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Select Sires’ Reproductive Specialists
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PLAIN CITY, Ohio, July 12, 2005 — Providing genetically superior bovine semen to customers is the gold standard at Select Sires. Supplying the A.I. industry’s most reliable reproductive resources to customers is an important component in turning that genetically superior semen into a pregnancy.

"When we deliver 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 and beef producers today. 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."

In order to do just that, Select Sires hosts a number of training opportunities throughout the year. Select’s Train the Trainer conference was held June 22 – 24 in Greensboro, N.C. Hosted by Select Sire Power, a member of Select Sires, the objective of the conference was to train key representatives of the Select Reproductive Solutions™ (SRS™) team on herd record analysis and reproductive troubleshooting.

"Research shows that if a producer is having trouble getting cows bred, it might be more than just his reproductive management program that is causing the problem," points out Dr. Ray Nebel, senior reproduction and dairy herd management specialist, Select Sires Inc. "That is why at this conference we chose to focus on a number of issues that can affect reproductive efficiency."

Thirty primary reproductive specialists from across the country – representing all of the Select Sires member cooperatives – attended the three-day session. The agenda was packed with industry recognized experts in their individual fields including Dr. Greg Bethard of G & R Consulting on "How to Identify Nutritional Challenges to Reproductive Performance"; Dr. Tom Bailey, Monsanto Dairy Business, on "The Role that Cow Comfort Plays in Achieving Good Reproductive Performance"; and Dr. Roger Saltman, senior veterinarian, Pfizer Animal Health, speaking about "How to Identify Infectious Challenges to Reproductive Performance".

After a day of classroom training, the Reproductive Solutions team was divided into work groups and given the opportunity to apply their knowledge on the farm. Dwayne Myers Dairy, North Carolina, hosted the applied portion of the symposium. Work groups began a full reproductive analysis of this well-managed herd and its records.

"When reproductive specialists begin to deeply analyze herd records they start to form an idea of what is going on in a herd, but it is imperative that they speak face to face with management in order to truly see the whole picture and to identify direct or indirect reasons for the reproductive performance of a herd," Nebel points out.

Day two of the conference, Nebel assisted each work group in analyzing their findings and developing a presentation to report those findings to the Meyers Dairy management team.

The 30 primary SRS Specialists participating in the symposium are now multiplying the impact by training other personnel in the Select Sires supply line. The majority of Select Sires’ sales force is tested and "certified" in their reproductive knowledge biennially. Advanced level exams are administered for certification of SRS Specialists.

"At Select Sires, we know that one person can’t solve every breeding problem from coast to coast," DeJarnette explains. "We have a network of representatives visiting herds routinely that are an important part of the Select Reproductive Solutions package. These people want to be part of the team to make our customers stronger financially. That’s why we are committed to elevating the reproductive 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 dairy and beef producers with North America’s best genetics at a reasonable price.

™Select Reproductive Solutions and SRS are trademarks of Select Sires Inc.





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