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Podcast: Sheryl Haitana talks to CRV’s Jon Lee and NZAEL’s Brian Wickham about the new genetic evaluation system for dairy cattle and what the changes mean for farmers.

For the first time, dairy farmers have a choice of herd recording providers as CRV officially launches myHERD at Fieldays®

“Genetics has been identified as a means of building a long-term solution to climate change,” says Smallwood. “As an industry, if cow numbers are reduced farmers will need to improve efficiency per cow to ensure farming remains sustainable, both environmentally and economically.

Artificial Breeding (AB) technician Dirk van den Ven estimates he has inseminated half a million cows in his 40-year career.

Ian Hopping uses sexed semen on heifers will help achieve good quality early replacements as well as fast-tracking our genetic gain. Ian believes if you’re investing in a sexed straw, you’re better to use it on a heifer rather than a high producing cow with a lower chance of conceiving.

“In the past, many farmers ordered semen based on what they did the previous year,” he says. “Now, we are having discussions based on what farmers’ herd recording data is telling us about groups of animals in their herd and how we can make breeding decisions that will increase the value of their progeny. It’s a trend we’re seeing in the South Island and nationwide. “As a result, many farmers are now considering a wider range of options for their breeding programme, such as sexed semen, LowN sires, polled sires and alternative dairy beef breeds.”