54:54.159 --> 00:54:56.239
those six components that make up the Canadian

00:54:56.239 --> 00:54:58.300
Daughter Fertility Index? Okay, they include

00:54:58.300 --> 00:55:01.579
age at first service, which carries an 11 % weighting,

00:55:01.579 --> 00:55:05.719
non -return rate in heifers at 16%, first service

00:55:05.719 --> 00:55:08.780
to conception in heifers at 8%, Calving to first

00:55:08.780 --> 00:55:12.119
service at 15%. Non -return rate in cows, which

00:55:12.119 --> 00:55:15.219
receives a significant 34 % weighting. Wow, 34

00:55:15.219 --> 00:55:18.139
% for cow non -return. That's big. That's the

00:55:18.139 --> 00:55:20.199
largest single piece. And finally, first service

00:55:20.199 --> 00:55:23.000
to conception in cows at 16%. So as you can observe,

00:55:23.199 --> 00:55:25.760
their approach considers both how quickly animals

00:55:25.760 --> 00:55:28.639
are bred and their ability to successfully establish

00:55:28.639 --> 00:55:31.219
and maintain a pregnancy in both heifers and

00:55:31.219 --> 00:55:33.900
mature cows. And you also mentioned that these

00:55:33.900 --> 00:55:36.659
six fertility traits are just a part of an even

00:55:36.659 --> 00:55:39.480
larger, more encompassing model that they use.

00:55:39.519 --> 00:55:41.980
It's not just about these six in isolation. That's

00:55:41.980 --> 00:55:44.179
absolutely correct. Those six fertility traits

00:55:44.179 --> 00:55:48.360
are just one piece of a larger model that evaluates

00:55:48.360 --> 00:55:51.539
a total of 16 different traits. 16. Okay, this

00:55:51.539 --> 00:55:54.219
is a key differentiator for Canada. They place

00:55:54.219 --> 00:55:57.159
a strong emphasis on the complex interplay and

00:55:57.159 --> 00:56:00.000
interrelationships between various traits. For

00:56:00.000 --> 00:56:02.800
instance, they fully recognize that how easily

00:56:02.800 --> 00:56:06.239
a cow calves her calving ease can have a significant

00:56:06.239 --> 00:56:09.260
and cascading impact on her subsequent fertility

00:56:09.260 --> 00:56:11.719
and overall health. Right. Makes sense. A tough

00:56:11.719 --> 00:56:14.199
calving messes things up. Exactly. So they're

00:56:14.199 --> 00:56:16.199
not looking at fertility in a vacuum. They're

00:56:16.199 --> 00:56:18.159
considering the whole biological system of the

00:56:18.159 --> 00:56:21.159
cow. Interesting. And you also tease that Canada

00:56:21.159 --> 00:56:23.239
has a sort of secret weapon in their approach,

00:56:23.360 --> 00:56:24.820
something that's not even a direct fertility

00:56:24.820 --> 00:56:27.059
trait, but has a big influence. That sounds intriguing.

00:56:27.420 --> 00:56:30.079
Spill the beans. Hey, it is quite interesting.

00:56:30.539 --> 00:56:32.920
Canada's secret weapon, as some has playfully

00:56:32.920 --> 00:56:36.079
called it, is gestation length. Gestation length.

00:56:36.199 --> 00:56:39.139
OK, how does that fit in? Now, it's crucial to

00:56:39.139 --> 00:56:41.480
understand that gestation length isn't actually

00:56:41.480 --> 00:56:43.059
included directly within their daughter fertility

00:56:43.059 --> 00:56:47.619
index calculation. However, it plays a profoundly

00:56:47.619 --> 00:56:51.619
important. indirect role because it has a very

00:56:51.619 --> 00:56:54.880
significant impact on calving ease, which, as

00:56:54.880 --> 00:56:57.159
we just discussed, directly and substantially

00:56:57.159 --> 00:57:00.059
affects subsequent fertility. Right, right. Think

00:57:00.059 --> 00:57:03.599
about it. Longer gestation periods tend to result

00:57:03.599 --> 00:57:06.739
in larger calves at birth. Bigger calves. Larger

00:57:06.739 --> 00:57:09.000
calves can lead to more difficult calvings, an

00:57:09.000 --> 00:57:11.519
increased risk of stillbirths, a higher incidence

00:57:11.519 --> 00:57:14.159
of retained placentas, and ultimately longer

00:57:14.159 --> 00:57:16.260
and more challenging recovery periods for the

00:57:16.260 --> 00:57:18.659
cow post -calving. Yeah, a whole cascade of problems.

00:57:18.940 --> 00:57:20.940
All of which can negatively impact her ability

00:57:20.940 --> 00:57:23.820
to cycle normally and conceive in a timely manner

00:57:23.820 --> 00:57:26.659
for the next lactation. Ah, so by strategically

00:57:26.659 --> 00:57:29.739
selecting for sires that tend to produce calves,

00:57:29.929 --> 00:57:32.010
with slightly shorter gestation lengths, even

00:57:32.010 --> 00:57:34.389
though it's not a direct fertility trait in their

00:57:34.389 --> 00:57:36.610
index, they're essentially setting the stage

00:57:36.610 --> 00:57:39.710
for better calving ease across the board, which

00:57:39.710 --> 00:57:42.730
in turn leads to fewer post -calving complications

00:57:42.730 --> 00:57:46.230
and a quicker and more efficient return to normal

00:57:46.230 --> 00:57:48.510
reproductive cycling. It's like they're tackling

00:57:48.510 --> 00:57:50.769
the root causes that can hinder fertility down

00:57:50.769 --> 00:57:53.269
the line. Exactly. As one geneticist at the Canadian

00:57:53.269 --> 00:57:55.789
Dairy Network aptly put it, gestation length

00:57:55.789 --> 00:57:58.750
is almost a silent fertility trait. A silent

00:57:58.750 --> 00:58:01.769
fertility trade. I like that. Optimize it through

00:58:01.769 --> 00:58:04.389
careful selection, and you can solve a multitude

00:58:04.389 --> 00:58:07.250
of downstream issues related to calving ease,

00:58:07.510 --> 00:58:10.650
stillbirths, and the cow's smooth and rapid recovery

00:58:10.650 --> 00:58:13.369
postpartum, all of which have a significant positive

00:58:13.369 --> 00:58:15.650
effect on her subsequent fertility. That's smart.

00:58:16.280 --> 00:58:18.599
So while the U .S. and Germany might be more

00:58:18.599 --> 00:58:20.599
hyper -focused on the direct metrics of conception,

00:58:21.039 --> 00:58:23.659
Canada is playing a more nuanced game by looking

00:58:23.659 --> 00:58:25.559
at these related traits that have a powerful

00:58:25.559 --> 00:58:28.139
ripple effect on overall reproductive performance

00:58:28.139 --> 00:58:31.380
and long -term herd health and efficiency. So

00:58:31.380 --> 00:58:33.780
the big takeaway from Canada's approach is this

00:58:33.780 --> 00:58:36.280
really comprehensive multi -trait perspective.

00:58:36.539 --> 00:58:38.900
They're not just looking at the simple binary

00:58:38.900 --> 00:58:40.900
of whether a cow gets pregnant or not. Right.

00:58:41.210 --> 00:58:43.789
They're taking into account a wider array of

00:58:43.789 --> 00:58:46.030
interconnected factors, such as calving ease,

00:58:46.230 --> 00:58:48.429
which is heavily influenced by gestation length,

00:58:48.550 --> 00:58:51.070
as critical components of overall reproductive

00:58:51.070 --> 00:58:54.369
success, cow well -being, and long -term efficiency

00:58:54.369 --> 00:58:56.889
on the dairy farm. Absolutely. They're embracing

00:58:56.889 --> 00:59:00.610
a much more holistic, systems -based view of

00:59:00.610 --> 00:59:03.429
fertility, recognizing that it's not just one

00:59:03.429 --> 00:59:06.030
single factor at play, but a complex interplay

00:59:06.030 --> 00:59:08.550
of genetics and physiology. It's truly fascinating

00:59:08.550 --> 00:59:11.090
to see these three major players in the global

00:59:11.090 --> 00:59:13.590
Holstein industry taking such distinct and in

00:59:13.590 --> 00:59:16.210
some cases almost opposite routes when it comes

00:59:16.210 --> 00:59:18.510
to breeding for fertility. It really is. But

00:59:18.510 --> 00:59:20.510
the really interesting and... perhaps somewhat

00:59:20.510 --> 00:59:22.849
surprising thing is that despite their very different

00:59:22.849 --> 00:59:25.309
strategies, they are all actually reporting positive

00:59:25.309 --> 00:59:27.929
results and making genetic progress in improving

00:59:27.929 --> 00:59:30.130
Holstein fertility within their respective populations.

00:59:30.369 --> 00:59:32.289
That's a really crucial and encouraging point

00:59:32.289 --> 00:59:34.909
for everyone listening. Despite the contrasting

00:59:34.909 --> 00:59:36.829
approaches and the different traits they prioritize,

00:59:37.130 --> 00:59:39.570
all three nations are demonstrating tangible

00:59:39.570 --> 00:59:42.550
genetic improvements in key fertility traits.

00:59:42.730 --> 00:59:45.170
That's great news. The U .S., as we discussed,

00:59:45.369 --> 00:59:47.650
has managed to reverse those previous concerning

00:59:47.650 --> 00:59:50.349
declines in fertility, observing better overall

00:59:50.349 --> 00:59:53.090
pregnancy rates and fewer services required per

00:59:53.090 --> 00:59:56.329
conception. Germany is seeing improved daughter

00:59:56.329 --> 00:59:58.889
fertility metrics in their top -ranking sires,

00:59:59.010 --> 01:00:01.269
indicating their intense focus on conception

01:00:01.269 --> 01:00:04.699
is paying dividends. Good for them. And Canada's

01:00:04.699 --> 01:00:07.099
data suggests they've been successful in largely

01:00:07.099 --> 01:00:10.079
avoiding the steep fertility declines that have

01:00:10.079 --> 01:00:12.000
been observed in some other dairy regions around

01:00:12.000 --> 01:00:14.300
the world, likely thanks to their more holistic

01:00:14.300 --> 01:00:17.280
approach. Yeah, that holistic view seems to be

01:00:17.280 --> 01:00:19.179
working. So clearly when it comes to breeding

01:00:19.179 --> 01:00:21.219
more fertile cows, there's more than one way

01:00:21.219 --> 01:00:23.940
to effectively get the job done. It's not a one

01:00:23.940 --> 01:00:26.019
-size -fits -all situation. To really highlight

01:00:26.019 --> 01:00:28.139
these key differences and some of the underlying

01:00:28.139 --> 01:00:30.579
similarities, we've put together a quick snapshot

01:00:30.579 --> 01:00:33.840
comparing the main metrics each country emphasizes

01:00:33.840 --> 01:00:36.579
in their fertility evaluations. We've got a table

01:00:36.579 --> 01:00:39.599
for that. Right. So in the U .S., the key metric

01:00:39.599 --> 01:00:42.619
now... Within their fertility index is cow conception

01:00:42.619 --> 01:00:45.460
rate, carrying that significant 40 % weight.

01:00:45.659 --> 01:00:48.920
CCR? 40 %? Yeah. Their primary economic focus

01:00:48.920 --> 01:00:51.099
really centers on the return on investment generated

01:00:51.099 --> 01:00:54.059
by those lactating cows. Makes sense. Germany.

01:00:54.519 --> 01:00:57.659
with their rzr index is overwhelmingly focused

01:00:57.659 --> 01:01:00.559
on the overall conception rate which as we said

01:01:00.559 --> 01:01:04.139
makes up a staggering 90 of their index 90 still

01:01:04.139 --> 01:01:06.940
blows my mind and their economic driver appears

01:01:06.940 --> 01:01:09.800
to be herd turnover speed getting cows pregnant

01:01:09.800 --> 01:01:12.639
quickly to maintain production flow ray keep

01:01:12.639 --> 01:01:15.710
them moving and then canada with their Comprehensive

01:01:15.710 --> 01:01:18.630
Daughter Fertility Index places the highest individual

01:01:18.630 --> 01:01:22.550
weight on cow non -return rate at 34%. The biggest

01:01:22.550 --> 01:01:24.750
chunk for Canada. Reflecting a broader economic

01:01:24.750 --> 01:01:27.230
focus on achieving robust lifetime pregnancy

01:01:27.230 --> 01:01:30.320
success for their cows. It seems that while the

01:01:30.320 --> 01:01:32.539
specific metrics they track and the weights they

01:01:32.539 --> 01:01:35.000
assign to them can differ quite a bit, there

01:01:35.000 --> 01:01:37.960
are some fundamental underlying shared drivers

01:01:37.960 --> 01:01:40.280
that are contributing to this overall global

01:01:40.280 --> 01:01:43.679
success we're seeing in improving fertility in

01:01:43.679 --> 01:01:45.980
Holsteins. It's not just about the numbers. There

01:01:45.980 --> 01:01:48.039
are some common principles at play. Definitely.

01:01:48.460 --> 01:01:51.880
One key factor that stands out is strategic integration.

01:01:53.239 --> 01:01:55.440
All three countries have made a conscious and

01:01:55.440 --> 01:01:57.980
deliberate effort to fully integrate fertility

01:01:57.980 --> 01:02:00.179
into their overarching comprehensive breeding

01:02:00.179 --> 01:02:02.920
programs, alongside the more traditional emphasis

01:02:02.920 --> 01:02:05.500
on production traits like milk yield and component

01:02:05.500 --> 01:02:07.480
percentages. It's not an afterthought anymore.

01:02:07.739 --> 01:02:10.400
Exactly. It's no longer just solely about how

01:02:10.400 --> 01:02:13.190
much milk a cow gives in a lactation. Her ability

01:02:13.190 --> 01:02:15.409
to reproduce efficiently and consistently over

01:02:15.409 --> 01:02:17.570
multiple lactations is now widely recognized

01:02:17.570 --> 01:02:20.590
as being equally, if not more, important for

01:02:20.590 --> 01:02:23.170
long -term profitability and sustainability of

01:02:23.170 --> 01:02:25.699
a dairy operation. And the significant advancements

01:02:25.699 --> 01:02:27.679
in selection tools and the sophistication of

01:02:27.679 --> 01:02:30.019
their genetic evaluations have undoubtedly played

01:02:30.019 --> 01:02:31.940
a major role in this progress. Oh, absolutely.

01:02:32.260 --> 01:02:34.820
These multi -trait selection indices like Net

01:02:34.820 --> 01:02:38.059
Merit in the U .S., RZG in Germany, and LPI in

01:02:38.059 --> 01:02:40.579
Canada allow breeders to make much more informed

01:02:40.579 --> 01:02:42.940
and balanced selection decisions when choosing

01:02:42.940 --> 01:02:46.019
sires and managing their breeding programs. Absolutely.

01:02:46.400 --> 01:02:49.980
These comprehensive genetic indices provide breeders

01:02:49.980 --> 01:02:52.059
with the ability to look at a much wider array

01:02:52.059 --> 01:02:54.400
of economically important traits simultaneously.

01:02:54.980 --> 01:02:57.000
Yeah, see the whole picture. This allows them

01:02:57.000 --> 01:02:59.119
to select animals that not only excel in one

01:02:59.119 --> 01:03:02.159
or two specific areas, but have a more well -rounded

01:03:02.159 --> 01:03:05.059
and favorable overall genetic profile, which

01:03:05.059 --> 01:03:08.559
now strongly includes improved fertility alongside

01:03:08.559 --> 01:03:11.519
production, health, and longevity. It's about

01:03:11.519 --> 01:03:13.659
breeding a more complete and profitable dairy

01:03:13.659 --> 01:03:16.119
cow. But I think we'd be remiss if we didn't

01:03:16.119 --> 01:03:18.860
address what's... arguably been the biggest game

01:03:18.860 --> 01:03:20.880
changer in this whole area of the genomic revolution.

01:03:21.219 --> 01:03:24.039
Ah, genomics, yes. How has the advent of genomics

01:03:24.039 --> 01:03:27.239
and genomic testing truly impacted the ability

01:03:27.239 --> 01:03:29.940
to make faster and more accurate genetic progress

01:03:29.940 --> 01:03:32.920
in complex traits like fertility? Genomics has

01:03:32.920 --> 01:03:35.639
been an absolute paradigm shift, a true game

01:03:35.639 --> 01:03:37.800
changer in every sense of the word. Being able

01:03:37.800 --> 01:03:40.579
to obtain a much more accurate and reliable assessment

01:03:40.579 --> 01:03:43.000
of an animal's inherent genetic potential for

01:03:43.000 --> 01:03:45.139
fertility at a much younger age, even as a calf.

01:03:45.260 --> 01:03:47.909
Right, super early. has dramatically accelerated

01:03:47.909 --> 01:03:50.389
the rate of genetic progress. Think about it.

01:03:50.389 --> 01:03:52.949
In the past, we had to wait for daughters to

01:03:52.949 --> 01:03:54.730
enter production and have their own reproductive

01:03:54.730 --> 01:03:58.309
records to even begin to evaluate a sire's impact

01:03:58.309 --> 01:04:01.929
on fertility. Genomics has essentially bypassed

01:04:01.929 --> 01:04:05.010
that lengthy waiting period. As one researcher

01:04:05.010 --> 01:04:07.289
at the USDA's Animal Genomics and Improvement

01:04:07.289 --> 01:04:10.190
Laboratory put it quite succinctly, genomics

01:04:10.190 --> 01:04:13.230
cut approximately five years off the timeline.

01:04:13.800 --> 01:04:16.320
for achieving significant fertility gains five

01:04:16.320 --> 01:04:19.440
years wow what took decades to accomplish through

01:04:19.440 --> 01:04:21.579
traditional progeny testing using daughter or

01:04:21.579 --> 01:04:23.940
pregnancy rate we've now been able to achieve

01:04:23.940 --> 01:04:26.539
in roughly half a generation thanks to the focus

01:04:26.539 --> 01:04:29.000
on ccr and other fertility related traits and

01:04:29.000 --> 01:04:31.780
genomic evaluations it's really compressed the

01:04:31.780 --> 01:04:33.780
time frame for making meaningful and impactful

01:04:33.780 --> 01:04:36.380
genetic improvements in fertility that's an incredible

01:04:36.380 --> 01:04:39.869
acceleration Five years shaved off the timeline

01:04:39.869 --> 01:04:42.630
for genetic gain that really underscores the

01:04:42.630 --> 01:04:44.570
immense power and potential of these advanced

01:04:44.570 --> 01:04:47.530
genomic tools in modern dairy breeding. Now we've

01:04:47.530 --> 01:04:49.690
talked about the different approaches each country

01:04:49.690 --> 01:04:52.610
is taking and the successes they're seeing, but

01:04:52.610 --> 01:04:54.789
it's also important to remember that the heritability

01:04:54.789 --> 01:04:57.230
of direct fertility traits is generally considered

01:04:57.230 --> 01:04:59.570
to be... quite low compared to something like

01:04:59.570 --> 01:05:01.769
milk production. Right. That's a key challenge.

01:05:01.969 --> 01:05:04.030
How do these countries manage to make significant

01:05:04.030 --> 01:05:07.010
progress in improving fertility despite this

01:05:07.010 --> 01:05:10.090
inherent genetic challenge? That's an excellent

01:05:10.090 --> 01:05:12.670
question. And it really highlights the sophistication

01:05:12.670 --> 01:05:14.750
and effectiveness of their comprehensive breeding

01:05:14.750 --> 01:05:17.710
strategies. While the direct heritability of

01:05:17.710 --> 01:05:20.630
traits like DPR or conception rate on their own

01:05:20.630 --> 01:05:23.889
might be relatively low. It is really low sometimes.

01:05:24.190 --> 01:05:28.090
Yeah. Sometimes only a few percent. But. By effectively

01:05:28.090 --> 01:05:30.889
leveraging genomic information, which significantly

01:05:30.889 --> 01:05:33.630
increases the accuracy and reliability of those

01:05:33.630 --> 01:05:36.590
genetic predictions, and by carefully constructing

01:05:36.590 --> 01:05:40.210
multi -trait selection indices that thoughtfully

01:05:40.210 --> 01:05:42.610
incorporate related and often more heritable

01:05:42.610 --> 01:05:45.170
indicator traits, they're able to indirectly

01:05:45.170 --> 01:05:48.530
but very effectively select for improved overall

01:05:48.530 --> 01:05:52.170
fertility. So, using related traits. Exactly.

01:05:52.230 --> 01:05:54.469
You can see this trend in the data. For example,

01:05:54.630 --> 01:05:56.530
while daughter pregnancy rate in the U .S. might

01:05:56.530 --> 01:05:59.730
have a heritability of only around 4%, its genomic

01:05:59.730 --> 01:06:02.289
reliability is considerably higher, around 58%.

01:06:02.289 --> 01:06:05.349
Okay. Much more reliable with genomics. Similarly,

01:06:05.590 --> 01:06:08.030
cow non -return rate in Canada has a heritability

01:06:08.030 --> 01:06:11.050
of about 8%, but boasts a genomic reliability

01:06:11.050 --> 01:06:16.219
of approximately 67%. Germany's KON, which is

01:06:16.219 --> 01:06:18.260
a measure closely related to conception rate,

01:06:18.440 --> 01:06:21.480
has a heritability of around 6%, but a genomic

01:06:21.480 --> 01:06:25.380
reliability of about 63%. And notably, gestation

01:06:25.380 --> 01:06:27.519
length, which Canada strategically focuses on,

01:06:27.599 --> 01:06:30.559
has a much higher heritability at 22%, with a

01:06:30.559 --> 01:06:34.380
genomic reliability of 71%. which really underscores

01:06:34.380 --> 01:06:35.920
the effectiveness of their indirect selection

01:06:35.920 --> 01:06:38.320
approach. It really underscores the key point

01:06:38.320 --> 01:06:40.599
that you don't necessarily have to directly select

01:06:40.599 --> 01:06:42.900
for a trait with inherently low heritability

01:06:42.900 --> 01:06:45.559
if you can identify and select for related, more

01:06:45.559 --> 01:06:47.500
heritable traits that have a strong positive

01:06:47.500 --> 01:06:49.400
influence on the trait you're ultimately trying

01:06:49.400 --> 01:06:52.500
to improve. Canada's strategic focus on gestation

01:06:52.500 --> 01:06:55.280
length as a lever to improve calving ease and

01:06:55.280 --> 01:06:57.739
subsequent fertility seems like a prime example

01:06:57.739 --> 01:07:00.440
of that smart and innovative thinking in action.

01:07:00.829 --> 01:07:03.090
Exactly. And it also brings up the crucial point

01:07:03.090 --> 01:07:05.929
that while genetics plays an increasingly important

01:07:05.929 --> 01:07:08.590
role, good on -farm management still remains

01:07:08.590 --> 01:07:11.269
a very significant factor, especially when it

01:07:11.269 --> 01:07:13.369
comes to expressing those genetic potentials.

01:07:13.389 --> 01:07:15.610
Yeah, genetics isn't everything. For instance,

01:07:15.690 --> 01:07:17.530
something like daughter pregnancy rate can still

01:07:17.530 --> 01:07:20.269
be significantly influenced by farm -specific

01:07:20.269 --> 01:07:22.869
management practices, such as the voluntary waiting

01:07:22.869 --> 01:07:25.769
period and heat detection efficiency. Management

01:07:25.769 --> 01:07:29.130
matters. A lot. So with these diverse approaches

01:07:29.130 --> 01:07:31.849
being implemented across the globe, is there

01:07:31.849 --> 01:07:34.650
any emerging indication of which particular strategy

01:07:34.650 --> 01:07:37.230
might ultimately prove to be the most economically

01:07:37.230 --> 01:07:39.949
beneficial for dairy producers on the ground,

01:07:40.010 --> 01:07:42.150
for the folks listening to us right now? That's

01:07:42.150 --> 01:07:43.769
truly the million dollar question, isn't it?

01:07:43.869 --> 01:07:46.329
Yeah, literally. And the honest answer is that

01:07:46.329 --> 01:07:49.050
the optimal strategy is likely going to depend

01:07:49.050 --> 01:07:52.170
on the specific goals, resources, and management

01:07:52.170 --> 01:07:54.679
style of an individual dairy farm. Right, it's

01:07:54.679 --> 01:07:57.139
farm -specific. However, we do have some interesting

01:07:57.139 --> 01:07:59.559
data points that offer some clues. For instance,

01:07:59.800 --> 01:08:02.599
Canada's strong emphasis on pregnancy durability,

01:08:03.079 --> 01:08:05.659
which is reflected in that higher weighting on

01:08:05.659 --> 01:08:08.239
cow non -return rate in their daughter fertility

01:08:08.239 --> 01:08:11.260
index. That 34%, yeah. Really highlights the

01:08:11.260 --> 01:08:13.320
fact that achieving a pregnancy quickly isn't

01:08:13.320 --> 01:08:16.960
the only pathway to enhance profitability. Ensuring

01:08:16.960 --> 01:08:19.239
that a cow stays pregnant through to a successful

01:08:19.239 --> 01:08:23.079
calving is often just as, if not more, critical

01:08:23.079 --> 01:08:26.020
for maximizing lifetime productivity and reducing

01:08:26.020 --> 01:08:28.840
costs associated with repeat breedings. Avoiding

01:08:28.840 --> 01:08:31.859
those pregnancy losses. Exactly. The fact that

01:08:31.859 --> 01:08:34.439
top 10 % daughter fertility bulls in Canada have

01:08:34.439 --> 01:08:37.199
been shown to lead to a significant 12 % improvement

01:08:37.199 --> 01:08:40.079
in cow non -return rates really speaks volumes

01:08:40.079 --> 01:08:42.520
about the tangible economic impact of reducing

01:08:42.520 --> 01:08:44.720
those costly repeat breedings and increasing

01:08:44.720 --> 01:08:46.859
the likelihood of a successful full -term pregnancy.

01:08:47.079 --> 01:08:49.239
Absolutely. Fewer repeat breedings translate

01:08:49.239 --> 01:08:51.739
directly to lower semen costs, reduced labor

01:08:51.739 --> 01:08:54.100
expenses associated with insemination and pregnancy

01:08:54.100 --> 01:08:56.500
checks, and a more consistent and predictable

01:08:56.500 --> 01:08:59.380
calving interval across the herd, all of which

01:08:59.380 --> 01:09:02.250
contribute directly to a healthier bottom line

01:09:02.250 --> 01:09:04.510
for the dairy operation. And looking at the other

01:09:04.510 --> 01:09:06.630
side of the coin, we have that compelling report

01:09:06.630 --> 01:09:09.710
from a dairy producer in Wisconsin who made a

01:09:09.710 --> 01:09:12.789
strategic decision to switch to using bowls with

01:09:12.789 --> 01:09:16.329
higher cow conception rate, CCR proofs, aligning

01:09:16.329 --> 01:09:18.829
their breeding program with the U .S.'s new emphasis

01:09:18.829 --> 01:09:21.380
on this trait. Following the new U .S. index

01:09:21.380 --> 01:09:24.340
focus. Right. They reported achieving a significant

01:09:24.340 --> 01:09:26.560
18 percent reduction in their overall conception

01:09:26.560 --> 01:09:29.600
cost. 18 percent. That's substantial. That real

01:09:29.600 --> 01:09:32.220
world example really drives home the point that

01:09:32.220 --> 01:09:34.579
focusing on getting cows pregnant efficiently

01:09:34.579 --> 01:09:38.000
and in a timely manner right now can also have

01:09:38.000 --> 01:09:40.600
a major and immediate economic impact on a dairy

01:09:40.600 --> 01:09:43.260
farm's profitability. Yeah. It certainly seems

01:09:43.260 --> 01:09:45.829
like the old adage of. milk first, worry about

01:09:45.829 --> 01:09:48.630
fertility later, is rapidly becoming an outdated

01:09:48.630 --> 01:09:51.170
and potentially costly way of thinking. It really

01:09:51.170 --> 01:09:53.649
does seem that way. So for our listeners out

01:09:53.649 --> 01:09:55.170
there who are making these critical breeding

01:09:55.170 --> 01:09:57.909
decisions on a daily basis, what are some of

01:09:57.909 --> 01:10:00.289
the key actionable strategies they should be

01:10:00.289 --> 01:10:02.989
considering and perhaps re -evaluating given

01:10:02.989 --> 01:10:05.050
these diverse international approaches and the

01:10:05.050 --> 01:10:07.489
insights we've discussed today? What practical

01:10:07.489 --> 01:10:10.300
advice can we offer them? Well, having a solid

01:10:10.300 --> 01:10:12.739
understanding of these different evaluation systems

01:10:12.739 --> 01:10:15.140
and the underlying philosophies is going to be

01:10:15.140 --> 01:10:17.520
absolutely critical for making informed decisions

01:10:17.520 --> 01:10:20.260
that will impact the future profitability and

01:10:20.260 --> 01:10:22.399
efficiency of your dairy herd. Gotta know the

01:10:22.399 --> 01:10:24.779
systems. Based on what we've unpacked today,

01:10:24.979 --> 01:10:28.000
here are a few key actionable strategies to seriously

01:10:28.000 --> 01:10:31.770
consider. First, Particularly with the recent

01:10:31.770 --> 01:10:33.909
and significant shift in the U .S. Fertility

01:10:33.909 --> 01:10:36.590
Index, it's now more important than ever to really

01:10:36.590 --> 01:10:39.149
audit and pay close attention to the cow conception

01:10:39.149 --> 01:10:42.569
rate, CCR, proofs of the sires you're considering

01:10:42.569 --> 01:10:45.069
using in your breeding program. Check those CCR

01:10:45.069 --> 01:10:47.409
numbers. That equal weighting with daughter pregnancy

01:10:47.409 --> 01:10:50.710
rate means CCR is now a much more influential

01:10:50.710 --> 01:10:53.479
factor in the overall fertility ranking. Second,

01:10:53.640 --> 01:10:56.119
given Germany's strong and enduring emphasis

01:10:56.119 --> 01:10:59.180
on non -return rates as the primary indicator

01:10:59.180 --> 01:11:02.220
of successful conception, it would be a wise

01:11:02.220 --> 01:11:05.779
move to compare both heifer and cow non -return

01:11:05.779 --> 01:11:08.920
rate proofs when you are evaluating sires, regardless

01:11:08.920 --> 01:11:11.159
of where those genetics originate. Look at both

01:11:11.159 --> 01:11:13.960
NRR proofs. This can give you valuable insights

01:11:13.960 --> 01:11:16.119
into the likelihood of achieving and maintaining

01:11:16.119 --> 01:11:19.119
pregnancies. Okay. And finally, taking a page

01:11:19.119 --> 01:11:22.159
from Canada's Strategic Playbook, don't overlook

01:11:22.159 --> 01:11:25.479
the potential impact of gestation length. If

01:11:25.479 --> 01:11:27.960
genomic data on gestation length is readily available

01:11:27.960 --> 01:11:30.800
for the sires you are considering, it's definitely

01:11:30.800 --> 01:11:33.270
worth paying attention to. Ask for that gestation

01:11:33.270 --> 01:11:36.189
length data. As even subtle differences in gestation

01:11:36.189 --> 01:11:38.909
length can have a significant indirect but positive

01:11:38.909 --> 01:11:41.529
impact on fertility through improved calving

01:11:41.529 --> 01:11:44.510
ease and reduced postpartum complications. That's

01:11:44.510 --> 01:11:46.550
all incredibly valuable and practical advice

01:11:46.550 --> 01:11:48.590
for our listeners. And I think the overarching

01:11:48.590 --> 01:11:51.550
key takeaway for everyone is that while daughter

01:11:51.550 --> 01:11:54.210
pregnancy rate, DPR, has been a familiar and

01:11:54.210 --> 01:11:56.229
widely used metric for a long time. Yep, the

01:11:56.229 --> 01:11:59.319
old standby. Solely chasing high DPR bulls might

01:11:59.319 --> 01:12:01.739
not be the most effective or economically sound

01:12:01.739 --> 01:12:04.819
strategy moving forward, especially given its

01:12:04.819 --> 01:12:06.939
acknowledged limitations related to voluntary

01:12:06.939 --> 01:12:09.560
waiting periods and the recent shift in the U

01:12:09.560 --> 01:12:12.600
.S. index. A more balanced and nuanced approach

01:12:12.600 --> 01:12:16.000
is clearly needed. Exactly. The most successful

01:12:16.000 --> 01:12:18.539
dairy breeders in the future will be those who

01:12:18.539 --> 01:12:21.279
take the time and make the effort to truly understand

01:12:21.279 --> 01:12:24.199
these different international approaches to fertility

01:12:24.199 --> 01:12:27.380
valuation, recognize the inherent strengths and

01:12:27.380 --> 01:12:29.119
potential weaknesses of each, do the homework,

01:12:29.359 --> 01:12:31.840
and then leverage that deeper knowledge to make

01:12:31.840 --> 01:12:34.779
more balanced, efficient, and ultimately more

01:12:34.779 --> 01:12:37.260
profitable breeding decisions that are best suited

01:12:37.260 --> 01:12:39.359
for their own unique herd management and operational

01:12:39.359 --> 01:12:41.840
goals. Because at the end of the day, no matter

01:12:41.840 --> 01:12:44.180
how much milk a cow produces in her lifetime,

01:12:44.800 --> 01:12:47.159
If she can't reproduce efficiently and consistently,

01:12:47.359 --> 01:12:49.899
she's simply not going to be a sustainable and

01:12:49.899 --> 01:12:52.500
profitable part of your dairy operation in the

01:12:52.500 --> 01:12:54.619
long run. Absolutely right. That fundamental

01:12:54.619 --> 01:12:56.760
truth about the importance of efficient reproduction

01:12:56.760 --> 01:12:59.779
remains constant regardless of which country's

01:12:59.779 --> 01:13:01.800
specific breeding philosophy we happen to be

01:13:01.800 --> 01:13:04.369
discussing. Absolutely. Efficient reproduction

01:13:04.369 --> 01:13:07.350
is, without a doubt, the bedrock upon which a

01:13:07.350 --> 01:13:09.489
profitable and sustainable jerry farm is built.

01:13:09.609 --> 01:13:11.729
So just to quickly recap some of those key takeaways

01:13:11.729 --> 01:13:13.609
for you, our listener, as you head back to the

01:13:13.609 --> 01:13:16.460
barn or the office. The US has made a significant

01:13:16.460 --> 01:13:19.119
and fundamental shift in their fertility index,

01:13:19.439 --> 01:13:22.300
now equally prioritizing cow conception rate

01:13:22.300 --> 01:13:25.340
alongside better pregnancy rate. The 40 -40 split.

01:13:25.560 --> 01:13:27.460
Really emphasizing the importance of getting

01:13:27.460 --> 01:13:30.039
those lactating cows pregnant in a timely and

01:13:30.039 --> 01:13:32.739
efficient manner. Germany, while maintaining

01:13:32.739 --> 01:13:35.859
a very strong and almost singular focus on achieving

01:13:35.859 --> 01:13:38.060
high conception rates and minimizing services,

01:13:38.479 --> 01:13:41.579
is increasingly recognizing the vital role that

01:13:41.579 --> 01:13:44.399
overall cow health plays as a foundational element

01:13:44.390 --> 01:13:47.010
for consistent and long -term reproductive success.

01:13:47.149 --> 01:13:49.289
Health is key there now, too. And Canada is taking

01:13:49.289 --> 01:13:52.489
a comprehensive and multifaceted approach, not

01:13:52.489 --> 01:13:54.569
only looking at direct fertility traits, but

01:13:54.569 --> 01:13:56.930
also strategically considering related factors

01:13:56.930 --> 01:13:59.890
like gestation length, which can indirectly but

01:13:59.890 --> 01:14:02.449
powerfully impact fertility through its influence

01:14:02.449 --> 01:14:05.550
on calving ease and subsequent pregnancy durability.

01:14:05.890 --> 01:14:08.210
The holistic view. Exactly. And as you carefully

01:14:08.210 --> 01:14:10.609
consider your next crucial breeding decisions

01:14:10.609 --> 01:14:13.560
for your herd. this information really raises

01:14:13.560 --> 01:14:16.279
an important question for you to ponder. Are

01:14:16.279 --> 01:14:19.079
you primarily focused solely on how quickly a

01:14:19.079 --> 01:14:22.220
heifer reaches her first breeding and conceives?

01:14:22.279 --> 01:14:26.319
Just the heifers. Or are you also carefully factoring

01:14:26.319 --> 01:14:28.979
in how reliably your mature cows maintain their

01:14:28.979 --> 01:14:31.720
pregnancies, and even considering the more subtle

01:14:31.720 --> 01:14:34.420
but potentially significant influence of gestation

01:14:34.420 --> 01:14:37.739
length on both calving ease and their long -term

01:14:37.739 --> 01:14:40.180
reproductive success within your operation? Think

01:14:40.180 --> 01:14:42.779
bigger picture. The global landscape of Holstein

01:14:42.779 --> 01:14:44.840
fertility evaluation and breeding strategies

01:14:44.840 --> 01:14:48.550
is clearly evolving rapidly. make absolutely

01:14:48.550 --> 01:14:52.250
sure that your own breeding program isn't inadvertently

01:14:52.250 --> 01:14:54.250
getting left behind in this dynamic and important

01:14:54.250 --> 01:14:56.649
area. Definitely some important food for thought

01:14:56.649 --> 01:14:58.930
as you plan for the future of your herd. We strongly

01:14:58.930 --> 01:15:01.510
encourage you to delve deeper into the specific

01:15:01.510 --> 01:15:03.890
genetic evaluations that are available in your

01:15:03.890 --> 01:15:06.350
region and to really consider how these global

01:15:06.350 --> 01:15:08.350
trends and the insights we've discussed today

01:15:08.350 --> 01:15:10.890
might inform and enhance your own breeding strategies

01:15:10.890 --> 01:15:13.369
and decision -making processes. Yeah, dig into

01:15:13.369 --> 01:15:15.970
your local data. Don't hesitate to explore the

01:15:15.970 --> 01:15:18.510
valuable resources offered by your local Holstein

01:15:18.510 --> 01:15:20.770
associations and your trusted genetic providers.

01:15:21.050 --> 01:15:23.569
They are there to help you navigate this increasingly

01:15:23.569 --> 01:15:26.770
sophisticated and evolving landscape. Thanks

01:15:26.770 --> 01:15:28.569
for taking this deep dive into the fascinating

01:15:28.569 --> 01:15:31.970
world of Holstein fertility with us today. And

01:15:31.970 --> 01:15:34.069
finally, let's address the elephant in the room,

01:15:34.510 --> 01:15:37.930
inbreeding. The April 2025 genetic base change

01:15:37.930 --> 01:15:40.590
has exposed how surging Holstein inbreeding is

01:15:40.590 --> 01:15:43.960
silently distorting PTAs. Expected future inbreeding

01:15:43.960 --> 01:15:47.119
EFI calculations now account for up to 18 % of

01:15:47.119 --> 01:15:50.199
PTA changes. Holsteins are facing an average

01:15:50.199 --> 01:15:55.420
EFI of 9 .4%, up from 7 .5 % in 2015, a stark

01:15:55.420 --> 01:15:57.600
reminder that unchecked genetic concentration

01:15:57.600 --> 01:16:01.000
can erode profitability over time. Breeders need

01:16:01.000 --> 01:16:03.439
to prioritize genomic relationship management

01:16:03.439 --> 01:16:06.399
and utilize mating programs that optimize both

01:16:06.399 --> 01:16:09.470
genetic gain and diversity. Welcome back to the

01:16:09.470 --> 01:16:11.729
Bullvang Newsroom. If you're tuning in, chances

01:16:11.729 --> 01:16:14.569
are you're a dairy farmer or, you know, somewhere

01:16:14.569 --> 01:16:17.069
deep in the dairy industry. That's right. You've

01:16:17.069 --> 01:16:20.270
probably seen some buzz about the April 2025

01:16:20.270 --> 01:16:23.770
genetic base change. Now, on the surface, it

01:16:23.770 --> 01:16:25.590
might seem like just another round of number

01:16:25.590 --> 01:16:27.550
shuffling, right? Yeah, just the usual update.

01:16:27.750 --> 01:16:30.010
But what the data you shared with us reveals

01:16:30.010 --> 01:16:32.890
is, well, it's more like a genetic shakeup, especially

01:16:32.890 --> 01:16:36.289
for Holstein herds. And trust us, this isn't

01:16:36.289 --> 01:16:38.430
the kind of update you can just glance at while

01:16:38.430 --> 01:16:40.090
you're waiting for the parlor to finish. That's

01:16:40.090 --> 01:16:43.470
right. This deep dive isn't just about rehashing

01:16:43.470 --> 01:16:47.789
the usual updates. What's fascinating here is

01:16:47.789 --> 01:16:51.770
the subtle but pretty significant way this base

01:16:51.770 --> 01:16:54.609
change is impacting your top Holstein genetics.

01:16:55.029 --> 01:16:57.029
If you're not digging into the details with us,

01:16:57.090 --> 01:16:58.729
you might miss some crucial shifts that could

01:16:58.729 --> 01:17:01.369
impact your herd's profitability in the coming

01:17:01.369 --> 01:17:03.850
years, almost like a like a hidden tax on your

01:17:03.850 --> 01:17:07.029
future milk checks. A hidden tax. Yeah. And that

01:17:07.029 --> 01:17:08.989
brings us to the real puzzle we want to crack

01:17:08.989 --> 01:17:11.250
for you today. We've been pouring over the data

01:17:11.250 --> 01:17:13.649
you sent and a real head scratcher has emerged.

01:17:14.520 --> 01:17:17.439
Why are some of those, you know, tried and true,

01:17:17.560 --> 01:17:21.279
traditionally high ranking Holstein bulls? showing

01:17:21.279 --> 01:17:24.380
smaller dips in their predicted transmitting

01:17:24.380 --> 01:17:27.000
abilities, their PTAs, for milk than we'd expect.

01:17:27.680 --> 01:17:30.140
It's as if they've somehow sidestepped the full

01:17:30.140 --> 01:17:32.600
force of the downward adjustment. What's the

01:17:32.600 --> 01:17:34.640
inside scoop there? Exactly. It's a bit of a

01:17:34.640 --> 01:17:36.859
genetic who doing it, isn't it? Yeah, it is.

01:17:36.979 --> 01:17:38.899
And that's precisely the kind of mystery we love

01:17:38.899 --> 01:17:41.119
to sink our teeth into here. Our mission in this

01:17:41.119 --> 01:17:45.119
deep dive is to really unravel the... the underlying

01:17:45.119 --> 01:17:48.000
forces behind these PTA shifts. We want to equip

01:17:48.000 --> 01:17:50.140
you with the knowledge and maybe more importantly,

01:17:50.260 --> 01:17:52.699
the practical strategies to navigate these changes

01:17:52.699 --> 01:17:55.899
for the long -term vitality and, well, profitability

01:17:55.899 --> 01:17:58.000
of your dairy operation. We're talking about

01:17:58.000 --> 01:18:00.500
some sneaky genetic factors potentially at play,

01:18:00.600 --> 01:18:03.079
the surprisingly prominent role of inbreeding,

01:18:03.140 --> 01:18:05.840
and let's be frank, what it all boils down to

01:18:05.840 --> 01:18:08.340
for your bottom line. So let's dive straight

01:18:08.340 --> 01:18:10.800
into those headline numbers and the little curveball

01:18:10.800 --> 01:18:12.800
they've thrown our way. Okay, so as expected,

01:18:13.420 --> 01:18:15.979
The average PTA drops for Holsteins were pretty

01:18:15.979 --> 01:18:18.119
substantial. Looking at the data you provided,

01:18:18.300 --> 01:18:21.899
we're seeing averages around 752 pounds of milk.

01:18:22.619 --> 01:18:27.239
752, wow. 0 .44 pounds of fat and 29 pounds of

01:18:27.239 --> 01:18:29.859
protein disappearing in this update. And when

01:18:29.859 --> 01:18:32.220
you tally up the net merit, the average Holstein

01:18:32.220 --> 01:18:36.760
sire saw a drop of about $404. $404, yeah. Those

01:18:36.760 --> 01:18:38.720
are not insignificant changes across the board,

01:18:38.779 --> 01:18:41.619
impacting nearly every Holstein in, well, in

01:18:41.619 --> 01:18:44.060
your tank. Definitely not. Absolutely. You see

01:18:44.060 --> 01:18:45.979
those averages and you think, right, okay, that's

01:18:45.979 --> 01:18:47.600
the new benchmark. Time to adjust my targets.

01:18:48.119 --> 01:18:50.260
But then as we dig into the specifics and the

01:18:50.260 --> 01:18:52.000
material you shared, that's where things get.

01:18:52.380 --> 01:18:54.340
Well, let's just say they make you raise an eyebrow.

01:18:55.039 --> 01:18:57.939
Take Segal Bay Super Sire ET, a real legend in

01:18:57.939 --> 01:18:59.979
the Holstein world, a bull many of you have likely

01:18:59.979 --> 01:19:02.720
used or have genetics tracing back to. His milk

01:19:02.720 --> 01:19:06.659
PTA did drop, sure, but only by 617 pounds from

01:19:06.659 --> 01:19:10.159
978 down to 361. And that's the crucial data

01:19:10.159 --> 01:19:11.819
point right there, isn't it? It really is. A

01:19:11.819 --> 01:19:15.460
missing 135 pounds, if you will, when you compare

01:19:15.460 --> 01:19:18.779
it to that 752 pound average drop we just mentioned.

01:19:19.239 --> 01:19:21.819
Now, it's vital for you to understand this isn't

01:19:21.819 --> 01:19:24.239
a data glitch or some kind of hiccup in the calculations.

01:19:24.460 --> 01:19:27.899
This seemingly small discrepancy is actually

01:19:27.899 --> 01:19:30.619
a really telling sign of something fundamentally

01:19:30.619 --> 01:19:32.979
shifting within the Holstein genetic landscape.

01:19:33.399 --> 01:19:35.779
One of the articles you flagged even called it

01:19:35.779 --> 01:19:37.859
a canary in the coal mine for Holstein breeding.

01:19:38.250 --> 01:19:40.189
A canary in the cool mind. Yeah. Yeah, that's

01:19:40.189 --> 01:19:41.829
a good way to put it. It's almost like the genetic

01:19:41.829 --> 01:19:44.189
playing field has tilted slightly and some bulls

01:19:44.189 --> 01:19:46.109
are navigating the change much more smoothly

01:19:46.109 --> 01:19:48.489
than others. Exactly. And to really put this

01:19:48.489 --> 01:19:51.409
Holstein situation into context for you, it's

01:19:51.409 --> 01:19:53.609
worth quickly looking at how other breeds fared

01:19:53.609 --> 01:19:56.409
in the same base change. Jerseys, for instance,

01:19:56.649 --> 01:19:58.829
saw considerably smaller average drops around

01:19:58.829 --> 01:20:02.289
355 pounds for milk. Much smaller. 0 .16 for

01:20:02.289 --> 01:20:05.470
fat, 14 for protein, and $179 for net merit.

01:20:05.649 --> 01:20:08.989
Brown Swiss, even less so, with 381 pounds for

01:20:08.989 --> 01:20:12.609
milk, just 9 for fat, 14 for protein, and $130

01:20:12.609 --> 01:20:15.510
dip in net merit. This stark contrast really

01:20:15.510 --> 01:20:17.630
highlights that the magnitude of these adjustments

01:20:17.630 --> 01:20:19.750
is particularly pronounced in the Holstein breed,

01:20:19.930 --> 01:20:23.109
suggesting a, well, a Holstein -specific factor

01:20:23.109 --> 01:20:26.050
at play. Exactly. These breed -specific differences,

01:20:26.229 --> 01:20:28.899
as highlighted in the data you provided. are

01:20:28.899 --> 01:20:31.779
key they indicate that whatever forces are at

01:20:31.779 --> 01:20:34.420
work here they're exerting a much stronger influence

01:20:34.420 --> 01:20:37.119
on holsteins compared to jerseys and brown swiss

01:20:37.119 --> 01:20:41.020
right and to truly grasp why super sires numbers

01:20:41.020 --> 01:20:43.600
look the way they do and why whole schemes are

01:20:43.600 --> 01:20:46.359
experiencing these larger shifts overall we need

01:20:46.359 --> 01:20:48.260
to delve into a concept called expected future

01:20:48.260 --> 01:20:52.880
inbreeding or efi efi okay it's not exactly a

01:20:52.880 --> 01:20:54.779
household name but it's becoming increasingly

01:20:54.779 --> 01:20:57.710
vital for you to understand EFI, it sounds a

01:20:57.710 --> 01:20:59.489
bit like something out of a genetic crystal ball,

01:20:59.670 --> 01:21:01.869
you know, predicting the future of inbreeding

01:21:01.869 --> 01:21:04.250
in our herds. So let's break this down for you.

01:21:04.310 --> 01:21:08.029
What exactly is EFI and why should you as a dairy

01:21:08.029 --> 01:21:10.390
professional be paying attention? Well, think

01:21:10.390 --> 01:21:13.430
of EFI as a bull's genetic footprint extending

01:21:13.430 --> 01:21:15.909
into the future of your herd. It's a measure

01:21:15.909 --> 01:21:18.829
of how genetically similar that bull is to the

01:21:18.829 --> 01:21:21.729
current population of Holstein females. When

01:21:21.729 --> 01:21:24.890
you use a bull extensively, His genes become

01:21:24.890 --> 01:21:26.890
more widespread in the subsequent generations.

01:21:28.069 --> 01:21:32.050
EFI Essentially estimates the level of inbreeding

01:21:32.050 --> 01:21:34.630
we can anticipate in his offspring if you were

01:21:34.630 --> 01:21:37.649
mated randomly across the breed. It's like measuring

01:21:37.649 --> 01:21:40.510
how much of his genetic shadow will fall across

01:21:40.510 --> 01:21:42.970
the future generations of your cows. Okay, so

01:21:42.970 --> 01:21:44.869
it's not just about the inbreeding that might

01:21:44.869 --> 01:21:47.569
be present in a bull's pedigree now, but the

01:21:47.569 --> 01:21:50.090
potential for inbreeding that a particular bull

01:21:50.090 --> 01:21:52.869
carries and could contribute to in the future

01:21:52.869 --> 01:21:55.199
generations in your herd. Precisely. And why

01:21:55.199 --> 01:21:57.140
does this matter to you? Because inbreeding,

01:21:57.180 --> 01:21:59.479
as we know from, well, countless studies and

01:21:59.479 --> 01:22:01.619
practical experience, comes with some pretty

01:22:01.619 --> 01:22:03.859
significant economic downsides. We often call

01:22:03.859 --> 01:22:05.859
this inbreeding depression. Right. Inbreeding

01:22:05.859 --> 01:22:08.420
depression. Like a subtle drain on your herd's

01:22:08.420 --> 01:22:10.119
potential. Right. And we're not just talking

01:22:10.119 --> 01:22:12.380
about some abstract theoretical dip in performance,

01:22:12.699 --> 01:22:14.979
are we? The data you shared clearly shows there

01:22:14.979 --> 01:22:17.159
are real dollar and cents consequences for your

01:22:17.159 --> 01:22:19.909
operation. Absolutely. For every 1 % increase

01:22:19.909 --> 01:22:22.109
in the expected future inbreeding in your herd,

01:22:22.289 --> 01:22:24.470
research has consistently shown some tangible

01:22:24.470 --> 01:22:27.369
hits to production and profitability. We're talking

01:22:27.369 --> 01:22:30.649
about an average reduction of around 63 .9 pounds

01:22:30.649 --> 01:22:34.090
in milk yield. Wow, nearly 64 pounds. Yeah. Net

01:22:34.090 --> 01:22:36.489
merit, that all -important economic index you

01:22:36.489 --> 01:22:39.729
rely on, can take a hit of about $25 per 1 %

01:22:39.729 --> 01:22:42.539
increase in EFI. Okay. You also see decreases

01:22:42.539 --> 01:22:46.720
in fat and protein yield ranging from 1 .18 to

01:22:46.720 --> 01:22:52.359
1 .70 kilograms for fat and 0 .90 to 1 .45 kilograms

01:22:52.359 --> 01:22:54.479
for protein. And even seemingly small things

01:22:54.479 --> 01:22:56.619
like calving interval can be affected, potentially

01:22:56.619 --> 01:22:59.680
increasing by 0 .19 to 0 .34 days. These little

01:22:59.680 --> 01:23:01.479
percentages might seem minor on the surface,

01:23:01.619 --> 01:23:03.560
but they can really add up and erode profitability

01:23:03.560 --> 01:23:06.699
across your entire herd over time. Wow. Those

01:23:06.699 --> 01:23:08.880
are some pretty compelling numbers. So EFI isn't

01:23:08.880 --> 01:23:10.800
just some, you know, nerdy genetic exercise.

01:23:11.220 --> 01:23:13.739
It's directly tied to the financial health of

01:23:13.739 --> 01:23:16.000
your dairy operation. Definitely. So how does

01:23:16.000 --> 01:23:18.720
this EFI factor into the PTA calculations that

01:23:18.720 --> 01:23:21.140
you see for your bulls? Well, the Council on

01:23:21.140 --> 01:23:23.619
Dairy Cattle Breeding, they actually incorporate

01:23:23.619 --> 01:23:27.239
EFI into their PTA calculations to account for

01:23:27.239 --> 01:23:30.039
this in breeding depression. The formula looks

01:23:30.039 --> 01:23:33.739
something like this. PTA adjusted for EFI. or

01:23:33.739 --> 01:23:38.619
PteFi, equals the original PTA, PTA0, plus a

01:23:38.619 --> 01:23:41.119
factor B multiplied by the difference between

01:23:41.119 --> 01:23:44.060
the bull's EFI and the average EFI of the base

01:23:44.060 --> 01:23:46.859
population. That's EFI minus EFI base. Okay.

01:23:46.939 --> 01:23:49.279
That B factor is essentially a statistical measure

01:23:49.279 --> 01:23:51.619
that estimates the average impact of inbreeding

01:23:51.619 --> 01:23:53.659
on that specific trait within the population.

01:23:54.180 --> 01:23:56.579
It's their way of trying to give you a more accurate

01:23:56.579 --> 01:24:00.079
prediction of a bull's true genetic merit in

01:24:00.079 --> 01:24:02.760
the context of future inbreeding. So this formula

01:24:02.760 --> 01:24:04.880
is attempting to give you a more realistic picture

01:24:04.880 --> 01:24:08.079
of a bull's transmitting ability by factoring

01:24:08.079 --> 01:24:10.319
in the potential drag that increased inbreeding

01:24:10.319 --> 01:24:12.279
in his offspring might cause. Exactly. It's about

01:24:12.279 --> 01:24:14.359
predicting the genetic value he'll pass on to

01:24:14.359 --> 01:24:16.720
future generations while also considering the

01:24:16.720 --> 01:24:18.819
likely increase in inbreeding that comes with

01:24:18.819 --> 01:24:21.720
using him. and this is precisely where the significant

01:24:21.720 --> 01:24:24.060
shift in the average relatedness of the holstein

01:24:24.060 --> 01:24:26.560
population as highlighted in the materials you

01:24:26.560 --> 01:24:29.100
shared becomes so critical for your understanding

01:24:29.100 --> 01:24:31.680
of these pta changes which brings us to this

01:24:31.680 --> 01:24:34.079
holstein relationship crisis as one of the articles

01:24:34.079 --> 01:24:36.500
you sent over rather dramatically put it yeah

01:24:36.500 --> 01:24:39.460
it sounds a bit over the top maybe but what's

01:24:39.460 --> 01:24:41.859
actually behind this rapid increase in relatedness

01:24:41.859 --> 01:24:43.800
within the breed that should concern you well

01:24:43.800 --> 01:24:46.699
what the data clearly shows is a significant

01:24:46.699 --> 01:24:49.210
acceleration in the average level of of genetic

01:24:49.210 --> 01:24:51.970
relatedness among young Holstein animals between

01:24:51.970 --> 01:24:56.029
the 2015 and the 2020 base populations. The average

01:24:56.029 --> 01:24:58.989
expected future inbreeding in the 2015 -born

01:24:58.989 --> 01:25:03.369
cows used as the base was around 7 .5%. Fast

01:25:03.369 --> 01:25:05.869
forward just five years to the 2020 -born cows

01:25:05.869 --> 01:25:08.229
that now form the new base, and that average

01:25:08.229 --> 01:25:12.210
EFI has jumped to a substantial 9 .4%. 9 .4%,

01:25:12.210 --> 01:25:14.949
wow, that's a big jump. That's a pretty remarkable

01:25:14.949 --> 01:25:18.479
increase in a relatively short period. Essentially,

01:25:18.500 --> 01:25:21.039
the new benchmark, the genetic makeup of the

01:25:21.039 --> 01:25:24.020
average Holstein animal is already more inbred

01:25:24.020 --> 01:25:26.659
than the benchmark was just five years ago. Think

01:25:26.659 --> 01:25:29.199
of it like the average starting point for inbreeding

01:25:29.199 --> 01:25:31.939
has been significantly elevated. And what's the

01:25:31.939 --> 01:25:35.039
driving force behind this rapid increase? It

01:25:35.039 --> 01:25:37.140
can't just be random, can it? What decisions

01:25:37.140 --> 01:25:39.260
have you and other breeders been making that

01:25:39.260 --> 01:25:42.140
are contributing to this? No, not at all. The

01:25:42.140 --> 01:25:44.319
primary driver, and this is something many of

01:25:44.319 --> 01:25:47.479
you have participated in. has been the very intensive

01:25:47.479 --> 01:25:51.359
and, frankly, successful use of genomically tested

01:25:51.359 --> 01:25:55.560
elite sires. Ah, genomics. Right. With the widespread

01:25:55.560 --> 01:25:57.939
adoption of genomic testing, you've been able

01:25:57.939 --> 01:26:00.979
to identify and heavily utilize young bulls with

01:26:00.979 --> 01:26:03.439
exceptional genetic potential very early in their

01:26:03.439 --> 01:26:05.600
lives. While this has undoubtedly accelerated

01:26:05.600 --> 01:26:07.979
genetic progress for many important traits in

01:26:07.979 --> 01:26:10.000
your herds. Which is what we wanted. Exactly.

01:26:10.390 --> 01:26:13.029
But it has also inadvertently led to a narrowing

01:26:13.029 --> 01:26:15.189
of the genetic base and a faster accumulation

01:26:15.189 --> 01:26:18.229
of inbreeding across the breed. When a few highly

01:26:18.229 --> 01:26:20.489
popular sires have a disproportionate number

01:26:20.489 --> 01:26:22.869
of offspring that then go on to become highly

01:26:22.869 --> 01:26:25.789
influential themselves, you inevitably see an

01:26:25.789 --> 01:26:27.689
increase in the average relatedness within the

01:26:27.689 --> 01:26:29.789
population. It's a bit like putting all your

01:26:29.789 --> 01:26:32.649
genetic eggs in a very small, albeit high -performing,

01:26:32.649 --> 01:26:35.189
basket. Okay, that makes sense. So going back

01:26:35.189 --> 01:26:37.710
to our poster child for this discussion, super

01:26:37.710 --> 01:26:42.329
sire. How does this significant jump in the average

01:26:42.329 --> 01:26:45.710
EFI of the Holstein population explain his smaller

01:26:45.710 --> 01:26:48.189
than expected milk PTA drop that you might have

01:26:48.189 --> 01:26:49.630
noticed? Well, this is the interesting part.

01:26:49.750 --> 01:26:51.869
Super Sire's individual EFI actually remained

01:26:51.869 --> 01:26:54.569
remarkably stable between the December 2024 and

01:26:54.569 --> 01:26:57.569
April 2025 evaluations, going from around 13

01:26:57.569 --> 01:27:01.430
.5 % to 13 .6%. Barely moved. Okay, so he stayed

01:27:01.430 --> 01:27:04.039
about the same. Right. However, as we've discussed,

01:27:04.239 --> 01:27:06.840
the average EFI of the base population took that

01:27:06.840 --> 01:27:10.140
significant leap from 7 .5 % up to 9 .4%. Right,

01:27:10.220 --> 01:27:12.760
the baseline changed. Exactly. Consequently,

01:27:12.939 --> 01:27:15.520
his inbreeding adjustment in the PTA calculation

01:27:15.520 --> 01:27:19.020
changed quite a bit. It went from negative 441

01:27:19.020 --> 01:27:21.600
pounds of milk under the old base to negative

01:27:21.600 --> 01:27:24.760
310 pounds under the new base. Ah, I see. So

01:27:24.760 --> 01:27:27.199
even though Super Sire himself... didn't become

01:27:27.199 --> 01:27:29.680
any less related to the population, the fact

01:27:29.680 --> 01:27:31.520
that the average Holstein is now carrying more

01:27:31.520 --> 01:27:33.720
similar genes means that the difference between

01:27:33.720 --> 01:27:36.619
his EFI and the population average has actually

01:27:36.619 --> 01:27:39.119
shrunk. Is that right? Exactly. You nailed it.

01:27:39.340 --> 01:27:41.479
The inbreeding adjustment, as we explained with

01:27:41.479 --> 01:27:44.260
that formula, is based on that difference. Because

01:27:44.260 --> 01:27:46.739
Super Sire is now less of an outlier in terms

01:27:46.739 --> 01:27:50.220
of his EFI relative to the more inbred base population,

01:27:50.659 --> 01:27:53.460
the penalty applied to his PTA due to inbreeding

01:27:53.460 --> 01:27:56.560
is smaller. It's not that his inherent genetic

01:27:56.560 --> 01:27:58.800
merit for milk production suddenly declined less.

01:27:59.000 --> 01:28:01.140
It's that the inbreeding penalty being factored

01:28:01.140 --> 01:28:03.840
into his evaluation isn't as steep compared to

01:28:03.840 --> 01:28:06.840
the new, more inbred average. He's still considered

01:28:06.840 --> 01:28:09.420
relatively inbred, but the yardstick we measure

01:28:09.420 --> 01:28:12.180
him against has changed. So, to really hammer

01:28:12.180 --> 01:28:14.810
this home for you listening. The inbreeding adjustments

01:28:14.810 --> 01:28:17.909
are now smaller relative to this more inbred

01:28:17.909 --> 01:28:20.630
base population. That's why we're observing this

01:28:20.630 --> 01:28:24.890
missing PTA drop in some heavily used bulls like

01:28:24.890 --> 01:28:27.949
Super Sire. It's not that their underlying genetic

01:28:27.949 --> 01:28:30.750
potential for milk production suddenly held steady.

01:28:30.829 --> 01:28:33.289
It's that the inbreeding penalty being applied

01:28:33.289 --> 01:28:36.649
to their evaluation isn't as severe when compared

01:28:36.649 --> 01:28:40.340
to the new, more inbred average Holstein. Precisely.

01:28:40.340 --> 01:28:42.680
And this isn't a one -off phenomenon unique to

01:28:42.680 --> 01:28:45.380
super sire. It's highly likely affecting other

01:28:45.380 --> 01:28:47.880
widely used sires across the Holstein breed as

01:28:47.880 --> 01:28:50.039
well. Yeah, makes sense. It's a direct consequence

01:28:50.039 --> 01:28:52.340
of the rapid increase in Holstein inbreeding

01:28:52.340 --> 01:28:54.640
that's now reflected in this new genetic base.

01:28:54.939 --> 01:28:57.439
And as we pointed out earlier, this isn't impacting

01:28:57.439 --> 01:28:59.600
all breeds equally, which should give you pause

01:28:59.600 --> 01:29:02.260
for thought about the specific situation within

01:29:02.260 --> 01:29:04.680
the Holstein population. Right. Let's briefly

01:29:04.680 --> 01:29:07.399
revisit that comparison of PTA drops across the

01:29:07.399 --> 01:29:09.979
different breeds. The numbers and the data you

01:29:09.979 --> 01:29:13.020
shared really do paint a clear picture. Holsteins

01:29:13.020 --> 01:29:15.159
experienced the most significant declines across

01:29:15.159 --> 01:29:18.060
the board, milk, fat, protein, and especially

01:29:18.060 --> 01:29:21.439
in net merit, with that substantial 404 -meter

01:29:21.439 --> 01:29:24.539
average drop. Big drop. Meanwhile, Jerseys and

01:29:24.539 --> 01:29:26.539
Brown Swiss saw noticeably smaller adjustments.

01:29:27.000 --> 01:29:29.939
This should really underscore the specific challenges

01:29:29.939 --> 01:29:33.060
and considerations for those of you working primarily

01:29:33.060 --> 01:29:36.020
with Holstein herds. And this difference truly

01:29:36.020 --> 01:29:37.899
emphasizes the point we've been making about

01:29:37.899 --> 01:29:40.500
inbreeding. The larger adjustments in Holstein's

01:29:40.500 --> 01:29:43.420
directly reflect the more intensive selection

01:29:43.420 --> 01:29:46.720
practices and, as a result, the higher rates

01:29:46.720 --> 01:29:48.340
of inbreeding within the Holstein population

01:29:48.340 --> 01:29:50.819
compared to Jersey's and Brown Swiss. Right.

01:29:50.979 --> 01:29:52.640
There are perhaps more conservative breeding

01:29:52.640 --> 01:29:55.409
approaches. maybe focusing a bit more on outcrosses

01:29:55.409 --> 01:29:57.569
historically, have likely helped to maintain

01:29:57.569 --> 01:30:00.770
a broader genetic base and avoid the same rapid

01:30:00.770 --> 01:30:03.170
surge in average relatedness that we're seeing

01:30:03.170 --> 01:30:05.710
in Holsteins. It's a clear illustration of the

01:30:05.710 --> 01:30:07.970
long -term consequences of the breeding decisions

01:30:07.970 --> 01:30:10.390
you and the broader industry make. It's a stark

01:30:10.390 --> 01:30:12.550
reminder that the choices we make in breeding,

01:30:12.630 --> 01:30:15.529
particularly the intensity of selection and the

01:30:15.529 --> 01:30:18.539
level of reliance on you know, a few standout

01:30:18.539 --> 01:30:21.899
sires, have significant long -term ramifications

01:30:21.899 --> 01:30:24.840
for the genetic makeup and the overall resilience

01:30:24.840 --> 01:30:27.779
of the breed that so many of you depend on. Absolutely.

01:30:28.060 --> 01:30:30.000
Now, there was also a note in the materials you

01:30:30.000 --> 01:30:32.380
provided about a delay in the update for calving

01:30:32.380 --> 01:30:34.579
traits. What's the latest there and what should

01:30:34.579 --> 01:30:37.039
you be aware of? Yes, this is an important heads

01:30:37.039 --> 01:30:39.060
up for you. While the vast majority of traits

01:30:39.060 --> 01:30:41.819
have transitioned to the new 2020 genetic base

01:30:41.819 --> 01:30:45.460
with this April update, the evaluations for calving

01:30:45.460 --> 01:30:48.310
-related traits, Specifically, daughter calving

01:30:48.310 --> 01:30:50.989
ease, sire calving ease, daughter stillbirth,

01:30:51.069 --> 01:30:54.250
and sire stillbirth will remain on the 2015 base

01:30:54.250 --> 01:30:58.050
until the August 2025 evaluation. August. Okay,

01:30:58.189 --> 01:30:59.770
that's a bit out of sync with the rest of the

01:30:59.770 --> 01:31:01.670
traits, isn't it? What's the reason behind this

01:31:01.670 --> 01:31:03.510
temporary holdup that you should be aware of?

01:31:03.670 --> 01:31:07.710
Apparently, the experts, the folks at CDCB, encountered

01:31:07.710 --> 01:31:10.670
some unexpected technical hurdles when attempting

01:31:10.670 --> 01:31:12.649
to apply the base updates to these particular

01:31:12.649 --> 01:31:15.310
traits. They're classified as phenotypically

01:31:15.310 --> 01:31:18.329
scaled traits. phenotypically scaled, meaning...

01:31:18.329 --> 01:31:19.989
Essentially, the way these traits are measured

01:31:19.989 --> 01:31:23.409
through observations and scoring of calving difficulty

01:31:23.409 --> 01:31:26.010
and stillbirth events by farmers like you created

01:31:26.010 --> 01:31:28.930
some unique complexities when trying to implement

01:31:28.930 --> 01:31:31.130
a broad population -wide shift like this base

01:31:31.130 --> 01:31:33.949
change. It's not as straightforward as adjusting

01:31:33.949 --> 01:31:36.029
the numbers for production traits based on direct

01:31:36.029 --> 01:31:38.609
measurements like pounds of milk or fat percentage.

01:31:38.909 --> 01:31:41.909
Okay, so it's trickier to adjust the baseline

01:31:41.909 --> 01:31:45.050
for traits based on observation scores. So...

01:31:45.449 --> 01:31:47.350
Even though you and other producers have been

01:31:47.350 --> 01:31:49.930
diligently recording new data on calving ease

01:31:49.930 --> 01:31:52.770
and stillbirth since last December, that information

01:31:52.770 --> 01:31:55.189
is still being evaluated against the old 2015

01:31:55.189 --> 01:31:58.409
baseline until August. Correct. That's a bit

01:31:58.409 --> 01:32:00.550
like using an old ruler to measure new growth,

01:32:00.590 --> 01:32:03.250
isn't it? That's a very apt analogy. The new

01:32:03.250 --> 01:32:05.189
phenotypic data is indeed being incorporated,

01:32:05.310 --> 01:32:07.350
so the relative rankings of animals for these

01:32:07.350 --> 01:32:10.090
calving traits might still see some shifts between

01:32:10.090 --> 01:32:12.949
now and August. Oh, okay. However, the fundamental

01:32:12.949 --> 01:32:15.850
baseline for the evaluation, remains the 2015

01:32:15.850 --> 01:32:18.890
population. This means we're in a sort of transitional

01:32:18.890 --> 01:32:21.750
period for these specific traits. And it's something

01:32:21.750 --> 01:32:23.850
you will need to keep in mind when making breeding

01:32:23.850 --> 01:32:26.329
decisions in the coming months. Right. We'll

01:32:26.329 --> 01:32:28.350
essentially have another set of adjustments to

01:32:28.350 --> 01:32:30.789
selection criteria coming down the pipeline later

01:32:30.789 --> 01:32:33.229
this year when the calving traits finally make

01:32:33.229 --> 01:32:37.130
the jump to the 2020 base in August. So stay

01:32:37.130 --> 01:32:39.789
tuned for that second wave of adjustments. Okay,

01:32:39.850 --> 01:32:41.829
so we've laid out the situation based on the

01:32:41.829 --> 01:32:44.989
information you shared. The unexpected PTA shifts,

01:32:45.250 --> 01:32:48.090
the critical role of EFI, the accelerating inbreeding

01:32:48.090 --> 01:32:50.310
within the Holstein breed, and this temporary

01:32:50.310 --> 01:32:53.970
delay for calving trait updates. Now, what are

01:32:53.970 --> 01:32:56.510
the concrete practical steps that you, as dairy

01:32:56.510 --> 01:32:59.210
producers, need to take to effectively navigate

01:32:59.210 --> 01:33:01.850
this evolving genetic landscape and protect your

01:33:01.850 --> 01:33:03.689
herd's future? What's the actionable strategy

01:33:03.689 --> 01:33:06.760
here for your farm? Okay, good question. The

01:33:06.760 --> 01:33:08.800
first and perhaps most critical step for you

01:33:08.800 --> 01:33:11.220
is to recalibrate your sire selection thresholds.

01:33:11.260 --> 01:33:13.100
Recalibrate thresholds. Right. If you've been

01:33:13.100 --> 01:33:15.659
relying on absolute net merit values as your

01:33:15.659 --> 01:33:18.420
primary benchmark for choosing bulls, you might

01:33:18.420 --> 01:33:21.720
need to adjust those targets upwards. Or, perhaps

01:33:21.720 --> 01:33:24.300
better put, adjust your expectations downwards.

01:33:24.500 --> 01:33:27.159
Okay. How so? For example, if you were consistently

01:33:27.159 --> 01:33:30.619
aiming for bulls above, say, plus 2 ,000 NM all

01:33:30.619 --> 01:33:33.140
under the old base, you might now need to be

01:33:33.140 --> 01:33:36.949
looking at bulls closer to plus $1 ,600 NM bill

01:33:36.949 --> 01:33:39.630
to achieve a similar level of genetic merit relative

01:33:39.630 --> 01:33:42.350
to the new lower population average. Ah, okay.

01:33:42.449 --> 01:33:45.550
So a $1 ,600 bull now might be comparable to

01:33:45.550 --> 01:33:48.390
a $2 ,000 bull before, relatively speaking. Exactly.

01:33:48.390 --> 01:33:50.550
It's about adjusting your expectations to the

01:33:50.550 --> 01:33:53.970
new reality. The average moved, so your target

01:33:53.970 --> 01:33:56.210
relative to that average needs consideration.

01:33:56.670 --> 01:33:59.069
So it's not that the bulls themselves have suddenly

01:33:59.069 --> 01:34:01.229
become genetically inferior, it's that the overall

01:34:01.229 --> 01:34:03.470
average of the breed has shifted, and therefore

01:34:03.470 --> 01:34:06.289
your targets need to shift accordingly. Precisely.

01:34:06.489 --> 01:34:08.409
The average has moved, so your benchmarks need

01:34:08.409 --> 01:34:11.189
to move with it. Secondly, it's more vital than

01:34:11.189 --> 01:34:13.130
ever for you to focus on the relative rankings

01:34:13.130 --> 01:34:15.630
of bulls rather than just fixating on absolute

01:34:15.630 --> 01:34:18.970
PTA values. Focus on rankings. Okay. When you're

01:34:18.970 --> 01:34:22.710
comparing bulls within the same evaluation, run

01:34:22.710 --> 01:34:26.989
the same. CDCB. Update their positions relative

01:34:26.989 --> 01:34:29.109
to each other are more meaningful than their

01:34:29.109 --> 01:34:32.090
absolute numbers. Don't get overly caught up

01:34:32.090 --> 01:34:34.850
in trying to hit specific PTA thresholds you

01:34:34.850 --> 01:34:38.689
were using before. focus on identifying the top

01:34:38.689 --> 01:34:40.989
performing bulls within the current evaluation.

01:34:41.409 --> 01:34:43.869
Who's leading the pack now? That makes perfect

01:34:43.869 --> 01:34:45.989
sense. It's about identifying the leaders in

01:34:45.989 --> 01:34:47.810
the current pack, even if the numbers across

01:34:47.810 --> 01:34:50.069
the board have experienced a bit of a downward

01:34:50.069 --> 01:34:54.170
adjustment. And then we absolutely must address

01:34:54.170 --> 01:34:56.250
inbreeding management. It sounds like this is

01:34:56.250 --> 01:34:58.310
no longer something that Holstein breeders can

01:34:58.310 --> 01:35:01.189
afford to put on the back burner. It needs to

01:35:01.189 --> 01:35:03.350
be a proactive part of your breeding strategy.

01:35:03.689 --> 01:35:06.029
You're absolutely right. Given the clear acceleration

01:35:06.029 --> 01:35:08.510
of inbreeding within the Holstein breed, as evidenced

01:35:08.510 --> 01:35:11.170
by the data you provided, proactive inbreeding

01:35:11.170 --> 01:35:13.369
management is now essential for you to safeguard

01:35:13.369 --> 01:35:15.449
the long -term profitability and health of your

01:35:15.449 --> 01:35:17.609
herd. Okay, so what does that look like practically?

01:35:17.890 --> 01:35:21.170
This involves a few key actions. Firstly, make

01:35:21.170 --> 01:35:23.409
it a routine practice to actively monitor the

01:35:23.409 --> 01:35:26.710
expected future inbreeding EFI values when you're

01:35:26.710 --> 01:35:30.100
selecting sires. Don't stop at just looking at

01:35:30.100 --> 01:35:32.600
the headline PTAs. Delve into the detailed genetic

01:35:32.600 --> 01:35:34.979
information and carefully consider the potential

01:35:34.979 --> 01:35:37.699
inbreeding implications of each sire you consider

01:35:37.699 --> 01:35:40.659
using. Right. Look beyond net merit and milk

01:35:40.659 --> 01:35:43.859
PTAs to that EFI number. And what should you,

01:35:43.899 --> 01:35:46.079
as a dairy producer, be looking for in terms

01:35:46.079 --> 01:35:48.720
of EFI? Lower is generally considered better

01:35:48.720 --> 01:35:50.750
in this context, isn't it? Generally speaking,

01:35:50.909 --> 01:35:54.390
yes. Lower EFI suggests a bull is less related

01:35:54.390 --> 01:35:56.810
to the current female population, which can help

01:35:56.810 --> 01:35:59.789
slow inbreeding accumulation. So you should actively

01:35:59.789 --> 01:36:02.409
consider incorporating outcross sires into your

01:36:02.409 --> 01:36:05.289
breeding program. Outcrosses, bulls less related

01:36:05.289 --> 01:36:08.050
to the mainstream. Exactly. These are bulls that

01:36:08.050 --> 01:36:09.970
have lower levels of genetic relationship to

01:36:09.970 --> 01:36:12.170
the broader Holstein population. These bulls

01:36:12.170 --> 01:36:14.310
can be valuable for introducing new genetic diversity

01:36:14.310 --> 01:36:16.949
into your herd and helping to slow down the rate

01:36:16.949 --> 01:36:19.300
at which inbreeding accumulates. Furthermore,

01:36:19.520 --> 01:36:22.060
if you're not already utilizing them, now is

01:36:22.060 --> 01:36:25.000
the time to seriously consider implementing formalized

01:36:25.000 --> 01:36:27.279
mating programs and leveraging the available

01:36:27.279 --> 01:36:29.279
mating software tools. Mating programs, yeah.

01:36:29.399 --> 01:36:31.640
These resources can help you strategically optimize

01:36:31.640 --> 01:36:34.779
for both continued genetic gain in the traits

01:36:34.779 --> 01:36:37.260
that matter most to you and effective control

01:36:37.260 --> 01:36:40.329
of inbreeding. ensuring that you're not inadvertently

01:36:40.329 --> 01:36:43.229
breeding away your future profits through increased

01:36:43.229 --> 01:36:46.350
genetic relatedness. So it's about taking a more

01:36:46.350 --> 01:36:49.529
strategic and, well, data informed approach to

01:36:49.529 --> 01:36:52.569
your mating decisions, going beyond simply chasing

01:36:52.569 --> 01:36:55.550
the highest PTA figures. Precisely. It's a delicate

01:36:55.550 --> 01:36:58.310
balancing act. You want to continue to drive

01:36:58.310 --> 01:37:01.140
genetic progress in your herd? But you also need

01:37:01.140 --> 01:37:03.579
to be keenly aware of and actively manage the

01:37:03.579 --> 01:37:05.880
long -term consequences of increasing inbreeding.

01:37:06.020 --> 01:37:08.319
Okay. And finally, just a quick reminder for

01:37:08.319 --> 01:37:10.800
you about those calving traits. Be prepared for

01:37:10.800 --> 01:37:12.979
another set of adjustments in August when those

01:37:12.979 --> 01:37:15.680
evaluations finally transition to the 2020 base.

01:37:15.899 --> 01:37:18.460
Keep an eye out for updates from the CDCB and

01:37:18.460 --> 01:37:20.520
be ready to reassess your selection criteria

01:37:20.520 --> 01:37:22.819
for calving ease and stillbirth at that time.

01:37:22.880 --> 01:37:25.560
Right. Don't forget August. It's like a two -stage

01:37:25.560 --> 01:37:29.340
adjustment process this year. Okay. So to bring

01:37:29.340 --> 01:37:32.420
it all together, this April 2025 genetic base

01:37:32.420 --> 01:37:34.739
change isn't just another routine update in the

01:37:34.739 --> 01:37:37.640
dairy world. The data you shared clearly highlights

01:37:37.640 --> 01:37:40.000
both the impressive genetic progress we've collectively

01:37:40.000 --> 01:37:43.180
made and the growing and, frankly, significant

01:37:43.180 --> 01:37:45.640
impact of inbreeding within the Holstein breed.

01:37:45.960 --> 01:37:48.960
This situation demands a proactive, informed,

01:37:49.199 --> 01:37:51.500
and thoughtful shift in your breeding strategies

01:37:51.500 --> 01:37:54.560
to ensure continued profitability and the long

01:37:54.560 --> 01:37:57.510
-term health of your herds. Absolutely. Understanding

01:37:57.510 --> 01:38:00.670
the power of EFI and actively managing inbreeding

01:38:00.670 --> 01:38:03.409
are no longer optional considerations. They are

01:38:03.409 --> 01:38:05.529
now absolutely crucial components of maintaining

01:38:05.529 --> 01:38:07.770
a profitable and sustainable dairy operation,

01:38:08.010 --> 01:38:10.109
particularly for those of you working with Holstein

01:38:10.109 --> 01:38:13.569
Genetics. Ignoring these factors is, well, it's

01:38:13.569 --> 01:38:15.210
akin to leaving money on the table year after

01:38:15.210 --> 01:38:18.600
year. Underscores the need to strike that balance,

01:38:18.760 --> 01:38:21.279
doesn't it? Continuing to push for genetic advancement

01:38:21.279 --> 01:38:23.579
in the traits that matter most to your farm while

01:38:23.579 --> 01:38:25.680
diligently controlling the creeping effects of

01:38:25.680 --> 01:38:27.699
inbreeding. That's the challenge. Because as

01:38:27.699 --> 01:38:29.439
one of the sources you sent so memorably put

01:38:29.439 --> 01:38:32.119
it, genetic progress without inbreeding control

01:38:32.119 --> 01:38:34.619
is like milking three -legged cows. Eventually,

01:38:34.760 --> 01:38:37.420
the whole operation goes lame. Yeah. A slightly

01:38:37.420 --> 01:38:39.779
humorous, but ultimately very sobering thought

01:38:39.779 --> 01:38:43.060
for all of you to consider. Indeed. So for all

01:38:43.060 --> 01:38:44.779
of you who have tuned in today, our challenge

01:38:44.779 --> 01:38:48.189
to you is this. Take some dedicated time, maybe

01:38:48.189 --> 01:38:53.229
this week, to review the EFI values of the sires

01:38:53.229 --> 01:38:55.430
you're currently using or considering for your

01:38:55.430 --> 01:38:59.310
breeding program. Look up those numbers. Critically

01:38:59.310 --> 01:39:01.149
think about how your current mating strategies

01:39:01.149 --> 01:39:04.369
might need to evolve and adapt in light of this

01:39:04.369 --> 01:39:06.250
new genetic reckoning, as we called it earlier.

01:39:06.670 --> 01:39:08.810
You might find it beneficial to explore some

01:39:08.810 --> 01:39:10.829
of the sophisticated mating software options

01:39:10.829 --> 01:39:12.970
that are available, or even consider consulting

01:39:12.970 --> 01:39:15.569
with a knowledgeable genetic advisor to delve

01:39:15.569 --> 01:39:17.810
deeper into what these changes mean specifically

01:39:17.810 --> 01:39:21.609
for your individual herd. Excellent advice. Thank

01:39:21.609 --> 01:39:23.670
you for joining us for this deep dive into the

01:39:23.670 --> 01:39:27.020
April 2025 genetic base change. We sincerely

01:39:27.020 --> 01:39:29.220
hope this discussion, based on the information

01:39:29.220 --> 01:39:31.840
you provided, has given you a clearer understanding

01:39:31.840 --> 01:39:34.739
of the underlying forces at play and some concrete,

01:39:34.840 --> 01:39:36.840
actionable steps that you can take to navigate

01:39:36.840 --> 01:39:39.760
these important industry shifts. For more in

01:39:39.760 --> 01:39:41.640
-depth analysis and the latest news impacting

01:39:41.640 --> 01:39:44.439
your dairy business, be sure to visit us at thebullvine

01:39:44.439 --> 01:39:47.899
.com. Until our next deep dive, take care. That

01:39:47.899 --> 01:39:50.380
wraps up this week's recap of genetic evaluation

01:39:50.380 --> 01:39:54.520
highlights. From recalibrated rankings to fertility

01:39:54.520 --> 01:39:57.340
breakthroughs and inbreeding alarms, it's clear

01:39:57.340 --> 01:39:59.680
that dairy genetics are evolving faster than

01:39:59.680 --> 01:40:02.500
ever, and breeders must stay ahead of the curve.

01:40:03.079 --> 01:40:05.699
Thank you for tuning in to the Bullvine Podcast.

01:40:06.180 --> 01:40:08.840
Don't forget to subscribe for more insights into

01:40:08.840 --> 01:40:11.380
dairy genetics and industry trends every week.

01:40:11.520 --> 01:40:14.380
And as always, keep milking those opportunities.