Publish date: 6.21.24
Have you ever wondered why the seats in your car are adjustable? Well, that’s because there are no two people who are exactly the same. Your legs might be a little longer than the person next to you and their arms might be a little longer than yours. Both seat settings would have to be a bit different to fit each of you perfectly.
Let’s look at a real-life example.
Years before World War II, the American Army designed its first airplane cockpit and attempted to streamline the production by making it a standard size. They measured the physical dimensions of pilots and calculated the average measurements—height, arm length, leg length, weight, etc. These average measurements, then, determined the seat size and shape, the distance to the pedals and the controls, and even their flight helmets.
All seems great, right? Not so fast… The standardization did speed up production and led to increased efficiency. However, this was until the army recruited new pilots for World War II who were not the same size or shape as the average man in 1920. These new pilots were unable to optimally reach the plane’s controls because the dimensions of the cockpit did not fit them. This resulted in a decline in performance and sadly, an increase in deaths. The moral of the story: NO ONE IS AVERAGE FOR EVERYTHING.
You might be wondering, what does this have to do with your dairy operation? It is simple, really. We can apply this same concept right to your dairy. Your dairy is also not the average. You have different wants, needs, and goals than the dairy down the road or across the country. Depending on where you are located and who you choose to sell your milk to, you also might have different milk markets compared to other dairies.
There is no average farm because every farm is unique. Thus, why would you use industry indexes to determine your genetic progress when they are based on the average cow on an average farm in your country? With this in mind, we will dive into the differences between a Custom Index and an industry index and why a Custom Index will help you reach your goals faster.
What is an Industry Index?
An industry index is a preset index like Net Merit (NM$), Total Performance Index (TPI), Cheese Merit (CM$), Dairy Wellness Profit Index (DWP$), or Lifetime Performance Index (LPI). Because they are developed by researchers and are scientifically sound, you can trust an industry index to help you make genetic improvements. However, generally speaking, using them will improve traits important to the average national herd, but possibly not as fast in the traits of importance to you.
Industry indexes are based on what the industry is telling you is the right cow to create. As we mentioned before, they are developed with the assumption of an average cow on an average farm. If you choose to use an industry index to select your genetics, you will want to be aware of the updates that can occur to them. These changes are typically announced during national genetic evaluations, so be sure you understand what is included in the industry index to ensure you are selecting genetics that fit your goals. All this being said, wouldn’t you want to create an index specific to your dairy that will fast-track your genetic progress and help you reach your goals sooner? That’s where a Custom Index can help.
Why Choose a Custom Index Over an Industry Index?
A Custom Index is your dairy’s roadmap to making the genetic progress you want in the areas that matter to you. It is a tool that helps guide your herd from where it is to where you want to be in the future. It takes into account the economics that maximize your farm’s profitability and where you want to improve. With a Custom Index, you have the power to prioritize traits that matter to you.
A Custom Index is a single value, tailored to the needs and economics of your dairy, that appropriately weights a variety of genetic traits.
Ryan Starkenburg, ABS Senior Geneticist
The reason a Custom Index allows you to maximize genetic progress is because it is BUILT BY YOU FOR YOU. The beauty of it is it is completely customizable to you! Understanding your dairy’s economics and why cows leave your operation is a huge factor in building an effective Custom Index. A Custom Index will help identify which cows will bring you the most profit, fit your genomic goals, and are sustainable for the next generation. This will help you uncover who the ideal performers are in your system and who you want to create more of in the next generation. That is what a Custom Index can help you do.
How Can ABS Help?
As a genetics partner, ABS can help you build an effective Custom Index by serving as a genetic advisor and assisting with developing a breeding plan for your specific dairy. We work with you to understand your system and the environment in which you work which allows us to identify what your farm needs and want.
We can walk through your farm data and assist you in uncovering where improvements can be made and what should be maintained. We can also sit down with you at least once a year to review your breeding plan and Custom Index to ensure genetic progress is being made in the direction you want it. Our goal is to help take genetic selection off your list of things to do, so you can focus on running your dairy.
Ultimately, breeding for the ideal cow for your system should be your decision—not the industry telling you what to do. ABS wants to help you get what you want with the best genetics the industry has to offer. To start building your Custom Index, contact your ABS Genetic Advisor or complete the form below.
(608) 846 3721