Photo by Blodgett Communications
News & Events

News & Events

CDCB delivers the latest news on genetic improvement, research and U.S. evaluations through its monthly newsletter, dairy media, and events.

News

Genetic news and research updates are published in dairy media and the monthly CDCB Connection.

Learn More

CDCB Events

CDCB hosts online and in-person events for U.S. producers, industry representatives and researchers.

Learn More

Industry Events

CDCB and USDA AGIL scientists frequently present at U.S. and global venues.

Learn More
Producer panel discussion on using cow data for progress on and off the farm during 2024 CDCB Industry Meeting

2024 CDCB Industry Meeting

October 2, 2024, 8:00 – 11:30 AM

CDCB hosted its 10th annual Industry Meeting on October 2, 2024, in Madison, Wis. At World Dairy Expo, 155 dairy producers and industry representatives filled the seats in The Tanbark. Another 266 viewers joined the live stream, which has had 200 additional views within a week post-meeting.
 
The Integrated Value of the U.S. Genetic Evaluation System was the event theme, celebrating the century-long partnership of dairy producers and many organizations that collect and transmit cow data into the National Cooperator Database that fuels U.S. genetic evaluations.”

View presentations and photos

Featured News

Read the latest news on CDCB genetic evaluations, research, and highlights.

See All Posts
CDCB Producer Exchange Connects the Industry

On the eve of the April 2025 triannual evaluations, CDCB held its first Producer Exchange in Reno, Nev., in conjunction with the Western Dairy Management Conference. The event brought together dairy farmers, scientists, and industry collaborators to discuss the role genetics plays in a profitable farm operation — plus how new traits and research will continue to benefit producers.

Read More
What Role Does Inbreeding Play in Genetic Base Changes?

Genetic base changes include both corrections for observed genetic trends in the population and adjustments to account for future inbreeding. After the April 2025 base change, observed changes in Predicted Transmitting Abilities (PTAs) for individual animals may not match the base change values as closely as they have in the past. This is not due to any errors in the evaluation. It reflects Expected Future Inbreeding (EFI) changes in the population that are larger than they’ve been in the past.

Read More
CDCB Evaluation Changes: April 2025

Updates for the April 1, 2025, CDCB evaluations include the every-five-year base change, revision to the merit indexes, Breed Base Representation (BBR) reference population update and normalization of type trait reliability calculations in non-Holstein breeds.

Read More

CDCB In The News

CDCB appreciates the media who share genetic news with the dairy community.

See All Posts
Health Traits Updated, Reflecting Data Surge

The most significant change for the April 2024 triannual evaluations is an adjustment in the trait model for six CDCB health evaluations – resistance to milk fever, displaced abomasum, ketosis, mastitis, metritis, and retained placenta.

Read More
Dairy Cattle Genomics is Quietly Improving Sustainability

As food producers, processors, marketers, distributors, and consumers look to effectively manage their environmental footprint and social impact, sustainability of the dairy industry is under examination. But dairy has a largely untold portion of that story: genomics.

Read More
How does a dairy bull get a U.S. genomic evaluation?

Genomic evaluations become increasingly useful when planning your future herd. Collaborating industry partners make these evaluations possible.

Read More
Genetic Selection is Key to Dairy Sustainability

How precisely do genetics impact sustainability – both now and into the future?

Read More
How do genetics impact sustainability goals?

The U.S. dairy community has rallied around a public commitment to achieve carbon neutrality, optimize water usage, and improve water quality by 2050 — supporting global sustainability initiatives and customer expectations.

Read More
Genomic Selection in U.S. Dairy Cattle

The genomic selection program for dairy cattle in the United States has doubled the rate of genetic gain.

Read More
Health traits expand in August evaluations

The official August genetic proofs are officially available.

Read More
Statistical Methods Revisited for Estimating Daily Milk Yields: How Well do They Work?

Cost-effective milking plans have been adapted to supplement the standard supervised twice-daily monthly testing scheme since the 1960s.

Read More