As milk markets evolve, some dairies are starting to pull back on Jerseys, driven by a combination of shifting milk pricing, weaker replacement demand and changing revenue opportunities beyond the bulk tank.
For some, that shift has meant leaning into crossbreeding to capture flexibility and hybrid vigor. For others, it has meant doubling down on Holsteins to produce more milk volume, capture stronger beef-on-dairy premiums and improve cull value. That has been the case for Triple G Dairy and LegenDairy in Arizona, where a closer look at whole-herd economics, not just components, has prompted a gradual move away from Jerseys and toward a more Holstein-focused system.
When Fairlife expanded into the state six years ago, it reshaped breeding priorities for several dairies. For Triple G Dairy and its sister operation, LegenDairy, the focus on higher components triggered a transition away from Jerseys and toward Holsteins.
“When Fairlife came in, they said that they had their bottom line on components, and we needed to be above that number on protein and fat,” says Skylar Gericke, part-owner at LegenDairy. “We originally did not meet their threshold for components, but we are now well over past component tests from when we milked a mixed herd”.
At the time, the fastest way to raise components was to bring Jerseys into the system. Since then, genetics, nutrition and management improvements have helped the Holsteins catch up.
“When we built LegenDairy, we moved all the Jerseys to that location and focused the Holstein herd at Triple G,” Gericke says. “But now the Holsteins have come up in components. We’re around 3.3 protein and about 3.7 fat now. At this point, we’re really working toward a Holstein herd and phasing the Jerseys out.”
Looking Beyond Components
The decision to move away from Jerseys was not based on components alone. When Gericke evaluated the economics across the entire system, several factors began favoring Holsteins.
“We still ship milk to a fluid market,” Gericke says. “And with the way our Holsteins are milking today, I need to ship more hundredweights in order to spread that fixed cost.”
Additional revenue streams also played a role in the decision.
“The more and more you look into breeding, the Holstein cows are becoming more efficient,” Gericke explains. “And when you factor in beef-on-dairy calves, the beef calves have a $500 to $1,000 premium on them. Even culling those Holstein cows, you get another $300 to $400 per cow. So profitability wise, we’re better off Holstein.”
Replacement market signals reinforced that direction.
“There’s just no good market for Jerseys right now,” he says. “Everybody is either trying to get out or breeding them terminal.”
Read: Crossbreeding Gains Ground as Some Dairies Scale Back Jerseys
How Embryos Are Reshaping the Herd
As the farm shifted away from Jerseys, LegenDairy used Holstein semen on Jerseys to create some crossbred animals. The focus was on high genomic Holstein bulls with strong udder and health traits.
“We went back through the bulls we had been using and looked at the calves that had already been genomically tested,” Gericke says. “From there, we picked the top performers based on udder traits and component levels, and those top three bulls were the ones we used on the Jerseys.”
But as Gericke dug deeper into the economics, he concluded that building a herd of more purebred Holsteins made the most sense. Embryo transfer became the main tool driving that change.
“We make our own Holstein embryos through IVF,” Gericke says. “It gives us control over the progress, and I like having that control.”
That approach has helped accelerate the shift toward a more uniform Holstein base by multiplying higher-end genetics and reducing reliance on natural turnover.
Genetics Is a Long Game
While reproductive tools like IVF can speed up progress, genetic change still takes time to work through a herd.
“Once you start implementing a breeding strategy, you have to think long term,” says dairy consultant Jason Anderson. “Unless you’re selling your cows and buying a different breed, it can take five to seven years from the time you change the semen in the tank before that new herd is fully in place.”
That delay means breeding strategies must also align with milk markets.
“Having a clear understanding from your processor about what they want from your milk helps define your strategy,” Anderson says. “It’s important to know what they are looking for and how that fits with the breeding decisions you’re making on the farm.”
For Gericke, that long-term mindset is exactly why he has leaned into embryo transfer.
“We can make management changes pretty quickly, but genetics don’t move that fast,” Gericke says. “Embryos help us speed things up, but once you pick a direction, you still have to stick with it and let it play out in the herd.”
