JULY 2013
the
CLIPBOARD
JULY 2013
the
CLIPBOARD
In This Issue Page 3
How April 2013 New Releases Stack Up
Page 7
How Do We Best Use Genomic Technology?
Page 8
GMS Supplies For Sale
Page 9
GMS Expands Presence in China
Page 11 ABS Pecplan Develops World-Class Team Page 12 Global GMS Spotlight Page 13 GMS and ABS Sexation® Page 15 Seizing the Opportunity - GMS Australia Page 16 From a Dairy Farmer’s Perspective Page 18 GMS Contact Information
GMS Manager
Kylene Anderson | kylene.anderson@genusplc.com
Genetic Management Programs Manager Dan Bauer | daniel.bauer@genusplc.com
GMS Processing Manager
Emily Novinskie | emily.novinskie@genusplc.com On the cover: ABS China team members David Wang, Reuben Fan, Cynthia Yu and Gary Gao manning the ABS tent at China’s Holstein Farmer Annual General Meeting (AGM).
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How April 2013 New Releases Stack Up 29HO14427 ABC NM$ CM$ MILK PL dtr: Kooyman and Sons Dairy 835-Grade
+698 +800 +679 +5.2
DPR SCS CE RWD Fertility
+1.1 2.66 7.3% ***
Runs well in herds using: Cheese Merit, Fat, or Net Merit and Durability or Grassland.
29HO14415 DYNASTY NM$ CM$ MILK PL dtr: Meadow Springs Dynasty 840-Grade
+427 +418 +914 +2.9
DPR SCS CE RWD Fertility
-0.6 2.84 8.1% **
Runs well in herds using: Fat or Net Merit and Feet & Legs or Intensive Management.
29HO14552 EZRA NM$ CM$ MILK PL dtr: Penn-England Ezra 7181
+585 +614 +1268 +5.6
DPR SCS CE RWD Fertility
+0.9 2.78 8.9% ***
Runs well in herds using: Cheese Merit, Milk, or Net Merit and Durability or Intensive Management. 3 | The Clipboard July 2013
How April 2013 New Releases Stack Up 29HO14422 GENOM NM$ CM$ MILK PL dtr: Keefer Genom 2788-Grade
+644 +631 +1918 +3.4
DPR SCS CE RWD Fertility
-0.4 2.89 7.2% ***
Runs well in herds using: Cheese Merit, Fat, Net Merit, or Milk, and Intensive Management.
29HO14412 NOMINATOR NM$ CM$ MILK PL dtr: Vanderschaaf Nominator 21928-Grade
+357 +352 +903 +2.6
DPR SCS CE RWD Fertility
+0.9 2.75 8.4% ***
Runs well in herds using: Milk and Feet & Legs or Intensive Management.
94HO0877 PRESLEY-RED NM$ CM$ MILK PL dtr: Rosenhill Presley R California VG-85
+305 +404 +371 +0.4
DPR SCS CE RWD Fertility
-0.7 3.03 7.1% NA
Runs well in herds using: Cheese Merit or Fat and Feet & Legs or Intensive Management 4 | The Clipboard July 2013
How April 2013 New Releases Stack Up 29HO14377 TERROR NM$ CM$ MILK PL dtr: San-Dan Terror 1640-Grade
+580 +474 +2259 +5.4
DPR SCS CE RWD Fertility
+0.4 2.82 +7.6% *****
Runs well in herds using: Fat, Net Merit, or Milk and Durability.
29HO14410 TROYER NM$ CM$ MILK PL dam: Regancrest-BP Bovr Tab-ET EX-92
+475 +519 +959 +3.6
DPR SCS CE RWD Fertility
+1.7 2.97 10.8% ***
Runs well in herds using: Cheese Merit or Net Merit and Intensive Management.
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How April 2013 New Releases Stack Up 29JE3678 BLADE NM$ CM$ MILK PL dtr: Cal-Mart Blade Karmen 3885 VG-86%
+505 +581 +1288 +2.2
DPR SCS CE RWD Fertility
+0.6 2.96 NA ****
Runs well in herds using: Cheese Merit, Fat, Net Merit, Milk, or Protein and Intensive Management.
29JE3658 SEAN NM$ CM$ MILK PL dam: Wilsonview Impulse Shauna E-94%
+379 +376 +1139 +3.3
DPR SCS CE RWD Fertility
+0.0 3.09 NA NA
Runs well in herds using: Fat or Milk, and Durability or Grassland.
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How Do We Best Use Genomic Technology? Written By: Evan Schnadt, Strategic Account Manager As we strive to make the way we do business customer centric, we must always keep our eyes and ears open to the needs of our customers and sometimes even anticipate what those needs may be. We are partners with them to improve the quality, efficiency and outputs of their operations while adding value. I was happy to assist Dale and Elaine VanSickle, owners of Genetic Ventures Ltd, as they practiced this to perfection by organizing a genomics seminar for their customers in Alberta, Canada earlier this year. Genomics is no doubt one of the most significant developments our industry has seen in some time. However, as with anything new, there is a learning curve; including how, when and where to use it. Also, since the advent of genomics many individuals and even companies have formed their own opinions about its use. Without proper understanding, it can all be a bit overwhelming!
Evan Schnadt Strategic Account Manager
Dale saw many of his customers in the same situation: good reproduction and sexed semen have left many of them with excess females during times of high feed prices. In addition, they had heard about genomics from multiple sources, and how it may provide a solution to their problem. However, many customers didn’t even know what questions to ask about genomics to increase their overall understanding. Dale and Elaine decided to take action! Last February, I was asked to represent ABS at Dale’s customer meeting in the frozen tundra of Alberta along with BJ Mayfield of ABS Canada. Upon arriving, in order to get a feel for the area, we visited a few of Dale and Elaine’s customers. Most of my experience with the Canadian dairy industry involved traveling to Toronto, Ontario for the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair which is home to Canada’s national dairy show much like World Dairy Expo in the U.S. These past trips usually involved highlighting show type cows and stops at smaller herds that were built on the type-focused philosophy that Canadian Holstein breeders pride themselves on. This trip to Alberta really opened my eyes to the diversity of the Canadian dairy industry. While type is still very important to them, I found producers we visited to be very “dollars and cents” oriented. All the herds were free-stall facilities between 200-600 cows. We saw many progeny of popular ABS bulls. There is no doubt SHOTTLE and BOLTON will have a large impact for customers through their daughters and the use of their sons! The Elaine and Dale VanSickle, Genetic Ventures, Ltd. herds utilize GMS and value the information and results it gives them. Dale and Elaine ABS Canada use the program extensively and are adamant about picking the right GMS customercontrolled-breeding options for the farm’s goals. “We aim to let the program work and not try to out-think it by limiting bulls or trying to force certain bulls that WE think it should use”, says Dale. At the genomic seminar, BJ kicked off with a brief overview of genomics, the effect on ABS business in Canada and what kinds of genomic sires are available from ABS. There is no doubt sales of genomic sires have increased in Canada, much like the U.S. I led discussion on understanding the basics of genomics, the science behind it and how it works. I touched on how ABS and the A.I. industry utilizes genomics, data on genomic bull performance with the addition of daughter information and finally female genomic testing and what kinds of dairies should consider it. Because many in attendance were looking for ways to manage excess heifers, I also talked about HPR (Herd Percentile “We let the GMS program work and don’t Ranking) and the similarities and differences between HPR try to out-think it by limiting bulls or rankings and genomic rankings. Genomics looks directly at DNA to give us an idea of the genetic potential of an trying to force certain bulls.” animal with much more accuracy than we have had in the Dale VanSickle, Genetic Ventures, Ltd. past. HPR does this by bringing in pedigree information and combines that genetic information with actual performance information. This is something genomics does not do. HPR is a very powerful tool that the GMS program calculates allowing ABS to rank females and make more informed decisions without any extra cost. It makes GMS more than “just a mating” when a cow needs to be bred, but a true Genetic Management System.
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An attentive audience looks on
A full house of interested dairy breeders
We had a very attentive and interactive audience of roughly 30 customers, along with five veterinarians and a nutritionist in attendance. With all the opinions out there on genomics, attendees were very appreciative of the message ABS has; there is no one-size-fits-all answer. We are there for them with a full and diverse product offering. Beyond our sire lineup we also are well equipped to offer the tools to help them choose the right breeding strategy to achieve their goals and expectations.
GMS Supplies For Sale! The items pictured below are available through ABS customer service. These GMS supplies are available to develop the GMS brand and help make evaluator’s lives easier and more organized!
To place an order, please contact customer service: Please have the item number and quantity ready at the time of your call. Email: ABS.US.Cust.Svc@genusplc.com • Phone: 1-800-227-7883+2 or Ext. 7004
GMS Clipboard
Item #: 41444 Price: $4.52 The GMS Clipboard is an excellent reference to keep in the truck for training new GMS evaluators or just jogging your memory on different trait definitions.
GMS Recommendations Binder Item #: 43041 Price: $5.64 The GMS Binder can be used for a variety of purposes, including organization of your GMS herds, industry references and information, or to deliver an organized and professional proposal to a key prospect.
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GMS Expands Presence in China Written By: Reuben Fan, GMS Technical Service Manager, ABS China I am pleased to have this opportunity to discuss my background and my aspirations for GMS in China. I feel strongly GMS can be a powerful tool used to deliver genetic improvement to our customers. I graduated from China Agriculture University (CAU) in June, 2012 with a Ph.D in dairy genetics and breeding. Previous to that, I worked at the Tianjin Dairy Cattle Developmental Center (a local bull stud and technical service center) for three years and focused on dairy breeding, especially sire selection and mating programs. I have been fortunate to work closely with famous Chinese dairy professor, Yuan Zhang, for 12 years . He has been an instrumental part of my career development. I am very passionate about dairy cattle breeding and enjoy genetic selection very much. It is an honor for me to be able to take my interest in genetic improvement and make it my career with ABS China. I joined as GMS Technical Service Manager on August 1st, 2012. In this new role am responsible for the promotion and implementation of the GMS program to targeted customers. I hope to provide valuable solutions to our customers and help them maximize their herd’s genetic improvement. GMS can be a valuable tool to help simplify the sire selection process and ensure their genetic investment decisions match their herd situation and individual goals. It is also an important goal of mine to grow our team so we can reach more customers over time and increase our impact on the Chinese dairy industry.
I
Reuben Fan GMS Technical Service Manager ABS China
Spreading the GMS Word January 8-11th, the Holstein Farmer Club held their Holstein Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Kunming, China. Braving unseasonably cold temperatures, over 200 government leaders, professors, technique improvers, farmers and companies attended this meeting! The Holstein AGM is a meeting focused on progressive and larger-scale dairy farmers and companies. Those attending can find useful technology and an abundance of excellent products at this meeting. This year marked the fifth time this meeting was held in China. Dairy industry companies were invited to participate by hosting their own trade show tents to show off their newest products and innovations. In addition, participants could learn different skills and techniques by attending special lectures. ABS China delivered a lecture given by Dan Bauer, genetic management
Dan Bauer, Reuben Fan and key account -- Huishan dairy group
programs manager. The lecture discussed the importance of genetics and how the GMS program can maximize genetic improvement in dairy producer’s herds. After the lecture, many dairy farmers became very interested in managing their dairy farm’s genetics with a tool such as GMS. We distributed information about GMS to an extremely large and influential audience and have already gained several excellent new customers as a direct result of our participation at the meeting. Opportunities and Challenges In recent years dairy cattle numbers in China have continued to increase gradually. The main breeds are Holstein and Holstein-influenced crossbreeds. There
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Examining the GMS codee
also are other breeds of dual-purpose cattle including: Simmental, Grassland Red Cattle, and Xinjiang Brown. After several years’ development, China’s dairy industry continues to expand and improve. There are more and more progressive large scale dairy farms. Many use advanced technologies and large machinery in their daily work. They also provide good environments and daily management practices for their operations. Even though many of these farms incorporate progressive management systems, most still do not have a good tool or method for using genetics to solve their daily farm challenges. GMS appeals to these dairy farmers who already have a strong understanding of genetics and understand its importance. They recognize the importance of how GMS benchmarks the genetics they currently have and projects the future impact of the genetics they use today. They see GMS as a powerful tool to keep ahead of others that do not have a structured breeding plan. As ABS China continues to meet with potential clients, it continues to learn that more and more are requiring a breeding plan or mating software. Because of this high demand for breeding advice, more companies are entering the market. These dynamics are leading to fierce competition. When considering our competitors, we have two main challenges. Our first challenge is we do not provide customers independent software, and the second is that we Reuben Fan gathers type data for a GMS herd currently charge for our GMS services. To combat these challenges it is important we demonstrate to the customer that regular communication with their GMS consultant helps identify solutions beyond the capabilities of mating software alone. We also must show our customers that GMS fees are relatively low compared to the ultimate value of genetic improvement through GMS. At times this is difficult as some customers already have their minds made up and prefer breeding plans that are created quickly and cheaply. A Bright Future Awaits I plan to use the Genus strategy to help deliver success. My plan revolves around targeting key markets and segments and tailoring the business model to better align with customer needs. To accomplish this, I am dividing the Chinese GMS customers into two segments, one is large dairy groups, which is our main sales target, and the other is relatively smaller dairy farms that own 500-2000 cows.
“Even with our challenges, I believe GMS has a very bright future in the Chinese dairy industry.” Reuben Fan, GMS Technical Service Manager ABS China
For larger dairy groups, which can typically own 100,000 cows or more, I will use Genomate to deliver the results accurately and efficiently. Even for this size of customer, it is important they understand the fundamentals of GMS. I will accomplish this by performing coding demonstrations on-farm for their management teams. In China, smaller dairy farms tend to focus on managing individual cows. For these herds we will implement a mix of cow-coding and Genomate to deliver the service efficiently, while also paying attention to individual cow details. Even with our challenges, I believe GMS has a very bright future in the Chinese dairy industry. I am very excited for the prospect of growing ABS China and helping more customers improve their genetics through GMS. For the past 12 years I have been committed to improving dairy cattle breeding. Positive change certainly takes time, but I am confident Genus is building a strong team that will be successful at getting GMS off the ground in China!
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ABS Pecplan Develops World-Class Team Written By: Dan Bauer, Genetic Management Programs Manager In February, Kylene Anderson, global GMS manager, and I had the pleasure of traveling to Uberaba, Brazil to spend a week with the ABS Pecplan dairy team. Brazil is a massive country offering tremendous growth opportunities for the agriculture industry. As our business continues to implement the Genus strategy, a primary element is targeting key markets and segments. There is enormous potential in Brazil for the growth of genetically improved dairy and beef semen. Because of the sheer size and scope of this opportunity, Brazil is a crucial market for our organization. ABS Pecplan is a very strong and successful business unit for Genus. It boasts a strong share of the Brazilian dairy market, estimated at 24%. GMS and tech services are an imperative part of their strategy for both client retention and future growth. Last fiscal year, Brazil was one of the largest GMS users in the world! Over 258,000 cows were correctively mated through GMS. This was good for a 4% increase over the previous fiscal year and ranks Brazil as the 4th largest user of GMS in the world.
Dan Bauer Genetic Management Programs Manager
The ABS Pecplan strategy fits with the Genus values of being customer-centric, results-driven and people focused. Their worldclass dairy team combines the problem-solving capabilities of technical services with genetic improvement strategies available through GMS. The team there has been able to successfully surround their clients with industry-leading cow management solutions, the best genetics in the world and the most complete genetic management program available. This is all from one team, committed to ensuring each client capitalizes on their genetic investment. During our trip we assisted ABS Pecplan’s GMS coordinator, Katya Castro, in training four new members of the ABS Pecplan dairy team. Making up the four new members were two new tech service employees, one new employee to specialize in ABS Monitor, and one new full-time GMS evaluator. Kylene and I were able discuss with the team genetic selection fundamentals, new industry breeding strategies, GMS reprogramming and how to implement genomic selection practices into a commercial breeding program. Our week was extremely collaborative, filled with two-way communication as Katya educated us on the structure of the ABS Pecplan dairy team, its role in their sales process and goals and strategies for the future. She did a wonderful job highlighting each team member’s individual goals, challenges and opportunities. The strategy strongly focuses on growth, retention and the development of sustainable business relationships. It was apparent to us that GMS would be a key component to executing that strategy. We also toured ABS Pecplan’s bull stud in Uberaba and their outstanding lineup of tropical genetics. We also had the opportunity to visit three different key-accounts in the area to learn more about farming operations in Brazil, and saw the results of the GMS program in person. On our final day, we hosted a customer meeting of ten area “influencer” herds to discuss genomic selection and its impact on the industry. Our message featured detailed explanation about the technology behind genomic evaluations, real-data analysis on how early genomic proofs are performing and how ABS recommends to incorporate genomic data into a breeding program.
Dan Bauer, Kylene Anderson, Katya Castro and the ABS Pecplan team
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Global GMS Spotlight
Katya Castro, GMS Coordinator, ABS Pecplan Describe your dairy background and experience with ABS. My first job after graduating with an animal science degree from Sao Paulo State was working for the Brazil Jersey Association, doing animal registration, organizing Jersey shows and participating on the Tech Board. I started with ABS Pecplan in 1998. My first role being to take care of our GMS herds by submitting them to the GMS department. At that time we mated 29,674 animals a year. It’s amazing to think that today our numbers have increased to more than eight times those early numbers! Today, besides submitting GMS herds, I also coordinate the special service of a group of GMS evaluators, conduct GMS trainings, and provide technical support on dairy genetics and GMS to our representatives. What value do dairy producers in Brazil see in GMS? What features and benefits are most valuable to your clients? In general, the first impression a new Brazilian GMS customer has is the tremendous commitment of ABS people. It is so much more than just coding cows! We enter phenotypic production data and all pedigree information available. Accurate data entry is crucial to meeting our customer’s goals. We use the data we collect to breed for the kind of cow they want to be milking in the future. In Brazil, we have also Katya Castro, GMS Coordinator seen more dairy breeders worried about Brachyspina and inbreeding issues. To address these issues GMS uses the industry’s most effective and customizable inbreed- ABS Pecplan ing control ranging from a customer selected max of 0.1%-6.25%. GMS also prevents 20 undesirable genetic recessives including Brachyspina as well as the new fertility Haplotypes! I think that’s a great value for any kind of dairy producer! We also expect that the newly launched Health and Fitness Audit will be a very useful report. Genomic selection was a popular and hot topic on the minds of Brazilian dairy producers during our trip. What is driving interest in genomic testing of females and using genomically tested males in Brazil? Much of that has been driven by the sales growth of genomic bulls taking place overseas. Many Brazilian breeders have been in the milk business for a long time. They see genomic selection technology as a great tool to amplify genetic improvement in their herds. They also see an opportunity to add extra value to progeny and make more dynamic genetic improvement by reducing generation intervals. However, we do have a lot to learn on how to make the best usage of all that information. I am confident GMS will be able to assist and will be a great friend to dairy breeders! In your opinion what can GMS do to incorporate genomic data without sacrificing the fundamental components that have driven GMS growth? It has a lot to do with educating people. We must show the difference between a cow mated only by what we see her “phenotype” or just by the genes inherited, her “genotype.” We already know environment has a lot of influence on the real genetic expression. A good example would be helping a customer understand the difference between the best looking cow for the show ring and the best cow for transmitting genetic potential. I feel the perfect combination would be to continue to use phenotype, and incorporate genotype through genomic testing into GMS in a very rational and scientific way. This balance could produce even more complete mating recommendations and keep delivering the best service available to our customers. We all agree it’s a fast-moving and changing dairy industry. What key areas must GMS and Genus ABS focus on to ensure continued success and that we remain aligned with the needs of our customers? Market segmentation and research seems to be a real key. We must clearly understand dairy producer needs and difficulties. We know dairies are not same all over the world. What could make their unique operation more profitable and sustainable? How can genetics best contribute to that? Also, a common concern I have noticed among Brazilian customers is fertility and longevity. It’s a need I am addressing through GMS by putting increased emphasis on these specific traits in the MasterPlans submitted from Brazil.
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GMS and ABS Sexation®
The Path to Improved Females for Improved Profitability As feed and other input costs continue to increase, the need for healthy and trouble-free cows that efficiently convert feed to a high quality product is more important than ever. Dairy producers recognize healthier cows are more profitable, making trouble-free cows imperative to success in today’s industry. The question becomes which females’ posses these qualities? What tools exist to identify them? The ABS Genetic Management System®, GMS®, is a powerful program for identifying dairy producers’ most valuable females. Through GMS’s proprietary ranking tool, Herd-Percentile-Ranking (HPR), the females who perform the best and have the most genetic potential can be easily identified. Once located, these high HPR females can be bred to ABS Sexation sires to create 90% female offspring. This ensures a dairy’s most valuable females serve as the foundation for the future herd. Combining GMS corrective matings with ABS Sexation produces improved replacements for increased profitability in future generations. Herd-segmentation for Added Profit With GMS The GMS program is extremely customer-centric. It uses genetic goals set by the dairy producer for production, health and fitness, and type. It also accounts for individual management styles, facilities, and herd environments. GMS uses these factors to customize each herd’s HPR to adequately reflect their unique situation and needs. All animals in the herd are ranked based on phenotypic data such as milk production and linear codes, as well as genotypic data which include PTAs, breeding values, pedigree data, and genomic results if available. GMS ensures top HPR females with the most precise requirements are mated first to improve their specific needs. These top females have the most genetic potential for longer herd lives, leaving the most replacements females, and contribute the most genetics to the future herd.
ABS Sexation can be used as a powerful management tool that reduces difficult births, creates 90% females, and improves overall herd-health and performance. Health benefits for the dam: • • •
Fewer days open Lower rates of retained placenta Easier transition to lactation due to reduced stress
HPR can also be used for a herd development strategy commonly referred to as “herdsegmenting.” GMS and HPR help dairy producers segment their females in order to maximize their herd’s genetic investment. Herd-segmenting allows dairy producers to optimize the use of ABS Sexation and make truly targeted breeding decisions. Dairy producers can also choose to cull the lower tier of replacement heifers at a young age, converting unnecessary heifer rearing expenses to cash flow while maintaining herd size. Another strategy, terminal breeding, uses beef semen on the bottom segments of the females. This eliminates inferior genetics, while creating a more valuable calf to sell for beef. Both scenarios improve cash flow for the present, while developing a healthier, more efficient, and higher performing herd for the future. Reproductive Benefits and Confidence With ABS Sexation ABS Sexation can also provide other herd health benefits. When used broadly, dairy producers make a profitable genetic investment not only in the resulting calf, but also the next lactation of the dam. Calving ease is measured by percent difficult births in heifers. Dairy producers recognize that bull calves have a higher incidence of difficult calvings when compared to heifer calves. This is supported by the data in seen in Chart 1, which shows a 5.2% difference in the difficult calvings for bull calves compared to heifer calves. This increased incidence of difficult births or dystocia not only creates challenges for the resulting calf, but has a negative impact on the dam’s overall health and reproductive performance.
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Difficult births result in: • • • • • • •
Increased veterinary expenses Extra labor costs Increased risk of stillbirth Increased risk of retained placenta and displaced abomasum Increased days open due to delayed appearance of heat Increased involuntary culling Overall lower lactation output
ABS is committed to its tradition of quality and excellence by providing outstanding sexed sires from both the daughter proven and Primetime lineup. Bulls selected for ABS Sexation excel in fertility based on ABS Real World Data Bull Fertility rankings and meet strict criteria for semen quality. Look to ABS Primetime sires with RWD Bull Fertility rankings and actual calving ease observations for another option to accelerate genetic progress in heifer pens.
Chart 1 - USDA Calving Difficulty* Records considered No. % Difficult Heifer Calf.....................................812,419...........................................5.4% Bull Calf..........................................812,791........................................10.6% Total.............................................1,625,210........................................8.0% *for 1st parity cows calving in 2000-2006, adjusted to a population base of 8 percent
Percent Difficult Calving Example for ABS Sexation With a 90% female sex-skew, we can use data from above to estimate a percent difficult for ABS Sexation sires as: Example Bull USDA-AIPL CE = 8.0% (50% heifers, 50% bulls) 2.6% lower for heifer calves: 8.0% - 2.6% = 5.4% for heifer calves 2.6% higher for bull calves: 8.0% + 2.6% = 10.6% for bull calves ABS Sexation Expected Percent Difficult 90% Heifers x 5.4% +10% Bulls x 10.6% Expected 5.9% (2.1% lower than conventional) Therefore, you can expect a calving difficulty two percent lower with an ABS Sexation sire vs. calving ease for the same sire conventionally.
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GMS and ABS Sexation puts dairy producers in charge and takes them beyond making just adequate replacements numbers. Genetic improvement is amplified by producing more replacements out of the right females sired by the right males. Take advantage of the power of ABS by combining GMS with ABS Sexation to develop a more efficient, longer-lasting, healthier herd of cows!
Seizing the Opportunity GMS Australia
Written By: Chris Kendall, Technical Programs Manager, ABS Australia Approximately 27 ABS Australia staff members had the opportunity to attend a twoday training course in March which focused on the fundamentals of the Genetic Management System (GMS) and how to utilize it to its maximum potential. We were fortunate to have Dan Bauer, genetic management programs manager, present at this event. The ABS Australia staff experienced two days of intensive classroom education on the GMS and Genomate programs - what they are, how to use them and how to ensure they are implemented properly. We discussed in detail how, within the GMS or Genomate programs, there are tools to assist our staff in selling product to customers. These tools include the advantages of using Herd Percentile Ranking (HPR) for herd management decisions, the reduction in inbreeding within the herd through GMS and the importance of generating unbiased sire selection reports based on the customers breeding goals. Finally, and maybe most importantly, how this program can tailor the cow that the customer requires. This approach,of “systematic selling or Mexico model”, plus focusing on the customer’s females, takes the process away from individual bull versus bull competition. The group also held a cow evaluation workshop at a local dairy farm to help stanChris Kendall, Technical Programs Manager dardize the ABS Australia team and make sure trait definitions were clearly underABS Australia stood. Three cows of different conformation were presented and staff members were tested on what score they believe each trait should be given. The course was very informative, practical and much needed as it was the first of its kind in seven years. I believe the ABS Australia staff that attended will now have the confidence to utilize this tool in the field and provide more value added systems to their customers.
Participant Commentary “It was pleasing to see the team take on a good understanding of how the GMS program works. It certainly is a great tool for the sales staff to use and promote. I thought the course was outstanding. It was inspirational for us as it had been years since the last refresher course. As we look into the future, I look forward to organizing more of these kinds of days to keep our team up to date and motivated.” - Mark Patullo, GMS Dept. Point Person, ABS Australia
Mark Patullo, GMS Dept. Point Person ABS Australia
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From a Dairy Farmer’s Perspective... Written By: Irene Walker, TC & IP Walker Farms, South Victoria, Australia As a passionate dairy farmer and customer of ABS Australia, I was given the opportunity to attend this spring’s ABS GMS training program. I was the only farmer/producer in the room, while all others were employees of ABS Australia. I was first exposed to GMS fifteen years ago, whilst share-farming on what was possibly one of Australia’s best GMS/ABS dairy herds. That herd owner said to me, “If you do everything right from the start, then you can have a herd like mine someday”. Nine years ago, I put together my “ordinary herd” and with the implementation of GMS, my girls are on the journey to becoming consistent, sound and profitable dairy cows. Dare I say, “from ordinary to extraordinary”? It’s only natural I would view the presentations and sales training as a farmer and reflect at times upon my own experiences. I have strong involvement in dairy industry issues and have attended many meetings and seminars. Positive engagement with a room full of people is crucial; this program achieved this very well. The presentation was clearly aimed at giving the ABS Australia team an understanding of what GMS is , how to use it and what options are available. Whilst I was aware GMS was all about “female genetic improvement”, I have since gained confidence that ABS sires can be better matched with my females through GMS. This comes down to four key points I made in my notes: 1. 2. 3. 4.
Farmer’s breeding goals (ABS field staff & farmer need to know them) Accurate implementation of GMS takes care of the females GMS is only as good as the bulls selected (that’s why 1 & 2 must work together) Confidence & ease (benefit that comes from working together)
Irene Walker, TC & IP Walker Farms The knowledge on how and what GMS is was clearly explained and I do believe all South Victoria, Australia in attendance went away better informed. The word “tools” was spoken of regularly from various staff members, from management to employees, in my two days. As a dairy farmer, knowing the competition out there, understanding the current environment, the financial stress our industry is experiencing and along with the issues I have encountered over the years as an ABS customer, I really did ponder the term! It is absolutely critical all ABS employees have access to the right “tools” to get GMS out there.
The people on the ground must have the people/life skills to connect with the farmer and only then can they begin to win the trust of a new client. This takes TIME. Are the right people on the ground? The types of people who are happy to seek out an ordinary herd, then jump on board for the “journey to extraordinary”? In my nine years, I have had four different GMS evaluators and six different field staff (consistency, commitment?). Now I maintain a good relationship with them all, but that comes naturally because I am so passionate about my cows and I seek out and hunt down the “tools” I need to help me in my business to be successful. GMS is my best tool in my breeding program! Not every farmer is like me. There’s a lot of competition out there. GMS from a farmer’s perspective is a journey. Results take two to four years. Undoubtedly the best results will come from those “ordinary herds” and I see a huge opportunity there. To grasp that and win it, takes time. Once done, you will have these customers for the journey. Long-term ABS customers equal more consistent, reliable sales revenue! GMS takes the “guessing game” out of female genetic management decisions. It gives farmer’s confidence in areas of uncertainty. When implemented together, ABS sires combined with GMS can in just a few short years put quality, profitable dairy cows within everyone’s reach. GMS theory in the classroom
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I was fortunate to spend time on-farm with the ABS Australia GMS team evaluating cows and this I “Thank you to ABS Australia for this opportunity found invaluable. Hands-on discussion with positive reinforcement and encouragement were very well and for the chance to contribute feedback. ” received and I highly recommend that going forward Irene Walker, TC & IP Walker Farms, Australia for all employees (whether or not they are trained as GMS evaluators). As a dairy farmer I found myself subconsciously evaluating my cows when milking for the first few days on my arrival back home! So, maybe that’s something to keep in mind if workshops or seminars on GMS were to take place with farmer involvement. Cows, real or onscreen, could be used to highlight how physical evaluating is done. This could potentially increase farmer confidence and understanding of the program. Thank you to ABS Australia for this opportunity, and for the chance to contribute feedback. I mean for it be both constructive and positive. I hope there are some key points that will be of benefit to your teams going forward.
Photo Gallery
Spring GMS Training in Australia
Typical Australian milking parlor
GMS evaluation demonstration on-farm
“Thank you to ABS AusFeed stoarge for an Australian dairy farm
Example cows for linear evaluation demonstration
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GMS Contact Information
Kylene Anderson GMS Manager 608.846.1443 Kylene.Anderson@genusplc.com Skype: kylene.anderson
Ellie Fleming GMS Processing Specialist 608.846.6372 Ellie.Fleming@genusplc.com Skype: ellie_fleming
Emily Novinskie GMS Processing Manager 608.846.6207 Emily.Novinskie@genusplc.com Skype: enovinskie
Christina LaMere GMS Data Specialist 608.846.6370 Christina.Lamere@genusplc.com Skype: christina.lamere
Dan Bauer Genetic Management Programs Manager 608.846.6378 Daniel.Bauer@genusplc.com Skype: dsbauer8
Evan Schnadt Strategic Account Manager 608.846.6373 Evan.Schnadt@genusplc.com Skype: Evan.Schnadt
Courtney Smith GMS Processing Specialist 608.846.1463 Courtney.Smith@genusplc.com Skype: courtney.smith318
Cassie Endres GMS Intern 608.846.1441 Cassie.Endres@genusplc.com
ABS Global, Inc., 1525 River Road, DeForest, WI 53532 Phone: 608.846.4672 Fax: 608.846.6239 abs.gms@genusplc.com