PLAIN CITY, Ohio, Aug. 14, 2007 — With the release of August 13 genetic evaluations, Select Sires graduates seven diverse Holstein sires with something to offer every dairy producer, including elite type, high-ranking Total Performance Index™ (TPI™), health traits and outstanding production.

"Part of the Select Sires mission statement is to increase the profitability of dairy producers and this graduating class definitely succeeds in fulfilling that mission," said Blaine Crosser, vice president of dairy sire product line and sales management for Select Sires. "This exciting group of bulls features elite sires meeting specific market needs, including sons of 7HO5157 Regancrest Elton DURHAM-ET, 7HO6682 B-Hiddenhills Mar MARMAX-ET and 7HO5708 Fustead Emory BLITZ-ET. All of Select’s new graduates offer an outstanding and broad variety of genetic options for our customers."

Improving Milk Yield by a LANDSLIDE

7HO8193 MR LANDSLIDE-RED-ET debuts as the No. 1 PTA Milk Red and White sire and among Select’s top 10 for the entire Holstein lineup at +1,875 Milk (80% Rel.) and Protein (+52). He is the first MARMAX son to graduate as a proven sire and has the pedigree to complement many of the Red and White bloodlines that are prevalent in the breed today. LANDSLIDE-RED improves rear udder height (2.15) and width (2.66) and ranks among the breed’s elite TPI sires (+1550 TPI).

New Graduate Type Specialists

In the image of his sire, DURHAM, 7HO7653 Plain-O Durham ROSS-331-ET provides big-league type, standing among Select’s top six for Type at +3.27 (68% Rel.-M). He is third among Select’s lineup for Udder Composite (+2.73 UDC) and ranks among the top 20 for Feet and Leg Composite (+1.97 FLC). ROSS is a graduate of the Program for Genetic Advancement Canada™ (PGAC™) and is backed by four generations of Excellent dams. Designated a Superior Settler™, ROSS is summer’s heat stress solution. ROSS has the ability to add stature (+3.55) and pull udders snuggly to the body well (3.36 udder depth).

7HO8036 Rauscher Marshall MASTER advances overall type at +2.93 Type (78% Rel.) and is an udder specialist at +2.53 UDC, placing him sixth on Select’s lineup. A 7HO5375 Mara-Thon BW MARSHALL-ET son, MASTER exhibits impressive linears and well-balanced genetics (+1683 TPI). He will be a perfect match for many BLITZ daughters.

Total Performance Super Stars

7HO7725 Pen-Col ALLOCATE-ET and 7HO7763 Graf-Acres Elation SANA-ET are both total-performance improvers with impressive production data. ALLOCATE ranks fifth on Select’s lineup for TPI at +1765 and second for Net Merit Dollars at +$562 (77% Rel.). He earns these outstanding rankings through an exceptional production evaluation, standing among Select’s top-10 sires for both Protein (+52 88% Rel.) and Fat (+83). ALLOCATE is also designated HealthMark™ because of his exceptional health traits (+3.6 Productive Life, 58% Rel., +0.4 Daughter Pregnancy Rate, 58% Rel. and 2.94 Somatic Cell Score, 73% Rel.). He is also calving ease (7% CE, 72% Rel.) and a Superior Settler. At +1718 TPI, SANA also ranks among Select’s top 10 for Total Performance Index. He debuts as the No. 2 sire on Select’s lineup for Milk at +2,348 (89% Rel.) and is highly reliable with more than 100 daughters in 82 herds in his production evaluation.

Specializing in Health Traits

HealthMark sires 7HO7737 Eastview MENDEV LL-ET and 7HO7735 By-My Blitz CADET-ET offer exceptional health and fitness traits. MENDEV, a Superior Settler, stands among Select’s top 10 for both SCS (2.63, 70% Rel.) and DPR (+0.7, 55% Rel.). He also transmits desirable Productive Life (+2.8, 59% Rel.) and Type (+1.97, 83% Rel.). CADET, a BLITZ son, is a highly reliable former Super Sampler™ with 171 daughters in 93 herds in his production evaluation. At +2.6 PL (62% Rel.), 2.88 SCS (80% Rel.) and +0.3 DPR (64% Rel.), CADET shines in health traits. He is calving ease at 8% CE, 82% Rel. and extremely well-balanced with +2.19 Type (85% Rel.).

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.

™Total Performance Index and TPI are trademarks of Holstein Association USA.
™Program for Genetic Advancement Canada, PGAC, HealthMark, Superior Settler and Super Sampler are trademarks of Select Sires Inc.

Source: 8/07 U.S. Department of Agriculture, Interbull and Holstein Association USA.