Data that is collected across the country is collated to deliver quality genetic estimations for dairy sires and cows.

View the sections below to learn how to get the most value out of the Animal Evaluation system.

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  All About BW

  Breeding Worth (BW) is the index used to rank cows and bulls based on how efficiently they convert feed into profit.

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  Breeding Values

  Breeding Values (BV) are an estimate of a cow or bull's genetic merit for a trait.

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  Economic Values

  The economic values that drive Breeding Worth (BW) have been updated. Find out more about the changes here.

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  Genetic Base Cow

  Breeding Worth (BW) and Breeding Values (BV) are presented as the difference between an animal’s genetic merit and the ‘genetic base cow’. The genetic base is updated every five years to reflect genetic progress.

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  Animal and Herd Averages

  A quick guide about each of the cow indices. Use the information to benchmark individual cows or your herd.

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  Reliability

  For all traits, reliability is measured on scale of 0 to 100%, and indicates the confidence that an animal’s BW or individual breeding values are a measure of their true merit.

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  Genetic Improvement FAQs

  Find the answers to your questions about genetic improvement here.

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  AE Publications

  This section contains publications relevant to animal evaluation including the NZ Dairy Sire Summary, the second edition of Your Index - Your Animal Evaluation System and a quick reference guide for breeding worth.

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  International dairy sires

  Breeding values for international dairy sires are generated by Interbull, an international genetic evaluation organisation.