SELECTIONS - Spring 2007
BLITZ Sons: Destined for Greatness
7HO5708 Fustead Emory BLITZ-ET
Having sold a million units of semen and counting, 7HO5708 Fustead Emory BLITZ-ET has already solidified his place in history as a customer satisfaction specialist. BLITZ, an Excellent (94) Gold Medal sire, is extremely popular throughout the world for his unique ability to combine milk yield and type. In the United States, he is the No. 1 Milk bull in the breed with 99% Reliability. In Canada, he is the No. 2 LPI bull at 99% Reliability and the No. 2 Conformation bull at 99% Reliability. He also ranks first for milk production in Spain.
And now, his sons are stepping into the spotlight. BLITZ was used very early as a sire of sons – foresight that goes back to the success of his sire, 7HO3948 MJR Blackstar EMORY-ET.
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Luck-E Present (EX-92-EX-MS), second lactation,
sired by BLITZ
Joseph M. Engel, Hampshire, Ill.
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"EMORY holds the record at Select Sires for percent of sampled sons to graduate at 50 percent," said Charlie Will, manager, Holstein sire selection for Select Sires. "Select sampled 30 EMORY sons and 15 were returned to the lineup. EMORY became highly regarded as the bull to sire strong cows with great type and big time milk yield. They produced a lot of milk and did it so easily."
Will quickly noticed that when BLITZ daughters began to freshen, they looked like carbon copies of EMORY’s daughters. "BLITZ’s first progeny data reflected his daddy’s proof with even more milk and a cleaner bone to the hock," Will said. "BLITZ appeared to be just like another EMORY, so we used him as a sire father before he had actually graduated into the proven lineup."
Select Sires has 34 sampled BLITZ sons. “We hope we will match or even beat his sire’s success rate for graduates into our active lineup,” Will said. Four sons have already accomplished that feat, entering the proven lineup in February.
7HO7560 Zimmerview BLITZ JINTX-ET is the first of BLITZ’s sons to surpass his sire for milk production, topping Select’s lineup for Milk at +2,610 (95% Rel.). With 312 daughters in 162 herds, this udder improver (+1.52 UDC 90% Rel.) is highly reliable with daughters that have a tremendous will to work in today’s commercial operations. 7HO7744 Palmcrest Blitz BLADE-ET combines high milk with high type (+1,909 Milk 92% Rel. +2.49 Type +1.72 UDC +1.76 FLC 84% Rel.). BLADE adds strength at +1.93, contributing to his designation as a Herdlife Builder™.
7HO7895 Regancrest SEGER-ET and 7HO7762 Diamond-Oak FLINT-ET add to the lineup of BLITZ sons and provide similar customer satisfaction. SEGER ranks among Select's top-20 for milk at +1,650 Milk (83% Rel.) and scores +1636 (78% Rel.) for TPI. He carries the Herdlife Builder designation and improves Type at +2.08. His dam, Regancrest Skychf Sunny-ET (EX-90) hails from the famous Dellia family and is a maternal sister to 7HO7514 REgancrest DESIGN-ET, a popular high-type sire. FLINT stays true to the form of a BLITZ son at +1,477 Milk (84% Rel.). He is also a Herdlife Builder and reduces calving difficulty at 7% CE (72% Rel.). FLINT strengthens the rear legs and his +2.34 foot angle makes him easy to use in herds housed on concrete.
It’s no surprise that BLITZ’s sons are high-milk, high-type sires, following in their sire’s footsteps. "BLITZ has transcended every market throughout the world and is making a positive impact," said Will. He purchased BLITZ for Select Sires as part of the premier progeny test program, the Program for Genetic Advancement™ (PGA™), and BLITZ graduated into Select’s active lineup in 2001.
Will began a close working relationship with Brian and Wendy Fust, the breeders of BLITZ, when Nectarlin Billie Bob Mark caught his eye. He suggested Fust consider using 7HO1897 To-Mar BLACKSTAR-ET, who at the time was not yet released, on Billie Bob, BLITZ’s great grandam and 7HO980 Walkway CHIEF MARK daughter. Fust agreed and Will supplied the pre-released BLACKSTAR semen for the mating. That mating went on to produce 11 calves including Fustead B-Star Blossum-ET (EX-90-EX-MS-GMD-DOM). Five bull calves also resulted, all of which went on to graduate into A.I. service as proven sires. Will then mated Blossum’s best daughter, Fustead Tesk Bev (EX-90-EX-MS-GMD-DOM), to 7HO3948 MJR Blackstar EMORY-ET which resulted in the bull BLITZ, now considered EMORY’s greatest son.
Tesk Bev was a great milk producer, making 46,000 pounds in one year. "That is a lot today, but that was phenomenal then," adds Will. "At the time, EMORY was siring great conformation. And, this mating had milk and high type on the top side and milk on the bottom side of the pedigree. It’s no surprise that BLITZ turned out to be a high type and high milk sire."
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The breeders of BLITZ, Brian and Wendy Fust, Wausau, Wis., are extremely proud of producing such an impactful bull. And with BLITZ sons now on the proven lineup, he will continue to create a positive impact for generations to come.
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Brian Fust has been extremely pleased with the success of BLITZ and the entire cow family. "Charlie deserves the credit for the whole family," Fust said. "We had a jump on the BLACKSTARs and that’s where it all started." Fust also doesn’t mind the attention they receive because of BLITZ. "It’s very rewarding. It’s so fun talking to people about him; the whole experience has been very positive."
Producing such a popular bull is an accomplishment some breeders only dream about. "A lot of breeders spend a lifetime trying to breed a cow that will make a difference," Will said. "BLITZ is one of those bulls that has made a difference in tens of thousands of herds throughout the world."
™TPI is a trademark of Holstein Association, USA
™Herdlife Builder, Program for Genetic Advancement and PGA are trademarks of Select Sires Inc.
Source: 2/07 U.S. Department of Agriculture, Interbull and Holstein Association USA.
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