Episode 123 – Improving herds through DNA testing

DNA testing is transforming dairy breeding by giving farmers greater confidence in parentage and allowing more accurate genetic information to be fed into breeding models. Anne Lee speaks with CRV myDNA Programme Manager Connie McFarlane about how DNA testing and genomics are helping farmers improve herd performance, from verifying calf parentage to increasing the reliability of breeding values and genetic indexes.

Host:

• Anne Lee, Senior Journalist, Dairy Country

Guest:

• Connie McFarlane, myDNA Programme Manager, CRV 

Connie explains why around one in four calves can be mismatched to their dams without DNA testing, and how tissue sampling and genomic analysis provide a much clearer picture of an animal’s true genetic potential. Anne and Connie also discuss how farmers are using genomic information to identify replacement heifers and select cows for beef or sexed semen, the importance of building larger genomic reference populations, how DNA testing is accelerating genetic gain in both dairy cows and bulls, and the future opportunities for genomic traits including hoof health, mastitis resistance and genetic defect screening.