SUMMER 2013 Managing Dairy Heifer Inventories
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GABOR: A Second Crop Success Story 10 We Joined the Jersey Revolution
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YOUR SUCCESS YOU Our Passion.
Three generations of the Buschur family are actively involved in this western Ohio dairy. Learn about how good genetics and cooperation have made them successful on pages 8 and 9.
SELECTIONS
JOIN SELECT SIRES IN THE JERSEY REVOLUTION
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s leaders in the Jersey revolution, Select Sires has invested in the people, genetics, innovative technology and fertility research programs to position your herd for success today and in the future. Read more on the next page about our commitment to the Jersey breed.
Leading the Jersey Revolution! by David C. Thorbahn, president and C.E.O. Over the last several months, ads have appeared in national dairy publications titled, “Leading the Jersey Revolution!� It is not a Holstein versus Jersey ad, but one to inform Jersey producers that Select Sires has been investing over the last five years to meet the demands of growing Jersey dairies in the United States and around the world.
˜3ELECT "IO#YCLE 0LUS AND 3ELECT $48 ARE TRADEMARKS OF 3ELECT 3IRES )NC AND ARE MANUFACTURED BY !GRARIAN -ARKETING #ORPORATIONŽ !LL CLAIMS REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED ARE MADE ONLY BY !GRARIAN -ARKETING #ORPORATION AND NOT BY 3ELECT 3IRES )NC
To meet these needs, Select Sires has invested our resources to provide you the best selection and diversity of Jersey genetics available. We have grown our progeny test program over the years. In 2012, we sampled 47 bulls, with a goal to sample 55 bulls in 2013. In the near future our goal is to sample 70 bulls annually. Now, more than ever, we need more Program for Genetic Advancement™ (PGA™) cooperator herds to reach our goal and continue
breed progress. If you are interested in reducing breeding costs, contact your representative about what PGA can offer. The size of our sampling program, combined with the outstanding genetics provided by our Danish partners, Viking Genetics, offers the highest ranking GJPI™, combined Fat and Protein and outcross sires available in the world. With Select Sires you have an unmatched selection of quality, industryleading genetics!
To improve fertility, Select Sires has also invested in research and the most innovative technology to be the industry’s best in semen quality and fertility. Select Sires researchers have developed quality control programs delivering you more than twice as many bulls than any other A.I. company at or above +1.0 Sire Conception Rate (SCR). If you don’t use Select Sires and don’t believe the claim, take the Select Sires fertility challenge and compare Select Sires to your current supplier. I’m confident you will see the difference and will like the results. We continue to gather records from our Jersey partner herds to test Jersey gender SELECTed™ fertility to eliminate any poor performers. Select Sires also has an advantage in that all our semen production is done in one location and with the largest program, we can select bulls for high fertility prior to sorting. This is something our competitors can’t match. If you are still unsure, take a
fertility challenge to prove who has the best quality. I am sure your local member cooperative is anxious to prove the difference. Finally, Select Sires has the largest reproductive specialist staff in the industry. The Select Sires federation employs over 50 Select Reproductive SolutionsTM (SRSTM) specialists and the largest team of highly trained technicians to achieve industry leading reproductive rates. It is Select Sires’ investment in industry-leading staff that has made us the U.S. A.I. industry leader in Jerseys and all of A.I. For you we have invested in the best genetic quality and selection, the most fertile semen and the best people. This great value is combined with the fact that dividends are paid to you, our owners. That is what we do as a cooperative! Please contact your local Select Sires cooperative to see how our investments can help you be more profitable in leading the Jersey revolution!ď ľ
If your cows show any of the following symptoms, mycotoxins may be the reason for decreased performance: s 3PORADIC LOOSE MANURE s 5NTHRIFTY APPEARANCE s 2EDUCED DRY MATTER INTAKES s %RRATIC INTAKES s 2EDUCED MILK PRODUCTION s 3HORT CYCLED HEATS s )NCREASED SOMATIC CELL COUNTS s %XCESSIVE $!S OR METABOLIC DISORDERS s $ECREASED REPRODUCTIVE PERFORMANCE s #YSTIC OVARIES OR EVEN ABORTIONS “I have found that using Select BioCycle Plus™ has controlled the herd’s somatic cell count (SCC). Our herd typically maintains a SCC between 150,000 and 180,000. However, in December 2009, I switched to new corn silage with elevated levels of vomitoxin (DON) and zearalenone compared to what the cattle had been receiving. I began to notice SCC spikes to 220,000, inconsistent manure, and an increase in repeat breedings. I began to feed an extra dose of Select DTX™ along with the dose of Select BioCycle Plus, and the cows returned to their original health and the SCC dropped. Once the corn silage was finished, I returned to the original Select BioCycle Plus regimen and the SCC has remained consistent ever since. For my dairy operation BioCycle Plus easily pays for itself through the improved health of the cattle.â€? Mark Rauscher, Huntingburg, IN
!VAILABLE EXCLUSIVELY FROM 3ELECT 3IRES
Photos left to right: De-Su 377 (GP-82), De Su Holsteins LLC, New Albin, Iowa, Herges; Star Dairy Fork 295-Grade, Star Dairy, Paris, Texas, Erbsen, reversed; Trifecta Observ Shavon-ET (VG-86), Calori-D Holsteins, Denair, Calif., Robinson
Select Sires leads the competition with 11 sires over +2.50 for Udder Composite (UDC). With high, wide rear udders, snug fore udder attachments, deep creases and square teat placements, the daughters of these udder specialists will make an impact in your herd. Whether you are looking for cows that will fill your bulk tank or your next show winner, these sires will deliver exceptional udders. Place your order for these udder specialists today!
Code No. 7HO10228 7HO10272 7HO10506 7HO8885 7HO10606 7HO10309 7HO9420 7HO9535 7HO9893 7HO9030 7HO10468
Name GULF*BY FORK G W ATWOOD EMPHASIS OBSERVER DICKEY GUTHRIE LUCKY ATLANTIC RICHMAN MOREY
UDC +3.20 +3.18 +3.17 +3.12 +3.02 +3.01 +2.88 +2.84 +2.77 +2.68 +2.52
Type +2.80 +3.11 +4.57 +2.27 +2.70 +3.67 +3.03 +2.16 +3.06 +2.24 +3.43
04/13 USDA-CDCB/HA Genomic Rel. All bulls except LUCKY qualify for semen export to Canada.
FLC +1.70 +2.09 +3.75 +2.87 +0.89 +2.74 +1.86 +2.35 +2.63 +1.75 +2.45
Rel. 90% 91% 98% 91% 91% 85% 90% 90% 97% 91% 84%
A Dilemma: Young Sires or Proven Sires? by Chuck Sattler, vice president and manager of genetic programs We have definitely seen a growing demand for semen from young sires across all the dairy breeds at Select Sires and know many producers are using genomic young sires aggressively. But, what are the risks? There’s no question that genomic evaluations provide more accurate genetic information about young animals than did previous genetic evaluations. Genomic evaluations are 50 percent more accurate at predicting the future performance of a sire’s daughters than were the traditional genetic evaluations. The improved ranking of young animals allows us to be more selective with the bulls that enter the Program for Genetic Advancement™ (PGA™). The tougher question, though, is are the genomic evaluations accurate enough that a dairy producer can select a handful of young sires and be confident they are better than the available proven sires? If we compare today’s No. 1 young Holstein, 7HO11351 Seagull-Bay SUPERSIRE-ET, at +2527 GTPISM and +938 NM$ to today’s No. 1 progeny-proven Holstein, 7HO10606
De-Su OBSERVER-ET (EX-90), at +2332 GTPI and +792 NM$, it seems easy to conclude that young sires are your best option. However, after reviewing the latest historical results, the conclusions are not quite this clear. It appears that the genomic evaluations on 75 percent of young sires go down as they progress through their careers. The evaluations on proven sires can change also. But, the changes on proven sires are smaller in magnitude and there is an equal chance that they can go up or down. Since we see more genomic evaluations on young sires go down than up, it is clear that there is some bias in the evaluation system favoring young animals. Bias in the evaluations of young animals is not new. In fact, it was worse prior to the availability of genomic evaluations. Unfortunately the analysis presented
April 2010’s Top Young Sires and Proven Sires April ‘10 Top Young Sires
April ‘10 GTPI
April ‘13 GTPI
April ‘10 April Top Proven Sires ‘10 GTPI
April ‘13 GTPI
7HO10606 OBSERVER 7HO10052 TIME 7HO10356 WATSON 7HO10219 BOXER 7HO10228 GULF*BY 7HO10416 PRIZER 7HO10176 AL 7HO10072 RUSSELL 7HO10375 MR MUDD 7HO10315 PADDY Average
+2422 +2242 +2231 +2226 +2219 +2205 +2204 +2203 +2190 +2185 +2233
+2332 +1916 +2140 +1826 +2178 +1778 +1954 +2062 +1944 +1862 +1999
7HO6417 O MAN 7HO8081 PLANET 7HO8747 BRONCO 7HO9173 PLATO 7HO8559 BOGART 7HO9176 MINISTER 7HO8361 DOMINGO 7HO8477 GABOR 7HO8866 CARUSO 7HO8856 NIAGRA Average
+2000 +2176 +2077 +1929 +2084 +1689 +2084 +2074 +1821 +2070 +2000
+2124 +2118 +2060 +2059 +1984 +1978 +1951 +1947 +1939 +1936 +2010
The young bulls in this comparison have now had the opportunity to have a reasonable number of daughters included in their evaluation. As is the situation today, the young sires had much higher evaluations than the proven bulls in April 2010. But, with three years of additional data, the average of the two groups are nearly identical.
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PTA Changes for PGA bulls sampled in 2009 Percentile Avg. TPI Rank Change 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0
-187 -156 -123 -126 -108 -73 -40 -54 -76 -7
Avg. Ending TPI % Rank
Avg. NM$ Change
Avg. Ending NM$ % Rank
82 69 66 54 52 52 48 34 22 19
-136 -80 -91 -107 -99 -24 -64 -66 -66 -26
81 78 67 55 47 58 41 34 24 16
The amount of evaluation change that can be expected for young bulls is not equal. This table shows that the higher ranking young bulls have greater evaluation drops than the average or low bulls. The highest bulls are the ones most likely to turn out to be the highest ones at the end of the day. But, the data in this table indicates that their advantage isn’t as big as today’s evaluations suggest. in the two tables does not give clear signals about which category of bulls is best. It really boils down to producer preference. There is more risk involved in using young sires, since their proofs will change more than proven sires. But, there is more upside potential for young sires because we know that some of those young sires will turn out to be tomorrow’s superstars. This analysis does provide some insight into additional factors that producers should consider if they are aggressively using young sires. First, a larger number of bulls should be used in the breeding program if young sires are used. If you are currently selecting four progeny-proven sires for use across the herd, then you need to be selecting 10 to 13 different young sires to provide the same level of accuracy. Second, young sires need to be selected with higher standards than proven bulls since their evaluations are likely to decrease. Currently, the top proven sires have evaluations at +2000 GTPI and +500 NM$. Genomic young sires need to have evaluations of at least +2150 GTPI or +600 NM$ to be competitive. If the genomic young sire is sired by a young sire, then the standards need to be even higher. These bulls need to be at least +2250 GTPI or +650 NM$
to be competitive with proven sires. Select Sires currently offers more than 70 Super Samplers™ that exceed these specifications. Based on this information you may wonder why A.I. companies and some breeders are so focused on using young animals in their breeding programs. It’s important to keep in mind that the goal of A.I. companies, in breeding future A.I. sires, is much different than the goal of a dairy producer breeding replacement heifers. A.I. companies widely market only 10 to 30 percent of the bulls they acquire. Our programs are built to allow a high level of selection, taking into account evaluation and market changes. Dairy producers need at least 90 percent of their heifer calves to grow up to be profitable contributors to the herd. Because of this, A.I. companies can be more aggressive and take more risks than what makes sense for commercial dairy producers. In today’s fast-paced genomic evaluation world, the attributes of progeny-proven sires may be under appreciated. Producers that are focused on young sire use need to include more bulls and use higher standards to be sure to capture the same level of genetic superiority that progeny-proven sires provide.
Managing Dairy Heifer Inventories by Lyle Kruse, vice president, U.S. market development With rising feed costs and a high number of heifers in the industry, there are some traditional management strategies that may need revision. Analyzing your heifer inventory will be time well spent.
During the past ten years, we have seen a rise in the number of replacement heifers at many dairy operations. This growth in replacements is due to several factors: Improved reproductive performance, leading to more calves born each year and lower reproductive culling Lower forced culling levels due to better management for cow comfort and transition Enhanced calf care and the availability of sexed semen Limited expansion in recent years, therefore less demand for springing heifers This increase coincides with higher rearing costs primarily due to feeding costs. Based on the scenarios listed above, there may be a need to revisit some traditional management strategies, such as: You can never own enough replacement heifers in a dairy operation
Every heifer calf born on the operation deserves an opportunity to be a herd replacement Cull milking cows, not potential replacement heifers Heifers are easy to get pregnant, so heifer reproduction deserves limited attention To maximize your replacement heifer inventory investment, I suggest you focus your efforts in two areas. Reduce the days to pregnancy once the heifers reach the proper size and identify the heifers that should become future herd replacements. Heifer reproduction deserves attention In many of today’s progressive dairy operations, the reproductive performance in the milking herd has improved significantly over the last several years and pregnancy rates in the cow herd
By identifying, and possibly culling, heifers with the lowest potential to be productive replacements, you can focus time and resources on your highest genetic merit heifers.
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now often exceed the pregnancy rates generated in heifer programs. Having a highly efficient heifer reproductive program provides a great opportunity for significant savings on heifer raising costs. Select Sires offers many solutions to consider in your quest to improve heifer reproductive performance. The first step is measuring your current heifer reproductive performance. If you use an on-farm dairy software program, one of the more than 40 highly trained Select Reproductive Solutions™ (SRS™) specialists can use this data to provide a Select RePRO Analysis™ of your current reproductive performance to determine the opportunities for improvement. This analysis will focus on several facets of heifer reproductive management: Are heifers being moved into the breeding pen at the right interval and is first service on heifers conducted in a timely fashion? Are you catching a high percentage of heats in the heifers? Are your heifer conception rates meeting expectations? Are there opportunities to improve the current heifer pregnancy rates? Currently, heifer pregnancy rates in herds we evaluate with Select RePRO Analysis average about 20 to 25 percent. While there are operations well below that level, we also have seen operations in the 40 to 50 percent range for annualized heifer pregnancy rates. These herds have very efficient heifer reproductive systems in place and are getting a high percentage of heifers pregnant within 45 days of entering the breeding pen. Many of the most efficient heifer operations now use an activity system to maximize their heifer heat detection. Select Sires offers two of the very best activity systems available today, Select Detect™
and Heatime®. Both Select Detect and the Heatime LD (long distance) system are great options for your heifer operation. Your Select Sires sales and service representative will be happy to provide details on how an activity system can help you maximize your heifer reproduction. Prioritize future herd replacements It also makes sense to predict how many replacements you need to raise each year and develop a strategy to maximize their potential. Based on your current and predicted culling levels for adult cows, managing a heifer inventory of 90 to 100 percent of your total number of milking and dry cows will maximize replacement efficiency for most operations. If you predict having an excess of replacements, develop a culling plan for these heifers. For heifers that underperform or have low genetic merit, a culling strategy prior to them entering the breeding pen will help reduce your total growing investment and allow you to focus your resources on your best potential replacements. For the heifers with higher genetic merit, it makes sense to use elite genetics from Select Sires and consider using semen from our broad selection of gender SELECTed™ sires. A Select Sires Select Mating Service™ (SMS™) genetic specialist can help by developing a SMS evaluation for the heifers you plan to breed as replacements. They can provide a genetic ranking of all cows and heifers in your current inventory to help you prioritize which heifers to keep and which to consider culling. Prioritizing the management of your replacement reproduction and inventory management of replacements can provide a good return on your time investment. The professionals from Select Sires can help you along the way.
Calves on Your Operation: Are You a Marketer or a Price Taker? by Todd Kranz, chief development officer Calves are born every day on dairies across the U.S.; heifers for replacement, bulls to feed for slaughter. When marketing these young animals, are you receiving a fair price?
Today your decision as a dairy producer has become more complicated as excess heifer inventories have driven the price of springer heifers below the cost of production. At the same, time the feeder beef inventory is at a historic low, driving the price of feeder beef up. The resulting scenario begs the question, are you producing the correct calf for the market, and are you marketing that calf effectively? We get asked more and more often, “How many of my dairy cows should be carrying beef crossbred calves and what can I get for my crossbred calves?” Our article on dairy heifer inventories on the previous page addresses the questions around how many heifers you need to produce; so let’s focus on the second part of this question, at what price should you sell your crossbred calves? Taking the plunge Before you begin breeding a percentage of your herd to beef, you should first consider the following: How comfortable are you with the futures price of both beef and milk? Both of these commodities have futures prices traded by the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) in Chicago, Ill. The value of these futures markets will help determine the value of your calf. You have four distinct calves resulting from this decision: dairy heifers, dairy bulls, beef
x dairy cross heifers and beef x dairy cross bulls. Of these four, the dairy heifer calf has historically shown to have the greatest upside potential value, ranging in price from less than $100 to $400-plus over the past five years. Once you crossbreed with beef, the dairy heifer option is removed. The feeder cattle and live cattle (slaughter) markets are very well defined and have been actively traded for many years. They both trade on CME and you can determine current month and futures prices for the next 12 to 14 months. Our assumption is that you have and will continue to have a plan for dairy heifer calves born, so let’s focus on the beef cross calves and the dairy bulls. You can refer to the table for guidelines on how to use the CME group feeder cattle futures as a guideline to price your calves. The next steps If you prefer to retain ownership and feed your cattle or want to confirm your price starting with the end point (slaughter), then you may choose to use the CME live cattle futures. Dairy steers and beef x dairy steers sell at a discount to beef steers at slaughter based on grade differences. You can determine that discounted price in the future with a local buyer and decide whether it is optimal to either sell or feed your calves based on your feed cost and supply.
Pricing crossbred calves using feeder cattle futures Feeder
cattle futures are priced in cents per pound and based on 700 pound beef steer calves. To compare the CME price to what you should expect to receive as a price: • Adjust for size and weight, less than 700 pound = slightly higher price • Adjust for dairy cross (Dairy = lower price) • Adjust for male vs. female (Female = about $0.10 per pound lower) • Adjust for location (freight to combine cattle and feed) The net of all this approximates the pricing for week-old calves on farm as follows: (local price variations will always be a factor as you work with buyers) • Beef x dairy bull calves settle near the current month CME feeder futures • Beef x dairy heifer calves settle $0.10 lower than current CME feeder futures • Dairy bull calves settle $0.30 lower than the current CME feeder futures • Dairy heifer calves settle $0.40 lower than the current CME feeder futures (and are most likely more valuable to be sold as a dairy replacement instead)
As with any project, having a plan that follows written guidelines and standard operating procedures will provide the best outcome. If you plan to have repeat business from your buyer, you must produce the cattle that others within the supply chain want and can profit from feeding and slaughter. We have worked with researchers and personnel in the cattle feeding industry to identify those traits that will provide you the greatest long term value for your calves and the opportunity for repeat business. Angus and SimAngus
bulls that are in the top 50 percent of the breed for Calving Ease and top 25 percent for Yearling Weight, Residual Average Daily Gain, Ribeye Area, Marbling and Carcass Weight will make the best crossbred calves for your buyers. At Select Sires, we are ready to assist you in developing a plan and providing the genetics regardless of the combination of dairy replacements or beef cross calves. We will work with you to help you identify opportunities to enhance the profitability of your operation.
If you are, or are thinking about, using beef semen in your dairy herd, you must determine an accurate price to reap the benefits of selling beef x dairy calves.
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Family, Community and Genetics Important to Buschur Family Buschur Dairy Farm, the home of Plain Knoll Holsteins in New Weston, Ohio, is truly a family affair. Robert and Rita Buschur’s four sons and two grandsons are involved in management roles on the farm while more than 25 nieces, nephews, grandchildren and extended family have worked on the farm in some capacity over the years. While Robert, at 89-years-old, still operates a tractor from time to time, the six partners work to split up responsibilities. Robert and Rita’s oldest son, Pat was the first family member to get excited about registered Holsteins and taught his younger brother Steve the value of good genetics. Today, Pat handles more general management responsibilities while Steve is the herd manager, handling all aspects of cow management including feeding and genetics. Son Jim oversees crops and maintenance while his brother Jake is the parlor manager and schedules employees. Pat’s son Ryan primarily works with maintenance and crops while another of Pat’s sons, Andy, is the calf manager and has growing
responsibilities with genetics and breeding. A group of excellent milkers and herdsman Damon Bertke and feeder Mark Moorman round out a successful team. Robert purchased the original farm in 1946 when he returned home from World War II. He worked in town, but always had a few cows. “As he had more kids, he added more cows,” says Steve. The herd continued to grow and in the early 1980s, the family formed a corporation and Robert and Rita’s children, and eventually grandchildren, gradually began taking ownership. Throughout the years, the herd continued to grow and in 2000 they built a new dairy with a double 16 herringbone parlor and 650 freestalls. They moved their herd of 400 into the facility, grew from within and are now at 690 cows. Last fall, the original parlor was replaced with a double 20 parallel equipped with milk meters. “Having daily milk records has improved our management and the accuracy of our records,” says Steve. The family also grows corn, alfalfa
Three generations of the Buschur family play an active role in Buschur Dairy Farm. From left to right: Jake, Steve, Pat, Andy, Robert, Jim and Ryan Buschur.
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and wheat on 1,250 acres. In addition to the feed they grow, they purchase hay and shelled corn. Improving value Buschur Dairy was an early cooperator herd for Select Sires’ Aggressive Reproductive Technologies™ (ART™) program. When offered the chance to participate in developing and owning elite females, Steve and his family jumped at the opportunity. “We saw it as a way to bring top genetics and new blood into the herd with the guidance of the premier genetics company,” says Steve. “We were confident Select Sires would lead us in the right direction genetically. We are very satisfied with the program. Having the chance to work with Select Sires staff and learn from them and seek guidance from them has been invaluable. Although it was a big investment for us, we view it as a way to expand our business without expanding our herd. We are not building new buildings, just increasing the value of the cows in our current buildings.”
Since being involved in the ART program, Buschur Dairy has owned some of the breed’s most elite females including Roylane Shot Mindy 2079-ET (VG-86-DOM), Roylane Socra Mira 1760-ET (EX-90), Tramilda-N Alex Faye-ET (VG-86) and Melarry Zenith M&M-ET (VG-85-DOM). Buschur Dairy was also one of the first dairies to install the Select Detect™ system on a trial basis before it was available for purchase. “It was very clear from the beginning that this system would work,” explains Steve. “The company truly worked on improving the system and working out a few bugs. It saves significant time detecting heats. Even though I try to walk through the pens at least once a day, I can rest assured that no cows are missed even if I can’t monitor the cows myself.” The results have also been reflected in the numbers. The farm’s pregnancy rate has improved by five percent while the number of injections for heat synchronization protocols has been cut in half. Buschur Dairy also utilizes Select Mating Service™ (SMS™) genetic
Buschur Dairy Farms, Plain Knoll Holsteins Buschur Family, New Weston, Ohio Number of Milking Dairy Cows: 690 Rolling Herd Average: 29,600 pounds of milk, 90 pounds/cow/day Service Sires: 7HO9545 HERO, 7HO9420 GUTHRIE, 7HO10506 G W
ATWOOD, 7HO10606 OBSERVER, 7HO10272 FORK, 7HO10228 GULF*BY, 7HO11351 SUPERSIRE, 7HO11477 MCCUTCHEN, 7HO11383 MORGAN, 7HO11525 DONATELLO, 7HO11547 SHAN, 7HO11573 SHOTGLASS, 7HO11621 MAYFLOWER and 7HO11452 PARISH Breed Age Average (BAA): 104.9 Acres of Farmland: 1,250 acres
consultant, Loren Elsass. They use Loren’s recommendations as a tool for making mating decisions across the herd. “I feel very fortunate to have such a knowledgeable person visit our herd every few months,” says Steve. Select Reproductive Solutions (SRS) specialist, Rick Ellerbrock is a familiar face on the dairy as well as district sales manager, Mike Long. “Dairy producers don’t fully appreciate the value you can gain through SRS by improving reproductive efficiency, receiving suggestions and analyzing records,” says Steve. “Mike and COBA/Select Sires offer outstanding service that couldn’t be better.” Steve has served on the COBA/ Select Sires board of directors for two years and values the opportunity to become more involved in the cooperative.
“It is a great experience to get to know my fellow board members,” says Steve. “I also enjoy seeing leadership in action and how smart business decisions are made.” Developing and breeding elite genetics The breeding goals at Buschur Dairy Farm are simple. They look to breed a balanced cow while keeping an eye on type. The goal is to breed a medium-sized cow with tremendous dairy strength, wide, level rumps and excellent udders and feet and legs. “I still believe type sells,” explains Steve. “In my experience selling extra animals for dairy, buyers still want type. We have always used the best genetics available to us.” With excellent genetics and reproductive management, they are able to market 300 to 350 heifers for dairy replacements each year.
One of the cows the Buschur family has had the opportunity to own through their involvement in the ART program is Roylane Socra Mira 1760-ET (EX-90). Her sons 7HO11625 S-S-I Goldchip MATTINGLY-ET and 7HO11621 S-S-I Snowman MAYFLOWER-ET are available as Super Samplers™.
One of the most influential sires they used was 7HO5157 Regancrest Elton DURHAM-ET*CV (EX-90-GM). At one time they were milking 125 DURHAM daughters and went back and purchased another 120 units. Their first bull contract was on a homebred DURHAM daughter, PlainKnoll Durable Ducky (VG-86). Bulls like 7HO3948 MJR Blackstar EMORYET (EX-97-GM), 7HO5375 Mara-Thon BW MARSHALL-ET (VG-86-GM) and 7HO5708 Fustead Emory BLITZ-ET (EX-95-GM) have all had positive influences on the herd. Today, the Buschurs use a mix of proven and genomic young sire semen. A majority of their top cows with contract matings are bred to high genomic young sires. Proven sires (60 to 70 percent) were being used on the rest of the herd until recently. Now, about 60 percent of the cows are bred to genomic young sires. They gained confidence in genomic predictions after seeing some of the first milking daughters of genomic young sires. Current service sires include 7HO9545 Siemers Toys HERO 9701ET (EX-92-GM), 7HO9420 Fustead Goldwyn GUTHRIE-ET (EX-94), 7HO10506 Maple-Downs-I G W ATWOOD-ET (EX-90), 7HO10606 De-Su OBSERVER-ET (EX-90), 7HO10272 De-Su FORK-ET (EX92), 7HO10228 De-Su GULF-ET*BY (EX-90), 7HO11351 Seagull-Bay SUPERSIRE-ET, 7HO11477 De-Su Bkm MCCUTCHEN 1174-ET (VG-88), 7HO11383 S-S-I Bookem MORGAN-ET
(VG-86), 7HO11525 Mr OCD Robust DONATELLO-ET, 7HO11547 LadysManor Man-O-SHAN-ET, 7HO11573 Butz-Butler SHOTGLASS-ET, 7HO11621 S-S-I Snowman MAYFLOWER-ET and 7HO11452 Plain-Knoll PARISH 5534-ET (VG-87). They are very happy with their milking OBSERVER, G W ATWOOD, 7HO8190 Gen-Mark Stmatic SANCHEZ (EX-94), 7HO8221 Golden-Oaks St ALEXANDER-ET (EX-94), 7HO8477 Willow-Marsh-CC GABOR-ET (EX-94-GM), 7HO8165 England-Ammon MILLION-ET (EX-92GM), DUSK, ROBUST and SHAMROCK daughters. Family and community focus Buschur Dairy Farms makes a point of being involved in the local community. They have hosted a FFA Farm Day where almost 900 elementary school children get the chance to experience a working dairy farm. In the past, they have worked with local paramedics and the Versailles FFA to host a farm safety day for medical personnel to simulate possible farm accidents. It is easy to see what makes the Buschur family so successful. “Although family businesses have their challenges, I feel blessed to work with my family,” explains Steve. “All of us are thankful to mom and dad for living a life of selflessness to provide a better life for their children.”
Melarry Zenith M&M-ET (VG-85-DOM) is another cow from the ART program Buschurs have been involved in. She is the dam of Super Samplers 7HO11452 Plain-Knoll PARISH 5534-ET (VG-87) and 7HO12058 Plain-Knoll SLEEK 6127-ET.
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GABOR: A Second Crop Success Story
Neal Grotsun, genetics program manager, Minnesota/Select Sires Co-op, Inc.
“
The GABOR daughters I’ve seen are well above average in size with nice fore udders, high, wide rear udders, square teat placement and good center crease. Many of my customers that used him early on are going back and using him again. He sires big, rugged, trouble-free cows that work well in commercial dairies. Typically these are some of the best two-year-olds, and now, second lactation cows I see. GABOR can be used on daughters of ALEXANDER and 7HO7853 LutzBrookview MICHAEL-ET (EX-90) as well as PLANET bloodlines. With no PLANET, 7HO6417 O-Bee MANfred Justice-ET (EX-94-GM) or Goldwyn in his pedigree he is easy to use. Initially I didn’t see a lot of high, wide rear udders on GABOR daughters, but the last 100 I’ve seen have great rear udders. I also expected with such high milk production some bulgy fore udders, but I’ve been impressed with the smoothness of the fore udders.
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I didn’t realize how good this bull is until I was at the 2013 SMS genetic evaluator conference in May and I had the opportunity to see several daughters. It was a big eye-opener to how good and consistent they are. In a few days I saw 25 to 30 and they were correct, strong, rugged cows that have the strength to age well. After the conference I realized I had overlooked the bull and I started using him heavily in a lot of programs. GABOR can be used on small, frail, shallow-bodied cows that need more heart and capacity. You can use a whole host of mating sires on GABOR daughters because you have a strong foundation cow. Bulls like 7HO10606 De-Su OBSERVER-ET (EX-90) or any other PLANET sons are great mating sires for GABOR daughters. In a crossbreeding situation, GABOR is a great opportunity to add much-needed strength. I am excited about GABOR’s consistent pattern because over the years that is what a great bull does.
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Steve Reed, SMS genetic evaluator, NorthStar Cooperative
Maynard Axelson, SMS genetic evaluator, All West/Select Sires
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The GABOR daughters I’ve seen are tall, long, dairy cows with really good mammary systems and a tremendous will to work. Not only do GABOR daughters milk, they breed back with his positive Daughter Pregnancy Rate (DPR) and have a low SCS, which is rare. For a high milk bull, his daughters have well attached udders that are high above the hock. One thing that has surprised me about this bull is that there have been a few in the showring. He transmits more style than I would have thought. GABOR is a great mating sire for any O MAN bloodlines while 7HO10297 Foxberry Bax MCNUGGETSET and 7HO9222 Lincoln-Hill SHOT Laser-ET (EX-91) are excellent mating sires for GABOR daughters.
Michelle Cornman, dairy coordinator, Select Sire Power Inc.
Chris Lahmers, SMS genetic evaluator, COBA/Select Sires Inc.
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Lindlaur Gabor Annette, first junior two-year-old, Mid-East Spring National, 2013, Lauren L’Amoreaux, Louisville, Ohio, Thomas
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When you go into a pen of cows, GABOR daughters are usually the best cows. I like their size and strength and good udders. For how much the GABOR daughters milk I am surprised at how shallow their udders are. But, what I like most about GABOR is that as a calving ease sire and an outcross sire for PLANET, O MAN, Goldwyn and Shottle bloodlines, he is easy to use. I had a lot of customers use him primarily because of his low calving ease score and were very happy with them and are now going back and using him heavily. GABOR is a great mating for ALEXANDER and PLANET daughters while SHOT, DURABLE and 7HO9893 MapleDowns-I G W ATLANTIC-ET (VG-88) can be used on the GABOR daughters.
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April 2013 Holstein Active A.I. Sires. 04/13 CDCB/USDA/HA genomic evaluation %Rel.: Yield 99, Type 98, PL 92, SCS 99.
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The more GABOR daughters I see, the more I am impressed with this great bull. He is siring cattle with exceptional rib that I haven’t seen a bull sire for quite awhile. They are deep and open ribbed with great spring. I also like their width of rump that allows for plenty of room for their extremely wide rear udders. The udders on the GABORs are exceptional. They are well attached, deep in their halving and they carry their udders well above their hocks. With their great body capacity and high quality udders, they have that look that spells milk, and they do. Owners of GABOR daughters are very happy with the way they milk and that is reflected in his extremely high milk proof at high reliability. A couple of bonuses with this bull are his different pedigree and low calving ease score. This makes it easy to use him on so many cows and heifers without too much worry of excessive inbreeding. GABOR can be used on daughters of 7HO8081 Ensenada Taboo PLANET-ET (EX-90-GM), 7HO9107 Ronelee SS DURABLE (EX-90-GM), 7HO9030 Kings-Ransom P RICHMAN-ET (VG-87), 7HO9173 Bomaz Potter PLATO-ET (EX-90-GM), 7HO8221 Golden-Oaks St ALEXANDER- ET (EX94), 7HO5157 Regancrest Elton DURHAM-ET (EX-90-GM) sons, 7HO5375 Mara-Thon BW MARSHALL-ET (VG-86-GM) sons and so many other bloodlines. Another way that I have used GABOR is in Procross herds. His breeding pattern, especially for high milk yield and great udders, really complement the other breeds in the Procross rotation.
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7HO8477 Willow-Marsh-CC GABORET (EX-94-GM) truly transmits the total package. He is the only active A.I. sire over +2,000 Milk (+2,430M), +2.0 Type (+2.49 Type) and +3.0 Productive Life (+3.5 PL) and among sires over +2,000 Milk and +2.0 Type he has the lowest Somatic Cell Score (2.62). GABOR daughters have been catching the eyes of breeders and Select Mating Service (SMS) genetic consultants, alike. Here’s what genetic consultants across the country are seeing from GABOR.
Learning and Growing With Minnesota/Select Sires Co-op Inc. Select Sires prides itself on having the largest and best trained field staff in the country, ready to assist dairy producers with their genetic and reproductive needs. A large part of that field staff is made up of technicians that can be a key component of your reproductive program. Minnesota/Select Sires has hired, trained and developed several recent college graduates into technicians. They come from a variety of agricultural and educational backgrounds, but share an interest in working with livestock, producers and reproduction. With lofty goals and a can-do attitude, this group of young, energetic technicians is well on their way to becoming trusted resources for dairy producers. Hannah Haffner, who is based in Chatfield, Minn., grew up on a beef and horse hobby farm and graduated from the University of Wisconsin-River Falls. After becoming interested in bovine reproduction she joined Select Sires in February 2012. “I love being able to interact with so many different farmers on a daily basis,” explains Haffner. “I enjoy talking about our bulls and seeing the resulting daughters as valuable parts of their business.” She credits learning to A.I. cows while in high school and her college education with preparing her to step into a service specialist position.
Isaac Radermacher was hired a year ago as a service specialist based out of Brooten, Minn. After graduating with an associate’s degree in dairy management and agricultural business from Ridgewater College and working on a large dairy in western Minnesota, he knew he wanted to work with cattle. “Working with cows was something I could easily adapt to, and excel at if I put my mind to it,” says Radermacher. “I am gaining experience away from my home farm while still being able to help out at home.” Anne Shoemaker also graduated from the University of Wisconsin-River Falls with a dairy science degree and started working for Select Sires in 2011. She lives in Stanton, Minn. and joined Select Sires after a successful ride-along experience. “I loved how passionate the employees were about their job and their customer’s success. I knew this was the place for me,” says Shoemaker. “I love to problem solve. In this position, you are constantly watching reproduction and have to be ready to provide solutions or be willing to adapt to different situations. Nothing tops when you are able to help a producer out, well except maybe an awesome pregnancy check!” “Although it can be frustrating because there is such a delay between implementation and seeing results
This group of skilled technicians work together to provide reproductive services to customerowners in central Minnesota. From l to r: Isaac Radermacher, Dustin Fischer, Matt Rosenfeld, Eric Schueler and Mike Johnson.
Teamwork and communication make Anne Shoemaker, Hannah Haffner, Paul McCormick and Wesley Romine (from l to r) successful in southeast Minnesota. when it comes to reproduction, it is satisfying to see those results whether it is an increased pregnancy rate or seeing heifers you bred freshen in,” explains Paul McCormick, a 2010 graduate of the University of Minnesota with an animal science degree. He joined Select Sires in the fall of 2010 and enjoys how committed Select Sires is to expanding his knowledge through training. Teamwork is key Whether it is working together with other Select Sires staff or with dairy producers, these technicians have learned that cooperation is an important part of reproductive success. “I have what I like to call my ‘family’ in southeast Minnesota,” says Haffner. “The handful of Minnesota/Select Sires teammates I communicate with on a daily basis make my job not feel like a job!” “I now have personal relationships with dairy producers and neighbors I have been working with,” says Radermacher. “I enjoy the camaraderie, meeting co-workers and interacting with new people.” “It’s not just knowing the bulls or how to artificially inseminate a cow,” says Shoemaker. “It’s being a part of a team on each dairy, helping solve problems even if they are not reproduction related.” Acquiring new skills Not only are these technicians valued team members, they work hard to enhance and develop skills.
“I love to compete with myself by watching my conception rates at all my daily stops and trying to push myself to improve pregnancy rates,” explains Haffner. “It makes me feel great to know that I am meeting the goals and needs of my customers.” “I have expanded my knowledge of reproduction, became more proficient with herd management software and enhanced management techniques that can be applied to our home farm,” says McCormick. “This job is more than just selling semen or breeding cows, it is about helping your customers continue to be profitable and progressive.” Building a future “I see these young people as the future of our business,” says Chris Sigurdson, Minnesota/Select Sires general manager who started his career with Select Sires as a technician intern. “They have fresh ideas and modern thoughts on dairy and beef production. I challenge them to develop and grow with Select Sires whether they settle into a service technician position, become a Select Reproductive Solutions™ (SRS™) specialist, take a position with another member cooperative or return home to a farm to be a customerowner. There are so many things about the fundamental experience of being a technician that I use every day. Technicians are part of the reproductive success of the customerowner and they never forget those experiences.”
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Photos (l to r): Jersey Acres Zipper Nanci, Jersey Acres Farms Inc, Pine Grove, Pa., Heath, Bohnerts Pat Nautia, Bohnert Jerseys, East Moline, Ill., Erbsen
523JE927 236JE136 • 7JE1010 • 7JE1046 • 7JE965 • 7JE1038 236JE3 • 7JE1036
MAGNUM JH1F ✝ HULK JH1F VICTORY JH1F ZIPPER JH1F GANSTER JH1F VALENTINO JH1C IMPULS JH1F ✝ PAT JH1F ✓ ✝ ▼
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Fat +93 +99 +87 +67 +63 +53 +58 +60
Protein +53 +43 +41 +60 +47 +49 +39 +30
CFP % Rel. +146 91 +142 90 +128 90 +127 87 +110 90 +102 95 +97 99 +90 86
When you are looking for sires that will give your components a boost, look no further than Select Sires. This group of elite sires can be used with confidence to improve your overall combined fat and protein and as FeedPRO sires they all will enhance your herd's efficiency. Contact your Select Sires representative to place an order for these fat and protein specialists!
GJPI™ +255 +183 +168 +218 +154 +186 +169 +178
(04/13) USDA/CDCB/AJCA Genomic Evaluation. • Eligible for export to Canada. ✝gender SELECTed™ semen available; ❖Superior Settler™; FeedPRO ; ✓HealthMark™. ™gender SELECTed, Superior Settler and HealthMark are trademarks of Select Sires Inc.; JPI and is a trademark of the American Jersey Cattle Association. ®FeedPRO is a registered trademark of Select Sires Inc. ▼
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It is hard to not be enthusiastic about the Jersey breed’s growth in recent years. Here are four first-hand accounts of dairy producers who took the plunge and added Jerseys to their herd. Some converted to a herd of all Jerseys, while others are milking Jerseys alongside Holsteins. Either way they do it, they have valuable insights on the little brown cow.
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We Joined the Jersey Revolution
In 1988 we dispersed our grade 60-cow Holstein herd and purchased mostly registered Jersey heifers and cows. We were attracted to their efficiency and the high protein content in their milk. We had a limited number of acres and our feed supply would last longer with Jerseys. Our Jerseys will breed at a younger age and calve more often which makes building a herd go much faster. Our current rolling herd average is 19,500 pounds of milk, 4.8 percent and 930 pounds of fat and 3.8 percent and 750 pounds of protein. We use a large number of genomic young sires including 7JE1151 Buttercrest GALVANIZE and 7JE1169 Heartland Merchant TOPEKA-ET focusing on high Jersey Udder Index™ (JUI™), type and production sires. We are currently focusing on developing elite genomic animals. Jerry Spielman, Heartland Jerseys, Seneca, Kan., 430 Jersey cows
Since 1973 I have milked Holsteins, in the late 1990s our area started paying for components. In 2000, we decided we wanted to grow and that we wanted to grow with Jerseys. We traveled around the country and bought whole herds or springers. Our herd continued to grow until we had to split the dairy and now we milk 3,400 registered Jerseys and 5,000 Holsteins (about 1,500 registered) on two separate dairies. When feed prices are low, Holsteins do better in general, but with the high feed prices we’ve been having recently, Jerseys, with their excellent feed conversion, have been doing better. We see a $2.50 per hundredweight premium on our Jersey milk with component pricing. The Jersey cows also consume 10 pounds of dry matter less per day. The Jerseys definitely handle the summer heat stress better. Our future plans are to continue to develop a high genetic herd. We are currently doing a lot of IVF on our high-end cows. At some point we will need to market more cattle as we are running out of room at our current location. We have three or four Excellent-95% cows and a handful of Excellent-94% cows we are proud of. We are currently milking 60 7JE1038 All Lynns Louie VALENTINO-ET daughters, with 300 more to calve, and have been pleased with the results. One of the best bulls we have ever seen was 7JE590 Forest Glen Avery ACTION-ET. We have several hundred milking and used a lot of his sons including 7JE859 ChasinRainbows Act RILEY-ET and 7JE860 Maack Dairy ECLIPES-P-ET. Currently we use quite a few genomic young sires including TOPEKA and 7JE1163 All Lynns Valentino IRWIN-ET. We utilize Select Mating Service™ (SMS™) as a tool and I enjoy picking Sire Analyst Herby Lutz’s brain on bulls to use. We enjoy working with Jerseys and get really excited about good genetics, whether it be Holsteins or Jerseys, and Select Sires has been a big part of that.
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Buster Goff, Goff and Rocky Top Dairy, Hobbs, N.M., 3,400 Jersey and 5,000 Holstein cows
Feed and reproductive efficiency are two of the primary reasons these dairy producers added Jerseys to their herds.
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In January 1997 we were milking 250 Holsteins and decided to add 60 Jerseys. After building a new facility we were milking 250 Holsteins and 600 Jerseys. Now, we milk 1,000 of each breed. About half of the Holstein herd is registered while the Jerseys are all registered. For ten years we bred our Holstein heifers to Jersey semen to grow the number of Jerseys. Now we use sexed semen for first service on our Holstein heifers and then we use Jersey semen. All of our crossbreds are bred to Jersey semen. Right now, we are considering using embryo transfer and IVF to expand our Jersey herd. Eventually we would like to milk 75 percent Jerseys. We added Jerseys for all of their positive attributes: better reproduction, high components, longevity, overall health and we could feed more animals with the feed we could grow ourselves. As far as services per conception, the Jerseys conceive on average one-half service less than the Holsteins. Our Jerseys are currently milking 61 pounds per day with 5.4 percent fat and 3.8 percent protein. We find there is a lot less maintenance we have to do with our Jerseys, they are a more worry-free cow. We utilize Peter Matousek, SMS evaluator with Select Sires MidAmerica Inc. He visits the farm every other week to mate the herd. We use bulls that will improve components, have a high JUI with good feet and legs and wide rumps. Currently we are using IRWIN, TOPEKA, VALENTINO, 7JE1000 Richies Jace TBONE A364, 7JE886 Three Valleys Country MILES-ET and 236JE122 ISDK DJ MAY. We like to use about 70 percent proven sires, and the rest genomic young Clint Wade, Wadeland Dairy, Ogden, Utah, 1,000 Jersey and 1,000 Holstein cows sires. We started milking Holsteins in 1973 and in 2000 we decided to purchase 50 Jersey cows to try out. Our milk is sold to a cheese plant that pays premiums for high components and after considerable research we decided to purchase some Jerseys. We had also been breeding our Holstein heifers to Jersey semen since 1997. Three years later we purchased 400 more Jerseys and two years after that we purchased another 400. After selling the last of the Holstein and crossbred animals in 2010 we have an all registered Jersey herd. The Jersey cows are more efficient in converting feed to milk and generally last a lactation longer than our Holsteins did. Due to their reproductive efficiency we have 300 to 400 head of breeding stock we are able to sell each year. When the milk price has been low, selling young animals helped our cash flow situation. Our cows are averaging 62 pounds per day of milk with a 5.2 fat and 3.6 protein test. In the winter we are usually at a 5.9 fat test. We are part of the Program for Genetic Advancement™ (PGA™) and Steve Kacuba of East Central/Select Sires breeds and tail chalks the herd. We are currently running a 28 percent pregnancy rate. We breed for a balance of type and production and cows that last. We have cows in their tenth and greater lactations. We are currently using RILEY, 7JE962 Buttercrest SUCCESS-ET, ECLIPES-P as well as a large number of Ron Kutz, Kutz Dairy LLC, Jefferson, Wis., 1,850 Jersey cows genomic young sires.
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BULLetin Board exceptional score, 7HO11283 MAYFIELD (EX-90) was another firsttime Excellent Super Sampler.
7GU405 GRUMPY daughter classified Excellent Marodore Grumpy Lioness (EX-90EX-90-MS), owned by Kaleb Kohler of Baltimore, Ohio scored Excellent in her second lactation. Her son by 7GU455 LAREDO will be sampled in 2014 by Select Sires.
Valleyville Rae Lynn (VG-89-VG-MS) Quality, Ponderosa, Al-BE-RO, Vaughan, Ontario
Holbric Dickey Carly (VG-86) Golden Oaks Farms, Wauconda, Ill.
Marodore Grumpy Lioness (EX-90-EX-90-MS) Kaleb Kohler, Baltimore, Ohio
Three 7HO10849 SHAMROCK daughters earn Very Good scores Three full sisters from LadysManor LLC in Monkton, Md. were classified Very Good (85) at one year and eleven months old. These are among the first fresh SHAMROCK daughters.
Ladys-Manor Shmrk Design-ET (VG-85) Ladys Manor LLC, Monkton, Md.
7HO10309 DICKEY daughter brings top dollar Holbric Dickey Carly (VG-86), a junior two-year-old DICKEY daughter sold for $8,600 in the Field of Dreams Finale Sale in West Union, Iowa in late May. Consigned by Holbric Holsteins, she was purchased by Golden Oaks Holsteins. Carly went on to be named reserve intermediate champion at the Northeast Illinois District Show for her new owners. At the 30 Something Sale the night before, the high seller was a first choice 7HO11703 ARMANI from the popular European cow, Decrausaz Iron O’Kalibara (EX-96).
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Select-sired animals top Heartland Jerseys Premier Production Sale IV The top 12 sellers at the fourth edition of the Heartland Jerseys Premier Production Sale were all sired by Select sires including 7JE1163 IRWIN, 236JE146 ZUMA, 7JE1169 TOPEKA, 7JE1150 DIGNITARY, 236JE3 IMPULS, 7JE860 ECLIPES-P, 7JE1038 VALENTINO and 7JE1110 IMPRESS. The top seller was Heartland Irwin Myra-ET for $36,400. This group of 12 high sellers averaged $12,863. May classification yields 24 new Excellents at Select Sires DICKEY and 7HO10999 BRADNICK were both raised to Excellent (94) during Select Sires Inc.’s most recent classification. BRADNICK reached this achievement at just three years and five months of age. 7HO8081 PLANET was the leading sire of new Excellent sires with five sons including the No. 1 GTPISM sire of the breed, 7HO10606 OBSERVER. The highlight among red and white sires was 7HO10563 CARSON-RED reaching a score of Excellent (93) at under five years of age. Joining OBSERVER as a new Excellent was fellow April 2013 graduate, 7HO10406 DASHAWN. A pair of Baxter sons, 7HO10248 BACARDI and 7HO10233 MIZZOU were new Excellent sires as well. BACARDI was one of the day’s biggest movers, gaining four points from a previous Very Good (86) score. Calving Ease specialist 7HO9173 PLATO is now classified Excellent (90). In addition to BRADNICK’s
7HO10999 Regancrest-Gv S Bradnick-ET (EX-94)
7HO10297 MCNUGGETS daughters classify Very Good Joe Vanderfeltz recently classified four MCNUGGETS daughters with Van-Fel-JM FM Teal 894 achieving a score of Very Good (85) on her first classification. Three other two-year-old daughters classified Good Plus, ranging from 82 to 83 points. Vanderfeltz reports that he is very happy with his MCNUGGETS daughters and is looking forward to breeding more profitable cows using this elite sire.
Van-Fel-JM FM Teal 894 (VG-85) Joe Vanderfeltz, Lawton, Pa.
7HO8190 SANCHEZ daughter continues to win big Valleyville Rae Lynn (VG-89-VGMS), last year’s reserve All-Canadian senior two-year-old was off to a great start this spring as she was named intermediate and reserve grand champion of the Ontario Spring Discovery Holstein Show. Rae Lynn is owned by Quality Holsteins, Ponderosa and Al-BE-RO of Vaughan, Ontario. Also at the show, the top two intermediate calves were sired by 7HO9165 BRAXTON and MAYFIELD, respectively.
G W ATWOOD daughters shine at summer shows BVK Atwood Abrianna-ET (VG-88), was named grand and intermediate champion at the Illinois State Show for her owner, Jeffrey Butler while WOC-ZBW Atwood Skittles (VG-88), owned by Hardys Holsteins, was named grand and intermediate champion at the All-Michigan Holstein Show. RockN-Hill-II Atwoo Crisco, exhibited by Rachel McCullough, was named reserve intermediate champion at the Wisconsin Championship Show.
BVK Atwood Abrianna-ET (VG-88) Jeffrey Butler, Chebanse, Ill.
7BS901 JAVA milking daughter sells Browns Charms Crush “VG 87,” a senior three-year-old sired by JAVA was the high selling cow at the 66th Springtime Show Window Sale in Elkhorn, Wis. She was consigned by David and Donna Brown and purchased by Bret Peth for $5,050.
Browns Charms Crush “VG87” David and Donna Brown, Monroe, Wis.
Tim Baumgartner named Jersey Genetics and Marketing Specialist Select Sires Inc. has added Tim Baumgartner to the Jersey sire team. He will be responsible for seeking top Jersey young sires for the Program for Genetic Advancement™ (PGA™), assist sales representatives with Jersey educational needs and provide genetic support to the Jersey breed’s growth. He will be based in Oakdale, Calf., and will serve California, Arizona, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Utah, Nevada, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, Nebraska, North Dakota, Minnesota and Wisconsin, as well as all Canadian provinces west of Ontario. After graduating from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Baumgartner was an official classifier for several national breed organizations, gained experience in the A.I. industry and owned and operated Model Holsteins. Since 2001, He has worked as an aAa analyzer. He has also worked closely with Jer-ZBoyz Ranch in Pixley, Calif., to market their elite genetics. He published Legends of the Tanbark Trail in 2007.
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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, Select RePRO Analysis and gender SELECTed 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 s Kills mastitis-causing organisms on contact
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Enriched with Aloe s Enhances natural skin suppleness
s Penetrates to help protect, condition and soften teats and udders
Controls Skin Irritation s Gentle on the skin and teats
s pH level is very close to that of water
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s Maintains a seven to ten day shelf life after mixing
EfferCept® SG offers fast-cleaning action as an economical and effective pre-dip partner to Aztec Gold™ for the summer months. Aztec Gold’s brighter, longer-lasting color is perfect during the heat of summer. Place an order for Aztec Gold in July and August and save 10%. Both products are 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.