New Tools for Enhanced Reproductive Success & Calf Health

By Chris Lahmers, Area 3 Business Director/Dairy Genetic Product Manager

The August Sire Summaries brought great change and excitement to Select Sires Member Cooperative. Not only did we have new traits introduced, but there were also some much-needed adjustments to other traits. A new fertility trait, First Service to Conception (FSC) was introduced. This trait indicates how many days after the first insemination a cow will conceive. The higher the number, the quicker a cow will conceive. Select Sires Associate VP of International Genetic Programs, Dr. Sophie Eaglen, does an excellent job explaining this in this short video.  These new traits will aid in your genetic selection decisions as you look for improved fertility and health traits. 

Daughter Pregnancy Rate (DPR) also saw significant changes. DPR was first introduced in 2003 and has seen very little changes over the years. Volunteer waiting periods vary greatly between farms and DPR had become a less useful number. The industry shared its frustrations with the Council on Dairy Cattle Breeding (CDCB) and sought a review of the calculation. CDCB adjusted the formula to help DPR become a more relevant number again. You will see significant change with some bulls’ DPR values. It is important to keep in mind that the new average is +1.1, therefore if you’re using a negative DPR sire, you will be well below breed average. Many have wondered what fertility number people should be using since we now have three: DPR, Cow Conception Rate (CCR), and FSC. It depends on the goals of the farm and indexes they are using for selection. Treat it like I handle mastitis numbers. If a bull ranks well for SCS, MAST, and ZMas, feel confident he will be a high mastitis resistant bull. The same applies to fertility traits, if a sire ranks high on all three, I have confidence that they will breed back in a timely manner. Work with your SSMC team to craft a list of bulls that meet your individual herd goals. 

The CDCB also introduced two calf health traits, Diarrhea (DIA) and Respiratory (RSP). Again, Sophie does an excellent job explaining these in her recording. The Holstein Association also released their Holstein Conformation Composite (HCC). This composite looks at type in a balanced format, while allowing you to identify bulls that sire desirable conformation, but without the extreme stature that PTAT can often dictate. The weighting is 38% Udder, 22% Feet and Legs, and 42% Frame. HCC looks at moderating size with the correct amount of strength. Dr. Jeffrey Bewley from the Holstein Association USA visited with our staff during a recent webinar, which can be found here as well as his article from the Holstein Association.

The Select Sires Holstein proven lineup had another great day! 7HO16276 SHEEPSTER continues to dominate as he is tied for the #2 TPI bull in the breed. His daughters continue to impress with their outstanding components and beautiful udders. Another bull that had a big day is 7HO16644 RIMBOT. Ranking #5 on the Holstein TPI list, he is a tremendous production bull being over +2,500 lbs Milk. His low mastitis numbers also make him very appealing. He is a great fit for the SHEEPSTER bloodlines with his outcross pedigree. 7HO16295 HAS IT ALL continues to gain fans all around the world. He is a great combination of production, type, and deep pedigree. HAS IT ALL is now over 2,000 lbs Milk and his daughters have been doing well in show rings across the country.

The top 200 Holstein Genomic sire list highlights several Select Sires bulls. Select Sires holds 9 of the 20 genomic young sires in the breed. Our highest sire, ranking #2, is 507HO18241 FORMAL. This Kingdom son not only ranks well for TPI, but is also one of the leading HHP$® bulls in the breed. FORMAL is available through the NxGEN® program, bringing elite genetic sires to the market. Contact your SSMC representative to enroll in the NxGEN program or take advantage of any of the genetic and service options available.

Our combined Holstein lineup is home to bulls sired by 136 unique sires and 124 unique maternal grandsires, offering you genetic diversity among the leading sires of the breed. 

The Jersey program had an outstanding day as well. Five of the top 10 JPI sires call Select Sires home. We also have the #1 JPI bull in the breed in 14JE1921 JX CRISPIN {5}. He ranks 22 points ahead of the #2 bull! He is extreme for his fertility traits, especially DPR where he is +5.6. On top of that he is +17.3 Jersey Udder Index (JUI). 7JE1980 KAMAKAZI continues to impress with his milking daughters. This JX THRASHER {6} son out of EX-95 Valentino offers a great combination of production and type. He is another extreme JUI bull at +20.7. In the GForce^® lineup, Select Sires has several sires that rank at the top of our GJPI list. The leading bull is 507JE2500 JX MIDTOWN {5}. This JX CHATHAM {4} son is out of the EX-92 Thrasher Manhattan. In addition to his solid production, JX MIDTOWN {5} also has a very desirable linear, highlighted by his +21.0 JUI. Our diverse Jersey lineup offers a variety of genetics to meet your herd’s needs. 

In the Ayrshire breed, we added a pair of new bulls to the proven lineup in 9AY140 STRYKER and 9AY141 BOONDOCK. In the GForce lineup, we added a new young Robinson son in 9AY158 REVELSTOKE. He offers production, confirmation, and fertility.

The Brown Swiss GForce lineup was highlighted by brothers that made quite an impact. 9BS958 INKWELL (Sting x Lucky Chance) remains as an Elite Net Merit $ bull at +771. His brother by Nashville, 9BS957 IROC came through with an outstanding SCR at +4.9.

Lastly, our SSMC Milking Shorthorn program has gained significant momentum and continues to perform exceptionally well. 6MS00002/573MS0002 JMONEY is available in both sexed and conventional semen and is in high demand. We still have a good supply of 6MS00001/573MS00001 LIMITED.

Each sire summary brings change, but the SSMC team is always here to provide guidance as new bulls, new formulas, and new traits emerge to help you reach your genetic goals.

Chris Lahmers is Area 3 Business Director and Dairy Genetic Product Manager for Select Sires Member Cooperative. He has worked in the A.I. industry for 27 years and has traveled extensively evaluating dairy cattle. He oversees seven states and previously managed the Mexico territory.

08/26 CDCB-S/HA Genomic Evaluations and Zoetis data. Evaluations for non-conformation traits are Powered by CDCB™. 6 & 573 = Select Sires Member Cooperative, 7, 9 & 507 = Select Sires, 14 = Accelerated Genetics