Step 2: Set Breeding Goals & Index

Set Breeding Goals & Index is the second step of the planning process and allows you to generate a custom index to establish priorities and goals for the next generation of animals in the herd. Breeding goals in Alta BLUE LINK are based on industry-standard indexes, which assign weights to three major categories: Production, Health, and Conformation.

Production Traits

Health Traits

Conformation Traits

Milk (Lbs)

Productive Life (Months)

Udder Composite (UDC)

Fat (Lbs)

Daughter Pregnancy Rate

Feet and Legs Composite (FLC)

Protein (Lbs)

Somatic Cells

Body Weight Composite (BC)

Sire Calving Ease

Daughter Calving Ease

Sire Stillbirth

Daughter Stillbirth

Cows Conception Rate

Heifers Conception Rate

Livability

Follow the steps below to continue:

1

Based on your conversations with the dairy, start with a Preset index and then make necessary adjustments to customize the index. For example, if the dairy's primary goal is to focus on increasing milk fat and protein without affecting animal conformance, select High Prod No Conformation.

Alta offers four preset indexes: 

  • Balance: 40% Production, 40% Health, 20% Conformation
  • Balance No Conformation: 50% Production, 50% Health, 0% Conformation
  • High Production + Health: 60% Production, 40% Health, 0% Conformation
  • High Production No Conformation: 70% Production, 30% Health, 0% Conformation
NOTE: Alta's indexes are reevaluated and adjusted based on current economic trends and industry standards. As industry indexes are updated, Alta BLUE LINK's presets will likely be adjusted as well.
2

If applicable, make additional adjustments to the major categories, Production, Health, and Conformation, making sure the weights add up to 100%.
3

Adjust specific traits in each profile to meet the plan goals. For example, you may choose to increase the Weight of the Fat trait in the Production Profile.
4

Click Refresh Progeny Projection to update the projected values.
5

View the Current Herd average and Progeny projections for each trait.

  • Current Herd: Average value for this trait for all current animals in the herd, or:

    (sum of all animal values for this trait)/(total number of animals in herd). The source for this information is PULSE.

  • Progeny projection (greatest potential improvement): The highest possible improved value for the next generation of the herd for this trait. This calculation is based on matings with optimal bulls for each specific trait.
6

Hover over the graph for deviation from breed average data details.

Each trait has an average value based on the herd breed. The potential improvement (or deviation) to each trait value is calculated and shown for each of the bull tiers: Silver, Gold, Platinum.
7

Review all weights and verify that the overall and Profile totals are 100% distributed. The Total Weights indicator changes color and calculates any adjustments needed.

NOTE: If the weights are not distributed 100%, the Continue button becomes grayed out and inactive until the weights are adjusted correctly.
8

Click Continue to proceed to Step 3: Choose Your Bulls.
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