Breeding for the next generation

Although just aged 19 and 21, Hollee Vinnicombe and Chloe Cook are managing the co-operator programs on their family farms which are among the first in Victoria to enter the program which fosters a unique global opportunity for Genetics Australia in its joint venture with the URUS group.

The program involves a small group of contracted farms in Victoria where elite embryos are transferred to recipient females.

Females born in the program stay at the co-operator’s farm and once genomically tested elite female offspring are added to future breeding schedules.

The genomic breeding values of all resulting calves are assessed with elite males joining the Genetics Australia’s artificial insemination program for Australian farmers to access.

For Hollee and Chloe, the program is an extra incentive in their burgeoning farming careers.

Hollee returned to the family farm at Calivil in Northern Victoria two years ago to work alongside her parents Dehne and Sarah. She manages young stock and works with Genetics Australia’s co-operator program lead Gerard Brislin across the program.

“Gerard figures out what embryos are available and brings them to us.

“We have an agreement where we keep the heifers except for those with a good BPI which go back to GA and are enrolled in advanced repro programs such as IVF and ET.

“It’s the same with the bulls.”

Hollee said the program was going well.

“We’ve had embryo calves on the ground for about a year now and we’re really happy with them.

“We have two heifers at GA at the moment, one with a really good BPI over 700.

“We’ve also got a bull at GA with a high BPI from the program.”

Chloe farms with her family in the King Valley in north east Victoria where her father Ross owns and operates Country Road Holsteins, Chloe leads the farm’s husbandry, calf rearing and herd management.

“We’re a bit behind Hollee but we’re looking forward to seeing the results.

“In August we transferred some embryos and got 10 confirmed pregnancies which is really exciting.”

Chloe said the family was pleased to be part of the program.

“We’ve always been with Genetics Australia and Gerard spoke with Dad and we were keen to be part of it.”

Both Hollee and Chloe were invited to the GA 2026 Today, Tomorrow and Beyond conference hosted by Genetics Australia (GA) in Geelong on March 17-18.

“It is important for the future of our herd improvement industry that we encourage and develop the next generation to take leadership roles in breeding programs, whether it be at a farm or industry level,” Gerard said.

Both Hollee and Chloe also got to inspect the Genetics Australia and TLG facilities at Bacchus Marsh and Camperdown.

“I’ve been doing AI since I was 16 and really enjoy the genetics side of farming so enjoyed the deep dive into it at the conference,” Chloe said.

Hollee added that it was good to see the bulls they use in person at the GA farms.

Gerard says the Co-operator program is in its early stages and continues to develop nicely in an effort to breed ‘Better Cows for a Better World’.

“It’s not unique to have embryos made in the USA coming to Australia, but what is unique is that we’re sending our local semen to the U.S to Peak Genetics to sire embryos that come back,” Gerard said.

“It’s a unique opportunity to access international cow families with Australian genomic performance breeding values.”

Genetics Australia chose to initially position the collaborative program with the Holstein breed with embryos generated by TransOva Genetics in the U.S, whilst a large cohort of donor females are selected and genotyped from the nucleus breeding program at Peak Genetics.

Gerard says the uptake over time of technologies such as gender sorted semen has meant there are less elite bull calves being offered to A.I companies in Australia in recent years.

“Australian breeders remain an important resource providing genetics for the future, with the program providing a level of core stability and supply for future generations of breeding,” he said.