Finding ‘The Sweet Spot’ to Breed Functional Long Lasting Profitable Cattle
The type of our cows has changed dramatically over the years, with cows now leaving herds for different reasons, like getting too tall and rear teats getting too close. Breeding for extremes has shown to have detrimental effects on both herd profitability and herd life.
A natural desire for a far righthanded linear has resulted in many extreme type bulls falsely interpreted as excellent when in fact their type has become undesirable and alternatively many highly desirable type bulls falsely interpreted as negative with a slightly left handed linear.
There are 3 key elements to focus on when it comes to breeding well-balanced profitable cows:
Medium Stature Long Lasting Type High Fertility
To solve this interpretation dilemma, we have developed ‘The Sweet Spot’ strategy. This strategy is designed to reward sires that will produce well-balanced, functional and profitable daughters for your herd.
So how will ‘The Sweet Spot’ help you breed well-balanced profitable cattle?
By plotting individual traits against overall BPI and survivability, balanced commercial cattle are bred in ‘The Sweet Spot’.
Against popular belief, ‘The Sweet Spot’ is not typically found at the extreme right of the linear graph but often in the middle between the extremes and varies slightly depending on the trait itself.
As shown in the diagram when comparing stature against BPI we see that BPI peaks between 95 and 102 for stature. Beyond 102 we see a negative correlation and below 95 sees a similar effect.
A similar pattern occurs across various traits with ‘The Sweet Spot’ changing slightly depending on the nature of the trait itself.
To help farmers find sires that hit ‘The Sweet Spot’, across many traits, we reinterpreted the data and now display these bulls using a simple visual interpretation with 5 key scoring metrics ranging from Undesirable to Ideal;
Here is a comparison between a Standard Linear versus Sweet Spot Linear as an example.
Note how his extreme right-hand linear shifts from what may have been perceived as a major positive to being deemed ‘Undesirable’.
For farmers looking to breed well-balanced, functional, and profitable daughters, sires with ‘The Sweet Spot’ graphs are ideal. If you have any questions about ‘The Sweet Spot’ graphs, please feel free to reach out to an ABS Australia Representative today.
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Sustainability Index
Health & Longevity Increase Daughter Fertility
Mastitis Resistance
Fertility
April 2025 Trait Leaders
29HO21873 29HO21918 29HO0933 29HO20957 29HO21036 29HO19149 29HO21135 29HO21877 29HO21321 29HO19226 29HO21830 29HO18698 29HO22289 29HO0936 29HO20279 29HO21832 29HO22291 29HO21739 29HO20385 29HO17459 29HO22290 94HO0942
SIRE INDEX
ROCK SOLID GENETICS
Sire has at least 100 daughters, which provides stable type and production proofs over time
ABS PROVEN
Sire is proven through the ABS progeny testing system
DAUGHTER FERTILITY
Sire whose daughters show improved fertility
DIAMOND SIRE
Sire has at least 1000 milking daughters, which recognises outstanding reliability and ensuring genetic accuracy
ICON SIRES
PREGNANCY KING
Sire has high semen fertility based on actual observations and Real World Data®
GENOMIC VALUE
Sire is yet to be proven, possesses desirable genomic values
GOOD BULLS GUIDE
Identifies bulls by independent, scientific assessment by DataGene using the world’s best practice in genetic evaluation
KAPPA CASEIN BB
FEED EFFICIENCY
Sire breeds more efficient, profitable cows for increased income over feed cost
CALVING EASE
Sire has superior calving ease based on actual observations
POLLED
PP = True polled P = Polled
HIGH TYPE
Sire has high type traits and will produce offspring of superior conformation
Sire possesses BB gene for kappa casein which help in the cheese making process. Cheese from the milk of BB cows clots 25% faster and is twice as firm as cheese from AA cow’s milk.
Sires in our Icon Sire program offer the very best genetics from our breeding program. To get early access to these genetics, you will be required to sign an Icon Sire option agreement, which will also give you the potential opportunity to receive a good price for the progeny of Icon Sires that come back in the ABS breeding program. For more information www.absglobal.com/Icon-sires
KINGTIDE
“We are aiming for medium size, profitable but sustainable cows that are nice and healthy and survive in the herd as long as possible,” Megan Coster.
The Dam, Gdam and GGdam are still milking in the herd which is a testament to longevity in the family.
BELLBROOK KINGTIDE
DAM: BELLBROOK ASCARI DELLA GP-84
Powerball
Tango
• Current #5 proven and has been top 5 since April 2021
• Now with over 1900 milking daughters
• Proven health trait sire
Argo x Rubicon x Aikman
DTR:
ABS: Driving the future in Polled Genetics
• #1 Homozygous polled sire
• Now with 58 milking daughters
• Top 1% daughter fertility
• Top 5% survival
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BOMAZ
• #5 Homozygous polled sire
• Elite TPI and NM
• Outcross polled sire • Elite calving ease 1.4
• High gBPI Linear Choice sire
• High milk with components
•
• High wide rear udders
DANSBY P
Kahn x Conway x Eisaku
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•
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94HO21095
80FFVB9
• Healthy cows with lower cell count
• Adds teat length
• Cows with strength and capacity
• Ideal rump structure with plenty of width
Holysmokes x Parfect x Challenger
Sire: COOKIECUTTER HOLYSMOKES-ET
Dam: VALIANT CALMAC PARFCT ELECTRIT
• Embrace is from a deep US pedigree going back 14 generations VG or EX scored dams including 2 EX-95-USA
• Available July
MGD: FULL SISTER TO DAM: VALIANT CALMAC PARFECT EMBLEM VG-85
• Adds teat length
AURORA
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DUFFY x CRIMSON x ACHIEVER
DENOVO 19112 DUPONT-ET Bull ID: 29HO20957 NASIS: 80FFV91
• High daughter fertility
• Cows that last
• High mastitis resistance
• High ASI production
Sire: KINGS-RANSOM DUFFY-ET Dam: DENOVO CRIMSON 1113-ET
DENOVO
SKYWALKER x Delta x BALISTO
DENOVO 15424 GAMMON-ET
Bull ID: 29HO19149
NASIS: 80FFRBY
• Proven Australian calving ease
• High semen fertility
• Great temperament
Sire: BOMAZ SKYWALKER-ET
Dam: SCHILLVIEW DELTA GENTLE VG-86
DENOVO
• High ASI production
• Great calving ease
• Improves daughter fertility
• Adds teat length
Sire: KOEPON ZAZ 2167-ET Dam: DENOVO ROCKY 20060-ET
DENOVO 22043 BRICK RED-ET
DENOVO 7471 MANHEIM-RED-ET
Bull ID: 29HO0936
NASIS: 80FFXC9
• Available July
• A2 and BB
• High productive life
• High DPR +1.8
Sire: RUW TRICKY-RED-ET Dam: DENOVO ROCKY 14194-ET
SIRE: CALMAC RUW TRICKY RED
CORNELLY
Ranheim x Birkelund x Svantesvol
Bull ID: 252NR12073
NASIS: 85UUR12
Sire: RANHEIM 11851 Dam: 1140
• #6 Health Weighted Index (HWI)
• #3 Mastitis resistance
• #3 Daughter fertility
NR HAALAND P
BR ADY
Jeronimo x Invincible x Navarian
Breed leading sire
Genomics reinforced by reliability
Cow family with 8 EX cows elite production with show winning type
High demand internationally
PHOTO: KAARMONA JERONIMO BRADY-ET
NASIS: 29JJW22
Protein
Fat
Milk
Milking Speed
Temperament
Likeability
Overall Type
Mammary System
Stature
Angularity
Body Depth
Chest Width
Pin Width
Pin Set
Foot Angle
Rear Set
Rear View
Udder Depth
Fore Udder Att.
Rear Udder Att. (H)
Rear Udder Att. (W)
Centre Ligament
Front Teat Pl. Rear Teat Pl.
ROYALFLUSH
Roulette x Vikjgislev x David
RANLEIGH ROYAL FLUSH
Bull ID: 29JE4611
NASIS: 29JJX14
Sire:
Dam:
• Total performance sire
• High BPI with desirable type
• High rear udders with strong ligaments
• Roulette son haplotype free
RANLEIGH ROYAL FLUSH
DAM: RANLEIGH SHERLY 6261, OWNED BY RANLEIGH FARMS, FOSTER, VIC
• High fertility sire with positive milk flow
• High wide rear udders
• Strong centre ligament
• High survivability
CSCSKYWARD
teats
RANLEIGH
Miami Jerseys - Premier Exhibitor and Breeders IDW 2018
• Improves mastitis resistance
WOODSTOCK {6} x WESTPORT {5} x Hjort
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• Improves daughter fertility
• High mastitis resistance
• Adds stature and teat length
• Exciting new release available in Sexcel
High type sire with outstanding udders
Outcross pedigree • Improves daughter fertility
NASIS:
• The breeds best polled genetics
• High milk flow
• Deep cow family at Balnageith
• High survivability
Sire: DUTCH HOLLOW OLIVER P Dam: BALNAGEITH JENNY 300 VG-87
CSCVAST P
• Breeds top end Polled genetics
• Add strength and width
• Outstanding temperament and likeability
• Great udders with ideal teat placement
BALNAGEITH JANGO P
p
• #5 Health Weighted Index (HWI)
• High daughter fertility at 107
• Improves mastitis resistance
• Lengthens teats
Merit (CM)
CAL-MART
• Outcross pedigrees
• From the breeds leading genetic merit herd Whitestar
• Adds width to muzzles and pins
• Snug well attached udders
WHITE STAR TAVERN
CSCBUSHFIELD P
• Outstanding rear udders
• Great workabilities
• Out of one of the breeds most admired cows
• Proven polled genetics
BUSHFIELD P
CSCWOODSIDE
Matt x Tahbilk x ELTON
• Milking daughters deliver on expectations
• Great udders with the type to win on farm challenges
• High semen fertility
• Strong ligament with teat length
BROOKBORA
SUPPLEMENTARY SIRES
Semen Fertility Pregnancy Kings
PREGNANCY KING
Sire has high semen fertility based on actual observations
Semen fertility is different to daughter fertility. Semen fertility relates to the ability of the bull’s semen to get cows in calf. Daughter fertility relates to the ability of the bull’s daughters to get in calf. We cannot assume that an above average semen fertility bull will have daughters with above average fertility. While conception rates are similar for semen from most bulls, some bulls have higher or lower conception rates.
ABS Australia sees the importance of providing high semen fertility sires for the Australian dairy farmer and a star system is used to determine which bulls are better for semen fertility.
5-star bulls represent the top 10% for their breed whilst the next 20% are 4-star bulls. These are expected to be above average for semen fertility. All 3 star bulls are considered to be average and consist of the next 40% of the population.
Below is a selection of ABS bulls that are high 5, 4 and 3 star semen fertility.
Holstein Jersey Red Holstein Norwegian Red
Matt.Aikenhead@genusplc.com
Rex.Barry@genusplc.com
Alan.Blum@genusplc.com
Gerard.Eccles@genusplc.com
Brian.Enbom@genusplc.com
darren.fletcher@genusplc.com
Shane.Gardiner@genusplc.com
Kim.Hodder@genusplc.com
Rebecca.Phelan@genusplc.com
Marcus.Rees@genusplc.com
Adele.Walker@genusplc.com