VikingGenetics Australia

20/06/2026

What’s next for polled Holsteins?

In the latest article from Holstein International, Hanna Driscoll, Product Manager for VikingHolstein, and Lars Nielsen, Chief Breeding Officer at VikingGenetics, explain how VikingGenetics is working with sire selection and breeding strategy.

Read the article:

In Denmark, organic dairy farmers have agreed to no longer dehorn calves as of 2031. For that reason, VikingGenetics is expanding the portion of polled sires. ‘In 2030, we will continually have semen from 20 to 25 polled Holstein sires available,’ explain Hanna Driscoll and Lars Nielsen on behal...

19/06/2026

Strong udder health = fewer mastitis treatments 🐄🦠 Mastitis remains one of the main reasons for antibiotic use in dairy herds — making udder health a key breeding trait.

The Udder Health Index is based on real clinical mastitis records, somatic cell counts, and udder conformation. Unlike SCC alone, it uses veterinary-verified disease cases, giving a more accurate measure of true mastitis resistance.

This matters because SCC and clinical mastitis are only moderately correlated (~0.6), meaning SCC alone cannot fully predict resistance to mastitis.

With ~90% of cows covered by health recording in the Nordics, breeding values are highly reliable.

📈 Key genetic links:
+38% longevity
+29% general health
+17% fertility

Better udder health means fewer infections, fewer treatments, and healthier cows overall.

Explore how Nordic breeding reduces treatments – read the full article 👉 https://eu1.hubs.ly/H0vR6600

18/06/2026

#4 CROSSBREEDING

✨ Die magische Zutat in der Kreuzung
VikingRed ist die magische Zutat in der Kreuzung — und liefert anpassungsfähige Kühe, die sich unter verschiedenen Produktionsbedingungen selbst versorgen. VikingRed-Kühe bieten eine langanhaltende Produktivität mit geringeren Gesamtkosten, die alles abdecken — vom Futter und der tierärztlichen Versorgung bis hin zu Arbeitsstunden und Herdenersatz.

💪 Von Natur aus widerstandsfähig benötigen sie nur einen minimalen Einsatz von Antibiotika. Mit einer einzigartigen Kombination aus robuster Gesundheit, zuverlässiger Fruchtbarkeit, großem Überlebensvermögen sowie hohem Fleisch- und Milchwert liefert VikingRed Profit für Ihre Herde.

18/06/2026

#4 CROSSBREEDING

✨ The magical ingredient in crossbreeding
VikingRed is the magical ingredient in crossbreeding — delivering adaptable cows that take care of themselves in various production conditions. VikingRed cows offer long-lasting productivity with lower overall costs, spanning everything — from feed and veterinary care to labor hours and herd replacement.
💪 Naturally resilient, they require minimal use of antibiotics. With a unique combination of robust health, reliable fertility, great survivability, and high meat and milk value, VikingRed delivers profit to your herd.

17/06/2026

Positivity Leads the Way on a Dairy Farm in Finland 🐄💰

Brothers Pauli and Iivari Pirttimaa run a modern, fast-developing dairy farm built on optimism, efficiency, and strong cow focus. Since the generational change in 2020, they’ve invested in a new free-stall barn and expanded to 204 stalls.

Milking is fully robotic with three Lely A5 milking robot units, supported by smart feed management using a Lely Juno. Cows visit the robots on average 3.4 times per day, showing strong adaptation and motivation.

The herd — about 166 cows with ~80% VikingRed and 20% VikingHolstein — achieves over 14,500 kg ECM (Energy Corrected Milk, adjusted to 4.2% fat, 3.4% protein), placing the farm among Finland’s top performers. In 2024, it ranked in the top 3 for ECM nationally.

With clear responsibilities, genomic testing, and a strong focus on milk yield and balanced breeding, the farm continues to develop steadily — driven by positivity and forward thinking 🐄✨

Read the full story online: https://eu1.hubs.ly/H0v8mYy0

15/06/2026

Generally speaking, digestive and metabolic disorders are important as they increase the risk of individual cows not being able to be started with insemination after calving and prolong the time from calving to first insemination. In the case of certain illnesses such as ketosis, calving fever and digestive disorders, the risk of not being impregnated on first insemination is increased.

Most disorders are due to several factors at both herd and individual animal level. Some risk factors are common to several illnesses, and if a cow has had one of the disorders, she will also be at an increased risk of contracting one of the others.

Focus on:
🔶 Body condition management
🔶 Dry cow/calf heifer management
🔶 New calf management
🔶 Feed and feed management

Learn more: https://eu1.hubs.ly/H0vyxl80

15/06/2026

VikingBeef - Profit from every cow 💰🐄

VikingBeef bulls are specifically bred for the beef-on-dairy segment, where easy calvings are the number one priority.

Our sires give higher profitability to dairy herds delivering calves with higher growth rates and better meat quality 🥩✔️

VikingBeef sires provide…

🧬 Easy calvings - Optimal calving performance when used on dairy cows
🥩 High production - Increased daily gain and superior carcass value
💚 Healthy calves - Strong, vigorous calves with high survivability
📊 Reliable data - Progeny-tested on dairy cows with high reliability

Learn more about VikingBeef: https://eu1.hubs.ly/H0w4FMQ0

13/06/2026

𝗦𝗲𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗱'𝘀 𝗳𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲

Are you looking for a 𝗵𝗶𝗴𝗵-𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝘅𝗲𝗱 𝘀𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻 that delivers consistent results every time? Each X-Vik™ dose is 𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗹𝗼𝗿-𝗺𝗮𝗱𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗱𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗯𝘂𝗹𝗹’𝘀 𝘀𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻 𝗾𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 to produce optimal results.

We track everything from production to sorting, insemination, and the actual reproduction performance in the field. We follow the performance of every bull closely and adjust whenever needed.

See our selection of VikingJersey sires available in X-Vik™: https://eu1.hubs.ly/H0vyCHl0

Download our sexed semen strategy guide: https://eu1.hubs.ly/H0vyB-B0

12/06/2026

🌍 What surprises international farmers when they visit the Nordics? 🇩🇰🇸🇪🇫🇮

According to VikingGenetics Chief Sales Officer Henrik Soussi, many are amazed by the precision of Nordic data collection and how real-life farm observations drive breeding decisions.

“The real-life data flows into one shared, centralised database, giving us highly reliable breeding values that keep us at the forefront of dairy genetics. It is your daily work as farmers that creates world‑leading genetics. And that is something we all can be genuinely proud of,” – says Henrik.

This unique combination of farmer collaboration, independent verification, and data-driven breeding is helping VikingGenetics deliver world-leading dairy genetics across more than 50 countries.

Read the full interview to learn how Nordic genetics are making an impact across global markets: https://eu1.hubs.ly/H0vjpcJ0

11/06/2026

Genetics reduces antibiotic use in dairy herds 🐄🧬 Healthier cows need fewer treatments — and genetics is a key driver.
In Denmark, Sweden, and Finland, antibiotic use in dairy production is among the lowest in Europe. This is not only regulation — it’s decades of selecting cows with stronger disease resistance and better overall health.

When cows stay healthy, treatment needs drop naturally.

🐄 Fewer diseases
💉 Fewer antibiotics
📈 More resilient herds

Genetics turns prevention into a permanent improvement across generations.

See how genetics drives herd health in the full article 👉 https://eu1.hubs.ly/H0vR7Kx0