Select Sires

Continuing Education Helps Select Sires Better Serve Customers

PLAIN CITY, Ohio, Oct. 26, 2004 — "When we sell a unit of semen, we not only want to supply the best genetics available in the world, but also the technical support to transfer that unit of semen into a pregnancy," says Mel DeJarnette, reproduction specialist, Select Sires Inc. "We recognize that reproduction is one of the primary challenges facing dairy producers today so our goal is to elevate the reproductive expertise of every person on the Select Sires supply line so they can help customers improve the reproductive performance of their herds."

A symposium on records analysis is just one example of the continuous training and education Select Sires offers employees and representatives in order to add value to their products and services. Held in Lansing, Mich., and hosted by NorthStar Cooperative, a member of Select Sires, the objective of the symposium was to train key representatives on reproductive record analysis and troubleshooting in herd-management software programs.

Seventeen primary reproduction solution specialists from across the country - representing all of the Select Sires member cooperatives - attended the three-day session. Leading industry experts provided technical training in analyzing Dairy Comp 305 and PCDart herd records in order to identify possible causes of reproductive problems and thereby proposing solutions for such problems. The program also introduced the reproductive specialists to tools available to help customers use their records to analyze the overall performance of their dairy operations including Dairy Metrics System, a benchmarking program available from Raleigh Dairy Records Management Systems.

After a day and a half of classroom training, the group was given the opportunity to apply their knowledge on the farm. Swiss Lane Farms in Alto, Mich., owned by Fred, Tom and Jeff Oesch, became the laboratory for the practical portion of the symposium. Attendees split into five groups and did a full reproductive analysis of the 1,000-cow herd and its records.

"When you look at the records and analyze the numbers you get an idea of what is going on, but you really need to get to the farm in order to see the whole picture and identify direct and indirect reasons for the reproductive performance of a herd," DeJarnette points out. In the final session, each group presented the results of their analysis of the Swiss Lane herd and was evaluated by industry experts Dr. Joe Domecq of Michigan State University and Dr. Bruce Clark of Monsanto Animal Health.

The seventeen primary reproduction solution specialists participating in the symposium are now multiplying its impact by training other personnel in the Select Sires supply line.

"At Select Sires, we don't see that one person can solve every breeding problem for every herd, coast to coast," DeJarnette explains. "We have a network of representatives visiting herds routinely that are an important part of the service we offer. These people want to be part of the team to make customers stronger financially. That is why we are committed to elevating the reproduction expertise of every person in the Select Sires network."

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