SPRING 2021
NEWSLETTER ‘We need more data!’ Proof evaluation week, as we know it, is one of the most exciting times of the year. These occur simultaneously around the world with many different formulas used to achieve each company’s respective #1. The life span, or marketability of a bull is now many years shorter than 2-3 decades ago. Increased use of genomic sires will often result in a bull only used for 12-18 months. How as an industry, can we gather enough production, type and workability data to truly reflect the performance of the ‘said’ bull. Unfortunately, we see many sires who aren’t genomic, but aren’t fully proven either. How they are subsequently marketed can be interesting at times. As an industry our sire lists probably need to better reflect what category they fit.
TTER
The Ginfo program has been an outstanding initiative. It has vastly improved the accuracy and volume of dairy sire data. But does the industry need to offer further incentives to improve the quality of data on-farm? Could the farmer be rewarded further if they e highest herd test, evaluate workability performance and allow type assessment of their milking heifers each year? Quality data will portray number 1 even1.greater confidence in our domestic breeding values. Improved reliability of the available data will go a long way to lessening the er number chances of being disappointed three years after your breeding selections have been made!
he importance ence The per Australian Holstein August ABV release has seen a newcomer take out the #1 mantle in Jeronimo P from ABS. He has long been e sizetouted of as a health and fertility specialist and debuts at 525 BPI. Wilsonview IF Matt (WWS) maintains his ranking at the top of the when A.I is Jersey listing at 347 BPI. There is a number of sires that just fall below the reliability threshold in both breeds that are worth looking coming even
at. Read more about them later in the newsletter.
2014. Regards, d
ds,
Brad Aitken, Manager/Owner Leading Edge Genetics
ABS Jeronimo - P
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See Inside... We announce on page 5 our 2021 On-Farm Challenge Judge.