increase font size
Australian farmers can now look for bulls that increase heat tolerance.
Australian dairy farmers can now add breeding to their ways of helping cows handle the heat.
DataGene, Australia’s independent and industry-owned organisation responsible for developing the means of increasing genetic gain and herd improvement, has released a world-first -- Heat Tolerance Australian Breeding Values (ABV).
Dr Matt Shaffer, DataGene chief executive, says that although environment and management conditions have a big impact on a cow’s response to heat, genetics also play a role.
“Advances in genomics allowed our Dairy Bio team to identify gene markers for heat tolerance.
“The Heat Tolerance ABV allows farmers to identify animals with greater ability to tolerate hot weather with less impact on production,” he says. Dairy Bio is a joint initiative between the Victorian Government and Dairy Australia.
Dairy Australia’s advice is that to breed for improved heat tolerance, look for bulls with a high balanced performance index (BPI) and a Heat Tolerance ABV greater than 100; use several bulls to allow for the lower reliability.
The reliability of the Heat Tolerance ABV is 38% which is in line with the newer generation of genomic-only traits. Like all new ABVs, reliability is expected to improve with time, as more data becomes available.
Heat tolerance is favourably linked with fertility and unfavourably with production; this means a strong focus on heat tolerance bulls may improve fertility but compromise production.
“If breeding for heat tolerance, look for the exceptional animals that are strong for both BPI and heat tolerance,” Shaffer says.
While not all dairy farmers will want to include heat tolerance in their breeding priorities, some are keen to get started.
Farmer Trevor Parrish, Kangaroo Valley, NSW says he will be looking for bulls that increase heat tolerance.
“Now when I get a list of bulls I’m going to be looking for bulls which combine increased production and increased heat tolerance; they will be the ones that buck the trend,” Parrish said.
Parrish’s family milks 160-240 cows year round and sells bulls to semen companies and other dairy farmers.
Farmer Ray Kitchen of Carenda Holsteins, Boyanup, WA says having a Heat Tolerance ABV will mean he can breed cows with a greater ability to tolerate hot weather and be better suited to his farming environment.
With adverse weather set to rain down on the Top of the South, the Bay of Plenty and parts of Northland, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says farmers, foresters, and growers need to prepare for possible challenges.
OPINION: Your old mate hears that at a recent China Business Summit, PM Christopher Luxon delivered a none-too-subtle "could try harder" report card on the red meat industry regarding its exports to China - particularly when compared to Australia.
More Australian states are embracing virtual fencing technology, opening growth opportunities for Kiwi companies like Halter.
Fonterra says its ongoing legal battle with Australian processor Bega Cheese won’t change its divestment plans.
Farmers in the Australian state of New South Wales will soon be able to use virtual fencing and herding technology to boost farm productivity.
According to the most recent Rabobank Rural Confidence Survey, farmer confidence has inched higher, reaching its second highest reading in the last decade.
From 1 October, new livestock movement restrictions will be introduced in parts of Central Otago dealing with infected possums spreading bovine TB to livestock.
Phoebe Scherer, a technical manager from the Bay of Plenty, has won the 2025 Young Grower of the Year national title.
The Fencing Contractors Association of New Zealand (FCANZ) celebrated the best of the best at the 2025 Fencing Industry Awards, providing the opportunity to honour both rising talent and industry stalwarts.
Award-winning boutique cheese company, Cranky Goat Ltd has gone into voluntary liquidation.
As an independent review of the National Pest Management Plan for TB finds the goal of complete eradication by 2055 is still valide, feedback is being sought on how to finish the job.
OPINION: Westland Milk may have won the contract to supply butter to Costco NZ but Open Country Dairy is having…
OPINION: The Gene Technology Bill has divided the farming community with strong arguments on both the pros and cons of…
