Select Sires

SELECTIONS - Summer 2005
PGA: Success Brings Greater Need

by Chuck Sattler, vice president, genetic programs

The popularity and demand for semen on the top bulls at Select Sires has never been higher. In response to this, Select’s research and development activities in looking for ways to meet this growing demand have never been more active. In the same manner, our largest development program, the Program for Genetic Advancement™ (PGA™), needs to grow as well.

The PGA is a program where Select Sires works together with its member cooperatives and dairy producers to gather evaluation information to identify the breeds' top sires. Because of this high level of cooperation, it is important that our development programs remain in line with marketing needs.

PGA graduate 7HO6417 OMAN has been the No. 1 sire in the breed for TPI and NM$ since his debut into active A.I.

The Time is Right

Select Sires made a major investment in development programs in 2000 when the PGA and Sire Power’s GOLD program were combined. This has turned out to be a successful venture. But, since that time the number of bulls sampled has remained steady while semen sales have continued to grow. The gap between growing sales and sampling numbers has been obvious for several years in Jerseys but now is an emerging trend in Holsteins as well. Additional sampling capacity is also needed in Brown Swiss.

Based on recent sales success and forecasts for a continued strong dairy economy, the time is right for a renewed effort to expand the Select Sires sampling program. Several areas need to be addressed to expand PGA but one of the key areas is to grow the level of young sire use by PGA herds.

The need for young sire use is just as high during periods of high milk prices as it is when they are low. A previous Selections article discussed the appropriate role for young sires in your breeding program. For Holstein herds, having 30 percent of your calves sired by young sires is an appropriate target. Reasonable levels for breeds with smaller populations are higher and it is appropriate for young bulls to sire 40 percent to 50 percent of the calves in Jersey, Brown Swiss, Guernsey and Ayrshire herds.

Most importantly, if you are not participating in PGA, now is an excellent time to consider joining. Good information has never been more important in managing a successful dairy operation and participating in progeny testing programs is the only way to achieve good genetic information on the bulls you use.

Cover girl GR Land of Living B Sally (EX-91) was named Supreme Champion in the 75th Hoard's Dairyman Cow Judging Contest. This daughter of Select young sire 7GU348 Maplehurst Magicmans BEST is owned by Land of Living Farm, Mechanicsburg, Ohio. Photo courtesy of Hoard's Dairyman.

Meeting Producer's Needs

Another valuable component of a large sampling program is the opportunity to sample a wide variety of bulls. High production with functional type continues to be the primary selection focus. The demand for high type bulls continues to be strong and is a market that deserves attention. Pedigree diversity is another area where an expanded sampling program can provide some opportunities. There also is a growing need for gathering additional data and selecting bulls based on health and fertility traits.

Health and fertility traits have low heritabilities and require us to get more daughters on each bull to reach genetic evaluations with reasonable reliability levels. Select Sires has achieved good progress in this area recently by steadily increasing the number of daughters in the proofs of our new graduates. We are certainly interested in at least maintaining these daughter levels as we work to sample additional bulls.

The Super Sampler™ program has been a key factor in growing the daughter numbers in early evaluations of our graduates. Recent graduation rates of Super Samplers has been outstanding and currently 30 percent of the Holstein lineup are bulls that were originally available as Super Samplers. Select Sires staff is looking at ways to best take advantage of the additional sampling opportunity Super Samplers provide.

PGA herd owner Gary DeGraaf (far right), Jer-Z-Boyz Ranch, Pixley, Calif., looks at a group of second-lactation 7JE605 Sunset Canyon MECCA-ET daughters with All West/Select Sires representative Marvin Correia.

Looking to the Future

All signs point to a growing need for more bulls sampled through PGA and growing the number of daughters evaluated for each of those bulls. Your participation through use of young sires in your breeding program, whether through the PGA program or as Super Samplers, will be a key part in meeting these future market needs. PGA benefits are available to those herds that provide the early data used to evaluate newly proven bulls. You also get the benefit of the Select Sires long track record of consistently producing outstanding genetic results. Please take a few minutes and review the level of young sires used in your breeding program with your Select Sires sales representative.

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

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