Artificial insemination (A.I.) led to big gains at Les Fermes Erskine in Quebec, Canada. More than two decades ago, the farm committed to using A.I. and saw gains in production. But, they didn’t like some of the changes they got when they made the switch to A.I. Cows had gotten larger, more fragile and, although they were producing more milk, they had a lot more problems, more vet bills, more cows off feed, more health and post-calving problems.
Jason Erskine of Les Fermes Erskine remembers the day Dany Fontaine, GENEX Area Sales Manager, pulled into the driveway.
“Its kind of funny, a lot of things I can’t remember day to day, but I remember the exact day that Dany stopped at our farm because I think at that time I had a stack of papers sitting on my desk trying to figure out what to do.”
After having a conversation with Dany, Jason realized he needed to change his approach to genetic selection.
Watch this video to hear Jason Erskine share the story of genetic improvement on his Canadian dairy farm.
“With the [GENEX] approach on how to produce and create the dairy cow, we have created a Holstein that is smaller in size and more efficient with converting forage to milk,” explains Jason. “They are not only giving more milk but milk that is higher in fat and protein, which is what our market is requiring.”
With Dany’s direction and consultation, the herd has adopted a commitment to selection based on the GENEX ICC™ index. This is creating the kind of cows the farm wants – and has given them the freedom to utilize a strategic breeding program because cows are staying in the herd longer.
“Following the ICC™ formula for selecting our bulls has helped us to focus on animals I would like to have in the herd. That is, prioritizing fertility, health traits, longevity and milk which is high in fat and protein. Cows are not leaving like they used to. We are raising 20% less heifers because we don’t need them. Cows are staying here longer, so that has really lowered our cost of raising replacement heifers.”
The University of Minnesota FINBIN database shows that the average cost to raise a heifer was over $2100 in 2022, so raising 20% fewer heifers can lead to significant savings.
Ultimately, the move to a more balanced selection plan and utilization of the GENEX ICC™ index has led to the desired outcome: a cow that requires less resources and is more efficient. And, they have achieved great genetic gains over the last view years in ICC™, herd life, daughter fertility, mastitis resistance and much more.
“Through selection on ICC™, I can create cows that are more efficient. That means I can build a cow that uses less resources to produce milk and will have less impact on the environment,” explains Jason.
Explore the GENEX dairy sire lineup and, like the Erskines, utilize genetics to that contribute to a more sustainable future.
