Pave the way for a More Profitable Next Generation

News and Updates

1/16/2025

By: Amber Vander Poel. Senior Genetic Analyst and World Mating Service Coordinator, World Wide Sires Ltd.

We can all agree that the dairy industry offers no shortage of genetic indexes for selecting sires and sorting females. Many indexes are designed to boost profits by focusing on where and how a dairy makes money. But just as quickly as components and fertility contribute to the dairy’s profitability, health events like mastitis and lameness can take away those profits. The index that considers profit drivers and profit takers and balances those attributes based on economic factors will take your dairy to the next level.

The Herd Health Profit Dollars^® (HHP$^®) index is based on practicality. It includes an increased focus on mastitis resistances, additional weighting for fertility and the necessary emphasis on components. The index reflects industry statistics, therefore directly addressing challenges and improving the dairy cow from the inside out. When we look at the U.S. dairy industry, reproduction and mastitis are the second and third most prevalent reasons for cows leaving the herd. It’s also worth noting that mastitis is the costliest disease impacting the global dairy industry at an estimated $22 billion.¹ Considering this industry data, leveraging HHP$ to make genetic decisions would fundamentally address the most pressing concerns of longevity, production, environmental and economic sustainability.

While reviewing the index formula is important, knowing that the index influences real profits on the dairy is paramount. Using genomic information from Fir Ridge Dairy, we compared genomic HHP$ and NM$ by separating first lactation females into the top and bottom quartiles for those indexes. We see that both indexes can easily separate out the top and bottom cows for energy corrected milk (ECM), days open and mastitis. But the most interesting point in this audit is actually seen when comparing the difference between the top and bottom quartiles of mastitis and days open for both indexes. In these comparisons, we can see the increased weighting of fertility and mastitis playing a role. There is more disparity between the top and bottom quartile for days open and mastitis in the HHP$ comparison than in the other index, therefore showing the power and balance of the HHP$ index in creating healthier, more fertile cows.

When comparing these two groups and making a few considerations, you can expect to profit $70 more per cow over their lifetime when using HHP$ as compared to NM$.

Considerations:

Cost per cow per day open: $4
Current price per hundredweight: $23.34
Cost per case of mastitis: $300

At the end of the day, what type of cow do you want to create? Who are your favorite cows? You want the good keepers, the high lifetime producers that breed back quickly, remain healthy and trouble-free. By using HHP$ to make genetic decisions and selecting the best HHP$ sires, you are paving a way for a more profitable next generation.

¹(Rasmussen, 2024)

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