SPRING 2013 Deep and Diverse Family Behind MCFLY and MIZZOU 6 Customer Service and Herd Improvement are McAuley’s Focus 11 BULLetin Board
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YOUR SUCCESS YOU Our Passion.
It is no secret that Select Detect can help you create pregnancies on your dairy. Read what dairy producers have to say about the system’s effectiveness in heifer operations on page 8.
SELECTIONS
STOP THE SILENT THIEF! IT’S TIME TO GET SERIOUS ABOUT INBREEDING. t may be hard to see what inbreeding is really costing your dairy, but this silent thief is reducing your potential profit. Select Sires recognizes the danger of inbreeding and has developed two programs, Select Mating Service™ (SMS™) and StrataGEN™ to help you manage inbreeding. Turn to page 4 to learn more.
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Reproductive Expertise for Professional Dairy Producers! by David C. Thorbahn, president and C.E.O. Dairy farm profitability is as challenging as I have seen it in my 28-year career in the industry. High grain prices, difficult labor issues, financial lending instability and increasing government regulations on air and water, all coupled with the volatility of milk prices have added to this complexity. It is more critical than ever for profitable dairies to use professional programs to get cows pregnant in order to generate cash flow and maximize genetic improvement. As your A.I. supplier, Select Sires can assist you by providing excellent semen quality, along with heat detection and reproductive consulting. Who has the best semen quality? There are only two independent, unbiased evaluations that compare all suppliers: USDA’s Sire Conception Rate (SCR) and Agri-Tech Analytics’ (ATA) fertility evaluation program. For the last five years, Select Sires has led the industry with more bulls that improve conception rate. We have never been second. That advantage improves when you look at sires that are greater than 95 percent reliable for SCR. Some A.I. companies have stopped paying to have this data published. It is calculated, just
not published. Select Sires’ farmercontrolled board of directors believes competition is good and has directed Select Sires to continue to participate and publish this data. Agri-Tech Analytics (ATA) fertility evaluation program is a dairy records processing center in California. ATA’s fertility program uses confirmed pregnancy data to estimate sire fertility. It confirms Select Sires’ advantage, as we have more active proven sires that are rated four or five stars for fertility than any other stud. How does Select Sires maintain this lead? Select Sires has invested in a team of six resident research scientists. This team specializes in male reproductive physiology, keeping our customers on the cutting edge of fertility. In addition, Select Sires’ Program for Fertility Advancement™ (PFA™), the largest fertility research
Why is USDA’s SCR the best tool for fertility? Evaluations are based on confirmed pregnancy rate
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Unbiased and high quality data provided by the Dairy Record Processing Centers (DRPC) from participating DHI member herds Largest data set available with over 15 million records used in the 2012 data set Thorough editing by the DRPCs and USDA Evaluation contains over 10 years of research from industry-leading scientists Adjusts for herd environment, month of use, lactation number, age of the cow, genetic pregnancy rate of the cow, state used, service number, inbreeding of the mating and the lactation yield of the cows
Active A.I. Sires greater than +0.0 SCR (Min. 95% Rel.) 50 50 40 40
48 40
Source: 12/12 Holstein Active A.I. listing, domestic and foreign bulls.
30 30 20 20
18
10 10 00
12 Select Select Sires
Stud Stud A
program in the industry, includes more than 155 well-managed herds and greater than 170,000 cows. These herds are contracted to research alternative freezing techniques, revolutionary extenders and quality control measures. Our proprietary flow cytometry quality control program is a result of PFA trials. These advances have allowed us to achieve outstanding fertility results. What about reproductive consulting? Dr. Ray Nebel and your member cooperatives have assembled over 40 Select Reproductive Solutions™ (SRS™) specialists who have advanced training in reproduction troubleshooting. These SRS specialists are armed with the exclusive Select Sires RePRO Analysis™ program. Additionally, Select Sires has recognized your need to hire a talented reproductive team, by employing the largest group of professional technicians. These technicians are experienced at several levels, including an advanced training program for seasoned technicians expanding their knowledge of reproduction and heat detection. By comparing the cost and quality difference of hiring, training and relief help to the cost of a professional technician service, you can see the advantage of using Select Sires’ reproductive staff. If you currently have talented employees, talk to your
Stud StudBB
Stud Stud CC
local Select Sires professional to learn about our programs to further advance their skills. The advantage of a professional Select Sires technician can be dramatic. Victor Cabrera of the University of Wisconsin, found that improving your whole herd 21-day pregnancy rate by 1 percent is worth $15 per cow in the herd. This research was completed prior to the rise in feed prices and is thus underestimated. Under the direction of our board, Select Sires has acquired the marketing rights for two of the finest activity monitoring devices in DairyMaster’s Select Detect™ and SCR Dairy Inc.’s Heatime®. Select Sires now provides the best in heat detection and health monitoring technology for our customers. The improvement in whole herd pregnancy rates and customer satisfaction of those using systems has been amazing. It is common to exceed 25 percent pregnancy rate in Holstein herds. The goal for your cooperative is to anticipate and identify individual needs of your operation and provide the tools that will help maximize your profitability. While all semen suppliers may look the same, they are not. If you want a professional team that invests in the highest quality semen and people to get you the results you demand, contact your local Select Sires representative today.
Large photos left to right: De-Su 192-ET, De-Su Holsteins LLC, New Albin, Iowa, Erbsen, Star Dairy Fork 295-Grade, Star Dairy, Paris, Texas, reversed, Erbsen Small photos top to bottom: Wolf Brothers Gulf 44-Grade, Wolf Brothers Dairy, Windthorst, Texas, Scheidairy 188 (GP-80), Scheidairy Farm Inc., Freeport, Ill.
These six exciting December graduates all enter active A.I. with so much to offer. All descendants from De-Su BW Marshal Georgia-ET (EX-90-2E-GMD-DOM), this elite group carries outstanding GTPI values with excellent type and production. Sons of Bolton and Boliver, these six bulls are products of the De-Su herd, a name synonymous with success and strong, solid breeding. Call your Select Sires representative and let MASKILL, CIMARRON, GULF, FORK, WATSON and BILLINGS bring their family tradition of greatness to your herd today!
Code No. 7HO10172 7HO10227 7HO10228 7HO10272 7HO10356 7HO10357
Name MASKILL*BY CIMARRON*BY GULF*BY FORK WATSON BILLINGS
Milk +2,216 +2,064 +1,435 +1,621 +711 +1,959
Rel. 91% 89% 90% 90% 91% 90%
Type +1.90 +2.78 +2.93 +3.13 +2.42 +2.35
12/12 USDA/HA Genomic Rel. All bulls qualify for semen export to Canada. SMGTPI is a servicemark of Holstein Association USA.
Rel. 89% 85% 86% 86% 86% 83%
GTPISM +1958 +2116 +2161 +2074 +2152 +1997
Is Your Herd’s Genetic Make-Up Costing You Money? by Jeff Ziegler, genomic program manager Unlike other challenges that impact your herd, inbreeding isn’t something you can visually see. But, inbreeding poses significant risks to your herd. If not managed, it could have a substantial negative economic impact. All too real are the risks of lower milk production per lactation, reduced reproductive performance, decreased calf health and vigor, and an increased risk of recessive genetic disorders. Inbreeding on the rise Inbreeding continues to rise in the Holstein population. Widespread genomic testing is actually escalating inbreeding levels by focusing selection pressure on a smaller group of elite males and females in the population. As of December 2012, USDA-AIPL statistics indicate that
traditional pedigree inbreeding levels in the Holstein breed have reached 5.9 percent. It is common to see pedigrees reaching 10 percent inbred, which has significant impacts on many economically important traits. Genomic inbreeding estimates are not yet summarized, but individuals have been 1 to 3 percent higher than the traditional pedigree inbreeding estimates. This indicates there is inbreeding that is not accounted for. The SMS solution Select Mating Service (SMS) is the
The High Cost of Inbreeding Inbreeding occurs when closely related animals are mated, leading to: Decreased cow health and vigor Lower lactation production Reduced reproductive performance Lower embryonic survival rates Decreased calf vigor, increased calf morbidity and mortality Increased risk of recessive genetic disorders
“gold standard” to control inbreeding, while still improving the conformation and profitability of your herd. SMS allows in-depth pedigree information to be used to help manage inbreeding levels and prevent the losses they cause. A SMS genetic consultant works with dairy producers to develop customized genetic business plans to help each producer reach their individual goals. Professional SMS consultants use research, computerized analysis and cow knowledge to build better cows throughout the world, one mating at a time. Dave Harvatine is the herd manager at Aurora Ridge Holsteins in Aurora, N.Y. They milk close to 2,000 registered Holsteins and have been using SMS since 2002. “Up until about ten years ago I had been mating the cows myself. But, I learned it was nice to be able to have something to fall back on if I was gone,” says Harvatine. “I know the SMS evaluators are good cow people who know what I am looking for in a mating. We also started using SMS to watch for undesirable recessives and inbreeding, which was much easier with a mating program.” Aurora Ridge continues to use
SMS because of their high level of satisfaction with the program. “Over time, I have become very comfortable with the matings. They make sense and the evaluators are seeing what I am seeing. We continue to use SMS for three reasons: having another person look at the cows, to control inbreeding and to protect against recessives,” says Harvatine. Another answer — StrataGEN Compliance can sometimes be a challenge because SMS requires a specific cow or heifer to be bred to the right sire. If compliance is an issue, StrataGEN, a unique, sequential breeding system may be the answer for your herd. Introduced nationally in late 2012, StrataGEN utilizes genomic insights to help dairy producers achieve individual breeding goals while also minimizing inbreeding. Using genomic evaluations that pinpoint the chromosome segments an individual inherits from each parent, StataGEN categorizes both daughterproven and young sires into a colorcoded line. Each line is designated by a single color (orange, blue, green, yellow and red) for easy understanding and implementation. Every line contains sires that relate to one specific gene pool and are highly genomically related to each other within the line. But, the five lines themselves are very
For each 1 percent inbreeding increase, a herd experiences:1 -24 Lifetime NM$ +.36 days age at first calving -13 days Productive Life -790 lbs lifetime milk production -25 lbs lifetime protein production +.26 month first calving interval The cost of each additional day a dairy cow is open, beyond the herd’s voluntary waiting period, can range from $3.19 to $5.41 per cow per year.2 1 Cassell, B.G.; Effect of inbreeding on cow performance and mate selection in dairy cows; Proceedings of the Western Dairy Management Conference; 1999. 2De Vries, A; Determinants of the cost of days open in dairy cattle; Proceedings of the 11th International Symposium on Veterinary Epidemiology and Economics; 2006.
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SMS evaluators work with you to develop individualized matings for each cow.
genomically unrelated to one another. The ongoing development of these five intensely selected lines will reduce inbreeding when crossing lines, while continuing to build genetic superiority. Sires too closely related to multiple lines cannot be assigned to a StrataGEN line. For several years, since genomic testing became available, we have carefully mated and sorted sires to fit the five lines. No other A.I. organization offers sires bred and tested specifically for a sequential breeding protocol. All sires in the StrataGEN program have been or will be proven through Select Sires’ progeny test program, with special emphasis on improved production, moderate body size and the ability to maintain body condition score and fertility. StrataGEN is a breeding program designed for multigenerational commitment, allowing each generational cross to become more uniform, thus allowing optimal performance with minimal inbreeding. Jon Vosters, owner of MilkSource LLC, firmly believes in the value of reaping a return on genetic investments. For this reason, in the spring of 2012, Rosendale Dairy (part of MilkSource LLC), located in Pickett, Wis.,
implemented the StrataGEN program. “Reducing the impact of inbreeding is a long-term investment, as genetic gains will not be realized until the second generation calves are on the ground,” says Vosters. “The simplicity of the program is appealing. No decisions have to be made at breeding time; the work to reduce inbreeding has all been done ahead of time.” How do I start? To get a handle on inbreeding, you need to know where your herd stands genetically. Recognizing that every herd is different, Select Sires’ genetic consultants can help evaluate inbreeding levels for your herd through pedigree information, herd management and breeding records, or past semen purchases. Genomic or parentage testing is another option, either testing a random cross segment of the herd or the entire herd, if resources permit. Inbreeding management is much more than a single generation of mating; it is a long-term commitment. Start now with a program customized for your herd.
Following an initial consult with a StrataGEN specialist, a herd’s existing genetic base is evaluated and long-term herd goals are considered to develop a three- (shown above) or five-line rotation. Implementing this program can be as simple as selecting the line that is least related to your herd to start the rotation. Then, switching to the next line for the next generation.
Select Mating Service (SMS) Choose Select Mating Service (SMS) when:
You follow individual matings with individual breedings You have accurate parentage knowledge of each cow in your herd You identify the parentage of all offspring
StrataGEN Choose StrataGEN when:
Benefits of mating with SMS:
Provides a genetic consultation for sire selection Provides the value of individual matings for each animal Genomic testing files can be utilized with SMS to design a mating program based on genomic data Protects against inbreeding Saves time in daily herd management, keeping your breeding program moving forward Helps you plan and monitor semen inventory and track genetic progress Encourages parentage verification SMS was designed for herds who wish to make genetic progress one specialized mating at a time.
You prefer utilizing population genetics rather than individual animal matings Absolute pedigree identification of each animal is not part of your past/current management system Controlling inbreeding through population genetics is important to you
Benefits of mating with StrataGEN:
Provides a genetic audit for optimizing sire selection Is simple to initiate and maintain Is an effective tool to reduce inbreeding Uses genomic technology to reduce inbreeding Works well in herds using a synchronization protocol Combines proven genetics and genomic technology Allows you to better capture genetic progress StrataGEN was specifically designed to allow herds to mass breed in a limited time frame.
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Deep and Diverse Family Backs MCFLY and MIZZOU Two new elite members to the Select Sires lineup, 7HO9918 Foxberry JS MCFLY-ET (EX-91-GM) (GTPI +2045) and 7HO10233 Foxberry Bax MIZZOU-ET (VG-88) (GTPI +2018) hail from a family that is making a splash in A.I. Despite being new, this family contains a solid maternal line with strong sire stacks that make for outcross pedigrees. The story begins with a truckload of 10 heifers. These heifers made the journey from Missouri to Pennsylvania when Larry Hoelscher asked old friend, Joe Vanderfeltz, to house some heifers for him. Joe and Larry had grown up together outside of Jefferson City, Mo. However, in 1991 Joe moved to Pennsylvania to work for Sire Power, assisting with daughter tours and photos. Eight years later he began farming with his wife, Melinda, at her family’s Jersey farm near Lawton, Pa. One of those 10 heifers was Heartbeat Rudolph Maggie (EX-94-3E-EX-MSGMD-DOM). Maggie went on to be a local favorite on the tanbark and was the All-Pennsylvania 4-year-old and a three-time grand champion at the Northern Tier Championship
Show. Unfortunately, Maggie was not a prolific flush cow, but she did produce a few Excellent and Very Good daughters. It was shortly after Maggie’s trip to Pennsylvania as a heifer, that she was bred to Outside, resulting in her most influential daughter, Ms Heartbeat JM Maggie Mae (EX-922E-EX-MS-GMD-DOM). Maggie Mae’s influence Maggie Mae’s impact on the Select Sires’ lineup is easy to see with her two sons, MCFLY by Jet Stream and MIZZOU by Baxter. A potential April graduate, 7HO10297 Foxberry Bax MCNUGGETS-ET, is another Baxter son from Maggie Mae. “It was the people behind the cow family that first attracted me to Maggie and Maggie Mae,” explains Rick VerBeek, Select Sires sire analyst. “The unique characteristic about this family is that it contains ‘tried and true’ sires. Outside, Rudolph and 7HO3948 MJR Blackstar EMORY-ET (EX-97-GM), are all bulls that have very good reputations in the industry. Matings to Jet Stream and Baxter from this family have created sires that
Van-Fel-JM Mcfly Acorn 821 (GP-80), Joe Vanderfeltz, Lawton, Pa. 7HO9918 MCFLY daughter
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can be used on nearly any Selectsired pedigree. These outcross sires complement all the 7HO8081 Ensenada Taboo PLANET-ET (EX90-GM), 7HO8221 Golden-Oaks St ALEXANDER-ET (EX-94), 7HO8190 Gen-Mark Stmatic SANCHEZ (EX94) and 7HO6417 O-Bee MANfred Justice-ET (EX-94-GM) daughters and granddaughters very well.” Maggie Mae has also produced several Excellent and Very Good daughters by a variety of different sires. “This family has produced outstanding results with nearly every type of bull,” says VerBeek. “They have used high-type bulls like 7HO5841 Sikkema-Star-W HI METRO-ET (EX-96), which produced Excellent (94) and Excellent (90) full sisters. High-milk bulls like Baxter, the sire of MIZZOU and MCNUGGETS, have been used with success while index bulls like Jet Stream resulted in MCFLY and his full sister, Foxberry Stream Myra 619-ET (VG-86-DOM), who topped the 2010 Legends of the Fall sale, selling for $65,000 to Coyne Farms in New York.” Myra has also become a popular cow in her own right. Her 7HO10849 Ladys-Manor Pl SHAMROCK-ET
(VG-85) son, 7HO11853 CoyneFarms Srock MACK-ET, will be released as a Super Sampler™ in April 2012 and has a GTPI +2477. Myra is also contracted to 7HO11351 Seagull-Bay SUPERSIREET and 7HO11763 Rickland PREDESTINE 669-ET for Select Sires. Consistent transmitting “Probably the most dominant trait this family transmits is fat improvement,” says VerBeek. “They are consistently high fat percent cows and the bulls from this family have carried on that tradition. At the same time, you should be cautious using them on low protein cow families. You can confidently use them to improve udders, feet and legs and overall substance of bone. This family reliably produces daughters with outstanding type, shapely udders and functional feet and legs.” This family is known for producing high fat records, which is clear in both Maggie and Maggie Mae’s lifetime production. Maggie produced nearly 200,000 pounds of milk in her lifetime at 4.0 percent fat, while Maggie Mae has produced almost 150,000 pounds of milk at
Ms Heartbeat JM Maggie Mae (EX-92-2E-EX-MS-GMD-DOM) Dam of 7HO9918 MCFLY and 7HO10233 MIZZOU
an exceptional 4.6 percent fat. “I can honestly say that we’ve never calved in a bad Maggie family member,� says Joe Vanderfeltz. “They are incredibly balanced, with great feet and legs. There has not been one I have not been happy with or thought would not end up Very Good someday.� Maggie Mae continues to be flushed conventionally every five to six weeks and Joe confirms that a variety of sires are used. “We have used just about every high type sire and high genomic young sire on Maggie Mae,� says Joe. “In general we breed for type and dabble in genomics.� They have some exciting calves on the ground by SHAMROCK, 7HO9165 Regancrest S BRAXTON-ET (EX-95) and 7HO10506 Maple-Downs-I G W ATWOOD-ET (EX-90). Other flush sires include 7HO11314 Mountfield SSI Dcy MOGUL-ET and 7HO11477 De-Su Bkm MCCUTCHEN 1174-ET (VG-88).
Today the Vanderfeltzs’ milk 130 Holsteins and 100 Jerseys. Joe and Melinda own animals under the Van-Fel-JM prefix, while partnership animals with Larry are under the Heartbeat prefix except for Maggie and Maggie Mae offspring. All of those partnership animals carry the Foxberry prefix. The Holstein rolling herd average exceeds 31,000 pounds of milk, 1100 pounds of fat and 900 pounds of protein on three times a day milking. The herd Breed Age Average (BAA) is 108% with 17 Excellent, 48 Very Good and 35 Good Plus cows and nothing lower. Stay tuned as more exciting news is sure to come from this family! ď ľ
DURHAM becomes leading sire of Excellent cows in the U.S. Breed legend 7HO5157 Regancrest Elton DURHAM-ET*CV (EX-90-GM) is now the No. 1 sire of Excellent cows in the United States. With more than 4,400 (and counting) Excellent daughters, DURHAM claimed the top spot from 7HO58 Round Oak Rag Apple ELEVATION (EX-96-GM), who sired 4,158 Excellent daughters. 7HO980 Walkway Chief MARK (VG-87-GM) is the third leading sire of Excellent cows. These three sires are a true testament to Select Sires’ genetics and their ability to stand the test of time as well as the dedication Select Sires has towards our customer-owners’ success.
The 4-year-old class at the 2005 World Dairy Expo, where the top four entries were DURHAM daughters.
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Select Detect - A Great Option for Heifer A.I. by Lyle Kruse, vice president, U.S. market development Getting heifers pregnant in a timely manner, after they reach the right size and age, is critical to maximizing their production potential and reducing excessive rearing costs. This is even more important in recent years as heifer rearing costs have reached new highs, exceeding $2.25 per day and even as high as $2.50 depending on feed costs. Based on the current levels of heifer reproduction across the U.S., the average pregnancy rate is reported to be about 25 percent, which provides opportunity for improvement. Once heifers reach breeding age, the best managed heifer operations focus on getting a high percentage of them pregnant within the first two estrus cycles. Heifers typically conceive at a higher level than cows, if properly inseminated at the correct time, which requires good heat detection. However, heifers often are not given the proper attention and missed heats are common. With today’s escalating rearing costs, a missed heat in a heifer pen has the potential to cost $50 or even more. Some astute dairy producers are using Select Detect™ as their primary source of heat detection for their heifers and the results they are seeing is very impressive. Select Detect combines the accuracy and ease of collar mounted activity monitors with proprietary data analysis. With the extensive and easily interpreted graphs available in the Select Detect software, inseminating heifers at the correct time, to achieve maximum fertility with conventional or gender SELECTed™ semen, is a snap. With proprietary algorithms
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that take highly accurate activity measurements and calculate which activities indicate estrus, missing a heat in heifers is a rare event with Select Detect. One of the features of Select Detect that makes it such a great fit in heifer operations is the 600-foot read radius for collars to check into the base station. This negates the need to have readers placed in narrow alleys or over waterers and provides the opportunity for frequent data updates. In addition, an app was recently added which provides convenient data updates that refresh hourly to mobile devices, such as tablets and smart phones. Of the many Select Detect systems installed by Select Sires in the U.S. and Canada, about a third have the system in use for their heifers, as well. We often hear of operations relying on Select Detect for heifers that achieve palpation rates at herd check exceeding 90 percent. Often the percentage of heats detected, conception rates and pregnancy rates in operations utilizing Select Detect on heifers, are at levels never before achieved. In operations using embryo transfer, Select Detect has also helped to improve the success level of embryos transferred into heifer recipients. Several Select Sires customerowners have seen astounding results on their operations. See what they have to say about Select Detect.
Brubaker Farm, Mount Joy, Pa.
Kelvin Hatch and Tony Brubaker Brubaker Farms initially installed Select Detect for their heifers in May 2011. Since that time, they have seen some very impressive results in their heifer reproductive programs. Kelvin Hatch, the herd manager for Brubaker Farms, reports that their heifer pregnancy rates have nearly doubled since installing Select Detect and is now over 50 percent and has been as high as 57 percent. They average palpated pregnancy rates at 95-97 percent and a heat detection rate of 80 percent. Heat detection on the heifers at Brubaker Farms is done exclusively using the Select Detect system. Their average age at calving is currently running at 21.2 months of age. “Select Detect has been a great labor saver on our operation,” explains Kelvin. “It is all we currently use for heat detection. If the system says they are in heat, they’re in heat; that’s a given. We have realized a savings in feed costs due to heifers getting pregnant faster. Our average age at calving has tightened with more heifers getting pregnant in a shorter period of time. With Select Detect, we are getting 95 percent of our heifers pregnant by the third cycle after entering the breeding pen. We used prostaglandin on only six heifers in all of 2012!”
Select Detect has been highly successful on a variety of heifer operations.
Homestead Dairy LLC, Plymouth, Ind. Homestead Dairy LLC installed Select Detect in their 800-head heifer lot in December 2011. They use about 250 monitors for their breeding-age heifers and remove the monitors once heifers are confirmed pregnant. Brian Houin, the owner and manager of their heifer operations, reports that after installing the Select Detect system, their heifer pregnancy rate has doubled and is now in the mid-30 percent range. They average about four or five open heifers for every 80 head that are checked for pregnancy status. There is currently very little use of hormone intervention. With the confidence Select Detect has given them for heat detection of their heifers and their success in getting heifers pregnant, Homestead Dairy LLC is now utilizing genomic testing on their heifers which allows them to use gender SELECTed semen on the higher ranking heifers, and using conventional semen on the bottom half of the heifers. “Our breeder has total confidence in the accuracy of Select Detect,” explains Brian. “We now use it exclusively for heat detection and our heifer reproduction has really improved. Our heat detection level on DairyComp is 80 percent. Typical pregnancy checks have found 75 pregnant out of 80 heifers. One of the nicer features of Select Detect, over other options, is the coverage range for reading collar data. It is also very easy to import heifers into the Dairymaster software using Excel spreadsheets from our DairyComp reports.”
Floyd, Matt and Brian Houin and Joel Gawronski
Woodcrest Dairy, Ogdensburg, N.Y. Woodcrest Dairy installed Select Detect at its heifer operation in May 2012. Since that time, Woodcrest has seen improvements in their heat detection levels and pregnancy rates. They also perform extensive embryo transfer on their heifers and have seen embryo success rates increase from the low-50 percent range, to a current level of 62 to 63 percent, thanks to the accuracy of detection with Select Detect. “Installation of the Select Detect system for our heifer operation has been very advantageous in cutting down our work load and has saved us at least a couple of hours a day in time spent determining which heifers to breed,” says Brian Cruikshank who manages the heifer operations for Woodcrest Dairy. “I can access the data using Team Viewer from my home computer right away in the morning, create a list of heifers to breed and take that to the heifer site to start sorting heifers to breed. Select Detect has increased our conception rate for sexed semen, conventional semen and embryo transfers. On heifers, Select Detect is a real winner!” Brian Cruikshank, Dr. Robert Cruikshank and Peter Braun
Wake-Up Registered Holsteins, Caledonia, Minn. The Houdek family installed Select Detect on their farm in April 2011. They are very happy with the results noting that the system frequently catches animals they would have missed using traditional heat detection. “We rely 100 percent on Select Detect for heat detection and our pregnancy rate on our heifers is higher than it’s ever been,” explains Wayne. “On most of our heifer pregnancy checks 90 to 100 percent are confirmed pregnant. Even as we have started doing more embryo transfer work we are seeing very good conception on embryos. It’s a great system for heifers; we’ve saved a pile of money on sexed semen costs as heifers seldom repeat. It’s already paid for itself. Our milk production continues to rise, we’ve never had a fresher herd and we don’t spend much time detecting heats. We love it!”
Kris and Wayne Houdek Family
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There is no doubt that Shauna’s influence is widereaching. As one of 7HO8081 PLANET’s best daughters she is passing her legacy on through her sons including the No. 1 GTPI genomic young sire, 7HO11351 SUPERSIRE, his full brother 7HO11419 HEADLINER, and their maternal brothers 7HO11617 DIAMOND and 7HO11618 PLATINUM. With breed-leading GTPI, production and NM$, these four Shauna sons will fit in any breeding program. Contact your Select Sires representative to learn more about the impact of Shauna!
Ammon-Peachey Shauna-ET (VG-87-DOM), reversed, Herges 7HO11351 SUPERSIRE ROBUST X Shauna
7HO11419 HEADLINER ROBUST X Shauna
7HO11617 DIAMOND and 7HO11618 PLATINUM Snowman X Shauna
+2,463Milk +110F +76P +942NM$ +2.74Type +2.01UDC +971CM$ +6.7PL +6.0SCR +2530GTPI
+95F +65P +810NM$ +3.19Type +2.49UDC+2.75FLC +5.1PL +2.6SCR +2447GTPI
+2,073Milk +81F +72P +829NM$ +2.68Type +901CM$ +5.8PL 2.55SCS +2420GTPI
Breed-leading GTPI and extreme NM$ -
Super high Type ROBUST son with elite
ET split brothers - identical genomic
enough said Elite Milk and outstanding Fat Exceptional SCR and Productive Life
GTPI A pedigree for balance with high UDC and FLC Outstanding NM$ with great milk production
information Early Snowman sons High Milk, huge Protein and calving ease potential
12/12 USDA % Rel: SUPERSIRE NM$ 68, SCR 80, Yield 74, Type 74, PL 64; HEADLINER Yield 74, Type 74, PL 64, SCR 69, NM$ 68; DIAMOND and PLATINUM Yield 76, NM$ 71, Type 76, PL 67, 10 70. All bulls qualify for export to Canada. SCS
Customer Service and Herd Improvement are McAuley’s Focus David McAuley has worn a lot of hats in his nearly 34 years working at Select Sire Power, Inc. From sales representative to Select Mating Service (SMS) genetic consultant, from North Carolina to Florida, one thing stays the same: McAuley is focused on helping his customers achieve success in their dairy operations. McAuley grew up on a 60-cow dairy in North Carolina, where his brother still operates the home farm. He attended North Carolina State to obtain a bachelor’s degree in animal science. With two weeks left of his senior year he began working as a full-time sales representative in North Carolina. Since then, he has held a variety of positions. He became a parttime sales representative and SMS genetic consultant and then transitioned into a full-time SMS genetic consultant role in North Carolina, Maryland, Delaware and part of West Virginia. After that, he evaluated cows in North
Carolina and Florida before moving to his current role as a sales representative and SMS genetic consultant in Florida. He continues to evaluate some of his original SMS herds in North Carolina. Currently McAuley resides in Okeechobee, Fla. with his wife Sandra. His son Hadden is a sophomore studying animal science at North Carolina State University. More than just selling semen McAuley recognizes a lot has changed in his time with Select Sires. “When I started we just sold semen,” explains McAuley. “Now we focus on getting cows pregnant, inbreeding and other management factors. It’s amazing how far we have come.” McAuley has been working with customers to improve their herds with SMS for nearly three decades. “My favorite part of my job is making herds better,” explains McAuley. “I have always been a
David McAuley: Area Sales Manager/SMS Consultant Agricultural Background: McAuley was raised on a 60-cow dairy farm in North Carolina where he grew up showing cows in 4-H and enjoyed good cows. He attended North Carolina State and obtained a degree in animal science.
Career with Select Sire Power, Inc.: While home for spring break his sophomore year his local sales representative invited him to an A.I. training course held by Select Sire Power Inc., which opened the door for his involvement in the organization. He began working for Select Sire Power Inc., with two weeks remaining in his senior year. He now is a sales representative and SMS genetic consultant in Florida. He continues to evaluate some of his original SMS herds in North Carolina.
Responsibilities with Select Sire Power, Inc.: McAuley makes sales calls to all of his herds and evaluates SMS herds.
Award Spotlight: President’s Club several times and Select Sire Power Super Achiever twice strong believer in SMS. It worked 30 years ago when only a few bulls were type improvers, so now with every bull being plus for type it really works to improve type in herds. It’s great to see progress
in herds I started mating 27 years ago. I enjoy the success my herds are having, cows are getting better and lasting longer.” One of the biggest components of SMS today is managing inbreeding, which McAuley recognizes as incredibly important. “Inbreeding control is a big part of the success of the SMS program,” says McAuley. “I don’t think we realize how much we are losing to inbreeding. If SMS is not practical for one of my customers they are using the StrataGEN program.” No matter what he is doing, McAuley strives to deliver exceptional customer support. “Service separates the good from the others,” says McAuley. “Just being out there taking care of my customers gives me a lot of satisfaction.”
David McAuley and Jose Verano, manager, John M. Larson Dairy 3 and 4, Okeechobee, Fla.
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NO. 1
7HO9441 JAYVEN
NO. 4
7HO9977 KINLEY Plantinga Kinley 5359-Grade,Second Lactation Pleasant Hill Dairy, Mount Vernon, Texas
Hastings Jayven 5796 (GP-81) Hastings Dairy LLC, Burton, Ohio
Marion x (VG-88-EX-MS-DOM) BW MARSHALL +2,828Milk +50F +52P +1.61Type
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Bolton x (EX-91-EX-MS-DOM) O MAN +2,493Milk +73F +62P +1.74Type
7HO9625 RIB
Koester Rib Kauther 787 (GP-83) D. & R. Koester Bros. Dairy, Wadesville, Ind.
Marion x (EX-94-2E-EX-MS-DOM) Ramos +2,280Milk +55F +44P +1.63Type
is Select Sires of r home to fou in olste the top 15 H ! k sires for Mil
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7HO8477 GABOR Opsal Gabor Songstress (VG-86) Joshua, Joseph and Felicia Opsal, Blue Mounds, Wis.
Finley x (VG-88-GMD) Convincer +2,300Milk +458NM$ +2.38Type +2010GTPI
Milk production always matters to your bottom line and Select Sires delivers the most elite milk improvers in the breed! JAYVEN, KINLEY, GABOR and RIB lead the stud code 7 lineup that includes 11 of the top 25 Milk sires in the breed. These sires offer more than just milk improvement, with a variety of pedigrees and unique combinations of traits that will fit any breeding program. Contact your Select Sires representative today for the industry’s best milk boosters! Source: HA USA Sire Summary 12/12; Section 2 with at least 75% Reliability for PTA Type. % Rel.: JAYVEN Yield 92, Type 90; KINLEY Yield 92, Type 91; GABOR Yield 99, NM$ 94, Type 97; RIB Yield 93, Type 91.
BULLetin Board 7GU437 JACKPOT daughter named People’s Choice All-American JACKPOT daughter, Hearts Desire Jackpot Sweet owned by Marshall Overholt, Big Prairie, Ohio, was recently named the All-American and Jr. All-American fall calf for 2012. Additionally, Sweet was chosen as the People’s Choice Heifer for all classes in the first online Guernsey AllAmerican Judging Contest. JACKPOT semen is available by special request.
Hearts Desire Jackpot Sweet Marshall Overholt, Big Prairie, Ohio
7HO8190 SANCHEZ daughter is No. 1 type cow of the breed Ladys-Manor San Asha-ET (EX-91) owned by Ladys-Manor LLC, Monkton, Md., was recently raised to Excellent (91). Asha is a daughter of SANCHEZ and is the current No. 1 Type cow of the breed. She is one of five SANCHEZ daughters over +4.0 PTAT. There are eight 7HO10506 G W ATWOOD daughters and one 7HO9893 ATLANTIC daughter over +4.0.
in the fall yearling in milk class. Two 7BS901 JAVA fall calves, Blessing Java Mindy owned by Caid Blessing, Fort Wayne, Ind., and Mort Java Luckey Lady exhibited by R. Mort, T. Brown, and D. K. & C. Pokorny, Monroe, Wis., were also nominated. 7BS900 BRAIDEN daughter, LeeAnns Braiden Glitter owned by Lee-Ann Swiss LLC, DeWitt, Iowa was nominated in the senior 3-year-old class.
Wis. and purchased by Siemers Holsteins of Newton, Wis. 7AY84 BURDETTE sires several Ayrshire All-American nominations BURDETTE sired six All-American nominated Ayrshires including the unanimous All-American spring calf, Four-Hills Burdette Alex 3908. There were also two reserve All-American and one honorable mention AllAmerican BURDETTE daughters.
Milking Shorthorn nominations. Eichlers RN Blessing Breakfast, sired by NITRO, was nominated AllAmerican winter yearling.
Eichlers RN Blessing Breakfast Michael and Jill Eichler, Oak Park, Minn. Nominated All-American winter yearling
Locin August Pammy Andrew Nicol, Marysville, Ohio Nominated All-American fall yearling in milk
Mort Java Luckey Lady R. Mort, T. Brown, & D. K. & C. Pokorny, Monroe, Wis. Nominated All-American fall calf
First choice 7HO10690 PLAN from 7HO8477 GABOR tops Wisconsin sale A first choice of three PLAN daughters (from +2289 to +2364 GTPI) of Webb-Vue Gabor Mycala-ET (VG-87) was the high-seller in the Wisconsin Convention Futures Sale. The lot sold for $26,500. Mycala is a daughter of GABOR. The choice was consigned by Bob Webb of Plymouth,
Four-Hills Burdette Alex 3908 Britney Hill, Bristol, Vt. Unanimous All-American and Junior All-American spring calf
Dam of 7JE1169 TOPEKA raised to Excellent (95%) Heartland Nathan Texas-ET was raised to Excellent (95%)! Texas is the dam of Super Sampler™ 7JE1169 TOPEKA. TOPEKA is already a sire father and transmits solid production (+974 Milk), elite Type (+2.2) and outstanding Productive Life (+4.6). Sire analyst, Herby Lutz, reports that she excels in a 400-cow facility with no special treatment. Watch for more exciting genetics from this family in the future!
7HO8190 SANCHEZ leads the way for Select-sired All-American nominations The All-American nominations are in and 7HO8190 SANCHEZ had five daughters nominated including Roquet Jasmine Sanchez in the jr. 2-year-old class. G W ATWOOD had four nominated daughters. Other active sires receiving nominations were 7HO8221 ALEXANDER, 7HO9165 BRAXTON, 7HO9264 DEMPSEY, 7HO10052 TIME and 7HO7004 DAMION.
Roquet Jasmine Sanchez (VG-86) Gen-Com Holstein Ltd., Notre-Dame du Bon Conseil, Quebec Reserve All-American junior 2-year-old
Ladys-Manor San Asha-ET (EX-91) Ladys-Manor LLC, Monkton, Md.
Brown Swiss All-American nominations are in Three active Brown Swiss lineup sires had daughters receive AllAmerican nominations including 7BS826 AUGUST daughter, Locin August Pammy, who was nominated
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Heartland Nathan Texas-ET (E-95%) Dam of 7JE1169 TOPEKA
Webb-Vue Gabor Mycala-ET (VG-87) Webb-Vue Farm, Plymouth, Wis.
Several Milking Shorthorn sires have All-American nominated daughters 7MS347 LIRIANO and 7MS349 NITRO received several All-American
Petitclerc Alexander Amycale Ferme Jean-Paul Petitclerc & Fils Inc., St. Basile, Quebec High Honorable Mention winter yearling
Gebarten Alexander Evie Ryan Morrill, De Kalb Junction, N.Y. Honorable Mention All-American spring calf
Kingsway Sanchez Magician JM Valley, Cormdale, Dubois, Lemieux, Ferme Jendro, Princeville, Quebec Reserve All-American fall yearling
Beechrow Atwood Twain La Ponderosa, Spain, Michael Booth, Ireland
ALEXANDER daughter is named junior champion at International Dairy Week Bluechip Alexander Whynot, an ALEXANDER daughter, was named junior champion at the 2013 International Dairy Week in Australia. Whynot is owned by Blue Chip Genetics and Averill Leslie.
Select-sired offspring bring top prices at auction At the Iowa Holstein Convention Sale the top selling lot was red carrier 7HO11477 MCCUTCHEN daughter, Ms Aderyn Mc Allie-ET. Consigned by Cross Genetics LLC of Crown Point, Ind. She was purchased by Farnear Holsteins of Farley, Iowa for $31,000. The high seller at the California Holstein Convention Sale was Heritage-E Debbies Disco-ET. Disco is a daughter of 7HO10849 SHAMROCK. She was consigned by Nick and Jessica Sarbacker and Matt and Lauren Evangelo, Whitewater, Wis. and purchased by Hayden and Hunter McIsaac for $6,500.
7HO10052 TIME daughter raised in score TIME daughter, Ms T-Farm ZBW Bigtime Piece was raised to Very Good (88) recently with an Excellent (90) score in the udder. Piece is owned by Woodcrest Dairy of Lisbon, N.Y.
Ms T-Farm Zbw Bigtime Piece (VG-88-EX-MS) Woodcrest Dairy LLC, Lisbon, N.Y.
12/12 USDA/AJCA genomic evaluations Rel. % TOPEKA Yield 66, Type 62, PL 53; 12/12 USDA/ AGA parent average
7GU451 LEGEND’s dam breaks production records Coulee Crest Nick Lorilyn (VG-89) is the first, second-generation Guernsey to produce over 40,000 pounds of milk in one lactation. Lorilyn is the No. 1 CPI cow in the breed and dam of Super Sampler 7GU451 LEGEND who combines exceptional production (+1,362 Milk) and excellent Type (+1.7 Type). LEGEND is available in gender SELECTed semen.
Coulee Crest Nick Lorilyn (VG-89) Dam of 7GU451 LEGEND
G W ATWOOD daughter wins big at Swiss Expo Another 7HO10506 G W ATWOOD daughter was the talk of the tanbark, this time in Europe. At the Swiss Expo Holstein Show, Beechrow Atwood Twain, owned by La Ponderosa, Spain and Michael Booth, Ireland was named junior champion of the show.
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PAID Minster, Ohio 45865 Permit No. 2
YOUR SUCCESS Our Passion.
SELECTIONS MISSION
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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.
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Select Detect, Select Reproductive Solutions, SRS, Super Sampler, Select Mating Service, SMS, and StrataGEN are trademarks of Select Sires Inc.; SM Total Performance Index and TPI are service marks of Holstein Association USA. ®Heatime is a registered trademark of SCR Dairy Inc. All product claims, representations and warranties, expressed or implied are made only by the product manufacturers and not by Select Sires Inc.
Controls Mastitis with Advanced Killing Power Kills mastitis-causing organisms on contact Works even in the presence of dirt and manure
Enriched with Aloe Enhances natural skin suppleness Penetrates to help protect, condition and soften teats and udders
Controls Skin Irritation Gentle on the skin and teats pH level is very close to that of water
Easy to Use Simply add to hard or soft potable water Use as dip, spray, wash or cleaning solution
Easy to Store Shipped in dry tablet form Maintains a seven to ten day shelf life after mixing EfferCept® SG offers fast-cleaning action as an economical and effective pre-dip partner for 4XLA®, UDDERgold® 5-Star and Aztec Gold™ and is available from your Select Sires representative! ®
EfferCept is a registered trademark of Activon, Inc.; 4XLA and UDDERgold are registered trademarks of Ecolab Inc. ™Aztec Gold is a trademark of Ecolab Inc. All claims, representations and warranties, expressed or implied, are made by Activon and Ecolab and not by Select Sires Inc.