The sole purpose of any breeding program is to generate
income for the dairy enterprise. If you do not sell cattle, or
just sell an occasional heifer, then the cosmetic traits should
immediately be de-emphasized. The estimation of cosmetic
traits or type traits are subject to considerably more human
error than are production traits. Progress in type traits is less
likely to be made, and if progress is made, it will be slower
than for the production traits.
If a producer wishes to include non-production traits in
a breeding program, they should be added in a way that does
not seriously jeopardize the emphasis placed on the production traits. Selection should first be placed on the production
traits. Then, mating of individual cows can be based on the
non-production traits of those sires of interest. If you initially
select sires on non-production traits, it can seriously affect
income because of decreased production. Always select on
the traits that generate the most income.
Every producer should make a list of income-generating
traits yearly so that each trait’s true value in the breeding program can be objectively evaluated. The failure to justify your
selection goals based on income can jeopardize the financial
future of your dairy enterprise. One fact soon learned from
this exercise is that great emphasis should be placed on the
production traits. Over 95 percent of dairy producers will come
to the conclusion that selecting solely on the production traits
will maximize income.