Newsletter Grab from ADHIS
(the Australian Dairy Herd Improvement Scheme)
HEAD: Time to take note
With joining under way on many dairy farms, managers are being encouraged to record cow
matings, and to forward the information to their herd test centre.
Michelle Axford from the Australian Dairy Herd Improvement Scheme said many dairy farmers
recorded cow matings but the information did not always reach the herd test centre.
“The value of mating records multiplies if the information reaches the herd test centre,” Mrs
Axford said.
Recording cow matings helps farmers manage their breeding programs and provides accurate
records to plan for calving. It also enables the sires of next year’s replacements to be accurately
identified, and allows farmers to keep track of semen inventories.
Once mating records reach the herd test centre they can also contribute to ADHIS analysis for
example in the calculation of semen fertility ratings for bulls, daughter fertility breeding values for
sires and industry fertility research.
“Now days it’s possible to supply mating records to the herd test centre with a minimum of fuss.
Many herd management software programs will forward the data at the click of a button. As an
added bonus, storing data at your herd test centre provides an extra back-up to your valuable
herd data,” Mrs Axford said.
“So make the most of your efforts in recording matings this spring by forwarding the information
your herd test centre,” she said.
ADHIS is an initiative of Australian Dairy Farmers’, that receives the majority of its funding from
Dairy Australia through the Dairy Services Levy.
For more information contact Michelle Axford at ADHIS ph (03) 8621-4240 or email
maxford@adhis.com.au.
ENDS
Image: Click here to have a high res image sent to you by automatic email: adhis-herdrecords@monkscom.com.au
Caption: Modern software allows dairy farmers to keep accurate farm records and to transfer the data to their
herd test with the click of a button.
About ADHIS (background information for media)
The Australian Dairy Herd Improvement Scheme (ADHIS) is an initiative of the Australian Dairy Farmers (ADF) to assist genetic improvement in the
dairy industry. ADHIS maintains a national database of performance and pedigree details for individual dairy animals. The data base is used to
generate Australian Breeding Values (ABVs) which indicate a cow or bull’s potential genetic merit (ie it’s breeding value to a dairy herd).
Genetic gain has increased significantly since 1983 when farmers began utilising ABVs. Each year the genetic merit of artificially bred cows is
increasing, worth about $9.40/cow/yr in extra profit. The value of these gains to the industry is approximately $20 million per year. ADHIS is partly
funded by farmer levies through Dairy Australia.
ABVs and ABV(g)s are produced for a variety of traits including milk yield and composition, workability and survival as well as profitability. Updated
ABVs are released twice a year (April and August) for use by dairy farmers and artificial breeding companies. ADHIS also releases ABV(i)s for
foreign bulls three times per year (January, April and August).
ADHIS is an initiative of Australian Dairy Farmers’, that receives the majority of its funding from Dairy Australia through the Dairy Services levy.