In the world of Animal Evaluation there’s a ‘new normal’.
Udder Overall is now formally part of the Breeding Worth calculation, and there has been a change in how liveweight is calculated as part of the breeding worth equation.
Given these changes, we’ve seen some re-ranking of bulls, but the sire selection team here are pleased to report most changes have been favourable to the LIC stable.
Let’s take a look at a select few LIC bulls in the Holstein-Friesian breed.
118053 Greenwell Governor S1F: He currently sits at number 3 on DairyNZ’s Ranking of Active Sires (RAS) list, and is bred from the ever-present Greenwell stud of Alan, Anne and Paul Looney of Opotiki.
Governor is included in the Potential Premier Sires Forward Pack and Daughter Proven teams, and he’s also available as a nominated sire in the frozen sexed and conventional categories. Don’t miss out on your chance to use this bull!
Sitting at $409 gBW, Governor is a Galatea MGH Regiment S1F son from a Farside M Illustrious dam. With an udder overall gBV of 0.50 and a fertility gBV of 2.6, he offers durable and robust daughters.
But that’s not all, Governor has a maternal half-brother who will receive his daughter proof this spring. Keep an eye out for Greenwell AB Braze-ET S2F.
118076 Meander TT Feature-ET S2F: Behind this guy is one of the most interesting stories of a bull purchase, before he was proven, and now marketed! From Robert and Annmarie Bruin’s stable, this Tregaron Technician S2F son was out of an outstanding daughter of Greenwell FI Blade who only managed one lactation (due to an injury).
But LIC’s livestock selection team trusted his genomic evaluations, and this, along with the strength and depth of his cow family, meant Feature was brought on-board.
Eagle-eyed readers of the LIC Genetics Catalogue will notice that he’s produced a lower number of daughters through the Sire Proving Scheme than is the norm. He’s the only bull in recent history that has been ‘carried-over’ in SPS, and this was due to an injury which affected his ability to create semen.
But how well we’ve all been paid back for these risks! Feature now boasts an udder overall gBV of 0.87 and a gBW of 325. He is exactly what the Holstein Friesian breed needs and will ‘feature’ in our sires- of-sons list this year. Available in the Potential Premier Sires Daughter Proven team, he’s also available nominated and frozen sexed which reflects the confidence and belief we have in this bull.
Now for some of the young boys:
121011 Lombardi Maverick S3F: This is the udder highlight of the genomic sires right now. Sitting at 321gBW and an amazing udder 0.97gBV is no coincidence. He’s born to an excellent daughter of last year’s Hall of Fame inductee San-Ray Beamer S2F, with the cow delivering a whopping PW of 623! I was lucky enough to see her this year and I was really impressed.
Maverick is sired by Royson Currency, another TOP standout bull, and was bred in the ‘Naki by Ian and Tina Megaw. Maverick's fertility is also at the top of the pile at a sky high 11.6 gBV. He’s available via sexed and conventional frozen. Miss out on using this bull at your peril.
120080 Tronnoco M Saquoon- ET S3F: A Discovery Project bull coming from Tony and Kerri O’Connor in Timaru, Saquoon is another great news story.
He’s a son of one of the highlight graduates from last spring, Dicksons MH Mason-ET S2F. Production and udder overall are what SAQUOON brings to the party. He possesses a total of 88kgs of protein and fat, and, coupled with an udder overall gBV of 0.83, you’d really be doing yourself a favour by making sure he’s part of your mating plans this year. This guy has a gBW of 319, and you’ll find him part of LIC’s Premier Sires Sexed team, and he’s also available in frozen conventional nominated.
Animal Evaluation figures quoted are from the April AE run.
