Selections News - Select Sires Inc.

selectionsYour Guide To reproducTive SoluTionS

Select Sires is Bullish on Investing in Your Future 3

Reflection of Changes Following January 2010 Evaluations 4-5

gender SELECTed Semen Update 6

RePRO Analysis - More Than Just Monitoring the Past 8-9

It’s Time to Form a Mycotoxin Battle Plan 12

SPRING 2010

Select Sires continues to offer the best sires and fertility in gender SELECTed semen. Learn how to make their use economically feasible on Page 6.

The Legendary O Man PersisTs wiTh The FuTure OF his sOns

The legend himself, 7HO6417 O-Bee

MANfred Justice-ET has impacted the breed not only through his own extraordinary genetics but now through his elite sons and daughters. Known for his strength in Net Merit value (NM$), high Total Performance Index™ (TPI™), outstanding health traits and redefining calving-ease, O MAN’s impact on the breed continues to unfold through the best of his sons. Currently, 39 O MAN sons rank on the Top-100 TPI list.

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Top to Bottom: Opsal O-Man Frost-ET (EX-91), Troy D. Opsal, Blue Mounds, Wis.; Ralma Christmas Cookie-ET (VG-89-EX-MS-DOM), Alfred and Mark Schmitt, Rice, Minn.; A-L-H Destiny-ET (VG-87-GMD-DOM), Regancrest Farm and Adolf Langhout, Waukon, Iowa.; De-Su Oman 6121-ET (VG-86-GMD-DOM), De Su Holsteins LLC, New Albin, Iowa. O MAN photo taken by Han Hopman.

O MAN, an Excellent (94) Gold Medal sire, arrived onto the proven lineup scene in May of 2003 and instantly became an elite sire at Select Sires. He started his active A.I. career as the breed’s best sire for TPI and held that prominent spot for three years. O MAN was also the breed leader for Net Merit Dollars for more than five years and offered fitness traits that were needed in the breed. “O MAN sires the true type model cow for the commercial dairymen,” said Charlie Will, manager of Holstein sire selection for Select Sires. “He came along at just the right time in history, just when Holstein breeders were looking to reduce calving difficulty and improve cow fertility in their herds.”

Legendary Sire Today, O MAN is among Holstein’s top-10 TPI sires with an impressive +2130 GTPI-M and holds the No. 2 spot for Net Merit value at +$729. The influential sire was bred by Gary, Gaylon and Steve Obert, Dakota, Ill. The son of Ha-Ho Cubby Manfred-ET, he is out of an Excellent (92-EX-MS-GMD-DOM) 7HO2236 Emprise Bell ELTON daughter, Meier-Meadows El Jezebel-ET. Jezebel has established herself as an outstanding transmitter. “O MAN led the way,” stated Gaylon Obert, Dakota, Ill. Gaylon, and his two brothers, Gary and Steve, are extremely

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...continued from page 1 proud of having bred a bull who has made such an incredible impact on the breed. “As commercial dairymen, we are thankful we could provide the high health trait genetics to dairymen around the world,” he said. O MAN carries many special designations from Select Sires on his extensive record of attributes. He displays strong fitness traits (+5.2 PL, +2.6 DPR and +2.70 SCS) and carries the HealthMark™ and Herdlife Builder™ designations. His extremely low Calving Ease (3%) makes him a calving-ease specialist, and his ability to sire daughters that will have the built-in means to produce more income with less feed labels him as a FeedPRO™ sire. In July 2009, O MAN solidified his position as a legendary sire when his one millionth unit was sold and he joined Select Sires’ Millionaire Club. At 11 years old, O MAN became the fifth sire in Select Sires’ federation history to achieve this million-unit mark, and his total number of units sold continue to rise. Success Stories O MAN has been successful for a variety of dairy producers because his daughters produce volumes of high-component milk, calve easily, breed back quickly and have great feet and legs and strength to compete well in large, challenging herd environments. For herd owner John Douglass, his

herd confirms the value and belief in O MAN as a sire. John owns and operates two dairies, Catalpadale Dairy in Marshallville, Ohio and Coral Hill Dairy LLC in Glasgow, Ky. The Catalpadale herd has a total of 272 milking O MAN daughters. These daughters outperform their herdmates with +868 pounds of milk deviation. There are 101 first lactation daughters that show the true performance with +1,673 pounds milk deviation. The second herd, Coral Hill, has 83 totalO MAN daughters with +2,067 pounds milk deviation. The herd started to use O MAN because of his elite Net Merit dollar value, outstanding TPI, superior udder, strong feet and legs and his tremendous health traits. “He set the bar nicely for Productive Life, and it surely makes the difference,” noted John. “O MAN also fits the needs of composition for a commercial dairyman.” Besides using O MAN, the herd is currently using three of his sons, 7HO8559 Macomber O-Man BOGART, 7HO8747 End-Road O-Man BRONCO-ET, and 7HO8530 Ladys-Manor O AUTUMN-ET. “Our daughters of O MAN and O MAN sons are tremendous cattle that are built to last a long time. They transition well and require little maintenance,” stated John. “In addition, they are functional and mobile cattle that were built for three times a day milking. They are what dairyman are looking for today.”

John has 384 O MAN heifers waiting to show their genetic potential in the two herds. In addition, he has many more on the way, including daughters of O MAN sons. A second breeder who finds the value in his O MAN daughters is Rich Bishop of Bishcroft Farm LLC, Roaring Branch, Pa. The Bishcroft herd is milking a group of over a dozen O MAN daughters. “We love the way that our O MAN daughters hit the ground and calve in,” stated Rich. “A 3% calving ease is simply unheard of, and it was the primary reason we started to use O MAN in our herd.” The Bishcroft herd has been using O MAN sons in their breeding program and have daughters of 7HO8559 BOGART and 7HO8747 BRONCO in their milking herd as a result of the Program for Genetic Advancement™ (PGA™).

Bright Future for O MAN Exactly one year following the release of O MAN’s first proven sons, Select Sires has 13 O MAN sons and one grandson on active lineup. O MAN sons dominate the Top-100 TPI list as 16 sons rank in the top 25. His sons exhibit the same outstanding fitness traits with elite Net Merit and Productive Life for which O MAN is known, but each brings a unique offering to the table. Two of his sons, 7HO8559 BOGART and 7HO8747 BRONCO, are ranked among the top 15 for TPI. Both sons carry on the tradition of their sire as Net Merit, TPI and calving-ease specialists. BOGART, with the FeedPRO designation, has a Net Merit value of +$547 and a GTPI of +2033. This HealthMark sire produces daughters that last like his sire (+3.9 PL), breed back (+2.6 DPR) and have low somatic cell scores (2.65 SCS). BRONCO also has elite Net Merit Dollar value (+$508) with a GTPI of +2024 and low calving difficulty (5%). Additionally, BRONCO daughters produce volumes of milk (+1,540 Milk) with high component yield (+50 Protein, +55 Fat).

Southland Holsteins O MAN daughter group, Teteringen, Netherlands. Photo by Alger Meekma. ...continued to page 5

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Select Sires is Bullish on Investing in Your Future!by David C. Thorbahn, president and C.E.O.

be completed in June of 2010. These barns will house 80 additional bulls and be qualified to ship semen to any country in the world.

Additionally, Select Sires has continued to expand investment by researching semen quality and sexed semen. In 2009, Select Sires initiated and/or completed 38 research projects from our in-house lab, field research trials with our field testing program, the Program for Fertility Advancement™, joint university research trials and joint research with partners. Select is pleased with the semen fertility results we are receiving from the USDA, AgriTech Analytics, and our own in-house data analysis program. All three of these sources show Select Sires as the leader in semen fertility. Study the results in this edition and see for yourself. Select Sires’ board of directors has approved an expanded list of research programs scheduled for 2010. We are being aggressive to make sure you will receive the highest quality product possible.

Select Sires continues to focus on providing you the most advanced genetic programs through our elite genetics and new innovations that

we develop for you, the breeder. I am sure you have noticed that half of the industry’s top-100 TPI Holsteins are sired by Select Sires’ bulls. It is a

I would like to personally thank you for your continued business. It was clear, in the troubled times of 2009 that more dairy and beef producers showed trust in Select Sires to help them through the worst industry crisis in 25 years. Our industry leading market share reached its highest point in the history of Select Sires. Difficult times call for most companies to hunker down, cut expenses, lay people off, and hope to survive to serve another day! One of Select Sires’

nine core value principles, “good stewardship of assets,” has made Select Sires conservative in good times so we can invest regardless of the times. Select Sires did not have to lay off employees, has been aggressive by investing in research and new production facilities while investigating new products and services that will add productivity and profitability to your cattle enterprise.

Select Sires continues to invest in the training of our world class service team. While competitors were laying employees off, Select Sires held a national training program in Columbus, Ohio, where over 300 of Select Sires’ best and brightest learned about genomics, reproduction and advanced fertility to better serve you. In 2009, more than 50 experienced professional Select Sires technicians completed six advanced SelectCheck™ training schools to improve their skill level. Select Sires has also invested in the Center for Excellence, an online training site for our entire work force to advance the level of understanding and knowledge of reproduction, genomics, dairy management and business management. The goal is to continue to have the most highly trained and advanced personnel available to assist your operations. These programs will be expanded in 2010.

Select Sires has completed construction on a new 28-bull global production facility. The board of directors has approved two additional state-of-the-art mature bull production facilities that are currently under construction and will

demonstration of our commitment to you. In addition, our newest genetic innovation is the FeedPRO™ index, which is a scientific index to develop cattle that produce the highest income over feed costs in the industry. This concept is supported by researchers in genetics as well as nutritionists to develop efficient cattle. To further our focus on providing you with the best, Select Sires will continue its research in genomics to provide you the best genetics money can buy at a reasonable price.

We thank you for the increased confidence you have shown your Select Sires cooperative in the darkest days of the dairy industry. In response, Select Sires has been bullish on investing in the areas that will bring you more value to ensure that we continue to earn your trust and your business.

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Along with the regular base change, the Total Performance Index™ (TPI™) formula and Net Merit index were also updated with the January 2010 proofs.

Recognizing the needs and strengths of the Holstein breed as well as the opportunities provided by genomic evaluations, the Holstein Association changed the TPI formula to increase emphasis on Productive Life (PL) and Daughter Pregnancy Rate (DPR) and reduce the emphasis on production traits and overall conformation (PTAT). As is customary, the Net Merit formula has been revised so that it is updated at the same time as the base change. Economic assumptions used in formulating Net Merit, such as milk prices, feed prices and replacement heifer prices have been adjusted. The 2010 Net Merit index places more emphasis on PL, DPR and smaller body size. It has reduced emphasis on fat and protein yield. To further explain how these changes may affect you, Lon Peters, vice president of dairy sire product services and international, and Rick VerBeek, dairy sire analyst, join us to discuss the base change, TPI formula update and Net Merit index.

Which of the changes from January genetic evaluations do you feel will have the most impact on breeders? Lon Peters: Both the Net Merit Dollar and TPI formulas with more weight

Every five years, the USDA updates the base used for genetic evaluations to allow for easier comparison. This base change occurred with the January 2010 genetic summary and the PTA values for most traits are now lower because each animal is being compared to a more modern base population. The base change is a convenient time to analyze the amount of genetic progress made in the last five years.

on fitness traits will definitely impact breeders and the future of dairy cattle breeding. I agree that genetically, we need to strive to breed healthier cattle, and these changes move the population in that direction. I do however struggle, due to the low heritabilities of these traits, in how much change will result. If you are a breeder with goals to sell high index cattle, you sure need to concentrate sire selection on fitness trait values, especially Productive Life, as this single trait has tremendous influence on rankings today. Other dairymen may follow a different selection path to continue using the type of genetics they feel meet their breeding goals.

Will a breeder’s selection change as a result of the base change? Rick VerBeek: I always think of the base change as “Genetic Report Card” time. “Genetic Report Card” time provides a great opportunity to review your selection criteria and make sure that you are emphasizing the traits that are most important for your herd and to make sure that you are placing enough selection pressure in those areas for maximum progress.

As the TPI formula was adjusted, less emphasis appears on type. Should breeders adjust their mating to reflect this? Rick VerBeek: Yes, it is true that a

can be tremendous, but one has to stay the course and make small, subtle changes to reflect new genetic tools. SMS evaluators, like many sales personnel, are also armed with new selection tools that provide the ability to help you create your own index or use one of the established indexes developed in the SMS and bull selection programs. The result will be bulls that match exactly what dairymen feel is important in reaching their genetic and performance goals.

With genomic evaluations in place for one year, young sires are being evaluated by their genomic information. How can genomic young sires fit into a breeding program? Rick VerBeek: I have always believed that young sires have a place in nearly every breeding program. Determining how young sires fit into your breeding program is a lot like determining how to invest in the stock market–risk management. Some aggressive breeders will decide to use young sires exclusively, while others may choose to keep breeding entirely with high reliability bulls. There isn’t a right answer here. The amount of risk you are willing to assume will most likely determine how heavily you incorporate young sires in your breeding program. The genomic predictions of young bulls result in reliability levels of about 70 percent, nearly double the levels possible before genomic predictions were available. This increased reliability makes the use of young sires a much safer bet than ever before. However, when compared to progeny-tested bulls that have over 90 percent reliability, you have to expect more consistent results from the higher reliability bulls. Whether you are considering using a young sire on an individual cow or breeding your whole herd to young sires, consider all your options, determine your breeding goal, evaluate the risk, and then make the mating that best serves your herd for the long term.

little less weight will be given to PTAT. However, two of the most important type traits, udders and feet and legs will have the same overall weighting that they have always received in the TPI formula. In addition, we have found that by heavily weighting PTAT, we are also increasing the emphasis on stature. We have noticed a definite increase in breeders looking for bulls that sire moderate-size cows with great udders and feet and legs. This new TPI formula should do a much better job compared to the previous formula of allowing the bulls that transmit those qualities to rank higher for TPI. If selecting for type is your primary selection criteria, then the continued selection for PTAT, Udder Composite and Feet and Leg Composite should assist you in finding the right bulls for your program. I think the unique thing about the Select lineup is the ability for a breeder to find breed-leading bulls in every selection category!Lon Peters: It is also important to note that several sires on the Top-100 TPI list have type values lower than expected for a high ranking bulls in the industry. PTA type was not the change that influenced TPI the most here in January. Once the Picston Shottle-ET, Braedale Goldwyn, 7HO6758 Regancrest-MR Drham SAM-ET sons and others hit the TPI list in the next year, our opinion of type being less emphasized probably will disappear, as this is definitely sire related. Any adjustment needed for type will be cured real soon.

What advice can you give to Select Sires customers for their breeding selection program using the updated tools available? Lon Peters: My first answer would always be use the knowledge of the Select Mating Service™ (SMS™) professionals. These professionals, when supplied with genetic goals, can move the herd in the right direction as long as the herd follows their advice. Genetic improvement

Reflection of Changes Following January 2010 Evaluationsby Lon Peters, vice president of dairy sire product services and international, and Rick VerBeek, dairy sire analyst

Rick VerBeek

Lon Peters

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Select Sires is pleased to announce that elite sire 7HO5708 Fustead Emory BLITZ-ET has produced and sold 1,523,129 units of semen through January 31, 2010, making him the number one bull for sales and production of all-time for Select Sires. This milestone achieved by very few sires, lands him ahead of 7HO3707 Paradise-R Cleitus MATHIE*CV with 1,507,204 units and 7HO4213 Robthom INTEGRITY-ET with 1,502,524 units of lifetime sales.

BLITZ Becomes All-Time High Production Bull at Select Sires

“BLITZ has achieved an enormous feat and becomes a legend for Select Sires history,” said Blaine Crosser, vice president of dairy sire product line and sales management for Select Sires. “This vast achievement demonstrates the customer appeal and satisfaction that BLITZ has provided to Holstein breeders throughout the world.”

At 13 years of age, this mega-milestone is evidence to the excellent care that bulls receive at Select Sires.

The Excellent (95) Gold Medal sire is a true milk master. BLITZ ranks

second among Select’s lineup sires for Milk at +1,948. Part of BLITZ’s appeal has been his strong type pattern that allows daughters to not only milk volumes but also achieve success on classification day and on the tanbark.

Charlie Will, manager of Holstein sire selection for Select Sires, worked closely with the breeders of BLITZ, Brian and Wendy Fust, Wausau, Wis., to develop this legend. Source: 01/10 USDA Genomic Evaluation, USDA/HA Genomic Type Evaluation, and USDA/IB Genomic Evaluation. 01/10 Rel.: BLITZ USDA/IB 99%. 7HO5708 BLITZ leads Select Sires bulls for sales and production with 1,523,129 units of semen through January 2010.

A MODERN TEAT DIP FOR MODERN PRODUCERS.Ask your Select Sires representative for more information about Aztec Gold.

Aztec Gold™ has the strong germicidal kill and excellent skin conditioning qualities you need to protect your girls between milkings. it’s the new teat dip ideally suited for modern management systems, with rich color that endures for five hours, so you can see the coverage.

PROTECT AGAINST MASTITIS5 HOUR BLINGWITH

New graduate, 7HO8866 Springway CARUSO-ET ranks among the top 40 active A.I. sires for GTPI at +1928. He produces strong cows (+2.97 Strength) that can handle any environment (+2.63 FLC). With the HealthMark designation, he reveals elite Net Merit Dollar value (+$423) and high Protein (+42) with strong fitness traits (2.69 SCS and +0.9 DPR). Like his sire, CARUSO also ranks below the breed average for Calving Ease at 5%. 7HO8715 Windsor-Manor Z OFFICER-ET (+1882 GTPI) is making trouble-free, long-lasting, profitable cows. He is out of the world-renowned Windsor-Manor Rud Zip (EX-95-3E-EX-MS-GMD-DOM). The HealthMark sire depicts great fitness traits (+3.2 PL and +2.0 DPR) and is a calving-ease specialist (5% CE). Additionally, he earns the FeedPRO designation. Additional O MAN sons available at Select Sires include: 7HO8530 AUTUMN,

7HO8612 Art-Acres Just BOB 988-ET, 7HO8625 Mr Schultz Oman BUTCH-ET, 7HO8659 Glen-D-Haven Oman SILVA-ET, 7HO8662 Pine-Shelter O LARIAT-ET, 7HO8744 Gross-Farm O-Man SECRET-ET, 7HO8772 Schillview O-Man GROOVY-ET, 7HO8847 RICECREST Oliver-ET, and 7HO8884 Tomlu Oman DOTCOM-ET. The first O MAN grandson to enter active A.I., 7HO8553 Charlesdale ASTROLGER-ET, is out of one of O MAN’s best first-crop daughters, Charlesdale Sweet Star (VG-85-DOM). ASTROLGER offers high Daughter Pregnancy Rate (+2.0 DPR) and high Protein (+33) with a GTPI of +1858. When looking to use the best of the best, look no further than Select Sires, offering the legend himself, O MAN, and the best of his sons. Source: 01/10 USDA Genomic Evaluation, USDA/HA Genomic Type Evaluation, and USDA/IB Genomic Evaluation. M=IB-M/Interbull-Mace. 01/10 Rel.: OMAN NM$ 99%, PL 99%, DPR 99%, SCS 99%, CE 99%; BOGART NM$ 81%, PL 74%, DPR 70%, SCS 81%; BRONCO NM$ 80%, CE 81%, USDA 89%; CARUSO USDA/HA 85%, NM$ 81%, USDA 90%, SCS 82%, DPR 69%, CE 85%; OFFICER PL 77%, DPR 76%, CE 86%; ASTROLGER DPR 71%, USDA 90%.

The Legendary O MAN ...continued from page 2

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Another important factor to consider is that the range in sire fertility with sexed semen can be twice as large as that obtained with conventional semen. To minimize the variance in success of our gender SELECTed™ sires, Select Sires closely scrutinizes both the semen quality and field fertility data with conventional semen before we allow a bull to qualify as a candidate for sex-sorting. Because all sexed semen released for sale must pass the same stringent post-thaw semen quality evaluations, this variance in sire fertility is believed to be largely due to differences among bulls in their ability to maintain acceptable levels of fertility at the low sperm number dosages dictated by the sex sorting procedure. Thus, the recommendation is to use sexed semen from a variety of bulls to reduce the risk of a low conception sire.

Select Sires continually collects conception data from herds using gender SELECTed semen to calculate sexed semen fertility deviations and removes bulls from the lineup that perform unacceptably. This data is also used to help further our understanding of post-thaw semen quality attributes that may allow us to better predict sire conception potential using sex-sorted semen.

Though demand is down, sexed semen continues to be a tool for dairy producers to generate a higher yield of heifer calves. Today’s economic environment simply dictates that sexed semen be used more selectively on females that are most desirable to produce herd replacements.

Irrespective of service sire genetic merit, a common reason given by dairy producers to justify their use of sexed semen is the value of heifers having heifers instead of bull calves. The economics associated with reduced calving problems are difficult to calculate or estimate, but over and over this has been cited by producers as a real and tangible value of sexed semen. “The best thing that we’ve ever done here on transitioning two-year-olds is go to sexed semen,” tells Gary Henrickson of Bella Holsteins, Platteville, Colo. “I use sexed semen for one reason - to get a smaller calf and not bruise up a first-calf heifer. I used to have that +/- 100 pound loss in body weight from these beautiful heifers calving in with a bull calf and in four to five weeks they looked horrible...you delay the profitability of these heifers,” says Gary.

Many herds that have used sexed semen for years are still using it, but are now being more selective about which heifers they choose to mate with sexed product. Other producers are using sexed semen on first lactation, high-index cows in good standing heat. Conception rates in cows are reduced by a similar magnitude as previously seen in heifers (approximately 75 to 80 percent of conventional). Commonly, conception rates for heifers decrease from about 60 percent with conventional to 45 to 48 percent with sexed, whereas for cows, 33 to 35 percent with conventional becomes 25 to 28 percent with sexed.

gender SELECTed Semen Update

The present dairy economy has reduced the demand for sexed semen with many dairy producers focusing attention on the bulls they want genetically superior replacements from versus the use of sexed semen just to generate more heifers. Changes in the supply and demand for conventional semen from elite, high genetic merit sires, makes sorting these sires to provide you with better genetic choices more economically feasible than when sexed semen first became available in 2006.

A new sexed semen option of 75 percent x-chromosome-enriched semen versus the initial 90 percent x-chromosome-sorted semen is now in the market place. This product uses identical sorting procedures to the 90 percent product but simply “opens the gates” to allow more male sperm to enter the retained sample. The 75 percent product is packaged at the same sperm concentration as the 90 percent product, so conception rates will be the same. The only obvious advantage to a 75 percent biased product would be more efficient production and therefore a lower retail cost for a “sex-sorted” product.

To estimate the economics of a commercially offered 75 percent sexed-biased product, Select Sires used an independent economic spread sheet calculator for sexed semen developed by the University of Wisconsin (http://www.uwex.edu/ces/dairymgt/tools/documents/EV_SexedSemen.pdf) to estimate the break-even values for the price of a 75 percent sexed-biased product compared to the standard 90 percent product using the following assumptions: 1. Conception rates of the 75 and 90 products are equal and both are 75 percent of that achieved with conventional semen. 2. Females are bred twice to sexed semen before switching to conventional semen. 3. Cost of the 90 percent pure sexed semen = $35, $30 or $25/straw. 4. Cost of conventional semen = $15/straw and yields 48 percent heifer calves. 5. Value of heifer calves = $450 6. Value of bull calves =$75 7. Cost per extended day open =$2.40/day 8. Discount value = 8 percent 9. Cull value = $.80/lb 10. 20 month pregnant heifer = $1400 11. No consideration is given to genetic values of offspring.

Below the chart shows the break-even semen prices for a 75 percent pure sexed semen product in order to achieve an equal net present value of

90 percent pure sexed semen at varying semen prices.

It’s important to keep in mind that break-even values are just that: “break-even.” To truly be a wise economic investment, the 75 percent product must be purchased at a price considerably less than the break-even value.

75 Percent Sexed-Biased Semen

Price per straw of 90% pure sexed semen

Conception rates with

conventional semen

$35/straw $30/straw $25/straw

Break-even price of 75% sex-biased semen to achieve NPV = 90% product

65 $13.90 $8.90 $3.90

60 $15.10 $10.10 $5.10

55 $16.40 $11.40 $6.30

gender SELECTed Semen Update

Elite GTPI™ Milk Rel.% Type Rel.% GTPI™

507HO8081 PLANET +1908 90 +1.38 88 +2129507HO8747 BRONCO +1540 89 +1.56 87 +2024507HO8477 GABOR +1938 92 +2.19 89 +1945507HO8221 ALEXANDER +870 91 +2.37 87 +1919507HO8361 DOMINGO +980 91 +1.08 87 +1918507HO8165 MILLION +709 92 +2.22 89 +1884507HO7853 MICHAEL +174 92 +1.07 88 +1881507HO8444 GRAYBIL +872 90 +2.05 88 +1859507HO8223 LAWN BOY P-RED +7 98 +1.09 94 +1824M507HO7735 CADET +1136 95 +1.44 90 +1818

Type Specialists Type UDC FLC Rel.% 507HO8190 SANCHEZ +3.13 +2.48 +2.39 88507HO7596 LAURIN +2.29 +1.56 +1.70 85507HO7838 GLEN +2.09 +2.24 +2.07 90507HO8738 SS DEUCE +2.07 +1.70 +2.31 95507HO8036 MASTER +2.06 +2.22 +1.52 90507HO8778 ALLSTAR +2.00 +1.89 +2.08 88

Jersey Breed Leaders Milk Rel.% Type Rel.% GJPI™

507JE762 FANTOM +130 90 +1.1 82 +143507JE1000 TBONE +302 94 +1.6 98 +143

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RePRO Analysis – More Than Just Monitoring the Pastby Ray Nebel, Ph.D. vice president of technical service programs

your records are processed, the first step is setting the voluntary waiting period, palpation pregnancy rate, days post breeding when pregnancy diagnosis occurs and frequency of pregnancy exams (weekly, every other week, or monthly). The purpose of this exercise is to tailor the analysis to what is actually occurring in your herd. The first output generated and reviewed is benchmarks and your herd’s current status as shown in Figure 1. The benchmarks are generated on a national and regional basis for comparison with your farm’s reproductive performance. These key components of reproductive performance are the areas that affect

Over the last four years, the RePRO Analysis program has been enhanced primarily based on suggestions by dairy producers and consultants. It now includes 20 charts and numerous tables that allow for an immediate snapshot of your herd’s current performance. The program is designed to enhance your on-farm computer management program, not replace it. RePRO Analysis can utilize AFI, ALPRO, DairyComp, DairyPlan, DairyPlus, DairyQuest and PCDART data transfers to focus on your reproduction protocols and the execution of these protocols to determine how they have performed in your herd. The interaction with your highly-trained Select Reproductive

Solutions™ (SRS™) specialist is important to set critical evaluation metrics specific to your dairy. This increases the accuracy of the reproductive analysis. No one can evaluate your herd performance effectively without having knowledge of specific management practices. Gaining such knowledge necessitates a herd inspection to audit stocking density, body condition, bunk space, cow comfort and other factors that affect reproductive performance.

Where to start? After importing an excel file from your on-farm management software or from the records processing center where

the desired outcome or overall goal of a well-organized program. Each of the categories shown on the benchmark worksheet can be analyzed in greater detail with one or more charts and tables. A few of the basic charts will be reviewed in this article.

21-day Pregnancy Rate Pregnancy rate, specifically the 21-day pregnancy rate, is the reproductive measure that every dairy producer should use as the benchmark to evaluate the reproductive performance of the herd. The rate ties everything together and at the end of the day is really what is most important to profitability. Pregnancy rate is defined

as the probability that an eligible open cow will become pregnant within a 21-day period. It is the product of the submission rate and conception rate and is usually calculated in 21-day intervals. The national average 21-day pregnancy rate for the U.S. dairy industry is 16 percent and herds in the top 10 percent have a 23

percent 21-day pregnancy rate. Most producers and

Select Sires’ RePRO Analysis™ program quickly allows for a review of your herd’s current reproductive performance. However, the charts and tables are only numbers that must be merged with protocols and a discussion about factors that have influenced these numbers such as stocking density, ration changes, body condition and synchronization programs to determine what has been successful and where there are opportunities for improvement. Excellent reproductive performance does not just happen, but requires effective protocols to craft a plan and the right people to execute the plan.

Where is your herd’s reproductive performance? – Where do you want it to be? – How can Select Sires help you get there?

Figure 1. RePRO Analysis benchmark and current status worksheet from the example herd.

Figure 2. Pregnancy rate by 21-day intervals represented by blue bars and actual number of new pregnancies produced during a 21-day period represented by inner yellow bars. The average 21-day pregnancy rate is represented by the red line and the dotted green line is the goal for pregnancy rate set by the owner.

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consultants have set a goal of at least 20 percent. If this goal is achieved, it makes little consequence in the big picture as to what the submission or conception rates were that got you there. Figure 2 is from an excellent herd that has a 19 percent average 21-day pregnancy rate. Over time, they have raised their goal to 25 percent. The return on investment is really high when improving herd performance from 15 to 20 percent. However, the return on investment increasing from 22 to 25 percent is much less, and each producer should evaluate whether this goal is realistic and beneficial for their herd.

Submission Rate More commonly known as heat detection rate, the submission rate measures how promptly a herd converts open cows into bred cows. Submission rate is generally accepted as a more appropriate term because timed-A. I. programs are now being used extensively without detection of estrus. In many herds, cows are promptly inseminated for first service, but those that fail to conceive are not promptly diagnosed as open and (or) re-inseminated, resulting in lower than desired submission rates. The RePRO Analysis program cannot determine if the weak links in submission rates are first service or a re-service, but can detect that submission rates need improvement. Using your on-farm management software program, you can then pinpoint if first service, repeat service or both are the areas that need improvement.

Conception Rate Conception rate measures how successful you have been at converting straws of semen into pregnancies. Conception rate combines the effects of semen quality, A.I. technique, timing of insemination, and heat detection accuracy as well as factors such as high environmental temperatures and cow comfort. The multitude of factors influencing conception rates makes diagnosing problems difficult and often time-consuming and frustrating. Figure 3 graphically represents conception rates stratified by lactation and service number. First service conception is the area that has the greatest opportunity for improvement. Table 1, from the last six months, compared to the 12 months in Figure 3, shows that this herd has improved their first service conception rate.

First Service Do cows receive their first service promptly after the voluntary waiting period? Figure 4 is a scatter plot of days to first service by calving date and lactation number that instantly allows you to determine if a timed-A.I. protocol is being utilized and the median days to first service. Figure 4 reflects a change in management policy revealing an earlier voluntary waiting period for older cows. A very high compliance rate to the timed-A.I. protocol can be seen, with only three cows not receiving their first service during the weekly target period. What is the first service conception rate by days in milk or how successful

is the first service and do we need to recommend a management change? This is where caution should be exercised. We need to have an adequate number of services to make a recommendation because of the nature of the outcome being either pregnant or open to determine if a real difference exists or if the difference is due to chance. In this example (Table 1) the first service protocol is yielding an overall 35 percent conception rate for calvings during the last six months. There is a higher first service conception rate at later days in milk for first lactation cows which should be expected, but lowering the voluntary waiting period for older cows has lowered the conception rate at first service from 38 to 29 percent, and the discussion will center around whether or not the voluntary waiting period should be delayed for older cows.

Hard Count of Pregnant Cows From a timing aspect, another important metric is how many pregnant cows are being produced on a weekly or monthly basis. Without a constant flow of pregnancies into the herd, the milking string will be

destined for a less than optimal head count at some point in the future.

Take Home Message Reproductive performance of a dairy herd is a function of certain management strategies and how well these management strategies are implemented in the day-to-day operation of the herd. It has long been known that there is an economic benefit to efficient reproduction in dairy herds. Throughout a cow’s herd life, she should calve without difficulty, experience little or no postpartum reproductive disease, breed back within an optimal time period, carry each fetus to term, and have a live birth of a genetically-superior offspring. Your SRS Specialist can use the RePRO Analysis program to review past performance of your herd combined with the knowledge of your herd’s specific conditions such as stocking density, feed bunk

management and cow comfort to assist you in finding areas of opportunity for improvement in your herd’s reproductive performance. Throughout 2009, the 30 SRS specialists that used the RePRO Analysis program evaluated over 960 herds representing over 870,000 cows. Put an experienced SRS specialist to work in your

herd. Contact your member cooperative to learn how.

Figure 3. Conception rate is stratified by service number and lactation group. Figure 4. Scatter chart of days to first service by calving date where first lactation cows are represented with a red diamond and second and later lactation cows are represented with a black diamond. This herd utilizes a 100 percent timed-A.I. program for the first service with a very high compliance rate.

Table 1. Overall and weekly first service conception rates by days in milk for cows that calved the last six months.

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New Graduate HighlightsWith the release of January 2010 genetic

evaluations, Select Sires graduated nine Holstein sires and three high-components breed sires into active A.I. Featured within the new Holstein releases are elite TPI™ sires, high ranking Net Merit values, breed-leading sires for UDC, calving-ease sires and four new 7HO6417 O-Bee MANfred Justice-ET sons. Equally exciting were the additions to the high-components breeds offering strong mammary systems, elite milk and components and overall balance in type. The new graduates each portray the qualilty of elite genetics that Select Sires offers.

7HO8806 Lutz-BROOKview Stan-ET is an End-Road PVF Boliver-ET son offering elite Protein and Fat (+56P and +65F, 89% Rel.) while improving milk yield (+1,359, 89% Rel.). Gen-Ace Brook Victori 4149 (GP-81), Genasci Dairy Inc., Modesto, Calif., is pictured.

O MAN son, 7HO8866 Springway CARUSO-ET produces strong cows that can handle any environment (+2.63 FLC, 85% Rel.) that are complemented with a high GTPI™ of +1928. Pictured is Springway Caruso Sweetie (VG-85-VG-MS), owned by William Burkhart Jr., Magnolia, Ohio.

7HO8772 Schillview O-Man GROOVY-ET is an O MAN son that will improve components (+.09%F and +.07%P, 92% Rel.) and feet and legs (+2.19 FLC, 88% Rel.). Top O the Morn Dairy, Tulare, Calif, owned by Top O the Morn Groovy 4954-Grade, is pictured above.

7HO8924 Windsor-Manor ZMANNER-ET (+1906 GTPI) is making trouble-free, long-lasting cows. ZMANNER improves rear udder height (+3.13) and width (+2.38) and has an Udder Composite of +2.07 (85% Rel.). Pictured is Brown Dairy Zmanner 7762-Grade, Brown Dairy, Riverdale, Calif.

The No. 1 Keystone Potter son for TPI, 7HO9030 Kings-Ransom P RICHMAN-ET (+1967 GTPI) will also add to the bottom line of your herd (+$485 $NM, 78% Rel.). Burky Richman 2908-Grade, Burky Farm LLC, New Philadelphia, Ohio, is pictured.

7HO8885 Hankeseen EMPHASIS-ET is the only sire in active A.I. with an UDC and FLC over +3.00 (+3.53 UDC and +3.00 FLC, 85% Rel.). With tremendous +3.6 PL (71% Rel.) his daughters will last in the herd. Gen-Ace Emphasis 10955-Grade, Genasci Dairy Inc., Modesto, Calif., is pictured.

Topping Select’s new releases for GTPI (+1984) is 7HO9052 Bru-Su Boliver MORPHEOUS-ET. This Health Mark™ sire has a Net Merit Dollar (NM$) value of +$477 (78% Rel.). Costa-View Morpheous 29401 (VG-86), owned by Costa-View Farms, Madera, Calif., is pictured above.

The breeds lowest U.S. bred EFI sire, 7JE821 Maack Dairy SPECTACULAR-ET transmits high components (+.08%P and +.15%F, 83% Rel.) and tremendous udders (+4.73 JUI™, 74% Rel.). Pictured is Blue Mist Spectacular Roxie (VG-87%), owned by Eddie Gomes, Tillamook, Ore.

7AY84 Palmyra Tri-Star BURDETTE-ET improves milk (+796M, 64% Rel.) and has sired several fancy show heifers. The daughter pictured is Ronn-Ayr Burdette Ginny, owned by Ronn-Ayr Farms, Earlville, Ohio.

7BS800 Blessing Prestige AARON is the first proven son of 7BS752 PRESTIGE. AARON will sire a profitable cow with a strong mammary system, dairy strength and ideal leg set. Blessing Aaron Margo “VG87,” owned by Milan F. Blessing and Family, Ft. Wayne, Ind., is pictured.

7HO8885 EMPHASIS

7HO9052 MORPHEOUS 7HO9030 RICHMAN 7HO8924 ZMANNER

7HO8806 BROOK

7HO8866 CARUSO

7HO8772 GROOVY

7JE821 SPECTACULAR

7AY84 BURDETTTE7BS800 AARON7HO8847 RICECREST Oliver-ET is an O MAN son from the sensational Ricecrest Southwind Kaye family. At +1854 GTPI, he transmits outstanding components (+.11%F and +.08%P, 88% Rel.) and a high Net Merit value (+$425, 79% Rel.). RICECREST has a Daughter Pregnancy Rate of +1.4 (68% Rel.).

7HO8847 RICECREST

7HO8884 DOTCOM7HO8884 Tomlu Oman DOTCOM-ET is a breed leader for fitness traits (+3.1 DPR, 69% Rel. and 2.72 SCS, 81% Rel.), ranking higher than his sire, O MAN, for Daughter Pregnancy Rate. He makes moderate-statured cows with strength and strong feet and legs (+2.44 FLC, 87% Rel.).

It’s Time to Form a Mycotoxin Battle Planby John A. Doerr, Ph. D., Agrarian Marketing Corporation®

Molds are always around, so why is this year so different in terms of grain quality? First, remember that grain and oil seed crops are not sterile; the molds are there. For them to increase to above normal levels and produce large amounts of mycotoxins pre-harvest requires a significant amount of stress on the plants.

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Late starts in planting, dry spells, weather damage, wet conditions during field drying and harvest, and other factors have all resulted in above average amounts of fungal infection in our crops and much higher concentrations of mycotoxins being produced. Since last October, reports from feed mills and producers are revealing deoxynivalenol (vomitoxin, DON) at levels sometimes exceeding 20 parts per million. Dairy operations should be concerned when feed contains around 300-500 parts per billion (ppb). Twenty parts per million = 20,000 parts per billion!

To make matters worse, many fields had poor yields, higher than normal damaged kernels, low bushel weights, etc. Recently a dairy nutritionist in western Pennsylvania said most of the new silage he’s seen is really bad. After a year of disastrous milk prices and pressure to reduce costs on the farm, what could be worse than to find that the feeding quality of the 2009 silage is likely going to be way down? So, do we throw up our hands in surrender?

Not yet! Risks are high and the challenge is not going to be easy to meet, but it can be done. This is the time for rational evaluation of the extent of the problem on individual farms, and for using sound judgment in formulating a working plan to combat this situation. The reality is that some action will need to be taken if dairy producers wish to hold production levels and more importantly, preserve the genetic progress and health of their herds. In order to formulate a plan of action, good information will be needed.

The process should start with some good-quality tests of feeds and ingredients. Dairy producers and their consultants (nutritionists, veterinarians, etc.) need to keep in mind that rapid test results are subject to many influences and that pegging all decisions to a fixed, arbitrarily selected ‘threshold’ value of one mycotoxin or another is not the way to solve these problems. With all the information we have about DON, it might well be that DON doesn’t do all the damage we think it does. But certainly DON in concert with other mycotoxins simultaneously

occurring in feeds, and for which we have no rapid tests, does affect cows. So DON serves best as a reference, not an absolute. Pay attention when DON is around the 500 ppb level in the TMR; get real concerned when it reaches a moderate level, e.g., around 1,000 ppb. And don’t even think about not taking affirmative action if your test is pushing or exceeding 3,000 ppb DON. Put your anti-mycotoxin program into full swing.

When high toxin levels start showing up, what actions are open to you? Good feed equipment hygiene helps to reduce post-harvest mold infestation but won’t address the problem of the mycotoxins that are already present. Mold inhibitors (feed preservatives) are much the same and are not amenable to post-ensiling treatments. Third in line are the myriad of products which claim to bind mycotoxins. These materials, either clay or yeast-based, work by attaching to toxin molecules and keeping them from being absorbed by the animal. Unfortunately, while several such products are well-proven to do a good job with aflatoxin, only one or two show any measurable response against Fusarium toxins such as DON and zearalenone. Many university research trials have shown the efficacy of some binders against aflatoxin; I’m not aware of any that demonstrate equivalent action against DON under real-world conditions. And, if some do exist, the amounts that would have to be included to offset this year’s above average DON levels would compromise the nutritional status of the cow! Effects of mycotoxins have always been shown to be worse when the animal’s plane of nutrition is lowered. That leaves application of L-Form Lactobacillus products, such as Select DTX™. This product has been demonstrated in university trials to work and it is not dependent on particular toxin chemistry.

Make your mycotoxin battle plan now. Talk with your Select Sires technician or sales representative about L-Form products and how to use them properly to ensure your herd is protected when it is most vulnerable (e.g., transition cows).

Take a look at what these breeders have experienced in their herds after adding Select DTX to their rations.

“Our mycotoxin tests showed that the high moisture corn and corn silage had very high levels of zearalenone and DON. We decided to add an additional dose of Select DTX to the ration. We saw a significant increase in conception rate and heat expression and the overall herd health improved. Most importantly, cows were getting pregnant.”

Doug Fairbanks, Anamosa, Iowa

“I believe there are lots of dairies out there feeding toxin-tainted feeds, like we were. For years, we have been testing for toxins with no proof of any kind until Holmes Lab showed us we had it. We started feeding Select DTX in April of 2009. Without knowing what our problem was [over the years] we had a high cull rate, high death rate, many digestive related issues, lower immunity, higher medicine bill, more treatments and labor to treat. Our hospital group for the last two months has averaged 1.8 percent of the herd. There were months that were that low in the past but not often and not consistent. We now have a 20 percent annual pregnancy rate which has been a goal for years. Our milk production is 2.5 pounds higher than a year ago and we have lost little or no production due to summer heat. In the last two months our cull rate has been less than 26 percent, a number we could only dream of prior to adding Select DTX. The benefit to feeding DTX to our herd is healthier cows.

Having healthier cows has a positive effect on every aspect of the dairy from culling to medical expense to milk production which ultimately affects the bottom line.”

Kim Koehn, High Plains Dairy, Plains, Kansas

Select DTX Works

Stone-Front Advent Laverne, Shane Nodolf, Belmont, Wis. 7HO7359 Jenny-LOU Marshall P149-ET and 7HO6758 Regancrest-MR Drham SAM each sired one nominee, winter heifer calf, Ryan-Vu Lou Ella, Nicole Ballweg, Dane, Wis; junior three-year-old, Lookout Mr Sam Flo, MilkSource LLC, Kaukauna, Wis.

Former Super Sampler 7HO8592 Mr Rosedale-L TRIBUTE-ET sired one nominee, along with three by 7HO7020 To-Mar D-FORTUNE-ET and of course, eight by 7HO5157 Regancrest Elton DURHAM-ET! In the Junior All-American contest, 29 Select sired offspring were nominated by fifteen different sires! In addition to those in the senior contest, 7HO7596 Den-K Marshall Ll LAURIN, 7HO8368 Lylehaven LIGHTNING, 7HO5708 Fustead Emory BLITZ-ET and 7HO8175 Windy-Knoll-View PRONTO-ET sired these tanbark successes! In the Jersey contest, 7JE590 Forest Glen Avery ACTION-ET has senior two-year-old daughter, Senn-Sational Action Melody nominated for owners, Entourage Farms, Cybil Fisher and Patty Jones, Welch, Okla. Select Sires’ bulls had a big impact

Bulletin Board

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in the Brown Swiss breed with 16 All-American nominations. 7BS766 Blessing Banker AGENDA ET sired seven nominations including two spring heifer calves, Garbro Blessing Agenda Reba, Blessing Farms and Garrison Brothers, Ft. Wayne, Ind., and Rad-ical Agenda Cheesecake, Lindsey Rucks, Okeechobee, Fla.; two winter heifer calves, Bradner Wanna Wink, Bradner Farms, Abbotsford, B.C., and Towpath Agenda Dancer, Ken Main and Peter Vail, Copake, N.Y.; two fall heifer calves, Top Acres Agenda Roxett ET, Lindsay Rucks, Okeechobee, Fla., and Top Acres Agenda Roxy ET, Ken Main and Peter Vail, Copake, N.Y.; and a summer yearling, Hills Valley Agenda Budgee, Hill’s Valley Farm, Cattaraugus, N.Y. 7BS750 Hilltop Acres EN DYNASTY

ET is the sire of two All-American nominees, senior two-year-old, Blessing Dynasty Fern ET, Blessing Farms, Ft. Wayne, Ind., and junior three-year-old, Brothers Three Brandi ET, Ken Main and Peter Vail, Copake, N.Y.

Select Sires Shines with All-American Nominations A total of 20 Holstein All-American nominations were sired by Select Sires’ bulls. 7HO7004 Erbacres DAMION had three daughters nominated, Liberty PGA Damion Lazzie, spring heifer calf, Morsan Farms Ltd, Ponoka, AB; summer yearling, Siemers Damion Andrea-ET, Crystal Siemers-Peterman, Cleveland, Wis.; and Goldenflo Damion Eden, winter yearling heifer, Gen-Com Holstein Ltd., St. Charles de Drummond, PQ.

7HO7872 KHW Kite ADVENT-RED-ET also had three daughters nominated: fall yearling, Luck-E Beautiful Bikini-ET, Matt Engel, Hampshire, Ill.; senior two-year-old, Monanfran Advt Charlize-ET, Teixeira, Kronberg and Melvold, Turlock, Calif.; five-year-old,

Adding to the nominees was 7BS779 Brothers Three PARKER ET with senior two-year-old daughter, Blessing Parker Fanny ET, Allen Bassler, Jr., Upperville, Va.

Stone-Front Advent Laverne (EX-94-EX-MS)Shane Nodolf, Belmont, Wis.

Lookout Mr Sam Flo (EX-90)MilkSource LLC, Kaukauna, Wis.

Liberty PGA Damion Lazzie Morsan Farms Ltd, Ponoka, AB

Siemers Damion Andrea-ETCrystal Siemers-Peterman, Cleveland, Wis.

Garbro Blessing Agenda Reba Blessing Farms and Garrison Brothers, Ft. Wayne, Ind.

Bradner Wanna WinkBradner Farms, Abbotsford, B.C.

Top Acres Agenda Roxett ETLindsay Rucks, Okeechobee, Fla.

Senn-Sational Action Melody (VG-89%)Entourage Farms, Cybil Fisher and Patty Jones, Welch, Okla.

Blessing Parker Fanny ET “VG89 E90MS” Allen Bassler, Jr., Upperville, Va.

Blessing Dynasty Fern ET “VG89 E90MS” Blessing Farms, Ft. Wayne, Ind.

Brothers Three Brandi ET “E91 E93MS” Ken Main and Peter Vail, Copake, N.Y.

Former Select Sires’ lineup bulls have nominated daughters,7BS752 Sun-Made Garbro PRESTIGE ET (1), 7BS758 Triangle Acres POLLYDEN ET (1), 7BS796 Old Mill Wde SUPREME ET (2), while Showcase Selections™ Super Samplers™ 7BS810 Mill Wheel Sw GRIFFIN ET and 7BS813 Savage-Leigh TRESSEL ET had one nominee each.

by 7HO5708 Fustead Emory BLITZ-ET is one of only three cows in Italy ever to go Excellent in second lactation. In order for a second lactation cow to go Excellent in Italy, a cow must be passed by a committee of two classifiers.

7GU402 YOGIBEAR Daughter Completes Great RecordMarodore Yogis Picnic Basket-ET (VG-84), sired by 7GU402 Edgewater Meadows YOGIBEAR-ET and owned by Marodore Farm, Baltimore, Ohio,

AARON daughters nominated for Junior All-American honors! In total, daughters of Select Sires’ Guernsey bulls earned 27 All American and 27 Junior All-American nominations by 19 different sires. Perennial “Premier Sire.” 7GU360 Trotacre Loral TILLER-ET lead the way with nine All-American and five junior recognitions.

7HO5708 BLITZ Daughter Classifies Excellent in Italy Mondial Blitz Charlotte (EX-90), sired

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Mondial Blitz Charlotte (EX-90)Az.Agr. Mondini P. e Bartolazzi L., Castelverde, Italy

Marodore Yogis Picnic Basket-ET (VG-84)Marodore Farm, Baltimore, Ohio

In the Guernsey breed, it is all about 7GU395 Sniders Option AARON-ET. Two calves, spring heifer calf, Mar Mik A Katherine, Valley Gem Farm, Cumberland, Wis., (previously shown by Alex Sargent, Winthrop, Maine) and winter heifer calf, R Way Aaron Flirt, Ashlee Dietz, Southington, Ohio, were nominated as both All-American and Junior All-American. Boehles Aaron Bliss, Walnut Corner Farm, Bismarck, Ill., was nominated All-American fall heifer calf, and there were four more

R Way Aaron FlirtAshlee Dietz, Southington, Ohio

produced a nice record and is ranked among the top 200 CPI cows. She produced a record of 2-0 365d 24,800M 4.0% 992F 3.1% 760P.

7HO8559 BOGART Daughter Raised in ClassificationSired by top-10 TPI sire 7HO8559 Macomber O-Man BOGART, Webb-Vue Bogart Ebonie was recently raised to Very Good-87 for owner Robert Webb, Plymouth, Wis. She is pregnant with a 7HO7712 Velvet-View-KJ SOCRATES-ET heifer.

Webb-Vue Bogart Ebonie (VG-87)Robert Webb, Plymouth, Wis.

Milk Fat Pro. Rel.% NM$ Rel.% GTPI™7HO6417 O MAN +878 +71 +51 99M +729 99 +2130M7HO6838 MATCHES +1,758 +56 +42 99 +308 94 +17547HO7043 DISON +1,034 +3 +33 97 +335 90 +16947HO7560 BLITZ JINTX +2,073 +49 +31 97 +311 92 +16447HO8081 PLANET +1,908 +64 +58 90 +659 83 +21297HO8236 SPARTACUS +1,776 +75 +46 92 +337 85 +16927HO8361 DOMINGO +980 +54 +27 91 +531 83 +19187HO8530 AUTUMN +447 +62 +23 95 +394 86 +17377HO8559 BOGART +461 +48 +28 89 +547 81 +20337HO8612 BOB +1,023 +59 +46 95 +347 85 +17547HO8625 BUTCH +746 +40 +46 94 +422 84 +17937HO8659 SILVA +1,556 +30 +55 91 +302 82 +17717HO8715 OFFICER +39 +47 +24 94 +442 85 +18827HO8744 SECRET +544 +56 +36 89 +496 79 +18717HO8747 BRONCO +1,540 +55 +50 89 +508 80 +20247HO8772 GROOVY +466 +42 +32 92 +395 82 +18507HO8806 BROOK +1,359 +65 +56 89 +465 80 +18657HO8847 RICECREST +527 +49 +36 88 +425 79 +18547HO8856 NIAGRA +1,766 +63 +59 91 +489 81 +2018 GJPI™7JE620 MAXIMUS -390 +85 +18 99 +308 97 +126 7JE714 MATINEE +1,129 +100 +36 97 +516 89 +196 7JE817 KWARTZ +1,555 +64 +43 91 +342 81 +164 PPR7BS786 BOUMATIC +255 +24 +6 90 +260 77 +73

PTI7AY79 CANNON +760 +26 +25 84 +172 66 +100 7GU395 AARON +771 +56 +21 90 +318 78 +175 7GU398 ALSTAR +1,151 +49 +27 83 +530 70 +169 7GU405 GRUMPY +567 +36 +20 82 +353 66 +124 7GU412 NATURAL +284 +20 +20 78 +242 61 +104 01

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To enhance the productivity and profitability of dairy and beef producers, Select Sires is committed to be the premier provider of highly fertile, superior genetics accompanied by effective reproductive and herd-management products and services.

MIS

SION

For more information visit www.selectsires.com or call (614) 873-4683.Product of the USA.

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PAIDMinster, Ohio 45865

Permit No. 2selections

™HealthMark, Herdlife Builder, FeedPRO, Program for Genetic Advancement, PGA, SelectCheck, Program for Fertility Advancement, Select Mating Service, SMS, gender SELECTed, Select RePRO Analysis, Select Reproductive Solutions, SRS, Select DTX, Showcase Selections and Super Sampler are trademarks of Select Sires Inc.; Total Performance Index and TPI are trademarks of Holstein Association USA, JPI is a trademark American Jersey Cattle Association; CONVERT and ImmPower are trademarks of Agrarian Marketing Corporation®, Middlebury, Ind.; Aztec Gold is a trademark of Ecolab; ®Agrarian Marketing is a registered trademark of Agrarian Marketing Corporation. All product claims, representations and warranties, expressed or implied are made only by the product manufacturers and not by Select Sires Inc.

A combination of unfortunate weatherconditions has resulted in increased levels of mycotoxins in feedstuffs this year.

If your cows show any of the following symptoms, mycotoxins may be the reason for decreased performance:

Sporadic loose manure•Decreased reproductive •performanceIncreased somatic cell •countsExcessive DAs or •metabolic disordersReduced dry matter •intakes

Reduced milk production•Short cycled heats•Erratic intakes•Cystic ovaries or even •abortionsUnthrifty appearance•

Select DTX™ is designed specifically for problems caused by molds and their metabolites, mycotoxins. Contact your local Select Sires professional for complete details.™Select DTX is a trademark of Select Sires Inc. and is manufactured by Agrarian Marketing

Corporation®. All claims, representations and warranties, expressed or implied, are made only by Agrarian Marketing Corporation and not by Select Sires Inc.