Fall 2010 Selections Newsletter by Select Sires

Fall 2010

Select Sires is home to several high Genomic Total Performance Index™ (GTPI)™ sires in the Holstein breed. Learn more about these sires and genomics on Page 6.

Select Sires’ Research Provides Precision Reproductive Solutions

High Fertility is Select Sires’ Commitment to Customer-Owners

Adding Diversity to Select Sires’ Jersey Lineup

Dabble: The Bull Mother that Transmits Profitability

selections

Select Detect: Saving You Time and Money

elect Sires Inc. recently unveiled Select Detect™, the latest in precision reproductive management at World Dairy Expo in Madison, Wis. Select Detect is the most technologicallyadvanced activity monitoring system available and has undergone extensive investigation, field testing and consultation with dairy producers. The system is developed by Dairymaster, a manufacturer of high-quality dairy farm equipment from their plant in Causeway, Co. Kerry, Ireland. Photo by Jenny Thomas, Cybil Fisher Photography

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Select Sires’ Research Provides Precision Reproductive Solutions by David C. Thorbahn, president and C.E.O. The same organization that was first to launch exclusive fertility research arm via the Program for Fertility Advancement™ (PFA™), the first major organization to research and successfully introduce sexed semen in the U.S., and the first to introduce a new fertility extender for advanced conception, is now launching a revolutionary heat detection aid that can advance your reproduction using precision management techniques. Agriculture has developed over the last 25 years in amazing ways, and the concept of precision management is the new frontier. Crop farming is now using cuttingedge techniques like satellite imaging that can plan fertilizer, seed and pesticide applications by the acre and yard. It has increased yields and profitability by strategically

applying resources. Dairy and beef industries are moving to these types of approaches. With the ever-tighter profit margins and scrutiny of use of antibiotics and hormone treatments in the production of milk and beef, finding new ways to better manage your operations and using these tools for therapeutic purposes will be preferred by consumers. It was with

this purpose that Select Sires started to research and develop new tools in heat detection. Select Sires has identified modern solutions to improve heat detection and implement precision techniques. Using the most modern and sensitive motion-sensing technology, the same as used in automobile airbags, Select Detect™ provides precision heat detection to be used in reproduction. Research was conducted over several years, investigating numerous systems under the leadership of industry-respected Select Sires’ vice president of technical service programs, Dr. Ray Nebel. As you learn more about this revolutionary heat detection technology, Select Detect, in this issue of Selections, you will better understand the detailed field research that has been employed in investigating this device. Select Detect research herds are achieving high heat detection rates and outstanding results in whole herd pregnancy rates. Select Detect will reduce the use of synchronization hormones, reduce labor needed to manage A.I., and allow for the most judicious use of semen in the long term. Quite simply, it is the most advanced motion detection system on the market. Research and Technology Your cooperative continues to pioneer advancements in

reproduction through investments in research and technology. After years of research, Select Sires launched a new semen extender in late 2008 that has captured the attention of dairy and beef producers across North America and the world with its ability to improve fertility. Its success rates have moved Select Sires to the top of the industry’s fertility rankings. How has your cooperative been so successful? The leadership of your board of directors has been aggressively investing in new, visionary research to improve herd reproduction. This is why Select Sires is confident that Select Detect measures up to Select Sires’ standards. Select Sires extensively field tested Select Detect on cows through actual trials in 26 herds across the U.S. This trial has convinced us of its quality and has allowed Dr. Nebel to enhance and improve this product for even greater performance. We commend and congratulate Dairymaster on the development of Select Detect and for allowing Select Sires the opportunity to research it thoroughly and now market the product. Do you want to make reproduction easier, let your cow tell you she is in heat, reduce hormone use and improve your reproductive performance? Investigate Select Detect! Talk to your Select Sires representative about how Select Sires can provide precision reproductive principles that will allow you to achieve herd pregnancy rate goals that you thought were unattainable. You can count on Select Sires to provide you with solutions to tough problems and the finest service to help you implement those solutions, because your success is our passion! 

• Monitors cow activity around the clock so you don’t have to

...continued from page 1 New Tool in Heat Detection For the professional herd manager, one vital job is to recognize when a cow is in heat. With the scrutiny of antibiotic use and hormone treatment and the increase in confinement facilities with concrete flooring, dairy and beef producers are seeking new tools to better manage their herds. With the larger size of herds and labor expense growing and in short supply, there is less time for the visual method of heat detection. Select Detect is a revolutionary combination of intelligent software and nanotechnology that uses activity levels to accurately determine the onset of estrus. The system filters the activity based on herdmate comparisons and alerts the herd manager to high or low activity. Data is displayed in real time, pinpointing the onset of high activity for proper timing of insemination. After extensive investigation, field testing and consultation with dairy farmers like you, Select Sires introduces Select Detect, the most technologically advanced activity monitoring system available today. Initially developed in Ireland, Select Detect was utilized for cows

on pasture that have a much higher variation in activity level, since this is the most challenging environment to detect cows in heat. In these scientific trials, the Select Detect monitor had an automatic detection rate of 82 percent. In more recent Select Sires trials in the U.S. where cows were more confined, dairy producers with the Select Detect system reported even higher detection rates! How Select Detect Works Select Detect collects individual cow activity data for each hour of the day and filters the data against normal activity of herdmates to accurately identify cows that are in heat and ready to breed. Select Detect may seem similar to other products currently on the market, but there are distinct differences that have helped contribute to its success in farm trials and make Select Detect the most accurate activity measurement system on the market. The Select Detect collar contains a sophisticated processor to analyze all motion, cow behavior and movement – not simply a sensor that

records steps or nods in a forward or backward plane. This device is known as an accelerometer and is similar to the technology used in air bag deployment, inertial navigation systems and consumer products like the iPod Nano, the iPhone, the iPad and the Wii game console. The accelerometer monitors threedimensional movement, replacing the dated motion technology that records only movement in a single plane, giving Select Detect unparalleled measurement accuracy. A further advantage of Select Detect is that the collar processor periodically communicates with the farm base station by radio frequency – wirelessly – and relays information about cow activity. This technology allows the collar to create a robust link with the farm PC to ensure that all activity information is transferred and no data is lost. The Select Detect transponder can transmit data within a radius of 300 feet of the base station. This is a huge advantage over the infrared devices where information is passed to the base unit from the collar when the cow passes through a portal, typically placed in the parlor entrance or exit. Consequently, ...continued to page 4

• Reduces the need for timed A.I., saving you time and money • Software uses numerous mathematical equations to filter and determine high and low activity, giving Select Detect superior accuracy • Identifies a high percentage of cows in heat • Identifies non-cycling cows quickly • Can aid in identifying lame or sick cows • Can be fully customized to every dairy’s unique environment • Backed by the professionally trained Select Reproductive Solutions team • Simple to install, simple to use, simply the best system on the market!

Photo by Jenny Thomas, Cybil Fisher Photography

Steve Buschur, Buschur Dairy, New Weston, OH Installed Select Detect in October 2009

“Since installing Select Detect, we have reduced our hormone use significantly. We discontinued the double ovsynch program we were using. I used to go through five bottles of GnRH a week, and now I don’t even use one a week. We used to give a shot of prostaglandin on Monday and breed the cow on Thursday. With Select Detect, we found that a cow may come into heat anywhere from Wednesday night until Sunday. We were throwing a lot of semen in cows that weren’t even in heat with ovsynch. Now we breed based on when the cow comes into heat.” Jon Lundgren, Lundgren Farms Inc., Prairie du Sac, WI Installed Select Detect in January 2010

Customize to Suit Your Needs Each dairy has the ability to customize how often data is retrieved by the system. Once transmitted, activity information is displayed in real time, allowing the cows to be inseminated at the optimum time when in heat. Raised activity notifications from Select Detect, combined with veterinary records and animal observation, provide the herd manager with a powerful tool to assist in proactive and precise reproductive management of the dairy herd. Adding to the customization of this system, all settings and controls can be changed to fit a particular dairy’s needs. Software The user-friendly Select Detect software is programmed to alert the herd manager when there is high or low activity. A quick check of the easy to read computer software will give you a daily or hourly activity graph as shown below. Hourly activity pinpoints the onset of activity for proper timing of insemination. What Producers Have to Say About Select Detect At World Dairy Expo, Select Sires hosted the annual RePRO Invitational which featured Select Detect. The event consisted of a panel of four Wisconsin producers who utilize the Select Detect system – Cathy Bohl, Bohl Farms, Beaver Dam; Brooks Buchholz, So-Fine Bovines LLC,

I have a lot of faith in the system. Select Detect is catching the animal in heat and giving us a better opportunity to breed her at the proper time. David Van De Hey, New Horizons Dairy LLC, De Pere, Wis.

Westfield; Jon Lundgren, Lundgren Farms Inc., Prairie du Sac; and David Van De Hey, New Horizons Dairy LLC, De Pere. The panel members discussed how they are successfully using the Select Detect system to increase their whole herd pregnancy rates and answered questions from the guests interested in the system. Van De Hey shared his previous frustration with synchronization programs which resulted in a low number of cows in heat. “Since using Select Detect, I have already seen changes allowing the cows to come into a natural heat,” he commented. “Our first service conception rate has climbed to 45 percent within the last three months. Our pregnancy checks on the cows were 69 percent three weeks ago, and last week we had 75 percent. On the first eight heifers we bred off the Select Detect system, all eight became pregnant.” “I have a lot of faith in the system,” noted David. “Select Detect is catching the animal in heat and

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giving us a better opportunity to breed her at the proper time.” Bohl spoke on the savings their dairy has seen as a result of the system. “We have cut our costs in half without the need for synchronization shots and now rely more on what the cow is showing,” she stated. Further expressing her satisfaction with the system, Bohl said, “If somebody was to come in today and say they would take the system back and refund our investment, I wouldn’t do it.” Select Reproductive Solutions The Select Detect system is the latest component of Select Sires’ exclusive Select Reproductive Solutions™ (SRS™) program and is backed by the professionally-trained SRS team. Select Detect was added to the Portfolio of Reproductive Solutions™ out of Select Sires’ passion to see producers succeed and to help position Select Sires’ customers for a better future. 

We have cut our costs in half without the need for synchronization shots and now rely more on what the cow is showing. Cathy Bohl, Bohl Farms, Beaver Dam, Wis.

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“After installing the Select Detect system, I quickly realized that not only was I missing some heats, but I was consistently breeding cows too early in the heat cycle. By breeding them at the optimal time (which the system shows us), we can easily improve conception rates. We have seen a significant increase in the percent of cows that are pregnant at pregnancy check due to increased heat detection on the repeat breeders. Select Detect is a tool that will help us get more cows pregnant with less semen and a lot fewer injections. I would recommend it because it works!”

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...continued from page 3 information is only relayed twice or at best three times a day, and if the collar is dirty or twisted, there is a risk that the information is lost.

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Dairy Producers are Talking About

Elite Super Samplers Ensure the Genetic Future As the world of genomics reinvents dairy genetics, dairy producers question how to incorporate young sires into their mating program and how to find the sires that meet their genetic needs and fit their budget. In the Summer issue of Selections, an article titled “Sire Selection Direction for Dairy Producers: A Practice in Risk Management” explained the changes that have occurred with the addition of genomic evaluations and how to manage risk with DNA-tested young sires. In this article, discussion will be based on the elite young sires that are available for your use and how to use these sires to gain genetic ground within your herd. Elite GTPI Genetics Genomic evaluations have helped accelerate the quest to breed more profitable cows. Through this genetic advancement, greater confidence lies in the higher accuracy that genomic evaluations provide through increased reliabilities and greater genetic progress. If you are looking for superior, diverse genetics at the best price, they need to look no further than Select Sires, home to many of the leading young sires within the Holstein breed. Ten of the top 25 Genomic Total Performance Index™ (GTPI™) young sires are Super Samplers™ available from Select Sires. Select Sires offers 29 of the top 100 GTPI young sires in Active A.I. Among the top 100 GTPI sires, Select Sires claims the top three genomic Active A.I. sires, with a highest GTPI of +2359. Due to the top genetics that these Super Samplers provide, the cost of this product can be elevated. However, Select Sires is proud to offer the industry’s most economical retail price on the active Holstein genomic young sires. Select Sires

offers 67 Holstein Super Samplers from $10 to $35, with an average price of $17.36. Outlying Super Samplers Select Sires has genetics to meet every dairy producer’s needs. Mentioned already are the high GTPI sires, but Net Merit dollar value (NM$), Predicted Transmitting Ability for Type (PTAT), production and Productive Life (PL) are also traits that Select excels in. Select Sires is home to the elite sires for Net Merit dollar value with 26 in the top 100. Among these, Select is home to six of the top 10 sires for Net Merit and the top Net Merit dollar value sire available at +791 $NM from Select. Select has 20 of the top 100 PTAT sires, including the top PTAT sire at +4.62, and two additional sires among the top 10. Outlying sires also exist within production and health traits. Select Sires has eight young sires with greater than +1,550 Milk and 14 sires with Productive Life greater than +6.0. Adding Young Sires to Your Breeding Program Charlie Will, manager of Holstein sire acquisition, recommends that dairy producers use the elite Super Samplers in a similar manner as Select Sires does for sire acquisition. Currently, Select Sires’ sire department uses approximately 50 percent proven A.I. sires and 50 percent elite young sire genetics as mating sires. This equal percentage of both proven and young sires allows for greater genetic gain and the use of various sires. However, the quantity of available proven A.I. sires and Super Samplers is not equal, as a greater number of young sires are used to allow for greater diversification while

minimizing and tolerating risk. The sire department uses a variety of young sires and continues to add new sires to maintain and control the consistency. The main benefit of using young sires is for the use of outlying sires in specific traits. The young sires also allow for greater selection to find new bloodlines that are unrelated to the most popular sires in the Holstein breed. The opportunity for diverse bloodlines allows breeders to select Calving Ease sires that are not related to the king of Calving Ease, 7HO6417 O-Bee MANfred Justice. As you begin to select the young sires to add to your mating program, you must first identify the traits that are important and find several bulls that meet those requirements. The use of several young sires will spread your risk, and extensive use of one young sire presents the most risk. One Herd’s Use of Genomic Sires At My Ladys Manor Farm Inc. of Monkton, Md., genomics has taken a large role in their genetic program. The herd of 330 Registered Holstein cattle is owned and operated by Robert and Mary (Sam) Smith. The Ladys-Manor prefix is recognized

across the country as producing breed leading genetics for elite GTPI and high type. The herd has always believed in using superior genetic sires on their cattle. Therefore, with the introduction of genomics, they added the use of genomic-tested young sires to gain quicker genetic advancement. “Our focus is on using a variety of genomic young sires to both maximize potential and minimize risk, while trying to achieve unique, marketable offspring that benefit the milking herd as well,” stated Sam. Along with using genomic-tested young sires for breeding, they have begun to use these sires for flushes and have several contracts from these matings. Add These Sires To Your Mating Program In order to best use genomic data as a tool for your mating program, select genomic-tested sires that fit your needs and use a variety of sires for diversification. Select Mating Service™ (SMS™) consultants are available to identify a group of bulls to meet your needs. 

Top 100 GTPI Active A.I. Holstein Young Sires 30

25 20 15

Stud D

Stud E

5 0

Select Sires Stud A

Stud B

Stud C

Stud F

Source: 08/10 USDA Genomic Evaluation, USDA/HA Genomic Type Evaluation and Interbull.

Other

Milk

• 7HO10606 OBSERVER • 7HO10721 BOOKEM • 7HO10604 OSMOND ✝ • 7HO10690 PLAN • 7HO10582 PAUL • 7HO10819 CAMELOT • 7HO10733 COMPLEX • 7HO10700 MAUSER • 7HO10599 MINOS*CV • 7HO10219 BOXER • 7HO10723 SPUR • 7HO10679 KID • 7HO10575 DOLCE • 7HO10780 ABERLIN • 7HO10624 TEMPO ✝ • 7HO10272 FORK • 7HO10611 ALL-IN

+1,194 +1,200 +1,355 +1,346 +954 +1,143 +1,863 +1,182 +671 +831 +1,753 +1,639 +1,043 +714 +1,624 +1,771 +1,102

NM$ +791 +748 +717 +727 +709 +671 +661 +717 +712 +609 +615 +673 +675 +589 +700 +602 +622

PL +7.6 +6.7 +6.3 +7.5 +7.9 +6.6 +5.8 +6.1 +6.6 +3.7 +4.9 +5.1 +6.0 +5.0 +6.2 +3.4 +5.8

Type +2.62 +2.64 +2.53 +1.82 +2.26 +2.78 +2.44 +1.45 +1.78 +3.43 +2.71 +2.20 +2.18 +3.30 +2.01 +3.20 +2.77

GTPI™ Pedigree +2359 Planet x O Man +2336 Planet x Ramos +2271 Planet x O Man +2268 Planet x O Man +2250 Jeeves x Shottle +2226 Planet x Ramos +2216 Jeeves x Boliver +2216 Planet x O Man +2214 Bret x O Man +2210 Shottle x Goldwyn +2198 Planet x Shottle +2195 Planet x Shottle +2193 Planet x Bret +2190 Million x Goldwyn +2184 Planet x Shottle +2173 Bolton x Shottle +2169 Jeeves x Toystory

• Eligible for semen export to Canada. ✝gender SELECTed™ semen available. USDA/HA Genomic Evaluation 08/10. % Rel. Yield, NM$, PL and Type: OBSERVER 76, 70, 64, 71; BOOKEM 77, 71, 65, 72; OSMOND 76, 70, 64, 71; PLAN 76, 69, 64, 70; PAUL 75, 69, 63, 70; CAMELOT 76, 70, 64, 71; COMPLEX 77, 70, 65, 71; MAUSER 76, 69, 64, 70; MINOS 78, 73, 69, 73; BOXER 77, 71, 65, 72; SPUR 75, 69, 63, 70; KID 75, 69, 63, 70; DOLCE 76, 70, 64, 70; ABERLIN 77, 70, 64, 71; TEMPO 76, 70, 64, 71; FORK 80, 74, 69, 75; ALL-IN 77, 71, 66, 72. ™TPI is a trademark of Holstein Association USA, Inc.; Super Sampler and gender SELECTed are trademarks of Select Sires Inc.

High Fertility is Select Sires’ Commitment to Customer-Owners Select Sires is committed to customer success and your genetic success begins with pregnancies. This promise is founded on Select Sires’ passion to supply customers with a high-quality product to ensure the highest reproductive success. Select Sires continues to meet this promise through investment in research via the Program for Fertility Advancement™ (PFA™), highly-trained personnel and implementation of cutting-edge technology. At Select Sires, highly-trained laboratory personnel operate strict quality control which results in higher sire fertility. At Select Sires, sire fertility is No. 1. The experience and commitment by these employees are unmatched in the industry. Leading the Industry The researchers at Select Sires continue to utilize new technology to further enhance semen quality. These discoveries are evaluated through field testing within the PFA cooperator herds. PFA takes laboratory research to the 140 PFA herds that consist of more than 190,000 cows. Select Sires’ semen is processed

with an exclusive line of revolutionary semen extenders and sperm cryopreservation procedures that lead to significant increases in semen quality. All internal changes are based on thorough research with the largest field fertility testing program in the business – PFA. In late 2008, Select Sires launched a new semen extender following years of research. The new and improved extender captured the attention of dairy and beef producers around the world with its ability to improve fertility. The previous semen extender was egg-based and was changed to a milk-based extender. In February 2009, Select Sires implemented the use of a Flow Cy-

tometer to measure semen viability. The Flow Cytometer can objectively evaluate thousands of spermatozoa in a matter of seconds, while the human eye requires several minutes to classify and count 100 spermatozoa for acrosomal integrity. These two revisions to Select’s semen-quality improvement are just part of the ongoing commitment to improving semen quality. In 2003, Select Sires was the first A.I. organization to realize the importance of combining the many available sire-fertility evaluation tools with its introduction of Composite Fertility Index™ (CFI™). Even after the introduction of Sire Conception Rate (SCR) in 2008, Select Sires continues to calculate CFI to provide all available sire-fertility information so customer-owners can make informed decisions. Surrounding You with Options to Maximize Fertility Select Reproductive Solutions™ (SRS™), SelectCheck™ train-

ing school, and Select Detect™, a technologically advanced activity monitoring system, are all examples of how Select Sires surrounds customers with options to maximize fertility. Select Sires has the largest complement of high-level reproductive expertise in the 35 SRS specialists who are committed to every customer’s reproductive success. Fertility Without Compromise Throughout the U.S., the fertility advantage found in Select Sires’ product is evident. Select Sires technician Terry Rogers of Tulare, Calif., has seen significant differences in fertility compared to that of the A.I. organization he previously worked with for 30 years. Rogers began breeding for All West/Select Sires in February 2010 and has a territory where he breeds nearly 20,000 cows. Throughout February and March of 2010, Rogers bred his herds using both Select’s product and the competitor’s product to empty his inventory. It was during this time that it became evident to Rogers of Select Sires’ fertility advantage. He saw a noticeable, significant increase in conception rate in the cows bred with Select Sires semen. In fact, the figure seemed too high for Rogers to even believe, but the data did not lie. Many other A.I. technicians throughout California that have joined Select Sires have seen similar results within the past year. On average, the increase in conception rate has been from three to four percent with Select Sires. This fertility advantage is a direct link to the quality of semen that is produced from Select Sires. Select Sires offers you “Fertility without Compromise” and will continue to make improvements to advance semen quality with investment in research via PFA. 

Adding Diversity to Select Sires’ Jersey Lineup Select Sires partnered with Viking Genetics International and Creative Genetics of California in April 2010 to offer four leading Jersey Performance Index™ (JPI™) Danish Jersey sires among Select Sires’ active lineup. The addition of these sires shows Select Sires’ continual commitment to the Jersey breed by providing elite Danish sires in the U.S. with genetic diversity to Select’s lineup. “Danish Jersey bulls have had tremendous impact within the U.S. population over the last several years, starting with Select Sires’ own importation of 164JE1 ISDK Fyn Lemvig nearly 10 years ago,” commented Jeff Ziegler, genomics program manager. “In recent years, 236JE3 ISDK Q IMPULS has ranked quite well with exceptional U.S. daughters and now his sons are competing well, including Select Sires’ 7JE821 Maack Dairy SPECTACULAR-ET and 7JE1100 Cave Creek KANOO-ET.” Denmark’s Jersey Population In Denmark, 66,000 purebred Jerseys are recorded and make up 12.5 percent of the cattle within the country. The national production average for Jerseys is 14,670 pounds of milk, 5.9 percent fat and 4.1

percent protein, and the average Danish herd consists of 148 cows. Today, one will find the most common Danish Jersey herd housed in a 500-cow freestall slated floor barn, fed and milked with robotics. Danish Jersey breeders are actively involved in sire selection with a selection committee much like Select Sires’ Jersey sire committee. Data collection on young sire daughters is government mandated, and all veterinarian treatment is documented to a centralized database. Danish Jersey breeders are dedicated to young sire usage in a randomized fashion quite similar to the Program for Genetic Advancement™ (PGA™). Annually, 55 young sires are tested for genetic advancement. The long-standing selection goal of fat plus protein minus milk volume has been maintained for years. Longevity, fertility and overall health have been in the Danish selection protocol for over two decades. An important objective of building future Danish sires to sample is to maintain pedigree uniqueness to other main Jersey populations which fits nicely to add diversity to Select’s lineup with the proven Danish product.

Photo by Elly Geverink

The blending of Danish sires with successful Select sires captures the success of both programs. Danish Jerseys Available from Select Sires Danish Jerseys enhanced the top indexing sire list with August 2010 genetic evaluations. The introduction of the Danish sires from Viking Genetics has proved to be a very valuable asset to the Jersey lineup at Select Sires. Fitting Select Sires mission statement to provide only the best, these four Danish sires sit at the top of all production indexes, proof of the significance of the Danish offerings. The commanding force for the Danish sires, 236JE146 ISDK DJ ZUMA, maxed out all of the production indexes as the No. 1 bull in the breed for Jersey Performance Index™ (JPI™) at +197 JPI-M along with Net Merit, Cheese Merit and Fluid Merit dollar value. Complementing these high rankings in the indexes, ZUMA further excels over the rest of the breed in health traits as the No. 1 bull for Somatic Cell Score (SCS) and is off the charts with extremely impressive +7.5 Productive Life (PL). His closest competitor stands below +6.0 PL. ZUMA further makes his mark, as No. 2 for udder depth and No. 3 for Daughter Pregnancy Rate (DPR). He is also a top ten bull for percent fat and percent protein, while being a very sound udder bull at +2.69 Jersey Udder Index™(JUI™). ZUMA earns Herdlife Builder™ and FeedPRO® designations and is a sire of sons for the future Select Sires’ Jersey lineup. IMPULS helps to cement the Danish sires’ hold at the top of the leader board. He appears on the JPI list as the No. 4 bull of the breed at a noteworthy +172 GJPI. A FeedPRO sire, IMPULS also puts his stamp on the top of the production indexes, as the No. 4 sire for Cheese Merit and No. 9 sire for Net Merit. IMPULS is

also in the top 10 for both fat and protein percents and Daughter Pregnancy Rate. This gender SELECTed™ and low genomic estimate of future inbreeding (GFI) bull is already the sire of many influential and high ranking young males and females in the breed and is now demonstrating his ability to make the show-winning type as the sire of the winning senior 2-year-old cow at the 2010 World Dairy Expo. 236J145 ISDK DJ JANTE, a 7JE535 Windy Willow Montana JACE son, adds merit to Select Sires’ Jersey lineup as the No. 10 bull in the breed for JPI. JANTE is also a high ranking bull for Net Merit, Cheese Merit and Fluid Merit, being in the top 10 of the Jersey breed for all three of these production indexes. He is the No. 2 bull for Somatic Cell Score. JANTE also proves to be a well rounded bull at +678 pounds of Milk and positive for type and JUI. The No. 20 bull in the breed for JPI at +142 JPI-M is 228J143 ISDK DJ INDICA, another solid acquisition from Viking Genetics. He, too, is atop the Net Merit and Cheese Merit lists at No. 8 for CM$ and No. 12 for NM$. Another FeedPRO sire, INDICA is plus for percent fat and plus for percent protein, including being a top 10 bull for percent protein, all the while holding strong at +464 pounds of Milk. The new Danish Jersey sires blend into Select Sires’ lineup and have made an impact on top of the leader lists. Each sire offers something special that breeders everywhere may be lacking in their herds.  Source: 08/10 USDA Genomic Evaluation, USDA/AJCA Genomic Type Evaluation and Interbull, M=USA/IBMace. AJCA A.I. Marketed Bulls (A/F) August 2010. Rel.: ZUMA PL 44%, Type 37%; JANTE Yield 81%; INDICA Yield 80%.

Dabble: The Bull Mother that Transmits Profitability Ronelee Outside Dabble (EX-91-2E-EX-MS-DOM) has garnered attention as the No. 1 Productive Life (PL) cow in the nation at +8.6 PL. At +2171 Genomic Total Performance Index ™ (GTPI ™), Dabble displays superior transmitting ability as the dam of 53 progeny registered with the Holstein Association USA. She is becoming a well-known bull mother and has several sons that rank at the top of the sire summaries for a number of traits. This well respected cow’s story begins in the early 1990’s when Sherman Polinder of Ronelee Holsteins, Lynden, Wash., purchased Select Southwind Dinah (EX-91), the great grandam of Dabble. Polinder later returned to the herd to purchase Dinah’s daughter, Select Mark Dolly (EX-95-EX-MS4E-GMD-DOM). Dolly’s sire was a herd bull that was a son of 7HO980 Walkway Chief MARK. Dolly proved to be a great cow in the Ronelee herd, scored Excellent (95) with a lifetime record of 276,000 pounds of milk. Her 14 daughters left a lasting impression within the herd. One such daughter was sired by Startmore Rudolph-ET, Ronelee Rudolph Dimple (EX-932E-DOM). Dimple was bred to Comestar Outside-ET resulting in Dabble. The “D” family has continued as a solid production family, and Dolly, Dimple and Dabble support this fact as they each have high production records over 44,500 pounds of milk, 1,600 pounds of fat and 1,300 pounds of protein. Dabble was contract mated to Pursuit September Storm as a heifer. “It was Dabble’s dam, Dimple that caught my attention,” noted Select Sires’ sire analyst Scott Culbertson. “She was and still is one of the best Rudolph daughters I have ever seen. All black, all silk, big dairy frame and gave every look of a great milk cow. Dabble looked

like a typical Outside. She had more bone and strength and was not as flashy as Dimple.” “The heifer mating was a chance, but Dabble produced a bull calf – 7HO9107 Ronelee SS DURABLE (EX90) – and he was a Red Carrier to boot from his sire,” commented Culbertson. DURABLE ranks as the No. 1 Red Carrier at +1942 GTPI and seventh in Select Sires’ lineup for GTPI. The April 2010 graduate is the complete package and carries Select Sires’ DIAMOND SELECTion™ designation. DURABLE ranks seventh in the breed for Feet and Leg Composite at +3.10 FLC and transmits superior Type (+2.15) with added height and width and strong ligaments to the udders. DURABLE carries high Net Merit dollar value (+468 NM$), and as a HealthMark™ sire, he offers superior health traits with high Productive Life (+4.7 PL), positive Daughter Pregnancy Rate (+0.5 DPR) and low Somatic Cell Score (2.60 SCS). As a gender SELECTed™ sire, he is an exceptional cross for 7HO7872 KHW Kite ADVENT-RED-ET heifers. In addition to DURABLE, Select Sires is home to six sons of Dabble. The sons are sired by Braedale Goldwyn, End-Road PVF Boliver-ET and 7HO6960 Kamps-Hollow Convcd RSVP-ET. Two of these sons are current Select Sires’ Super Samplers; 7HO10406 Ronelee Boliver DASHAWN-ET and 7HO10653 Ronelee Gold DAMASCUS-ET.

DASHAWN and DURABLE daughter, Trydale Durable 2793-Grade, Trydale Farms Inc., Gunnison, Utah. DAMASCUS each of +2034. He has high Type conforcarry a GTPI of greater than +2000 mation (+2.73 Type) and a profitGTPI with superior Type, profitable able Net Merit dollar value (+489 Net Merit dollar value and high NM$). This Boliver son also improves health traits. health traits at +5.7 Productive Life, DAMASCUS, a Goldwyn son, has +0.9 Daughter Pregnancy Rate and an outstanding GTPI of +2131 2.85 Somatic Cell Score. and excellent Type at +2.95. He Be on the lookout for this profitalso transmits volumes of milk able and productive family as (+1,119 Milk) and Net Merit dollar Dabble’s sons continue to develop value (+560 NM$). This profitable and as future generations show son is a health improver with +5.4 their success.  Productive Life, +1.2 Daughter Source: 08/10 USDA Genomic Evaluation, USDA/ Pregnancy Rate and 2.76 Somatic HA Genomic Type Evaluation and Interbull; Rel.: Cell Score. DURABLE Type 89%, NM 83%, PL 74%, DPR 73%, SCS 85%; DAMASCUS Type 72%, Yield 77%, NM His maternal brother, DASHAWN, 71%, PL 66%, DPR 64%, SCS 73%; DASHAWN Type 71%, NM 71%, PL 66%, DPR 64%, SCS 71%. follows in his footsteps with a GTPI

Ronelee Outside Dabble (EX-91-2E-EX-MS-DOM) Photo by Frank Robinson

Does Your Dairy Leave Money on the Table Due to High SCC? by Rob Hamaker, Agrarian Marketing Corporation In the near future, dairy processors will be required to prove that every farm from which they purchase milk has a Somatic Cell Count (SCC) less than 400,000 cells per milliliter. Currently, these processors can co-mingle milk from different farms to produce a combined milk product with a Somatic Cell Count below 400,000. These new regulations will force each and every producer to comply. In a recent study, the majority of dairies throughout the U.S. maintain Somatic Cell Count levels below 400,000 SCC. In many cases, there is a milk quality premium paid at a level substantially lower than the soon to be imposed 400,000 SCC level, which is already encouraging dairy producers to lower their Somatic Cell Count. Do you feel like your dairy is leaving money on the table due to high Somatic Cell Count? If so, there is a tool – BioFresh ® Bolus – that may help you and your dairy achieve lower Somatic Cell Counts.

BioFresh Bolus Benefits BioFresh Bolus, available from Select Sires, is specifically formulated as a supplement for dairy cattle. From the Select BioCycle™ family of nutritional supplements, BioFresh Bolus is an individual animal supplement for use at freshening and other times of stress including high Somatic Cell Count levels. At calving or in other stressful situations, cows have the highest need for efficient digestion. Administering BioFresh Bolus can put important enzymes, yeast products, vitamins and minerals in the right place - the gut - when they’re needed the most.

BioFresh Bolus has also shown a positive response at reducing Somatic Cell Count in certain cows. Many times there can be a small group of cows that add more than their fair share to the overall bulk tank Somatic Cell Count. BioFresh is designed and packaged to address this group of cows. In 2003, a trial at Southern Illinois University demonstrated that BioFresh Boluses would reduce Somatic Cell Counts in cows with a SCC of 300,000 and above. The average reduction was 50 percent. This trial included cows that were mid to late lactation.

Effect of BioFresh Boluses vs. Placebo Boluses on Linear Somatic Cell Count of Lactating Holstein Cows

Dr. K.E. Griswold, Southern Illinois University

How to Utilize BioFresh Bolus For the past five years, dairy producers throughout the country have been using BioFresh Bolus to avoid fresh cow problems and address individual high Somatic Cell Count cows in their herd. These herds are using BioFresh Bolus in a variety of ways, which include: • Fresh Cows - One bolus per day for three days. If your current handling practices do not allow you to handle cows easily and daily, or you have extraordinary freshening concerns, the next best option would be to administer two to three boluses immediately post calving. • Off-Feed Cows - One bolus per day for three days. • Cows Greater than 300,000 Somatic Cell Count - One bolus per day for three days. This produces the best results if used 21 days before the next test day. Today, more than ever, dairy producers are demanding troublefree cows that maximize production and reproduction, and are seeing a difference with BioFresh Bolus. Contact your Select Sires professional for product availability. If you have technical questions, please contact Agrarian Marketing Corporation® at 1-888-254-1482. 

BULLetin Board It’s Unanimous - 7HO7004 DAMION Now Excellent (95) A committee of classifiers from Holstein Association USA, Brattleboro, Vt., voted unanimously to raise the official type-conformation score of 7HO7004 Erbacres DAMION to Excellent (95) at nine years and 11 months of age. Charlie Will of manager of Holstein sire selection for Select Sires, stated “The committee praised DAMION for his impressive dairy frame, width and depth throughout, dairy strength and how well he moved on his feet and legs.”

Erbacres DAMION-ET (EX-95)

7JE590 ACTION Becomes All-Time High Sales Jersey Sire at Select Sires At the American Jersey Cattle Association’s National Heifer Sale, Herby Lutz, dairy sire analyst, and Jeff Ziegler, genomics program manager, presented Dan Bansen of Forest Glen Jerseys, the breeder of 7JE590 Forest Glen Avery ACTION-ET, with a statue of the sire in recognition of ACTION becoming the No. 1 lifetime sales Jersey sire at Select Sires. ACTION has produced and sold 385,167 units of semen through September 30, 2010, surpassing his maternal grandsire, Jersey legend 7JE254 Mason Boomer Sooner BERRETTA.

Jeff Ziegler (left) and Herby Lutz (center) present Dan Bansen, breeder of 7JE590 ACTION, with a statue of the bull.

Two Holsteins Recognized as Gold Medal Sires at Select Sires The Holstein Association USA Inc., Brattleboro, Vt., awarded the Gold Medal Sire designation to two Select Sires bulls – 7HO8477 Willow-MarshCC GABOR-ET (EX-90) and 7HO8856 Ri-Val-Re-2338 NIAGRA-ET. The extremely popular sires GABOR and NIAGRA easily made the Gold Medal list. As elite GTPI sires ranked among the breed’s top 60 bulls, they are high type specialists that produce volumes of milk. Both sires are complemented with positive fat and protein pounds and are calving ease sires. GABOR, at +1904 GTPI, ranks third in Select Sires’ lineup for Milk (+1,839). He also ranks among the top 15 sires at Select for type conformation at +2.28. GABOR is a DIAMOND SELECTion™ sire and has gender SELECTed™ semen available. At +1913 GTPI, NIAGRA rounds out the top 10 sires at Select for Milk (+1,613 Milk) and the top 20 bulls for Type (+2.00) and Udder Composite (+1.94). NIAGRA, with a Sire Conception Rate (SCR) of +3.0, has limited semen available. Source: 08/10 USDA Genomic Evaluation, USDA/HA Genomic Type Evaluation and Interbull; M=USA/IB-Mace. 08/10 Rel.: GABOR Yield 93%, Type 90%; NIAGRA Yield 94%, Type 90%, SCR 97%.

7HO7872 ADVENT-RED Named Premier Sire of 2010 Grand International Red and White Show 7HO7872 KHW Kite ADVENT-RED-ET (EX-94) was named Premier Sire for the second consecutive year at the 2010 Grand International Red and White Show held at World Dairy Expo, Madison, Wis. In addition, 21 ADVENTRED daughters placed among the top five of their class. ADVENT-RED daughter Silvermine Adv Tally-Red-ET (EX-91) was named reserve grand champion and intermediate champion after topping the senior 3-year-old cow class. Taking home the reserve intermediate champion title was ADVENT-RED daughter, Budjon-Nitzy Destiny Red-ET

(EX-92). She was the first place junior 3-year-old cow and futurity class winner. Both animals are owned by Milk Source LLC, Kaukauna, Wis. ADVENT-RED’s son 7HO9236 MD-Valleyvue CAMDEN-RED-ET sired the reserve junior champion female. Tem-North Camden Dixie-Red was the first place winter yearling heifer owned by Richard M. Green, Sr., Middletown, Del.

PRONTO-ET (EX-95) and the high genomic Super Sampler™ 7HO10506 Maple-Downs-I G W ATWOOD-ET (VG87). Winning the class was DURHAM daughter Sco-Lo Durham Molly-TW, owned by John Cannon, Graisson Schmit and Kurt Wolf, Dyersville, Iowa. Other top-five finishers throughout the heifer and cow classes were sired by 7HO8190 Gen-Mark Stmatic SANCHEZ (EX-94), DAMION, ADVENTRED and Super Sampler 7HO9289 Windy-Knoll-View 4 ACES-ET (EX-91). In the International Junior Holstein Show, Logsdons Durham Cher (EX-95), owned by Katie Gibson and Michaela B. Sanders, Eminence, Ky., received grand champion honors after being named the senior champion of the show. She is sired by DURHAM and was the winner in the aged cow class.

Tem-North Camden Dixie-Red Richard M. Green, Sr., Middletown, Del.

Logsdons Durham Cher (EX-95) Katie Gibson and Michaela B. Sanders, Eminence, Ky.

Silvermine Adv Tally-Red-ET (EX-91) Milk Source LLC, Kaukauna, Wis.

Select Sires’ Holstein Stars Soar at World Dairy Expo The Select Sires Holstein lineup shined at the International Holstein Show and International Junior Holstein Show held at World Dairy Expo. Fourteen Select-sired offspring placed among the top five of their class in the open show, while in the junior show several champions were sired by 7HO5157 Regancrest Elton DURHAMET*CV (EX-90-GM) and ADVENT-RED. Select Sires dominated the spring heifer calf class with six of the top eight calves sired by five different sires. The sires of these spring heifer calves were DURHAM, 7HO8221 Golden-Oaks St ALEXANDER-ET (EX-91), 7HO9165 Regancrest S BRAXTON-ET (EX-94), 7HO8175 Windy-Knoll-View

The second place aged cow, StoneFront Advent Laverne (EX-94), was named reserve grand champion and reserve senior champion. An ADVENTRED daughter, Laverne, is owned by Shane Nodolf of Belmont, Wis.

Stone-Front Advent Laverne (EX-94) Shane Nodolf, Belmont, Wis.

Reserve intermediate champion honors were awarded to another ADVENT-RED daughter, Scenic-Edge Advent Cocoa (VG-88-EX-91-MS). She was second in the senior 3-year-old

class and is owned by Mike Fuller, Rudolph, Wis. The reserve junior champion female who topped the fall heifer calf class was another DURHAM daughter, Ms Duckett Durham BeautyET, owned by Cal Dewitt, Clinton, Wis. Select’s High-Components Lineup Daughters Stand Out on the Colored Shavings at World Dairy Expo Jersey sires 236JE3 ISDK Q IMPULS, 7JE590 Forest Glen Avery ACTION-ET and 7JE867 Griffins GOVERNOR-ET all had daughters rise to the top of their classes. IMPULS daughter September Star Impuls (VG-87%), exhibited by Purple Fever Cattle Co., Lowville, N.Y., stood at the head of the senior 2-year-

September Star Impuls (VG-87%) Purple Fever Cattle Co., Lowville, N.Y.

old class. ACTION daughter Arethusa Action Dominique, owned by Greg Mortson, Oro Station, Ontario, topped the summer yearling heifer class and was the reserve junior champion of the open show.

Arethusa Action Dominique Greg Mortson, Oro Station, Ontario

The winning trend continued in the Brown Swiss show, with Select sires 7BS766 Blessing Banker AGENDA ET, 7BS779 Brothers Three PARKER ET and 7BS752 Sun-Made Garbro PRESTIGE ET enjoying similar success. In the winter calf class, second place went to AGENDA daughter Brook Hollow Agenda Prezzie. Prezzie, owned by Delbert and Heather Yoder, West Salem, Ohio, was also named reserve junior champion of the open show. Top Dimark Parker Fanny ET, a PARKER daughter owned by John

Paul Regusci, Modesto, Calif., stood second in the fall heifer calf class. Fanny went on to be named reserve junior champion of the junior show. PRESTIGE was a stand-out with Jo-Dee Prestige Kaluwa “E91 E91”, the second place 5-year-old cow, capturing the title of reserve senior and reserve grand champion of the open show. Kaluwa is owned by Jodi Coppini, Tillamook, Ore. 7GU395 Sniders Option AARON-ET daughter, Lang Haven Aaron Treasure ET, owned by Esther Ripley, Moravia, N.Y., won the fall yearling in milk class, repeating her win at this year’s AllAmerican Dairy Show in Harrisburg, Pa. 7MS347 Mysha-Wo Advent LIRIANOET daughter Buckeye Knoll Liriano Pila Exp, first place fall heifer calf, took home the honor of junior champion of both the open and junior shows. Four 7HO7004 DAMION Three-YearOld Daughters Score Excellent Siemers Holstein Farms Inc., Newton, Wis., had four DAMION three-yearold daughters classify Excellent. Three classified Excellent (90) while one was

Excellent (91). 7HO8223 LAWN BOY P-Red Daughter Raised to EX-90 Locust-Vale LBoy Stacey-Red has been raised in score to Excellent 90! The 7HO8223 Aggravation LAWN BOY P-Red daughter is owned by Wilmer L. and Vera C. Peachey, Ellisburg, N.Y.

Locust-Vale LBoy Stacey-Red (EX-90) Wilmer L. and Vera C. Peachey, Ellisburg, N.Y.

7BS750 DYNASTY Daughters Classify Excellent 7BS750 Hilltop Acres En DYNASTY ET sired five new Excellent daughters at his breeder’s herd, Hilltop Acres, Calmar, Iowa. One of the daughters is now classified “E 91” while the remaining four daughters are “E 90”. 

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To enhance the productivity and profitability of dairy and beef producers, Select Sires is committed to be the premier provider of highly fertile, superior genetics accompanied by effective reproductive- and herdmanagement products and services. For more information, visit www.selectsires.com or call (614) 873-4683. Product of the USA.

™ Select Detect, Program for Fertility Advancement, PFA, Select Reproductive Solutions, SRS, Portfolio of Reproductive Solutions, Super Sampler, Select Mating Service, SMS, Composite Fertility Index, CFI, SelectCheck, Program for Genetic Advancement, PGA, Herdlife Builder, gender SELECTed, DIAMOND SELECTion, HealthMark and Select BioCycle are trademarks of Select Sires Inc.; Total Performance Index, TPI, Cow Total Performance Index and CTPI are trademarks of Holstein Association USA; Jersey Performance Index, JPI, Jersey Udder Index and JUI are trademarks of American Jersey Cattle Association; ® FeedPRO is a registered trademark of Select Sires Inc. BioFresh is a registered trademark of Agrarian Marketing Corporation, Middlebury, Ind. Agrarian Marketing Corporation is a registered trademark of Agrarian Marketing Corp., Middlebury, Ind. All product claims, representations and warranties, expressed or implied are made only by the product manufacturers and not by Select Sires Inc.

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