Australian Dairy Herd Improvement Report 2010.pdf

2010 In Review
Table 4 A summary of ABVs, ABV(i)s and ABV(g)s
ABV(g) ABV(i) ABV
Unproven bulls Interbull breeding values Proven bulls
Breeding values
based on genomic
and pedigree data.
AUGUST 2010
THE
Good Bulls
G UIDE
THE
Good Bulls
G UIDE
THE
Good Bulls
G UIDE
THE
GOOD
BULLS
G UIDE
THE
GOOD
BULLS
G UIDE
THE
GOOD
BULLS
G UIDE
Breeding values for bulls
proven overseas with
insufficient Australian
daughter performance
information.
the same way as ABVs and ABV(i)s to make it easy to
compare animals.
ADHIS, Dairy Australia, the Dairy Futures CRC,
DPI-V and Genetics Australia continue to invest in
genomic technology. Further research to improve
the reliability and accessibility of this technology
continues to provide farmers with the opportunity
to gain further benefits from improved genetic gain.
Good Bulls Guide
Breeding values utilising
Australian milking daughter
information.
Meet publishable
requirements for
production, type and
workability.
Selecting bulls to breed better dairy herds is now
easier than ever, with the release of the Good Bulls
Guide by the Australian Dairy Herd Improvement
Scheme (ADHIS) in August.
Produced twice a year, the Good Bulls Guide lists
available bulls that are above average for profit.
Within the Guide are lists of trait leaders for
traits such as type, longevity, mastitis resistance,
production and profit. These traits have been
selected as they are common breeding objectives
reported by farmers. Bulls of higher reliability are
identified separately.
As the Good Food Guide directs consumers
interested in a good night out to tried and tested
eateries, the Good Bulls Guide directs farmers to
‘highly recommended’ bulls.
Farmers are encouraged to simply pick the table that
reflects the needs of their herd with confidence that
the genetic potential of the herd will be improved.
The Good Bulls Guide includes bulls from every
company and from both Australia and overseas.
Each bull is listed with its relevant breeding values
and reliability.
Those farmers who wish to make more detailed
comparisons of bulls can continue to use Selectabull
and detailed bull pages available on the ADHIS
website.
The Good Bulls Guide will be published twice a
year in line with the April and August releases of
Australian Breeding Values (ABVs). The Good Bulls
Guide is delivered to all dairy farmers.
Selectabull Workshops
In partnership with the Dairy Extension Centre,
ADHIS has delivered a total of nineteen Selectabull
workshops throughout Victoria and South Australia
in 2010. During the workshops, participants develop
or refine breeding objectives for their herd and learn
to use the simple web-based Selectabull tool in a
supervised and supported environment.
An evaluation of the Selectabull workshops has
revealed a high degree of satisfaction with the
program. Participants reported that the most useful
components of the Selectabull program were
the ability to find bulls that suited the particular
requirements of their herd, and the speed at which
this could be done. The variety of bulls identified,
the flexibility to investigate alternatives and the
independence of the information were all valued.
Almost without exception, participants recorded
that at the conclusion of the workshop they were
confident in using Selectabull, and felt comfortable
navigating through the program. They were
satisfied with the breeding objective they had
developed and understood the role of genetics
in their herd better, and they understood the
information services provided by the ADHIS and had
a better understanding of ABVs at the conclusion
of the workshop. A pleasing eighty-six per cent of
participants reported that they planned to use the
program when next making semen purchasing
decisions.
As the partnership with the Dairy Extension Centre
continues into 2011, further workshops will be
scheduled across numerous locations.
8 Australian Dairy Herd Improvement Report 2010