Select Sires

Holstein Breed's Most Reliable Type Specialists are at Select Sires

PLAIN CITY, Ohio, Oct. 12, 2004 — Select Sires owns the only two proven Holstein sires in active-A.I. that exceed +3.00 Predicted Transmitting Ability for Type (PTAT) at 90% reliability or higher. The A.I. stud also offers 18 additional proven sires that are higher than +2.00 PTAT.

"In order to turn a profit in the dairy business, producers have to breed cows that are productive and, more importantly, stay in the herd longer," says Lon Peters, manager of the Select Mating Service™ (SMS™). "They have to make the right mating decisions so future generations will have the strength, udders, and feet and legs that will allow them to endure in any environment. Select Sires allows our customers to choose sires with the right combination of management, performance and conformation traits that will breed more success into their herds."

20 Select Sires Surpass +2.00 PTA Type - The Most in the Industry

The two most reliable sources for high PTAT in the breed, 7HO5841 Sikkema-Star-W HI METRO-ET*CV (+3.17T, 90% Rel.) and 7HO5157 Regancrest Elton DURHAM-ET*CV (+3.09T-M, 99% Rel.) have established the industry benchmark for excellence in type conformation. They also are two of six bulls in the Select Sires lineup that are over +1.50 for all four Holstein composite scores...no other A.I. source compares. HI METRO is at +3.45 Udder Composite (UD), +1.97 Feet-and-Leg Composite (FL), +2.29 Body Composite (BD), and +2.54 Dairy Composite (D). DURHAM is even higher at +3.13 UD +2.49 FL +2.42 BD +2.23 C and is one of only four sires in the breed that exceed +2.00 for all four type composites.

7HO6761 Creek Durham SHANE-ET*CV, currently the industry's only A.I. sampled DURHAM son, is the third highest type improver at Select Sires with a +2.54T and a +2.28 UD (85% Rel.). He is an August graduate of the highly reliable Program for Genetic Advancement™ (PGA™) and SUPER SAMPLER™ program.

May 2004 graduate, 7HO6753 CANYON-Breeze Storm Atom-ET*B/R, TV added 82 daughters to his type summary and jumped from +2.08T to +2.48T, at 90% Rel. His linear evaluation for udders also moved to the right, establishing a +1.77 UD. His other composite scores are +2.17 FL +1.57 BD +2.31 D.

Another Maughlin STORM-ET son, 7HO8425 MICHeal Storm Avalanche*TV is Select's fifth high sire at +2.41T (84% Rel.). With composite scores of +2.53 UD and +2.08 FL, MICH is in very select company with five other Select sires who are at the +2.00 or higher for those traits. He adds respectable frame and angularity traits of +1.72 BD and +1.58 D respectively.

Look to Select Sires today and in the future for the breed's elite type improvers!

Up-To-Date Sire-Evaluations Readily Available

For easy access to the latest sire summary data on all 93 sires in the Select Sires Holstein lineup, producers can click on www.selectsires.com or request a sire directory from their local Select Sires representative.

Based in Plain City, Ohio, Select Sires Inc., is North America's largest A.I. organization and is comprised of 10 farmer-owned and -controlled cooperatives. As the industry leader, it provides highly fertile semen as well as excellence in service and programs to achieve its basic objective of supplying livestock breeders with America's best genetics at a reasonable price.

™Select Mating Service, SMS, Program for Genetic Advancement, PGA and SUPER SAMPLER are trademarks of Select Sires Inc.

Source: 08/04 U.S. Department of Agriculture, Interbull and Holstein Association USA Inc.

Select Sires Inc., 11740 U.S. 42 North, Plain City, Ohio 43064 / Phone: (614) 873-4683 Fax: (614) 873-5751