New Zealand Animal Evaluation Limited (NZAEL) is a wholly-owned subsidiary of DairyNZ. NZAEL manages the National Breeding Objective (NBO) to 'breed dairy cows that are able to efficiently convert feed into profit'.
Breeding Worth (BW) is the index that is used to rank cows and bulls on their expected ability to breed profitable and efficient replacements. It is calculated by combining breeding values with the appropriate economic values.
View the sections below to learn more about BW and its two components: breeding values and economic values.
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Breeding Worth
Breeding Worth (BW) is the index used to rank cows and bulls on their expected ability to breed profitable, efficient replacements.
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Breeding Values
Breeding Values (BV) reflect our knowledge of a cow or bull's genetic merit for a trait.
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Economic Values
Economic values (EV's) are an estimate of the dollar value to a NZ dairy farmer of a unit change in each trait.
Breeding decisions have a permanent and compounding effect on a dairy herd, and making those decisions can be complex. This section offers tools to help you get the most out of your breeding programme.
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Ranking of Active Sires
The RAS list is a ranking by Breeding Worth (BW) of sires nominated by AB companies.
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Bull team builder
This tool makes it easy for you to build the perfect bull team specifically tailored to give your herd the best genetic gains.
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News and updates
In December 2021, NZAEL launched the next round of enhancements to its genetic evaluation system for dairy bulls. This round of improvements, collectively referred to as NZAEL 3.0, includes new data filters and model updates based on research findings and farmer feedback, as well as significant investment in the software and systems used in the evaluation. Find out more on these updates here.
NZAEL 3.0 Queries
Many of the main changes you can expect in the coming months are outlined within these web pages. However, if you have a specific query we are happy to help. Simply email support.nzael@dairynz.co.nz and include an identifier for any animals you’re enquiring about along with your contact details, and your preferred contact method and time(s). We will respond as promptly as possible.
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NZAEL updates
Keep up to date with the latest from NZAEL. You can also sign-up to receive regular emails.
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About NZAEL
The aims of NZAEL, how the team and farmer advisory panel work together, and how to contact us.
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Genetic Improvement FAQs
Answers to your frequently asked questions about genetic improvement.
Pedigree and performance data for every recorded dairy cow across the country is collated in the Dairy Industry Good Animal Database (DIGAD) to deliver quality genetic estimations for dairy sires and cows.
View the sections below to learn more about DIGAD and how to get the most value out of the Animal Evaluation system.
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Animal Database
The Dairy Industry Good Animal Database (DIGAD) holds dairy industry data generated by farmers.
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Interpreting the info
Learn how to get the most value out of the Animal Evaluation tools and information.
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Six steps to a high BW herd
Find out what raising the genetic merit of your herd is worth and how to get there.
