Australian West & Haggerty Farm Ranks Among the Top 5% for Herd Genetic Merit
The farm, located near Capel, is operated by Mark and Dorothy Haggerty together with their daughter Lisa, her husband Jason, and seven employees. The business milks between 900 and 1,000 Holstein cows. The total herd, including dry cows and young stock, exceeds 2,000 head.
Since 2018, the West & Haggerty Holstein herd has consistently ranked among the top 10% of Australian herds for BPI and is currently in the top 5%. The index incorporates economically significant traits, including milk and milk solids production, productive life, conformation, udder traits, milking speed, temperament, somatic cell count, fertility, and feed efficiency.
The farm aims to breed medium-sized cows with strong bone structure, good body capacity, sound feet and legs, and high fat and protein production. A calm temperament is also one of its priority traits.
The farmers use DataGene’s Good Bulls Guide and Good Bulls App to select sires. According to the herd’s genetic progress report, 89% of cows born in 2023 were sired by bulls that met the Good Bulls program criteria. The sires used during the past two years have high BPI values and are above average for fat and protein production, temperament, and feet and legs.
All female calves on the farm undergo genomic testing at birth. The resulting data are used to cull animals with low genetic potential, select cows for mating with beef bulls, and identify the best cows and heifers for sexed semen.
DataGene CEO Dr Emily Piper attributed West & Haggerty’s results to the consistent application of a single breeding strategy over many years. According to her, the key factors were bull selection, genomic testing, female selection, and accurate herd and reproductive record-keeping.
Calving on the farm is divided into four evenly distributed periods throughout the year. This allows the business to maintain a consistent supply of fresh milk in line with its processor’s requirements. In 2026, the farm also began using a DeLaval robotic milking system.
The family business has been involved in dairy farming for almost 50 years. Nineteen years ago, the farm acquired a 12,000-hectare property to grow grain, produce fodder, and raise sheep.
