Management
How Important is Pre-Weaning Nutrition for a Successful Milking Career?
We all know colostrum and pre-weaning nutrition is important for calf vitality, but how much does it impact a cow’s long-term milking career? Here we explore recent research to find...
Xenética Fontao: Successful Spanish AI with International Ambitions
Of the current top-15 progeny proven bulls in Spain, ten are owned by Xenética Fontao. In the DNA list, they even have a share of 12 of the 15 highest...
Round Table: Four breeders discuss the philosophies behind their sire choices
The beauty of the Holstein breed is that it offers so much diversity. Here we investigate the breeding tactics of four breeders with differing goals.
Simon Vander Woude:One Man’s Experience with Beef on Dairy
Vander Woude Dairy is based at Merced, California, and for the last seven years they have been using beef semen on part of their Holstein herd. Owner Simon Vander Woude...
Tom Mercuro - ‘IVF is accelerating breeding progress in many ways!’
Anyone who interprets breeding in a traditional manner thinks of the selection of one sire for one cow. Of course, this approach is not outdated. But it is competing with...
She Really Milks: A Problem… Or An Opportunity?
It’s time to dry cow #374, a Supershot daughter that’s still milking 88lb (40kg). But, it feels wrong. Why? For generations, we have carefully coordinated the breeding program to enhance...
Jared Martin, Triple-Hil Sires: ‘Longevity is the long-range vision we are promoting’
It started as a boyhood dream. Cousins Lowell and Jared Martin went to school and church together, and regularly shared ideas about their passion of cows and breeding. They often...
Beef-on-Dairy: The Crucial Choices of Semen Quality through to Product Guarantee
Beef-on-Dairy, the use of beef sires on (part) of the dairy herd, is a global phenomenon. In North America, Beef-on-Dairy has been the most significant development during the past five...
Micronutrients - The Right Combination is Decisive for Success
The idea of writing about micronutrients in our management series is not something that came on a whim. The current discussion about climate change and increasing the efficiency of feed...
Selecting for Feed Efficiency: Economic Savings and Reduced Green-House Gas Emissions
The industry is on the cusp of a new revolution in dairy cattle breeding – the selection for feed conversion efficiency. While this trait has been prominent in poultry and...
Bles Dairies: Travel Through the Unique World of Entrepreneur Henk Bles
A keen eye for development in the dairy industry: That is one of the most prominent core qualities of the Dutch company Bles Dairies. With lots of passion and driven...
What Does The Ideal Dairy Cow Look Like?
One judge, one vet, one classifier and one breeder help us understand what their ideal cow looks like, and the problems the breed needs to overcome to achieve the ideal...