Fall 2011 Selections Newsletter

16
SELECTIONS Second-Crop Success with Select Sires 3 Confidence Continues to Grow with the Erin Family 6 Simplify Sire Selection with Select Designations 8 Colostrum Management Still a Challenge on Many Dairies 12 FALL 2011 Select Sires is committed to offering its customer-owners the best genetics with the highest fertility. Learn more about Select Sires’ fertility advantage on Page 4. Our Passion. YOUR SUCCESS Y ou’re looking at the most highly trained, professional sales and service team in the A.I. industry. Whether you need assistance in selecting the best genetics to meet your goals or help troubleshooting a reproductive issue, Select Sires has the network in place to get the job done. Your success is not only our passion, but as a customer-owned and -driven cooperative, it is our PURPOSE! Our Passion. YOUR SUCCESS

description

Fall 2011 Selections Newsletter

Transcript of Fall 2011 Selections Newsletter

Page 1: Fall 2011 Selections Newsletter

selections

Second-Crop Success with Select Sires 3

Confidence Continues to Grow with the Erin Family 6

Simplify Sire Selection with Select Designations 8

Colostrum Management Still a Challenge on Many Dairies 12

Fall 2011

Select Sires is committed to offering its customer-owners the best genetics with the highest fertility. Learn more about Select Sires’ fertility advantage on Page 4.

Our Passion.YOUR SUCCESS

You’re looking at the most highly trained, professional sales and service team in the a.I. industry. Whether you need assistance in selecting the best

genetics to meet your goals or help troubleshooting a reproductive issue, Select Sires has the network in place to get the job done. Your success is not only our passion, but as a customer-owned and -driven cooperative, it is our PURPOSE!

Our Passion.YOUR SUCCESS

Page 2: Fall 2011 Selections Newsletter

A few years ago, my daughter came home from school to explain the

“populars” and “unpopulars,” referring to the cliques of students in her class. She had good friends in both groups. However, she found it frustrating when befriending one group; she would be chastised by schoolmates in the other group. I can honestly say I know how she feels, as Select Sires has invested greatly to support breeders and commercial interests alike. There is a belief that it is wrong to serve the other market, when the reality is that as the industry leader, we can provide market-leading products to many segments. This, coupled with industry-

leading service, makes for a popular combination. With breed-leading type sires like 7HO7004 Erbacres DAMION, 7HO8190 Gen-Mark Stmatic SANCHEZ, 7HO8221 Golden-Oaks St ALEXANDER-ET, 7HO9165 Regancrest S BRAXTON-ET, 7HO9420 Fustead Goldwyn GUTHRIE-ET and 7HO10506 Maple-Downs-I G W ATWOOD-ET, one could easily get the opinion that Select Sires is only for the show-minded, cow-family focused, high-type market. In fact, I received several compliments from breeders regarding the daughters of our lineup at World Dairy Expo. Results of the 2011 major shows listed throughout this issue reinforce that image with several class winners sired by various Select Sires bulls. I am proud of the job that our team has done finding bulls to serve these customers. However, this tends to draw disappointing comments from some of our customer-owners who need cows of a certain size and conformation that fit

within their own commercial operation. Select Sires has been investing heavily in innovative research to improve the profitability for commercial milk-producing operations as well. Select Sires’ research on our FeedPRO® index, our support of research on crossbreeding, our breed-leading crossbreeding program and inbreeding studies are praised by production-minded dairy producers, geneticists and nutritionists. Being on the cutting edge of genetic technology is expected by those we serve. The FeedPRO designation is focused on developing bulls whose daughters are efficient at feed utilization and possess strong work-ability traits while producing large volumes of high-quality milk. Your cooperative is making a significant investment in research and development to identify bulls whose daughters will reduce the cost of producing milk under the FeedPRO concept. The price of feed today and future projections show that it is critical that we assist you in reducing the cost of producing milk. This project was conceived by our board of directors in a strategic planning session in 2008. Select Sires is also investing in a modern eight-year three-way crossbreeding research project at the University of Minnesota to investigate the crossbreeding benefits in 10 large herds (approximately 1,000 cows per herd). This study breaks these herds into two groups of highly purebred Holsteins versus a three-way rotational cross of Holstein x Swedish Red x Montbeliarde to allow them to compete. The heterosis resulting from crossbreeding should improve the reproductive performance, calving ease, calf viability and disease resistance in these cattle compared to the production capabilities of purebred Holsteins. Most crossbreeding research is old in

nature, and this will allow research in modern environments. Thus, Select Sires hopes to uncover the facts regarding crossbreeding advantages versus the production advantages of pure Holsteins in commercial milk production. While this research is controversial with some, it is being completed to better advise you, our customer-owners, on breeding options for the future. Currently, Select Sires’ board of directors and staff are very concerned about how genomic programs will enhance the speed of inbreeding. Inbreeding is a silent thief that reduces the performance of your cow’s superior genetic potential and can negatively impact herd profitability. Thus, our staff is conducting in-house inbreeding studies. While much of what we are doing is preliminary, you can have confidence that Select Sires is working to be the leader in genetic programs to provide the highest quality sires available as we have done for over 45 years. Select Sires is a leader in innovation as represented in sexed semen with our gender SELECTedTM product, semen fertility research via the Program for Fertility AdvancementTM (PFATM), modern synchronization programs, activity monitoring heat detection systems with Select Detect™, and with new concepts to advance profitability, such as FeedPRO. As a world leader in artificial insemination, Select Sires is keeping you on the cutting edge of genetic research and product development for commercial-minded, professional dairy farmers, regardless of your breeding goals! For more information about Select Sires’ research programs, products and services, contact your local Select Sires representative or visit our website at www.selectsires.com.

Being the Leader Allows Select Sires to be the Innovatorby David C. Thorbahn, president and C.E.O.

2

Always looking ahead to serve you better, Select Sires introduced FeedPRO to improve your bottom line. For a complete list of FeedPRO sires visit www.selectsires.com or consult your Select Sires representative.

A better bottom line is just a breeding away!

Phone: (614) 873-4683 www.selectsires.com

7HO9321 CROWNFrederking Crown Rosebud 150-Grade, Mark and Karen Frederking, Nashville, Ill.

Page 3: Fall 2011 Selections Newsletter

3

Second Crop Success with Select Sires Dairy producers across the country continue to calve in second-crop daughters of Select Sires’ most popular sires. These bulls demonstrate their customer-satisfaction and show that their genetic superiority endures to rank them among the elite sires at Select Sires and within the breed. Customer-Satisfaction Sires Three sires that have impressed Select Sires’ Select Mating ServiceTM (SMSTM) consultants, as well as Select’s customer-owners, include 7HO8165 England-Ammon MILLION-ET (EX-92-GM), 7HO8221 Golden-Oaks St ALEXANDER-ET (EX-94) and 7HO8190 Gen-Mark Stmatic SANCHEZ (EX-94).

Jeff Brown, dairy progeny specialist, views a large number of Select-sired offspring each year as he travels the country looking for daughters to photograph. Over the past few months, one sire whose second-crop offspring he has viewed repeatedly is MILLION. “The MILLION daughters that I have seen have all been extremely consistent,” commented Brown. “MILLION is making his daughters just as his linear graph indicates. They are moderate for stature and possess great dairy strength throughout. The MILLION daughters travel on an ideal set of feet and legs and have snuggly attached udders that are carried well above the hock.” Another customer satisfaction

sire, ALEXANDER, has been creating excitement throughout the U.S. and Canada with his fancy heifers. His daughters have been placing in the top of their classes at the most distinguished shows in North America. With extreme dairyness, openness and depth, breeders say that ALEXANDER calves stand out in any heifer pen, and once they begin milking, these exciting heifers turn into young cows with great mammary systems. With gender SELECTedTM semen, you can have even more of ALEXANDER’s stylish daughters. SANCHEZ is siring show-winning heifers that have been the talk of the tanbark. Now with daughters in milking form, SANCHEZ continues toimpress judges and breeders alike. SANCHEZ is siring exceptional frames with beautiful udders and outstanding feet and legs.

Superior Genetics Several other second-crop lineup

sires with thousands of daughters, rank over +1800 Genomic Total Performance IndexSM (GTPISM). 7HO8081 Ensenada Taboo PLANET-ET (EX-90-GM) climbed to the top of the Official Top 100 TPI list with a GTPI of +2222. He added more than 1,100 new daughters to his August 2011 sire evaluation. This FeedPRO® sire continues to transmit profitability with high volumes of milk and breed-leading Net Merit dollar value. He also leads Select Sires’ lineup for component yield and builds cows with functional type that last. He can be used in the heifer pens with low calving difficulty and is available with gender SELECTed semen. “PLANET is making the kind of daughters many breeders and dairy producers are hoping for and more,” commented Brown. “From my point of view, he stamps a consistent pattern, and the mammary systems are most impressive. They have high, wide, capacious rear udders with a deep cleft.” 7HO7536 COLDSPRINGs Kenyon

9118-ET (EX-92) is a sire that many dairy producers and SMS consultants cannot stop talking about. COLDSPRING added over 2,200 daughters to his August proof. “COLDSPRING is for real, and what you see and get is no projection, it is supported by over 10,000 daughters,” stated Lon Peters, vice president of dairy sire product services and international. “In New Mexico and Texas during the SMS Conference, we saw a group of not 10 or 20 outstanding daughters of COLDSPRING, but 200 or more! They appeared to be clones of each other and carried the traits that dairy producers desire which correlate to longer-lived cows.” The well balanced COLDSPRING daughters exhibit moderate size with strength and dairyness. He adds height and width to the mammary system along with strong attachments and ligaments. “For customers who appreciate a sire that transmits a consistent pattern, COLDSPRING is one of the best there is,” added Peters.

7HO7615 Solid-Gold COLBY-ET (EX-93-GM) continues to impress breeders with exceptional results. Now with thousands of daughters, COLBY ranks among the breed’s best GTPI sires with high reliability. He has established himself as a great source for dairy strength and youthful, well-attached udders.

Holland Million 1794-Grade, Bill Holland, Apple River, Ill.

7HO8165 MIllION

Garay Alexander Destiny-ET, first fall yearling in milk, International Holstein Show, World Dairy Expo, 2011, Mike II and Julie Duckett and F. and J. Phillipson, Rudolph, Wis.

7HO8221 alEXaNDER

Siemers Sz Hia-Mae-ET, first fall yearling in milk and Intermediate Champion, International Junior Holstein Show, World Dairy Expo, 2011, Jacob Dueppengiesser, Perry, N.Y.

7HO8190 SaNCHEZ

7HO8081 PlaNET

Blondin Planet Alexandria (VG-86-VG-MS), Ferme Blondin and Vanhaven Holsteins, St. Placide, Que.

7HO7536 COlDSPRING

Goff Coldspring 30112, Second Lactation, Buster Goff, Hobbs, N.M.

7HO7615 COlBY

Ms Welcome Colby Taya-ET (VG-86), William H. Peck and Peter C. Vail, Copake, N.Y.

...continued on page 5

Page 4: Fall 2011 Selections Newsletter

4

Select Sires is home to 41 active A.I. sires over +1.0 SCR. Twenty-seven of those sires are +1750 Genomic Total Performance IndexSM (GTPISM) or greater, 13 have PTAs for milk at +1,000 or higher, 16 are more than +350 Net Merit dollar value, and 19 are at +2.00 PTAT or above.

Customers Notice the Select Sires Difference Jason Sheehan, owner and manager of J&K Dairy, LLC, of Sunnyside, Wash., is just one of the many customers who have witnessed the fertility advantage of Select Sires. “We milk 3,000 cows in eastern Washington,” stated Sheehan. “Prior to the summer of 2010, we used a different semen supplier and now we use Select Sires. Prior to switching to Select Sires, our conception rate was 37 percent, and since switching to Select Sires, it has risen five percent

Select Sires’ Fertility Advantage

to 42 percent conception rate, with no other changes in protocol. This improvement in conception rate has led to a two percent overall increase in our pregnancy rate. I couldn’t believe that semen quality could make this much difference. I have heard that Select Sires has good semen quality – now I believe it”. Sheehan is not alone in recognizing the difference of Select Sires’ superior fertility advantage. Dean Hibbs, dairy programs specialist for All West/Select Sires sees the difference daily among the herds he works with in Washington. Over the past year, Hibbs joined the Select Sires family after serving over 20 years with another A.I. stud. He was able to continue his working relationship with many of the herds that he serviced for nearly a decade. Along with a team of nine

“I couldn’t believe that semen quality could make this much difference. I have heard that Select Sires has good semen quality – now I believe it”

Jason Sheehan, left, owner and manager of J&K Dairy, LLC, stands alongside Dean Hibbs, center, Dairy Programs Specialist, All West/Select Sires, and Pedro Celderon, right, herd manager for J&K Dairy.

full-time and relief technicians, Hibbs and his coworkers added an additional 40,000 cows to the All West/Select Sires’ service area. “I have seen large increases in conception rate within the herds that I had worked with while with my previous employer and now with Select Sires,” noted Hibbs. “On average the individual herds have increased conception rate by four to six percent, and pregnancy rate has increased by two percent. It’s important to remember that the only thing that changed among these herds was the color of the straw of semen. These herds had a similar weather season throughout the year, kept the same employees and remained in the same facilities. Nothing within the herds changed.” “Within the past year I have seen outstanding conception rates on certain bulls that I have never seen

in my 23 years in the A.I. industry. Some of the sires that we have used

are averaging a 46 percent conception rate,” continued Hibbs. “I am simply blown away by the success of

Select Sires’ semen, our employees and our customer-owners.”

Fertility Without Compromise Select Sires is committed to continual efforts to improve semen quality. The cooperative’s semen is processed with an exclusive line of revolutionary semen extenders and sperm cryopreservation procedures that lead to significant increases in semen quality. Each year, technologies are analyzed and reviewed by Select’s researchers, and these discoveries are

In any dairy economy, producers need pregnancies to be successful. Select Sires believes that producers shouldn’t have to compromise genetic value to get pregnancies. The fact is, no other a.I. source comes close to offering the elite choices in high-fertility sires that Select Sires does.

Page 5: Fall 2011 Selections Newsletter

5

Recognized as an elite Productive Life (PL) sire, COLBY’s daughters are the profitable kind that breed back easy and stay in the herd longer. Another Productive Life improver is 7HO7853 Lutz-Brookview MICHAEL-ET (EX-90). MICHAEL adds profitability to his daughters through elite Net Merit dollar value and is an excellent choice for heifers with low calving difficulty. 7HO7428 BOMAZ Manat 464-ET (EX-90) continues to create the kind

Second Crop Success ...continued from page 3

of cattle that any dairy producer wants to milk. His daughters are a balance of type and production, and he improves health traits, making him a DIAMOND SELECTionTM sire. Contact your Select Sires representative to learn more about second-crop success sires that stand the test of time and continue to deliver superior genetics and profitability.

7HO7428 BOMaZ

Vazdale Bomaz Suzette 8125 (GP-82), Vaz Dairy, Roswell, N.M.

7HO7853 MICHaEl

Green-Meadow Tyanna-ET (GP-82), Green Meadow Farms, Inc., Elsie, Mich.

then evaluated through field testing within the 140 Program for Fertility AdvancementTM (PFATM) cooperator herds. After many years of research, Select Sires introduced a new semen extender in late 2008. The newly-developed extender has gained the attention of dairy and beef producers around the world with its ability to improve fertility, such as with Sheehan’s herd. Quickly following the introduction of the new extender, Select Sires implemented the use of a Flow Cytometer to measure semen viability in early 2009. The Flow Cytometer can objectively evaluate thousands of spermatozoa in a matter of seconds, while the human eye requires several minutes to classify and count 100 spermatozoa for acrosomal integrity. These two adjustments to Select’s semen quality enhancement are just part of the continual commitment to improve semen quality. Another enhancement that Select Sires offered to their customer-owners was the release of Composite Fertility IndexTM (CFITM). In 2003, Select Sires was the first A.I. organization to recognize the importance of combining the many available sire fertility evaluation tools with its introduction of CFI. Even after the

introduction of Sire Conception Rate (SCR) in 2008, Select Sires continues to calculate CFI to provide all available sire fertility information so customer-owners can make informed decisions.

Highly-Trained Personnel Select Sires places a high importance on highly-trained employees, therefore holding classes, online webinars and training programs to ensure that staff serve Select’s customer-owners better. Select Sires not only has the most highly-trained and skilled laboratory personnel that operate strict quality control procedures to produce high fertility semen, but also offer professional employees to assist customer-owners with improving reproductive results within their herds. The 35 Select Reproductive SolutionsTM (SRSTM) specialists that serve customers within the field are the most experienced reproductive experts in the industry, and are committed to every customer’s reproductive success. Select Sires offers its customer-owners “Fertility Without Compromise” and will continue to diligently advance semen quality through research.

Select Sires’ semen undergoes extensive evaluation for quality before processing.

Page 6: Fall 2011 Selections Newsletter

6

The renowned brood cow UFM-Dubs Sam Erin (EX-90-2E-GMD-DOM) has been generating worldwide attention for many years. Erin’s family is continuing to stir up attention as many new, popular sires arise from this prominent family. Rick VerBeek, Select Sires’ dairy sire analyst, has contracted three generations of the Erin family. Erin was bred by Stephen Van Tassell of Uplands Farms in Millbrook, N.Y.

The Beginning of the Erin Story “My interest in this cow family began with the family matriarch, UFM-Dubs Sam Erin,” commented VerBeek. “I had spotted a high-ranking cow with extreme components and sired by a different sire on my prospect list and decided to do a little research. Upon calling Stephen, he seemed quite confident that Erin was the real deal and was worth a trip to look at her for myself.” VerBeek continued, “Stephen was right! Seeing Erin the first time convinced me that she was the kind of cow that I needed to contract. Erin was already fresh with her second calf, which happened to be UFM-Dubs Eroy. She carried a beautiful udder and terrific combination of dairyness, chest width and depth of rib. Her excellent 9HO1729 Brabant Star PATRON-ET dam was still in the herd and exhibited the exact same qualities, giving me added confidence in the family.”

Erin’s Offspring: ERIVaN and EROY Erin was contracted many times, and is the dam of more than 70 registered offspring in the U.S. Her first son to return to active A.I. service was 7HO9033 UFM-Dubs ERIVAN-ET (VG-88), a 7HO6745 Sandy-Valley ONYX-ET son. As a DIAMOND SELECTionTM sire, ERIVAN is a fat specialist that offers a flawless breeding pattern. His outcross pedigree, gender SELECTedTM semen availability and 6% Calving Ease make him an easy sire to use in heifer A.I. programs. An influential daughter of Erin is UFM-Dubs Eroy (VG-87). Eroy is the same young calf that VerBeek saw on his first visit to Uplands Farms. Eroy was contracted as a heifer to 7HO6417 O-Bee MANfred Justice-ET, and the resulting calf was a heifer, UFM-Dubs Oroy (VG-85). As a two-year-old, Eroy became a high profile cow, and Van Tassell took the opportunity to sell her in 2005 as the top lot for the Snapshots of Springhill/Starmark Sale. She was purchased by Nova and Friends Syndicate, New Richmond, Wis., where she has started her own prolific branch of the Erin family.

Oroy Creates leading Sires Eroy’s daughter, Oroy, developed into a nice heifer, and with the unique sire stack behind her, it was an easy decision for VerBeek to contract her as

Confidence Continues to Grow with the Erin Family

Lottahill Erivan 2054-Grade, Lottahill Farm, Columbia Crossroads, Pa.

a heifer, also. The results from these contracts were 7HO9501 UFM-Dubs OLEGANT-ET (EX-90) and 7HO9502 UFM-Dubs OMAR-ET (EX-93), who are currently on Select Sires’ proven lineup. “Part of the decision to use both 7HO7156 Honeycrest ELEGANT-ET and 7HO7011 Pasen MARSH-ET as mating sires was due to the fact that both bulls had died, making semen availability limited,” commented VerBeek. “Van Tassel has always wanted to maintain some uniqueness with this family, and he understood that offspring of ELEGANT and MARSH could give him that opportunity, while also making profitable cattle.” OLEGANT and OMAR offer a nice blend of their sires and the cow family for Select Sires’ customer-owners. OLEGANT is an extremely high-ranking sire that will have a chance to make an impact on the breed as a sire father. “The OLEGANT daughters are tall, long-bodied young cows that will be a bit immature in their rib structure as two-year-olds,” commented VerBeek. “The best part of them will be their udders. This ELEGANT son will tend to add some set to the hock, which I view as a positive for a large percentage of the population today. Finally, his 4% Calving Ease will be a huge bonus for use in heifer A.I. programs.” Sired by MARSH, OMAR is also a great calving ease bull and offers a nice combination of milk (+1,501) and

udders (+1.99 UDC). Both bulls are unique in that they carry the DIAMOND SELECTion and FeedPRO® designations, a strong indication of profitable cattle with pleasing type. After calving, VerBeek once again contracted Oroy resulting in a 7HO6168 Bay-Bob AMATEUR-ET son, 7H10299 UFM-Dubs RESULT-ET, who is still awaiting his first USDA sire summary Confidence Grows with the Erin Family Select Sires continues to work with the Erin family through the different branches of the family. A second daughter of Eroy, UFM-Dubs Sheray (VG-88-EX-MS-DOM), is creating a lot of interest with contracts. Select Sires has sons out of Sheray sired by 7HO8190 Gen-Mark Stmatic SANCHEZ, 7HO8221 Golden-Oaks St ALEXANDER-ET, Charlesdale Superstition-ET, Long-Langs Oman Oman-ET, 7HO10606 De-SU OBSERVER-ET and 7HO10524 Roylane Socra ROBUST-ET. Look for more sires to enter Select Sires’ lineup from this distinguished cow family. “My confidence in this family has grown with each additional generation that has entered the milking herd,” noted VerBeek. “The Erin family offers three significant strengths – udders, longevity and components, especially fat percent.”

08/11 USDA/HA Genomic Evaluation. 08/11 Rel.: ERIVAN CE 79%; OLEGANT CE 81%; OMAR Yield 86%, Type 83%.

Maitland Meadows Tobi (GP-83), Maitland Meadows Farms Ltd., Jasper, Ont.Bartview Omar Sandy-Grade, Eli M. Zook, Quarryville, Pa.

7HO9033 ERIVaN 7HO9501 OlEGaNT7HO9502 OMaR

Page 7: Fall 2011 Selections Newsletter
Page 8: Fall 2011 Selections Newsletter

cows that are too big, have rear teats that are too close or have high pins. Sires that rank highest for this index and are not in the top third of active- A.I. sires for stature receive the Herdlife Builder designation. Selecting sires with this designation will help producers focus on those bulls that sire type traits that lead to long-lasting cows.

Fertility Without Compromise While the greatest variables affecting pregnancy rates are accuracy of heat detection, inseminator technique and other management factors, looking at all available fertility values of individual sires can help. Through evaluation of the Composite Fertility Index (CFI) and Sire Conception Rate (SCR), along with intense semen quality evaluations, these elite sires earn the designation of Superior Settler.

Our Type Shows Select sires with show-winning pedigrees and the ability to transmit show-winning type are labeled with the Showcase SelectionsTM designation. Sires are selected from actual results in the show-ring and from the daughters’ type patterns. These sires must have the show-type pedigree along with the traits that correlate to blue ribbon results.

Any of the Select designations can be used alongside each other to easily find the sires that best meet your individual breeding goals. To learn more about the designations or to find a complete list of sires for each designation visit www.selectsires.com.

fertility traits are important, you can turn to Select Sires’ bulls that carry the HealthMarkTM designation. Positive genetic evaluation data for Somatic Cell Score, Daughter Pregnancy Rate and Productive Life are used to identify these sires. When selecting from this elite group, you can also expect the balance of type and production that only Select Sires can deliver. A tool to improve the health, fertility and profitability in your herd is what you can expect from this group of sires.

For long-Term Profitabilty The Herdlife BuilderTM designation was introduced in 2003 and has served as a useful indicator of sires with the combination of type traits that lead to improved longevity in large, commercial herds. With an expanding database of Productive Life information, Select Sires has revised the criteria used to determine Herdlife Builder sires. The revision was made after listening to customers who requested that we help them make cows that last longer in larger, commercial confinement operations. The index selects for bulls with shallow udder depth, high feet and legs score and moderate dairy form. In addition, the index includes stature, rump angle and rear teat placement in order to avoid breeding

In addition to Calving Ease and gender SELECTedTM semen, Select Sires has a total of six different designations that classify Select’s 96 proven Holstein sires and 32 proven high-component breed sires by a combination of traits that are determined by indexes.

Meeting the Needs of Every Customer Throughout Select Sires’ history, bulls like 7HO3707 Paradise-R Cleitus MATHIE*CV, 7HO4213 Robthom INTEGRITY-ET, 7HO3948 MJR Blackstar EMORY-ET, and 7HO5157 Regancrest Elton DURHAM-ET*CV have been recognized as truly great sires by Select Sires’ customer base, and thousands of daughters of these bulls explain why. These sires excelled in many of the more highly-heritable traits and were dominant in providing a mating which resulted in a consistent type pattern. Their offspring are barn-pleasing cows that dairy producers love to milk because they excel in production, udders and feet and legs, and they last for many lactations. The DIAMOND SELECTionTM index weighs production traits at 40 percent. This includes Milk, Fat pounds and Protein pounds. The type traits also weigh in at 40 percent and consist of Udder Composite, Feet and Leg Composite and Strength. Completing the index are the fitness

8

Simplify Sire Selection with Select Designations

traits that weigh in at 20 percent and are comprised of Productive Life, Somatic Cell Score, Daughter Pregnancy Rate and Calving Ease.

a Better Bottom line is a Breeding away A better bottom line is just a breeding away with Select’s FeedPRO® sires. High feed prices and lower milk prices have created a renewed interest in selecting for improved feed efficiency. Unfortunately, directly measuring and selecting for feed efficiency is not practical because of the expense to measure individual cow feed intakes. Using current genetic evaluation traits that are key indicators, Select Sires has built an index that identifies sires whose daughters offer the most income over feed cost. Through research, Select Sires learned that selecting for a balance of production, body size and other traits was more cost effective than simply selecting for more production. Select Sires used these tools to identify the combination of traits that maximized income over feed costs. FeedPRO sires have the ability to create a higher producing, moderate-sized animal that will provide you with greater income over feed cost!

a Tool to Identify Health Trait Specialists When a balance of health and

For 45 years, Select Sires’ diamond emblem has represented the mark of outstanding genetics. These superior genetics offer great diversity, excel in industry indexes, and fit a wide range of breeding goals for Select Sires’ customer-owners. It is clearly understood at Select Sires that one size does not fit all when it comes to genetic goals. Because of this, Select Sires offers a variety of designations that fit the goals of various dairy producers to simplify the sire selection process.

Page 9: Fall 2011 Selections Newsletter

Name Key Sire Fathers Haplotype Frequency

Impact on Conception Rate

Timing of Pregnancy Loss

HH1 Chief, Mark, Lindy, Formation, Finley, Throne, Jordan-Red, Palermo

4.5 -0.35% All Stages

HH2 Outside, Boulet Charles, Colby, Million, Mr Burns

4.6 -0.36% Before day 100

HH3 Glendell, Rotate, Emory, O Man, Boss Iron, Snowman

4.7 -0.36% Before day 60

JH1 Top Brass, Sooner, Berretta, Hallmark, Paramount, Jace, Louie

23.4 -2.63% Before day 60

BH1 Stretch Improver, Emory, Prelude, Even, Earnest T, Peerless, Vigor

14.0 -0.98% Before day 100

With our growing knowledge about the bovine genome, experts have predicted for some time that we would likely discover numerous cattle genetic defects. Human genetic researchers estimate that we each carry four or five genetic defects. It is reasonable to expect that these exist at a similar level in cattle. It should not be surprising that we are beginning to uncover information about a number of new genetic conditions in the Holstein, Jersey and Brown Swiss breeds. In August 2011, USDA announced the discovery of five haplotypes that appear to cause embryo loss when these haplotypes exist in the homozygous state. These were discovered by taking the full SNP50 genotype database of cows and bulls used for genomic evaluations and studying the frequency of the various haplotypes. For some haplotypes, USDA discovered no homozygous animals. Eleven of these existed at a high enough frequency in the heterozygous state that it should have been highly likely to find some homozygous individuals. USDA then studied these eleven haplotypes in more detail by analyzing conception results for the instances in their database when heterozygous sires were mated to daughters of heterozygous sires.

points. HH1, HH2 and HH3 all have similar frequencies, and their impact on fertility is less than 0.5 percentage points. It is important to realize that the negative impact of these haplotypes is already accounted for in the routinely published Sire Conception Rate (SCR) evaluations and Daughter Pregnancy Rate (DPR) genomic evaluations. So, if you are using these traits in selecting A.I. sires you are already avoiding or compensating for these new genetic conditions. Now that the information about the status of individual bulls is public, we have a more complete view of which families are transmitting these conditions. The table also summarizes the key sire fathers that are heterozygous for these haplotypes and their overall frequency. To judge the impact that these haplotypes have on profitability we also need to know at what point of gestation these pregnancies are lost. USDA recently completed an analysis showing when these haplotypes have caused abortion. Results from their study are included in the table. Since early term abortions are less costly than later ones, it appears that each incidence of JH1 and HH3 have less of an economic effect.

Frequently asked QuestionsWhat is a haplotype? A haplotype is a stretch of chromosome or DNA that is transmitted as a unit from one generation to the next. In this case, we are talking about a set of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) on a single chromosome that is inherited together. We often think about genes or SNPs as individual units, but SNPs that are located next to each other on an individual chromosome are almost always inherited together as a unit.

What are homozygous and heterozygous? Cattle have two versions of each chromosome. One chromosome was inherited from the sire, and one was inherited from the dam. The words homozygous and heterozygous are used to describe the DNA, genes or SNPs at specific points along the chromosome. Homozygous describes the situation when the DNA on each chromosome is identical. Heterozygous means the DNA on each chromosome is different at a specific site.

9

USDA found reduced conception rates for five of the eleven haplotypes. For these five haplotypes, the findings suggest that some type of genetic defect resides in this stretch of chromosome that results in a lost pregnancy. In August, USDA began providing the status of individual animals for these five haplotypes that impact fertility. These genetic conditions have not been directly observed, and we do not know the exact genetic or biological cause. Because of this, they have been given simple names of Holstein Haplotype 1 (HH1), Holstein Haplotype 2 (HH2), Holstein Haplotype 3 (HH3), Jersey Haplotype 1 (JH1) and Brown Swiss Haplotype 1 (BH1). These haplotypes appear to have a recessive mode of inheritance where animals with zero or one copy of the haplotype are completely normal. Those that inherit two copies of the haplotype are lost during gestation. The impact these haplotypes have on fertility, which largely determines their economic impact, is dependent on their frequency in the population. The table below shows the frequency of each of these haplotypes and their corresponding impact on fertility. JH1 has the highest frequency, and animals that are heterozygous for this haplotype could have conception rates that are reduced by 2.6 percentage

Manage Haplotypes with Mating Tools Select Mating ServiceTM (SMSTM) is an excellent tool for managing these genetic conditions as well as for avoiding inbreeding. By using the SMS program, herds with at least one generation of pedigree information on their cows can include heterozygous bulls in their breeding program with less than a one percent chance of lost pregnancies from known genetic conditions. SMS herds that do a good job of complying with the recommended matings should continue to use the A.I. sires that best deliver the traits desired in their breeding program, regardless of their status for these new haplotypes. All herds should avoid making inbred matings in their breeding programs to reduce the occurrences of recessive conditions. This is a good strategy for avoiding both the known and the unknown genetic conditions. The fact of the matter is that these conditions have existed in the Holstein, Jersey and Brown Swiss breeds for some time and we have been successful at making steady breed improvement. Now, with the knowledge of these conditions, we have the opportunity to do better if we move forward in a rational and balanced fashion.

Haplotypes Affecting Fertilityby Charles Sattler, vice president of genetic programs

Page 10: Fall 2011 Selections Newsletter

Reproductive supervisor and technician coordinator Adam Hahlen’s passion lies in the success of his customer-owners’ herds. “I enjoy watching as my Select Reproductive SolutionsTM (SRSTM) herds improve on their reproductive goals,” stated Hahlen.

Passion for the Industry Hahlen’s passion for dairy cattle came in a different way than most of the Select Sires staff. His father worked for a tractor dealer and made service calls on farms. While his father was making the service calls, Hahlen would tag along and found that he liked to visit the cows on the farms his father served. He began working on a dairy farm at the age of 16. It didn’t take Hahlen long to find his career aspiration through the guidance of long-time COBA technician, John Sneltzer. Sneltzer became Hahlen’s mentor and helped him to discover what he ultimately wanted to do – work with dairy producers to achieve efficient pregnancies. From then on, Hahlen focused his education around his goal of working for Select Sires.

Building a Career with Select Sires Hahlen began working with COBA/Select Sires Inc. in 1986 as a technician. He was fresh out of college with an associate’s degree in dairy science from The Ohio State University Agricultural Technical Institute. While working as a full-time technician, Hahlen completed his bachelor’s degree in marketing. In 1994, COBA’s board of directors and management staff saw a need for a highly competent reproductive specialist at the farm level, and Hahlen fit the job perfectly. He added the duties of the technician program manager in 2002, and he was conducting A.I. training at this time. By 2006, his role evolved into Select Reproductive SolutionsTM (SRSTM) specialist when the national SRS program was launched. Today, Hahlen’s territory covers eastern and central Ohio, and he serves as a reproductive supervisor for several programs including SRS and Program for Fertility AdvancementTM (PFATM). In addition, he is a technician coordinator, analyzes herds’ reproductive success against benchmarks with Select RePRO AnalysisTM and assists with the activity

Ultimate Reward is in Customer-Owner’s Successadam Hahlen: Reproductive Supervisor

and Technician Coordinator

Agricultural Background: Hahlen did not grow up directly connected to agriculture. However, he found his passion for the industry at a young age. At 16, he began working on a dairy farm and quickly discovered his ultimate career ambition – he wanted to work with dairy farmers to produce efficient pregnancies.

Career with Select Sires: Hahlen joined the COBA/Select Sires Inc. staff in 1986 as an A.I. technician. In 1994, he moved into a role that took on reproductive troubleshooting, and he added the duties of the technician coordinator in 2002. In 2006, he naturally rolled into SRS specialist when the program was launched.

Responsibilities with Select Sires: For his cooperative, Hahlen serves as a reproductive supervisor. His tasks include reproductive services, management of PFA trials, coordination of technicians, providing assistance with the activity monitoring system, Select Detect, and analyzing herd’s reproductive success with Select RePRO Analysis.

Award Spotlight: Hahlen has been awarded Select Sires’ Super Achiever award twice; once in 1993 as a technician and again in 2007 as a SRS specialist.

10

Adam Hahlen, COBA/Select Sires reproductive supervisor and technician coordinator, left, reviews herd reproductive data with Select Sires’ customer-owner Stan Carmony of Carmony Farms, Wooster, Ohio, during a management team meeting.

monitoring system, Select DetectTM. “It is Adam’s competitive nature and passion for helping COBA’s technicians and dairy producers succeed that have made him an integral part of the reproductive management team on many of Ohio’s dairies,” stated Duane Logan, COBA’s marketing director-north. “He strives to have each herd with which he works achieve the highest possible reproductive results that the farm and circumstances will allow.”

a Continued Drive to Help Producers Remain Profitable Hahlen has been recognized twice for his superior service to Select Sires and his customers with Select Sires’ Super Achiever award. His continual drive to help dairy producers has also led Hahlen and his business partner, Dave Watt a fellow

SRS specialist with COBA/Select Sires, to develop DETECT-HERTM tailpaint and MARK-HERTM livestock marking paint. While working with technicians in Ohio, they saw the need for a more confinement-friendly marking option. Together the duo tested, developed and now markets these high-quality products. “I go to work every day to see my customers succeed,” commented Hahlen. “The service I provide to our customer-owners with Select RePRO Analysis is a free service. We independently look at their herd’s success and evaluate their areas of weakness and strength. While each customer has a different breeding pattern, all of my customers have the same end goal – to produce an efficient pregnancy. I help them achieve that.”

Page 11: Fall 2011 Selections Newsletter
Page 12: Fall 2011 Selections Newsletter

Excellent colostrum management is a hallmark of high-performing calves and ultimately, highly productive cows. Many studies have shown that proper colostrum management results in faster growth, lower risk of disease and maximal milk production after calving. On the other hand, lax management can increase death loss and risk of disease in young calves. Recent research suggests that many dairy producers still have room to improve their colostrum management. A nationwide survey of colostrum management practices was conducted during the summer of 2010 by researchers at Iowa State University. Nearly 900 samples of first-milking colostrum were collected from 67 farms in 12 states all over the U.S. Samples were evaluated for immunoglobulin G (IgG) concentration, total plate counts of bacteria and nutrient profiles. Results showed that the average IgG concentration in colostrum was 68 grams per liter, which is higher than the recommended 50 grams per liter. However, about 30 percent of colostrum (most likely from heifers or cows with immune suppression) had low levels of IgG and wouldn’t provide enough immunity. Also, much of the colostrum was highly contaminated with bacteria. Total bacterial counts ranged from 6,000 to more than 20

Colostrum Management Still a Challenge on Many Dairiesby James D. Quigley, Ph.D., and Rob Hamaker, Agrarian Marketing Corporation®

12

million colony forming units (cfu) per milliliter (ml). The average bacteria count was 2.5 million cfu/ml. To put this in perspective, the standard industry recommendation is that colostrum should contain less than 100,000 cfu/ml to be acceptable for newborn calves. Clearly, much of the colostrum fed to newborn calves contains too little IgG or is contaminated with excessive numbers of bacteria. In fact, recent research suggests that up to 40 percent of colostrum fed to newborn calves contains too little IgG, is contaminated with high levels of bacteria, or both. Where do these bacteria come from? University of Minnesota researchers showed that most bacteria in maternal colostrum come from contaminated buckets, bottles and tube feeders. Because these utensils are used less frequently than other equipment, protocols to clean and sanitize this equipment may not be followed closely. Cleaning esophageal feeders is a special challenge and it is more likely that sick or weak calves will be tubed. Therefore, the risk of infecting a tube is greater than other utensils on the farm. Finally, these researchers have reported that storing colostrum without preservative can result in dramatic increases in bacterial counts. It’s likely that many of the highly contaminated

samples were those left at room temperature for several hours. Bacteria will reproduce about every 20 minutes in colostrum, so leaving a bucket of colostrum for even a few hours will result in high levels of contamination. Dairy producers should review their colostrum feeding protocols with an aim to feed calves to achieve a serum IgG concentration of 10 grams per liter of serum by 24 to 48 hours of age. Depending on the source of IgG (colostrum or colostrum replacer), 100-200 grams of IgG should be fed in the first 24 hours. Colostrum or colostrum replacer should contain less than 100,000 cfu/ml. Feeding within the first two hours of age will ensure that more calves will grow healthy with minimal chance of disease.

The Ultimate Solution Over the past two years, many producers have turned to CONVERT

ImmPowerTM Colostrum replacer when their colostrum needs either supplemented or replaced. CONVERT ImmPower consistently provides a minimum of 100 grams of globulin protein in every dose. For purity, CONVERT ImmPower is

manufactured using rigorous quality control processing procedures. This means bacteria levels are virtually non-existent, and you can obtain maximum immunity transfer to the calf. There is no outside contamination to inhibit IgG absorption. But what about excess bacteria from tube feeders, nipples, bottles or buckets? That issue is now covered with a fully contained feeding system that is designed to be disposable. Soon on the market will be the second generation product called CONVERT ImmPower Perfect Udder®. Simply add warm water (105 degrees F) to the feeding bag, shake for two minutes, attach either a feeding tube or nipple, feed the newborn calf and dispose of the entire Perfect Udder system. CONVERT ImmPower Perfect Udder is quick, easy and clean. Contact your Select Sires representative today to learn more about this new packaging.

Page 13: Fall 2011 Selections Newsletter

In October 2010, Select Sires introduced the most technologically advanced, yet easy to use activity monitoring system on the market with Select DetectTM. Select Sires and Dairymaster launched the new mobile-optimized version of the Select Detect software at Select Sires’ RePRO Invitational held on October 6, 2011, at World Dairy Expo in

New Select Detect Mobile App Offers Added ConvenienceColostrum Management Still a Challenge on Many Dairiesby James D. Quigley, Ph.D., and Rob Hamaker, Agrarian Marketing Corporation®

13

Madison, Wis. This mobile application allows dairy producers to access cow records from the barn, from the field or when they are on the go. The mobile Select Detect application is optimized for iPhone®, iPod touch®, iPad® and AndroidTM-based phones and tablets. It allows for a quick remote review of cows on the high activity list, low activity list and heat expectancy list. Both daily and hourly activity charts can be viewed to determine if and when A.I. should be performed. This removes the need for dairy producers to be in the office to review the software and allows for a quick snapshot of activity that is updated every hour. To learn more about Select Detect and the app visit www.selectsires.com or contact your local Select Sires member cooperative.

Keep calves warm, dry, and healthy!

• Uniquewooldesignkeepscalvesdryandwarm,directingenergyforgrowth.

• Fullcoverageofcalf ’schestkeepsvitalorganswarm.

• Availableinthreesizes.

Woolover® Calf Cover

Available exclusively from Select Sires.Order from your area representative today!

WooloverisaregisteredtrademarkofWooloverLTD,Temuka,NewZealand.

Woolover is a registered trademark of Woolover LTD, Temuka, New Zealand.

Dairy Producers Continue to Talk about

“Select Detect does what it needs to do and more. In fact, it’s the best investment I’ve made in three years. Our breeding performance is really improving. We are getting 25 percent more pregnancies each week with Select Detect, compared to the same period last year when we were using timed A.I. Our conception rate has jumped 10 percent because timing is right.”

Mario VanderHulst, Sturgis Dairy LLC, Sturgis, Mich.

“With Select Detect, it’s like having another person watching for heats 24 hours a day. We also like the ongoing and consistent information we get. We don’t have to wait until cows pass through the parlor to get the data, we can access it whenever we want. With Select Detect, we are confident heat detection is getting done right every day.”

Kent and Kyle Folkema, Country Folk Dairy, Fremont, Mich.

Page 14: Fall 2011 Selections Newsletter

Mason and Matthew Mazzaro of Williamsfield, Ohio. Siri was later named junior champion of the show. 7HO10506 Maple-Downs-I G W aTWOOD-ET sired the winning summer yearling and reserve junior champion, Kingsway Atwood Delicate, owned by Iager/Ehrhardt of Fulton, Md. In the Premier National Junior Show, the grand champion Holstein, Linden-Loch Damion Delila, owned by Douglas Boop of Millmont, Pa., and sired by 7HO7004 DaMION, was named supreme champion of the junior show at the 2011 Parade of Champions. During the Eastern Fall National Red and White Holstein Show 7HO9552 Scientific DEBONaIR-RED-ETS sired three class winners. The class winners were Windsor-Manor Radiant-Red-ET, owned by Tyler Shaw, Williamsburg, Pa. Radiant-Red placed first in the fall yearling class. Craig Walton and Gene Iager of Pleasant Plain, Ohio, exhibited the first place junior 2-year-old, Greenlea Debo Renite-Red-ET. The senior 2-year-old class winner was Kulp-Dale Deb Alysa-Red-ET, owned by Nick Raggi, Union Bridge, Md. In the Jersey show, a 7JE867 Griffens GOVERNOR-ET daughter, SSF

Select’s leading Sires, DaMION and BRaXTON Raised in Score Select Sires is proud to announce that a committee of classifiers from Holstein Association USA, Brattleboro, Vt., voted unanimously in August 2011 to raise the official type-conformation score of 7HO7004 Erbacres DaMION and 7HO9165 Regancrest S BRaXTON-ET. DAMION is now scored Excellent (96), while BRAXTON was raised to Excellent (95). BRAXTON’s full sister, Regancrest Belara-ET is scored Excellent (94-EEEEE) making the brother-sister duo the highest classified son and daughter of Picston Shottle-ET in the U.S.

Pennsylvania all-american At the Pennsylvania All-American Dairy Show in Harrisburg, Pa., Select Sires’ Showcase SelectionsTM sires delivered excellent results. At the Eastern Fall National Holstein Show the junior champion and reserve junior champion were both sired by stud code 7 bulls. 7HO8190 Gen-Mark Stmatic SaNCHEZ sired the winning winter heifer calf, M-Signature Sanchez Siri, owned by Bailee, Calla,

14

BULLetin BoardGovernor Triumph (VG-88%), owned by Bill Curley, Mountain Top, Pa., won the senior 2-year-old class. The Guernsey ring had Select-sired class winners in five classes including Rocky Hill Monte Genesee, a 5-year-old owned by Thomas McCarty of Hughesville, Pa. She is a daughter of 7GU407 Faria Farms G MONTE-ET, who is available by special order as a Showcase Selections sire.

M-Signature Sanchez Siri Bailee, Calla, Mason and Matthew Mazzaro, Williamsfield, Ohio

Kingsway Atwood Delicate Ehrhardt Farms Inc. and Gene Iager, Fulton, Md.

fall yearling and then named the intermediate champion. She is owned by Jacob Dueppengiesser of Perry, N.Y. The reserve intermediate champion was the first place junior 2-year-old, Fischerdale Damion Reality. The 7HO7004 DaMION daughter is owned by Elizabeth Sarbacker of Verona, Wis.

aDVENT-RED Dominates at the GrandInternational Red and White Show 7HO7872 KHW Kite aDVENT-RED-ET was named Premier Sire for the third consecutive year and sired numerous champions at the 2011 Grand International Red and White Show held at World Dairy Expo, Madison, Wis. Another first place finisher was Morsan Debonair Fiona-Red, a 7HO9552 DEBONaIR-RED daughter. The first place senior 2-year-old is owned by Morsan Farms of Ponoka, Alta. She is featured on page 7.

High-Component Breeds Have ShowRing Success at World Dairy Expo Jersey sires 236JE3 ISDK Q IMPUlS and 7JE867 GOVERNOR both had daughters rise to the top of their classes. IMPUlS daughter September Star Impuls (E-91%), exhibited by

Rocky Hill Monte Genesee (EX-91-EX-91-MS)Third Lactation Thomas McCarty, Hughesville, Pa.

Siemers Sz Hia-Mae-ETJacob Dueppengiesser, Perry, N.Y.

Greenlea Debo Renite-Red-ETCraig Walton and Gene Iager, Pleasant Plain, Ohio

Kulp-Dale Deb Alysa-Red-ETNick Raggi, Union Bridge, Md.

7BS766 Blessing Banker aGENDa ET daughters did very well in the Brown Swiss show. Among his winning daughters was the 2-year-old futurity winner, Meadow Hill Agenda Adilaide, shown by Ashlee Heath of Andover, Ohio. In the Ayrshire show, 7AY84 Palmyra Tri-Star BURDETTE-ET daughter Melody-Lane Burdette Annie topped the fall yearling in milk class. She was exhibited by Miranda Hernley, Lebanon, Pa.

International Holstein Show Resultsfrom World Dairy Expo Select Sires’ Holstein lineup shone at the International Holstein Show and International Junior Holstein Show held at World Dairy Expo in Madison, Wis., in early October. In the International Holstein Show, 18 Select-sired offspring placed among the top five of their classes. View the highlights of the show on page 7. In the International Junior Holstein Show, the intermediate champion and reserve intermediate champion were both Select-sired. A 7HO8190 SaNCHEZ daughter, Siemers Sz Hia-Mae, was awarded the first place milking

September Star Impuls (E-91%)Buster Goff, Hobbs, N.M.

Page 15: Fall 2011 Selections Newsletter

15

Buster Goff, Hobbs, N.M., stood at the head of the senior 3-year-old class and was named intermediate champion. GOVERNOR daughter Sunset Canyon Governor Fp Belle was named the junior champion of the junior show. The summer yearling heifer is owned by Valery Silva, Beaver, Ore. In the Brown Swiss show, 7BS766 aGENDa sired the junior champion, Just So Agenda Chorus. She was the first place fall yearling heifer and is owned by Otis Johnson, Evansville, Wis. aGENDa also sired the fall heifer calf class winner, Covells Agenda T Show Me ET, owned by Emmy Covell and Dave Lebowitz, Knoxville, Md. Guernsey sire 7GU402 YOGIBEaR

had two first place daughters. R-Way YB Tootsie won the spring heifer calf class. Tootsie also won her class at the Pennsylvania All-American Dairy Show and is owned by Amber Dietz of Southington, Ohio. The winning fall yearling heifer was Luckyvale Yogi Kiara, owned by Kristen Gallagher, Sangerfield, N.Y. Kiara was also named junior champion female of the junior show. Also winning in the Guernsey show was an 7GU398 Sniders Ronalds alSTaR daughter, Hartdale Alstar Festival (VG-86-VG-86-MS). The first place fall yearling in milk is owned by Lauren Robison, Mulberry Grove, Ill. In the Milking Shorthorn ring, Super

SamplerTM and Showcase Selections sire 7MS349 Mysha-Wo Robin NITRO EXP had a daughter with a first place finish. Eichlers Rn Blessing Breakfast placed first in the winter heifer calf class. She is owned by Mike and Jill Eichler, Oak Park, Minn.

Select Sires’ Own Judge atNational Shows The International Guernsey Show judge at World Dairy Expo in Madison, Wis., was Blaine Crosser. Crosser is Select Sires’ vice president of dairy sire product line and sales. Also judging on the colored shavings at World Dairy Expo was Chris Lahmers. Lahmers has been a Select Mating ServiceTM consultant for COBA/Select Sires for twelve years. He judged The International Brown Swiss Show with associate judge, Jeff Brown. Brown is also an employee of Select Sires and fulfills the role of dairy progeny specialist. Judging the The All American Jersey Show held at the North American

International Livestock Exposition (NAILE) in Louisville, Ky., is Herby Lutz, dairy sire analyst for Select Sires. Also judging at Louisville is Chris Lahmers. He will be judging the 58th National Jersey Jug Futurity with fellow Select Sires employee, John Erbsen, dairy coordinator for Prairie State/Select Sires.

EXClaIM Daughter Breaks lifetimeFat Production Record 9BS83 R Hart EC EXClaIM ET*TW daughter Little Hill Exclaim Lady recently broke the Lifetime Fat Production record for the Brown Swiss breed. Lady is the dam of two of Select’s bulls – 7BS828 Little Hill Ladys MVP ET*TM and current Super Sampler 7BS845 Little Hill Wonderment lEE *TM. Her current lifetime production to date is 271,087 pounds Milk, 13,952 pounds Fat and 8,433 pounds Protein made in just 2,880 days. She is bred and owned by Little Hill Farm in Lebanon, Pa.

Just So Agenda ChorusOtis Johnson, Evansville, Wis.

Hartdale Alstar Festival (VG-86-VG-86-MS)Lauren Robison, Mulberry Grove, Ill.

Page 16: Fall 2011 Selections Newsletter

PRSRT STD

U.S. POSTAGE

PAIDMinster, Ohio 45865

Permit No. 2

11740 us 42 North • PlaiN city • ohio • 43064-0143

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 herd-management products and services.

MIS

SION

For more information, visit www.selectsires.com or call (614) 873-4683.Product of the USA.

selectionsOur Passion.YOUR SUCCESS

TM gender SELECTed, Program for Fertility Advancement, PFA, Select Detect, Select Mating Service, SMS, Composite Fertility Index, CFI, Select Reproductive Solutions, SRS, DIAMOND SELECTion, HealthMark, Herdlife Builder, Superior Settler, Showcase Selections, Select RePRO Analysis and Super Sampler are trademarks of Select Sires Inc.; DETECT-HER and MARK-HER are trademarks of and manufactured by the HWP Company, Salem, Ohio; Android is a trademark of Google Inc.; ImmPower is a trademark of Agrarian Marketing Corporation® and is manufactured for Agrarian Marketing Corporation by APC, Inc. ® FeedPRO is a registered trademark of Select Sires Inc.; Agrarian Marketing Corporation is a registered trademark of Agrarian Marketing Corporation, Middlebury, Ind.; The Perfect Udder is a registered trademark of Dairy Tech Inc., Severance, Colo.; iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad are registered trademarks of Apple. SM Total Performance Index and TPI are service marks of Holstein Association USA. All product claims, representations and warranties, expressed or implied are made only by the product manufacturers and not by Select Sires Inc.