Welcome to the Bullvine Podcast, where we bring
you the stories behind dairy's most influential
figures. Today, we're celebrating a true pioneer
who transformed how we evaluate and select dairy
cattle. 80 years ago today, a future visionary
was born who would help Canadian genetics capture
of global Holstein semen sales, all while starting
from a modest farm with just 22 cows. Murray
Hunt's creation of the dollar difference formula
fundamentally shifted breeding decisions from
show ring appearance to economic efficiency.
In this episode, we'll explore how one man's
scientific approach and practical farm wisdom
revolutionized dairy breeding worldwide. From
his early days at Huntsdale Farm to his groundbreaking
work at Holstein Canada, This is the Murray Hunt
story, a birthday tribute to a living legend
whose influence touches every modern dairy operation.
Let's dive in. Welcome to the Deep Dive. Today
we're cracking open the story behind some really
monumental shifts in Canadian dairy genetics.
And it's all in honor of Murray Hunt's 80th birthday,
which is today, April 9th. 2025. So happy birthday
to him. Yeah, quite a milestone. And what's really
cool is our source material today. Right. It
comes straight from his son. So we're getting
this really unique personal perspective on his
father's work. It makes it much more than just
dates and facts, doesn't it? It's like getting
the inside track on how things really unfolded.
Totally. Because Murray Hunt, well, he essentially
injected a huge dose of science right into how
dairy farmers pick their cows, how they develop
their herds. It's almost strange to think about
a time before data was king, but he was like
a major player in making that switch happen.
And we've learned there were these two almost
seismic events he was right in the middle of.
Yes, the dollar difference formula. That's one.
And the other was a complete top to bottom redesign
of the classification systems. His son called
them watershed moments. And I think that's spot
on. Not just little tweaks. These were like fundamental
changes. Like going from, I don't know, a map
and compass to GPS overnight. Exactly. Game changers.
But, you know, it wasn't just about the formulas
and the systems, was it? No, not at all. He was
also key in building bridges, connecting the
research folks, the academics with the farmers
out in the barn all across Canada. And that kind
of collaboration, that link between the lab and
the field. That's got a legacy that just keeps
going. It's where the real progress happens.
You need that translation, right? Brilliant ideas
are one thing, but making them work practically,
that's another skill entirely. And that seems
to have been one of his real strengths. For sure.
So for everyone listening in, maybe you're a
dairy veteran who remembers these changes happening,
or maybe you're newer to the industry. And curious
how we got here understanding these shifts is.
Well, it's pretty crucial. It definitely helps
make sense of today's industry and maybe even
gives us clues about what's coming next. Okay,
so let's hit rewind. Back to the very beginning.
Huntsdale Farm. Right. And the starting point
is, well, quite something. April 1st, 1960. Murray's
grandparents, Sterling and Irene, take over.
And it wasn't exactly a thriving dairy operation.
Not at all. A struggling 25 -acre market garden,
actually, with just, what, two or three Ayrshire
cows? Yeah, focused mainly on cream production,
shipping only about 450 pounds of milk a day.
And the facilities were... Pretty dated. Paints
a picture, doesn't it? A completely different
era of farming. And their drive initially wasn't
about building some massive herd. It was simpler.
Putting their kids through school. Exactly. His
son mentioned Grandpa Sterling didn't have a
ton of prospects at the local co -op feed mill.
So taking on this farm was a, well. A big leap
of faith. It kind of shows how innovation sometimes
starts from necessity, not grand ambition, just
wanting a better future. And boy, did they transform
things quickly in those early 60s. Yeah, the
timeline is impressive. Barn renovation in 61,
new equipment, better fertilization. They weren't
messing around. Sounds like they went all in
on modernizing. And the family skills seemed
to complement each other. Sterling knew his crops
and nutrition. Irene handled milking, gardening,
and was apparently the community connector. It
really highlights how farming even then was never
just one thing. It took a team effort. Definitely.
And by 1965, just five years later, huge change.
30 cows cranking out 2 ,000 pounds of milk daily,
plus selling breeding stock to Canada and the
U .S. That's serious progress. And 65 was also
key because the Ontario Milk Marketing Board
started up. Yeah. That allowed them to buy quota,
which would have, you know, stabilized things
financially. And get this, the payoff. By 1967,
they owned the farm free and clear. Incredible.
Just through productivity and sheer efficiency.
Speaks volumes about their management. Sets the
stage nicely for where young Murray comes in.
Because he wasn't just doing chores. Even back
in 1960, as a kid, he was already involved in
the serious stuff. Animal recording, the breeding
programs. Right. Laying the groundwork for his
whole career, basically. And he was quick to
adopt new things. Record of performance, the
ROP system in 1962. Artificial insemination the
same year. type classification in 63. These were
big deals back then. You can just picture him,
this young guy, meticulously tracking everything
in the barn, notebook in hand. Yeah, planting
the seeds for a data -driven approach, even if
he didn't fully realize it then. And he was busy
outside the barn, too. All sorts of 4 -H dairy,
potatoes, tractors, public speaking, you name
it. A well -rounded kid. Plus sports and clubs
at school. But then there was that shoulder injury.
Ah, the farm accident in 61. A recurring dislocation
sounds painful and probably limiting for farm
work. Definitely. And that injury turned out
to be, well, a bit of a turning point. His mother,
Irene, suggested college because of the shoulder,
right? Yeah. It makes you wonder, doesn't it?
If that hadn't happened, would things have gone
differently? One of those sliding doors moments.
It really shows how setbacks can sometimes redirect
you onto an equally impactful path, maybe even
more so. So off he went. September 65, University
of Gulf, Ontario Agricultural College. Thinking
veterinary medicine at first. But that shifted.
By 67, he was into a Bachelor of Science in Ag,
then onto a Master's. Putting the, quote, Huntsdale
dream on hold, at least for a while. And specializing
in animal science, genetics. Yeah. And importantly,
computer applications. That mix was key. Definitely.
And university wasn't just about academics. August
67, he met Karen. Ah, yes. They married in 69.
And he considers that his most significant legacy.
It's great, isn't it? He said, K &M's legacy
will be the great things that our families achieve.
Puts all the career stuff in perspective. It
absolutely does. A reminder that life's bigger
than just work. even for someone who changed
an industry. And he had mentors too, right? People
who helped guide him early on. Yes, the Sagers,
Mo Freeman, Roger Diamond, Doug Wingrove, and
later names like George Clemens, Bob Lang, Harley
Nicholson. Sounds like he soaked up knowledge
wherever he could find it. Which is often a hallmark
of people who achieve great things, that constant
learning. Okay, fast forward a bit. 1970, the
master's thesis. This is where things really
start to have industry -wide whipples. His son
describes it as basically the foundation for
Canadian breeding strategies for decades. That's
a huge statement. No kidding. And he used computer
simulation, which was seriously cutting edge
stuff back then, to make some pretty, well, radical
recommendations. Like what? Like sampling four
times as many young sires as they were doing
and putting a much bigger emphasis on production
traits. So moving away from just the visual,
the confirmation towards what the animals could
actually do makes sense economically. Totally.
And then there was the all -young bull stud concept.
I'll explain that one. Okay. So the idea was
to collect and store semen from a whole bunch
of young, unproven bulls, then wait and see which
ones turned out to be genetically elite based
on their daughter's performance. Ah, I see. So
you could then use that stored semen from the
proven top guys for future generations. Exactly.
And his son points out how eerily similar that
is to how genomic selection works today. The
guy was thinking decades ahead. Way ahead of
the curve. And you can understand his pride that
Canadian AI organizations actually ran with that
plan. Yeah, achieving 25 % of global Holstein
semen sales with less than 2 % of the world's
cows. That's punching way above your weight.
Testament to the strategal. Absolutely. And sort
of spinning out of that master's work came something
else huge. The dollar difference formula. Right.
This formula was brilliant in its simplicity,
really. Calculate the value, the revenue a bull's
daughters are likely to generate, then subtract
the costs associated with that production. Giving
you a bottom line dollar figure for choosing
one bull over another is basically a total merit
index. But, you know, decades before TMIs became
standard. The TMI before TMI. Love that. It shifted
the focus squarely onto profitability. And the
OMAFRA folks, the government people, they got
it. They supported it strongly. But not everyone
was on board initially. No, the breed associations.
Well, they were still very much focused on confirmation,
how the cows looked, the type. There was definitely
some resistance there. That classic tension between
tradition and data -driven change happens everywhere.
So after his master's, his first job was with
Omafra's Dairy Herd Improvement Program, the
DHI, managed a big team. And he mentioned being
proud of getting DHI records officially accepted
by Holstein Canada. Yeah, another step towards
integrating data, making it central to decision
making. Breaking down silos. That's crucial.
You need reliable standardized data for any meaningful
genetic evaluation. Then June 73, he moves over
to Holstein Canada itself. And this is where
he really encounters the prevailing mindset.
Which is still very phenotype driven. Based on
looks. Almost entirely, according to his son.
They were largely ignoring the genetic evaluation
methods that were emerging, including the milk
and fat bull proofs coming from Ag Canada. Wow,
so the tools were there, but the main breed organization
wasn't really using them. Pretty much. Purebred
breeders were still putting more faith in show
ring results than in, you know, scientific proofs.
Must have been frustrating for him. You can imagine.
Bringing science to the table when the culture
is still rooted in visual appraisal. That's a
tough sell. But he was determined. He started
collaborating with researchers, particularly
E .B. Burnside at Gulf, who were pioneers in
BLUP methods. Ah, best linear unbiased prediction.
That was the breakthrough technology, really.
Explain BLUP. Okay, well, essentially, BLUP allowed
for much fairer genetic comparisons between animals.
It could mathematically separate the effects
of the environment, like feed, management, different
farms, from the animal's actual inherent genetic
merit. Much more accurate. Got it. So it levels
the playing field for genetic evaluation. Precisely.
And Murray's biggest contribution at Holstein
Canada, arguably, was leading the charge to completely
overhaul their type classification system using
these BLUP methods. Right. Culminating in the
BLUP animal model in the early 80s. That wasn't
just a tweak. It was a revolution in how they
evaluated type. Absolutely fundamental. Moving
beyond just subjective scores based on appearance
to incorporating objective genetic predictions.
And the results. The program took off. Eightfold
growth between 73 and 90. And it got adopted
internationally. That speaks volumes about its
success and value. Okay. Let's circle back specifically
to those two big innovations. The dollar difference
formula and the type classification overhaul.
That dollar difference formula, even though it
came from his masters, its impact was felt across
North America. It really changed the conversation
around bull selection. Yeah, it challenged that
generations old focus on show ring aesthetics.
You know, the traits that win ribbons versus
the traits that actually... pay the bills. His
formula quantified that. It put a dollar value
on the revenue minus cost equation for a sire's
daughters. The TMI before TMI. It made the economic
case crystal clear. And while government folks
saw the practical value, you still had that pushback
from the breed associations clinging to high
type. That tension was real. And the type classification
rewrite, that was equally transformative. He
didn't just slap. BLUP onto the old system. He
led a total rewrite using his statistical training.
Moving it from purely phenotype, what you see,
to incorporating genetic potential in a statistically
robust way. That was the key. And a big part
of making it work was ensuring the classifiers
were all on the same page, right? Uniform standards.
Absolutely critical. You need consistency in
scoring for the genetic evaluations, the bullproofs,
to be accurate and reliable. So he had to get
the Holstein board behind it, get the field staff
out there promoting it, explaining the value.
It was a change management challenge as much
as a technical one. Which is often the case.
Great ideas need great implementation and communication
strategies to succeed. And again, that eight
-fold growth shows they pulled it off. The industry
eventually saw the benefits. It marked a really
significant shift in thinking, accepting that
science and data could lead to better breeding
decisions than just the eye test alone. So his
career really spans this fundamental change in
breeding philosophy for Holsteins. From prioritizing
show ring looks. To focusing much more on farm
profitability, efficiency, sustainability, things
that matter day to day. A maturing of the industry,
really. Recognizing that long -term success isn't
just about ribbons. You saw that initial reluctance
in the early 70s, though. Hallstein Canada focused
on phenotype, breed associations wary of the
dollar difference guide, breeders ignoring Ag
Canada proofs. Inertia is powerful. Tradition,
prestige tied to the show ring. It takes time
and strong evidence to shift that kind of deeply
ingrained focus. And he noted that even the BLUP
production indexes took longer to catch on with
individual breeders compared to the AI organizations.
That makes sense. AI units are purely focused
on delivering genetic progress efficiently. They
saw the power of BLUP immediately. Breeders might
have had other factors influencing their decisions.
But the tide did turn. Better data, more accurate
evaluations, plus a new generation coming back
to the farms in the 70s may be more open to the
science. That generational shift is often a catalyst
for adopting new technologies and approaches.
And you absolutely cannot talk about this transformation
without talking about artificial insemination.
No, AI was the engine driving a lot of this genetic
game. As Murray himself said, 90 % of genetic
gain in a population comes from the sires used.
That just nails it. It highlights the immense
leverage AI provides. Use the best bulls widely,
and you accelerate progress dramatically. And
looking back at his master's recommendations,
sample more young bulls, focus on production,
and seeing Canada capture 25 % of the global
semen market. It's powerful validation. It shows
those early science -based strategies really
worked, putting Canada on the map for dairy genetics.
Okay, let's shift focus a bit from the what to
the how. His leadership style. His son stresses
he wasn't a limelight seeker, but very collaborative.
Which is often the most effective kind of leadership,
isn't it? Building consensus, working together,
even without being the loudest voice. especially
in a diverse industry. And he managed to get
competitors, the AI organizations, to cooperate
on research and national initiatives through
the Canadian Association of Animal Breeders.
That takes skill. It shows he can help people
see the bigger picture, that some things benefit
the whole industry, even if you're competing
day to day. His mentorship philosophy is interesting
too, very forward -looking. Yeah, he believed
a mentor's job isn't just to get mentees to repeat
the past, especially if the past no longer applies.
It's about preparing them for the future. That
quote is great. A mentor is not an honest mentor
if all they do is encourage mentees to repeat
the past that no longer applies. Powerful stuff.
Requires constant adaptation. Absolutely. Visioning
the future, he noted, can make people uncomfortable.
But it's necessary. And he had a process for
tackling big industry problems. Methodical, it
sounds like. Define the issue clearly. Get all
the willing players involved in an independent
task force. Bring in visionaries. Circulate recommendations.
Get feedback. Then bring everyone together for
buy -in. It's a solid blueprint for driving change
in a complex system. Inclusive and structured.
And he put it into practice. leading the move
to privatize milk recording and genetic evaluations
when government support shifted. That took foresight
and initiative, ensuring those vital services
continued. Didn't just wait for things to fall
apart. Proactive leadership. And helping establish
the Genetic Evaluation Board, supporting the
Center for Genetic Improvement of Livestock.
More building blocks for the future. Absolutely.
Building the infrastructure needed for ongoing
progress. So now we look ahead. It's his 80th
birthday today, but he's clearly still thinking
about the future of dairy. And his son shares
that ultimately his greatest pride, his main
legacy, is his family. That quote again. K &M's
legacy will be the great things that our families
achieve. Really grounding. Puts everything in
perspective. But he still has strong views on
the industry's direction. He's got some concerns.
Like the overuse of TMIs. Exactly. Worries that
focusing too heavily on those total merit indexes,
TPI, LPI, net merit, pro way, might come at the
expense of other crucial traits. Like health,
mobility, fertility. The functional traits that
keep cows healthy and productive long term. Yeah,
he thinks that narrow focus might hinder developing
the kind of cows we'll actually need in, say,
2050. More resilient animals. It's a valid concern.
Optimizing for one index can sometimes lead to
unintended consequences in other areas. We need
a balanced approach. He's a big advocate for
breeding programs that actively incorporate adaptability
and disease resistance. His son asked, and his
answer was emphatic. For sure, yes. Cannot happen
soon enough. That makes perfect sense. With climate
change, evolving disease pressures, Cows that
can cope, that are naturally more robust, are
going to be increasingly valuable. He also throws
out a really interesting, maybe even provocative
idea about genetic diversity. Oh, what's his
take? He suggests maybe we're too focused on
just inbreeding common ancestors. He thinks we
need more information on the specific genetic
combinations that actually cause problems. So
less about how related parents are, more about
identifying specific problematic gene interactions
in the offspring. Kind of. His quote was, we
need more information on the genetic makeups
that cause problems and not just on common ancestry.
The commonality of future offspring, not about
common ancestors. It's a different way to frame
the diversity issue. That's fascinating. It implies
a need for deeper genomic understanding beyond
just pedigree tracking. Very forward thinking.
He also looks at the industry structure. acknowledges
the reality of consolidation, especially in the
U .S., with huge herds. Yes, 75 % U .S. milk
coming from herds of 1 ,000 -plus cows. That's
a staggering statistic. And he believes smaller
breeders, maybe those under 100 cows, need to
find a novel, unique specialty to thrive in that
environment. Niche markets, specialized genetics,
finding a way to differentiate beyond just scale
makes sense. And he's pretty blunt about the
future drivers. Future milk production, like
it or not, depends on technology. Scale is a
must. Automation. Time waits for no one. A stark
but likely realistic assessment. Efficiency and
tech adoption are key. Finally, he calls for
a more integrated approach to solving future
problems. Less working in silos. Criticizing
too much individual silo work approached and
pushing for a wide -scoped approach. Bringing
together different disciplines. Yeah, recognizing
that the challenges are complex and need expertise
from genetics, nutrition, health. engineering,
economics, all working together. A holistic view,
which seems fitting given his career. So wrapping
up this deep dive on Murray Hunt at 80, his legacy
is just this incredible mix, isn't it? Scientific
rigor, practical application, visionary leadership.
Absolutely. The dollar difference formula, modernizing
type classification, these weren't just academic
exercises. They fundamentally changed how farmers
made decisions and built the success of Canadian
Holstein genetics globally. And achieved through
collaboration, not just top -down directives.
Getting people to work together. Plus that constant
challenge to think ahead. to adapt, not just
repeating the past, like his view on mentorship.
A mentor is not an honest mentor if all they
do is encourage mentees to repeat the past that
no longer applies. Worth repeating. Definitely.
And balancing all that professional drive with
a clear focus on his family as his ultimate priority.
A really well -rounded impact. So as we reflect
on Murray Hunt's forward look, his focus on adaptability,
disease resistance, a holistic view, it leaves
us with a question for you, our listeners. How
are you thinking about these broader factors
beyond the immediate production numbers? How
are you building resilience and sustainability
into your own operations for the dairy landscape
of tomorrow? Definitely something to chew on.
Happy 80th birthday, Murray Hunt. And thanks,
everyone, for joining us on this deep dive. As
we conclude our tribute to Murray Hunt on his
80th birthday, we're reminded that true innovation
often comes from those who can bridge scientific
precision with practical farming knowledge. Murray's
legacy lives on, not just in the evaluation systems
that determine breeding decisions worldwide,
but in the mentorship he provided to countless
industry professionals. His forward -thinking
approach, balancing production goals with animal
health and functionality, offers valuable guidance
as we face dairy's future challenges. Thank you
for joining us today on the Bullvine Podcast.
If you're working with dairy genetics, remember
Murray's wisdom. that a mentor is not an honest
mentor if all they do is encourage mentees to
repeat the past that no longer applies. Until
next time, keep reading for better tomorrows.