DNA Testing our Holstein Heifers (166)

[@TinaDurboraw]

I'm an ex dairy farmer, still with great interest in dairy, and genetics. You clearly do a great job managing your herd. Do you flush any of your top cows in the herd? Seems like with your passion for breeding great cows, it would be a good fit. Thanks for the time you take to make these videos, and educate the public.

[@pietvanbedaf-nddairyfarmer9047]

Thank you! We don't flush any cows currently. We've tried putting in embryos ourselves but didn't see the results we needed to keep doing it. Maybe in the future with more training we could try it again.

[@Dwthomas1946]

Thanks for the video. Very informative on how you make your selection of the next generation of cows

[@alfredomarotta6604]

Hiya Piet, very interesting. Thanks for the video. As I said before, thank you for feeding the US.

[@robcooper5813]

Really good to hear you are back genomic testing. As you are finding and the same in our herd, it really helps advance the herd genetics and profit for the long term. The other advantage of the Holstein over Jersey is the beef cross calf value which is gaining in importance.

[@pietvanbedaf-nddairyfarmer9047]

Cull cow value is another big element as well. There's definitely more to it than just comparing components and milk production.

[@garyemard8480]

Hope all your family is feeling better.

[@pietvanbedaf-nddairyfarmer9047]

Thank you, we're doing good now.

[@RichardNettleton]

Excellent explanation Piet, I love the genetics side of dairy, would be interested in the sires of those three cows if you had it. Cheers 🇦🇺

[@pietvanbedaf-nddairyfarmer9047]

Mad max( 1HO11094) highest BF lbs producer, Mogul (7HO11314) highest protein lbs producer, Tuscobia (1HO10915) highest lbs of milk producers

[@user-zu2bw7ig5v]

Very interesting

[@rothfarms]

Do they cross like high butter fats to high milk production and the like from different breeds ? I know they track a lot of that stuff.

[@rothfarms]

I know the Holstein association wants just holstein

[@pietvanbedaf-nddairyfarmer9047]

Cross breeding is an option, it's something to consider for us. The downside of cross breding is genomic testing is not near as accurate and after the first cross you lose predictability of gene heritability.

[@rothfarms]

Optimizer gel for scours ??

[@pietvanbedaf-nddairyfarmer9047]

That's not a product we have used on our farm.

[@rothfarms]

Black herefords?? I just watched a video on them! Waygu ? I know the cost would be higher? I know you all are super busy, i hope our comments help!! Hope you all feeling better! Happy Thanksgiving and merry Christmas 🎉❤😊

[@pietvanbedaf-nddairyfarmer9047]

At the moment our calf buyers are happy with our beef cross calves, but we're always open to do what the market wants/ needs. We have a few Belgian Blue crosses coming this spring.

[@robertvetter6139]

Are there plans to increase herd size

[@pietvanbedaf-nddairyfarmer9047]

Not currently.

[@BGFKevin]

So what would your actual split be between beef and dairy semen on a conception basis?

[@pietvanbedaf-nddairyfarmer9047]

Our conception rate on conventional beef semen is around 54%, conception rate on holstein sorted semen is around 47%.

[@BGFKevin]

@ ok, so what % of the animals you plan for sexed dairy semen end up getting beef due to not catching on first two services? So, over all what is the split between dairy conception and beef conceptions?

[@pietvanbedaf-nddairyfarmer9047]

@BGFKevin around 20% end up bred to beef it looks like if I manually calculate it. I'm not sure how to get that specific number out of dairycomp, but I'm sure it's possible.

[@stevewagner9996]

Do u go for bull calf for the angus bred? How accurate is selected semen for the holstein heifer side?

[@pietvanbedaf-nddairyfarmer9047]

Currently, we're just conventional on the beef. The sorted semen is around 95% heifers vs bulls.

[@billsauberlich7337]

After you have bred a cow twice to sorted semen and then to beef bred what is your conception rate with the beef breeding?

[@pietvanbedaf-nddairyfarmer9047]

Our conception rate on all third breedings for the last year is 54%

[@karenkaderlik4119]

So do you inseminate weekly? I would assume so since you are having calving ongoing. Very interesting genetic testing working to increase productivity.

[@pietvanbedaf-nddairyfarmer9047]

We are breeding cows every day of the week.

[@richmondbeckard216]

The red and whites will always has lag behind the blacks genomically, but the reds have made great strides in adding production. Besides brown swiss are best❤. And all black and white is boring in my opinion.

[@user-zu2bw7ig5v]

Black and white is best. Swiss are novelty cows 😂

[@pietvanbedaf-nddairyfarmer9047]

It's nice to have some different colors in the herd, but it will be increasingly more difficult for other herds to keep up with the black and white holsteins.

[@PaulWilcox-n2p]

I think you can get too 5 butter fat I know a couple of farm's doing it with better feed and better bull's and still getting a 100 lb average per cow

[@user-zu2bw7ig5v]

🤔

[@pietvanbedaf-nddairyfarmer9047]

My current goal is to get to 4.5% butter fat average for the year. 5% would be incredible for a high production herd!

[@PaulWilcox-n2p]

Add 3 to 4 lbs of crushed raw soybeans per cow and you will see a difference in butter fat

[@anilkumarhv4842]

Sir wts ur qualification

[@dhenschel4]

u must be kidding - he manages a 1500+ head dairy. u don't know what you are watching

[@pietvanbedaf-nddairyfarmer9047]

I have a degree in agricultural economics

[@anilkumarhv4842]

@@pietvanbedaf-nddairyfarmer9047 hmm sir