Genetic Management System ® (GMS)

The customised mating program you can trust for your dairy’s specific needs.

Recognising how strongly genetics influence herd performance and long-term profitability, our team at ABS developed the first mating program in 1968, Genetic Management System (GMS). In 2023, we celebrated 55 years of GMS, a tool that has already performed more than 165 million mating recommendations in its lifetime.  

The Genetic Management System began as a traditional mating program. However, it is now so much more than that. In its truest form, it could be considered the original Custom Index because of the conversations it started with farmers about the goals of their dairies, how they market their milk, and the ideal future cow for their dairy.  

Designed to deliver a customised genetic plan tailored to each dairy’s specific needs, the Genetic Management System helps farmers make genetic progress by creating better cows that align with their goals, such as profitability and herd performance. The mating program enables you to rank your females, allowing you to choose where to invest your money and where your next generation will come from. Then, it provides you with a per-cow breeding strategy along with your knockouts for lethal haplotypes and recessives. 

GMS allows for extensive customisation, enabling dairy owners to focus on managing their business effectively and making informed breeding decisions.  

Your Benefits with GMS 

• Customisation 
• Inclusion Genomics 
• Robust Database 
• Manage Inbreeding 
• Recessive and Haplotype Protection 
• Safeguard Heifer Calving Ease  

Customisation

One size may not fit all, but we’re definitely able to tailor our program to fit you. GMS can be customised more than 150 different ways – even before we choose sires. Each of these Customer Controlled Breeding Options is tailored to your operation’s specific objectives.

After working with an ABS representative to answer all the right questions, you can choose from five production and five conformation options – including ROBOT-specific – to figure out which ones fit best at your operation.

You’ll also get to rank three different objectives: increased production, gaining efficiencies through improved herd health, and improved cow conformation. Are some of these less important than others? Is one more important than all else? You get to decide.

No matter which of the above directions you take, some features always come standard. For example, the Genetic Management System continues to help manage inbreeding levels, offering the most complete protection against detrimental recessives, haplotypes, and genetic saturation.

Utilising Genomics

Looking to gain more value from your genomic results? Using them in GMS helps deliver more accurate mating recommendations.

Why use genomics with GMS?

Manage genomic inbreeding

• Every artificial insemination (AI) company calculates inbreeding differently, making it impossible to compare percentages calculated by different companies. With genomic inbreeding, the percentage of common genes found on an animal’s genome is reported. GMS uses these genomic inbreeding percentages to help manage herd inbreeding with more precision than ever before.

Remove phenotypic bias

• The phenotype of an animal is a combination of her genetics with her environment. This combination determines how healthy she is, how big she grows, and how much milk she produces. However, only her genetics will be passed onto her offspring – she cannot pass along all the environmental factors that have impacted her throughout her life. Utilising an animal’s genomic information provides more accuracy and precision, and removes any possibility of phenotypic bias from affecting the mating recommendation.

What benefits will you enjoy?

Your animals’ genomic values never become outdated.

• On average, genomic values change every four months as the genomic database gets updated with new information. With GMS, we always use the most recent and accurate genomic values available. Count on it.

The process is much simpler than you might think.

• No need to shuffle through stacks of paper to find genomic results. The only number we need is the permanent ID that was used to genomic-test your animals – often a registration, RFID, or other common permanent ID number. It’s that simple.

Measuring Progress

With more than 14 different customisable reports, GMS lets you keep close track of your herd’s genetic progress. You can even get reports that help you manage your semen inventory, monitor inbreeding, and visualise herd progress for production, health and type traits.

The Genetic Management System is an innovative and robust mating program that was built with your unique opportunities in mind. As a genetic company, ABS understands that genetics are always improving, and we believe your mating program should continue to offer sound, unbiased mating selections based on economically important traits to create longer-lasting, profitable cows.  

Implement GMS as a tool on your dairy by contacting your Genetic Consultant or by completing the form below.