CDCB’s sensor-based milking speed trait and calf health genetics debut August 2025-revolutionizing dairy efficiency and herd resilience. Data drives progress.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: The Council on Dairy Cattle Breeding (CDCB) is set to launch groundbreaking genetic tools in August 2025, including a sensor-derived Milking Speed (MSPD) trait for Holsteins to optimize parlor efficiency and new evaluations for calf diarrhea and respiratory disease resistance. Unlike traditional subjective scoring, MSPD uses in-line sensor data to calculate pounds of milk per minute, benchmarked against a 7 lbs/min average. Concurrently, calf health traits depend on producer-submitted data to the National Cooperator Database, underscoring the industry’s role in genetic progress. A delayed base change for calving traits ensures accuracy amid methodological refinements. These advancements promise reduced labor costs, healthier herds, and data-driven breeding strategies-if producers prioritize robust data flow.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• Revolutionize milking efficiency: Sensor-based MSPD for Holsteins (August 2025) replaces subjective scores with objective lbs/min metrics, boosting parlor throughput.
• Calf health genetics hinge on data: Resistance traits for diarrhea/respiratory diseases require consistent producer reporting via Format 6 to refine PTAs.
• Calving trait recalibration delayed: Base changes for ease/stillbirth traits postponed to August 2025 to resolve calculation anomalies.
• National Cooperator Database critical: Sensor data pipelines and health records fuel innovation-producers must validate data submission.
• Balance selection strategies: MSPD’s efficiency gains must align with udder health and longevity traits to avoid trade-offs.

The dairy industry is on the cusp of a significant advancement in genetic selection with CDCB’s upcoming release of a revolutionary Milking Speed (MSPD) trait for Holsteins. This first-ever sensor-based milking efficiency trait will transform how we select for parlor performance, potentially saving producers countless labor hours and boosting operational efficiency nationwide.

The Evolution of Milking Speed Selection

The Council on Dairy Cattle Breeding (CDCB) has received board approval for a new data flow that brings us one step closer to the anticipated August release of Milking Speed (MSPD) for Holsteins. This isn’t just another trait- it represents a fundamental shift in measuring and selecting for parlor efficiency.

Unlike the existing Milking Speed (MSP) trait currently available for Brown Swiss and Milking Shorthorn breeds, this new Holstein-specific trait doesn’t rely on subjective scores collected during classification. Instead, it harnesses objective data from in-line sensors that measure milk flow during regular milking operations.

This objective approach eliminates human bias and provides a precise measurement that directly relates to parlor throughput. The trait will be expressed as Predicted Transmitting Abilities (PTAs), representing the average pounds of milk per minute a bull’s offspring is estimated to produce, benchmarked against the Holstein average of 7 pounds per minute.

Why Data Flow Matters

As with any breakthrough genetic evaluation, CDCB emphasizes that this timeline remains tentative until they confirm that new data is flowing properly into the National Cooperator Database. Before official release, the trait must also pass rigorous review by the Dairy Evaluation Review Team and the Genetic Evaluation Methods Committee.

This cautious approach highlights the critical importance of data infrastructure in modern genetic evaluation. Without robust, reliable data pipelines connecting farm management systems, milking equipment, and the national database, even the most sophisticated statistical models can’t deliver accurate genetic predictions.

What This Means for Your Operation

The introduction of MSPD creates new opportunities for operational efficiency that directly impact your bottom line:

1. Parlor throughput optimization: Select genetics that allow you to milk more cows per hour without adding equipment or labor.
2. Labor efficiency: Faster-milking cows mean less time in the parlor, potentially reducing labor costs or allowing reallocation of labor to other high-value tasks.
3. Equipment utilization: Maximize the investment return on your milking equipment by moving more milk through the same system.
4. Improved cow comfort: Less time spent standing on concrete in holding areas and parlors can benefit hoof health and overall cow comfort.

For a 1,000-cow dairy milking three times daily, even a modest 30-second reduction in average milking time could save 25 labor hours per week. At $15 per hour, that’s $19,500 in annual labor savings alone, not counting the additional milk that could be harvested by increasing parlor capacity.

From Calf Health to Base Changes: Other CDCB Updates

While the MSPD trait is grabbing headlines, CDCB also provided essential updates on two other genetic evaluation initiatives:

Calf Health Traits in Development

CDCB calls on producers to ensure calf health data flows into the National Cooperator Database. This data is vital for continuing progress toward publishing genetic evaluations for resistance to diarrhea and respiratory disease in calves.

These diseases account for most pre-weaning health challenges and represent significant economic losses through treatment costs, reduced growth rates, and mortality. Developing selection tools for these traits could substantially improve calf survival rates and reduce antibiotic use, which would be a win-win for both profitability and sustainability.

Calving Trait Base Update Coming

As previously announced, August will bring a base change for key calving traits: Sire Calving Ease, Daughter Calving Ease, Sire Stillbirth, and Daughter Stillbirth. This update will recalibrate these evaluations against a more current reference population, ensuring the PTAs accurately reflect genetic progress in the breed.

While most traits received their five-year base update in April 2025, these calving traits required additional analysis time. This change will ensure that selection decisions for calving traits are made using the most current genetic comparisons.

The Bottom Line

The upcoming release of sensor-based Milking Speed evaluations represents the kind of innovation progressive dairy producers need- traits that directly impact operational efficiency and profitability. By transforming everyday milking data into selection tools, CDCB is helping producers breed cows that work better in modern dairy systems.

As we await the August release, now is the time to:

1. Check that you’re in-line sensor data is being properly captured and submitted to your dairy records processing center
2. Review your current herd’s milking speed distribution to identify problem areas
3. Consider how you might adjust your breeding program to incorporate this new trait
4. Ensure your calf health records are being properly recorded and submitted to support the development of those valuable traits

The dairy industry continues evolving toward data-driven selection for functional traits that improve operational efficiency. Those who capitalize on these new tools will gain competitive advantages through reduced labor costs and enhanced parlor performance, benefits that will compound with each generation of genetically improved animals.

Learn more:

• 2025 U.S. Genetic Base Change: Final Values and Strategic Implications
• Advances in Genetic Technology Shaping the Future of Dairy Farming
• How to Understand Bull Proofs

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