Knowing which cows are the most profitable in your herd is very important, especially during times of high input costs and low margins. AgSource now offers a simple way to determine and rank each cow's ability to pay her way in the herd. Based upon the University of Wisconsin-Extension cow value calculator developed by Dr. Victor Cabrera, Assistant Professor of Dairy Science, University of Wisconsin-Extension, and with his assistance, AgSource has developed the Herd Selection Guide to help producers make better breeding and replacement decisions.

"Making decisions by sifting through cow and herd-based data can become very time consuming. This report will take a large set of variables and combine them into a single dollar value. The Herd Selection Guide is a unbiased decision aid that will speed up the process of making cow-based decisions and will add additional value to your DHI records," according to Robert Fourdraine, AgSource Cooperative Services, Vice President of Product Services and Development.

The Herd Selection Guide combines individual cow DHIA data and producer supplied information to calculate an "Expected Relative Value" for each cow in a herd. This value is the difference between her future economic value and the value of her potential replacement.

Knowing the expected relative value of a cow in the herd is useful for:

1) Selecting animals to be replaced
2) Identifying animals not to breed
3) Selecting top performers for genomic testing

This is a custom report, run upon request. Visit www.agsource.com/HerdSelectionGuide to see a sample report or fill out the online order form. Contact your DHI Field Technician or AgSource Representative or call (800) 236-0097 with questions. More information from UW Extension can be found at http://dairymgt.uwex.edu/tools/cow_replacement/index.php.

AgSource Cooperative Services provides agricultural and environmental laboratory analysis and management information services to clients located throughout the United States and across the globe. AgSource is a member-owned cooperative and a subsidiary of Cooperative Resources International. Find out more at www.AgSource.com.

12.17.2012