Tune in to Episode 80 of Talking Dairy, where DairyNZ Senior Scientist Dawn Dalley shares 15 years of research and practical tips to help you manage and ensure your cows thrive during the challenging winter months.

Breeding Worth (BW) is an index that ranks cows and bulls on their ability to breed profitable, efficient replacements. This page explains how BW is used to create herds resilient to changes and disease, therefore increasing farm profits.

A breeding value is an estimate of an animal's genetic merit for a particular trait. Using breeding values to select cows and bulls to be the parents of the next generation is the most effective way to achieve genetic improvement.

The page tracks genetic trends in the national herd, noting improvements in economically important traits.

Cow performance measurement lets you identify the most and least productive cows in your herd.

Effective cow data recording and performance measurement on your farm can make the difference in breeding decisions.

Scientist

Foot and mouth disease (FMD) is a major biosecurity threat to New Zealand. If found here, it would have a significant ongoing impact on our agriculture, trade, export and related sectors. Get the latest advice on protecting your herd from FMD.