Opportunity to breed the best
They can now select bulls from the latest EBI list which will breed cows with the potential to give them well over €100 profit per lactation more than cows bred from average stock bulls. They can select bulls that will improve traits that may be deficient in their own herds, such as fertility or milk solids.
However, in order to get the benefits of good breeding, cows must be well fed and managed.
Another proven option that might suit some farmers is cross-breeding.
The main advantage of cross-breeding is vastly improved fertility traits.
However, with the availability of EBI fertility data and good management, farmers can improve fertility without cross-breeding.
Many farmers are slow to change from Holstein -Friesians, especially to Jersey crosses, because of male calf and cull cow values.
Cross-breeding has remained at about 5% for the past few years.
