Join us in celebrating the outstanding achievements of GENEX members & customers, as we announce the winners of this year’s Excellence in Reproduction & Genetics awards! These winners – from all across the globe – utilize high genetic merit sires and excel in dairy cattle reproductive management.
These awards were first handed out in 2012, and each year the caliber of dairy cattle reproduction success and genetic merit have reached new and seemingly impossible levels of achievement. For example, during that first year, the winning dairies averaged a 30% pregnancy rate and 45% first service conception rate for cows. This year, the nominations averaged pregnancy rates of 35% with 50% conceptions rates and service rates up to 72%.
Over the years, the number of herds and diversity of the nominations have grown as well. Once recognizing only U.S. herds, nominations now come from all corners of the globe. We now have five categories based on type and size of the operations as well as location.
Each year, once nominations from a GENEX representative or global distributor are received, individual herd performance numbers are put into a matrix calculation. The calculation considers the dairy’s pregnancy rate, service rate, conception rate, percent pregnant by 150 days in milk (DIM), sexed semen use and the genetic level of service sires, and ultimately determines the winning herds.
2023 Excellence in Reproduction & Genetics Winners
Award Category: Under 500 Dairy Cows
Platinum: Truttmann Dairy LLC, Wisconsin
GENEX Nominator: Lindsey Geddes, Reproductive Program Senior Technician
Gold: Dorrich Dairy LLC, Minnesota
GENEX Nominator: Anna Zeis, Dairy Account Manager & Consultant
Award Category: 500-2,000 Dairy Cows
Platinum: Lawnel Farm, New York
GENEX Nominator: Ben Giese, Dairy Account Manager & Consultant
Gold: Ruedinger Farm, Wisconsin
GENEX Nominator: Dr. Kim Egan, Director of Strategic Accounts
Award Category: 2,000+ Dairy Cows
Platinum: Pleasantview Farm, Pennsylvania
GENEX Nominator: Ben Giese, Dairy Account Manager & Consultant
Gold: High Noon, Texas
GENEX Nominator: Dr. Kim Egan, Director of Strategic Accounts
Award Category: Heifers
Platinum: J Minns Farm LLC
GENEX Nominator: Tim Mullens, Dairy Account Manager & Consultant
Gold: Pleasantview Farm, New York
GENEX Nominator: Ben Giese, Dairy Account Manager & Consultant
Award Category: International
Platinum: Kilachevskiy Agricultural Production Cooperative, Russia
GENEX Nominator: Andrey Andreev with Dairy Company Genetics
Gold: Rozhdesvo, LLC, Russia
GENEX Nominator: Anna Zelenina with Dairy Company Genetics
Watch as GENEX CEO Huub te Plate and Kyle Westaby, GENEX Area Sales Manager, announce the winners and share what drives excellence in genetics and reproductive management in dairy cattle for these herds.
