STtalks

Happy World Milk Day and Happy June Dairy Month! In this STtalks we celebrate the dairy story, which all starts with one smart decision. One straw, calf, cow, and future. From innovative genetics to healthier, more efficient cows, every breeding decision helps dairy producers create more sustainable, profitable farms while producing one of the world's most complete foods: milk!

Neste episódio do STtalks, você vai conhecer o Super Conventional® da STgenetics, uma nova tecnologia de sêmen otimizado para gênero. Rafael Ribeiro, Gerente da Linha Leite da STgenetics Brasil, apresenta este produto desenvolvido especialmente para inseminação de vacas em lactação, com 75% de pureza de gênero, visando mitigar o nascimento de machos e potencializar os rebanhos leiteiros que ainda não adotaram o uso do sêmen sexado no Brasil. Ouça agora!

Pete Gelber of Barrington Dairy is back with us to share about the proof-of-concept trial he and his STgenetics® representative, Ron Jackson, put together with 460 2-year-old fresh heifers to show the impact of STgenetics® EcoFeed®cow trait. After 4 months, Pete states, “ This EcoFeed® thing is definitely true, according to me. You know, we did this trial…and it's like, holy cow, this is really working, you know? It was pretty obvious. It wasn't like it was a half a pound or a quarter pound. It was substantial.”

“It starts with the feed…but it really helps to be working with good genetics to maximize that,” states James Bailey in this STtalks! James, a co-founder of ProAgtive Dairy Nutrition, joins STgenetics® Eric Zwiefelhofer to share about the on-farm trial they put together at Cottonwood Dairy in South Wayne, Wisconsin, to prove the impact of selecting for STgenetics®’ Eco$ Index. After splitting first lactation heifers into two separate pens based on their Eco$ value, there was an easy difference noticed in the data that supports that good genetics make more efficient, profitable cows.

In this STtalks we learn more about the genetics behind heat-tolerant cattle by diving into the slick gene. The group outlines how slick was introduced into the Holstein breed, and why heat tolerance matters for productivity in tropical and heat-stress regions. They also cover potential benefits for Beef on Dairy calves, recent progress in building higher-merit slick sire lines, and practical implementation using genomic testing, STrategy™, and Chromosomal Mating® to track and increase slick frequency over time.

After the April 2026 genetic evaluations, Canada experienced a rollback and changes to the LPI formula, we visit with Mike Barnum and Maxime Ten-Have to discuss how STgenetics® Canada is prepared to meet producer’s needs and handle industry change and market trends. Focusing on a few sires like BREEZER, RHETT, BECK, MYLO, BEATBOX and more, we dive into some unique offerings from the various portfolios like Eco$ and RCI sires. Additionally, we hear about the success of CAPTAIN daughters in Canada and what his release off the Legend™ program means to Canadian dairy producers.

To every farm mom wearing countless hats behind the scenes, this STtalks is for you. In this special Mother’s Day episode, we celebrate the moms who do it all long before the sun rises; feeding calves, packing lunches, balancing books, driving kids to school and supporting the farm team, while somehow still making home feel warm and cared for!

Let’s take a closer look at STgenetics®’ new laser-measured udder traits that are bringing even greater accuracy to the industry-leading Robotic Cow Index (RCI). Join Kevin Ziemba, Natalia Rodrigues, and Piush Khanal as they discuss these innovative new traits, their heritability, and how this selection can benefit not only robotic milking systems, but dairy operations as a whole. The conversation also dives into labor shortages, the growing need for more precise udder conformation data, and how technology is reshaping genetic selection on today’s dairy farms.

In this STtalks we discuss how the dairy industry defines and breeds for true efficiency beyond simply reducing cow size. Kevin Ziemba, Jocelyn Johnson and David Kendall join us to introduce two new STgenetics® traits; Mature Live Weight (MLW), built from over 1.8 million robot-recorded body weight records from more than 5,000 Holstein cows, and STurdy, an index combining linear type traits with MLW to identify cows that are wider and more robust relative to height and weight, designed to help producers moderate size while maintaining durability and functionality. This STtalks takes a deep dive into the concept of truly STurdy cows and how selection with these two new traits can achieve athletic, durable and profitable herds.

In the final episode of our Journey of Genetics Series, we are joined by Jack Hippen, STgenetics® North American and EU Sales Director, to break down what really happens when a producer buys that final straw and why it matters. From advancing gender-sorted semen performance to packing more female cells per straw, Jack shares how STgenetics® is pushing beyond sorting and driving true genetic progress. He dives into the power of Beef on Dairy as a third revenue stream and how genomics is reshaping herd decisions, boosting production, improving health and longevity and tightening efficiency from the ground up. It’s a fast-paced look at how smarter genetics translates to stronger profitability and a more sustainable future for dairy producers.