April 2013 Dairy Horizons by GENEX

APRIL 2013 APRIL PROOF REPORT

REPRO AWARD WINNERS

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HORIZONS April 2013 Vol. 19/No. 1

Published three times a year for dairy producers around the globe. |

ADDRESS CORRESPONDENCE Cooperative Resources International P.O. Box 469, Shawano, WI 54166 info@crinet.com 888.333.1783 www.crinet.com

CANADA - Genex Cooperative, Inc. 291 Woodlawn Rd W Unit 4C, Guelph, Ontario N1H 7L6 genexcanada@crinet.com 888.354.4622

BOARD OF DIRECTORS Paul Greene, President Berlin, N.Y., 518.658.2419

Duane Nelson, 1st Vice President Winthrop, Minn., 507.647.2540

John Ruedinger, 2nd Vice President

J On the Cover:

CONTENTS

Van Dyne, Wis., 920.922.9899

Ronald Totten, Secretary Stafford, N.Y., 585.344.0758

Jim Crocker Valley City, Ohio, 330.483.3709

Jon Wayne Danielson Cadott, Wis., 715.289.3860

Patrick Dugan Casa Grande, Ariz., 520.251.6455

Ted Foster Middlebury, Vt., 802.388.6515

Harlin Hecht Paynesville, Minn., 320.243.4386

Harold House Nokesville, Va., 703.754.9534

Kay Olson-Martz Friendship, Wis., 608.564.7359

Bobby Robertson Tahlequah, Okla., 918.822.0020

Richard Vold Glenwood, Minn., 320.634.4665

Alfred Wanner, Jr.

HORIZONS STAFF

REPRINTS

Material may not be reproduced in any fashion without Cooperative Resources International’s permission. Cooperative Resources International, their member cooperatives, agents or employees, cannot and do not guarantee the conception rate, quality or productivity to be obtained in connection with the use of their products or recommended techniques. THEY MAKE NO WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND WHATSOEVER EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED WHICH EXTENDS BEYOND THE DESCRIPTION OF THE PRODUCTS AND HEREBY DISCLAIM ALL WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. In the unlikely event that any of the products shall be proven to be defective, damages resulting from their use shall be limited to their purchase price.

Facebook.com/GenexCRI

GenexCooperativeInc

Semen Collection

Narvon, Pa., 717.768.8118

Jenny L. Hanson, Editor, jlhanson@crinet.com Andy Graf, Graphic Designer

Dairy farms in British Columbia, Canada, are highlighted on pages 28-31. Kooyman Family Farm (cover) and Springbank Dairy (shown here) are operated by enthusiastic young Canadian producers.

PROOF HIGHLIGHTS

Get The Inside Scoop!

| Genex Names Excellence In Repro Winners

Reproductive Management 14 | Myth or Reality? 16 | PregCheck™ Fertility Leadership 24 | Dairy Performance Navigator

Herd Management 21 | More Profit From Every Calf

Employee Development 26 | Reducing Your New Employee Cull Rate

Herd Story 28 | The Beauty of BC;

Dairy Farming in the Fraser Valley Mission Statement: Provide products and services as effectively as possible to maximize

the profitability of members and customers worldwide while maintaining a strong cooperative. H O R I Z O N S

G R A S S R O O T S

CRI CELEBRATES

20 YEARS OF GROWTH COOPERATIVE RESOURCES INTERNATIONAL CELEBRATED ITS 20TH ANNIVERSARY AT THE MARCH 27 ANNUAL MEETING IN BLOOMINGTON, MINN.

“The birth of CRI, the first ever holding cooperative in the United States, has proven to be a business development milestone and a business model that is the envy of the cooperative world,” shared John Ruedinger, CRI Chairman and dairyman from Van Dyne, Wis. The formation of CRI also marked the first direct link between an artificial insemination organization and a DHI service organization. Through acquisitions, mergers and organic growth, those organizations have become today’s CRI subsidiaries Genex Cooperative, Inc. and AgSource Cooperative Services. In addition to celebrating the anniversary, CRI Chief Financial Officer Larry Romuald reported cooperative financials to the membership. “2012 was a year not without challenges. The drought severely impacted our membership nationally. Securing adequate feed supplies became paramount. High feed costs and its impact on dairy and rancher operating statements pressured margin management, and higher milk prices helped compensate for added feed cost. Still, we are able to report the second highest net savings in CRI’s history.” Consolidated income increased to $161,182,358. Net savings from operations was $8,497,306, a 5.3 percent return before income tax and minority interest. Net savings after the provision for income taxes was $7,027,116 or 4.4 percent of reported revenue.

After acknowledging the success of CRI over the past 20 years, Ruedinger spoke about the cooperative’s future. “As CRI prepares for the next 20 years, producers around the world are becoming far more aware of both the need to increase output and the potential for controllable margins. These factors provide opportunity for genetic- and management-based improvement, which is created by demand beyond what many local small businesses can provide. With a reputation of fast technology adoption, industry innovation and managing change, CRI is in a position to meet those demands.”

AgSource Cooperative Services

AgSource reported record financials marking the third consecutive year with over 1 million dollars in net savings before tax. The reported net savings before tax of $1,064,366 on total revenue of $22,523,271 marked a return of 4.7%. All major AgSource business operations – DHI, food and environmental, and agronomy – were positive contributors to profitability.

Genex Cooperative, Inc.

Genex reported revenue growth over the previous year. Total reported revenue equaled $128,050,548 with before tax savings of $9,066,595. Highlights included continued growth in beef semen sales and growth of GenChoice™ sales domestically and internationally. Additionally, Genex Farm Systems, the division marketing milking and farmstead equipment, generated $12,432,717 in revenue. Central Livestock, LLC, improved on last year’s performance with profit before tax of $352, 413. 

2012 HIGHLIGHTS AS SHARED BY CRI CEO DOUG WILSON AT THE GENEX ANNUAL MEETING. 1. Jersey Commitment: Building a far more intense Jersey foundation was the key message in a new five-year plan. The Jersey breed has a growth explosion occurring and Genex desires to be a vital part of this development. Increasing sire numbers, extending the GENESIS Cooperative Herd to the Jersey breed, and the hiring of a Jersey Marketing Specialist are pieces of this plan. 2. Beef Commitment: A new five-year beef plan was adopted. Many plans are being developed, and the restructuring and placement of two new Large Herd Beef Specialists demonstrate our commitment to this activity. The global piece of this plan is huge and, likewise, we are dedicating International staff to beef. 3. Beef x Dairy: Three years ago we felt an industry trend was apparent, but many second guessed our position. As we looked at the numbers, technology and market demands, we were confident F1s from beef sires on dairy cows would become a vital piece of U.S. livestock

H O R I Z O N S

production. It would be quality based with top beef genetics, it would be an increased revenue stream for dairy members, and it would be a piece of fulfilling the beef demand. We were perhaps a touch early with our thought process. We are now experiencing record-breaking sales of beef sires into dairy herds, complemented with dairy GenChoice™ use in the herd, and of course have introduced the Breeding to Feeding™ program. 4. NAAB Recognition: At the 2012 National Association of Animal Breeders convention, Genex staff awards were simply impressive. Three Genex employees attained the 1 million unit sales mark, one reached 2.5 million units and one achieved 3 million units. Genex also had three representatives earn the coveted 100,000 First Service Award. To complete the recognition, John Ruedinger was the recipient of the NAAB Member Director Award. John joins seven other directors from Genex and its predecessor organizations, which illustrates our strong board leadership within the industry.

G R A S S R O O T S

THE PRESIDENT’S ADDRESS EXCERPTS FROM SPEECH OF GENEX PRESIDENT PAUL GREENE 2012 was a year of reacting quickly to some fairly major issues globally and to the drought. Through it all, management and the board had the mindset of not waiting to react and yet preserve long-term objectives to the best of our ability. We also had two large acquisition/disposal activities. On May 25, 2012, we sold the Stewartville, Minn., stud facility. Of major significance is our March 1, 2013, acquisition of the 40-year marketing organization in Mexico called RASA. With the RASA owners at retirement age and the good relationship between the two organizations, it was a logical move. There is real opportunity in Mexico with both dairy and beef. There are some governance/membership issues to address too. First, I am pleased with our aggressive plan for equity distribution. Through credits and cash, we distributed over $2.8 million in 2012. In the last three years, we have revolved $4,626,855 through credits and cash. If cash flows allow, your board plans to be 13 years current on revolvement by the end of 2014. When we launched a five-year plan in 2011, we were 25 years out on revolvement. In fact, at that time less than 20% of the oldest equity was held by current members. When the plan is complete, current members will hold close to 60% of the oldest equity. We feel very good about this. As it stands today, we plan to hold at the 13-year current level. Obviously, that assumes cash flow allows it.

J Genex President Paul Greene is a dairy farmer from Berlin, N.Y.

A N N U A L R E P O R T

2012

The second governance area is a reminder of the board’s decision to change the minimum annual usage level to $500 in 2015 to be a member. This was discussed at member meetings and the background was in December Horizons. It was five years ago when we established the $200 minimum for membership. Last year we provided product and service to over 3,000 customers whose total expenditure was under $200. They simply do not qualify for governance activities or equity distribution. The board agreed with the delegate majority and felt $500 was appropriate in 2015. The third governance area is the board self-evaluation. Although this might seem small, we have now completed our second structured evaluation (held once every other year). We have identified areas where the board needed more understanding or education and reacted accordingly. It is a good check on the tough question of living up to a board member’s responsibility. Through the CRI governance committee, we are now looking at a more comprehensive self-evaluation program. 

BOARD OF DIRECTORS ELECTIONS

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qE For a copy of the 2012 CRI annual report, contact customer service at 888.333.1783 or info@crinet.com.

Genex delegates elected board members to represent membership regions 1, 4, 7, 10 and 13. In four regions current board members were re-elected: Alfred Wanner, Jr. (Region 4), Kay Olson-Martz (Region 7), Duane Nelson (Region 10) and Patrick Dugan (Region 13). In region 1, Jacques Couture retired from the board. Newly elected was Ted Foster of Middlebury, Vt.

J Ted Foster, Foster Brothers Farm, Middlebury, Vt.

Ted Foster is a co-owner and the chief financial officer of Foster Brothers Farm and Vermont Natural Ag Products. Foster Brothers Farm is a fourth generation dairy milking 470 Holsteins. Vermont Natural Ag is a soil amendment and fertilizer company covering New England and eastern New York. In addition, Ted is involved in many agricultural organizations. He previously served as President of Vermont DHIA and Northeast Co-ops, and served on the board for National DHIA, Yankee Farm Credit and Genex predecessor Eastern A.I. Currently, he serves as Vice President of the Vermont Farm Bureau and is a member of the Lancaster DHIA and DRMS boards. 

C O O P E R AT I V E R E S O U R C E S I N T E R N AT I O N A L

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GENEX

M IS SION

AWARD Winners

J Genex employees were bestowed with Mission Awards at the annual meeting. Missing from photo is Marcos de Oliveira.

Over his 23 years in the dairy industry Doug has built strong relationships with members, customers and their families. Doug is always looking for a way to help producers increase their profitability levels. Above all, he enjoys it – “I love what I do, and I am confident I’m where God wants me to be.” Doug also supports the local Genex service team in the southern San Joaquin Valley and southern California along with Dairy National Account Manager Colten Green. In 2012, Doug was recognized by the National Association of Animal Breeders for achieving 2.5 million units in lifetime semen sales. He continues this leadership selling 18,500 more units in 2012 than in the previous year. J Doug Westenbroek Profit Development Specialist Ontario, California

Doug and his wife Lisa are the proud parents of three grown children. 

EXCELLENCE IN LEADERSHIP AWARD Whether traveling in the southeast U.S. or abroad, Ed works tirelessly to assist producers in improving their profit potential. He is extremely knowledgeable, commanding respect from fellow Genex and CRI staff, and has a welcoming personality, building relationships with members and customers almost instantaneously. J Ed Silba International Progressive Herd Consultant Ashville, North Carolina 6

H O R I Z O N S

Throughout his career, Ed has often worked across cultures. He is frequently asked to work with a farm’s employee team assisting with training or language translation. He is also sought by dairy

producers to share his consulting expertise. His years of experience, having first joined the cooperative in 1979, have earned him the trust and respect of hundreds of dairy producers both nationally and internationally. For Ed, one of the rewarding parts of his career has been the opportunity to work with Dairy Challenge. As he puts it, “It’s been an inspiration to see the future of the dairy industry is in good hands.” Another notable experience was the introduction of genomics. “Genomics ©2013 CRI

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Marcos has been employed by Genex since September 2007. In January 2012, he demonstrated his leadership abilities by starting a new service route in the Merced, Calif., area. In the first year, he added new herds to the service route and helped increase the quality of genetics used in breeding programs thereby improving herd profit potential.

J Marcos De Oliveira Breeding Program Specialist Turlock, California

Marcos works hard as a member of the service team and has demonstrated his dedication to the success of the team, his teammates and cooperative members. He strives for strong reproductive performance on the farm and consistently maintains high pregnancy rates ranging from 23% to 27%. Through his hard work and determination Marcos has grown total sales in the service route area by 7,261 units over 2011. Marcos is married to wife Raquel. They have a son, Ethan, who is 8. 

Don, who has worked at Genex for nearly 11 years, possesses an excellent knowledge of the dairy industry. This benefits him in his career as the Profit Development Specialist for the team serving members in northwest Iowa. The team – consisting of Dan Beatty, Craig Bosma, Neil Jones, Jeremiah Ploen and Chris Janssen – is high functioning and performs extremely well under Don’s direction. Together, they excel in providing outstanding reproductive management services and programs that create a consistent high level of pregnancy rates for members’ herds. The team also excelled in 2012 by leading the marketing region for sales dollars and semen units; they surpassed the 100,000 semen unit mark for the year. J Don Guthridge Profit Development Specialist Kingsley, Iowa

He is married to wife Holly. They live near Kingsley, Iowa, with their three children Ella (8), Issaac (6) and Lyla (2). 

Derek joined Genex in October 2007 and since the beginning has sincerely enjoyed working with members in northeast Wisconsin. The success these members have on their dairies – whether related to production, reproduction, herd health or longevity – is a great source of joy in Derek’s daily work. This fits well with his responsibilities: heat detection, artificial insemination, and helping to identify overall herd health issues during daily calls or while walking and chalking herds. Derek is happy to be working with a great Genex team: Charles Nett, Steve Szews, Jeff Fischer, Mike Krueger, Tim Kolpack and Zach Wendler. The members served by this group of employees are satisfied with the dependability of service provided. J Derek Kolpack Breeding Program Specialist Bryant, Wisconsin

Derek and his wife, Jennifer, live in Wisconsin’s Langlade County. 

has made the A.I. industry extremely exciting and accelerated the pace of genetics now compared to my first years in the industry.” Through it all, Ed notes that working with the Genex staff in the Southeast has been one of his greatest pleasures. “And, the growth we saw in 2012 was very rewarding.” Ed and his wife, Janice, have two sons (Michael and Jonathan) who have blessed them with five grandchildren. 

J Ed Silba works tirelessly in the southeast U.S. and abroad to improve producers' profit potential.

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CRI HELPS BUILD CO-OP BUSINESSES AND BEEF INDUSTRY IN NICARAGUA

GENEX DG29 BLOOD PREGNANCY TESTING EXPANDS

DG29 TESTING NOW CONDUCTED AT THREE LOCATIONS: ™

∙ DAIRY ONE, ITHACA, N.Y. ∙ AGSOURCE LABORATORIES, MENOMONIE, WI ∙ AGSOURCE LABORATORIES, JEROME, ID J Nicaraguan milk producer cooperative representatives attend a Cooperative Development Program seminar to learn new ideas to strengthen their organizations.

or 40 years, CRI has revitalized agribusiness, provided livestock technology education and facilitated trade around the world. Through U.S. government-supported initiatives, CRI has lead such development efforts in Nicaragua. “We believe growing a business is not a unilateral endeavor,” explains Matt Rhody, CRI Cooperative Development Manager. “In order to do well, the entire industry must do well. That is why CRI assists farmers and cooperatives worldwide in improving their businesses.” J Jon Wayne Danielson shared his Genex board member experience with Nicaraguan cooperative leaders.

Through a Cooperative Development Program, a joint effort between CRI and the United States Agency for International Development, CRI is assisting Nicaraguan cooperatives in becoming better enterprises with improved business practices and specific strategies to establish a solid position in the marketplace.

CRI held a seminar January 28-30 in Managua, which drew 37 attendees from 10 Nicaraguan milk-producer cooperatives. Participants learned about cooperative principles and strengthening relations between cooperative members and their boards of directors. Genex board member Jon Wayne Danielson was in attendance and provided a ‘board member-to-board member’ perspective. “My role was to demonstrate how CRI functions as a cooperative,” Jon Wayne said. “From the questions asked, it is evident cooperatives in Nicaragua face many of the same issues we have faced. Sharing information learned from CRI’s history can be helpful in facilitating the future growth of these cooperatives.” To aid the Nicaraguan beef industry, CRI has received a U.S. Department of Agriculture Emerging Markets Program grant. The grant enables CRI to assess the beef industry in three Latin American countries and provide feedback through a collaborative conference attended by key beef industry representatives from each participating country. The week-long assessment of the Nicaraguan beef industry was conducted in January 2013. Similar assessments will be completed in Honduras and Colombia. The collaborative beef industry conference will be held in 2014.  8

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airy One Cooperative Inc. in Ithaca, N.Y., has been added to the list of laboratories certified for DG29 testing giving Genex members and customers across the nation three laboratory options. To use the test, simply draw a blood sample from a cow or heifer, forward the samples to a certified laboratory, and receive pregnancy diagnosis results via fax, mail or email. The test detects a specific pregnancy-related protein within the bovine’s blood sample. Based on the presence of that protein, positive (pregnant) or negative (open) results are reported. The test is over 98.7 percent accurate, according to research published in the Canadian Veterinary Journal. For best results, testing should be conducted on cows or heifers 29 days or more post-breeding. Cows must also be at least 90 days post-calving before blood samples are collected. Complete test kits come in packages of 24, 48, 72 or 144. The complete kit includes blood tubes, disposable needles, needle holders, shipping containers, test analyses and shipping to the farm or ranch. Kit components are also sold individually. To purchase DG29, contact your local Genex representative, call 888-333-1783 or shop online. 

SHOP NOW!

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DAIRY COMMUNITY MOURNS LOSS OF STEVE SCHNELL

teve Schnell, former Genex Vice President of Dairy Cattle Genetics, passed away March 29 after a valiant five year battle with brain cancer. Steve was a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a master’s in dairy genetics. He joined Genex (then called 21st Century Genetics) on January 1, 1986. His research was an excellent fit for Genex as it dealt with linear conformation traits. Steve had also distinguished himself placing in the top 15 in three different national dairy judging competitions. Steve’s first position of Genex Dairy Programs Specialist contained a wide range of dairy genetic responsibilities. In two years, he was promoted to Acquisition Specialist. Four years later, Steve was promoted to Sire Sampling Manager. The task of progeny testing coordination and coordinating in-house research became his responsibilities. In this time, he quickly became a “go to” person in genetics. He was street smart, technically bright and very logical in his approach.

On June 1, 1999, Steve was named Vice President of Dairy Cattle Genetics. In this position, he became world renown for managing one of the largest dairy genetic programs in the world. It was during this time that Steve advanced the female genetic program, GENESIS, to global prominence. Steve contributed to many innovations at Genex. Well-known in the industry was the in-house development of two fertility rankings – GenCheck™ and SynchSmart™. Steve also developed in-house visionary genetic selection indexes that proved to be a key to Genex product leadership. When Steve was chairman of the industry’s NAAB sire evaluation committee, he played the leadership role of U.S. genomic programming, one of the greatest technologies in U.S. dairy genetic history. Steve was an author of numerous articles, but was especially popular as a U.S. and global speaker on dairy genetic issues. His style of communicating a difficult topic in a very understandable manner was appreciated by all.

CRI PURCHASES MEXICAN A.I. COMPANY

RI has purchased Reproducción Animal S.A. de C.V. (RASA) of Tlalnepantla, Mexico. The new entity, CRI Reproducción Animal México, markets beef and dairy genetics throughout Mexico.

“For 40 years, RASA was a successful leading cattle genetics provider in Mexico. Year after year, the organization has also been among CRI’s top semen distributors,” shares Huub te Plate, CRI Vice President of International Marketing. “Building on that past success and strong relationship, I am proud to announce that CRI Mexico has become the fourth CRI-owned retail business abroad alongside CRI South Africa, CRI Brazil and Canada.” The expansion of CRI business ownership means new opportunities in a country where producers already understand the value of artificial insemination and superior genetics. “Over the years, RASA made valuable contribution to the Mexican cattle industry through the supply of high-quality genetics and education of decision makers on the CRI México farm,” notes te Plate. “This Reproducción Animal aligns well with CRI strategy, philosophy and history.” Humberto Sanchez, General Manager of CRI México, remarks further on the potential within the Mexican cattle industry. “Mexico is a milk importing country with a strong projected population growth calling for increased domestic milk production. Use of A.I. in beef breeds is also on the rise and will continue to increase along with demand for beef products worldwide.”  ©2013 CRI

J S

Since September 2009, Steve has been a consultant to the Genex Dairy Genetics and Global Alliance Development staff. During a 28-year career, Steve left his footprint on dairy cattle breeding for Genex, the United States and around the globe. Dairy geneticists at most universities from around the world and his competitive peers recognized Steve as one of the giants in applying population genetics and then leading the innovation to genomic technology. 

SORT, FIND AND COMPARE

BULLS INDUSTRY-WIDE PLAN THE GENETIC FUTURE OF YOUR HERD FROM THE COMFORT OF YOUR OWN HOME.  Sort dairy bulls from past 40 years  Search bulls by short name, NAAB code or reg number  Compare up to 4 bulls side-by-side  Sort bulls on your traits of importance  Find a replacement bull if your favorite sire is no longer available

http://genex.crinet.com/mpg H O R I Z O N S

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GENEX OFFERS CUSTOM SEMEN COLLECTION OF DAIRY BULLS GENEX CUSTOM COLLECTION

Trust the Largest Custom Semen Collection Organization!

GREAT PLACE FOR A CAREER

• Domestic and exportable semen collection services • Sexed semen services available • High-quality facilities where bull care, health and safety are top priority • Custom storage and shipping of semen • Experienced and dedicated staff to meet your needs

SALES & SERVICE

enex has had a longstanding commitment to producing quality semen – from collecting semen from bulls in our active lineup to offering a custom semen collection program since the early 1970s. We continue that commitment by offering members and customers dairy bull custom semen collection services. Genex has the country well covered for custom collection. The seven Genex semen collection facilities available for custom collecting dairy bulls are located in: Ithaca, N.Y.; Baton Rouge, La.; Fort Payne, Ala.; Strafford, Mo.; Shawano, Wis.; Mitchell, S.D.; and Billings, Mont. Each has previous experience in caring for and collecting dairy bulls. If interested in having your dairy bull collected by Genex, contact Product Support Manager Jenny DeMunck at Genex Headquarters in Shawano, Wis., at 888.333.1783 for further details. 

REPRODUCTIVE CONSULTING

INTERNATIONAL MARKETING

Billings, Mont. Shawano, Wis. Mitchell, S.D.

Ithaca, N.Y.

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Genex Custom H Collection Facility Loctions

Baton Rouge, La.

If considering custom collection of your dairy bulls, consider Genex. We have the country well covered for custom collection! 1 0

H O R I Z O N S

INTERNSHIPS

CHECK OUT

. . . S I S E N GE . . s. c ti e n e G e iv ss e r g o r P f o s n Generatio NI: Dam of 1HO10696 YOVA

T, VG-85, VG-MS, DOM Co-op Boliver Yoyo-E SM w (4-2011) #1 GLNM and GTPI Co

ER B/R: Dam of 1HO10389 COOP

-788-E T, VG-85 Ms Pride Plnt TasketSM COW (12-2011) PI GT #1 GLNM and

! ts fi ro P d er H r u yo g in ct pa Im y ...Your Bulls Positivel +$700 LIFETIME NET MERIT ER 14 GENESIS SIRES OV

%-I +$908 LNM 1HO10396 CABRIOLET +$869 LNM 1HO10559 RAINIER +$825 LNM 1HO10788 JACEY %-I +$808 LNM I 1HO09800 ERDMAN %+$801 LNM 1HO10668 EVAN %-I 801 LNM +$ 1HO10644 INDY %-I +$789 LNM 1HO10696 YOVANI

+$776 LNM 1HO10733 JAGER %-I +$764 LNM 1HO10085 YANO +$733 LNM 1HO10369 LOYAL +$728 LNM 1HO09167 O-ST YLE +$724 LNM 1HO10805 YALE %-I /R %-I +$711 LNM 1HO10389 COOPER *B +$702 LNM 1HO09527 MASSEY

Daughters of 1HO09527 MASSEY and 1HO09167 O-STYLE pictured at United Pride Dairy, LLC, a GENESIS Cooperator Herd in Phillips, Wis.

Genex

Cooperative, Inc. A Subsidiary of Cooperative Resources International

USDA-CDCB/04-13

P R O O F

H I G H L I G H T S

PROOF HIGHLIGHTS

Get The Inside Scoop!

THE FUTURE OF YOUR HERD AND OURS

MAKERS OF ROBOT COMPATIBLE COWS

ore and more dairy herd owners are determining robotic milkers are the right solution for them. Now there’s an option for these dairy owners to make more profitable sire selections for their specific business model. Genex introduces the Robot Compatibility Index (RC$).

These sires are reliable; their average LNM change when going from genomic proven to progeny proven is significantly lower than that of the average sire industrywide.

RC$ identifies bulls with the desired mobility and leg placement, optimal teat size and shape, and improved milking speed for ideal performance in a robotic milking system. No sacrifice is made in genetic progress for yield, cow health, longevity or feed efficiency! Check out the best 25% of Genex sires for robotic milking systems. See the Genex Holstein Investment Guide. 

our GENESIS Cooperative Herd is one of the greatest genetic stories ever written in the history of the A.I. industry. Today, there are more than 55 GENESIS sires available representing 46 different cow families. Of those 55, 14 are over +$700 Lifetime Net Merit (LNM).

GENESIS herd members are renowned; 1HO09167 O-STYLE and 1HO09527 MASSEY are no. 4 and 5 respectively on the official top 100 TPI list. 1HO10396 CABRIOLET %-I, 1HO10559 RAINIER and 1HO10788 JACEY %-I are at the top of the Genex LNM list. And, GENESIS cows Co-op Boliver Yoyo-ET, VG-85, VG-MS and Ms Pride Plnt Tasket-788-ET, VG-85 have led the industry for GLNM and GTPI. SM

GENESIS is the future of your herd and ours. It’s generations of progressive genetics producing bulls to positively impact Traits your herdIncluded profits!  in

Lifetime Net Merit H

Protein 16%

DPR 11%

p. 4%

FL Com

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Body Siz

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4 8%

SCS -10%

its Tra

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Productive Life 22%

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J Traits Included in Lifetime Net Merit

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G Minnesota dairy producers interested in robotic milking machines should contact Genex Farm Systems at 800.636.5581.

GENETIC DIVERSITY ON THE FARM

enex provides a variety of tools to help manage inbreeding. One is the outcross list featured in the Holstein Investment Guide. “Simple Without Sacrifice” is the motto. The easy-to-use list identifies outcross allstars and doesn’t sacrifice quality genetics. The list includes the lineup’s best 25% of sires based on Expected Future Inbreeding (EFI). Mating your herd through MAP™ or G-MAP™ is another step to managing inbreeding. This program takes into account past pedigrees or genomic information when suggesting mating options for the next generation. To learn more about MAP, contact your Genex representative. A third tool is Genex inbreeding guides available for both the Holstein and Jersey breeds. The Quick-glance inbreeding guides list the lineup in alphabetical order and indicate which popular sires or families are present in each sire’s pedigree. The flyers can be accessed online at genex.crinet.com/inbreeding. 

BREAKING RECORDS & STILL GOING!

t was just under a year ago that famed sire 1HO07235 TOYSTORY broke the record producing a remarkable 2 million units of frozen semen. Today the illustrious bull is still going strong having produced more than 2.18 million units. Even more extraordinary, he has more than 40,000 units on backorder. TOYSTORY has a tremendous career! 

MAKING TOP TPI NEWS SM

enex dominates the top of TPI list again claiming four of the top six and more bulls in the top 10 than any other stud. 1HO08784 FREDDIE %-I is the industry’s no. 2 bull. 1HO09167 O-STYLE earned the no. 4 position. He’s followed by 1HO09527 MASSEY at no. 5 and 1HO09192 HILL at no. 6. 

P R O O F

H I G H L I G H T S

It’s that time again … when new sire evaluations are released and the latest bulls appear in the Genex lineup. Staying up-to-date on the new information to maintain genetic progress in your herd isn’t impossible. You may just need … the inside scoop.

GENETIC DIVERSITY IN THE

JERSEY LINEUP

he top new debut in the Jersey lineup, 1JE00812 HAWTHORNE (Zuma x Paramount), has a pedigree free of the Violet, Maid and Gratitude families and no Impuls bloodline. To top it off, HAWTHORNE is unveiled as the new Genex Cheese Merit (CM) leader at +$639, backed by +0.10% Protein and +0.25% Fat. He’s also among the top Genex Jerseys for Productive Life (+5.5) and sires fertile daughters (+1.2 Daughter Pregnancy Rate). Udders are a HAWTHORNE specialty too, demonstrated by his +5.19 JUI™. The profitable 1JE00711 PLUS has pedigree diversity and is siring the breed’s best young cows. With 312 daughters in his production proof, PLUS solidified his +2025 PTA Milk. Beyond production, this high JPI™ bull (+246) sires daughters with excellent overall confirmation (+2.0 PTA Type). As a bonus, a 102 PregCheck™ rating gives PLUS a 2% conception rate advantage over average fertility bulls. 1JE00773 JOSHUA (Bungy x Fredrico) brings a unique pedigree, outstanding CM (+$570) and excellent fitness traits (+5.0 Productive Life, +1.2 DPR). 1JE00794 ZAYD (Plus x Abe) sires daughters that sport great udders and add pounds to the tank (+4.05 JUI, +1553 Milk). He’s also a conception specialist creating pregnancies from his 106 PregCheck. With a Danish-free predigree, 1JE00798 BRAVEHEART is another sire with genetic diversity. He transmits a wellrounded proof of yield, fitness and type. 

J MGD of RADFORD: Boyd-Lee Paramount Hannah, EX-90%

PROFITS THROUGH PREGNANCIES

or more than a decade Genex has led the industry for sire fertility. Advancing our efforts, Genex unveils a new way for members to create Profits through Pregnancies: PregCheck™. This new ranking is easy to use. PregCheck includes a 100base system (100 is average). Every point difference is equivalent to a 1% difference in conception rate. For instance, 1JE00794 ZAYD has a 106 PregCheck. Expect a 6% conception rate increase from ZAYD over the average 100 PregCheck bull. Also check out these other fantastic fertility sires: 1JE00801 MADDEN, 105; 1JE00654 ALLSTAR, 104; 1JE00791 DIVIDEND, 104; 1JE00767 ZEBULON, 104; 1JE00793 DIVINE, 104; 1JE00763 LANCE-GR, 104; 1JE00792 MACHETE, 103; 1JE00797 FANTOM, 103; and 1JE00604 GANNON-PR, 103. 

NEW SIRES ADD

CHEESE MERIT PROFITABILITY In April, Genex released seven new Jersey bulls. Five of those new debuts topped the +$585 Cheese Merit (CM) mark. Leading the lineup is 1JE00812 Boyd-Lee Zuma HAWTHORNE. He’s got an impressive repertoire at +$639 CM, +0.25% Fat, +5.5 Productive Life and +5.19 JUI™. He should lead to profitable, long-living daughters with top-notch cheese production and beautiful udders. 1JE00811 Boyd-Lee Zuma H RADFORD-ET boasts a +$616 CM with first-rate health traits (+4.4 Productive Life and +1.4 DPR). At +$593 CM, 1JE00815 Sun Valley Zuma PAYTON-ET sires tall daughters with dairy frames and excellent components. 1JE00818 Woodstock Hendrix LEGION and 1JE00817 Cal-Mart Zuma HOOKER both stand at +$586 CM. Health traits specialist 1JE00807 Cal-Mart Zuma SPRINGER has a +$549 CM and significantly increases productive life (+5.3) and daughter fertility (+1.5). He also sires strength and width. 1JE00814 Berrys Blitzen MAGUIRE is the seventh new release bull. MAGUIRE, at +$525 CM, has a proof indicating exceptional fat yields (+0.23%). 

J Dam of PAYTON: Sun Valley Impuls Panda, EX-90%

J Dam of MAGUIRE: Berrys Tbone Pucket-ET, VG-85%

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M A N A G E M E N T

By: Gustavo Peña // Former Genex National Account Specialist

Artificial insemination (A.I.) has changed throughout the years: from the use of fresh semen preserved at room temperature in the early 1940s, to the discovery of the cryopreservation process and use of frozen-thawed semen in the 1960s, to the sorting and preservation of sexed semen in recent years. Along with those changes, the industry has also examined different options in A.I. methodology. The objective of the intrauterine process of A.I. in livestock is to deposit the semen after passing through the cervical barrier. The goal is to increase the number of sperm cells reaching the ovum and increase the chance for fertilization. While conducting A.I. training, breeders often challenge me with the question of depositing semen directly in the uterine horns. Here, I will describe some of the reproductive anatomy as well as the accuracy of semen deposit with the intention of clarifying the popular beliefs of semen deposition.

Anatomy of the Repro Tract

A cow’s reproductive tract (from outside to inside) is composed of the following parts: the vulva, vagina, cervix, uterine body, uterine horns, oviduct and ovaries. For the purpose of this article, I will not describe all the anatomical parts (Fig.1), only those I consider essential to the knowledge of the A.I. technician.

The vulva, the only visible part from the back of the cow, is a group of muscles structured to keep the vagina closed. The cervix, a unique tubular structure that most of the time sits on the floor of the pelvis, is clearly distinguishable from other anatomical structures for its cartilage composition. The cervix serves the function of restricting the access of contaminated material to the sterile lumen of the uterus. Semen should not be deposited in the cervix. The mucous secretion of the cervix may trap the sperm or phagocyte sperm cells may reduce the total sperm count available for fertilizing the ovum in the oviduct. Following the cervix is the uterine body or the targeted location for semen deposit. O’Connor, from Pennsylvania State University, concluded from 580 reproductive tract measurements taken through radiograph that the average length of the uterine body is about 5/8 inch. Without caution, if the pipette is inserted too far into the uterus, semen is deposited inside one of the uterine horns. Developing the ability to correctly identify the uterine body with the end of the insemination pipette is probably the most important technique A.I. technicians have to master.

Figure 1. Anatomical position and parts of the bovine reproductive track.

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M A N A G E M E N T

J When conducting A.I., emphasis should be placed on depositing semen in the uterine body.

Semen Deposition

The uterine body has been the accepted site for semen deposition during A.I. The following table, modified from Williams, B.L., et al. (1988), shows the overall conception for semen deposited in the uterine body or the cervix. From the table, it is clear semen deposited in the cervix has lower conception ability. Some research attributes this lower conception to the issue of sperm being trapped, resulting in sperm loss. Therefore, emphasis should be made to ensure new breeders have no trouble passing the pipette through the cervix to deposit semen in the uterine body. o Table 1. Comparison of conception when semen is deposited into the uterine body or the cervix

Semen Deposit

Uterine Body

Cervix

%, conception (n) = breeding animals

48.1 (975)

39.4 (66)

Another example from Graves, et al., (1991) from the University of Tennessee describes that 502 animals were inseminated either in the uterine body or the semen was deposited in both horns. The results shows that conception for semen deposited in the uterine body was 62.9% compared with 54.2% conception for semen deposited in both uterine horns. The researchers agree with the A.I. industry recommendation that deposition of semen should occur in the uterine body. In conclusion, according to the literature, depositing semen in the horns may not increase the conception compared with depositing semen in the uterine body. However, consistency in depositing the semen in the body of the uterus and not in the cervix will deliver better results. Also consider other recommendations for semen handling and proper A.I. technique that must be followed to increase the chances of getting more cows pregnant. Contact your local Genex representative for more information or for A.I. training. 

Adapted from: Williams, et al., 1988. J Dairy Sci.71:2278-2283

References k

As I mentioned previously, it is a popular belief that depositing semen directly into the uterine horns will increase conception rate because the semen has made it past the mucous barrier of the cervix and is positioned closer to the uterine ampulla where semen attaches to its wall and waits until ovulation occurs. This concept sounds logical, however literature does not completely agree. A literature review from Dejarnette, et al., (2004) analyzed 17 studies conducted from 1944 to 1999 which compared the effects on fertility from semen deposited in the uterine horns or the uterine body. Twelve studies, accounting for 26,828 breedings (13,413 in the uterine body and 13,415 in the uterine horns), did not find any statistical difference between either location for semen deposit. In conclusion, the extra effort and training for depositing the semen in both horns will not be compensated with an increase in conception. It is not clear why a few studies show an advantage from depositing semen in the horns. One possible explanation is related to depositing semen in the horns to minimize the semen being deposited in the cervix.

DeJarnette, J. M., C. E. Marshall., R. W. Lenz., D. R. Monke., W. H. Ayars and C. G. Sattler. 2004. Sustaining the fertility of artificially inseminates dairy cattle: the role of the artificial insemination industry. J Dairy Sci. 87: 93-104 Graves, W. M., H. H. Dowlen., G. A. Kless and T. L. Riley. 1991. Evaluation of the uterine body and bilateral uterine-horn insemination techniques. J Dairy Sci. 74:10 3454-3456 O’Connor M. L. Artificial Insemination Technique. The Pennsylvania State University. Dairy Integrated Reproductive Management Williams, B. L., F.C. Gwazdauskas., W. D. Whittier., R. E. Pearson and R. L. Nebel. 1988. Our industry today: Impact of site of inseminate deposition and environmental factor that influence reproduction of dairy cattle. J Dairy Sci. 71: 2278-2283

A Author Bio: Gustavo Peña earned his master’s degree in dairy management from Utah State University and a doctorate of veterinary medicine from Mexico State University. He completed his residency at the University of Florida. Gustavo served as a Genex National Account Specialist in Texas until early 2013 and now works for Animal Diagnostics.

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M A N A G E M E N T

P regCheck ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF

™

FERTILITY LEADERSHIP By: Jenny DeMunck // Product Support Manager

very dairy farmer wants pregnant cows and heifers. It simply hits the bottom line! Significant efforts to inform producers on sire fertility have always been a primary focus at Genex. Those efforts have been evident through fertility education and the bull lineup itself. Continuing our domination as the industry’s fertility leader we have enhanced our internal fertility ranking prediction model and data collection process once known as GenCheck™. Today’s innovative changes unveil a world-class data set; that is why Genex is proud to announce a newly formulated internal fertility ranking, PregCheck™.

J A new fertility ranking makes creating pregnancies easier.

Fertility Focused From the Beginning Genex has concentrated on sire fertility dating back to the beginning of artificial insemination (A.I.). In the 1950s, the cooperative tracked non-return data for technicians. In the 70s and 80s, the cooperative published non-return data for bulls. These efforts to provide producers with valuable profit-impacting fertility data were all prior to industry-wide recognition of the real fertility differences between bulls.

top-notch fertility and has been the industry’s fertility leader for more than a decade. Figure 1 data proves the Genex fertility advantage. This data and the cooperative’s longterm commitment to fertility have earned Genex a global reputation as the number one source of high conception sires. Another fertility system, still unique to Genex today is SynchSmart™. First published in 2007, the Genex exclusive SynchSmart evaluations provide producers with the knowledge of which bulls settle better when used in timed A.I. programs. It is no secret that with our history and data strength, Genex knows fertility matters.

In 2003, industry-wide fertility data was released in the form of Estimated Relative Conception Rates (ERCR). Since 2009, the USDA has calculated Sire Conception Rate (SCR). Throughout this time, Genex remained dedicated to Average Annual Sire Fertility* Rating by A.I. Stud 2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

Genex 1.3

1.0

0.9

1.5

2.0

1.9

1.5

0.1 -0.2 -0.5 0.3 0.2

0.2 -0.1 -0.4 0.4 0.8

0.0 0.3 -0.8 0.3 0.7

0.1 0.3 -0.8 0.3 0.9

1.0 1.2 -0.5 0.7 1.3

1.2 2.2 -0.4 1.1 1.5

1.1 NA 0.2 0.5 0.7

0.9 NA 0.4 0.5 0.6

1.2 NA 0.2 0.3 0.6

Stud A Stud B Stud C Stud D Stud E

0.5 0.1 0.0 0.5 -0.4

Figure 1. Average Annual Sire Fertility Rating by A.I. Stud

*2003 - 2008 data represents ERCR evaluations. 2009 to present represents SCR evaluations. Sources: USDA-AIPL and DRMS/Raleigh, N.C. 2012 data based on April and August sire summaries. As of 2010, Stud B Chose not to disclose SCR evaluations.

Using PregCheck The cooperative’s ability to collect pregnancy diagnosis information from participating herds allows for intense examination. The speed by which observations can be collected is phenomenal too. New genomic bulls are likely to receive a PregCheck evaluation prior to SCR data being published. This speed of data collection and processing provides producers with an idea of a genomic bull’s fertility sooner than under past fertility rankings systems. And, the PregCheck system is easy to use. The fertility ranking is set to a 100 base system, meaning a value of 100 is average. Every one point difference is then equivalent to a 1% difference in conception rate. For example, if bull A has PregCheck of 100 and bull B has a PregCheck of 99, bull A is predicted to be 1% higher in conception rate than bull B. The most recent evaluation of our data set shows an industry range from the low 1 6

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end of 89 up to 107. That is a difference of 18%. That’s a range in bull fertility large enough to immediately impact herd checks. Keep an eye on bulls that bring you profits through pregnancies. Look in the April investment guide and sire catalogs for PregCheck rankings. We are proud of our history in delivering high fertility sires and have made it our mission to continue providing key advancements, such as PregCheck, to improve the sustainability in dairy farming.  A Author Bio: Jenny DeMunck grew up on a Wisconsin dairy farm and attended the University of Wisconsin-River Falls. Jenny began her career as a Genex A.I. technician and then took on a consultant role. In 2006, she joined the cooperative’s training and education department. Most recently, Jenny was promoted to Product Support Manager within the Product Development & Marketing Division.

FERTILITY

DOMINATION COMMITMENT

CONTINUES

For more than a decade Genex has led the industry for sire fertility. Advancing our efforts, Genex unveils a new way for you to create Profits through Pregnancies:

PregCheck

™

WANT: Pregnant Cows and Heifers NEED: High PregCheck™ Sires PregCheck is easy to use and includes a 100-base system (100 is average). Every point difference is equivalent to a 1% difference in conception rate. Jersey Fertility Leaders

Holstein Fertility Leaders

1JE00794 ZAYD 1JE00801 MADDEN 1JE00654 ALLSTAR 1JE00791 DIVIDEND 1JE00767 ZEBULON 1JE00793 DIVINE 1JE00763 LANCE-GR

1HO10638 JELLO 1HO10220 PAX-RED 1HO10098 WYNNER 1HO10133 RADISSON 1HO10679 ONYX 1HO09092 LAZARITH 1HO10648 PUZZLE

106 105 104 104 104 104 104

Trinity’s All Star Melody

ALLSTAR

Genex/04-13

105 105 105 104 104 104 103

Dam: Weigeline Shottle 1291-ET, VG-88

1HO10648

PUZZLE

TA I NB LT EH EO FN E CW O N S T E N T S

GENEX NAMES EXCELLENCE IN

REPRO

AWARD WINNERS

airy herds and heifer raisers from across the United States are honored for outstanding reproductive performance through the cooperative’s second annual Excellence in Reproduction contest. Those herds earning platinum, gold and silver recognition are listed at left. Platinum award winners are featured on the next two pages. The award categories include heifer facilities, dairies with less than 500 cows, dairies with 500-2,000 cows, and dairies with more than 2,000 cows.

“All nominated herds demonstrated spectacular performance,” notes Stephen Sheppard, Genex National Account Senior Specialist, who also explained the judging process. “To determine the winners in each of the four award categories, we entered individual herd performance numbers into a matrix calculation. The calculation considered the dairy’s pregnancy rate, service rate, conception rate, percent pregnant by 150 days in milk (DIM), sexed semen use and the genetic level of service sires.” Analysis of the platinum award winning operations shows their performance levels are among the top percentiles in the dairy industry. Combined, the platinum winners in the three dairy farm categories average a 32.75% pregnancy rate and 48.5% first service conception rate. In addition, they average 84% of cows pregnant by 150 DIM. The average Lifetime Net Merit (LNM) level of service sires is +$691.

K M&M Livestock, Leota, Minn.

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EXCELLENCE IN REPRO AWARD WINNERS AWARD CATEGORY:

HEIFER RAISERS

AWARD CATEGORY:

< 500 COWS

PLATINUM

M&M Livestock, Leota, MN

PLATINUM

Kodesh Dairy, Rice Lake, WI

GOLD

Coleman Ponderosa, Coleman, WI

GOLD

Breitenmoser Farm, Merrill, WI

SILVER

Circle Bar, Satanta, KS

SILVER

Del-Tu Farms, Beatrice, NE

Myron Hulstein saw a need for a custom heifer operation around Leota, Minn., and started M&M Livestock. Today M&M Livestock raises approximately 4,500 heifers from 10 different herds. Heifers arrive at an M&M facility at five months of age and return to their dairy 50 to 60 days prior to freshening. What protocols make the M&M Livestock breeding program successful? Holsteins housed at M&M are set up for first service using MGA and are then walkand-chalked each day. EAZI-BREED™ CIDRs® are also used. Jerseys are walk-and-chalked daily for 60 days. Those that don’t show heat within 20 days are given prostaglandin. Genex staff assist on group breeding days. Holstein heifers are exposed to a bull after 50 days in the breeding pen and Jerseys after 60 days. With sexed semen used on one-third of the breedings, the reproductive program produces a 50% pregnancy rate and 59% first service conception rate.

PLATINUM AWARD WINNERS

M&M Livestock

Kodesh Dairy

Owned by Duane and Nancy Kodesh, the 300-head Kodesh Dairy is situated in northwest Wisconsin. The location where they have been farming since 1997 was the previous location of Duane’s father’s dairy. Today, Duane and Nancy are assisted on the farm by their sons Justin, 25, and Trevor, 21. From Duane’s explanation, credit for their reproductive program should be given to all involved. It’s a team effort between the nutritionist and Genex A.I. technician as well as the family members and employees who identify and record heats. As Duane puts it, “We’ve all clicked together to get the job done.” The Kodesh family has chosen an aggressive, handson breeding plan. In their synchronization program, prostaglandin is given at 43-49 DIM. Twelve days later GnRH is administered. At 61-67 DIM cows are palpated. If a corpus luteum (CL) is present and the reproductive tract is satisfactory, prostaglandin is given. Forty-eight hours later, cows are inseminated and given GnRH. Resynchronization is through Cosynch. The breeding program results in an average DIM at first service of 64 with 82% of the herd pregnant by 150 DIM. The Kodesh family also combines these great repro results with high quality genetics. Service sires average +$702 LNM.

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EXCELLENCE IN REPRO AWARD WINNERS

(continued)

AWARD CATEGORY:

500-2000 COWS PLATINUM SILVER

Dutchland Dairy, Rolfe, IA Leix Farms Inc., Monfort, WI Hourigan Family Dairy, Syracuse, WI

Dutchland Dairy

Leix Farms Inc.

Dutchland Dairy in north central Iowa was started 15 years ago. The dairy is owned by brothers Dan and Dave Duitscher and their father Dean. Both Dave and Dean are veterinarians. Their 1,100cow herd features a crossbreeding program involving Holsteins, Jerseys and Norwegian Reds along with a pure line of Holsteins.

Leix Farms Inc., located in the southwest corner of Wisconsin, is owned by Don, Tim and Marion Leix. Don’s sons Brian and Ross are also active in the farm’s reproduction program. Brian and Ross represent the fourth generation on the farm, which dates back to the early 1930s.

Dave mentions that success in a reproductive program happens when one is consistent with protocols. The protocol used in the Dutchland herd includes two prostaglandins for Presynch and then 12 days later initiating Ovsynch. Timed A.I. starts at about 66 DIM. Cows are also tail chalked and bred on observed heats. Cows are preg checked via ultrasound at 30 to 36 days since last heat. Open cows are then started on Ovsynch. Pregnant cows are rechecked with ultrasound after 60 days and again just prior to dry off.

The 600-cow herd, consisting of Holsteins and Holstein x Jersey crosses, posts excellent reproduction statistics including a 31% preg rate and 87% of cows pregnant by 150 DIM. Ross, who previously served as a Genex A.I. trainer, explained the breeding program that produces these rewarding results. “Every cow is enrolled into Presynch. I also walk and chalk the milking herd daily. After cows have reached the 50day voluntary wait period, I cherry pick those to inseminate after prostaglandin is given. All cows not inseminated enter Ovsynch. Cows are then preg checked by ultrasound at 28 days. If open, they are resynched.”

The herd repro program is the result of a team effort. Dave and Genex-trained A.I. technician Crosby Krischel do most of the breeding. Dan’s son Payton Duitscher and nephew Chris Pontius have both completed a Genex A.I. training program and are starting to assist with breeding too. Also integral to the success of the program are herdswomen Lynn Plantz and Kelly Boeckholt. Consistency and teamwork produce top results. The herd has a 35% pregnancy rate, 53% first service conception rate and 83% of the herd is pregnant by 150 DIM. Due to selection, the Duitschers have maintained the same preg rate in their Holsteins as in their crossbred cattle.

The heifer breeding program includes visual heat detection conducted by Don or Brian for 20 minutes twice a day. All heifers recorded in heat are serviced in the morning. Managing the genetic side, those replacements sired by high LNM bulls are serviced twice with sexed semen. If not pregnant after the two services, heifers are bred with semen from a high Sire Conception Rate, calving ease bull.

AWARD CATEGORY:

> 2000 COWS PLATINUM

Sunridge Dairy, Nampa, ID

GOLD

Harmony Grove Dairy, Waynesboro, GA

SILVER

Synergy LLC, Linwood, NY

Sunridge Dairy

After moving from southern California to Nampa, Idaho, in 2002, managing partners Adrian Kroes and Mike Siegersma started Sunridge Dairy. The dairy focuses on and excels in cattle reproduction as shown by their 36% pregnancy rate in cows and 49% pregnancy rate in the heifer herd. In fact, Sunridge Dairy is a two-time platinum award winner in the Excellence in Reproduction contest. 2 0

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Adrian attributes the success to the staff involved in the reproductive program. “Our herd manager, Pedro Lopez, has primary responsibilities for herd health and reproduction. He is receptive to different options for improvement and is always looking at new ideas and protocols. There is a good team of long-term staff working alongside him too.” The dairy’s current reproductive approach involves utilizing the Presynch protocol. Cows that show heat following prostaglandin are cherry picked for breeding, while those that do not show heats enter Ovsynch. Cows are pregnancy checked at 35 days post breeding and open cows continue to be detected for heats. These efforts result in an outstanding 84% of cows pregnant by 150 DIM. The dairy’s heifer breeding protocol involves visual heat detection. Top reproduction results combined with high LNM service sires (+$754 LNM average) produce an abundant and elite crop of replacement animals. 

H E R D

M A N A G E M E N T

With the availability of sexed semen, genomic testing, and the increased value of beef animals, producers have more choices to make in managing dairy genetics than ever before.

By: Dustin Hollermann // Genex National Account Specialist

o I need to raise every heifer calf? Should I cull a few extra animals? Could these heifers be part of an expansion? These are a few of the great questions discussed recently, which have raised a lot of great conversations and strategic planning across the industry. There are two additional questions which are important, but are approached much less often: 1) Should I change my breeding strategy to reflect my future replacement needs? 2) How much is it worth to my farm to get an extra replacement out of my best genetics and one less out of my poor genetics?

Carefully Considering Breeding Strategies

Five years ago, Genex introduced the Calf Math™ concept. At the time, the dairy industry had been in heifer shortage mode and producers were focused only on breeding strategies that created potential replacement milking animals. However, improved

pregnancy rates and the addition of gendered semen created an environment in which one could truly create a heifer surplus. Fast forward five years to record high feed prices and ever tightening margins. Managing headcounts in youngstock pens has become very important. Couple that with a declining cow/calf beef herd. It is obvious real profit potential exists by more carefully considering your breeding strategies. Calf Math is a tool enabling producers to consider new options. In a 2010 Horizons article, Calf Math was used to develop and analyze different breeding strategies on a 1,000-cow dairy (concepts apply no matter herd size). Table 1 shows the Calf Math results. This producer used Calf Math to carefully consider how combinations of GenChoice™ and conventional dairy semen might affect the number of replacements generated. He also considered incorporating beef semen to gain an additional revenue stream from his calf crop. The different breeding strategies and Calf Math make it clear: he has more choices to make in managing his herd’s genetics than ever before.

o Table 1. Calf Math Example Scenarios

Scenario 1. Quality, Not Quantity

Scenario 2. Plentiful Replacements

Scenario 3. New Profit Opportunities

Goal:

Genetic improvement of herd

Increase number of replacements

Generate new revenue streams

Situation:

A 1,000-cow dairy with: • 375 breeding age heifers • 33% annual cull rate • 0% annual growth rate

Strategy:

Use GenChoice 75™ on top 10% of cows. Use GenChoice 90™ on top 10% of heifers.

Use GenChoice 75 on top 25% of cows. Use GenChoice 90 on top 50% of heifers.

Use beef GenChoice 75 male semen on bottom 30% of cows and bottom 20% of heifers.

Create enough replacements to increase voluntary culling by 10%

Produce 18% (or 518) more replacements than with straight conventional semen. Have options to grow herd from within, selectively cull or market heifers.

Create 208 quality beef crossbred calves for market and still produce enough replacement heifers to maintain herd size.

Result:

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Managing Genetics, Considering Calf Value

When determining how to manage herd genetics, one important consideration is the value of sourcing additional replacements from our best animals and fewer (or even zero) out of our lowest genetic animals. Calf Math has been updated to help capture that value. To calculate the value of calves, one must consider the value of the calves’ sires and dams. Lifetime Net Merit (LNM) is the industry standard for lifetime profitability and is readily available for active A.I. sires. The LNM level of the female population serving as dams can be found through parent average, DHI processing center predicted LNM value or genomic test (most accurate method). Once the value of service sires and the female population are known, the estimated value of the resulting calves are simply the average. Below is an example of the updated version of Calf Math. You can see a line for the LNM value of service sires. Also included is a place for actual or predicted LNM values for each quartile of the female population. To maximize genetic gain, a dairy can establish a breeding program to get more replacements from the top female quartiles and fewer from the poor females.

Here’s How it Works

Look at the Calf Math example below again. It features two possible breeding scenarios for a 1,000-cow herd (again, concept applies to any herd size). The scenario on the left, under Base Herd Scenario, uses 100% conventional dairy semen on all genetic quartiles of cows and heifers. The

scenario on the right, under Comparative Herd Scenario, is more aggressive. In addition to conventional dairy semen, GenChoice 90 is used for 75% of the breedings to the top three quartiles of heifers. GenChoice 90 is also used for 10% of the breedings to the most elite lactating cows. The bottom quartile of lactating cows, typically the herd’s lowest genetic level animals, is bred with conventional beef semen. The boxes at the bottom of the Calf Math example show that between the scenarios the total number of projected replacements yielded is comparable. However, the LNM of the resulting offspring is very different. This is explained because the aggressive scenario yields 54 additional heifers out of the highest genetic merit heifers and 56 fewer from the lowest genetic merit cows. This creates a $36 per heifer genetic advantage over the scenario on the left. Multiplied across the entire herd that dollar difference can mean huge dividends once these offspring enter the milking string. The aggressive scenario essentially eliminates the more unprofitable genetics (bottom quartile of cows) from the herd’s future gene pool. Instead those animals contribute to additional revenue through production of beef x dairy calves. From the various scenarios on pages 21 and 22, it is obvious Calf Math is a tool enabling producers to consider new breeding strategies. Calf Math creates an opportunity to consider current and future local economic conditions and see how different breeding strategies could position the dairy for success. Calf Math makes it clear: there are more choices to make in managing a herd’s genetics than ever before. 

A Author Bio: Dustin Hollermann graduated from the University of Minnesota with a degree in animal industries management and an emphasis in dairy science. He possesses a real-world understanding of applied dairy genetics and reproduction physiology along with an unparalleled talent for combining computer programming and genetics. Dustin has 10+ years of experience in the dairy genetics and A.I. industry.

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H O R I Z O N S

PATHWAYS TO

PROFITABILITY

netics • People Ge • se U en em S f ee B ™ y • • GenChoice • Fertilit

e additional beef supplier and generat a me co Be . try us ind ef the be allows you to: Take a greater stake in dairy breeding program ur yo o int n me se ef be ting farm income. Incorpora rit females lves from low genetic me ca y se Jer x ef be te ea • Cr from male calves • Capitalize on profits of semen termine the proper blend de lp he n ca ) om t.c ™ ine maintaining an Calf Math (calfmath.cr x dairy calves while still ef be ng ati cre — n tio entative for further products for your opera ntact your Genex repres Co . als im an t en em lac ur calves. adequate number of rep d even more value to yo ad to d ate cre ce ian all information on a Genex

Genex

Cooperative, Inc. A Subsidiary of Cooperative Resources International

Shawano, WI • Phone 888/333-1783 www.crinet.com

R E P R O D U C T I V E

M A N A G E M E N T

A NEW DYNAMIC RECORDS ANALYSIS TOOL

By: James Arati // Support Programs Manager, Genex

n exciting collaboration between Cargill Animal Nutrition and Genex has created a joint consulting product called Dairy Performance Navigator (DPN). Focused on key aspects of services and products delivered by Cargill and Genex, DPN is an online program that analyzes herd performance and provides powerful profit metrics and trends to dairy management teams. DPN was developed with the understanding dairy managers can make better informed management decisions when guided by real, usable data.

Using herd management records, DPN analyzes herd performance metrics and benchmarks those metrics against peer groups. The primary areas of focus include: herd inventory, reproduction, culling, milk production, milk quality, dry period analysis, animal health and genetics. Within each area, DPN examines in-depth data. For example, in the reproduction category, one metric calculated is the first service conception rate. This number reflects how well a dairy gets cows settled on the first breeding. Table 1, taken from DPN, allows for quick understanding of herd performance for this metric. It includes the benchmark (average of the peer groups), followed by the herd’s 12-month rolling average as well as the herd’s current month average and previous months’ averages. o Table 1.

DPN Features:  Cargill and Genex consultants prepare DPN reports to analyze and discuss potential herd performance issues with dairy owners, managers and other management team members.

 DPN provides powerful facts and trends through charts

and visual graphs to help a herd diagnose problems and implement solutions that maximize their profitability.

 DPN has several benchmark choices. A herd can be

compared against others in a specific geographic region or nationwide. Benchmarks are separated by herd size within region (less than 200 cows, 200-999 cows, 1,000-1,999 cows, and 2,000 cows or greater). Benchmarks are based on the top 10% of herds in each category.

 DPN is compatible with Dairy Comp 305 and herd

management software records from dairy record processing centers like AgSource, DRMS and DHI-Provo.

DPN helps dairy management staff visually see which herd management strategies are working and which are not. DPN provides a unique opportunity to evaluate past, current and forecasted herd performance levels. As an investigative tool, DPN provides valuable information for on-farm team meeting discussions which can lead to improved overall performance of the herd. For your dynamic DPN report, contact your Genex or Cargill representative. 

Table 2 shows the percent of herd milking. This metric reveals how efficient a dairy is in managing the flow of cows through the operation. o Table 2. A Author Bio: James Arati has a bachelor’s degree in ag business from the University of Wisconsin-River Falls and a master’s in ag business from Kansas State University. He has worked as a farm manager, Genex consultant and Genex A.I. technician. Today he implements Genex training programs and assists with the development and education of cooperative programs.

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H O R I Z O N S

Carter Gabrielse, son of Genex Breeding Program Specialist Karl Gabrielse.

Financing to Fit Your Style.

â&#x20AC;&#x2030;Rely on John Deere Financial for the financing you need. Genex is pleased to offer John Deere Financial to provide you with finance options to meet the specific needs of your operation. Whether thinking about the next day or the next generation, John Deere Financial is a name you can rely on.

E M P LO Y E E

D E V E LO P M E N T

REDUCING YOUR

NEW EMPLOYEE

CULL RATE By: Stephen Sheppard // Senior National Account Specialist, Genex

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H O R I Z O N S

ver the years, many farms have grown from small dairies to large businesses. These farms often have to rely on employees with no previous agricultural experience. In some cases, farm workers never had a desire to be a part of the rural environment, but it was the job available when they needed work. These entry-level positions are often in the milking parlor where the work is seen as hard, dirty and unglamorous with low pay. For those reasons, it can be difficult to find good help and often even harder to keep those you do find. But after the individual is hired, it’s your turn. It’s your responsibility to make employees believe they made the right job choice and to help yourself by reducing the turnover rate among newly hired staff.

E M P LO Y E E

D E V E LO P M E N T

So, how do you make a new employee feel they made the right choice? A new employee requires five fundamental things in a new job: 1. Explanation: What is my role? Why is it important?

At the interview give the applicant a clear job description and clear message of how important the harvest of milk is to the operation of the dairy farm. Explain that it is hard work with long hours on their feet. It is important to let people know the schedule has to be filled every weekend and every holiday.

2. Education: What knowledge or skills do I need?

Prospective milkers often do not arrive with a great deal of formal education, but that does not mean we should not take initiative to educate them. I don’t believe anyone wants to go through life not learning anything new. If you start the new employee with the idea this is a place where you learn and expand yourself, they are more likely to stay.

One common fear is educated employees will take their new skills and move on to another job. The reality is, if you don’t teach people they will quickly get bored and you will lose them anyway. It is important to encourage the new employee in the education process to help them feel part of the team.

3. Training: How do I carry out my role?

I have seen dairies take someone with no cow experience and throw them into the parlor to see what happens. That is not training! The situation leaves people feeling lost, intimidated and frustrated. Now, more than ever, our dairies are under scrutiny. You have an obligation to the industry to make sure employees are properly trained and know how to handle a cow. There are good training resources available on cattle handling. Be sure to use them.

4. Evaluating: How will my performance be measured?

I always found the breeding team was the easiest part of the dairy to manage, because everyone understood how and when they were to be evaluated. Every time the veterinarian conducted a pregnancy check, the breeders could look at cows they bred and see their conception rate. Everyone wants to be seen as doing a good job. Therefore, everyone needs to know how their performance is measured and what performance level is acceptable. It has to be a simple evaluation method conducted on a very regular basis. Performance milestones are also critical to ensure employees are on track for success and should be celebrated when reached. They provide valuable check-points for managers too.

5. Reporting: What feedback will I receive?

Keep open lines of communication reporting back to the employee. Employees can feel in the dark about their job performance because they do not receive feedback about their quality of work. Or if they do, it may not be constructive feedback. This creates unease in the workplace. Feedback needs to be informational and instructional for the employee to improve. Not all new employees will have what it takes for the position, but it should not be a sudden surprise when someone is let go due to poor performance. If someone is not reaching their defined objectives, it needs to be brought to their attention immediately with a clear direction of how they can improve and how long that improvement should take. Do not wait for a performance review. Employees also need to know what the ramifications are if they do not start reaching their objectives.

Company policy should be for each person to introduce themselves to new employees, so everyone is aware when a new person starts. Plan a welcome for the new employee. Assign one person to greet the new employee, show them around the farm and give them insight into how the team functions. Assign someone to answer the new employee’s questions and listen to his or her concerns and suggestions. Entry level does not translate into unimportant. Take time to really acknowledge how much you value this new employee. Work with them and mentor them. You can quickly become an important part of the person’s life – giving them more than a job, giving them a place to belong. Provide the new employee with the tools needed to succeed. Then give them time to succeed. Dairies frequently look at cull rate in the first 30 days after calving and adjust management to keep that number as low as possible. In the same way, measure turnover rate in staff in the first 30 days. Consider the training and other resource cost to the dairy. Be willing to adjust management to keep the employee cull rate low as well. 

A Author Bio: Stephen Sheppard grew up on his family’s dairy farm in England. He earned his national diploma in agriculture business and a national certificate in dairy science from Bicton College. He has 12 years experience managing large dairies, including a 7,000-cow operation in the Midwest. He has expertise in reproduction, transition cow management, parlor management and team development.

H O R I Z O N S

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H E R D

S TO R Y

Beauty

THE

DAIRY FARMING IN THE FRASER VALLEY By: Jenny Hanson // Communications Manager, CRI

ast November, I packed my bag and with notebook and camera in tow traveled to Vancouver to spend a couple days with Genex Profit Development Specialist Nick Coman and Genex customers in British Columbia, Canada. Nick, or Mr. Toystory as he is commonly referred to by many customers in the area, joined Genex in 2007. He grew up in Romania and earned a degree in animal breeding from the University of Agronomical Sciences and Veterinary Medicine in Bucharest. His experiences – living in different countries and working in different industries – have made him a persistent, dependable and respectful individual. His education, practical

experience gained from employment as a dairy manager and eagerness to continue learning have made him a well-rounded, knowledgeable Genex representative. I first met Nick in 2007 when he traveled to the Genex Headquarters in Shawano, Wis., for an orientation; I was excited to witness the relationships he had formed with British Columbian dairy producers. My travels with Nick involved conversations with six dairy producers located within the Fraser Valley, where the Fraser River passes through some of the most fertile agricultural land in this Canadian province. Enjoy reading the stories of those six dairies.

J Nick Coman, Genex Profit Development Specialist

J Mount Cheam forms a beautiful backdrop to Holberg Farm Ltd near Agassiz, British Columbia. 2 8

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Kooyman Family Farm Our first stop was at a farm operated by a young and energetic couple with great enthusiasm for dairy farming. Ken and Ineke Kooyman had both grown up on dairy farms and were happy to be continuing the tradition. Both loved the family farm lifestyle, working with animals and watching things grow. At the time of my visit, Ken and Ineke had been farming at their current location for two years. They were milking about 80 cows with future plans to grow in cow numbers and percent of feed homegrown. That future vision was just starting to seem a step closer as the first animals bred on the farm were beginning to calve. With Ken mating for healthy, efficient and long-lasting cows, those replacements should have a lasting impact and help the family achieve their dreams for the future. The use of sexed

J Ken and Ineke Kooyman value the farming lifestyle and look forward to raising their son Jacob on the farm.

semen for a portion of the matings adds to the number replacements they will have available for their growing herd. To fulfill his image of profitable cows, Ken chooses sires based on Lifetime Net Merit, Productive Life and Daughter

Pregnancy Rate. These are traits represented by bulls in their breeding program like 1HO08784 FREDDIE %-I, 1HO09192 HILL, 1HO10218 DENIM %-I and 1HO03093 ELVYS ISY.

Elmido Farms Ltd. After a brief visit with the Kooymans, Nick and I headed to Elmido Farms, a dairy which has been owned and operated by John and Debbie Aarts since 1980. The husband and wife team have worked together to not only build a productive herd, but actively promote the dairy industry.

J Nick (right) with John Aarts, owner of Elmido Farms, Sardis, British Columbia.

From 1973 to 2002, the farm grew gradually. In 2002, the Aarts were milking about 120 cows. As John and Debbie’s children came back to the farm, they expanded the operation purchasing additional quota as it became available. In November 2012, at the time of my visit, they were milking 320 cows and had recently purchased another nearby facility. That new facility was being restored and renovated to house the farm’s nearly dry and dry cows. As mentioned, several of the Aarts children are now involved in the operation. Today, their daughter, Jacqueline, assists with the farm bookwork. Her husband, ©2013 CRI

Richard Boer, serves as the herd manager. Also involved are their sons Jonathan, Jesse and Jacob. As the farm has changed over the years, so has John’s ideal cow. “Twenty years ago I bred for show cows,” noted John. “Now we breed for medium-sized cows with strength and good udders and feet and legs.” He stated several reasons for the change in mindset. One was an increase in feed costs in Canada over the last few years. A second was fact the lower weight of smaller cows is easier on their feet and legs. To develop those ideal animals, all cows on the dairy have been A.I. bred since 1973. The Aarts generally choose four or five A.I. sires per year. Genex sires, such as 1HO02531 HEFTY, 1HO10458 DAY, 1HO08778 SUPER, 1HO07235 TOYSTORY and FREDDIE have made the mating program in recent years. As John explained, there are three areas the dairy really excels in. Those areas are herd management, cow comfort and feed production. “One of the main reasons we excel in herd management

is because we have one individual dedicated solely to this task. For cow comfort, we utilize sand bedding which provides a low incidence of mastitis and a cell count of 100,000 to 120,000.” The Aarts also produce all their own feed. In addition to fields near their main dairy, they farm about 400 acres near their heifer ranch (located to the east over the mountains and into the next valley). “Each year we get about five to six cuttings of grass here. Then we’ll get about three cuttings over there too.” Involvement in the community and the dairy industry is also engrained in the Aarts family. Several times each year they welcome students from the local high school agriculture class dairy program. Additionally, Debbie has served on the BC Dairy Foundation, the BC Milk Marketing Board, and has been a dairy representative for the Investment Agriculture Foundation. H O R I Z O N S

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Springbank Dairy

Hyljon Holsteins Ltd. G Adriel Westeringh (left) and Nick stand in front of the dairy’s 32-stall rotary parlor.

Just before lunch, we went to visit a hard-working individual who had begun his career in the dairy industry just a few years earlier. That individual was Adriel Westeringh. Adriel’s father, who had grown up on a dairy, had purchased a farm four years ago. Adriel had worked on the farm for two years before the opportunity arose to run the farm for his father. That opportunity was a good one. As Adriel explains, he likes the situation because the dairy – with its 120 cows – runs smoothly, the cows milk well and he’s obtaining good pregnancy rates.

Our next visit was with John and Susan Hylkema at Hyljon Holsteins. I could sense Nick’s excitement as we arrived at the dairy – it held sentimental value. This was the first dairy Nick had visited after joining Genex, and he had received some great advice from both John and Susan that first day. Susan had said, “If you are enthusiastic, you’ll make it.” Anyone who has met Nick knows he is indeed enthusiastic. John’s comment had been, “The day you quit having fun you go backwards.” I believe both John and Nick are still enjoying what they do. In fact John still enjoys dairying after 32 years in the Fraser Valley. The last 12 years have been at the current facility. In that time, his registered herd has produced some outstanding cows including the highest ever butterfat cow in Canada; a cow that turned 20 this past December. He’s also the owner of Hyljon Toystory Sweets, EX-90, 2E. At the time, the cow was one of 26 Toystory daughters nationwide with a 2E classification. As a fourth calver, she’s still looking great. G John and Susan Hylkema with Hyljon Toystory Sweets, EX-90, 2E.

From our conversation it was evident Adriel had taken a keen interest in dairy genetics and reproduction. “Genetically, I look for bulls based on Lifetime Net Merit. I look at the top of the list. Cows also need to be fast milking for our rotary parlor, yet have decent production figures,” he explains. Calving ease and daughter fertility were also focal points as was sire fertility. “If the cow is a hard breeder, I look at Sire Conception Rate too.” Adriel manages the breeding program himself. He utilizes a Presynch® program to synchronize cows for breeding and resynchs cows as necessary with a veterinarian ultrasounding animals at 25-26 days post breeding. Nick mates the herd through Genex MAP™ (Mating Appraisal for Profit™). MAP provides recommendations utilizing their agreed upon sire group. Then Adriel uses semen from the top MAP recommended sire or second choice sire during his daily breeding chores. Like many young, hard-working dairy producers, Adriel has plans in mind for the future. He hopes to one day grow the herd to 200 or 250 cows. To achieve that, he understands there are considerations to be made. For instance, though the dairy’s freestall barn was built to house cows, it currently houses both cows and heifers. One future consideration may be other facilities for young stock. He’d also like to continue improving his herd’s genetics, perhaps through genomic testing of females.

These and other great cows have been produced from a systematic breeding program. John uses 60-65% daughterproven sires, but also incorporates genomic-proven bulls. “I use 20 doses of a genomic bull and then move on to the next bull,” he notes. Health traits, udders, feet and legs, and temperament are his major concentration areas leading him to have chosen Genex bulls like HEFTY, 1HO10490 GALAXY %-I and 1HO09321 SUDAN. Along with operating the farm, John and Susan have raised a family and instilled in their children the many values that come with growing up on a farm. At the time of my visit, two of their children were working part-time on the home dairy, two worked on neighboring farms, one was employed as a nurse, another had maintained a part in the dairy industry by marrying a dairy farmer and three were still in school.

J A view of Springbank Dairy. 3 0

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H E R D

Holberg Farm Ltd.

S TO R Y

Harborace Holsteins Inc. Our last stop was Harborace Holsteins Inc. owned by the Boer family. There, Mike Boer shared their family farm history with us. The Boers had originally farmed down the valley with their extended family. In 1992, Mike and his parents moved further up the valley and started dairying at their current location. They began with 50 cows. In 2006, they had added a new barn and at the time of our visit were milking about 105 cows.

J Nick (center) with herdsman Rolph (left) and herd owner/manager Holger Schwichtenberg.

From the Hylkemas, we headed on to Holberg Farm Ltd. owned by the Schwichtenberg family. There I met Holger Schwichtenberg and learned about his dairy operation. Holger’s parents had immigrated to Canada from Germany in 1957. In 1960, they purchased land in British Columbia and began dairy farming. Today, Holger represents the second generation of his family to manage that same historic farm, save facility renovations and upgrades.

From our conversation, it was evident Mike enjoyed the genetic side of dairy farming. That day he was excited at the prospects for the future using the word “awesome” to describe their first fresh FREDDIE daughter. And, he knew exactly what he wanted: “I’m looking for commercial cows that stick around for a couple lactations … and I might someday consider adding robots so I’m looking for nice square udders.” Mike’s action plan to achieve that dream of commercial cows with longevity involved choosing sires with fairly high health traits and good production, then mating the sires that matched those criteria to the cows in the herd himself. Bulls like 1HO07900 EARNIT, 1HO07127 SHARKY, 1HO07154 ENCINO, 1HO06833 TRES, TOYSTORY, SUPER and FREDDIE have made his list of influential bulls in past years.

Holger, who earned a degree in animal science from the University of British Columbia, has seen the farm grow from around 20 cows in its early days to its current number of 160 mature cows. In 2008, a new main barn was added to the farm replacing the original barn which served its purpose for 47 years. The new freestall facility provides the amenities of natural ventilation, curtained walls and high capacity, automated fans positioned above the stalls. Also, an older hay barn was renovated in recent years to provide sawdust-pack and feed areas for two groups of transition cows plus three calving pens. “Cows are moved into this barn three weeks prior to calving. Hot water, refrigeration and milking equipment are readily available in the barn making post calving treatment and care easy to manage by one person,” explains Holger, noting how the renovations were meant to simplify tasks and improve cow care. The dairy has used A.I. since 1960. With his realistic, common sense approach, Holger breeds for cows that fit his operation. Today’s cows are medium-sized, low maintenance and with good temperament. Genex sires are among those used to develop such cows. Working alongside Holger on the farm is herdsman/assistant manager, Rolf. Holger’s wife Catherine assists with the farm bookwork and his three young boys enjoy helping feed calves. In addition, the Schwichtenberg family regularly welcomes students from Germany and France to their farm. “It’s good for these students to meet new people and learn about dairy systems in other countries,” remarks Holger. “They come with a work visa, spend time working and learning, and we provide them with housing and reasonable pay.” ©2013 CRI

J Mike Boer of Harborace Holsteins converses with Nick just before the evening milking. Reader’s Note: Since this interview, Mike’s father Harry unexpectedly passed away. On behalf of Genex, I would like to offer our condolences to the Boer family.

My travels within the Fraser Valley provided a good glimpse at the passion for the dairy industry held by the area’s dairy producers. They have a history in dairy farming and bright hopes for the future. Here’s wishing them success and a fruitful future in beautiful British Columbia! 

A Author Bio: Jenny Hanson is a graduate of the University of WisconsinRiver Falls with a degree in agricultural communications. She joined Cooperative Resources International in 2005 and has served as editor of the Dairy Horizons since May 2006.

H O R I Z O N S

3 1

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