Al4—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, June 20,1981
Cow-family records can increase index accuracy
BY DONNA TOMMELLEO
LANCASTER The use of
additional cow-family records for
Cow Indexes increases the ac
curacy of the index but breeders
still must rely on the sire’s side to
provide most of the influence.
Before January 1981, a Cl
(estimation of a cow’s tran
smitting ability) was calculated on
the basis of a cow’s own records
plus her sire’s Predicted Dif
ference. The new method now
includes record’s on the cow’s
dam, daughters and maternal half
sisters.
Recent USDA studies from
Beltsville, Md., analyzed about
800,000 Holstems and indicated an
eight percent increase m accuracy
in son performance predictions
and a slight mcrease m daughter
performance predictions when the
cow and daughter were in different
herds.
The additional records will also
aid in estimating the transmitting
ability of first-lactation heifers
because adding the dam’s Cl would
be similar to two records on the
heifer, herself.
However, predictions at the end
of a pencil point sometimes do not
pan out m real life.
“Statistics are based on mass
data averages, and there is no
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given herd that is average,” says
Donald Seipt, Pennsylvama’s
National Director for the National
Holstein Association.
“Breeders are constantly living
and working with cattle that are
the extremes,” he observes, ad
ding that the end result is
sometimes the exception rather
than the prediction
First-time contestant
ST. PAUL, Minn. This year
was the first, and the last, time
Doug daggers will enter the World
Livestock Auctioneer Cham
pionship—because on June 12, he
took the World Title, besting a
record-breaking number of en
trants.
daggers, 30, with his father, Bob
daggers, owns Shendan Livestock
Commission Company in Rusb
ville, Nebraska, was clearly
surprised by his victory.
“Has anyone ever passed out at
one of these (award
ceremonies)?”, he asked as he
received his trophy.
The Championship, in its
eighteenth year, is sponsored
annually by Livestock Marketing
Association, Kansas City, Mo., and
DENNIS E. WAMPLER
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Directions: Rt. 322 East of Hershey
through Campbelltown. From Dol Mar
Dairy on right, go approximately 2 miles
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Seipt supports the research but
admits improvements do take time
and looks for a refinement of data
that will further increase
prediction accuracy.
For some breeders, the old index
may not have been a fair
measurement of their cattle’s
transmitting ability.
conducted by an allied company,
Livestock Market Digest, Inc.,
Kansas City, to focus on the
professionalism of the auctioneer
in livestock marketing.
This year’s contest was held at
Samt Paul Umon Stockyards, St.
Paul, Minn., the world’s largest
livestock market, and attracted
101 contestants, the highest
number of entrants in the contest’s
history.
The world reserve champion is
Bud Knight, Sturgis, S.D. In last
year’s competition he placed as
central region champion. Knight
was sponsored by Sturgis
Livestock Exchange, Sturgis, S.D.
The world runner-up champion
title was shared this year by
James Carrithers, Johnson, Kan.,
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“I’m really glad to see the
change. Too often good cows were
being neglected,” says Guernsey
breeder Ginger Myers. -
At their LitUestown farm, Green
Manor Guernseys, she and
husband John own a high-producer
that consistently classifies Ex
cellent but is out of a low PD bull.
Because of the sire’s influence and
wins Auctioneer title
and Keith Saathoff, Creighton,
Nebr. Camthers wassponsored by
Syracuse Sales Co., Inc., Syracuse,
Kan., and Saathoff by Creighton
Livestock Market, Creighton, Nbr.
In addtion to the world titles,
these regional winners were also
announced at a dinner and dance
following the contest that evening:
WESTERN REGION
Champion, Dick Hess, Ft.
Collins, Colo.; reserve champion,
Bruce Cornian, Burlington, Colo.;
runner-up champion, Jeff Stokes,
Port Orchard, Wash.
CENTRAL REGION
Champion, Alan Odden, Flan
dr eau, S.D.; reserve champion,
Armon H. Wolff, Golden Valley,
N.D.; runner-up champion, Paul
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lack of maternal information,
Myers says she feels that cow
would never have a had a high Cl
under the old method. However,
she emphasizes Cls are not the sole
criteria in a breeding program.
“Breeders utilize Cls when they
can,” she concludes, “but they’re
not the catch-all for mating cows.”
C. Behr, So. St. Paul, Minn.
EASTERN REGION
Champion, ,Dan Williams,
Boone, N.C.; reserve champion,
Steve Relander, Aledo, 111.; run
ner-up'champion, a tie between
Robert L. Blackford, Adairville,
Ken.
The winners received trophies
and merchandise prizes. Jaggers
was the recipient .of the World
Champion Ring, valued at over
$l,OOO. „
Contestants are judged by a
panel of livestock market owners
on the criteria they look for when
hiring an auctioneer. Ap
proximately 1,500 attended the six
hour contest.
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