Balance - Summer 2012

Page 5

Not all cows are built the same, and those not designed for robots can be a nuisance to manage within these facilities. In a survey conducted by the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food in 2007, robot operators reported that the most common reasons (besides behaviour & adaptability) for cows not going into the robot on their own included: lameness; udder conformation; clinical mastitis; teat injury; and other reasons that required manual milking. Semex has studied this information and consulted with a group of robotic AMS farms to identify cow traits that have led them to be successful in the robot operation. What we learned was that for a cow to be considered a ‘good robot cow’ she must first have properly placed and sized teats, with a shallow, quality udder. These cows must be mobile with a structural resistance to lameness, also a built-in immunity to mastitis. They’re functional cows with average to fast milking times and an assertive yet cooperative demeanor. And, of course, these cows must be good milk producers! Semex geneticists then went to work formulating the criteria that would be the best fit for both the robot and the dairyman, resulting in the following four main characteristics:

1. 2. 3. 4.

Udder & Teat Conformation Mobility & Resistance to Lameness Lower Mastitis Incidence Workability & Functionality

It’s not surprising to see breed leading Holstein proven bulls among the Robot Ready™ lineup: 0200HO03591 BEAVER RAY MURAL 0200HO05630 COMESTAR LAVANGUARD 0200HO05592 CRACKHOLM FEVER 0200HO01584 DIAMOND-OAK FROSTY 0200HO05658 KILDARE LAKOTA 0200HO03067 PURSUIT SEPTEMBER STORM *RC 0200HO05549 REGANCREST REGINALD 0200HO04608 REGANCREST-MR SAMUELO 0200HO05868 TWIN-SPRUCE FACEOFF And, popular Genomax™ bulls offer producers more alternatives: 0200HO03742 AMMON-PEACHEY STANTON 0200HO07471 DENMIRE MERCHANDISE 0200HO06319 LOOKOUT P LAST CHANCE 0200HO02751 MORSAN MR METAL 0200HO06343 OLSZEWSKI SMORE 0200HO06230 PELLERAT MOON 0200HO02731 VER-HAGES TT SHOWDOWN 0200JE09827 SUNSET CANYON ADAM Jersey bulls including the popular sires: 0200JE00314 HOLLYLANE LILIBET’S LEGACY 0200JE00446 LENCREST I POD 0200JE00430 LENCREST ON TIME

1. Udder & Teat Conformation Rear Teat Placement – mid-range of quarters Front Teat Placement – mid-range of quarters Teat Length – avoid short teats Udder Depth – medium to shallow depth Overall Udder – well above average

2. Mobility & Resistance to Lameness Rear Legs Rear View – well above average Feet & Legs – above average

3. Lower Mastitis Incidence Somatic Cell Score – average to low cell counts

4. Workability & Functionality Milking Speed – average to fast milkers Temperament – avoid nervous or poor temperaments Production – fat & protein (kgs) well above average

Robot ReadyTM is a highly select group of sires, with 18% of the Semex product line qualifying for this status. It is a product line that satisfies the changing global customer needs, as well as the changing needs of your dairy cows. No matter your milking system, look for Semex and its Robot ReadyTM bulls today.

For a complete listing of Semex Robot Ready™ sires visit www.semex.com 5


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