logo
Apps

More farmers listened to this episode in 2025 than any other. Tune in to find out why it was so popular...

What does it take to build a top herd? South Taranaki farmers Donovan Croot and Sophie Cookson started strong with a high Breeding Worth (BW) herd. But reaching the top 1% for BW in the country? That took smart decisions and a clear plan to drive genetic gain.

Listen on:

In this episode, Donovan and Sophie share how they've achieved their results and the highlights from the joint DairyNZ and Fonterra event they hosted with DairyNZ area manager Talissa Squire.

Did you know?

More Progressing Dairy events on improving genetic gain are coming in 2026. Find one near you.

Get the tools and resources mentioned in this episode:

Links mentioned in this episode

For more information about this research and other sources mentioned in this episode, follow the links below:

Breeding Worth

/animal/breeding-decisions/breeding-worth/

Animal Herd Averages

/resources/tools/animal-herd-averages/

Bull Search

/resources/tools/bull-search/

Bull Team

/resources/tools/bull-team/

Ranking of Active Sires

/resources/tools/ranking-of-active-sires/

InCalf reproduction gap calculator

/resources/tools/incalf-reproduction-gap-calculator/
Tags related to “Best of 2025: Building a high BW herd - one decision at a time”