BREEDING MATTERS - Future-proofing the Modern Dairy Farm
Date Posted: 3rd June 2026
If breeding is about one thing, it is about the FUTURE. We can look back at past breeding decisions and think ‘what if’, but, armed with the mass of genetic information available today, we can now determine and select for what will definitely ‘be’.
Genetics is and always will be the unwavering driver for profitable dairy farming. Forty years ago, breeding decisions were based on milk yield. Most Northern Ireland herds were run on the traditional ‘summer/grazing’ and ‘winter/silage’ basis, and annual yields of 5000-6000 litres were the norm. Yields have practically doubled since then and most dairy farmers are now fairly satisfied with the level of production that their system can deliver.
But modern dairy genetic selection is about much more than milk yield. The past 20 years or so have, wisely, seen much more focus on selecting bulls for butterfat and protein percentage improvement, but the potential for genetic improvement goes way beyond that vital factor.
Today’s breeding choices are focussed on breeding fertile cows which are durable, low-maintenance, healthy, and efficient converters of feed to milk solids.
What’s more, genetic selection has an important role to play in enhancing resistance to disease, such as bovine TB, and environmental sustainability. Recent research shows that an animal’s genetic make-up plays a key role in regulating methane output, controlling urinary nitrogen levels and phosphorus excretion rates.
That all sounds like a big ask but it is achievable because that is what genetics and sound breeding choices can deliver. Genomics can now enable the identification of all these traits in young bulls from a very early age: the sires are there, and the choice is there.
The availability of sexed semen has been another gamechanger for dairy farmers. At our new EU-approved bull stud at Ballycraigy, we see a steady growth in demand for this product and its use is accelerating genetic gain in Ireland’s dairy herd as farmers can now opt to breed replacements from their best cows. It is also improving dairy-beef as the lower end of the herd is put to a beef bull.
But that begs the question: “Which are my best cows?” I would urge farmer support for the work being carried out by Sustainable Ruminant Genetics. This organisation wants to have every bovine female genotyped to predict their genetic potential for traits like milk yield and quality, disease resistance and feed efficiency. This will deliver healthier animals, more efficient production systems and greater resilience for farm businesses. The more genetic information we have, the better informed our breeding decisions will be.
Modern, efficient, sustainable dairy farming is totally underpinned by genetics. It is cumulative and permanent. It’s like building a brick wall over years – each layer supports the next and the wall gets higher and higher. Let’s keep building!
