The Haggerty dairy combines genomics and robots in Western Australia
Mark and Dorothy Haggerty have operated a commercial dairy business in Capel, in south-west Western Australia, for almost 50 years. Together with their daughter Lisa, son-in-law Jason and seven employees, they milk between 900 and 1,000 Holsteins from a total herd of more than 2,000 animals. Their West and Haggerty herd is ranked in the top 5% nationally on the Balanced Performance Index, or BPI.
The breeding programme uses DataGene’s genetic evaluation services, including the Good Bulls Guide and its mobile filtering application. The Haggertys select for medium-sized Holsteins with strong bone structure, substantial body capacity, sound feet and legs, high milk-solids production and a calm disposition. In the group of animals born in 2023, 89% were sired by bulls listed in the Good Bulls Guide.
Every heifer calf is genomically tested at birth. The resulting information is used to classify females for different breeding pathways: the highest-ranked animals are considered for premium sexed semen, middle-ranked cows can enter beef-on-dairy programmes, and animals with the least desirable genetic profiles are removed from the breeding herd. DataGene leadership said the approach relies on continued use of herd records and reproductive information rather than on individual exceptional sires.
The business also includes a 12,000-hectare wheat and sheep property, bought 19 years ago. That operation supplies grain and fodder reserves for the dairy and reduces its reliance on commercial feed purchases. The wider enterprise therefore combines dairy production with broadacre cropping and sheep farming.
Earlier in 2026, the dairy installed DeLaval automated milking robots. The farm hosted the 2026 Western Dairy Innovation Day after the equipment was introduced. The Haggertys organise calving in four evenly spaced periods during the year, producing a relatively steady milk supply for regional processors and their manufacturing schedules.
The operation’s management system links genetic selection with production records, genomic testing, feed production and automated milking. The stated breeding priorities are functional traits, milk solids, animal temperament and durability. The farm’s technology and breeding practices are used within a commercial herd operating across both pasture-based and confined production settings.
