Making Sense of the Dollars and Cents: Conformation Traits to Reduce System Bottlenecks 

Publish date: 11.22.24 

It is critical to understand the definition of each trait on a bull proof or genetic evaluation and the potential financial impacts they may have on your operation. A single-point movement, increasing or decreasing, may have very little impact in some circumstances, but in others, the consequences may be far more significant.  

Remember, traits are measured as predicted transmitting abilities (PTAs) relative to the breed population average, known as the base. Every five years, this base is recalibrated to update the averages. The current PTA base reflects calves born in 2015, as the previous base revision was made in 2020. 2025 is the date of the next base change. The next base change is set for 2025. It’s important to keep these adjustments in mind, as they ensure the continued accuracy and relevance of genetic evaluations as new data and breeding advancements are introduced. 

In today’s blog on quantifying traits, we will focus on conformation traits. You will discover how these traits can positively or negatively affect your herd’s profitability in terms of inefficiency within facilities. 

Conformation Traits to Reduce System Bottlenecks  

Cows must functionally work in your physical system. This is why conformation traits can be included in a balanced Custom Index, especially if you are experiencing bottlenecks and need to focus on reducing them. A bottleneck is defined as the cause of a delay in a process or system.  

Are there cow design overall trends that are causing bottlenecks in your dairy impacting efficiency and bottom line? Are you unsure where you can look to determine those? Do you know if you have a bottleneck, or would an outside pair of eyes help you identify inefficiencies? 

That’s the beauty of a partnership with ABS Global. We can help you by walking through your system to identify any bottlenecks that may be present and support you in assisting with genetic decisions that can improve those inefficiencies. You don’t have to do this all on your own.  

Below are a few things to consider when looking at inefficiencies in your systems that are related to your cow’s conformation.  

Milking System: Time is money, especially in your milking system. It is important to observe how your cows are moving through your milking system to identify ways your cow’s conformation can improve efficiency. Here are a few things to pay attention to: 

• What improvements in udder design are needed to make your cows more efficient for milking? 
• In a parallel parlor, are your cows the right size to make the 90-degree turn into the stall and still be in the proper position to be milked?  
• Are your cows too tall for the design of your milking system?  

Farm Software Culling Reason: With the high cost of rearing replacements, it is key to understand why cows are not thriving in your environment and resulting in premature culling decisions. Having detailed culling reasons in your farm software is vital to finding trends for challenges that can be addressed. Some of those challenges may be reduced through genetic selection of conformation traits that create a future herd that thrives better in your fitted facilities.  

The Ideal Custom Index Is Balanced 

Because of the diversity of traits, their meanings, and the varying implications of higher or positive scores, selecting genetics based only on individual traits can be daunting. We suggest simplifying your genetic selection into a single number that is tailored to your specific dairy operation by creating a balanced Custom Index. 
 
There are three main categories of a balanced Custom Index: production, health and fitness, and conformation. A Custom Index gives you the freedom to prioritize the traits that are most important to your dairy and weigh them appropriately. To avoid concentrating too much on one area and impeding growth in another, it is crucial to create a balanced Custom Index.  

However, there’s no reason to feel intimidated. Creating your own Custom Index can be a simple task. ABS can help you develop a breeding strategy appropriate to your dairy and create a Custom Index that meets your needs. 

Are you interested in enhancing your genetic improvement or developing your own Custom Index? Fill out the form below or reach out to your ABS Genetic Advisor.