Casual Farm Hand - Bacchus Marsh

Applications are invited for the position of Casual Farm Hand on our Parwan Park property in Bacchus Marsh. The position involves bull handling, feeding, animal husbandry and semen collection as well as general farming duties.

For a position description please contact Karen Davies on 5367 3888 or email kdavies@genaust.com.au.

Vale Christmas

“CHRISTMAS was the right bull at the right time” explains Breeding and Genetics Manager, Peter Thurn. “At a time when we have so many bulls with negative ratings for strength trait, CHRISTMAS was there to provide the balance many breeders were looking for”

Bred by Bryan and Jo Dickson of Terang, CHRISTMAS has built a solid reputation as a premier transmitter of production and strength.

Dairy’s “green cow” and the licence to operate

Health and animal welfare traits will underpin the “2030” green cow, according to the Genetics Australia chief executive Anthony Shelly.

With a focus on breeding for these traits, as well as decreasing a cow’s environmental “foot-print” providing the key the livestock industry’s future.

“The community will grant us a social licence with a particular focus on animal welfare and we will need to demonstrate our commitment to these issues,” Mr Shelly told the 2020 Genetics Australia Online Conference.

Gains for humans, cows, and the environment: breeding the socially acceptable cow

Dairy cows could be genetically selected to produce “niche” milk to improve human health, including a component that provides some benefits of human breast milk.

Agriculture Victoria principal research scientist Professor Jennie Pryce said there was “great science” behind the opportunity to breed cows to produce human milk oligosaccharides.

When the heat is on, there’s less pregnancy loss

Establishing the level of estrus activity at joining could help lift fertility and – most importantly – decrease the rate of pregnancy loss.

Texas A&M University Department of Animal Science assistant professor Ky Pohler told the 2020 Genetics Australia online conference that late embryonic or early fetal loss – about day 45 to 60 – was extremely costly for beef and dairy producers.