10/07/2026
We want to hear from you! đ«”
CDCB publishes four lifetime merit selection indexes (Net Merit $, Cheese Merit $, Fluid Merit $, and Grazing Merit $) that estimate the difference in lifetime profit an animal is expected to transmit to its progeny. Of course, profit depends on a farmâs income and expenses â thatâs why the formulas for these indexes use real-world input cost trends and estimated revenues.
As the calculation of the lifetime merit indexes shifts from USDA to CDCB, we want to make these tools as economically relevant as possible by factoring in actual farm production costs in addition to publicly available data. All U.S. dairy producers are invited to anonymously contribute to this effort by completing this survey: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfBqpmbSsjVFqTWFpBWzIq3ZhXG9S8GUyi854_Stcb_H9p8_A/viewform
Youâll answer questions covering:
âȘïž Feed costs
âȘïž Disease treatment approaches and costs
âȘïž Semen strategy and costs
âȘïž Milk hauling costs
âȘïž Milk check structure and premiums
This data collection is the first step to informing future revision of these tools. No names are needed, and all information will be used in aggregate. Share it with your dairy farming customers, friends, and neighbors!
Survey: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfBqpmbSsjVFqTWFpBWzIq3ZhXG9S8GUyi854_Stcb_H9p8_A/viewform
