Genomics on the Dairy
Selectively Improving Your Herd
What is Genomic Testing for Dairy Cows?
Genomics is the science of tracking genetics to make better decisions.
This is done by submitting a DNA sample of each calf after it's born. That information then provides additional data to our record processing service. The pedigree information already available... is used in tandem with the information from the genetic test... which helps you gain a more complete understanding of the calf's potential. Genomics is transforming dairy operations by helping farmers boost milk production, improve breeding practices, and ultimately be more profitable.
How Participating in Genetics Helps
To be successful in the dairy industry, you need to have solid management practices. With that in place, Genomics helps you increase your profits by making smart decisions based on science.
Boost Production
Genomics offers all the benefits of traditional selective breeding but allows you to make decisions much faster.
Improve Breeding Practices
Identify your best genetic animals and maximize their impact on the herd.
Cut Costs
You can focus your feed and labor on the cows in your herd with the highest genetic potential—The Invisible Cows
Expand Business
Genomics opens the doors to new kinds of business - so you can make every part of your business profitable.
Records Processing Plus Genomics
Amelicor’s Records Processing Service has always provided you with access to valuable pedigree information. Pedigree and production information is sent to the Council on Dairy Cattle Breeding which uses records from dairies from all over the country for use in genetic evaluations. With this type of information, herdsmen have the ability to predict the production value of a specific cow. However, even though the prediction is based on generations of data, it still takes years to prove those predictions.
Genomics is an added benefit to the records processing service which allows you to make decisions before you have even fed the animal. The pedigree information is used in tandem with the genetic information to make decisions that will lead to healthier animals which will make your herd more profitable.
Increase the reliability of your calves. Know if a cow will be high-producing.
Because genetic test results come back within weeks, you can make a decision on a calf before it is weaned. The genetic results will help you catch any data inaccuracy with your records and give you the information to know if that cow will be high producing.
Capitalize on every pregnancy.
Because of the nature of the dairy business, there is an excess of calves. With decisions and techniques based on genomics, you can capitalize on every pregnancy through business practices such as embryo transfers. For example, rather than a pregnancy that produces a dairy calf with an average sale value, you can use a beef embryo to produce a calf with a high sale value. With embryo transfers, you can also take advantage of crossbreeding which normally would be difficult to control and predict from generation to generation.
Take advantage of speedy genetic progress.
Genetic programs are ever-changing, and genetic progress will maintain whatever speed you set because you don’t lose what you’ve already done. Genomics can help you identify the cows with the highest genetic potential and then capitalize on that potential. Using business practices such as embryo transfers, you can perpetuate that genetic potential and produce more offspring with your superior animals in a short period of time.
Verify parentage data.
Having incorrect data is just like having no data at all. Through genomics, you can verify your data and catch mistakes that are the difference between a profitable animal and one that is not. One wonderful side effect of genetic testing is verifying that the dam and sire are in fact what has been recorded. Industry-wide there is about a 25% error rate when recording calves and their parents. By reducing the error rates, your decisions mean more!
The Amelicor Difference
Amelicor has been involved in electronic dairy records from the beginning. We give you full access to all your data in a clear, organized way that will enable you to make better decisions for your herd and determine how best to use the power of genomics.
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We process records for 1.2 million animals every month
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With a significant amount of genetic information available, we continually expand our database to provide more and more information to the farm.
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You continually have access to more and more genetic information.
Ultimately by using Genomics, Amelicor will help you accelerate the process of improving your herd’s genetic potential—and a cow that has genetic potential will make you more money than a cow that doesn’t.
Talk to a Customer Service Representative for a free consultation
By filling out the form, here is what will happen:
- We will send you an email with a few specific questions we might have to help us customize our thoughts for your needs.
- After we get your response, you will be contacted by one of our customer service representatives.
- The representative can talk to you about how genetics is used with records processing and within DHI-Plus. If you want, they can help you install DHI-Plus so you can try it for a period of time with your own data.
- If you want to talk to someone today, use the options on our contact page.