Episode
E604 The 9.99% Holstein Inbreeding Bill: Are You Breeding for Profit or Just Index Points?
- Podcast
- The Bullvine Daily Brief
- Published
- Jul 3, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 1515
- Processing state
not_requested- Canonical source
- https://rss.com/podcasts/the-bullvine/2961902
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Summary
Holstein inbreeding just hit 9.99% in Canadian 2024 heifers — the highest of any major breed — and it's costing up to $44 per cow for every 1% rise. That number lands on every camp at once. The show breeder, the Net Merit devotee, the top-of-the-list herd — all pulling from the same narrowing bull pool. This episode of The Bullvine Podcast breaks down why TPI now weights protein at 24% while Net Merit pushes fat to 31.8%, and how a 72-cow Saskatchewan tie-stall herd bred two World Dairy Expo Grand Champions by ignoring the index list everyone else chases. What You'll Learn Why 9.99% inbreeding quietly bleeds ~$35,000 across a 200-cow herd How TPI and Net Merit now pull in opposite directions on fat vs protein What HAUSA's new 60-inch stature penalty means for tall, extreme cows Why "just use the index" optimizes for someone else's barn, not yours The 30-day move: match your index to your actual milk cheque How Lovhill bred champions from a broader gene pool, not a genomic list The Virginia Tech baseline pegged inbreeding at $22–$24 per cow per 1% in 1999 dollars — closer to $44 today. Canadian data shows a 10%-inbred cow, versus 5%, loses ~92 kg milk per lactation, adds days open, and drops ~65 days of productive life. It never shows up on a semen invoice. It hides in open days, mastitis, and dead calves — and CDCB is already discounting for it with Expected Future Inbreeding adjustments. Full article and sources: https://www.thebullvine.com/genetics-breeding/holstein-inbreeding-999-profit-index/ Subscribe for straight-talking dairy analysis. Share this with a producer who needs it.