Al6—Lancaster Fanning, Saturday, January 29,1983
Developing super sire follows complex path
DE FOREST, Wise. - A.I.
organizations participate in a
highly competitive industry where
success depends on having the
most of the best. This, and the fact
that selection techniques have
become more and more
sophisticated, has resulted in the
genetic worth of dairy bulls, used
in A. 1., being improved at a con
stantly increasing rate over the
past several years.
American Breeders Service,
with facilities at Deforest, Wise,
and Wellington, Col., got an early
start by initiating a program of
sire development and testing with
Holsteinsinl962.
It all begins with the “Elite Cow
List" published twice each year by
the USDA. This report lists the
registered Holstein cows that rank
in the top two percent of the breed
in terras of their ability to produce
milk. The staff responsible for sire
development at ABS screens this
list and selects a number of cows
that meet their standards for
production. Type traits are
examined from classification
information published by the
American Holstein Association.
Finally, a visit is made to the
herds in which the cows that have
survived this initial selection, are
maintained. Each cow is inspected
and if approved, an agreement is
made with the owner to mate her to
one of the breed’s top bulls, proven
through wide use in A.I.
If a bull calf results from this
mating, he goes to ABS... usually
at four to six months of age. After
60 days of quarantine and about the
time he reaches puberty, he is
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moved to the Adolescent Barn to
begin his Progeny Test.
Although each bull is the result
of a very carefully planned mating
with both his sire and dam
representing the top one to two
percent of the breed's population,
he has to prove himself before
being entered into regular A.I. use.
To get such proof, the first 700 units
of semen he produces are
distributed to about 85 of the 1,000
test herds located throughout the
United States, that are associated
with ABS in the New Generation
Herd Program.
The herd participating in this
program are well managed, with
production equal to or above
average for their state. They must
be an official DHI with records
used in the USDA Sire Summaries.
Herd managers agree to breed 30
percent of the herd to Progeny Test
bulls on a random basis and report
calving ease and identification
information for all calves bom in
the herd, to ABS.
Several benefits accrue to the
herd owner for participating in the
New Generation Herd Program:
(1) Each unit of Progeny Test
semen used has the potential of
earning $15.00 worth of ABS
products andservices.
2) Professional evaluation of the
functional type traits is provided
on each cow in the herd.
3) Computerized mating
recommendations are provided for
each cow, in order that those not
caught up in the randomized
sampling of the Progeny Test bulls
can be bred to the bull most likely
to improve her specific
PH: 717-299-2571
weaknesses.
4) These herds ahve priority
access to semen from recom
mended mating bulls that are
otherwise unable to keep up with
day today demand.
5) Accurate identification of
milking cows.
6) Simple, complete calving
records for all cows.
7) Ownership of the first
daughters of some of tomorrow’s
great bulls.
ABS enters over 150 Holstein
bulls on test each year. After these
young bulls have produced suf
ficient semen for their Progeny
Test, they are moved in groups, to
rearing bams at either DeForest,
Wisconsin, or - Wellington,
Colorado, to begin an ap
proximately four year waiting
period. It takes this long for their
daughters bom in the test herds, to
be reared to puberty, bred,
freshened, and milked through
their first lactations.
No semen is collected during this
time. The bulls are maintained in
loose housing, with a minimum of
labor required for their proper
care.
After the U.S. Department of
Agriculture has collected and
compiled production data on the
daughters of these bulls (by this
time the bulls are five to six years
of agef it is reported in the Sire
Summary. On the basis of this
information, plus data that has
been gathered as to the type traits
of the daughters, a decision is
made as to which bulls are placed
in regular semen production.
Selection standards are such
that only one out of seven joins the
ranks of the “Genetic Harvest”
bulls, the others go directly to
slaughter.
This Progeny Test program,
which began with Holsteins, was
Limousin
elect officers
DENVER, Col.-The North
American Limousin Foundation
elected officers and appointed new
board members at its annual
business meeting and open board
meeting, held last Tuesday at the
National Western Stock Show.
The new officers are Herman
Symens, Amherst, 5.0., president;
Jim Davidson, Shepherd, MT, vice
president; Jerry Robbe, Pueblo,
Farming
UNIVERSITY PARK - The
U.S. food system is the most
productive and highly developed in
the world. It has reached this
condition largely by the effective
use of energy in all its forms.
Farmers are our most effective
energy managers operating the
system that converts solar energy
to food, using only modest amounts
of fuel.
“Energy Capabilities and Op
portunities” a 1961 report from
For a healthy, highly
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later adapted to include the other
daily breeds. Through it, genetic
improvement has accelerated to
the point where bulls, considered
to be all stars just five years ago,
would now be unable to make the
lineup.
Breeders
CO, secretary; Bob Yacklcy,
Onida, SB, treasurer; Gene
Raymond, Garnett, KS, member
at-large; and Don Faidley, Colfax,
lA, ex-officio.
Limousin members elected the
following directors to new terms;
Carl Johnson, Brandon, FL;
Wyman Poe, Konawa, OK; Jim
Fawley, Lynchburg, OH; Jim
Davidson, Shepherd, MT; and
Vernon Holcomb, Stanton, TX.
is energy efficient
Science and Education Ad
ministration of USDA gives the
breakdown of food system energy
inputs as a percent of na tonal
energy consumption:
• Agricultural production,
percent;
• Agricultural
percent;
• Transportation St distribution,
1.7 percent; and
• Preparation, consumption,
rural living, 7.1 percent.
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