swr*,. F*n»nr 1»85 Lancaster Farming round-table
A.I. organizations share sire selection criteria
BY ROBIN PHILLIPS
Staff Correspondent
MOHRSVILLE - The new bull
proofs are out! Curiosity, and
perhaps concern, has been in the
back of the minds of many
purebred dairy cattle breeders all
month. “How did that young sire
used in my herd turn out? Did that
popular bull hold his numbers? Did
the repeatability change on that
bull I really wanted to use? Did AI
daughters make a difference on
that breeder-proven bull?
If your farm has a bull in A.I.
service, the semi-annual bull
proofs can become an occasion.
Or, maybe there is a cow at home
that you know could mother a bull
on that list, and when the list
comes out each time, you wonder...
Do the genetics of that cow
measure up? Is your management
of her production and reproduction
allowing her to. reach her full
potential? Are you are taking
advantage of the many programs
available that will “advertise”
your cow in the industry?
Lancaster Fanning questioned
several A.I. organizations on their
basic sire selection criteria. They
all responded that one of the
primary goals is to sample as
many superior sires as possible to
make the best genetics available to
dairymen. Following is some
general information and advice
from three industry leaders to
purebred dairy cattle breeders of
all breeds.
Richard G. Smith, manager of
young sire development at
American Breeders Service,
responded to our questionnaire.
Previously the manager of ABS
Genetic Mating Service for ten
years, Smith is a graduate of
Delaware Valley College and lowa
State University.
American Breeders Service
boasts over 40 years in the A.I.
industry. In 1953 they led the way
into frozen semen technology with
the first calf born from processed
frozen semen in the United States.
Today their network of breeders
Cal-Clark Board Chairman is a widely used sire at Sire
Power.
S-W-D Valiant is ABS' best example of a progency test sire.
takes ABS semen throughout the
United States.
J. Lloyd Ebersole, assistant
manager and director of sire
programs at Sire Power, covered
the policies of his cooperative. A
federation of Maryland Artificial
Breeders Cooperative, Inc., West
Virginia Artificial Breeders
Cooperative, Inc., and Nor
theastern Breeders Association,
Sire Power, Inc., was formed in
1969. The continual upward growth
the cooperative has enjoyed since
that time has enabled facilities to
be expanded, sire acquisition
programs to increase, and
patronage dividends to members
to grow.
Harry Roth, general manager of
Atlantic Breeders Cooperative,
also participated in the
questionnaire. A Penn State dairy
science graduate and former York
County Extension agent, Roth
served as general manager of the
Western Pennsylvania Artificial
Breeders Cooperative (WPABC),
and from 1964 until this year, he
was director of operations at
Atlantic.
In business since 1944, Atlantic is
a Pennsylvania-based co-op that
has a national and international
marketing program. As a member
of NAL Affiliated Breeders since
1969, Atlantic is able to provide
customers with more and better
sires through this association.
1. What are some of the traits on
which the most importance is
placed when looking at a
“potential bull mother?”
The Cow Performance Index is
considered to be of invaluable
importance by these three
organizations.
“This incorporates,” states
Smith of ABS, “according to a
constant formula by breed, several
important factors; a) Cow index
milk, which is derived from
modified contemporary deviation,
with pedigree influence from both
the sire and the dam of the cow; b)
A measure of butterfat production
Chairman
Valiant
Richard G. Smith, manager
of young sire development at
ABS.
which is also based on MCD and
pedigree; and c) A cow index for
type which considers how the
cow’s score deviated from herd
mates, and again, is affected by
her sire’s PDT, maternal grand
sire’s PDT and classification
deviations for the cow’s dam and
grandam.”
“We are just starting to get
information on protein on many of
the cows and, a« this is routinely
available, we will also be looking
at protein as a production trait,”
states Ebersole, Sire Power.
“Type-wise we want the cow to be
classified “very good” or higher
and must have a sound udder and
feet and legs,” he adds.
Ebersole also makes clear, “In
addition to a high index on a cow,
she must have a large difference
over herdmates on MCD.”
Roth, Atlantic, points out that
two-year-old performance which
includes herdmate deviation, in
addition to lifetime performance,
is “most important.” Emphasis is
placed on total milk per lactation,
butterfat, cow index dollar value,
and sound bodies, legs, feet, and
udders, according to Roth.
“Lactation interval and
reproductive health are also
considerations,” Roth adds. ‘‘All of
the above points are blended with
emphasis on depth of pedigree and
female relations to the dam of a
bull,” he concludes.
2. What should a dairyman strive
for in a cow to better promote her
as a bull mother?
“I’d like to think bull mothers
are born, not made,” Smith, ABS,
flatly states. He adds that there
are many ways the industry can
identify a super cow, whether she
is promoted or not.
“Good professional photos and
ads that alert the A.I. industry to
the cow’s desirability and
availability of offspring, can
enhance sales efforts,” Smith
advises.
“She should work under the
same management conditions as
the rest of the herd,” Ebersole,
Sire Power, points out. “I think a
reasonable calving interval is
important, particularly between
early lactations,” he adds.
Ebersole also suggests to
dairymen when providing pedigree
information to a sire analyst to
“provide all available in
formation; have the computerized
DHI life history sheets, latest DHI
monthly reports, latest
classification reports, and the
pedigrees on at least the cow and
her dam.”
Roth stresses proper
management to achieve the cow’s
full potential. “There is a great
need for a cow to be able to
honestly express herself in her
production performance.” He
continues, “Good management
practices in calf and heifer raising
programs are essential. Good
feeding and management in the
N
5^
M
J. Lloyd Ebersole,
assistant manager and
director of sire programs at
Sire Power.
milking herd is equally im
portant.”
And, Roth adds, “Production
testing and classification
programs along with adequate
record-keeping systems are all
necessary to give accurate
evidence of the cow’s genetic
worth.”
3. Do you place much im
portance on longevity and/or
consistency in calving and
production?
“Thus far,” states Smith, ABS,
“all indications are that longevity
is positively correlated to high
production and sound udders. By*
emphasizing animals in the
pedigree with these charac
teristics, especially high
production sires that transmit
improved udders, the ABS bulls
have done very well in all studies
dealing with longevity.”
“Calving interval is not highly
heritable to a cow’s paternal
granddaughters,” Smith also
states. “Of course we like to see
cows that calve regularly and
make a good record every year.
Therein is the secret to profit.
“Prior to widespread embryo
transplant, it was safe to assume
that the cows that calved the most
often had the most offspring.
Ironically, today we sometimes
sense that the cow with the most
offspring has the fewest lactations
- due to routine flushing.” Smith
adds, “I am skeptical of the cow
that has made one or two lac
tations and then retires to ‘donor’
status.”
“Calving interval, particularly
on earlier lactations, and con
sistency of production are im
portant to us,” states Ebersole,
Sire Power. “We certainly like to
have longevity, but do not feel
enough can be gained in longevity
to wait long enough on a cow to
know what her longevity is before
mating her.”
Ebersole concludes, “We look
more at a cow’s soundness as an
If**
* * **
Crescentmead Chief Stewart is one of the many sires at
Atlantic that has met the co-op's selection criteria.
Stewart
Harry Roth, Atlantic’s
general manager.
indication of longevity then we do
at the number of lactations."
“On a population basis, so many
factors affect longevity that the
genetic differences are sometimes
difficult to evaluate,” states Roth,
Atlantic. “The younger cows
generally, however, have the most
current genetic ancestry and have
the greatest potential for higher
performance offspring and,
therefore, are quite important in
our program,” Roth comments.
4. Do you believe in contracting
two- and three-year-olds?
“Yes,” Smith, ABS, is quick to
state. “Each year the best cows we
mate are the two- and three-year
olds.”
Ebersole, Sire Power, also an
swers affirmatively. “Research
indicates very strongly that the
first two lactations will tell you
about as much about a cow’s
genetic transmitting ability for
production as six lactations will,”
he ccncludes.
Roth, Atlantic, also adds, “Yes,
we contract young cows. The
updated genetics and the latest
high performance sires are only
found in the pedigrees of the
younger cows.
“It is also very possible to find
sound, young cows who in a few
years will be the grand old cows we
all admire. These cows, therefore,
have a greater opportunity to
contribute when selected as bull
mothers when at a younger age,”
Roth states.
£. Is there a set number of sires
your company seeks to prove each
year for each breed?
“In 1984 the various programs at
ABS sampled 218 bulls,” Smith,
points out. These included 181
Holsteins, nine Red and Whites, 13
Jerseys, 12 Guernseys, two Brown
Swiss, and one Ayrshire.
According to Ebersole at Sire
Power, 70 Holsteins are proven
each year, along with two to four
others in each of the other breeds.
(Turn to Page A 35)