Enhance the value of your dairy herd

Produce more milk and enhance the value of your dairy herd with a pedigree registered herd.  Pedigree cows are proven to produce more milk which comes from a combination of many factors, not the least being through select breeding from specific animal families and improved genetics. Pedigree animals also consistently sell for a higher price than non-pedigree ones.

When an animal obtains a pedigree registration status, it means the relevant breed society has approved the animal’s purity (ancestry), traceability (unique ear tag number) and its authenticity to be true to the breed.

Registering your dairy herd delivers numerous advantages:

• Full traceability of an animal’s ancestry through multiple generations.
• Pedigree registration enables you to access vital genetic information on each animal e.g. production traits, pedigree index and PLI (Profitable Lifetime Index)
• Verified data to assist with breeding decisions.
• Ability to use other services including type classification to help improve your herd.
• Save time by applying for your cattle passports at the same as submitting the pedigree registration.
• Cost-effective as the value of pedigree easily outweighs the registration fees.
• More marketable progeny.

 

It is a great tool for maintaining animal records, marketing animals and learning about the animal’s potential and current performance. Registration of calves needs to be completed within 45 days of birth; Registration includes a pedigree certificate which provides the breeder with an official ancestry document.

An efficient way to pay to register pedigree female dairy cattle is using the Total Herd Recording Pedigree Package that the Cattle Information Service (CIS) offers.  The package includes female calf registrations, BCMS passport applications along with regular milk recording.

The CIS Complete Pedigree Package offers all the above services with the addition of two inclusive Type Classification visits per year. Both Pedigree Packages are charged as one monthly fee, spreading the costs over a 12-month period. The participating breeds for the Pedigree Packages are Holstein, British Friesian, Ayrshire, Jersey, Guernsey, and Brown Swiss.

A grading up procedure enables herds with non-pedigree animals to start the process of becoming pedigree. This is usually a straightforward process which only takes three generations. All applications must be verified by official records. A Field Officer from the relevant breed society visits the farm and inspects the animals to check their ear tags correspond with their passport and milk record data, and that there is no evidence of cross breeding. In areas of doubt, the animal can be DNA/Genomic tested to establish parentage.

Contact your local CIS Area Manager or call 01923 695219 for further information.

Discover more online: www.thecis.co.uk/services/PedigreePackages

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