PLAIN CITY, Ohio, May 18, 2007 — With the release of May 14 genetic evaluations, Select Sires graduates one of the largest classes ever with 15 new Holstein sires added to the proven lineup. The new class was designed to offer something for every dairy producer, including a Superior Settler™, a unique-pedigreed Red and White sire and several sires to improve herd longevity.
"Select Sires truly aims to serve the needs of today’s dairy producers," said Blaine Crosser, vice president of dairy sire product line and sales management for Select Sires. "Producers have demanded longer-lasting cows and Select Sires has answered with two categories of bulls that meet the goal of building cattle that last. Fertility and unique pedigrees are also important to customers and Select continues to offer Superior Settlers and outcross sires to meet these needs."
HealthMark™ Sires and Herdlife Builders™: Two Ways to Improve Herd Longevity
The HealthMark and Herdlife Builder categories of sires were both designed to identify bulls that improve herd longevity, but they do so in different ways. HealthMark considers health traits, including Productive Life (PL), Daughter Pregnancy Rate (DPR) and Somatic Cell Score (SCS). HealthMark also incorporates DNA marker information from the IGENITY® comprehensive profile to allow for earlier identification of sires that excel in these difficult-to-predict traits. Herdlife Builder considers PL, but also factors in the type traits (Udder Composite and Foot and Leg Composite) that research shows correlate to the longer life of a cow.
7HO7615 Solid-Gold COLBY-ET is designated HealthMark because of his exceptional health and fitness traits. Sired by Comestar Outside-ET, he stands third among Select’s lineup for PL (+5.6 57% Rel.) and second for DPR (+2.8 58% Rel.). He is also No. 3 among Select sires for TPI™ and No. 25 on the Top-100 of the breed at +1754 (87% Rel.). He increases profits at +$420 Net Merit Dollars (78% Rel.) and produces stylish daughters at +2.21 Type and +2.61 UDC.
7HO7805 Sildahl B MAESTRO-ET is a highly reliable HealthMark sire and son of 7HO5708 Fustead Emory BLITZ-ET. His dam, Sildahl Modern Music-ET (VG-88-GMD-DOM), is a Startmore Rudolph-ET daughter who produced 4.5 percent fat lifetime. MAESTRO’s grandam, scored Excellent (90-3E-EX-MS), produced 268,000 pounds of milk lifetime and averaged 4.6 percent fat. At +.06% Fat (87% Rel.), MAESTRO continues the family tradition as a fat specialist. He also transmits positive health traits (+3.7 PL 56% Rel. 2.86 SCS 72% Rel.) and is an excellent choice for heifers at 7% Calving Ease (72% Rel.).
7HO7839 PLUShanski Forge, a Carol Prelude Mtoto-ET son, is a Herdlife Builder that offers many opportunities with a 7HO2236 Emprise Bell ELTON-free pedigree. He improves the bottom line at +$424 NM$ (74% Rel.) and an impressive +1668 TPI (79% Rel.). PLUS works well for heifers at 7% CE (74% Rel.) and transmits outstanding udders and feet and legs (+1.62 UDC +1.59 FLC). With +3.0 PL (53% Rel.) and 2.61 SCS (69% Rel.), PLUS produces low-maintenance cattle that last.
Herdlife Builder 7HO7901 Silmarillion RELIABLE-ET ranks among Holstein Association USA’s top-100 TPI list at +1636 TPI (82% Rel.). He stands among Select’s top-20 for Net Merit Dollars at +$417 (76% Rel.) and transmits high fat yield at +64 Fat (87% Rel.). Sired by 7HO5710 Pagen-Ernwood DANE-ET, he improves rear udder height (2.25) and width (2.04).
SOCRATES: Summer’s Heat Stress Solution
7HO7712 Velvet-View-KJ SOCRATES-ET joins the active lineup just in time to ease summer’s breeding woes. A Superior Settler and BLITZ son, SOCRATES is backed by four generations of Excellent dams with high components. His dam, Sher-Est Prelude Sweet-ET (EX-92-EX-MS-GMD-DOM), is also the dam of 7HO7451 Velvet-View-KJ SENSATION and 7HO7396 Velvet-View-KJ STRUCTURE-ET. SOCRATES specializes in fat yield at +67 Fat (86% Rel.), ranking among Select’s top-10. He is calving ease at 7% CE (74% Rel.) and fills the bulk tank at +1,401 Milk.
PRESTON Impresses in Many Traits
7HO7841 Ensenada Magna PRESTON-ET, son of 7HO5851 Sikkema-Star Air MAGNA-ET, excels in health traits at 2.93 SCS (71% Rel.) and +2.3 PL (55% Rel.) and offers +1,201 Milk (87% Rel.) with favorable components (+.01% P +.00 F). He improves front teat placement (+2.81) and yields excellent foot angle (+2.26). He sires a moderate-sized cow (+1.22 strength) and great feet and legs (+1.57 FLC 81% Rel.).
SURGE-RED: The Newest Red and White Outcross Sire
The unique-pedigreed Red and White sire, 7HO7664 Glenkeen Adam SURGE-RED-ET, hails from the Scarlet-Red family and is sired by 7HO5785 Sure-View Adon ADAM-RED-ET. His dam, Golden-Oaks M Savanna-ET is scored Excellent (90-EX-MS-DOM). At +2.01 Type (80% Rel.), SURGE-RED should mate well on daughters of 7HO7872 KHW Kite ADVENT-RED-ET, 7HO8430 Zee-Cal PERSIA-RED-ET, Pursuit September Storm and Ladino Park Talent-IMP-ET.
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.
