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Zoetis WWS
Zoetis

Genomic Testing

Analysing DNA to enhance livestock decision making and profitability in the New Zealand Dairy and Beef space

CLARIFIDE® PLUS

 

DWP®

Everyone has them; families of cows who have performed well on the farm for several generations. They produce a lot, go into heat quickly, and seem to be more disease resistant than their counterparts. Coincidence? No, definitely not, genetics makes a difference here. With the DWP$ index, you raise such cows.

The goal of each producer is ultimately the same everywhere: efficient, productive and typical that stays on the farm for a long time. After management, breeding also plays a very important role.

Worldwide, breeders use the Net Merit $ (NM$) index as an effective tool to decide on a bull selection strategy for their breeding. Alongside the NM$ index, since 2016 there has been the Dairy Wellness Profit Index (DWP$) and the Wellness Traits Index (WT$). These indexes developed by Zoetis are calculated on the basis of nearly 20 million observations regarding the health and fertility of livestock. The data to calculate these indexes comes from data collected on the basis of descendants, genomics and health.

Independent, precise and reliable

To have accurate and reliable results, we must work with independent partners to collect the necessary information. This concerns both the measurement of data and their validation. It is therefore not about indexes which are only based on WWS bulls, but to all the CIAs which can compare their bulls with each other. With this information, a predictive genomic index was created on 11 conditions having a major impact on cow longevity.

These 11 elements are:

  • Mastitis

  • Lameness

  • Metrites

  • Retained placenta

  • Ketosis

  • Displacements of abomasum

  • Abortions

  • Propensity for twins

  • Ovarian cysts

  • Milk fever

  • Respiratory diseases of cows

In the following table, you will find the importance given in percentage to each element in the calculation of the DWP$

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

WT$: Production, Health and Fertility

The WT$ index emphasizes these 11 welfare data and therefore gives a reliable tool for the longevity and profitability of daughters of WWS bulls. In the DWP$ index, the following characteristics are added to the WT$ index: production, fertility, longevity and calving ease. This gives the DWP$ index a total index where crucial traits for you breeders are listed. It's no wonder that more and more breeders around the world are looking to this index to select the best bulls. for the purpose of sustainable selection.

To get the maximum yield from your breeding, the DWP$ is therefore the perfect index. You not only select bulls on production, but you select directly on cow and calf health, fertility and a functional type. The DWP$ top list gives you a list of bulls that will give breeders great satisfaction because they will bring you robust, powerful, fertile and very healthy cows with whom you can work for years with pleasure and experience.  This top list proves that a selection on DWP$ is the best way to have an efficient, profitable and sustainable breeding. Ask your WWS representative about the advantages of DWP$ for your breeding.

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