Select Sires

SELECTIONS - Summer 2002
The Value of Type

"To manage a profitable dairy today, it’s absolutely imperative to make type a primary consideration in your sire selection," says Holstein Association USA, Brattleboro, Vt.

The popularity of 7HO3948 MJR Blackstar EMORY-ET*TV and his 14 sons at Select Sires shows how producers value sires that can transmit production from strength. EMORY's sons at Select average +2.01 PTAT and +1,474 PTAM. And, 50 percent of Stud Code 7 EMORY sons proven through the PgA have graduated into active-A.I. service - an unheard-of graduation rate.

This strong recommendation, which is consistent with what producers throughout the world tell us, is backed by research looking at the value of type. In a summary reported late last year, Association researchers said:

Bulls that are above-average for type sire daughters that stay in herds longer;
Bulls with higher proofs for final score (Predicted Transmitting Ability for Type), udder composite, and feet-and-leg composite tend to have a higher productive life (PL); and
High udder-composite bulls tend to have PL evaluations that place them in the top third of the breed.

Simply put, those bulls that sire daughters with good type last longer. And, most of these bulls continue to be found in the United States.

In ongoing research that compares the top 100 sires from various countries (using standardized data based on the U.S. formula for Type-Production Index) the Association reports that the United States consistently is at the top for both production and type. In fact, the top 100 U.S. bulls are from 0.50 to 1.00 points higher for PTAT than their counterparts in European countries.

Holstein Association scientists conclude that breeding for good type is essential for creating cows with high production and the conformation to sustain it. This is consistent with what producers see in their erds each and every day.

So it’s no surprise that dairy producers throughout the world show their preference for genetics that provide a balance of production and type. As a result, your Select federation is experiencing sales growth as it continues to emphasize balanced genetics in sire selection and development.

The importance of blending science with what customers want is at the forefront of what Select Sires does to deliver the promise of our mission. That is why each year we progeny-test more than 350 sires of six dairy breeds with your help, making the Program for Genetic Advancement™ North America’s largest program. As you look at PGA™ sires’ pedigrees and the credentials of new active-A.I. graduates, you’ll see that Select’s dairy sire department remains true to its 30-year legacy of seeking the best in type and production.

This legacy continues to yield results: the only three Holstein sires with PTATs higher than +3.00 (7HO6352 Four-of-a-Kind ELAND-ET*TV, 7HO5841 Sikkema-Star-W HI METRO-ET*CV and 7HO5157 Regancrest Elton DURHAM-ET*CV) and 21 additional Holstein sires in the lineup that are higher than +2.00 for type. These Select sires offer a wide array of genetic choices while also averaging +1,310 for PTAM.

The top Holstein for udder composite every quarter since he's been in active-A.I. service, HI METRO now has +3.52 UDC and sires daughters like (L-R): L-B-D Choice Metro 160 (EX-90), owned by Shane & Scott Courtney, Ridgeway, Iowa; AL-E-O Metro 291 (VG-87, EX-MS), owned by S&B Dairy, Sigel, Ill.; and Berning Hi Metro 61, owned by John & Matt Berning, East Dubuque, Ill.

As Holstein Association researchers summarize, there’s a practical reason producers choose to use U.S. sires that transmit good type: it’s economically justified. As a Select Sires patron, you can trust that our federation’s focus on balanced genetics will continue to bring value to your herd for years to come.

™Program for Genetic Advancement and PGA are trademarks of Select Sires Inc.

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