Holstein Canada Sees Growth in Animal Registrations

Jan 18, 2013

Holstein Canada reports that its members have reached a record high for animal registrations.

The organization has completed 280,652 registrations for new Holstein calves in 2012, which is up 3.3% from 2011. Not only have registration numbers grown, but the number of electronic registration numbers has also risen, which now represent 86% of the total.

It’s been found that registered Holsteins bring an average market premium of $397 compared to grade animals. The trend seems to be that dairy producers are seeing the value of registering, because they are seeing a return on their investment. Registering an animal can also provide additional information to keep track of genetic information, which can aid management - leading to better milk production and longevity.

The Holstein breed represents 94% of the total Canadian dairy herd. The remaining 7% is a mixture of other dairy breeds, such as Jersey, Gurnsey, Ayrshire and Brown Swiss among others.

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.