A new benchmark from Cargill Animal Nutrition & Health is highlighting a key measure of dairy herd performance: the ability of cows to remain healthy and productive across multiple lactations. The HL+ Benchmark examines more than 350,000 cows from over 800 herds in 14 countries, distinguishing elite herds by the proportion of animals that sustain production over their lifetimes rather than by a small number of exceptional performers.
Golden and Platinum Herds: Measuring Lifetime Productivity
The benchmark uses lifetime milk output and the proportion of cows reaching at least a third lactation to classify herd performance.
|
Category |
Lifetime milk production |
Third lactation or beyond |
|---|---|---|
|
Golden herd |
At least 25% of cows produce more than 50 tonnes |
At least 45% |
|
Platinum herd |
At least 25% produce more than 50 tonnes; at least 10% exceed 100 tonnes |
Nearly half of cows |
|
Platinum cow |
Exceeds 100 tonnes while remaining healthy and productive |
— |
The classification emphasizes that elite performance is not defined by a handful of unusually productive cows. Instead, it reflects the share of animals that remain productive for longer periods, making herd longevity a central indicator of efficiency.
Longevity Improves the Value of Dairy Investments
A dairy heifer represents a significant investment in rearing, nutrition, health and management before she begins producing milk. The economic return on that investment starts when the animal enters production. If she is removed from the herd early, the farm has less time to recover its investment and may need to incur additional replacement costs.
The benchmark therefore places emphasis on keeping cows healthy and productive through successive lactations. Longer productive lives can help improve the utilization of rearing investments and support more efficient herd management.
Management, Nutrition and Data Drive Performance
According to the benchmark analysis, elite herds share several management characteristics, including a culture of continuous improvement, data-informed decision-making and teams focused on long-term productivity.
The results are not attributed to a single product or isolated intervention. Instead, performance is linked to decisions across nutrition, reproduction, animal health and overall herd management. This approach recognizes that lifetime productivity depends on the combined effect of multiple management practices.
Benchmarking as a Tool for Herd Improvement
The HL+ material presents benchmarking as more than a ranking system. Within Cargill Animal Nutrition & Health’s HL+ consultancy programme, benchmark information is combined with nutritional expertise to help producers identify priorities specific to their herds.
These priorities may include animal health, reproduction, longevity, replacement strategy and nutrition. By comparing herd performance against established benchmarks, producers can identify areas where management changes may improve long-term results.
Building the Foundation: Platinum Heifer Development
The programme also outlines development parameters for a “Platinum Heifer” before her first calving. These include metabolic programming during the rearing period, weight and height at calving of about 95% of adult levels, and a first calving target of 23 months, with a variation of one month.
The recommended body-condition score at calving is between 2.8 and 3, while disease incidence before calving should remain below three cases from birth. The material also cites Cargill’s NeoMilk portfolio as part of its nutritional approach, alongside management, monitoring and technical support.
However, meeting these heifer targets does not guarantee that an animal will become a Golden or Platinum cow. Multiple factors throughout her productive life influence the outcome.
Outlook
The HL+ Benchmark reinforces the importance of evaluating dairy herd success through lifetime productivity, health and longevity rather than peak production alone. For producers, the findings suggest that improving heifer development, reducing early removals and supporting cows through successive lactations can be important components of long-term herd performance.
By combining benchmarking with targeted management and nutritional support, dairy farms can work toward more sustainable productivity and better utilization of their investments.
