Selection indexes such as Net Merit $ (NM$) are critical

components of any selection strategies to provide a

path for dairy producers to rank and select animals for

comprehensive genetic improvement across a host of

traits. Once traits are chosen and weighted based on

economic importance in an index, producers can rank

animals according to the index value and make specific

management and breeding decisions that impact future

herd health and performance and profitability.

CLARIFIDE Plus is a first-of-its-kind genomic test that

delivers information on six wellness traits—mastitis,

lameness, metritis, retained placenta, displaced abomasum

and ketosis—previously unavailable to dairy producers

in one comprehensive offering. Zoetis developed the

Wellness Trait Index (WT$) and Dairy Wellness Profit

Index (DWP$) to provide the appropriate weighting and

economic relevance to these trait predictions while helping

dairy producers utilize these new wellness traits in effective

genomic herd strategies (and protocols).

INSIDE WT$ AND DWP$

WT$ is made up of the six new wellness traits and the

economic impact of each trait on expected profitability

outcomes. Chart 1 depicts the traits included in WT$ and

the associated weighting.

Chart 1: WT$ Relative Value (%)

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• CLARIFIDE® Plus is the first to deliver genomic wellness trait information in one

comprehensive package.

• Wellness Trait Index™ (WT$™) places economic weights on wellness traits, directly

estimating potential profit contribution of these traits for an individual animal.

• Dairy Wellness Profit Index™ (DWP$™) includes information provided from WT$

with additional wellness trait information.

• Selection for DWP$ can result in a difference in lifetime profitability of more than

$1,200 between top 10th percentile and bottom 10th percentile of ranked animals.1

CLARIFIDE® PLUS INDEXES PROVIDE POWERFUL SELECTION TOOLS

CLARIFIDE® PLUS

Lameness27%

Mastitis41%

Metritis19%

RP6%

DA6%

Ketosis1%

Like WT$,™ DWP$™ includes wellness traits but also covers

important productivity traits impacting performance and

additional profitability outcomes such as fertility, longevity

and calving ability. The use of DWP$ offers selection

emphasis comparable to other well-known selection

indexes such as Net Merit (NM$) and Total Performance

Index® (TPI). This similarity makes DWP$ a practical

consideration for producers who have historically used

either index, but would like to apply additional selection

emphasis on wellness traits.

An extensive review of peer-reviewed publications

informed the development of both indexes, the weights

and economic inputs. In addition, a team of dairy industry

experts reviewed the DWP$ outcomes and foundational

components. The final product reflects their invaluable

input and knowledge regarding animal breeding and

producer application of genetic technology.

The following chart depicts the general categories included

in DWP$ and the weights included within the index.

Chart 2: DWP$ Relative Value (%)

In addition to wellness traits, CLARIFIDE® Plus includes

direct genetic information for the Polled trait. Results

will indicate animals as either tested homozygous polled,

polled carriers, tested free of polled or indeterminate.

GREATER CLARITY WITH CLARIFIDE PLUS

With DWP$, producers can make strategic decisions

on animals based on wellness outcomes without

compromising selection for production traits that

impact profitability. By combining wellness traits with

traits found in NM$, DWP$ directly estimates the potential

profit contribution that an individual animal will pass,

on average, onto the next generation. The following

charts are a comparison between DWP$ and NM$ and

expected changes when improving each index by one

standard deviation.2

Chart 3: Estimated Genetic Improvement Comparisons

Wellness30%

Production34%

Health &Calving

19%

Fertility7%

Type10%

Fat Protein CalvingAbility $

20

15

10

5

0

16

14

109 8.32 8.4

NM$

DWP$

0

200

300

Milk

100

250

150

50GPT

A U

nit o

f Mea

sure

CLARIFIDE® PLUS

Chart 4: Estimated Genetic Improvement

PL

NM$ DWP$

2.5

2

1.5

1

0.5

0

-0.5

1.7

-0.06

SCS BDC UDC FLC DPR HCR CCR MAST MET RP DA MET LAME

1.7

-0.06 0.01

-0.02 0.250.21

0.180.16

0.6

0.69

0.560.53

0.89

0.94

0.86

2.09

1.64

2.37

-0.01

0.41

1.72

2.05

1.69

2.04

1.04

2.02

Gen

etic

Uni

t of M

easu

re

Through examining the response of selection between DWP$ and NM$ it was found that DWP$

offers largely the same selection response for production traits, but with greater emphasis in wellness traits.

INDEX ACCOUNTS FOR SIGNIFICANT GENETIC VARIATION IN PROFITABILITY, LEADING TO GREATER PROFIT POTENTIAL WITH DWP$

DWP$ describes variation in expected

profitability of dairy animals attributed to

differences in genetic potential for production,

fertility, longevity and risk of disease. The

index differs from other economic indexes by

including direct predictions for health events

that have significant economic implications.

By including more characteristics affecting

profitability, DWP$ describes more genetic

variation in profitability than other indexes.

The more variation present within the

population for an index or trait of interest, the

greater the impact of selection decisions.

10th 30th 50th

Percentile70th 90th

(Top 10th

Percentile)

DWP$ Breeding Value BV = $483

~$256DWP$

~$256DWP$

~$624 DWP$BV di�.

~$624 DWP$BV di�.

$1248 BV di�erence in DWP$

Chart 5 shows the expected difference in lifetime profitability between the top 10th percentile

and bottom 10th percentile animals ranked by DWP$ in a given population is more than $1,200.

For reference, the expected difference in profitability between the top 10th percentile and bottom

10th percentile of animals ranked by NM$ is approximately $990.1

Chart 5: Dairy Wellness Profit Index (DWP$)

CLARIFIDE® PLUS

Chart 6: Increase in Average Lifetime Profitability* The impact of DWP$,™ when used as a primary

ranking tool, has benefits over other ranking

methods that employ NM$. Chart 6 compares the

projected increase in lifetime profitability between

female genetic selection based on NM$ genomic

predictions and DWP$ when selecting the top 85%

of heifers to keep as replacements, compared to

no selection strategy ($0).

The values in the chart represent differences in

selected heifers. Genetic merit will become greater

with subsequent progeny creating additional value

with each generation.1

The wellness traits delivered through

CLARIFIDE® Plus and the WT$™ and DWP$

indexes offer dairy producers unprecedented

opportunities to select heifers based on predicted

future health and profitability performance. The

economic values placed on these traits, coupled

with the level of variation accounted for, give dairy producers a greater edge to make significant, profitable genetic progress toward a healthier, more trouble-free herd by using DWP$ as part of CLARIFIDE Plus.

0

$100.00

$150.00

DWP$ GPTA

NM$ GPTA

$50.00

$85.21

$103.50

*Assumes selection of top 85% of females as replacements as compared to no selection. Does not account for increases in profitability from progeny of selected animals.

1. Data on file, December 2015 Data Package, Zoetis, Inc.

2. Data on file, Zoetis internal data. August 2015, Zoetis, Inc.

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