Lifetime Net Merit is a new economic index that USDA-AIPL will be publishing with the August 2000 Genetic Evaluations. Genetic improvement would be more accurate if ALL traits of economic value were included in a selection index.
Research data are available to assist with assigning values to the various traits.
Previously, type traits were only used for Holstein bulls through correlations with productive life. The new calculations are based on incomes and expenses that occur each lactation, then multiplied by the cow's expected number of lactations. The addition of new traits has adjusted the relative value of each trait. Below is the value of each component. There are additional costs associated with increased production that will be factored into the net profit from production.