Select Sires

SELECTIONS - Spring 2007

Advanced Training Helps Select Sires' Evaluators Create Genetic Business Plans

For more than thirty years, Select Sires’ Select Mating Service™ (SMS™) has been building better cows throughout the world. The most widely accepted mating program in the world, more than 1.3 million new animals were mated in 2006 with the total number of matings equaling more than 3.3 million. SMS is a genetic business plan for which professional evaluators use research, computerized analysis, cow knowledge and a good relationship with dairymen to make the correct selection of sires to meet breeding goals, one corrective mating at a time.

Each year SMS evaluators meet to discuss new technologies and recent trends and view progeny of Select's current lineup and potential graduates, all with the customer in mind. All-West/Select Sires., Turlock, Calif., coordinated this year’s conference in California.

"The 2007 SMS conference was not only the largest attended conference in our history, but also one of the highest quality daughter displays of Select-sired cattle ever," said Lon Peters, vice president dairy sire products and services for Select Sires. "In addition, California dairy families demonstrated to this group what the meaning of hospitality truly is by allowing our visits to their large dairies and sharing springtime sunshine, the smell of fresh cut alfalfa and outstanding progeny of Select Sires genetics. The ability to see daughters of our genetics is extremely valuable in our huge responsibilities of designing 'Genetic Business Plans' throughout the world for our dairy producers. The Select federation is appreciative to these dairy producers and the hard work by All-West staff in their organization of the four-day conference."

The first day of the conference included educational seminars presented by Select’s sire department and marketing staff. Dr. Gordon Atkins, co-owner of Continental Holstein in Calgary, Canada and member of the Holstein Canada type committee, discussed how to build a functional cow and Dr. Stewart Bauck of Merial introduced updates to IGENITY DNA markers. Attendees discussed the Program for Genetic Advancement (PGA), SMS technology updates and upcoming changes in genetic evaluations.

The following three days involved sessions focused on discussing specific linear traits as well as unity within traits. During the farm tour, 94 SMS evaluators and Select Sires staff from 11 different countries viewed Select-sired daughters on 17 different California dairies, which included Slo-Train Holsteins, Firebaugh; Mt. Whitney Dairy, Riverdale; Rio Blanco Dairy, Tulare; Curtmaid Holsteins, Tulare; Mayflower Dairy, Tulare; Jer-Z-Boyz, Pixley; Calori-D Holsteins, Denair; Silveira Family Dairy, Hilmar; Alamo Dairy, Crows Landing; Clover Prairie, Hilmar; Mr. and Mrs. Anthony Vierra, Hilmar; Gen-Ace Dairy, Modesto; Prins Dairy, Oakdale; FDB Holsteins, Escalon and Exels Holsteins, Lodi. The group also visited JLG Enterprises Inc., Oakdale, to view a bull parade.

Group Photo

More than 90 Select Sires professional evaluators and staff from 11 different countries attended this year's Evaluators' Conference, hosted by All-West/Select Sires in California. World Wide Sires Inc., Visalia, Calif., hosted the group for dinner.

™Select Mating Service and SMS 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