As more and more producers within the dairy industry seek to improve their herds through genomic testing, they’re faced with the question “What’s Next?”. Genomic testing has been the opportunity to yield faster genetic progress. However, it is about developing a plan to capture genomic testing’s true value for your herd. How are you going to develop this plan? Where should you start? What is your vision for your herd? 

Once you have genomic results, there are a plethora of options to help fully utilize these results and help you profit in the short and long term. 

From genomic results and your herd’s goals, you should identify which index is the best fit for your goals. For more information on how to get started, check out this article titled Picking the Best Index. If you would prefer an index of your own making, a genetic advisor has the tools to help you. This ranking is a clear way to capture the most out of your results. This ranking system then needs to be implemented, which we will discuss in a minute. 

After you decide on an index, it will be assigned to each individual animal within 1your herd. If you are overstocked in the milking pens, you can use these genomic-based index to help with voluntary culling decisions for the lower indexed cows and/or heifers. 

If you don’t have a need for more voluntary culling, and you are in a market that offers a premium for beef x dairy calves, you can breed the lowest cows in your herd to beef semen to raise fewer replacements and capture a premium compared to purebred dairy bull calves. In most situations, sexed semen will be used on heifers and younger cows, which should be your highest genetically ranked females. Depending on how aggressive you want to be or how fast you want to accelerate your genetic progress, conventional semen can be eliminated completely – and a strategy can be built using only sexed and beef semen. Keep in mind that the foundation to any successful genetic strategy is good reproduction. 

The chart below presents six different scenarios, at an increasing speed of genetic progress. Once you have your genomic results in hand, and have selected the best index for you, work with your genetic advisor to implement one of these strategies below. Keep in mind, there is no “right” strategy – as the right strategy will be customized to you, your market dynamics, and your future goals. 

Haven’t started genomic testing yet? If you are looking to start genomic testing, there are options for you. Not all options are the same and some offer more value than others. There are rather inexpensive tests out there that offer the common genetic traits; however, those tests only tell part of the story either through the limited amount of traits that it offers or not reading as many gene markers. In the table below, read more about the differences in genomic tests so you can make an informed decision. If you are looking for more guidance, a genetic advisor can help implement your goals. Your genetic advisor has a suite of tools such as a Female Ranking Tool, Genetic Strategy Calculator, Mating Program, Genetic Diversity Program, and more. These tools, if used properly, can help you milk your genomic results for all they’re worth.