A Virginia Tech analysis of 2,400+ genomic-tested Holstein bulls found the average daughter-proof came in $72 lower in Net Merit than the genomic prediction they were already sold on.

Three years of waiting on a proof — and the headline news was a markdown. The Bullvine Podcast breaks down the real cost of holding bulls to a daughter-proof, why genomics nearly doubled genetic gain by cutting the wait rather than sharpening the prediction, and what it means for your next mating run. The semen sells the whole time the bull stands. So what does the wait actually buy?

What You'll Learn

Why a daughter-proof averaged $72 below the genomic figure bulls were sold on
How genomics moved Net Merit gain from ~$40 to ~$85 a year — by halving generation interval
When ~80% genomic reliability beats a 99% proven bull a generation behind
Why A2A2, kappa-casein BB, and polled read at ~99–100% off the DNA — no proof needed
What 9.99% Holstein inbreeding costs: ~40 lbs of milk per cow per 1%
Whether you're still breeding to a bull that died in 2008

Holding a bull to proof runs roughly $36,000 in maintenance over ~1,200 days — overhead on top of the semen he's already selling. The proof, on average, regresses him toward the mean and can dock his value just as his daughters arrive. For studs and breeders alike, the question isn't whether genomics works — it's who pays to keep waiting on a number the DNA already gave you.

Listen & Connect Full article and sources:https://www.thebullvine.com/genetics-breeding/the-proof-you-waited-three-years-for-averaged-a-72-markdown/ Subscribe for straight-talking dairy analysis. Share this with a producer who needs it.