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Bull genomic testing boom

Aug 18, 2025

The ABS bull Jeronimo is a good example of a bull who found a niche in the Australian production system.

The genomic testing of dairy bulls has increased six-fold (656 per cent) in the past decade, giving farmers more genetics tailored for Australian systems than ever before.

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And it’s not just a total rise in genomic testing that’s helping drive genetic gain in Australian herds — genomics enables global herd improvement companies to search the world for bulls that specifically perform well in our unique local conditions.

Today, a huge proportion of all dairy bulls worldwide are evaluated on DataGene’s genetic evaluation system, led by the Balanced Performance Index (BPI), before they are purchased.

DataGene stakeholder relations specialist Peter Thurn said the increase in bull genomic testing means farmers now have a broader choice when it comes to genetics.

“Thanks to genomics, Australian farmers have access to bulls specifically brought into the country because they are tested to perform in our dairy farming systems,” he said.

“While an increase in choice is always a great thing, more genetics brings additional benefits to the Australian dairy industry such as new bloodlines — more outcross options — and bulls which maximise feed conversion, production, are sustainable, long-lasting and healthy.”

During the past decade, genomics has become the breeding cornerstone of the Australian dairy industry, with the technology now underpinning the marketing of genetics.

At the farm gate, this genetic improvement is reflected in the BPI with the top 10 bulls on the August 2025 Holstein Australian Breeding Values averaging 573 BPI.

That’s almost six times the current average BPI of the top 10 bulls from 10 years ago (110 BPI).

Peter said this improvement is the result of a combination of scientific grunt-work — developing world-leading breeding values — stringent bull screening and an evaluation system which reflects the national breeding objective.

“The fact that many young overseas bulls are evaluated on our system before bull companies decide to buy them is outstanding for a country — and dairy industry — the size of Australia,” he said.

“It’s a reflection of the growing credibility of Australia’s genetic evaluation system and the value placed on some of our cutting-edge breeding values such as the Heat Tolerance ABV.”

Australian farmers can easily identify the bulls that best suit local conditions by selecting those with a ‘Good Bulls’ logo from the DataGene Good Bulls Guide or using the app.

“Using the Good Bulls Guide, farmers can then refine their bull selection based on indices such as the BPI, Health Weighted Index (HWI) or Sustainability Index (SI),” Peter said.

“They can also drill-down into individual Australian Breeding Values to focus on specific traits they want to improve their individual herd.”