April 2013 Jersey Proof Highlights

Genex continues to lead the industry in profitability, fertility and diversity.

Otter Morr Plus Smores

One highlight of the April sire summary was 1JE00711 PLUS. He added more than 200 daughters to his progeny proof, increased to over +2000 pounds of Milk and is now the no. 4 JPI™ bull in the breed among all bulls (not just progeny-proven bulls). PLUS daughters aren’t just good on paper; they are standouts in every milking string and heifer pen I have seen. The milking daughters have outstanding udder conformation, making all of that milk from shallow udders that are extremely wide and have great texture. They are tall, wide and have great openness and angularity.

PLUS is joined in the active list by 22 other bulls over +$500 Cheese Merit (CM). Among these are seven new additions. Five of these: 1JE00812 HAWTHORNE, 1JE00811 RADFORD, 1JE00815 PAYTON, 1JE00817 HOOKER and 1JE00807 SPRINGER are all Zuma sons, each from a different maternal grandsire. These five Zuma sons will sire shallow udders, excellent components, high Daughter Pregnancy Rate (DPR) and low Somatic Cell Score (SCS) which should make this group a strong complement to the many new milking daughters of Paramount Violet sons like Valentino, Vernon, Virgil and Victory.

Dam of PAYTON: Sun Valley Impuls Panda, EX-90%

Two other new additions are: 1JE00814 MAGUIRE, a Blitzen from a VG Tbone, and 1JE00818 LEGION, a Hendrix from an EX Blair that sires total performance and features a remarkable +2.57 SCS. Both LEGION and MAGUIRE have pedigrees that are completely free of Impuls and Paramount Violet.

Joining these bulls in the +$500 CM club are: our CM leader 1JE00792 MACHETE; progeny-proven fertility standout 1JE00654 ALLSTAR; our first PLUS son, 1JE00794 ZAYD; and 1JE00791 DIVIDEND, a high JPI bull that combines extreme yield with elite udder conformation. All four are available in GenChoice™.

The Genex Jersey lineup averages an exceptional +1.4 Sire Conception Rate (SCR) on 23 evaluated bulls. They are led by 1JE00763 LANCE-GR at +4.4 and 1JE00759 BRUNO at +3.2. PLUS and ALLSTAR are also over +3.0 SCR.

The new PregCheck™ rating provides clear evidence that popular young genomic bulls 1JE00801 MADDEN, 1JE00809 WILLIE and 1JE00810 ENRIQUE have excellent fertility four months before they will have official SCRs.

We’re proud of the diversity of the Jersey lineup. In total, 24 different sires are represented, 17 different maternal grandsires and 20 different breeder prefixes. The profit-minded breeder can find a bull in the Genex catalog that will complement the pedigree of every cow in the herd and sire high CM$, excellent yield and quality udders. Most important, using semen from Genex bulls will result in pregnancies.

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Author Scott Carson has been a member of the Genex Dairy Cattle Genetics sire procurement team since 2009. Scott is a graduate of Virginia Tech University. He then went on to study at North Carolina State University with Dr. Ben McDaniel where he participated in research activities that led to the implementation of genetic evaluations for Rear Legs-Rear View. From 1991 to 2008, Scott and his wife owned and operated Celestial Jerseys in New Lebanon, N.Y., earning several accolades including the 1997 National Outstanding Young Jersey Breeder award and the 1999 William M. Etgen Virginia Tech Outstanding Young Alumnus Award.

Make Heat Detection Count!

DHIA records indicate that the level of detected heats is about 50%.  This means that one out of every two heats routinely goes unnoticed.  Here are a couple of tips to make sure that heat detection is being performed correctly on your farm or ranch.

1. Know the signs of heat!

Standing to be mounted is the primary sign of heat, but secondary signs of heat can include:  riding other cows, bellowing or bawling, displaying signs of nervousness, sniffing the vulva or urine of other animals, having a pink and swollen vulva with a clear mucous discharge, having a rough tail head, chin rubbing, or they seem to be searching for something.

2. Take the time to accurately detect heat and only detect heat!

People who are in charge of heat detection need to make heat detection their only priority when it comes time for heat detection.  They should position themselves in “hotspots” in the pen.  “Hotspots” are places where there is good footing where cows will gather to show mounting activity.  The observer should be positioned in a place where the cow’s id is easy to read.  Heat detection should occur 2-3 times per day for at least 20 minutes.

3. Heat detect at the right time!

Research indicates that more than 70% of the mounting activity takes place between 7:00 at night and 7:00 in the morning.  Factors such as high temperature, humidity, wind, and rain tend to inhibit the expression of heat during midday hours.  The moral of the story, you should make sure that out of the 2-3 times you heat detect each day, one should be in the late evening hours and one should be in the early morning hours.  This will ensure that you are heat detecting at the times when you are likely to see the most cows in heat.

While nothing replaces actually seeing and identifying the cow in heat Genex offers several heat detection aids to help simplify heat detection.  These heat detection aids include DETAIL™ Tail Paint, Kamar® Heatmount Detectors, EstroTects™ and PaintStiks.  

The newest heat detection aids available through Genex are DeLaval Activity Systems.  Because cows in heat tend to have activity levels of 2.5-3 times their average day, activity systems are a good option as a heat detection aid.  Also, since reduced daily activity may indicate health issues; these activity systems also have benefits from a herd health stand point.  The system's ability to detect estrus early and accurately facilitates timely artificial insemination and helps lower reproduction costs by reducing days open and services per conception. The activity system even detects weak heat signs, the so-called "silent heats."

 Written by:  Sarah Thorson

Beef Education Manager

2013 Beef Genetic Management Guide

The 2013 Beef Genetic Management Guide is now available on-line.  Watch your mail box for it in the next couple of weeks!

Are Your Cows and Heifers Good Candidates for Fixed-Time A.I.?

            One of the most common questions that I get from producers is, “How can I get the most out of my synchronization program.”  Synchronization and A.I. can add value to your bred females, but it also involves an investment of time and money, and you want to make sure you are getting the most bang for your buck. At the recent Applied Reproductive Strategies in Beef Cattle Conference in Sioux Falls, SD; Dr. Michael Smith from the University of Missouri addressed the issue of ensuring that your females are good candidates for a timed synchronization program and A.I.   

Here are Dr. Smith’s tips for a successful estrus synchronization and A.I. program:

Things to do before fixed-time artificial insemination

• Keep accurate calving, breeding and pregnancy records.
• Animal identification should be clear and easily readable.
• Ensure herd health and disease prevention with a well designed prebreeding vaccination protocol.  Females should be vaccinated at least 30 days before the breeding season begins.
• Decide which estrus synchronization protocol best fits your breeding program, facilities and personnel.
• Ensure all products are purchased and on-hand prior to initiation of the protocol.
• Prepare the calendar of actions to ensure protocol compliance.

Dr. Smith stressed that the females to be bred via fixed-time A.I. should meet a minimum criteria before enrolling them in the protocol:

Heifer criteria

• Heifers should weigh 65% of their mature body weight by the start of breeding.
• At least 50% of heifers should have a reproductive tract score (RTS) greater than or equal to 4 by two weeks prior to the start of synchronization or 6 to 8 weeks prior to the breeding season.

    

Cow criteria

• Synchronize and inseminate only cows with a body condition score (BCS) at calving of  greater than or equal to 5.
• The average days postpartum of the group of cows to be synchronized should be greater than or equal to 40 by the start of estrus and synchronization and have experienced a minimum of dystocia.

There are several factors that can contribute to favorable pregnancy rates with fixed-time A.I.  Following these tips for herd health, preplanning, and criteria for breeding females can help put you on the tract to success!  

Written By:  Sarah Thorson

Beef Education Manager 

Our New Jersey "HERD"

Be sure to check out the new December Jersey Catalog ! Lets us know what you think about our new additions!