Spring 2014 Selections

SPRING 2014 Why Jerseys?

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Selecting for Healthy Cows

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Off the Beaten Path-Be Wary of Unique Mycotoxins!

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Selections YOUR SUCCESS Our Passion.

Are proven sires obsolete? Are young sires the best option? To answer those questions and more turn to page 4 to read about balancing the use of proven and young sires in your herd.

Simple. Smart. Progressive.

A

unique sequential breeding system, StrataGEN 速 offers optimal use of genomic insights to achieve individual herd breeding goals, while minimizing inbreeding.

Learn more about how Ponderosa Dairies in Nevada has used this innovative program to control inbreeding on page 6.

Another Great Year Behind Us, An Even Better One Ahead

by David C. Thorbahn, president and C.E.O. I want to thank you, our customerowners, for another outstanding year and making Select Sires the undisputed leader in the U.S. A.I. industry. In 2013, the National Association of Animal Breeders (NAAB) data showed that Select Sires' market share has grown to over 35 percent of the dairy market and we had another record-setting year in beef sales.

Select Sires’ innovative products, programs and services continue to be the most sought after in the industry.

Thank you for your business; especially considering the difficult economic times you faced.

In this edition of Selections we have tried to answer questions on those issues you face. One of those is, how well is genomics working? The reality is that genomic tools work, but there is a lot of misinformation about how well.

If you are using top proven bulls or top

young sires, they are equally effective once they have proven daughters. The data is very clear that among the top 100 bulls in the industry, neither has an advantage. When comparing the two, you have to compare young sires to young sires, and proven to proven.

Chuck Sattler’s review of industry data clearly shows the major overestimation of young bulls’ proofs without progeny data. This overvaluing makes analyzing young sires and progeny proven sires like an apples and oranges comparison.

Thus, you have to compare them separately at sire selection or when evaluating the success of your program.

Anyone using both groups together and measuring one breeding program against the other is misusing the data. It will not give you a meaningful evaluation of the progress of your herd. Your decision of proven versus young sires is a matter of preference in management traits, price and risk. True progress can only be measured after all bulls receive progeny evaluations. No matter which way you choose, proven or young sire, no company has a greater selection of breed-leading sires from proven or top genomic young sires than your industry leader, Select Sires.

Offering inbreeding solutions Looking to the future, Select Sires is concerned about inbreeding. Data confirms the fears which have been expressed by geneticists that genomics has accelerated the rate of inbreeding.

This makes programs like Select Mating Service™ (SMS™) and StrataGEN even

more important for your management programs. As a manager, you need to investigate and develop strategies to mitigate inbreeding or your breeding program will not achieve the levels in which you are investing. Select Sires’ SMS genetic consultants can help you develop tailored programs to meet your herd’s specific needs. This edition shows how Ponderosa Dairy has worked with Select Sires to implement StrataGEN to manage inbreeding.

Enjoy this issue of Selections. Select Sires knows that the position of leader was one bestowed upon us by you, the customer; our stockholder. It was earned by serving one customer at a time.

Select Sires’ federation of cooperatives has a passion to help our owners through the best lineup of industryleading sires, products and programs.

Our people are leaders in the field in training, experience and reliability.

Give your local cooperative a call and let them show you how excellent, local support with national leadership can make your business more profitable.

These PLANET sons from exceptional Shottle dams are following in their father's footsteps. Their daughters are high-producing, long-living cows with balanced Type and well-attached udders.

Nearly all transmit moderate frames and are Calving Ease sires. Take advantage of this magical match by ordering these PLANET sons today!

Code No. Name 7HO10849 SHAMROCK 7HO10679 KID 7HO10723 SPUR 7HO10624 TEMPO 7HO10729 DEATON 7HO10645 GERRY 7HO10502 BACON

Milk +1,649 +1,559 +1,857 +1,528 +1,942 +1,931 +2,059

Rel. Prod. Life 94 +6.8 94 +6.2 91 +4.7 95 +5.6 92 +3.7 92 +2.8 93 +3.4

Rel. GTPI SM 80 +2227 81 +2170 80 +2139 81 +2077 80 +2073 80 +1998 81 +1985

12/13 USDA-CDCB/HA Genomic Rel. All bulls qualify for semen export to Canada. SMTPI is a servicemark of Holstein Association USA.

Large photo: Wolfs Legendairy Shamrock 1386-Grade, Adam Wolf, Windthorst, Texas, Erbsen. Small photos (top to bottom): Plantinga Tempo 6193-Grade, Pleasant Hill Dairy, Mount Vernon, Texas; No-Fla Kid Ceilidh 29431 (GP-83-DOM), North Florida Holsteins, Bell, Fla.

Comparing Young Sires to Proven Sires is Like Comparing Apples to Oranges

by Chuck Sattler, vice president and manager of genetic programs We have definitely seen a growing demand for semen from young sires across all the dairy breeds at Select Sires. But, are proven sires truly part of the past? Are proven and young sires comparable? The data may surprise you.

There’s no question that genomic evaluations provide more accurate genetic information about young animals than did previous genetic evaluations. Genomic evaluations are 50 percent more accurate at predicting the future performance of a sire’s daughters.

The tougher question though, is are the genomic evaluations accurate enough for a dairy producer to select a handful of young sires and be confident that they are better than available proven sires? If we compare today’s top young Holsteins to today’s top progeny-proven Holsteins, it seems easy to conclude that young sires are your best option. However, after reviewing the historical results, the conclusions are not quite this clear.

It appears that the genomic evaluations on 75 percent of Holstein

young sires go down when daughter information is added. The changes on proven sires are smaller in magnitude and there is an equal chance that they can go up or down. Since we see more genomic evaluations on young sires go down than up, it is clear that there is bias in the evaluation system favoring young animals. Bias in the evaluations of young animals is not new.

How much of a risk are young sires?

Unfortunately the analysis presented in the two tables does not give clear signals about which category of bulls is best. It really boils down to producer preference. There is more risk involved in using young sires, since their proofs will change more than proven sires. But, there is more upside potential for young sires because we know that some of

April ‘10 April Dec. April ‘10 April Dec. April 2010’s Top and Proven Sires‘13 Top Young ‘10 Young ‘13 Sires Top Proven Sires ‘10 Sires GTPI GTPI GTPI GTPI 7HO10606 OBSERVER 7HO10604 OSMOND 7HO10052 TIME 7HO10356 WATSON 7HO10653 DAMASCUS 7HO10219 BOXER 7HO10228 GULF*BY 7HO10416 PRIZER 7HO10176 AL 7HO10624 TEMPO Average

+2422 +2255 +2242 +2231 +2230 +2226 +2219 +2205 +2204 +2204 +2244

+2186 +2069 +1900 +2127 +1825 +1853 +2214 +1703 +1966 +2077 +1992

7HO6417 O MAN 7HO8081 PLANET 7HO8747 BRONCO 7HO9173 PLATO 7HO8559 BOGART 7HO9176 MINISTER 7HO8361 DOMINGO 7HO8477 GABOR 7HO8866 CARUSO 7HO8856 NIAGRA Average

+2124 +2118 +2060 +2059 +1984 +1978 +1951 +1947 +1939 +1936 +2010

+1973 +2107 +2140 +1805 +2088 +1670 +2049 +2086 +1858 +2064 +1984

The young sires in this comparison have now had the opportunity to have a reasonable number of daughters included in their evaluation. As is the situation today, the young sires had much higher evaluations than the proven bulls in April 2010. But, with three years of additional data, the average of the two groups are nearly identical.

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PTA Changes for PGA bulls sampled in 2009 Percentile Avg. TPI Rank Change 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0

-193 -188 -164 -141 -172 -116 -59 -106 -71 -39

Avg. Ending TPI % Rank

Avg. NM$ Change

Avg. Ending NM$ % Rank

84 67 62 58 42 47 52 32 29 20

-147 -85 -104 -146 -115 -68 -83 -75 -51 -76

81 81 68 50 47 51 40 36 33 13

The amount of evaluation change that can be expected for young bulls is not equal. This table shows that the higher ranking young bulls have greater evaluation drops than the average or low bulls. The highest bulls are the ones most likely to turn out to be the highest ones at the end of the day. But, data indicates that their advantage isn’t as big as today’s evaluations suggest. those young sires will turn out to be tomorrow’s superstars.

Based on this information you may wonder why A.I. companies and top breeders are so focused on using young animals in their breeding programs. It’s important to keep in mind that the goal of A.I. companies, to breed future A.I. sires and maximize genetic progress is much different than the goal of a dairy producer breeding to produce replacement heifers. A.I. companies widely market only 10 to 30 percent of the bulls they acquire while dairy producers need 90 percent or more of their heifer calves to grow up to be profitable contributors to the herd. A dairy farm’s net income is dependent on several factors including herd fertility and health, not just a high TPI or NM$ value. Only proven sires and older genomic young sires have data like Sire Conception Rate (SCR) and Calving Ease available. These traits can be directly related to profitability.

How should young sires be used?

The analysis does provide some insight into additional factors to pay attention to if aggressively using young sires. First, a larger number of bulls should be used in the breeding program when young sires are used.

If you are currently selecting four progeny-proven sires for use across the herd, then you need to be selecting 10 to 13 different young sires to provide the same level of confidence.

Second, young sires need to be selected with higher standards than proven bulls since their evaluations are likely to drop. Currently the top proven sires have evaluations at +2050 TPI and +550 NM$. Genomic young sires need to have evaluations of at least +2250 GTPI or +700 NM$ to be competitive with today’s highly selected proven bulls. If the genomic young sire is sired by a young sire, then the standards need to be even higher. These bulls need to be at least +2350 GTPI or +775 NM$ to be competitive with proven sires. Select Sires currently offers more than 60 Super Samplers™ that exceed these specifications.

In today’s fast-paced genomic evaluation world, the attributes of highly selected, progeny-proven sires may be under-appreciated.

Producers using young sires need to be sure to include more bulls and use higher standards to capture the same level of genetic superiority that progeny-proven sires provide. Directly comparing Holstein proven sires and young sires simply cannot be done.

Why Jerseys?

by Tim Baumgartner, Jersey genetics and marketing specialist As you know, Select Sires has always been the leading supplier of Jersey genetics in the marketplace. As businesses are asked to become more efficient, more environmentally friendly, yet remain profitable, those in the dairy industry have realized that the Jersey cow is a logical next step.

Today the Jersey program at Select Sires is expanding to meet the demands of our customer-owners who want to add more value to their business’ bottom line.

Why? Profitability.

I believe the biggest push for Jersey genetics came just over two years ago when the American Jersey Cattle Association (AJCA) released the study

by Judith Capper (Washington State University) and Roger Cady (Elanco Animal Health) that discussed the efficiencies of Jerseys as it pertains to the production of a unit of cheddar cheese. The results of the study state that in order to produce the same amount of milk, fat, protein and other solids as Holsteins, Jerseys use 32 percent less water, 11 percent less land and leave a 20 percent smaller

carbon footprint.

As this information was released, the popular press picked up on it and publications such as Hoard’s Dairyman put pen to paper. When these types of publications were read by farm owners, a chain of events took place and this domino effect is now in full swing.

Simply put - Jerseys are in demand!

For me personally, our farm always had a couple of Jerseys. Having a Jersey cow was more of a hobby at that time. About six years ago, I began working with Jersey owners in California. It was during these visits that I started to really understand just how efficient and profitable these cows are. Just think about this for a moment - the ability of a Jersey female to breed at a young age, calve-in without issues, produce milk, carry another calf, continue to grow towards

her mature size and do this all before she is 36 months old spells profit.

Today, the Jersey cow is a major part of the dairy industry in the U.S. and worldwide. She is here to stay. In 1935, the Jersey cow was 42 percent of the U.S. population and the largest dairy breed in this country. At the path the breed is on today, it is a very real concept that 100 years later, history will repeat itself.

The Select commitment Last spring, Select Sires' Jersey program had grown to the point where additional staff was needed and on July 2, 2013, Herby Lutz and I, with the support of Jeff Ziegler, created a set of goals that would move the Select Sires Jersey program to new levels of success and accomplish things never done before.

Select Sires is proud to be the leading supplier of Jersey genetics and our promotion of the Jersey program at Select will grow as well. Our email newsletter, The Jersey Revolution is now reaching a world-wide audience and our ability to supply genetics to fill the needs of producers around the globe is always our first priority.

Value-added genetics is just one of the goals we set last summer. Our commitment to un-ending research and gender SELECTed™ technology, while increasing our dedication to the Program for Genetic Advancement™ (PGA™), SMS and Select Reproductive Solutions™ (SRS™) programs, helps put more reliability and more value into every straw purchased from Select Sires.

As we step into 2014, the young sires heading to your tanks from the PGA stand second to none in the industry. Their genetic levels on average have the potential to change the breed in a positive way, while producing profitable cows for customer-owners. Our commitment to fertility is also the industry standard and no other company can give you heifer calves as efficiently as gender SELECTed semen can.

Every dairy producer is committed to finding the best ways to run a profitable business. Decisions are made every day that help create efficiencies that impact the bottom line. Genetics is one of these investments. Select Sires is proud to be the leading source for profitable genetics and we take this responsibility seriously. We are honored to be your partner for profit and yes – Your Success is Our Passion!

Connect With Select Sires Jerseys Visit http://www.selectsires. com/JRsubscribe to sign up for our e-newsletter and get the latest Jersey information delivered straight to your inbox!

Tim Baumgartner, Jersey genetics and marketing specialist, recognized the profit potential of the Jersey breed. These efficient cows calve at a young age, without issues and breed back quickly.

Like "Select Sires Jerseys" on Facebook for news and information on our lineup.

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StrataGEN in practice at Ponderosa Dairy At Ponderosa Dairies in Nevada, cow health and production are very important, both of which are negatively impacted by high levels of inbreeding. In February of 2012, Ponderosa Dairies began using the StrataGEN program to lower inbreeding levels and reverse their effects.

StrataGEN categorizes bulls into five color-coded lines through genomic testing to determine their exact genetic profile. Within each line, the sires are closely related, while their genetic relationship with sires in other lines is very low. When matings are made between lines, a large reduction in inbreeding occurs.

By rotating the lines every 21 to 24 months, lowering inbreeding in the herd becomes a reality.

“StrataGEN is an innovative program that uses a task we do every day, inseminating cows, and captures what stands to be significant health and production improvements,” explains Amanda Arata, the manager at Ponderosa Dairies. “With today’s tight margins, implementation costs for new

programs can be very high, but StrataGEN has a low implementation cost and a high return on investment.”

Arata is impressed with the program’s extreme simplicity and ease as well as the low cost.

To get started with StrataGEN, Ponderosa had to identify a line to begin with. By analyzing several years of previous sire use they made an assumption that a majority of cows were of a certain line.

“We began to breed cows using the line that was farthest from the genetic line we had in our herd,” says Arata. “We have rotated lines every two years.”

To identify the line an animal belongs to, they use birth dates. They keep track of what range of birth

dates calves from each line are born.

“I believe StrataGEN to be one of the best technologies available to dairies today,” says Arata, summarizing her experience with the program.

Ponderosa Dairies was established

by Amos DeGroot in 1994 and is now operated by Ted DeGroot. Arata manages all day-to-day decisions, finances, the calf ranch, mill operations, trucking and consultants as well as the farm’s 157 employees.

The farm milks 9,250 Holsteins in three rapid-exit herringbone parlors: a double-40, double-30 and double-25. Daily milk production is 75 pounds per cow per day while their Somatic Cell Score is 165,000 and the pregnancy rate runs at 24 percent. More than 2,250 acres are

farmed with some pasture ground and alfalfa, corn, sorghum, barley and triticale being grown on the remaining land.

The dairy works on a regular basis with Select Sires MidAmerica sales representative, Dayn Roseborough, and Lyle Kruse of Select Sires Inc., on putting StrataGEN into practice.

“We began working with Select Sires three years ago because we were looking for a committed partner in technical training, genetics and reproductive analysis,” explains Arata. “They are an exceptional team and committed to serving us. Select Sires offers innovative technologies and has assisted with reproductive training and enriched cow health by improving feet and legs, udders and reproduction.”

Dayn Roseborough (right), Select Sires MidAmerica sales representative, provides on-farm, handson training for Ponderosa Dairies' in-house technicians and employees.

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Fig. 1A PATERNAL GRANDSIRE SIRE PATERNAL GRANDAM ANIMAL MATERNAL GRANDSIRE

Genomic insight DAM Genomic technology has changed the way we look GRANDAM at inbreeding. Instead MATERNAL of looking at a traditional pedigree and estimating inbreeding, we can now identify what an animal inherited from each ancestor and determine an exact inbreeding level. Using that genomic insight, Select Sires was able to develop bulls for five, simple, color-coded lines.

Fig. 1B

Getting started Using past semen purchases or herd records, a herd is classified in a line. StrataGEN was developed to use a three- to five-line rotation. The use of lines helps provide genetic intensity with minimized inbreeding.

To learn more about StrataGEN and locate your local StrataGEN specialist visit our website: www.selectsires.com

Ma y - ye a Gener atio r 5 n4

SIRE C

SIRE C

.505

.083

GREEN

8%

.055

.058

51%

5% .080

6%

.372

19%

YELLOW

9%

.089

5%

.573

.161

8%

.052

6% .078

57%

ORANGE

13%

RED

8%

5 ar ye us

SIRE B

RED

33%

YELLOW

Au g

SIRE A

SIRE B

BLUE

GREEN

t-

ye

4 ar

Calf #3 bred

Calf #2 bred Calf #3 born

y ea r 3 u st – Aug eration 3 – year 4 Gen

SIRE A

BLUE

Calf #2 born

Calf #4 born

N ov e m b e r yea r2 year 3

ORANGE

r1 ar 2 ea – ye –y n2 tio ra

Through genomic technology, identifying specific inbreeding levels is now possible.

No ve mb Ge e ne

r

y – yea r 1 ruar Fe b tion 1 – year 1 nera Cow #1 Ge bred

Once a line for the herd is established, a plan can be developed using three to five lines. Above is an example of a three-line rotation.

.115

16%

.193

16%

.054

.158

SIRE SIREDD

9% .087

.104 9%

.110

11% .546

55%.093

10%

SIREEE SIRE

.079 12%

.081 8%

.091

9% .125

8%.326

33%

“I believe StrataGEN to be one of the best technologies available to dairies today.”

Amanda Arata, manager, Ponderosa Dairies

The five color-coded lines are categories of sires that are closely related to the sires in their line, but Fig. very 3distant from sires in other lines.

BLUE

RED

GREEN

YELLOW

ORANGE

.451

.113

.051

.061

.074

LINE R SIRES

3+3=6%

LINE B SIRES RESULT 3

3.13%

LINE Y SIRES RESULT 2

6.25%

LINE R SIRES RESULT 1

12.5%

HERD BULL 25%

7 HERD BULL

Selecting for Healthly Cows

by Chuck Sattler, vice president and manager of genetic programs Breeding for improved health and well-being of our cows is an important topic that requires a comprehensive approach. Recently, much media attention has been given to improving the immune response of cows.

But, just as critical to cow health is breeding for cows that have the genetic ability to avoid disease.

At the end of the day, we all want productive, healthy, fertile and easy-to-manage cows and breeding programs need to put some attention on all of these areas. Focusing on one area (e.g. immune response) can lead to a lack of attention to other important areas and less than

optimal results from your breeding program.

Existing genetic evaluations provide useful tools to help select for overall healthy cows. Traditionally these traits have not received much publicity. But, if you are interested in making genetic improvement in health traits, it’s worthwhile to track down this information.

Genetic evaluations for somatic cell

score have established an excellent track record in identifying bulls that transmit reduced incidence of mastitis. Look for bulls with predicted transmitting ability (PTA) values below 3.00 and remember that lower PTA values are desirable for this trait. Daughter pregnancy rate (DPR) is a very good indirect indicator of cow health. Improving cows’ immune response may not help them avoid metabolic diseases and it’s clear that cows that are healthier early in lactation are easier to get pregnant. Bulls with PTA DPR values above 0 are above breed average and likely have daughters that do better at staying healthy in early lactation.

Calving problems in heifers are issues that often lead to health problems later in lactation and again is something that won’t be

improved by selecting for improved immune response. Look for bulls that are below 7.5 for both sire calving ease (SCE) and daughter calving ease (DCE). Finally, when all the components fall properly into place, we end up with cows with long herd life. From an overall perspective, PTA for productive life (PL) is a good general indicator of the right traits in the right balance. Bulls with PTA PL values above +1.0 indicate those that transmit production, health and fertility in the right proportion.

Below is a comparison of progenyproven sires that carry designations of transmitting superior health traits. The large number of Select Sires bulls compare very favorably for their ability to produce daughters that calve easy, breed back quickly and stay healthy.

Progeny proven sires No. of Bulls Select Sires HealthMark™ and Calving Ease Sires Semex Immunity + Sires

Average PL Average SCS Average DPR Average Sire Average Daughter Average Calving Ease Calving Ease NM$

27

+3.8

2.76

+0.8

6.3%

5.5%

+520

2

+4.5

2.71

+0.2

7.9%

6.2%

+549

Using sires with low sire and daughter calving ease can help prevent health problems at calving.

Select Sires offers a high number of Calving Ease sires that also transmit positive fitness traits.

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Selecting sires with elite health trait PTAs, like Select's HealthMark sires, can reduce the number of sick cows on your dairy farm.

150,000 Services Later…The Focus is Still the Same East Central/Select Sires Member Services Representative, Bob Boatman, has been breeding cows for more than 30 years and reached the 150,000 first service milestone last summer. Although technology has changed how he does his job, his focus is still on creating pregnancies.

Boatman has a strong background in the dairy industry.

He grew up on a dairy farm in Wisconsin and enjoyed working with and showing cattle. He earned a one-year certificate from the University of Wisconsin-Madison Farm and Industry Short Course in 1976.

His interest in working with dairy cattle led him to be a herdsperson for several years for a member of the East Central/Select Sires board of directors. After learning to breed cattle, he decided to pursue a career in the A.I. industry. Boatman began his career with East Central/Select Sires as a technician in June of 1982.

“I spent hours studying bull books and I knew Select Sires was the company I wanted to work for,” explains Boatman. “I learned a lot about the company, which ultimately made me interested in working for East Central.”

Boatman’s experience in showing cattle also pointed him towards Select Sires.

“I became interested in breeding better cattle with better genetics,” says Boatman. “Select Sires had the best lineup when I started and has maintained a position of leadership in the A.I. industry.”

No. 1 role Despite changes in technology and herd size, Boatman’s position has remained the same.

“My No. 1 role has always been to get cows pregnant,” says Boatman.

“Other than that, the changes have been astronomical. Diversified products, freestall operations, use of computers, tail chalking and the use of activity monitoring systems are all changes that have come about in the last 30 years.”

When Boatman started, his territory was larger with several smaller herds. Today, he puts in 12-

Boatman (second from right) serviced his 150,000th cow at Prairieland Dairy in Belleville, Wis. in the summer of 2013. The farm is owned by Chuck, Mark and Jim Fahey (left to right).

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Bob Boatman: Member Services Representative Family: Boatman and his wife Ellen have been married for 36 years

and have five grown, married children, Ryan, Scott, Casey, Shannon and Ashley, and 12 grandchildren.

Agricultural Background: Boatman grew up on a small dairy farm in Wisconsin and attended University of Wisconsin-Madison Farm and Industry Short Course. After graduating, he worked as a herdsman, sold feed and was a relief milker before starting with East Central/ Select Sires in 1982.

Daily Responsibilities: Depending on the day, Boatman usually starts his day between 4 and 6 a.m. He makes about 20 stops a day including five pens of heifers he tail chalks and two Select Detect herds, one of which is 1,500 cows. He breeds between 30 and 60 cows a day. He returns home at about 7:30 p.m.

Award Spotlight: East Central/Select Sires Member Service Representative of the Year, 150,000 First Services and 30 Years of Service hour (or more) days, spending most of his time tail chalking at his stops and breeding at two herds with Select Detect™ systems.

“I take a lot of pride in what I do, and I feel Select Sires shares my passion for my job,” says Boatman.

“Select Sires continues to stay on the cutting edge of technology with genomics and activity systems and programs like FeedPRO and StrataGEN.” His strong work ethic and determination do not go unnoticed at East Central.

“Bob has not only been a top-performer, but also a role model and mentor for our member service representative force,” says Al Deming, East Central/ Select Sires general manager. “His professionalism and use of all programs have made him a logical choice to help train new employees.

He adopts new technology and is one of the very best technicians in southern Wisconsin.”

One of the customers he works closely with, Prairieland Dairy, appreciates Boatman’s attention to detail.

“Bob is so easy-going and goes above and beyond!” said Jim Fahey, one of the owners at Prairieland.

“We are very proud of the herd we

have and credit a lot of that to Bob for the time and attention he takes in making our herd the best it can be.”

“He is a part of our family,” added Chuck and Mark Fahey, two other owners at Prairieland. “He works hard for us and our herd would not be the same without Bob.” Understanding the customer Boatman’s life experiences in the industry give him perspective and understanding of what his customers go through on a daily basis.

“I’ve seen this business from both sides, and I try to treat people the way I would want to be treated,” says Boatman.

He enjoys the daily interaction he has with customer-owners and their employees and seeing the improvement in their cattle and herds over the years.

Despite his past milestones, Boatman gives no sign of stopping.

He plans to reach the 200,000 first service mark and cites his people and computer skills as well as product knowledge as things he is continually improving. 

Mindy and Mira: Cornerstones of the ART program A pair of maternal sisters, Roylane Shot Mindy 2079-ET (VG-86-DOM) and Roylane Socra Mira 1760-ET (EX-90EX-MS), have been the foundation for the Aggressive Reproductive Technologies™ (ART™) program. Today, their influence is evident at Select Sires.

There are currently six Super Sampler sons and grandsons of Mindy and Mira in the Select Sires lineup. They are prime examples of the Select Sires board of directors’ direction to ART: to find, multiply and develop genetic lines that serve a profitable purpose for commercial dairy producers.

The trouble-free kind Jeff Ziegler, Select Sires manager of the genomic program, first took notice of the cow family as it was being developed by Seagull Bay Holsteins in Idaho. He noted the family's ability to produce generations of high-producing, good-uddered cows that received no special care.

“In my opinion, the best trait of the family is that they do their job, and you don’t even notice they are in the barn,” explains Ziegler.

The family reliably transmits

exceptional udder shape and quality as well as high components, making top production sires work well on this family.

“The ‘M’ family produces well while maintaining body condition to stay healthy and breed back,” says Ziegler.

“This family’s combination of dairy strength, components and fertility are all timely needs the industry has.”

Other positive attributes from this family include longevity, mobility and bone quality on medium frames.

Steve Buschur, of Buschur Dairy, New Weston, Ohio owned and milked Mindy and Mira as well as many of their offspring.

“The surprising thing about these two sisters is they are both terrific cows, but in much different ways,”says Buschur. “Mindy was a strong, wide cow that milked because of her strength.

Mira is a very dairy cow with nice balance. I really notice the family's great

components, feet and legs and udders.

The Mindy offspring in the herd are like their mother and need to be crossed with sires that offer some angularity. They have excellent udder quality, shallow udders, good mobility and outstanding production. The Mira daughters have nice balance, great feet and legs and udders.”

A deep maternal line Mindy and Mira descend from well-known brood cow, Rilara Mars Las Ravena (EX-91-EX-MS-GMD-DOM), who was one of the most popular 7HO401 MARShfield Elevation TONY (VG-88-GM) daughters.

One of the earliest success stories from this family was 7HO8699 SeagullBay MANO-ET who was one of the highest ranked 7HO6417 O-Bee MANfred Justice-ET (EX-94-GM) sons, but he died prior to receiving his proof. MANO’s full sister, Seagull-Bay Oman Mirror-ET (VG-86-DOM) was purchased by Roylane Farms in Washington and contracted

by Select Sires. That mating produced the elite, high reliability son, 7HO10524 Roylane Socra ROBUST-ET (VG-88-GM).

Mindy was purchased in 2009 while Mira joined the ART program in 2010.

Mindy (left) and Mira were two of the early success stories of the ART program and their offspring are excelling all over the country.

Mindy photo: Erbsen, Mira photo: Herges

Both were placed on an extensive IVF program and created many pregnancies.

The next generation Mindy's daughters by 7HO10606 De-Su OBSERVER-ET (EX-90-GM), 7HO10721 De-Su 521 BOOKEM-ET (VG-86-GM), 7HO10849 Ladys-Manor Pl SHAMROCK-ET (VG-85), 7HO9357 Bremer Allegro MAXUM-ET (GM), 7HO10989 De-Su KRAMER 715-ET*BY and 7HO11036 Welcome PEOTI-ET (VG85) are current standouts. One of those daughters, S-S-I Shamrock Menna7392ET, was the high seller at the National Holstein Convention Sale last summer and is now scored Very Good (85). Mira has Snowman, 7HO10920 Mr Chassity GOLD CHIP-ET (EX-92) and 7HO10853 Walhowdon Russell COBRA (VG-86) daughters as well as a very special 7HO11314 Mountfield SSI Dcy MOGULET daughter that are members of the Buschur herd. One daughter, S-S-I Snowman Rachel7516-ET was recently scored Very Good (85) less than a week fresh and is milking 120 pounds a day.

A high-ranking, polled 7HO11464 Da-So-Burn MOM EARNHARDT P (VG-86) grandson of Mindy will be available in April 2014 while 7HO11351 Seagull-Bay SUPERSIRE-ET and 7HO11478 De-Su JEROD 1223-ET grandsons will also join the Super Sampler lineup this year.

Mindy and Mira will certainly continue to have an impact at Select Sires.

“They were both purchased early in ART’s history, developed into tremendous cows, flushed with a high degree of success, left us sons, grandsons and already great-grandsons and daughters to continue on with,” explains Ziegler.

“They have proven that dominant cow families still thrive in today’s genomic world, because who would have predicted that these pedigrees would have produced high-ranking genomic animals? Like 7HO58 Round Oak Rag Apple ELEVATION (EX-96-GM) was to the beginning days of Select Sires, Mira and Mindy have been the same for ART and the early success of the S-S-I prefix.”

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Off the Beaten Path—Be Wary of Unique Mycotoxins!

by John A. Doerr, Ph.D., vice president, science and technology, Agrarian Marketing Corporation ® Most progressive dairy farms are testing feedstuffs on a somewhat regular basis for mycotoxins. But of the hundreds of such poisonous compounds, that really means only a few are being tested for: DON, zearalenone, T-2 toxin and aflatoxin. Cows don’t read test reports. They have to deal with what’s in their feed—everything that’s there.

contaminated grains in feeds may bring these problems to the dairy farm as well. Presumably, ergot is absorbed from the small intestine, likely from the last third of the duonenum through the jejunum, just as with other mycotoxins. While the ergot fruiting body can usually be spotted and screened easily, it does, nonetheless, find its way into animals.

Over recent months, Agrarian Marketing testing has revealed an unusual number of farms with citrinin contamination in corn silage or TMR and with high levels. Inquiries and tests by others suggest that ergot is not all that rare, either!

Mold and weather Much of the country has experienced a colder than normal winter. Molds generally show major spikes when there are weather fluctuations and extremes. Dairy producers need to be especially vigilant right now. With the first signs of spring comes additional pressures on stored grains and feedstuffs with respect to mold growth and mycotoxin formation. Do not relax your guard as winter abates, we will likely see problems coming along this March and April.

A solution For most operations it is unlikely that you are asking for or able to get testing done for citrinin or even for ergot (except in high risk areas).

Citrinin contamination This mycotoxin is produced by several species of Penicillium, Aspergillus and Monascus. It is a renal toxin (it harms the kidneys) much like ochratoxin; but unlike ochratoxin, which has some susceptibility to rumen degradation, it does pass intact into the intestine and is absorbed. Harm to kidneys can result in many issues including impairment of Vitamin D metabolism and calcium balance, actual destruction of renal tissue with failures in filtering and excreting toxic wastes and reduced muscle tone in the uterus. In some cases, it appeared to induce tumors in the kidneys. All can result in sick, under-productive cows with potential reproductive issues.

Ergot, not so uncommon The young women who behaved strangely and whose ‘afflictions’ were subsequently thought to be spells cast by witches in Salem, Massachusetts, in the 1690s were, in fact, poisoned by eating mold-contaminated grain.

The Salem witch trials likely arose out of cereal crops spoiled by a mold, Claviceps purpurea, and it’s major category of toxic products, the ergot alkaloids. We assign the name ergot to a group of related alkaloids, the best known of which is ergotamine.

While presumed to be a problem of rye,

this mold infects other kinds of grains and pasture grass. In a more modern context, positive assays and on-farm assessments have suggested more than an infrequent exposure to ergot on beef, dairy and swine farms in the northwest and upper Midwest in the U.S. plus west and central Canada.

Among other physiological effects, ergot is a vasoconstrictor. It will shut down blood vessels, and in cattle, this leads to poor coat condition, pathology at the tips of ears, and rotting in the hoof. In very cold weather, the hoof rot problem can be magnified; in very hot weather, the effects overall can leave the animal less heat tolerant.

While beef cattle are often of most concern because of major grazing, hays from infected grasses or

And, while some symptoms of ergot poisoning may be a bit easier to spot, that is not the case for citrinin.

So, do you have any options?

Of course! You already have the tool to combat these toxins easily.

Select DTX™ works from within the intestinal lining, in that same portion of the duodenum and jejunum where those toxins are absorbed. It directly scavenges for small toxic molecules, like citrinin and ergotamine, and stimulates a natural defense mechanism in the gut which re-directs a portion of absorbed mycotoxin back into the intestine to be expelled in the feces. You don’t have to worry about chemical specificity nor binding capacity of clay or yeast binders nor what the weather forecast will cause; you just have to let your cows have the more global protection afforded by Select DTX. Then you can stop worrying about what’s NOT on your mycotoxin analysis report! Ask your Select Sires representative today about a Select DTX program for your herd.

Mold generally spikes during extreme weather, like the harsh winter in much of the country. When spring arrives, mold may spike again with the fluctuations in temperature.

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BULLetin Board International showring success 7HO10506 G W ATWOOD has been siring outstanding young cows in the showring in Europe. At the Swiss Expo he sired the intermediate and reserve intermediate champion.

At the Verona International Holstein show, G W ATWOOD daughter, Giessen Cinderella 50 was the intermediate champion while C.M.E. Alexander Giulietta, sired by 7HO8221 ALEXANDER, was the reserve intermediate champion.

In Sweden, at the Mila Show, a 7HO8350 MICKEY daughter, JB Mickey Gerd (VG-89), was intermediate and grand champion.

Her herdmate, also owned by JB Holsteins, was reserve intermediate champion, JB Sanchez Roxette (VG-87). She is sired by 7HO8190 SANCHEZ. At International Dairy Week in Australia, the Jersey show featured several outstanding daughters of 7JE860 ECLIPES-P. The grand champion was a daughter of 7JE356 SAMBO while 7JE867 GOVERNOR sired the intermediate champion.

winter calf. LIGHTNING semen is available by special order.

Cross-Canyon Myfld 43870-ET First winter yearling and honorable mention junior champion, Fort Worth Stock Show, 2014 Goff Dairy, Hobbs, N.M.

Kow-Castle Observer 5939 Second senior two-year-old, Fort Worth Stock Show, 2014 Stanley Haedge, Hico, Texas

Warwick Manor Grumpy Aliyah-ET Honorable mention All-American winter yearling, 2013 James Riley, Williamsfield, Ohio

Brown Swiss All-American nominations announced Several daughters of 7BS849 THUNDER, 7BS900 BRAIDEN, 7BS843 PEPPER and former lineup sires received nominations.

Bluemoons L Darby All-American winter calf, 2013 Bill and Linda Blue, Circleville, Ohio

New Excellents sired by 7HO10406 DASHAWN, 7HO8081 PLANET and 7JE1036 PAT Several Select-sired animals received their first Excellent score:

Galys-Vray Atwood Guerande (VG-88) Intermediate champion, Swiss Expo 2014 Mark and Erhard Junker, Thomas Staub and Al. Be. Ro.

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Hartdale Alstar Skittles Honorable mention All-American summer yearling, 2013 Lauren Robison, Mulberry Grove, Ill.

Bohnerts Pat Nautia (E-90%) Bohnert Jerseys, East Moline, Ill.

BG-HZ Braxton Lexi Second junior three-year-old, Fort Worth Stock Show, 2014 Kelli Zapalac, Schulenburg, Texas

Fort Worth Stock Show Results Select-sired animals placed high in their respective classes at the Southwestern Exposition and Livestock Show in Forth Worth, Texas in January, including daughters of 7HO11283 MAYFIELD, 7HO10606 OBSERVER, 7HO9165 BRAXTON and 7JE1124 FIRE.

Des-Y-Gen Planet Silk-ET (EX-90) Josey 101 LLC, Trempealeau, Wis.

Lee-Anns Braiden Glitter "VG89 E90MS" Nominated All-American four-year-old, 2013 Lee-Ann Swiss, DeWitt, Iowa

Cobblestone Firey Flame Reserve junior champion, Fort Worth Stock Show, 2014 Cobblestone Dairy and Red Dirt Genetics, Perkins, Okla.

Daughters of Guernsey lineup sires earn All-American awards Lineup sires, 7GU398 ALSTAR and 7GU405 GRUMPY had daughters nominated All-American and go on to be named honorable mention All-Americans. 7GU445 LIGHTNING sired the unanimous All-American

Get-R-Done Braiden Gigi "E90" Nominated All-American senior three-year-old, 2013 Craig Walton and Donald Harwood, Pleasant Plain, Ohio Hilmar Dashawn 4411 (EX-90) Hilmar Holsteins, Hilmar, Calif.

cows for December 2013 are sired by either 7JE1038 VALENTINO or 523JE927 MAGNUM.

7HO11351 SUPERSIRE led the way with 56 daughters who sold for an average of $27,725 while 7HO11314 MOGUL, 7HO11477 MCCUTCHEN, 7HO11464 EARNHARDT P, 7HO10849 SHAMROCK, MAYFIELD and 7HO10606 OBSERVER made the top 10.

Kinderkay Pepper Eden Nominated All-American fall calf, 2013 Webb Kress, West Milton, Ohio JCJ Magnum 22831 (VG-87%) No. 4 GJPI Cow-December 2013 Ahlem Brothers, Hilmar, Calif.

Cutting Edge T Delilah Nominated All-American winter calf, 2013 Kyle Barton, Ancramdale, N.Y.

Select sires at the top of the charts In the February issue of the Holstein World, the list of sires with the highest selling daughters was dominated by Select Sires!

Sonray-Acres Soc Observr Vi Sold for $62,000 in the Stars of the Universe Sale Stanton Bros Limited, Ilderton, Ontario

7HO9222 SHOT is the top-selling sire in 2013 SHOT was the leader in semen sales for the second year in a row for Select Sires. He was followed

by PLANET and 7HO8477 GABOR. Other sires selling over 100,000 units were: 7HO8361 DOMINGO, 7HO9925 YANCE, 7HO8946 ROLAND, MOGUL, 7HO9961 DIENER, 7HO8165 MILLION, 7HO10357 BILLINGS, SUPERSIRE, 7HO9107 DURABLE, 7HO10297 MCNUGGETS, 7HO9420 GUTHRIE, 7HO10356 WATSON, G W ATWOOD and 7HO9754 DAYTON. The top-selling Jersey sire was VALENTINO followed by ECLIPES-P, 7JE1169 TOPEKA and 7JE886 MILES.

Cutting Edge T Sunbeam-ET Nominated All-American spring calf, 2013 Ken Main and Peter Vail, Copake, N.Y.

Select-sired Jerseys at the top of lists Highview Tbone Vodka (E-91%), sired by 7JE1000 TBONE, is the 2013 breed-leader for Protein and Cheese Yield Production (4,465C).

Her completed record was 2-1 305d 33,600M 4.9% 1,651F 3.9% 1,312P. She is fresh again at 3-1 and has recorded milk weights up to 142 pounds!

All five of the top Jersey Performance Index™ (JPI™)

Highview Tbone Vodka (E-91%) James Oelfke and Family, Hamburg, Minn.

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PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE

Selections YOUR SUCCESS Our Passion.

MISSION

11740 US 42 NORTH • PLAIN CITY • OHIO • 43064-0143

To enhance the productivity and profitability of dairy and beef producers, Select Sires is committed to be the premier provider of highly fertile, superior genetics accompanied by effective reproductive- and herdmanagement products and services.

For more information, visit www.selectsires.com or call (614) 873-4683.

Product of the USA.

Select Mating Service, SMS, Select Reproductive Solutions, SRS, Program for Genetic Advancement, PGA, Super Sampler, gender SELECTed, HealthMark, Select Detect, Aggressive Reproductive Technologies, ART and Select DTX are trademarks of Select Sires Inc.; ®StrataGEN and FeedPRO are registered trademarks of Select Sires Inc. All product claims, representations and warranties, expressed or implied are made only by the product manufacturers and not by Select Sires Inc. TMJersey Performance Index and JPI are trademarks of the American Jersey Cattle Association.

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