Select Sires

SELECTIONS - Winter 2003
Reliable Genetic Superiority,
Time After Time

Not only did 7JE442 Rock Ella PARAMOUNT-ET top Select's list of high-selling Jerseys, but the AJCA also registered more than 2,300 of his offspring in 2002, making him the breed's second-highest sire of registered offspring last year.
Photo by Frank Robinson.

More than 50 percent of the genes represented in the Holstein active-A.I. sire population today come from Select Sires, according to Holstein Association USA (see page 1 of the fall 2002 Selections). Not only is this impressive, but it also begs the question, "is this high level of genetic influence seen in other breeds, too?"

To answer this within the Jersey breed, we used the same procedure to look at five generations of pedigree information for sires that were active in November 2002. The resulting list shows the genetic contribution each bull has made to the active-A.I. sire population that is being used today, as measured by percent "genes in common." When looking at the highest 20 of this influential group (all with 3.2 percent or more genes in common), you’ll find that the top four are Select sires.Led by 7JE177 Highland Magic DUNCAN and 7JE159 Soldier Boy Boomer SOONER of CJF, Select sires have 56 percent of the influence within this exclusive group (see Figure 1).

Figure 1. Percent of genes in common for Jersey sires, showing each A.I. stud's genetic contribution to the breed's active-A.I. list.

Data from November 2002

This genes-in-common analysis documents past matings dairy producers and A.I. organizations have made to create bulls that now are in active-A.I. service. But, are there other measures that show more recent genetic choices?

Breed associations regularly track registry activity by sire for both females and males, which shows the bulls used most for matings within the past several years. Since 1999, at least four of the five top sires of registered Holstein offspring are from Select. Leading the 2002 list is 7HO5157 Regancrest Elton DURHAM-ET*CV, followed by 7HO6250 Ricecrest EMERSON-ET*BL,TV, 7HO5375 Mara-Thon BW MARSHALLET* TV and 7HO6352 Four-of-a-Kind ELAND-ET*TV.

Renwind Durham Charity (VG-85), owned by Ted Renner, Dalton, Ohio, is representative of DURHAM's early second-crop daughters. Results like this are why, for the past three years, DURHAM has been on of the breed's top five sires of registered offspring.
Photo by Frank Robinson.

When looking at the 20 Jersey sires that had the most offspring registered annually for the past three years, Select-sired animals represent 50 percent of this group (more than 20,000 head each year). With 5,000 daughters and sons registered between them in 2002 alone, 7JE424 Molly Brook Glnwood FREEDOM-ET and PARAMOUNT topped the registry list this past year.

So what does this mean for dairy producers? History and current sire usage shows that Select-sired genetics have influenced the Holstein and Jersey breeds more positively than the genetics of any other A.I. organization. Because of Select’s commitment to research and development, as demonstrated by the annual sampling of more than 350 bulls of six dairy breeds, you can trust that semen from Select Sires will continue to provide reliable genetic superiority in dairy herds for years to come.

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