tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-87642818699493210662024-03-13T23:21:07.269-07:00ConceptionsSmall steps to better mating, grazing, husbandry, and production. Musings from Greg Palen of Michigan Livestock Service and a "aAa" breeder.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04818222146317377101noreply@blogger.comBlogger216125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8764281869949321066.post-77351636183614775822022-11-01T13:36:00.002-07:002022-11-01T13:36:00.242-07:00Checklist: Prepare for winter<p>
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<p><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 14.000000pt;">Your calves are now weaned.<br />
Bull calves have been sorted for either breeding or castrating.<br />
Heifers can be sorted for either breeding replacements or as feedlot extras.
</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 14.000000pt;">Pregnancy check those cows now? Cull out the “empties” to maintain a better
</span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 14.000000pt;">level of herd reproductive efficiency.
</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 14.000000pt;">Any cleanup bulls not doing the pregnancy job? Cull them too. </span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 14.000000pt; font-style: italic; font-weight: 700;">Fertility </span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 14.000000pt;">is our
main source of profit </span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 14.000000pt;">– </span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 14.000000pt; font-style: italic;">not growth rates on any pre-selected group of calves.
</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 16.000000pt; font-weight: 700;">Do a last walk around the pastures. Any reseeding needed?
</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 14.000000pt; font-style: italic;">We can help with that, by reserving the pasture mixes you will need in spring.
</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 14.000000pt; font-weight: 700;">Mich Livestock Service, Inc *** (989) 834- 2661 *** since 1952
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Brock Palenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03992571343475028656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8764281869949321066.post-4803226830458566092022-05-16T13:42:00.004-07:002022-05-16T13:42:00.215-07:00You can improve feet and legs through breeding<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">There are
few linear measurements available for feet and legs, and heritability of those
measurements (usefulness to predict mating results) is quite low.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In each generation of new heifers you find
you still get cows who cannot walk smoothly, who have trouble getting into or
out of free stalls, who go chronically lame or at least require constant hoof
trimming—<i>in spite of fifty years of selection pressure </i>through “Foot and
Leg composites” and other indexed measurements.</span></p>
<b><i><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">There has to be a better way</span></i></b><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And in
fact, there is, once you learn to apply the<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>concepts of physical balance to your matings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Focus on “function” rather than breed to
the “average” of any trait measurement.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Recognize the ways in which index selection leads to extreme physical
results, and utilize individual matings to counteract that tendency.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span>
<p><style>@font-face
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{page:WordSection1;}</style></p>Brock Palenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03992571343475028656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8764281869949321066.post-46367293919794074902022-05-09T13:41:00.003-07:002022-05-09T13:41:00.244-07:00Breeding for sound feet and legs<p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Since linear
evaluation was introduced in the 1970s (fifty years ago!) the “experts” have
argued from “you need a leg with ‘set’ in the hock” to “you need a straighter
hind leg” without making any final decision.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In fact, you can have too much set in the hock, or not enough: both
become extremes that reduce the functional life of the cow’s mobility.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A more important observation is that, when
the <i>selection index</i> favors one or the other, within three generations
you go too far.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Note that in Genomic
indexing, the newest sires are already three generations past your cows in
milk, so the functional defect can occur on two or even one generation!)</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">What
is more important—the LEG or the FOOT?<br />
</span></i></b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br />
In the 1990s, one of the more important Holstein sire of sons was <b>Walkway
Chief Mark</b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rising to the top of
Holstein USAs TPI list on the basis of strong production and exceptional udder
type he became controversial for producing a lighter-boned leg with a lot of
“set” in the hock.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most of his AI sons
ended up with big “minus” foot and leg composites, and this culled his
decendant sire line from active AI.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In spite of this, “Mark” and his best sons/grandsons were noted sires of
high lifetime cows (the dam of Ked Juror for example produced 304,000 pounds
lifetime, and the famous “Raven” cow exceeded 350,000 pounds…)</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Overlooked
in “Mark” was that he sired a pretty good foot.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b><i>The shape and sidewall integrity of
the foot has a huge impact on mobility.</i></b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If a foot has even toes, if the forelegs
track straight and the weight-bearing on the foot is centered (toe to heel) a
cow can usually walk.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If the hoof has a
harder corneal shell, it will not wear to the point where the soft cartilage
sole has to carry any weight (which leads to chronic lameness).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If the front end has adequate width, the
front feet will stand in a <b><i>sturdy </i></b>fashion, and will track
straight when moving forward.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">In observing
hundreds of “Mark” daughters and granddaughters, <i>the ones with leg problems
were usually the ones with t<b>hurls in a “square” position</b></i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In other words, the thurl (hind leg socket
in the pelvis) is back from an optimal central position, pushing pins up,
forcing legs out behind the rear end, shifting weight-bearing onto the loin,
which flattens-- bending the spine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">All the
nerves that run rear end functions run through the vertebrae that shape the
spine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To have long-term rear end
function—hind leg mobility <i>and </i>presentation of calves—it is better to
keep a spine in a straight line from head to tail.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A central thurl will keep the hind leg
under the rear end, supporting the rear-end weight evenly down to the foot,
thus avoiding stress to the spine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Linear traits
have mostly ignored feet (only measuring low heritability “foot angle”) and
remain fixated on the rear legs (straight or set hock?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Flat/refined or heavy bone?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hocks in or out?) while totally ignoring
front legs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are wide
differences between USA and Canada in how feet and legs are scored for linear
type (the rest of the world’s type classification systems follow either the USA
or the Canadian linear models).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thus
we keep having foot and leg <i>problems.</i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">How the
“aAa” analysis system breeds sound feet and legs<br />
</span></b><b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br />
The first step:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i>seek “balance”, avoid “extremes”<br />
</i></span></b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br />
You have to perceive the overall cow in her physical completeness, asking the
question-- “Does this cow have enough bone to support moving her weight
around?” while also asking “Does she have ‘dairy’ bone quality, ie, is she a
flat-boned ‘milk’ cow or a round-boned ‘beef’ cow?”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The
second step: <i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>analyze the
correlations of parts to the whole<br />
<br />
</i></span></b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Most linear type
traits relating to extremities have lower heritabilities.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is because to just measure a “foot
angle”, for example, ignores the shape and position of the attached leg which
is connecting through the <i>pastern</i> joint.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To effect any change in the physique we
have to first identify <b><i>causality:</i></b> “what is making this body part
look this way?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In this the leg is
connected to the pelvic structure as well, its positioning controlled by the
thurl and its motion actuated by muscles, nerves in the muscles, cartilage and
tendons in the joints.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
<br />
<b>The third step:</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b><i>visualize
the effect on overall function of any change in the physique<br />
</i></b><br />
It achieves little if, in the process of “fixing” a leg or a foot, we choose a
bull who in the mating is going to create a new fault in some other aspect of
the physique.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After all, <b><i>the
majority of cull cows are able to walk on a trailer to leave the herd.</i></b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The cow with “bad” feet or legs may be more
likely to “limp” on slowly than jump right in, but I think you get the point.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">All matings,
no matter how tight your selection focus may be on one or two linear traits, or
on a selection index, still involve <b><i>combining two genotypes (male and
female) </i></b>which exchange gene patterns in conception to produce a new
“mix” differing from both dam and sire.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Your cow is not a “blank slate” on which the mating sire will
automatically replicate his genotype.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>All bulls will have good, average and bad offspring <i>as a result of
the overall exchange of genes </i>between your cow and chosen bull.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b>Every mating changes the mix of genes
on every chromosome</b>; it is not possible to just change “foot angle” or “leg
set side view” and not affect the whole cow. <br />
<b><i><br />
</i>The action step:<i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>match your cow
to available bulls on the “balance” of the mating<br />
<br />
</i></b>Averages of studs do not matter at this point:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i>You can only breed one cow to one bull at
a time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i>“aAa” gives you a numerical
coding covering the front end, body and udder, and rear end <i>in the order of
their importance to fix the faults</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>You simply find a bull who matches those numbers as closely as possible
from the bulls you stock.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His physique best
<i>complements </i>your cow in the way that fixes the problems your cow
expresses, while keeping the good parts intact.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You get a more physically “balanced” result
in the complete cow from each mating in this way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p>
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{page:WordSection1;}</style></p>Brock Palenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03992571343475028656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8764281869949321066.post-16418449479128714702022-05-02T13:41:00.003-07:002022-05-02T13:41:00.224-07:00Clay says: Steps to remember as we prepare for calving season<p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Do you expect some early calves that may come when weather creates damp,
cold conditions?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We can provide
economical </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">calf jackets</span></i></b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> to help a
valuable calf retain body heat.<br />
<br />
Are you prepared for that lunker bull calf trying to be born from your favorite
show heifer? Check your tack box: if you need </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">calf pulling chains
and handles </span></i></b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>we have them
in stock.<br />
<br />
Need protection from calf respiratory issues?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We can provide </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Enforce 3</span></i></b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">
(administer at birth) which offers a “state of the art” level of vaccine
immunity building.<br />
<br />
Have you provided pregnant cows with free choice vitamin/minerals (block or
loose)?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If not, we can provide
injectable </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Vitamin E </span></i></b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">(with A and
D added) to help them get off to a good start.<br />
<br />
If your animals (of any age) are facing feed transitions, we stock </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Conklin “Fastrack”</span></i></b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> as an oral paste, a dry feed
topdress/additive, and as a “liquid dispersible” used on bottle calves.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><br />
</span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">As calves are falling, you may wish to check out the
availability of both established and newer sires.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We receive shipment from “Cattle Visions”
every two weeks, beginning in the calving season.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You can insure access to the higher demand
sires with an early order.<br />
<br />
</span></i></b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Ordering your semen through us, pooling all your orders into full
shippers, minimizes shipping costs per straw.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We then absorb the shipping costs so you
only pay the semen price.</span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> <br />
<br />
We now have access to the S T Beef program, which has favorable prices on
gender selected semen (mostly focusing on purebred bulls from all the major
breeds).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></i></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><br />
For those utilizing seasonal storage of tanks and semen, just let us know the
projected date for beginning your AI program in the spring:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>we will match to our delivery schedules.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Any semen you wish ordered prior to
bringing your tank, it will be placed in your tank directly from receipt,
minimizing exposure to handling from UPS or Fed/Ex shipment. </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></i></b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(We
always add nitrogen into vapor shippers when they arrive, so straws are at the
safest nitrogen temp. before transfer.)</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Not certain your tank is still
holding up to specifications?<br />
</span></b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><br />
Each year we have a couple customers lose their semen from semen tank
failure.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you doubt your tank, we
can do a scale test here—there is still time to do this prior to the AI season.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Clay also will check semen samples for basic
motility (we have a new microscope) if you wish, given enough lead time to fit
that into his busy schedule.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i>Our
goal is: one-stop </i></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">full service.<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
</span></i></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Genetics<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>vs<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Heredity<br />
</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br />
<i>Genetics </i></span></b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>today is
really more “mathematical” than biological.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>“Population Genetics” is the collection and collation of “data”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The range of data, within a single
environment, from any measurement suggests whether the </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">trait</span></i></b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> may be influenced in offspring by “genetic
selection”.<br />
<br />
</span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Heredity </span></i></b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>in a classic sense is more biological, ie, can
we determine that a trait, a characteristic, or a behavior is based in the
genotype?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If so, can we determine its
causal genes, and assemble (or delete) those genes from ancestry so as to
maintain or eliminate them?<br />
<br />
From year to year, you may observe differences within or across your cow herd
and the calves produced.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Is their
success or failure <i>genetic?</i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>There is a simple “rule of thumb”:<br />
<br />
For example, </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">If ALL your calves are getting
pneumonia, that is an environmental issue </span></i></b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">(requires a
manager intervention).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">If only SOME calves are getting pneumonia, while the majority
of calves stay healthy, that could be a “genetic” difference </span></i></b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">(check to
see who sired the calves with pneumonia, as well as which cows birthed them).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">“Genetic” differences occur in two ways:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>the <i>sire or dam</i> is defective in that trait, OR, it is a <i>mating
effect</i> (tendencies the sire and dam hold in common, brought forth from the
mating).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">The size of the “genetic” difference (as measured) can still be affected
by “management” as a result of inputs added or choices made.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For example:<br />
<br />
<b>“John” </b></span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">provides
creep feed to calves still nursing cows.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><b>“Joe” </b>does not.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“John”
ends up with heavier weaning weights than “Joe”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The differences in weaning weight, once sorted
by sires of the calves, <i>within each herd, </i>enter into the indexes for
weaning weights for each sire.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
differences between creep-fed and non-creep-fed calves may increase the range
of weaning weights for John’s calves, but not for Joe’s calves; thus sires used
by John may get a bigger kick in their indexes (which are a summary of
deviations between calves and herdmates same age). </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Genetics
assume those differences between sires John uses will replicate themselves when
Joe uses them as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If they do not,
they blame it on an <b><i>Epigenetic </i></b>effect (how genes alter their
behavior according to environment differences or sudden changes).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The current
practice of <b>Genomic testing</b> is to assign “genetic” (trait) values based
on marker genes identified within the breed genotype as associated with traits
already measured over a period of generations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thus “values” can be assigned <i>prior to
measured performance.</i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is
currently in vogue with the major breeds, but its lack of consideration for
either mating effects or epigene response makes many cow-calf breeders question
how much they can rely on them.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Pedigree
ancestry </span></i></b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">for
obvious reasons remains the basis of all “genetic” evaluation methods, even DNA
mapping.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We judge a bull by the
performance of his offspring…</span></p>
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{page:WordSection1;}</style></p>Brock Palenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03992571343475028656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8764281869949321066.post-51074622298388893512022-04-25T13:40:00.004-07:002022-04-25T13:40:00.235-07:00Kingfisher (and Red Tail) corn brands consistent winners in Forage Superbowl<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">Kingfisher (conventional hybrid) and Red Tail (traited hybrid) corn
silage samples have shown up at the annual World Dairy Expo “Forage Superbowl”
over the past five years, and have been standout entries.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For 2021 KF and RT corns placed </span><b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">five </span></i></b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">of the </span><b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">top ten </span></i></b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">entries,
based on feed quality measures.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These
five finalists averaged 2.5 points better than the other five brands on “30
hour digestibility”. </span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That trait aids in the time and quality of
fermentation. <br />
<br />
The success of the KF and RT brands relates to their focused genetic selection
for nutritional values.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They are
expected to be fed to animals—not focused on the overseas grain export trade or
ethanol production (although the first “high oil” corns included look pretty
promising). <br />
Yields are competitive while feeding quality is better.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Kingfisher “Synergy X” alfalfa blend
is also Superbowl champion<br />
</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br />
</span></b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Does a Beef producer need the highest quality alfalfa?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Quality never hurts, but with Synergy you
have a blend of alfalfas that insures a more consistent yield (compensating for
variations in fields for soil types, rain water retention and drainage, and
winter heaving).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No one likes to run
short of feed when spring calving approaches.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>No one wants cows to lose too much weight nursing calves, especially if
it affects timely breed-back.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
<br />
Synergy X has the quality to maintain a nursing cow, to help weaned calves
grow, or help steers reach finished condition without totally relying on corn
and beans given their increased market value.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Byron has perennial grass blends that will efficiently maintain cows
once bred back, so you can cover every stage of animal growth between “push”
and “coast”.</span></p>
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{page:WordSection1;}</style></p>Brock Palenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03992571343475028656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8764281869949321066.post-12744148456249746682022-04-18T13:39:00.004-07:002022-04-18T13:39:00.205-07:00Different ways to look at bulls (focusing on somatic cell scores)<p><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 14.000000pt;">The real difficulty in reading sire data today is the complexity of available trait
scoring and ranking systems. The less time we have, the more we depend on
simple ranking indexes (Holstein TPI) (Jersey JPI) (Net Merit $) and thus ignore
the underlying patterns that more clearly define reasons for each bull to either be
used [he can help us] or avoided [he offers nothing exceptional].
</span>
</p><div class="page" title="Page 4"><div class="layoutArea"><div class="column"><p><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 16.000000pt; font-weight: 700;">Different ways to rank bulls, seeking future value
</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 14.000000pt;">A2A2 Beta Casein is now on the radar of dairymen seeking an edge in the future
milk markets. BB Kappa Casein is already a premium trait in Europe, where most
milk checks derive more income from cheese making. What else do bulls with
these milk quality traits offer to improve the equity value of your future herd?
</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 14.000000pt; font-weight: 700;">Mich Livestock Service, Inc Ph (989) 834- 2661 *** since 1952
</span></p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
Brock Palenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03992571343475028656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8764281869949321066.post-57647035992825174002022-04-11T13:39:00.004-07:002022-04-11T13:39:00.242-07:00How do I read sire ratings for Somatic Cell Score ?<p><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt;">The DHIA systems around the USA offer Somatic Cell testing within the usual milk volume and
component % data collection. Of course, you may be among the many who are concluding a
once a month reading on Somatic Cell is not helping you much to control mastitis flare-ups, one
of the key occurrences affecting milk quality bonus payments.
</span>
</p><div class="page" title="Page 3"><div class="layoutArea"><div class="column"><p><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt;">However, from a genetic selection standpoint, there is some heritability to the SCS trait score.
Latest estimates put the h2 of Somatic Cell Score at 15%, right in the middle of the range over
linear type and production traits. Over time, you can build a better herd profile by paying
some attention to this in sire data.
</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt; font-style: italic; font-weight: 700;">What is a “somatic cell score”?
</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt;">A “somatic” cell is any cell with a nucleus. The testing is designed to estimate the current level
</span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt;">of spent white blood cells in the milk (evidence of the body fighting an infection somewhere in
</span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt;">a cow’s system). The “Coulter” counters used do </span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt;">have trouble telling the difference between
an infection cell and other nuclei, such as a shed skin cell (extraordinarily high butterfat% will
affect the SCC measure adversely by such cells sticking to the fat particles in the milk).
</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt;">Note that SCC does not </span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt;">specifically mean just “mastitis” infections. ANY infection in the cow’s
</span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt;">body which draws a white blood cell response from the immune system will raise SCC levels. In
fact, the biggest spikes in SCC often come when cows are fighting heel warts or foot rot.
</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt; font-style: italic; font-weight: 700;">How do I read the data ?
</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt;">The sire PTA values are standardized around 3.00 as being “average”. A better bull will be
</span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt;">under that 3.00 level, a lesser bull will be over that 3.00 level. It is best to assume that values
betwee</span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt;">n 2.95 and 3.05 are essentially “average” – </span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt;">you will have trouble detecting any change
from sires in that range of SCS. Note: The lowest SCS bulls (down around 2.40) often have a
</span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt;">reputation for “slow” milking speed, and the highest SCS bulls (up around </span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt;">3.50) may be that
</span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt;">way because their daughters “leak” milk prior to milking. Integrity of the teat sphincters has
</span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt;">an impact (good or bad) on both milking speed and milk letdown.
</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt; font-style: italic; font-weight: 700;">Current examples of Holstein sires with exceptional SCS values
</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt; font-weight: 700;">566 HO 1345 </span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt;">Claytop G-Plus </span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt; font-weight: 700;">EVER RED </span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt;">SCS </span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt; font-weight: 700;">2.61 </span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt;">and this is in spite of being </span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt; font-weight: 700;">+.21% b</span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt; font-weight: 700;">’</span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt; font-weight: 700;">fat</span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt;">.
Milking Speed is rated </span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt; font-weight: 700;">103 </span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt;">(3% better than average) . His </span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt; font-weight: 700;">aAa </span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt;">of </span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt; font-weight: 700;">456 </span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt;">indicates him a source of
</span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt;">“Strong” substance, “Smooth” body condition ability, “Style” durable bones. He looks pretty
</span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt;">good on the Zoetis </span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt;">“Wellness Trait” DNA measurements. </span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt;">He is </span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt; font-weight: 700;">A2A2 </span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt;">for Beta Casein.
</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt; font-weight: 700;">566 HO 1335 </span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt;">E-Lane Escobar </span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt; font-weight: 700;">LAYNE RED </span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt;">SCS </span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt; font-weight: 700;">2.59 </span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt; font-weight: 700;">+.18 b’fat. </span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt;">Milking Speed 100. He is
also another </span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt; font-weight: 700;">A2A2 </span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt;">Beta Casein source and is rated </span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt; font-weight: 700;">110 </span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt;">by Zoetis for Mastitis Resistance.
</span></p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
Brock Palenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03992571343475028656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8764281869949321066.post-85301492615027920842022-04-04T13:38:00.004-07:002022-04-04T13:38:00.213-07:00Building equity value into a dairy herd in today’s commodity world<p><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt; font-weight: 700;">In one week during an “aAa” customer schedule across north central Ohio, I discovered two
</span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt; font-weight: 700;">Holstein herd owners with the same novel idea: </span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt; font-style: italic; font-weight: 700;">select on gene markers for two premium
milk categories </span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt;">(not just one)</span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt; font-style: italic; font-weight: 700;">. </span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt;">In other words, they were now requiring all service sires to
have the </span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt; font-weight: 700;">A2A2 </span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt;">gene markers for “Beta Casein” (milk digestibility) as well as </span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt;">the </span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt; font-weight: 700;">BB </span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt;">gene
</span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt;">markers for “Kappa Casein” (cheese yield).
</span>
</p><div class="page" title="Page 2"><div class="layoutArea"><div class="column"><p><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt;">These dairies are in the Dalton (125 cows) and Orrville (250 cows) area of Wayne County Ohio,
where land prices and absentee landlord ownership make herd expansion nearly impossible.
Thus it takes a premium milk marketing strategy while reducing external input costs to increase
returns on investment. In their part of the world, there are processors seeking higher value
milk, either for bottling (for the Cleveland market) or for cheese making.
</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt;">Is it hard to find Holstein bulls worth using who are </span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt; font-weight: 700;">A2A2 </span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt;">Beta Casein? Not any longer, at least
in the programs we offer, a third of the sires are known A2A2 (the expected Holstein percent of
A2A2 animals is 25%). Is it harder to find Holstein bulls worth using who are </span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt; font-weight: 700;">BB </span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt;">Kappa Casein?
</span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt;">You bet it is... the expected Holstein percent of BB animals is less than 10%.
</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt;">If you check out the latest sire catalog from </span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt; font-weight: 700;">AI TOTAL </span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt;">you will find they feature 21 </span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt; font-weight: 700;">A2A2 </span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt;">sires
and 13 </span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt; font-weight: 700;">BB </span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt;">sires. </span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt; font-weight: 700;">Nine </span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt;">of these sires are </span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt; font-weight: 700;">both </span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt;">A2A2 Beta Casein and BB Kappa Casein. So far
we are stocking these:<br />
</span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt; font-weight: 700;">515 HO 381 I AM RED PP </span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt;">GTPI is 2646. Net Merit $ is 657.
</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt; font-weight: 700;">724 HO 2005 NIPIT PP *RC </span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt;">GTPI is 2685. Net Merit $ is 577.
</span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt; font-weight: 700;">288 HO 237 ADAWAY </span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt;">GTPI is 2809. Net Merit $ is 743.
</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt;">It is not unusual today to find the Red & White and *RC sires have advantageous gene marker
profiles. An example of an A2A2/ BB combination at </span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt; font-weight: 700;">INTERNATIONAL PROTEIN SIRES </span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt;">is:
</span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt; font-weight: 700;">566 HO 1321 CATCH ON PP RED </span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt;">+.13% bf and +.10% pr. Low SCC 2.66. Calving ease 1.6%
</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt;">It is much easier to find A2A2 Beta Casein and BB Kappa Casein together in </span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt; font-weight: 700;">Jersey </span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt;">bulls, but if
</span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt;">you also add in PP (“Pure Polled”=homozygous polled) it gets harder... yet both International
</span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt;">Protein Sires and Triple Hil Sires, as well as Sustainable Genetics have several such combines.
</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt;">Anticipating new market opportunities is a good strategy, and the A2A2 and BB opportunities
are only available by focusing your genetic inputs. If this appeals to you, we are happy to be of
help in identifying and sourcing bulls with unique gene marker traits.
</span></p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
Brock Palenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03992571343475028656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8764281869949321066.post-63133857621808445982022-03-28T13:38:00.005-07:002022-03-28T13:38:00.242-07:00Big news in polled sires available<p><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt;">We can now provide polled bulls in every dairy breed: Holstein, Red & White, Jersey, Guernsey
Brown Swiss, Ayrshire, Lineback, Fleckveih, Milking Shorthorn and Dutch Belted.
</span>
</p><div class="page" title="Page 1"><div class="layoutArea"><div class="column"><p><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt;">The polled Holstein sire lineup of </span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt; font-weight: 700;">Vogue Holsteins (</span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt;">Canada</span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt; font-weight: 700;">) </span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt;">are now available through </span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt; font-weight: 700;">AI Total.
</span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt;">They also have the only remaining semen on Australia’s “Mirand PP” in North America.
</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt; font-weight: 700;">International Protein Sires </span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt;">continues to provide much needed variety in polled Holsteins and
</span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt;">has the current #1 GJPI Polled Jersey bull (#2 GJUI, #1 GType) as well as the #3 “Pure Polled”.
</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt; font-weight: 700;">Triple Hil Sires </span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt;">has polled Holstein, Euro Holstein, Red & White, Jersey, Ayrshire and Guernsey</span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 14.000000pt; font-weight: 700;">.
</span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt;">This includes the ever-popular and uniquely bred </span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt; font-weight: 700;">Burket Falls </span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt;">polled A2A2 Red & White sires.
</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt; font-weight: 700;">Browndale Sires </span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt;">has three PP sons of the highest Protein yield polled cow in Canada.<br />
The latest entries from </span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt; font-weight: 700;">Blondin Sires </span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt;">happen to be polled: Limited P, Willows P Red, Believe P
</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt;">and Energy P. Most of these would soon be available “sexed female”.
</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt; font-weight: 700;">New Generation Genetics </span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt;">has two unique polled Brown Swiss Sires.<br />
</span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt; font-weight: 700;">Amerifleck </span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt;">has a polled dairy-type Fleckveih sire in their new US-based program.
</span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt; font-weight: 700;">Sustainable Genetics </span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt;">has semen on two newer Jersey PP sires from New Zealand.
</span></p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
Brock Palenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03992571343475028656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8764281869949321066.post-4281686537206579892022-03-21T13:35:00.004-07:002022-03-21T13:35:00.265-07:00Growing interest in “Heritage Breeds”<p>
</p><div class="page" title="Page 2">
<div class="layoutArea">
<div class="column">
<p><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 14.000000pt; font-weight: 700;">British White, British White Park, Canadian Speckled Park
</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt;">These are English-origin breeds with distinctive coloring and specialized marketing opportunity.
</span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt;">The designation “heritage breed” </span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt;">is bestowed by the </span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt; font-weight: 700;">American Minor Breeds Conservancy </span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt;">who
document the characteristic traits, monitors the size of each breeding population across several
livestock species, and helps to connect breeders wishing to be involved in any individual breed.
</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt;">We get periodic requests for semen from these breeds, and have made some connections with
individual breeders. At present we have a small inventory of the famous </span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt; font-style: italic; font-weight: 700;">Speckled Park </span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt;">sire </span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt;">–
</span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt; font-weight: 700;">River Hill 26T Walker 60W. </span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt;">Born in 2009 and successfully shown 2009, 2010 and 2011 when
he weighed 2075 pounds at 24 months of age, he is considered 100% pure Speckled Park.
</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt;">The “Speckled Park” is a composite of the </span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt; font-weight: 700;">Angus, White Park, and Teeswater-type Shorthorn.
</span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt;">They were developed in Saskatchewan (western Canada) and were first recognized in 2006 as a
distinct new cattle breed. Traits noted are great foraging vigor, good rates of gain whether
on grass or grain feed, and easy birth weights (75#-85#). The meat is well-marbled, tender,
and has less outer-layer fat. The carcass dressing percentage is higher than most other breeds.
</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt;">Drawing on the gene pool of the “British White Park”, this is a breed originating in England from
</span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt;">the 1800s that is white with black or red points (ear tips, nose, feet) and has dark-tipped horns.
</span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt;">More of a “dual purpose” (meat + milk) breed in its development, they are considered good at
“conservation (rough land) grazing” and have a good marbling ability that does not require co</span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt;">rn
to produce a finish grade animal. Cows are from 1000 to 1500 pounds at maturity, Bulls are
from 1800 to 2300 pounds mature</span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt;">—</span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt;">similar to most other English beef breeds. Cows live to 20
years of age (hardy, good fertility, easy calving).
</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt;">Of earlier o</span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt;">rigin are the “British White” (likely an ancestor of the British White Park). These
</span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt;">are polled cattle, also considered dual purpose, coming from eastern England. They were first
noted as resident of Whalley Abbey in Lancashire, described in the 1600s.
</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt; font-weight: 700;">Interest in these breeds has grown with the rising market profile of “grass fed beef”. </span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt;">Breeds
already developed to match the pastoral English climate and soils were typically selected for a
moderate growth rate on grass (seasonal grazing and wint</span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt;">er baled hay) and reach a “finished”
</span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt;">quality from age-triggered marbling on a faster-maturing, smaller-frame carcass. </span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt;">“Corn fed”
</span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt;">as a category of beef really did not exist until after World War I and the developing feedlots
along the Mississippi River to which western range steers were herded seasonally. With the
</span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt;">advent of “Continental” (European) breeds in the 1970s</span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt;">-80s, mainstream beef breeding in the
USA was transformed from grass-based to corn-based.
</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt;">“Grass Fed” in that sense is having a “renaissance” as the total costs of dry lot rearing and feed
</span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt;">lot finishing of cattle have risen. $6.00-$7.00 corn prices today represent a severe shock to the
feeding industry after decades of $2.50-</span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt;">$4.00 corn. The time for “heritage” breeds has come.
</span></p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="page" title="Page 3">
<div class="layoutArea">
<div class="column">
<p><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 16.000000pt; font-weight: 700;">English Breeds -- a simple comparison --
</span></p>
</div>
<div class="column">
<p><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 16.000000pt; font-weight: 700;">vs Continental Breeds
</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt;">Simmental/ Fleckveih/ Pie Rouge
Maine Anjou<br />
Limousin<br />
Charolais
</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt;">Gelbveih
Chianina
</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt;">Salers
Braunveih
Piedmontese
Normande
</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt;">Larger frame size
Later physical maturity
</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt;">Nutrient-dependent fertility
bigger calves (long gestation)
higher % edible
</span></p>
</div>
</div>
<div class="layoutArea">
<div class="column">
<p><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt;">Angus/ Red Angus
Shorthorn (horned/polled)
Hereford (horned/polled)
Red Poll<br />
Red Devon<br />
Speckled Park<br />
Scotch Highlander<br />
Murray Grey **<br />
British White/White Park
Galloway/ Belted Galloway
</span></p>
</div>
<div class="column">
<p><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt;">= =
</span></p>
</div>
<div class="column">
<p><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt;">Belgian Blue
</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt;">vs
vs
vs
</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt;">vs
vs
</span></p>
</div>
<div class="column">
<p><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt;">= =
</span></p>
</div>
</div>
<div class="layoutArea">
<div class="column">
<p><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt;">Smaller frame size<br />
Earlier physical maturity<br />
Higher natural fertility<br />
easier calving (lower birth weight)
lower % edible
</span></p>
</div>
</div>
<div class="layoutArea">
<div class="column">
<p><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt;">Several of the Continental European breeds have “double muscling” which includes Charolais,
</span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt;">Gelbveih, Limousin, Piedmontese, and Belgian Blue (a result of crossing British White Park and
Maine Anjou, so a cross-channel collaboration). This adds to calving difficulty.
</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt;">** Murray Grey actually originate in Australia, the result of an Angus cow being repeatedly bred
to a white Shorthorn bull, resulting in their unique color.
</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt;">There are subvariants within breeds, for example the Loala (“Lowline”) Angus which maintain
</span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt;">the pre- </span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt;">World War II “baby beef” growth rate and easy</span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt;">-fleshing metabolism. The Irish Kerry
</span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt;">cow (known here as “Dexters”) </span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt;">are a similarly smaller size cow for homesteaders.
</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt;">Worldwide there are at least 700 local, regional, or nationally identified breeds of cattle, used
for draft, meat or milk purposes. These fall into three categories: Bos Taurus (European in
origin) Bos Indicus (the Indian subcontinent of Asia) and Bos Africanus (the African continent).
Each of these subspecies has unique genotype characteristics that can be found in all breeds
originating in their specific geography. Many of these English and Continental breeds from
</span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12.000000pt;">“Bos Taurus” have been crossed with “Bos Indicus” bulls to create heat and insect resistance.
</span></p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
Brock Palenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03992571343475028656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8764281869949321066.post-75473942567823990592022-03-14T13:31:00.007-07:002022-03-14T13:31:00.243-07:00Bull analysis procedures - What I think I may be learning<p>
<span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Greg
Palen</span> </p><p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I have been
looking at bulls in bull studs for 50 years, thanks to my Dad’s work for
Curtiss and for my later work with first Tri State Breeders (Accelerated) and
then Semex, prior to focusing on “aAa” Breeding Guide (Weeks’ Analysis)
beginning in 1994.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In my AI career, always with an interest in
aAa, whenever I could stand in front of a bull pen and study a bull, knowing
how he was officially analyzed by “the Masters”, I tried to see what they
saw.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I began seeing a lot of
(mostly Jersey) bulls within the Ohio Northcoast Group herds, and when possible
worked them with Louis Hoffmaster (who first mentioned a Bill Weeks concept
“the pull of the breed”), proficiency and my confidence improved. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Occasionally this meant I did a bull who ended
up in an AI stud.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here are first ones
I remember:</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">76 JE
123<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Rocco”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Greg aAa 354 at farm:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>official 453126 at Taurus<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Charlie and Dale)<br />
76 HO261 “Markup”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Greg 513642 at
farm:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>official confirmed at
Interglobe<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Jim and ??)<br />
There was a yearling at Wabash Way I saw 246, once at Hawkeye Jim saw 462
(Allstar Genetic).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">It has
always been a fact of aAa that bulls get changed after arriving at stud or EVEN
when they have stood at stud.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Perversely it can be bulls with high visibility.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here are examples:</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Pawnee Farm
Arlinda Chief (born 1962)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>4-6 old
system at farm:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>416523 once at Curtiss<br />
Round Oak Rag Apple Elevation<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>(1965)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>2-4 old system at Sire
Power:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>152643 at Select Sires<br />
Hanoverhill Triple Threat Red<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>(1968)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>216354 as a youngster:
261453 as a mature bull<br />
Marshfield Elevation Tony<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>(1970)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>612453 eventually became
612534<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
Observation of the young milking offspring of these particular bulls led to
these changes.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Tamlane
Rockman Senator, done at farm by George Reed as 415362, changed by Bill Weeks
at Curtiss into 423156 …<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>because we got
to listen to George explain it after, it got me thinking.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">However,
until 2010 when Jim Sarbacker first took me on a bull committee, I had little
training in analyzing bulls, neither Ted Krueger nor Byron Bryant having much
opportunity to discuss bulls in the herds which I found for them and within
which I received my apprentice training.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>That whole process went backward when he basically turned bull committee
over to Tim B, who had a bunch of “Charlie-isms” to explain individual aspects
of bulls memorized-- but whose only response to questioning was anger.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was always his way or the highway.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Thus – and
this may be true for virtually all of us – when it comes to analyzing bulls, I
am mostly self-taught.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Certainly,
travelling with Jim, the expectation was you learned by observation or osmosis,
he never broke down a single bull for my benefit <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(as Bruce, Michael and I have done with Lee,
Peter, Matt, and now Amy consistently in bull training opportunities).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This tended to make us cautious about
changes once faced with review bulls others had done earlier.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Under Mary’s guidance our procedures are
getting stronger, but this can also mean we might have to explain why bulls’
aAa can be changed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As to why lots of
bulls used to get changed, I like to remember the day Byron Bryant and I tagged
along with Bill and Charlie at Western Ontario, where it appeared it was
customary for them to review <i>every bull on site</i>.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The
complexities of biology will always elude us to some extent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Every animal we see – cow or bull – is an <i>individual
phenotype </i>and <i>unique genotype.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i>Furthermore,
<i>genes do not “dilute”</i> (in conception, half of each parent genotype
passes through to create unique gene pairings, while the other half is
discarded) – there is no <i>averaging</i> of parental contributions as is
suggested by genetic evaluation procedures.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>No animal <i>must </i>look like any other sibling.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some animals will dominate matings in
particular qualities, others will have a random range of expression subject to
what their mates offer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The relevance
of “aAa” is that we remain focused on the individual as a complex of qualities
and deficiencies, and have the wisdom not to “rank” them about it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Today the
big risk to bull accuracy is the LACK of review opportunity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The example most visible in my experience
is Semex’ aAa procedure:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(1) they want
all six digits on every bull, but (2) they also want this done when a bull is
only a year (or less) old…<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This
approach is incompatible to “aAa” customers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Select Sires may have a better grasp of practicality: (1) young bulls get
3 digits, (2) matured bulls who are “returning to service” as “graduates” (ie,
progeny data still competes with Genomic data) get reviewed and assigned all
six digits.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How many of those bulls
have we changed?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Perhaps Dave could
tell us over a recent time period.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The longest list of bull changes may have been Jan and Marcel’s trip to
New Zealand, which had the added complication that (in the opinion of some of
us) the overall quality of LIC breeding stock is not very high in comparison to
our collective experiences elsewhere, but could also indicate what is in store
for all the world in the future, when breeding bulls are created in computers
based on indexes that basically exclude physical traits, never updated based on
actual on-farm results.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">More
recent issues</span></i></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">In February
2011 I analyzed a yearling Jersey bull at a farm in Ohio four hours after he
stepped of a truck from Oregon (so a 1000+ mile trip).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Immediately on arrival a semen collection
was taken as well – to even have him standing up for aAa was evidence of
stamina.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What I thought I saw was <b>1
6 2 5 3 4.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></b>By November of 2011
this bull had been purchased by Taurus Service, and showed up on a bull
committee list.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That day he was seen
by Phil Hasheider, Dale Button and me, now at two years of age.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He ended up <b>5 1 6 4 2 3 …</b> and I
could see it as well as Dale and Phil.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I asked them “Why could I not see it back in February?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dale suggested the truck ride might have
shook all the stuffing out of him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Phil just smiled.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It still
bothered me. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">At the time
of the International conference, the group of us went to Triple-Hil Sires for
practice on bulls.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Among those viewed
was<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i><u>Burket Falls All Things PP Red</u></i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>who was analyzed younger by Ed Smith as <b>3
1 5</b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now, again at least a year
older, our group consensus with Ed included was that he should be <b>5 3 1 4 6
2.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The end of
May, with Amy Bickham and myself as a bull committee, we again visited
Triple-Hil for a couple new youngsters and several reviews on farm bulls they
are now collecting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These three dynamic
young men are more concerned over “aAa” accuracy than typical bull studs.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The Burket
Falls bulls are widely used in “aAa” context and so Triple Hil gets feedback on
them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The latest to have first milking
daughters is now<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i>Burket Falls Enlight
PP *RC</i> <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>who was analyzed younger
again by Ed Smith as <b>3 1 2.</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Recent feedback to T-H has been that this bull needed to be reviewed, as
offspring exhibited a lack of “Tall” features discernable to many aAa users.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">What we
found was a mature size bull with the look of an “easy keeper”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By the time we were done, this bull became <b>5
3 1 4 2 6</b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The biggest point of
contention was “is this a sturdy front end stance?” and the point of doubt was
that (even more so than 516324 “Done Right P Red”) there was not the width
between front legs expected by a bull who is “5” up front.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For me the decision was that, without <i>depth</i>
of chest to hold his legs apart at the elbow, and with smaller forelegs, he
could not express <i>width between the knees</i> – BUT his feet were <i>even</i>
and he stood on squarely placed front feet, ie, they were not <i>spindled.</i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">As you added
up indicators up and down the “has Smooth” column of the P/S chart, you could
find nearly all of them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As you added
up indicators down the “lacks Tall” column of the P/S chart, you could also at
this stage find nearly all of them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>So why could we not see both these bulls as <i>smoothies </i>when viewed
as yearlings?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do we have different
expectations?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">A further
example, coming at it from the reverse side of customer expectations, is <i><u>Chili
Action Colton</u></i>, at Select Sires, a worldwide favorite among
type-oriented Jersey breeders.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Seen as
a yearling, he was analyzed <b>1 5 6.</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Once daughters began milking, calls were coming in that he needed to be
reviewed, as “<i>these things are so narrow, and you are calling him a wide
bull.”</i> <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bruce and I got to review
him as a fully matured bull, and found a huge-bellied bull who only got narrow
once you were <i>behind the hooks.</i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He also had shallow chest, smaller forelegs, short/down pasterns,
wide/short head, tremendously deep rear rib and sprung ribcage, BUT not enough
chest to hold his forelegs very wide apart.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Again, the feet had even toes and tracked straight ahead, and (typical
of Jersey bulls lacking 2 and 4) needed a hoof trimming.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We finished him off as <b>1 5 6 3 2 4 </b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and the only explanation for “why are they not
wide?” is either (a) there is not enough chest and frame to express it, (b) you
have to let them get older for it to show, (c) he just isn’t as good a bull for
this generation [of Jersey mates] as he was when he was first evaluated.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Mr Weeks said “Cattle can be good” but
the corollary to that is “a nice proof today fully promoted today does not
guarantee useful cattle tomorrow”.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Tentative
conclusions</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The most
important training exercise we have had recently is the <b>April</b> exercise
where Mary asked us to explain every indicator.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Fine tuning our definitions will make
on-farm bull aAa consistent with bull committee.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The example above is “do we understanding <i>spindling</i>
on front legs (NOT “width between front legs”) vs <i>sturdy </i>forelegs (even
weight bearing on feet with equal size toes) is absence or presence of 5
Smooth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do we understand that “broad
hips” and “out hips” really do not look the same (“broad” hips create width
across the meeting of body core and pelvic bone structure; “out” hips are
prominence of bone beyond the body, <i>whether narrow or wide bodied</i>, as we
view the same area).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I would ask
Ed to recall if in the case of both “All Things” and “Enlight” if one of his
reasons for calling both of these <b>3</b> <b>Open </b>bulls<b> </b>(as they
are—a good 531 is certainly going to add “open” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>to his offspring at a detectable level) is if,
FROM HIPS BACK, he felt the body core capacity was being extended into the
pelvic region capacity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(What do I
mean?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the case of “Colton” you
could see the rear end closing up as soon as you got past broad hips.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the case of bulls lacking <b>1 Dairy</b>
which is a frequent event in Holstein Genomic selections today, you also see a
“tight” rear end from lack of broad hips, but you need to see that differently
from a “closed up” rear end as in lack of 3 Open.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Two different lacks can affect the same
dimension, but it is our job to see the difference in overall causality, which
is why you always confirm each number by the correlated patterns – not from the
first observation:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>ie, thurl is “out” so
must be “square” which is NOT true, a thurl is much more visibly prominent on a
“sharp” (Tall) animal than on a “round” (Smooth) animal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“Open” is
thus a “sharp” way of creating width, while “Smooth” is more a “round” way of
creating width, but we have to be very cognizant of when and where it creates
it (an Open bull lacking Dairy is going to have a tighter rear end, what is
your expectation?) (a Dairy bull with Smooth is going to be smaller framed thus
not as wide as a Strong bull, again, what is it you are expecting to see?)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Animals <b>lacking
2 Tall</b> (referring to the summary definition of the traits) will not have
the same development at early ages as animals <b>expressing 2 Tall</b>, who are
faster-growing, faster in their physical maturation, thus in the common
possession, also faster aging.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We tend
to see more Smooth expressed in the better longevity animals, we may also see
immaturity in their younger offspring<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(I
have a heifer and cow photo of the famous “Snowboots” and she looks long-legged
in her first lactation…<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>but she defines
Dairy/Smooth in her elegant maturity).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">In the case
of bulls, we do have heads, necks, loins, shoulders, pasterns and feet,
testicles, rudimentary teats (on all breeds other than modern Holsteins at
least), tailsets, flanks and hocks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We
cannot skip over what they are telling us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>What is in common in all the examples I have given is that at young
ages, while still growing, they did not have the weight on their back nor the
spring in their rib from full development and rumen function to make it clearer
<i>how Smooth they will become </i>visually<i>.</i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ed Hubbell advised me early on that in
cases of underfed or overconditioned heifers, I should focus on what all the
extremities were telling me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is
safer to wait for lactation or maturation to<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>make judgements on things like muscling and condition.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When it comes to bulls today, we are
analyzing most of them <i>barely past being heifers</i> (ie, not that far from
initial puberty) so the round qualities related more to organic and soft-tissue
may take more time to fully express what we will eventually see.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Does this
help anyone??</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Greg</span></p>
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{page:WordSection1;}</style></p>Brock Palenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03992571343475028656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8764281869949321066.post-32329556920637899022022-03-09T13:31:00.005-08:002022-03-09T13:31:00.216-08:00The impact of “aAa” (Weeks Analysis) on selection for fertility<p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“aAa” has
always recognized the heritability of Body Conditioning ability.</span></b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This helps you to counter one of the major weaknesses in linear trait
selection.<br />
</span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br />
“aAa” accomplishes this by seeking more “balance” in the physical structure of
the cow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When genetic selection is so
focused on “faster maturity” of the physique, by accelerating growth rate (the
current simplistic method for measuring “feed efficiency” now built into “Net
Merit” index) <b><i>aAa</i></b> balances young age growth rate with a sturdier
bone structure and wider body capacity to slow feed passage through the rumen
and abomasum to fully capture all nutrient energy so the cow can avoid falling
into that energy deficit trap.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“aAa”
keeps cows in proportional size, so they can adapt to your environment.<br />
</span></b><b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br />
</span></b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Unlike linear trait
methods that use “rolling” genetic bases and have no anchoring to the limits
your free stalls, alley widths, bunk spaces and parlor stalls place on cow size
and stature, each cow is guided to a mating that can keep them within the scale
of your existing facilities.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">We all know
that as cows have gotten larger (partially from physical maturity coming
quicker; partially from that PTA Milk selection favoring bigger cows) and this
trend has accelerated with more generations of “one size fits all” index
selection, <b><i>it has influenced many dairymen to get larger in order to
build newer barns with more per-cow space.</i></b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It has also influenced feeding advisors to
constantly increase the use of rumen bypass feeds to increase “energy density”
but that runs up against rising ingredient costs in a “flat” milk price
economy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>None of this would be
necessary <b>IF </b>the mating methods employed could “manage” these genetic
selection trends that have raised our costs with each successive generation of
“high index” heifers added.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The
impact of “cow line” sire selection for better fertility potential<br />
</span></b><b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br />
</span></b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Dr Allen Williams
may be better known in the beef breeding world than in dairy, but his extensive
studies in both have led him to conclude a dairy cow needs four calves before
she is a “net profit” cow (recovered all costs of raising, producing at a
profitable level).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i>This is one more
calving than the “PTA Productive Life” index is based.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i>The biggest limitation in PTA-PL is
coming from its reliance on “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">DPR</i></b>” as the sole indicator of
adequate fertility.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Daughter Pregnancy
Rate data does not sort between natural heat conception and Ov-Synch fertility.<br />
</span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br />
You will note that <i>International Protein Sires, Triple-Hil Sires, and AI
Total <b>ALL</b> have cow line type and production data in their sire
directories.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Compare this to the many
studs who only have “sire stack” pedigrees in their bull books…<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>where a majority of dams have not
calved!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Select
</span></i></b><b><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">sires on
their maternal cow line evidence of realized fertility.<br />
<i>Mate </i>cows so as to produce a balanced, healthy, adapted physique.</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Breeding a
more fertile herd is not “rocket science”, it is more (<b>1) </b>a consistent
exclusion of <i>sires</i> who are no better than the average of commercial
cattle, and <b>(2)</b> a consistent <i>avoidance </i>of matings that are highly
likely to produce a heifer with more “extreme” physical proportions than your
cow.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Sires are
still available who offer <b><i>exceptional</i></b> ancestry of proven
longevity, and the “aAa” method of mating can produce a more <b><i>balanced</i></b>
offspring from their use.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You will
find the semen prices on such bulls competitive, and you will also find that
using “aAa” in place of genomic testing of (and sexed semen on) heifers is a <b><i>huge
savings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The
production gain from functional maturity is greater than the marginal benefit
of the highest PTA Milk values, and production profitability is also much
greater at any level of current production you have attained.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Are
you willing to be different from “the herd”?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></span></i></b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Give us a
call… (989) 834- 2661.</span></p>
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{page:WordSection1;}</style></p>Brock Palenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03992571343475028656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8764281869949321066.post-67795921144662638362022-03-07T13:24:00.003-08:002022-03-07T13:24:00.204-08:00Breeding selection for a more fertile herd of cows<p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Over the
last two decades, the calculation of milk checks has clearly gone in favor of
component volumes over fluid milk pounds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><i>This has been difficult for AI studs who had focused on fluid milk
volume (</i><b>PTA Milk)</b><i> with so few bulls initially offering truly good
components.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i>Their advice to dairymen
was to keep selecting “pounds” (PTA Fat and PTA Protein) when for breeding, the
genetic response was twice as strong when you select “percents” (<b>PTA Fat % </b>and
<b>PTA Protein %).</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Number of
Jersey and Crossbred cows increased, but Holstein cow numbers remained static.<br />
In that time period blended milk market butterfat in FMO 40 climbed from 3.50%
to 3.75%.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Protein in comparison
changed very little.<br />
</span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br />
<b><i>Genetic selection <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and feeding<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>helped butterfat increase, but still holds
back protein<br />
<br />
</i></b>Protein % is one of the most heritable of linear trait
measurements.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>W<i>hy do we not gain
more protein yields?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i>This is important
again after a generation of focusing on butterfat %.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This has been related to the continuing
insistence on “higher PTA Milk” in sire selection, still followed by the larger
AI systems.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They sell what they have,
because they breed future bulls from the past success;<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>but this is done in a vacuum of understanding
the limitations on performance that the prior selection emphasis has placed on
the current breeding population.<br />
<br />
<b><i>One of the major limiters of higher protein yields is selecting for high
angularity physiques.</i></b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The AI
industry has ignored “Body Condition” as a genetically selectable trait.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Linear type has favored the high angularity
type cow since 1970, and it has taken a toll on herd fertility.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“First
service conception” has fallen 1% per year in the first 30 years of “linear”<br />
</span></b><b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br />
</span></b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">This data came from
a conversation at an NAAB technical conference held around 2000.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(The reports from staff inseminators in the
largest AI system at that time were this data’s source. )<br />
It is noted that type scoring in all dairy breeds switched over from
descriptive to linear methods from 1968 to 1972 – a highly suggestive
coincidence.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i>What else </i>could
contribute to this?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The first <b><i>Net
Merit</i></b> composite index (created by Dr Cint Meadows at MSU) shifted sire
ranking from pounds of butterfat to pounds of milk, and the linear preference
for “angularity” defining “dairy quality” came from corn feeding trials at MSU
and other colleges following USDA’s lead in crop subsidies for corn and
soybeans, rather than forage crops used for ruminant animals.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">In
other words, to make milk from corn instead of hay, we have to change the cow’s
type.</span></i></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Why such a
trend in fertility?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b><i>First </i></b>and
most importantly, early indexes <i>ignored fertility.</i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If a cow set a higher peak, she might extend
her lactation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Selection for bulls
began to favor cows with the highest and most extended “peak” production.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Geneticists in that era truly ignored or
had no understanding of how the <b><i>genotype </i></b>“rations” nutrient
energy between four uses:<br />
<br />
(One)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Finish growing<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(first lactation cows were only 2/3 grown at
that time)<br />
(Two)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Make a lot of milk volume<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(encouraged by new milk order fluid premiums)<br />
(Three)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Put some useful nutrient solids
in the milk<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(butterfat, protein,
lactose)<br />
(Four)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Breed back as required to
optimize productive life<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(recover
rearing cost)</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">What did
selection favor?</span></b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Geneticists assumed all lactation “curves”
were identical, and that culling the lower PD Milk yield bulls would also cull
the cows that did not milk for 305 days.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>As we now know, the cows with the longest productive life and the most
regular calving tend to be the more persistent, “flat” lactation curve
cows.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Flat”, persistent lactation
curves allow for a great many benefits:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Lower ration costs…<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lower
reproduction costs…<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Less metabolic
disease and fewer veterinary costs…<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b><i>less
fluctuation in Body Condition score</i></b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Taking a lesson from the Beef breeding industry and Grass dairymen,
biologists observe that <i>body condition score </i>is highly correlated with <i>optimal
reproduction rates.</i></span></p>
<b><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Cows in a “negative energy” state produce less
protein <i>and </i>are slower to breed back.<br />
</span></b><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br />
Until a cow is on a positive energy plane, protein produced in the rumen will
be converted into energy in the abomasum and absorbed to help the body keep up
with its total energy demands.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thus
less protein shows up in the milk… and repro is slower.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i>Cows with lower Body Condition scores </i>(condition
lost from setting aggressively high peaks early in lactation) usually require
Ov Synch intervention to get back with calf.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><br />
<br />
Sires with “plus” PTA Protein % values are thus <i>more likely </i>to sire cows
with <b><i>optimal fertility.</i></b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
</span>
<p><style>@font-face
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{page:WordSection1;}</style></p>Brock Palenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03992571343475028656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8764281869949321066.post-12223276092281022462022-03-04T13:33:00.000-08:002022-03-04T13:33:00.251-08:00Update on what UPS is charging for shipping semen tanks<p><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12pt;">We just sent a UPS vapor shipper to Bennett Colorado. It was standard size, 31 pounds full of
nitrogen and able to hold 13 canes of semen. The outbound charge was $ 82.49 and returning
tank (via Return Label) was $ 83.56. This adds up to $ 166.05 for transport; in addition there
are usually charges for nitrogen and rental of the shipper. Thus the totals are generally $ 200.
</span>
</p><div class="page" title="Page 1"><div class="layoutArea"><div class="column"><p><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12pt;">As you plan your spring semen needs, consider that if your sire selections are available at </span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-weight: 700;">Cattle
Visions </span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12pt;">we are an authorized Dealer, generally have shipments every two weeks in the breeding
</span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12pt;">season, and when pooled with each other’s needs </span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-weight: 700;">we cover those shipping expenses</span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12pt;">.
</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12pt;">We will charge you the same price for each bull as they are priced at </span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-weight: 700;">Cattle Visions</span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12pt;">. Thus we
are able to save you $$ by covering the shipping expense</span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12pt;">... and you do not have to deal with a
</span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12pt;">trip to town to return the shipping container either.
</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-weight: 700;">Bonus: </span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12pt;">we pour nitrogen into these shippers when they arrive. Semen is cooled to liquid N2
temperature (180 degrees colder than vapor temperature in the shipper) before we take it out,
thus your semen is handled safer and will arrive in better condition than if you have to take it
from the shipper at your farm without nitrogen in the straw cups. Our effort is to insure your
conception potential at time of insemination. What is that worth on premium price sires?
</span></p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
Brock Palenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03992571343475028656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8764281869949321066.post-52549279821686085232022-03-02T13:22:00.007-08:002022-03-02T13:22:00.267-08:00Have you watched an NRCS “water infiltration” demonstration lately?<p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Byron Seeds’
annual “Cover Crop Field Day” was April 22 in Rockville, Indiana.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As part of the program they had their county
NRCS staff do a “water infiltration” test with blocks of soil and sod taken
from Samuel Fisher’s working farm nearby.<br />
<b><i>These blocks included:<br />
</i></b>A tray of fully tilled soil (as you would find in conventional row crop
farming)<br />
A tray of disked sod (as you would find in rotating from hay to any row crop)<br />
A tray of over-wintered cover crops<br />
A tray of perennial grass-based pasture</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">After
spraying with water to simulate 1 ½ inches of rainfall, and catching water in
jars that either “ran off” the top of the soil or “infiltrated” through the
layer of soil, the trays were dumped upside down to compare the effects.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Surprisingly,
</span></i><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">the full-tilled soil
had most of its “rainfall” <i>run off: </i>underneath, the soil remained
totally dry (<i>none of the rain infiltrated that soil where you would be
planting your seed</i>).<br />
The disked sod passed roughly half the rain away as runoff, half infiltrating
the seed layer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Water clearly followed
the path of roots into the soil mass.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The
remaining two samples were totally watered, having absorbed all the
“rain”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lots of root hairs were clearly
visible, and were acting like sponge to absorb water and storing it in the
growth zone of the topsoil.</span></p><p>
<span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">In the opinion of the NRCS people, cover crops
are <b><i>the </i></b>superior way to build soil, and when your farm includes
animals, their “residues” feed the soil biology best.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">
</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Distributors
for<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Byron Seeds<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(featuring Kingfisher brand)</span></i></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Did you
know?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Besides club calves, we have
these:</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Limousin:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Homozygous polled.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Red hair.</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Among
dairymen who are transitioning their herds from “dairy” to “beef” breeds we
have had a demand for various unique sire combinations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i>Polled Red Limmy</i> was one of those
that was particularly difficult to locate…<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><i>until</i> we figured out a source from Europe<b> </b>(<i>Masterrind, </i>a
major AI system in NW Germany).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We now
have semen on the bull “Torphy” and at a fairly reasonable price.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Belgian
Blue<br />
</span></b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Pretty much a
terminal cross (the females can be difficult calving due to double muscling),
but producing amazing lean carcasses that have an edible muscle proportion that
rivals the most efficient of pigs.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Wagyu</span></b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br />
In Japan, these smaller frame but superior marbling cattle are the basis for
that ultra-premium “Kobe Beef” eating experience.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For those seeking calving ease on heifers
and have a “grassfed” freezer beef market, these have great potential.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Dual-purpose
German Fleckveih<br />
</span></b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">A significant number
of grass-based dairies are utilizing this breed to produce milk without needing
grain supplements.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They have strong annual
calving fertility due to summer heat resistance and good body condition
maintenance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Deacon bull calves often
top the local sale barns, because they look “beefy” compared to the many Angus
x Holstein calves (often confused with Jersey x Holstein dairy crosses)<br />
<i>Fleckveih was one of the early source breeds for the American Simmental.</i>
</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">MSU
Polled Hereford<br />
</span></b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">One of the last
polled Hereford sires bred in MSU’s now dispersed purebred herd was “MSU
Yarborough 37H” purchased by Dallas Sutliff of Bannister MI. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was a younger full brother to a $50,000
syndicated Colorado-bound sire MSU bred.<br />
<i>Dallas collected more semen than needed and is sharing it commercially with
us.</i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Pinebank
Angus<br />
</span></b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">You may see ads in
specialty grazing publications like <i><u>Stockman</u> </i>for the strain of
New Zealand Angus cattle that have strong feet and durable legs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i>We have them.</i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Distributors
for “Cattle Visions”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(your comprehensive
sire source)</span></i></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Products
that may complement your management:</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Conklin
“Fastrack”</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">This may be
the most well-known of probiotic feed supplements, providing an assortment of
rumen microbials that help cattle get through transitions (like weaning) and
get on feed efficiently (when entering feedlots for finishing).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">There are
handy oral paste forms useful when prepping cattle for shows and sales as well
as powdered top dresses for bunk rations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The oral paste will also help a stressed calf (eg, twins, rejected by a
heifer, born in the rain, etc) get up and go.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">P Tests</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Is it
inconvenient to get your veterinarian out to ultrasound or palpate for that
time when you need to know if you have a pregnancy?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Emlabs’ “P Test” has found favor with many
of us for its economical and relatively easy (noninvasive) use.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Measures hormone levels in the urine of
serviced animals.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Estrotects<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">and<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b>Tail chalk</b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">These are
the two most common aids to heat detection that work with visual
observation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The “estrotect” glues
over the tailbone and glows in color if the cow is mounted and stands.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The concept behind Tail Chalk is you apply
it to cows you are watching every two weeks (or after any rain hard enough to
wash it off) and—if rubbed off—you know a heat is in progress.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">CIDRs</span></b></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The estrus
synchronizing aid preferred by Embryo Transfer tech’s as providing the
“tightest” window for heats with a minimum of hormone injections
necessary.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
Developed in New Zealand, you insert into the vagina using the applicator they
designed for it, leave it in for seven days, then remove it, give lutalyse, and
you should see each animal “in heat” in 48-54 hours.</span> <br /></p><p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Breeding<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>is<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>mostly<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>in<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>full<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>swing<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>now<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>for spring<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>calves</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">That miracle
of nature—depending on breed, you service your cows today and in nine months
and a few days find a newly-delivered calf in your pastures.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Did you pick
the right bulls to get the calf you wanted?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We like to help with that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Clay
has been observing the leading club-calf breeders for years now, and can add
his insights if you want them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sue
keeps track of your semen orders and gathers them together to minimize or
eliminate shipping costs from diverse sources.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">If you are
not yet confident in your breeding technique and have no one nearby to help
you, give Greg a call and coax him into stopping by for some pointers.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">We stock new
and used semen tanks, extra canisters, AI equipment and kits, thaw warming
units, a range of AI supplies, and provide nitrogen for freeze branding as well
as keeping your on-farm tank cold.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i>Complete
service </i>is our goal.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Mich
Livestock Service, Inc<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>ph (989)
834-2661<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ovid, MI<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Distributor for “Cattle Visions”</span></b></p>
<p><style>@font-face
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{page:WordSection1;}</style></p>Brock Palenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03992571343475028656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8764281869949321066.post-66163366476352302882022-02-28T13:20:00.006-08:002022-02-28T13:20:00.208-08:00There is only one “Y” Chromosome variant left in USA Holstein breeding?<p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">You have
probably seen the articles over the last three years…, reporting on Dr Chad
Deckow’s work in genetics at Penn State University.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Influenced by the thinking of older
geneticists such as Leslie Hanson of University of Minnesota (<i>see his
article in the April “Progressive Dairyman”) </i>his team of researchers have
sought out rare semen on bulls from 50+ years ago whose line of sire (Y
chromosome) descent differs from what has come forward after the implementation
of linear trait type evaluation with “modified contemporary comparison”
production indexes.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“Ranking” of
sires under various composite indexes (combinations of production and type, now
also with health traits) has steadily reduced the number and diversity of sires
considered to be “sires of sons” for competitive AI service.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Since the introduction of Genomic
selection and its focus on “accelerating” generations, the number and diversity
of “bull mothers” has also been reduced, and pedigree inbreeding coefficients
(as monitored by Dr Hanson) have risen fast.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Why do
we fear inbreeding?</span></i></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">There is an
observed general loss of “vigor” traits as the genotypes being mated become
more “homozygous” (similar in gene possession).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Under Genomic selection, the highest
ranking females to mate to the latest ranking sires would be their full sisters…<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>those with genotypes that possess the same
“marker genes” as their full brothers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This constitutes “inbreeding” on the molecular level as well as (and
perhaps more relevantly to the issue) on the ancestral level.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">In spite of
this, AI studs pursue ever-closer matings as they produce the higher imputed
indexes under the current Genomic selection procedure.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To Dr Hanson and many others this is a
basis to pursue <i>crossbreeding</i> (assuming other breeds still have
different genotypes in ranked sires).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">JUST<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>WHO<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>ARE<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“ANCESTORS<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>IN<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>COMMON”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>TO<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>HOLSTEINS<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>TODAY</span></b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br />
According to Dr Deckow (confirmed in Holstein USA “Redbook” sire summaries) the
two sires who dominate AI sire lines are <b><i>Round Oak Rag Apple Elevation </i></b>(born
1965) and <b><i>Pawnee Farm Arlinda Chief </i></b>(born 1962).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For a period of time until 1990, a third
sire, <b><i>Penstate Ivanhoe Star </i></b>(born 1960) was in the running, until
two lethal recessives (*CVM and *BLAD) carried by “Star” and his prominent son,
<b><i>Carlin M Ivanhoe Bell</i></b>, put them into the background of pedigrees
with no new “Y” chromosome descendants surviving in sire line AI.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the case of “Elevation” and his
contemporary “Chief” they represent half of the total genotype (roughly ¼ each)
carried by a typical modern Holstein.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>( In fact, the <i>only </i>two sires active in AI in the USA today that
do <i>not</i> carry the “Y” chromosome from “Elevation” and “Chief” are <b><i>Dun
Did Black Onyx </i></b>and <b><i>Gloryland Jaguar, </i></b>available from
Triple Hil Sires<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>[which we carry] . )</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">What
made the 1960s a seminal era in Holstein breeding?<br />
<br />
</span></i></b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">By 1960, frozen
semen was a fully adapted AI technology, allowing any breeder with a semen tank
full choice of sires as desired in mating to his better cows.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Both “Chief” and “Elevation” rose to the
top of Holstein USA’s <b>TPI </b>ranking list, and “Star” was high on the list
of sires proved to mate well with these two stellar sires.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All three of these were found to be
improvers for <i>Protein</i> % once this trait was first summarized in the
1970s (and drove USA genetic exports to Europe in the 1980s, reinforcing demand
for their descendants as embryo donors).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Hidden
underneath the obvious that fascinates data-driven geneticists, are some
similarities in how these super sires were originally bred:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b><i>aAa Breeding Guide (</i></b><i>Weeks
Analysis<b>)</b></i> <b><i>was used to plan the matings producing them:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>linebreeding (</i></b><i>to Johanna Rag Apple
Pabst<b>) had influenced the ancestors behind them.</b></i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These sires were all bred prior to the
“contract mating” era that controlled new AI sire selections from 1980 forward,
by <i>Breeders </i>whose primary focus was the generation of useful heifer
replacements, and they considered more than “indexes” to do so.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">What
was unique about “Johanna Rag Apple Pabst”?</span></i></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Born in
Hartford WI in 1921 [<i>100 years ago</i>], this bull came from a dam who had
produced 1034 pounds Butter (890 lbs butterfat) from 19786 pounds of milk in
365 days as a three year old, a remarkable accomplishment, roughly <i>twice</i>
what better Holstein cows usually produced under similar farm management—and at
a level of butterfat 1.0% <i>higher </i>than Holstein average.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This cow had a symmetrical udder with four
evenly-placed teats of moderate size that would adapt to the new milking
machines being developed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Young “JRAP” was shown extensively and in
spite of his “round” appearance was so functionally correct he was “All
American” three years in a row.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His
owners, after four years of service, consigned him to the 1926 “Clark’s
Holstein Classic”<b><i> </i></b>as a newly-proven sire.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This was an annual extravaganza with 250
head offered.<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">How
breed history used to be made<br />
</span></i></b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br />
A newer Holstein breeder in Quebec, Thomas Macaulay (whose business was
Insurance and as an amateur geneticist had a sideline in breeding hybrid seed
corn) had been seeking a herd sire for his <b><i>Mount Victoria </i></b>herd
(prefix: Montvic).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He had specific
goals:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>4% <i>butterfat</i> (Canada’s
Holsteins were notoriously low in that era),<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><i>machine milkable udders</i>, and <i>sound type </i>with no hidden
recessives that would support a sustained <i>linebreeding program.</i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">He ended up
paying <b>$ 15,000 </b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>to get JRAP at
the Clark Classic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After the sale he
negotiated the return of JRAP to his breeder’s farm to be bred to <i>as many of
his own daughters as possible </i>in a time period determined by the eventual
railroad shipping of the bull across the border.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Those inbred calves (six later going to Mt
Victoria a year after) included a prizewinning two year old at the Royal Winter
Fair and a new two year old butterfat record – pretty much confirming JRAP
possessed <i>no lethal recessives</i><u> and had the genetic quality to
withstand linebreeding.</u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">How many
purebred breeders in the AI era stick with a plan, beyond using the highest
indexing or show type sires to compete in those high profile but limited size
markets?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A century ago, as the dairy
industry was growing and developing, most leading breeders had an outline to
follow irregardless of prestige or popularity – <i>they expected the cattle
produced from their breeding to be useful in improving the herds (and therefore
the well being) of neighboring dairymen.</i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Lines
of descent from JRAP to “Ivanhoe” --<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>“Arlinda Chief” --<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Elevation”</span></i></b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The Montvic
herd only had 20 years to develop (1922 to 1942) with JRAP at its head from
1926 to his death in 1933.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Only 70
head were catalogued for the dispersal (36 cows, 34 heifers and bulls) forced
by Mr Macaulay’s death and the strictures of World War II on available labor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yet the release of these animals into the
broader Holstein fraternity (up until then only service bulls had been sold to
others) quickly influenced early AI cooperatives in Canada and Eastern USA to
acquire Montvic-descended bulls for their farmers.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Penstate
Ivanhoe Star <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(1960)</span></b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br />
<b>JRAP</b> sired Montvic Chieftain:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>who
sired Raymondale Successor:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>who sired
Raymondale Ideal Successor:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>who sired
Montvic Rag Apple Gladiator:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>who sired
Osborndale Ty Vic :<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>who sired Osborndale
Ivanhoe:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>who sired <i>Penstate Ivanhoe
Star</i>.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Pawnee
Farm Arlinda Chief<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(1962)<br />
</span></b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Sir Inka May *RC sired
Carnation Emperor:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>who sired Emperor of
Mount Victoria:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>who was bred to <b>JRAP-
</b>sired Montvic Rag Apple Colantha Abbekerk:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>who birthed Montvic Rag Apple Sovereign *RC:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>who sired ABC Reflection Sovereign *RC:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>who sired Rosafe Pearl Hannibal:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>who sired Pawnee Farm Reflection
Admiral:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>who sired <i>Pawnee Farm
Arlinda Chief.<br />
</i><br />
Actually, “Arlinda Chief” carries eight pedigree crosses to <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">JRAP </b><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">as a result of a deliberate line-breeding from a series of “Rag Apple”
herdsires used by Lester Fishler in Nebraska.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Round Oak
Rag Apple Elevation<br />
</span></b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Wisconsin Admiral
Burke Lad, bred to his own daughter, sired Weber Burke Cyclone:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>who sired Wis Ideal:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>bred to his paternal sister, sired Wis Burke
Ideal:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>who, bred to his own daughter,
sired Tidy Burke Elevation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(The dam
of old “Lad” shares some ancestral relationship to JRAP).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is the inbred “Burke” sire line that
produced <i>Round Oak Rag Apple Elevation.</i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">JRAP sired
Montvic Chieftain, who sired Montvic Chieftain 6<sup>th</sup>, the first “Rag
Apple” sire behind the dam of “Elevation”;<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>next came Montvic Pathfinder Prizetaker (sired by Montvic Pathfinder,
son of Montvic Chieftain from a JRAP daughter);<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>then Glenafton Gaiety (seven crosses to JRAP); then Osborndale
Ivanhoe.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This the ancestry of Round
Oak Ivanhoe Eve, linebred “Rag Apple” the dam of <i>Round Oak Rag Apple
Elevation.</i> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Where
did that take us?</span></i></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“Elevation”
sired <b><i>Hanoverhill Starbuck.</i></b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>His two most AI- dispersed sons were <b><i>Madawaska Aerostar </i></b>and
<b><i>Ronnybrook Prelude.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i></b>The
great <b><i>Picston Shottle </i></b>is sired by a “Prelude” son and from an
exceptional “Aerostar” daughter.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Contemporaneous
to “Shottle” and with some similar pedigree influences is <b><i>Braedale
Goldwyn.</i></b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His biggest impact
comes through sons “Atwood”, “Aftershock” and “Gold Chip”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He holds a record as siring the most
daughters scored “Excellent” under Canadian type classification.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“Arlinda
Chief” sired <b><i>SWD Valiant.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i></b>He
in turn sired <b><i>Hanoverhill Inspiration</i></b> the first Canadian AI sire
to produce over one million straws of semen, and who sired the grandam of
“Shottle”.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“Arlinda
Chief” sired <b><i>Milu Betty Ivanhoe Chief </i></b>(from an Osborndale Ivanhoe
dam).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He in turn sired <b><i>Cal
Clark Board Chairman </i></b>(from an “Elevation” dam)<b><i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i></b>His most widely-dispersed son is <b><i>To-Mar
Blackstar </i></b>(whose dam combines “Ivanhoe”, “Elevation” and “Arlinda
Chief”)<b><i>.</i></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span></i></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">What sire
combining “Elevation” and “Arlinda Chief” with multiple pedigree crosses to
both is a dominant sire line progenitor in the Genomic era?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b><i>“Mountfield SSI Dorcy Mogul”</i></b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(recently deceased after producing 1.7
million straws of semen, with more sons, grandsons and further descendants
among Genomic selected AI sires worldwide than any other sire.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span></i></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“Ivanhoe
Star” sired <b><i>Carlin M Ivanhoe Bell *BL.</i></b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Before BLAD recessive was identified,
this sire was on track to dominate the “Net Merit” index world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>An influential son who escaped the curse
of BLAD was <b><i>Southwind Bell of Bar-Lee.</i></b></span></p><p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">IS<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>LINEBREEDING<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>A<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>GOOD<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>THING,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>OR<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>RISKY <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>THING?</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Based on the
history of cattle breeding in the AI era, it can be both.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Earlier sires in formative AI were
generally linebred, and they are the foundation for modern sires in use today.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">At the same
time, we keep being told that inbreeding is a potential danger to the
functionality and profitability of our cattle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Little consensus exists on how this danger
occurs—most advisors focus on pedigree interrelationships, but others suspect
it is “like to like” mating systems (following index ranking without regard for
physical mating characteristics over multiple generations).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The latest
question is how much of this is a result of being so focused on only one “Y”
chromosome in the sire lines being selected for AI?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Again, there are mostly questions and a
paucity of answers.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Mich
Livestock Service, Inc<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>***<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“For the Best in Bulls”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></i></b><b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">and<i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“For
Quality Forage Seeds”</i></span></b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span></p>
<p><style>@font-face
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{page:WordSection1;}</style></p>Brock Palenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03992571343475028656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8764281869949321066.post-68260166470812681682022-02-23T13:19:00.003-08:002022-02-23T13:19:00.218-08:00How long should a momma cow last in a herd?<p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">We could
debate this for hours, and never reach a consensus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In nature, a cow can live 25 years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the theoretical world of geneticists
(sitting at a desk with a computer in their face, and no cows in sight) the
perceived “genetic trends” skew most choices made and recommendations
given.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The mainstream AI industry of
dairy-focused studs with companion beef breeding programs are key promoters of
emphasizing EPD’s and overlooking any observation of cattle behavior.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They
are selling semen on traits with half (or less) the measured heritability of
natural fertility, disposition, udder conformation, foot structure, and many
other key cow characteristics.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They
promote “indexed” performance gains over consideration of incremental cost of
producing those gains.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thus the use
of creep feeding to “enhance” pre-weaning rates of gain, rather than pasture
fertilization and cattle managed on the land in symbiosis with the soil
biology, that could feed them</span><b><i><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span></i></b><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">in a more ecologically sound, less machine-intensive way, thus more
economical way.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">Genetic
selection.<br />
</span></i></b><b><i><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><br />
</span></i></b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Do you know how
many natural calvings the dams of all (or any) of your herd sires have
had?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do you know how many services each
required for conception?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lots of
embryo donors that result from multiple generations of ET propogation produce
progeny that require the same to produce offspring.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i>Limit their genes to your terminal
cross performance and show cattle.<br />
<br />
</i></span><b><i><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">The economics
of cow ownership.<br />
<br />
</span></i></b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">For many years,
the famous <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Wye Plantation</b><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> angus herd (copied by the folks with the
“hairpin curve” genetics in Nebraska) would offer </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">seven year old cows</b><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> at
their public auctions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What was
magical about seven years old?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Their
calculation of their farm overhead said that <i>a cow whose only income is one
calf a year has to calve five times to recover the cost of being raised.</i></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Would you buy a seven year old cow?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Backing this up was the average momma cow at Wye Plantation lived
fifteen years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That means for <i>twelve
calvings</i> she bred on time to calve in the desired month with a live calf,
and bred back afterwards.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Cows
producing stillborn calves and cows that did not breed on time were
culled.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thus when they offered a
selection of pregnant seven year old cows, <i>they expected they had seven more
calvings in them for the buyer.</i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>All the “culls” had already left at a younger age, not give second (and
third) chances to screw up…<i> </i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Even if you consider your beef
cow-calf operation a “hobby”</span></i></b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> it still pays to operate as if
these cows were the sole source of income for your farm.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Keep your decisions practical.</span></p><p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 18pt; line-height: 107%;">Approaching the end of the breeding
season</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">For those who only utilize spring calving, this is getting close to the
end of heat detection and insemination.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>If you utilize clean up bulls, they need to be ready to go to work soon
(but hopefully will not find much work to do… )</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">If your calves are not yet tagged or vaccinated, that will be your next
step in herd management.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Calf
identification is primary to effective evaluation of results for your breeding
decisions, as you sort between replacement and feeder qualities.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">For those will dual (spring + fall) calving, we remain ready to assist
you with your new semen requirements for early winter breeding.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our stocking of AI supplies and other aids
to fertility is a “year long” investment here.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Mich Livestock Service, Inc<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“For the Best in Bulls”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“For the Best in Forage Seeds”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></i></b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"></span></p>
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{page:WordSection1;}</style></p>Brock Palenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03992571343475028656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8764281869949321066.post-10881228791876640572022-02-20T13:44:00.003-08:002022-02-20T13:44:19.531-08:00A breeding tool I have found useful is aAa<p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“A breeding
tool I have found useful is <b>aAa.</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I would encourage all of you to consider how this could help you to
breed better cattle for your operation.”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>John Mark Weaver, Fredericksburg Ohio<br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Panel discussion 2020 Ohio Winter Grazing Conf.</span></p><p> </p><p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Thank you,
John Mark, for this endorsement.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you
do not know him already, he is breeding purebred registered Holsteins, and is
an accomplished grass dairyman.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
His success grazing pedigree Holsteins has astounded many, but so has Amos Nolt
(the first “no grain” grass dairyman with whom I have worked, also a supporter
of using “aAa”) with his polled Red Holstein breeding focus.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The general
thought among graziers, influenced by advice from New Zealand and University
experts, has been “if you are going to graze, get rid of your Holsteins.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Various advisors (and commercial AI
marketers) have promoted crossbreeding or smaller cow breeds or New Zealand and
Australian genetic sources, all with the idea their choice is <i>essential</i>
to grazing success.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And—initially (two
or three cow generations) – <i>the advice of all these “experts” has worked for
most who tried it.</i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The problem
with all advice (including mine??!!) is that it has been influenced in some
way, either by a short-term PhD. research designed to support a foregone
conclusion, or by an opinion that <i>what you are already doing has anything
wrong with it.</i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The grazing
industry is recognizing that mainstream genetic evaluation is focused on the
economic results for high-input, TMR, confinement dairy (and draws the majority
of its data from those environments).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Thus it is seeking its own way, making the grass-dairy industry subject
to confusion over breeding.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Everything
</span></i><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">can be made to look
logical and useful when we are collectively unsure of the basis of mating and
genetic selection in cattle to begin with…</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">What is
the Truth?</span></b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“facts” tend to be limited by time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They are “true” at the time they appeared
evident.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(example: “hybrid vigor from
crossbreeding gives 7% more milk, better fertility, more health, than straight
breeding.”)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They work for one, maybe
two, possibly three generations—then no longer work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In some cases, the solution promoted to fix
one issue just starts to create a new problem than becomes evident (again, in
that third generation, when every “one size fits all” solution starts to cause
“inbreeding depression”).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The biggest
problem even with “research-driven” conclusions is that we do not see a need
for “research” until we have already bred a herd (or a breed) into that
problem. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i>We
saw this fifteen years ago in the Jersey world, where comparative breed
statistics showed Jerseys as #1 for health, fertility, and Productive Life<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>-- but by pedigree, were the most “inbred” of
all major dairy breeds and thus feared “inbreeding depression”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>{more puzzling, the breed with the lowest
inbreeding coefficient at that same time was the breed with the worst health,
fertility and Productive Life statistics!}.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>However, the Universities paid to do this research (all of whom had
Jersey herds) could document “inbreeding depression” at high levels in <i>their
</i>herds, in spite of their use of the “<i>best” </i>bulls in the <i>recommended
way.</i> <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Their conclusion?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i>We must create some new outcross bloodlines,</i>
after years of recommending no Jersey breeder should use Danish, Canadian, any
show type or local private-owner (<i>eg, Ohio Northcoast polled</i>) bulls, or
“aAa” mating.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Once the
research concluded that the Jersey breed was actually less “inbred” than in a
period of time before index ranking of sires, but had better health, fertility
and longevity data in that era of linebreeding and on-farm herdsires, the
entire discussion was dropped.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i>But
do problems go away if we no longer choose to pay attention to them?</i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is the mental state of dairy genetics
and breeding, and the context in which breeding theories and fads arise and
thrive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">As a student
of breeding history, I adhere to the mantra of all historians, “Those who deny
or ignore history are doomed to repeat it.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Thus my goal is to offer you a useful tool, that has helped dairymen all
through the history of AI, and is applicable to every style of cow management,
with a simple premise:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i>Breed a cow to
be adaptable to any environment, and she will succeed in spite of change to
that environment.</i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then make it
continue to work in multiple generations. </span></p>
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{page:WordSection1;}</style></p>Brock Palenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03992571343475028656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8764281869949321066.post-77606383107200262662022-02-03T14:29:00.004-08:002022-02-20T13:20:23.318-08:00Tips to optimizing fertility in replacement heifers<p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">At this
time you are breeding cows who may be nursing your replacements.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Your replacement heifers born last year
are now fifteen months, old enough to breed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Are they big enough??</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Probably
they are.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As a general rule, a heifer
will be 55% of her expected mature weight at fifteen months of age.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If your momma cows weigh 1200, that means
their yearling heifers only need to weigh 660;<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>if your cows are more like 1400 pounds, their yearlings will be 770.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">The points I
am leading to are these:</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Creep
feeding.</span></i></b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This practice has been used for steers still
on momma’s milk to grow as fast as possible and to transition faster after
weaning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For intact bulls (as well as
heifers) much of the weight gain from creep feeds is going to include <i>fat, </i>especially
on smaller frame breeds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After puberty,
with sex hormone production kicking in, animals start making fat from excess
energy intake, and tend to store it both visibly (brisket) (neck) (tailset) and
in the wrong places (inside body around kidneys) (inside pelvis around repro
organs) (inside the mammary tissue) (inside testicles) – places where it will
not metabolize at times when animals need to mobilize some stored energy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i>Internally
stored fat is generally a negative to future health and reproductive
performance. </i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you practice
creep feeding, consider grouping cow-calf pairs so this is kept away from
future replacements.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Conditioning
for show.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></i></b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">The growth planes of females are
strongly influenced by breed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
traditional “English” breeds (Angus) (Red Angus) (Hereford) (Polled Hereford)
(Shorthorn) (Red Poll) (British White) started with smaller frame size, reached
puberty quicker, and were bred to finish on good grass, thus will “marble”
based on age without supplemental feed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>By contrast most of the “Continental” breeds (Charolais) (Simmental/Pie
Rouge/Fleckveih) (Maine Anjou) (Limousin) (Gelbveih) (Chianina) which matured
later, grew taller on heavier-boned frames and did not “marble” stored fat into
the muscle typically needed supplemental feed to reach higher meat grades at
slaughter.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Now that
nearly all breeds known by “continental” names are actually crossed with
Angus<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(to gain polled heads and black
hair to compete in USA markets)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the
original “breed character” is no longer as predictable in the animals you are
breeding.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But
the basic rule is that <i>heifers of any breed, raised in any way other than
grazing grass, should not be fed the same as steers</i> and that means
conditioning for showing must be very carefully done, with the body condition
gain closely monitored to avoid heifers becoming <b><i>too fat to breed </i></b><i>and
then have difficult calving.</i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Learn
the differences in “type” between performance quality and maternal quality
stock.</span></i></b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is as true in Beef as in Dairy genetics,
too much emphasis on “<b><i>performance</i></b>” traits for females can lead to
a staggier, bully-appearing, low fertility and hard calving cow herd of
inefficient cow size.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Such cows do
not do well nursing calves on grass and have higher repro costs per calf.</span></p>
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{page:WordSection1;}</style></p>Brock Palenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03992571343475028656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8764281869949321066.post-36798635655512208212022-01-31T14:28:00.003-08:002022-01-31T14:28:00.219-08:00Reading sire directory and price list genetic information today<p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Increasingly,
I hear from dairymen that the AI industry no longer provides all the
information they are seeking in order to select the sires they intend to use.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are being asked to “trust the Genomic
ranking” without any supporting pedigree or performance data<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(most active AI sires too young to have
milking daughters). <br />
<br />
<b><i>How “reliable” is Genomic trait data as used in the ranking indexes?<br />
<br />
</i></b></span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">For <b>Holstein
sires</b> assume 70% Rel on Production traits, 60% Rel on Type traits, 50% Rel
on the various “fitness” (health and fertility) traits.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is a <i>composite</i> of each
category; in the case of individual linear trait measures, the Reliability
could in fact be much lower.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Can
Genomic values be compared “face value” with Progeny Evaluated Sire values?<br />
<br />
</span></i></b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">All the sire
values presented on various “ranking” lists do so – but it may not be truly
accurate to be presenting them as the AI industry currently does, for the
simple fact that <b><i>until any bull has milking daughters evaluated, all
“values” published are simply estimates.</i></b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A
Genomic “value” as published is based 40% on “parent average” (pedigree) and
60% on “gene marker possession” (values imputed to their DNA from association
with genes seen in the “reference population” of historical 99% Rel. progeny
evaluated sires).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This has a tendency
to inflate the values above the attained range of “proven” (progeny evaluated)
sires,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>for those youngsters who possess
the most desired gene markers. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">How
often do “Genomic giants” live up to their expectations?<br />
<br />
</span></i></b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Just as we saw
with the “Elite Sampler” and “Genetic Venture” sires of the pre-Genomic era,
the most variation between “<i>G Value</i>” and “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Progeny Verified</i><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">” occurs
at the extremes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is the Genomic
sires in the 80<sup>th</sup> percentile (often a generation older than the
elite 99<sup>th</sup> percentile, due to having dams who have actually calved
and can be evaluated on actual performance) who are the most stable sires,
comparing their G-DNA to the progeny data that follows.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">How<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>we<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>perceive<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>sire<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>programs<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>we<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>offer</span></i></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">You will note that (a) <b>every</b> AI stud we represent continues to
print </span><b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">sire directories </span></i></b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">with
photos of the bull, his dam(s) and his offspring.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The </span><b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">maternal pedigree
detail</span></i></b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"> is provided—not just a “sire stack”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In contrast to the mainstream of AI sire
selection, all these programs focus on, or at least pay equal attention to, the
cow lines behind their bulls—</span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">we all milk cows, NOT bulls</span></i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"> so
knowing about the quality of cows behind these bulls </span><b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">adds significantly to Genomic estimates.</span></i></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">More “aAa” variety across our total program also offers you hybrid
vigor “outcross” potential!</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">Reading<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>typical<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><b>Sire Data Block<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></b>as<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>we<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>present<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>you<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>today<br />
</span><b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Refer to the enclosed flyer featuring 566HO1281 Melarry DARK
HORSE -ET</span></i></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">International Protein Sires </span></b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">selects
new sires on a combination of Genomic estimates, a sound<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>conformation, and </span><b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">well-developed maternal pedigree lines.</span></i></b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"> <b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></b>{see area #1 marked}.<b><br />
The photos of his first milking daughters tell their own story.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></b>To the right of that photo you see a
graph of </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">linear type traits</span></i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"> according to Holstein USA
official classification.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>{area
#4}<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bars to the right suggest above
average trait expression;<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>bars to the
left below average.<b><br />
<br />
looking at<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>{area #2}<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></b>below the daughter group photo:<br />
HFA:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">registration number</span></i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>100% RHA-NA<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">means his entire ancestry can be
verified by HFA<br />
</span></i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">*TC *TY *TV *TL *TD<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">he has been tested and found “free” of five major lethal recessive genes<br />
</span></i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">Born:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">birth date<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">aAa:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">his mating physique<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">DMS:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">an alternative mating guide<br />
</span></i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">[A1A2]<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Verified by DNA tests, his gene possession that affect production of
“Beta Casein”s. </span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">Looking at {area #3}<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">begins with CDCB<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(</span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Council on Dairy Cattle Breeding</span></i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">) =
calculates the genetic evaluations as PTAs (= </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Predicted Transmitting
Ability</span></i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">) as of 4/21<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(</span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">date of summary</span></i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">)</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">GTPI 2499<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“Genomic Total Performance Index”</span></i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>as formulated by Holstein USA<br />
+1032M<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(</span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">lactation deviation for
Milk yield</span></i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>+.00% +41F<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(</span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">deviations for butterfat % and yield</span></i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">)<br />
+.01% +34P<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(</span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">deviations for protein
% and yield</span></i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>94%
Rel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(</span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">statistical
“Reliability” of data</span></i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">)</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">Type +1.98<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(</span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">total type score deviation)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">87%
Rel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(</span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">statistical “Reliability”
of type data</span></i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">)<br />
UDC<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>+2.50<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(</span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“udder trait composite”</span></i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>FLC<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>+0.67<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(<i>“foot and leg trait composite”</i>)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These are calculations combining the linear
traits from {area #4 above} to create “ranking” indexes.<br />
<br />
NM $341<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(<i>USDA “Lifetime Net Merit”
ranking</i>)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>for conventional dairy
systems<br />
CM $347<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(USDA “<i>Cheese Yield Merit”
ranking</i>)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>for markets that pay on
cheese yields<br />
GM $303<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(USDA “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Grazing Merit” ranking</i><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>estimating adaptability to grazing systems<br />
FE 128<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(</span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">relative “feed efficiency”</i><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>FSAV
111<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(</span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">relative “feed savings” </i><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>latest research<br />
EFI 9.3%<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(</span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">level of “expected future inbreeding” compares pedigree to bulls in
greatest use</i><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">)<br />
135 Dtrs/ 47 herds<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(</span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">number of progeny in number of herds
affecting the rankings given)<br />
</i><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">Wellness Traits:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">As
calculated by “Zoetis” Genetics division of Pfizer Pharmaceuticals: for-- <br />
</i><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">MAST (</span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">mastitis</i><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>LAME (</span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">lameness</i><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>MET (</span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">metritis</i><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>RP (</span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">retained placenta</i><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>KET (</span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">ketosis</i><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">) DA (</span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">displaced abomasum</i><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>where “100” is average, higher number is better.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>DWP$ 310 </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">is an adjusted “Net Merit” value once </i><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">WT -$12 (</span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">weighted Wellness
Traits</i><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">) is factored in.</span></span></p>
<span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Calf Traits:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>LIV (</span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">livability</span></i><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>SCOURS (</span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">diarrhea</span></i><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>RES (</span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">respiratory</span></i><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>CW -$36<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>(</span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“calf wellness”</span></i><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">)<br />
Milking Speed: 100<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(</span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">=average</span></i><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Milking Temperament: 103<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(=</span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">better than average</span></i><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">)<br />
Calving Ease / OBS</span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></i><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">/ Dtr CE:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>2.5% (</span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">direct calving ease</span></i><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>410 (</span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"># observed</span></i><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>2.9% (</span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">his
daughters</span></i><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">)<br />
Actual Daughter Average score:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>80.3<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(</span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">average 77.0</span></i><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>AASC<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>83.6<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(</span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Age
adjusted score</span></i><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">)<br />
Actual Daughter Avg. Production:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">expressed
on a “mature Equivalent” basis, yields and %s</span></i><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
</span>
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{page:WordSection1;}</style></p>Brock Palenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03992571343475028656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8764281869949321066.post-79324475387222581292022-01-27T14:27:00.004-08:002022-01-27T14:27:00.216-08:00Have you watched an NRCS “water infiltration” demonstration lately?<p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><i><u><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 107%;">CONCEPTIONS<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dairy Route newsletter<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>May-June 2021<br />
</span></u></i></b><b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br />
</span></b><b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Clay Howe<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sue Palen<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Greg Palen<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rich Harmon<br />
</span></b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Route
Sales/Service<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Store/products<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Field
Service<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Local
AI service<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
Agronomy/Seed<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Advance
orders<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“aAa” Breeding
Guide<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">John Quaderer</span></b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br />
(519)933-8431<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(989)277-0480<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(989)277-6031<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Store assistant </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Mich
Livestock Service, Inc.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i>“For the
Best in Bulls”</i></span></b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><b><i>“Top Forage Seeds”<br />
</i></b>110 N Main St<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(PO Box 661)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ovid, MI<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>48866<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>**<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>phone<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>(989) 834- 2661<br />
</span><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">fax: (989) 834-2914<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>email: </span><a href="mailto:greg@michiganlivestock.com"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">greg@michiganlivestock.com</span></a><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>website:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><a href="http://www.michiganlivestock.com"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">www.michiganlivestock.com</span></a><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p>
<span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
</span>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Byron Seeds’
annual “Cover Crop Field Day” was April 22 in Rockville, Indiana.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As part of the program they had their county
NRCS staff do a “water infiltration” test with blocks of soil and sod taken
from Samuel Fisher’s working farm.<br />
<b><i>These blocks included</i></b>:<br />
A tray of fully tilled soil (as you would find in conventional row crop
farming)<br />
A tray of disked sod (as you would find in rotating from hay to row crop)<br />
A tray of over-wintered cover crops<br />
A tray of perennial grass-based pasture</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">After spraying
with water to simulate 1 ½ inches of rainfall, and catching water in jars that
either “ran off” the top of the soil or “infiltrated” through the layer of
soil, the trays were dumped upside down to compare the effects.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Surprisingly,
</span></i><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">the fully-tilled soil
had most of its “rainfall” <i>run off: </i>underneath, the soil remained
totally dry (<i>none of the rain infiltrated into the soil, where you will be
planting your seed</i>).<br />
The disked sod passed roughly half the rain away as runoff, half infiltrating
the seed layer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The water clearly
followed the path of roots in the soil mass.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The
remaining two samples were totally watered, having absorbed all the
“rain”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lots of root mass were clearly
visible, and were acting like sponge to absorb water and storing it in the
growth zone of the topsoil.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">In the
opinion of the NRCS people, cover crops are the superior way to build soil, and
when your farm includes animals, their “residues” feed the soil biology best. </span></p>
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{page:WordSection1;}</style></p>Brock Palenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03992571343475028656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8764281869949321066.post-51039319089019651042022-01-25T14:26:00.003-08:002022-01-25T14:26:00.235-08:00OBSERVATIONAL vs DATA- DRIVEN MATING SYSTEMS <p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br />
In both the Dairy and the Beef world, the “establishment” of corporate research
and university extension continues to promote “data driven” genetic selection,
now utilizing Genomic indexes developed from computer analysis of trait
patterns and associated DNA markers for the cutting edge of cattle
breeding.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Feed, seed and chemical
companies cheerlead for these approaches, as experience tells them their sales
go up alongside the adoption of linear trait selection.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">What
constitutes a profitable cow-herd ?</span></i></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">At the basis
of optimized Beef <i>production </i>is maximized <b><i>reproduction.</i></b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A cow herd that gets its reproduction
maximized, is a group of cows that (a) <b><i>Conceive</i></b> on time for
desired calving dates; (b) <b><i>Birth live calves</i></b> with no
assistance;<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(c) follow their <b><i>maternal
instinct </i></b>to get up and lick that new calf to life, urging it to stand,
coaxing it to nurse;<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(d) <b><i>stimulate
lactation</i></b> at a pace that the calf will utilize;<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(e) <b><i>sustain body condition </i></b>from
a vigorous appetite so as to repeat this cycle all over again for the next
season.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">How
often do we confuse performance with maternal cow-calf ability?</span></i></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Too often,
in our Performance-driven measurement systems, we give more credit to the bulls
siring the heaviest weaning calves, than the cows giving those calves their
start in growth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In earlier days, we
made clear distinctions between “Performance” sires and “Maternal” sires –
using both at a 2/3 to 1/3 ratio so as to maintain adequate replacement heifers
in the cow herd.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">What follows
in data-driven systems, is that cow (sired by a name-recognition “performance”
bull) that weaned an 800 pound calf one year gets a pass for not getting rebred
on time for the following year, her Genomics giving her a “superior” label even
though she does not have the balance in character or behavior to do the job in
every year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b><i>These are often the
cows who become dedicated embryo donors</i></b>: they have that “bully”
performance phenotype, grew one great calf (without carrying her next calf on
time) and then the “numbers” seduce us: <b><i>we need to propogate this “high
genetic value” cow.</i></b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Is she
likely to produce heifers that will make a sound, annually calving cow, when
she could not do it herself?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Sorting
out the breeds by their embrace of data-driven evaluation</span></i></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">You rarely
see this happen in the breeds closer to “heritage” status, where you also find
many breeders pursuing “grassfed” beef (raising calves on cows that graze
grass, and finishing steers on high-energy grass and summer annual
combinations) and seek to capture price premiums that have developed for
leaner, naturally marbled meat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is
a “feedlot” disease, in which we select on larger frames, associated with
higher post-weaning gains as long as corn is the focus of the bunk ration.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These in effect, have linked “feedlot
adaptation” to “genetic value” and the data (expressed in pounds, in linear
measurement) supports the conclusion, without really referencing the costs of
reproduction, health, and feed cost per day going into this paradigm.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p>
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{page:WordSection1;}</style></p>Brock Palenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03992571343475028656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8764281869949321066.post-83715490227005718152022-01-20T14:26:00.003-08:002022-01-20T14:26:00.217-08:00CONVENIENCE TRAITS… expensive way to insure a feed supply <p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Let us all
agree on a simple fact: <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i>Yields <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>from “Triple Stack” and “RoundUp Ready”
varieties<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>are no heavier than from the
same conventional (non-traited) equivalent.” </i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
<br />
So why do we grow “Round Up” corn?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It
makes a corn monoculture possible, year after year on the same fields (until
the compaction forces you to a rotation crop).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And each year we do it over, it takes <i>more
fertilizer </i>(and sometimes companion sprays) to get the same yields.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But we can do it all will only one set of
equipment, so less overhead investment.<br />
<br />
OK …<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I get it, even though I also know
that weeds proliferate and mutate herbicide-resistance from monocultural
cropping.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The greatest yield of corn
always comes from the first year after we terminated a mature alfalfa stand or
pasture – each additional year of corn thereafter needs greater inputs to
maintain yields, thus our profitability erodes.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">You
can make silage from Forage Sorghum at a fraction of the cost of corn.<br />
</span></i></b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br />
Consider this:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>it only costs about $25
per acre for <b><i>KF Fiber-Pro 50 (BMR 6) </i></b>Brachytic Dwarf 85-95 day
Forage Sorghum seed, whereas RR Traited corn seed runs $85+ per acre.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This will yield the same digestible dry
matter, harvested as a silage, as would corn silage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Plus you plant and also chop this crop with
the same equipment used for corn silage—but you get the advantages inherent in
crop rotation, breaking some weed and pest cycles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>BMR 6 Forage Sorghum uses 33% less water
and nutrients <i>per ton of forage </i>than you need to grow corn.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">In economics
they teach us that when involved in commodity production (and fed beef fits
that definition) <b><i>profits flow to the least-cost producer—</i></b>not to
the greatest yield<b><i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i></b>In
my lifetime it seems that the price of an 80,000-kernel bag of seed corn for silage
has inflated by 500%, while the associated yield (dependent as it is on
chemical inputs) might have increased by 100%.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In seeking maximum yields, we tend to increase our production costs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But <b><i>by rotating crops to generate
the same feed volume, </i></b>we can often reduce our costs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is a great example.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">DO YOU
GROW SILAGE TO FEED STEERS (or overwinter pregnant cows)?</span></i></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Why not try
this strategy on a few acres, and see what happens?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">You will
want 60 degree F soils to plant Forage Sorghum, so put your usual corn in the
ground first; then on the problem fields that do not get ready until later, try
the Forage Sorghum.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You can do either
15 inch or 30 inch rows – it will respond either way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Because the leaf nodes are closer together,
you will get a weed-stunting canopy to develop quickly, which also helps save
more rainfall and dew from evaporation loss in hot summer.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Looking
for a pasturable summer annual that feeds like corn?</span></i></b></p>
<span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">BMR 6 Sorghum-Sudangrass crosses can do this
job, planted the same way as Forage Sorghum</span>
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{page:WordSection1;}</style></p>Brock Palenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03992571343475028656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8764281869949321066.post-70737376749065345332022-01-18T14:25:00.004-08:002022-01-18T14:25:00.221-08:00Double cropping with cattle<p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><i><u><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 107%;">CONCEPTIONS
Beef Cow-calf newsletter<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>March
April 2021</span></u></i></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Clay
Howe<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">route sales and services/ agronomy
specialist<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>ph (519) 933-
8431</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Sue Palen</span></b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>store product manager and order
desk<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>ph (989)
277- 0480</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Greg
Palen</span></b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>refresher AI training/<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>certified seed specialist<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>ph (989) 277- 6031</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Mich
Livestock Service, Inc<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i>“For the
Best in Bulls”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“For the Best Forage
Seeds”<br />
</i></span></b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">110 N Main
St<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(PO Box 661)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ovid,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>MI<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>48866<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><a href="http://www.michiganlivestock.com"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">www.michiganlivestock.com</span></a><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br />
ph (989) 834- 2661<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>fax (989) 834-
2914<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>email: </span><a href="mailto:greg@michiganlivestock.com"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">greg@michiganlivestock.com</span></a><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><p> </p><p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">With cattle
to feed, the options of what to plant and when expand our grain marketing
greatly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For example, you might plant
oats and peas as early as you can get on the stubble this spring – harvest in
boot stage by mid May – disk in a short-season corn crop (82 to 95 day) to
capture the warming soil and sunlight, then prepare to pick corn late
September—or make silage late August!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Either of these allow you to plant a fall cover crop that can grow
through the winter, awaiting you in the spring with a full harvest of
Triticale, either as baleage or feed grain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Your soil organic matter content will increase, you will feed the soil
biology that transports nutrients in the root zone, and you will capture most
of the rain that falls into that same root zone.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The annual
yield of digestible dry matter will be greater than what you harvest from that
single long-day crop that also leaves your soil bare to the elements 200 days
each year.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">No “live”
shows this spring?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We can gather up
your semen orders for you<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
</span></b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Without a
physical show, many of the breeders from whom you buy semen will not travel
into Michigan to meet you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However,
they make their sires available at <b><i>Cattle Visions</i></b> and we are
shipping back and forth between here and Clark MO <i>every two weeks.</i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pooling your orders in full shippers means <i>we
can cover the shipping charges.</i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This might save you $100 or more.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">A couple
simple steps that improve conception rates by 10%</span></b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> or more<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Have trouble
entering some cows cleanly with the AI gun?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Consider <i>sheath protectors</i> (or the IMV flimsies coveralls) to
protect from carrying manure particles into the cervix or uterus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We stock both, and they are simple to
use.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or consider <i>Heifer Plus </i>or
<i>Bull Plus </i>(ask for info).</span></p>
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{page:WordSection1;}</style></p>Brock Palenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03992571343475028656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8764281869949321066.post-45141883254325426032022-01-13T14:25:00.003-08:002022-01-13T14:25:00.218-08:00 “Real numbers” – reminiscing over a 45 year AI career<p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I started a
registered Holstein herd in 1978 on a shoe-string when cow prices were twice
today’s sale values.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just like today,
operating bills seemed to eat up the entire milk check.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To pay off these cows, I needed them to last
long enough to replace themselves, with a few extra to sell.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i>We selected bulls from long life cow
lines: we mated them according to “aAa”.</i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And it worked.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The debt is gone.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Lots of
people asked me, “Why registered?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You
can’t eat a piece of paper.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Isn’t it
ironic that so many who thought that way, now think they have to have the high
Genomic numbers to make cows that will milk?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In the end, <i>are not those “values” just numbers on a piece of paper </i>also?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Are these theories economically sound?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Add a little
common cow sense to your breeding program, free yourself from the tyranny of
higher-cost, technology-intensive breeding – <i>give us a chance.</i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What always worked before, that paid off
lots of farms, <i>can still work today.</i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Mich
Livestock Service, Inc<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“For the Best in
Bulls”</span></i></b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> since
1978 <b><i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>ph (989) 834- 2661</i></b></span></p>
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