Spring Joining Feature

FEATURE

Jet-setting Jersey genetics

Global demand for Australian Jersey genetics has taken off, as dairy farmers from across the world want to secure semen from sires with positive daughter fertility.

This export boom also comes off the back of a rise in the number of homozygous, or double-P, true polled, locally bred sires coming through the ABS genomic ranks. In the next 12 months, ABS has orders for up to 40,000 units of Australian Jersey semen for delivery to South Africa, Canada, New Zealand, and the United States of America. ABS Australian Business Operations Manager Bruce Ronalds this global interest was a credit to the Australian industry. “It shows that the progeny from Australia’s Jersey breeding program is well sought after,” he said. “Positive daughter fertility has driven a lot of global breeder interest. Not that the Jersey breed has a fertility issue, it’s quite the opposite, and farmers want to make sure they keep it that way by choosing the Australian sires that rank well for this vital trait.” But it’s not just one trait driving demand, according to Bruce. “If you tick the box for daughter fertility and that same sire also helps improve milk components and adds chest and body to cows – that’s the sort of genetics a country like South Africa will jump on,” he said. “When we identify a bull like that, we easily get an order for up to 6,000 to 7,000 units of that sire in one hit.” The seasonality of Australian dairy farming means an increase in export demand won’t affect domestic stocks of Jersey semen, Bruce explained. Genetics earmarked for the global market is collected outside of peak domestic periods. Gelbeado Park WOODSIDE (CSCWOODSIDE) and Brookbora BUSHFIELD P (CSCBUSHFIELD) are two high-ranking Australian genomic sires in demand overseas. At number five and 372 on the Australian Breeding Values (ABV) genomic Balanced Performance Index (BPI) index, CSCWOODSIDE has been ABS’ biggest selling Jersey. Positive for components and milk, this sire adds width and strength to the chest and body of its progeny – something the Jersey industry wants. CSCWOODSIDE is 111 for Type and 110 for Udders. Northern-Victorian bred, polled sire CSCBUSHFIELD is also gaining global fans. “In addition to his polled and A2 genes, he’s 103 for Daughter Fertility,” Bruce said. “But it’s CSCBUSHFIELD’S dam, Brookbora Valentino Sweet Elfa EX-92, that’s impressed Canadian, US, South African and New Zealand breeders, because she’s been very successful at shows here in Australia.” Back in Australia, dairy farmers are making the most of ABS’ next generation of genomic sires – including a breed-leading number of “double P” young bulls. ABS now has four ‘double p’ Jerseys now, including three available in its sexed genetic product Sexcel®. The true polled Sexcel sires include Pine-Tree VACUUM PP, TOG WYNDMERE PP and Ahlem BAKER PP. Pine-Tree FARO PP, Australia’s second highest ranking ‘double P” sire, is available as conventional semen now, but as he gets older, he will move into the Sexcel program. “Everyone is after polled, double P, so they can get 100 per cent polled progeny,” Bruce said. “Commercial dairy farmers are chasing the animal welfare gains from polled, while stud breeders have the added incentive of striving to get a true polled bull into AI to improve the next generation.” The future is looking bright for Australia’s Jersey industry, according to Bruce. Australia’s first Murray Brook JAMIEO (CSCJAMIEO) calves are hitting this ground this spring, with breeders looking forward to the development of offspring from the number three Australian Breeding Value genomic (ABVg) Jersey. Scored 108 for Type, 112 for Udders and backed by high semen fertility, Bruce said this sire, bred by the Lenehan family in Western Victoria is exciting. ABS also has the highest ranked polled Jersey with Balnageith JANGO P (CSCJANGO). A new release and bred in Gippsland by Alister Grant, CSCJANGO is one of the top Jersey bulls on the Sustainability Index (SI) at 834.

CSCJANGO also has high Survivability at 114, high protein, carries the polled gene and is A2. Another exciting young Jersey bull Warrain TRASK (CSCTRASK) is number nine on the ABVg rankings at 354 BPI, 108 Type, 113 Udders and 104 for Mastitis Resistance. TRASK is also one of the highest Jerseys on the SI at 828. “We are thrilled about the number of high-ranking genomic bulls in the Australian system, and we are looking forward to graduating them over the next few years to have extremely reliable bulls for our local industry,” Bruce said.

Jerseys going from strength to strength

Agri-gene’s line-up of Australian Jersey sires continues to go from strength to strength following the release of the 2022 August breeding values.

Casino son ROULETTE leads the way at +396 BPI, he is bred in the purple out of an EX94 IDW Grand Champion cow and will add Stature and Strength to his daughters with great udders. He is also one of the top Production sires with over 500 litres Milk and over 60 CFP with positive components. ROULETTE has the ability to put Australian Jersey’s on the map with semen exported to both USA and UK where he also has received impressive genomic proofs and ranks amongst the highest Type sires in Australia, USA and UK. Two new sires to Agri-Gene’s line-up for 2022 have been extremely popular, BROADWAY-P and IMPECCABLE. BROADWAY-P is an A2 polled sire backed by generations of EX cows from the Broadlin Ilagay cow family. BROADWAY’s semen has been selling as quickly as he can make it with demand outstripping supply, be sure to get your orders in for spring for this Type and Production allrounder.

Cairnbrae ROYLETTE

IMPECCABLE is a Matt son from the Impish cow family at Kaarmona and is a sire you can use to add style and Strength without sacrificing production and Health traits. A2A2, polled sire PIXSTAR has been the surprise package from the Agri-Gene Jersey line-up, originally brought into the line-up on the Strength of his USA genomic proof and cow family. PIXSTAR is now adding Australian milking daughters, he is sire of Australias highest ranked BPI sure and continues to climb up the BPI rankings himself where he is one of the highest daughter fertility sire’s at +105.

An awesome team of Jersey bulls

The 2022 August ABVs have delivered some great results for Genetics Australia. We welcome the release with the new Sustainability Index [SI] release.

The continual improvement in the Australian Breeding Values is a real credit to the DataGene team and the quality of the Jersey bulls available in Australia today has never been better. Our team is clearly the strongest line-up of Jersey sires, both genomic and daughter-proven, ever catalogued at Genetics Australia. It is not only in Australia where Australian Jerseys are making their mark. Growing international demand continues to grow year-on-year and a recent first shipment of semen to Pakistan will soon be followed by several elite Jersey heifers. Their performance will be closely watched in Pakistan and also neighbouring India where Jersey semen will be sent later in the year. With a combined population of more than 1.7 billion people the potential for demand in Australian Jerseys could be significant. August ABVs consolidated the strong performance of GA Jerseys in the April release. The 2022 Genetics Australia Jersey team is led by daughter-proven bulls from number 1 BPI Jersey herd White Star Jerseys DOUGGAN 395 BPI and DOBSON 358 BPI. DOBSON also leads the first Sustainability Index [SI] with an SI of 882 while DOBSON ranks third on 757 SI. At 33kgs Protein and +363 milk DOUGGAN is also a production and health traits specialist making him one of the most profitable bulls ever made