Top 5 Posts of 2017

I love this time of year, spending time looking back and recalling all of the wonderful (and not so wonderful) things that happened in the past 365 or-so days. I never had a personal blog, but now that I have the ability to see everything we posted here on the GENEX blog this past year, it kind of makes me want to capture personal events and memories. Is this the modern version of a diary?

I had a lot of fun reliving 2017 through blog posts and thought you might too, so here are the top five from this past year, based on views.

#1  Top 10 A.I. Technique Mistakes. Sometimes even a professional can learn a thing or two by going back to the basics.

#2  My Top Tip for a Successful A.I. Breeding Project. We asked beef producers for their top tip. Then we compiled them here in one, easy-to-read list!

#3  GENEX Distribution Center. We are so fortunate to have a tremendous group of people who work for us at GENEX! Follow along as one of them, Brian Brickle gives you a little tour of our Semen Distribution Center.

#4  Using A.I. on Your Ranch. Get the costs associated with using (and not using) A.I. on your ranch.

#5  It's Quite a Production. A trip to the GENEX Production Center in Tiffin, Ohio, meant some wonderful photos and commentary from our Audio Visual Coordinator, Todd Moede.

Thank you for an amazing year. I look forward to 2018 and all of the events and opportunities that await!

December GENEX Jersey Highlights

New Sires
New release 1JE01057 CESPEDES {3} ranks second in the lineup for the Ideal Commercial Cow (ICC$) index at +954. This Marlo son also leads the industry with a +233 JPI™ and +839 Cheese Merit (CM$). CESPEDES {3} sires exceptional yield at +138 Combined Fat & Protein (CFP) while checking all the boxes for health and fertility. His numbers, including a +1.4 Daughter Pregnancy Rate (DPR), earned him a +325 on the Sustainability (SUST$) sub-index and +30 on the Fertility (FERT$) sub-index. Use CESPEDES {3} to improve udders (+22.6 JUI™) and component percentages. CESPEDES {3} is 92 BBR and available in GenChoice™ sexed semen only.

1JE01057 CESPEDES {3}

1JE01056 COUSINS {3} is an Avon son at +856 ICC$, +689 CM$ and +199 JPI™. He has an exceptional +19.4 JUI™ and ranks well on the FERT$ sub-index (+128) with an impressive +2.8 DPR. COUSINS {3} is 92 BBR and available in GenChoice™ semen only.

1JE00994 ASTRIX {3} debuts at +816 ICC$, +662 CM$ and +189 JPI™. This Avon out of a Magnum meets the needs of producers looking to improve daughter fertility; he stands at +3.2 DPR and +92 FERT$. ASTRIX {3} will improve udders (+18.3 JUI™). He is 85 BBR and available in GenChoice™ semen only.

1JE00991 GRIEZMANN {4} is an early Leonel {3} son at +680 ICC$. His +136 CFP makes him a yield specialist and earns him a +599 for the Cheese Maximizer (ChMAX$) sub-index. GRIEZMANN {4} is +180 JPI™ and +630 CM$ while maintaining +18.7 JUI™. He is 85 BBR.

1JE00991 GRIEZMANN {4}

A trio of 1JE00892 VANDRELL {2} sons joined the lineup with impressive ICC$ index values. These sires include 1JE00992 CONTENDER {3} at +770 ICC$, 1JE00986 TAX {3} at +763 ICC$ and 1JE00998 FEARLESS {3} at +743 ICC$. Look to these sires for component production power as each is over +430 ChMAX$. CONTENDER {3} is 87 BBR and available in GenChoice™ sexed semen only. TAX {3} is 91 BBR.

1JE00999 CARPDIEM {3}, the final new graduate, is an Avon out of a Soprano that adds pedigree diversity. He is +722 ICC$, +599 CM$ and +177 JPI™. CARPDIEM {3} is +0.7 DPR and an udder specialist at +24.8 JUI™. He is 91 BBR.


Other Highlights

1JE00892 VANDRELL {2} and 1JE00889 PROP JOE {3}, two bulls from the same maternal line, remain in the top 10 for JPI™ among daughter-proven sires. VANDRELL also tops the GENEX ICC$ listing at +992 while maintaining +710 CM$ and +215 JPI™. While he ranks well on all three ICC$ sub-indexes, VANDRELL {2} is the FERT$ sub‑index leader at +182.

1JE00892 VANDRELL Daughters {2}

Adding more daughters, PROP JOE is now +775 ICC$, +693 CM$ and +191 JPI™. He offers an elite combination of udders (+22.0 JUI™), daughter fertility (+0.2 DPR) and exceptional PregCheck™ and PregCheck+™ sire fertility rankings.

1JE00966 FUTURE {3} at +895 ICC$, 1JE00984 USAIN BOLT {3} at +874 ICC$, 1JE00962 DEGROM {3} at +873 ICC$ and 1JE00971 CURRY {3} at+865 ICC$ all had nice days moving up in rank; all four are now at or above +200 JPI™.

December Holstein Proof Highlights

25 New Sires Added to an Industry-Leading Lineup

Leading the way for the Ideal Commercial Cow (ICC$) index is 1HO12943 HEXER at
+1221. This Damien out of a Caspian brings exciting pedigree diversity while adding elite
health traits: +10.6 Productive Life (PL), +3.7 Daughter Pregnancy Rate (DPR), +2.50
Somatic Cell Score (SCS) and 108 Metritis (MTR). He also ranks +888 for the Lifetime Net
Merit (LNM$) index. Use HEXER in heifer pens with confidence based on his extremely low
4.8% Sire Calving Ease (SCE).

1HO12943 HEXER

1HO12980 IKE ranks second for the ICC$ index at +1207. This Jedi son also ranks well for
TPI® at +2712. He adds elite longevity (+10.1 PL), impressive daughter fertility (+5.1 DPR) andcomes in at +1.51 PTA Type.

Another new release, 1HO12917 MIKE, makes his debut with an impressive +1174 ICC$.
This Jedi son improves component percentages and daughter fertility (+5.1 DPR). MIKE can
be used universally with his low 6.9% SCE.

A Livewire son, 1HO13369 DAVARI joins the lineup at +1164 ICC$. He will improve milk
quality with a low +2.50 SCS and sire healthy daughters with his 106 MTR and 104 Subclinical Ketosis (SCK). DAVARI adds type (+1.44 PTAT) and can be used in heifer pens (5.9% SCE).

1HO13369 DAVARI

1HO12902 TAPPS is a new sire with an elite ICC$ index rank at +1128. This Modesty out of a Jabir is +893 LNM$ and +2726 TPI®. He improves component production (+130 Combined Fat & Protein) and offers calving ease (5.4% SCE).

New release 1HO12930 MALCOM earned his way to the top of our LNM$ list at +950. He is
also +1099 ICC$ with outstanding health traits: +10.0 PL, +4.4 Livability (LIV), +3.5 DPR and a low +2.65 SCS. This Damien son can be used with confidence in heifer pens at 6.3% SCE.

1HO12932 JUICY is the top GENEX bull for TPI® at +2800. This Magnus out of a 1HO10824 TANGO adds pedigree diversity and sires cows for the commercial environment as shown by his +1148 ICC$. This sire of sons has impressive values for GENEX proprietary health traits MTR (104) and SCK (100) and is a type specialist at +2.34 Udder Composite (UDC).

1HO12932 JUICY

1HO12487 JENKY-P is an exciting new polled sire. He comes in at +880 ICC$ and adds
yield (+109 CFP) while also improving health traits (104 SCK, 102 MTR). Use this Powerball-P son to improve daughter fertility (+3.8 DPR) and add longevity (+7.6 PL).

Previous release 1HO11989 ROMERO still ranks extremely well across indexes. He is
+1152 ICC$ and +2737 TPI®. He also ranks above average for the GENEX proprietary health traits: 104 SCK, 106 MTR and 101 Foot Health.

On the daughter-proven list, 1HO11096 PLATINUM continued his impressive rank. He’s now
at +2653 TPI®. This Mogul out of a Super stands at +1050 ICC$ and adds type at +1.93 PTAT and +1.58 UDC.

Co-op DD Platinum 40739

The iconic GENEX sire, 1HO10396 CABRIOLET, continues to shine. He’s now at +961 ICC$ and +927 LNM$. With over 8,500 daughters, this extremely reliable sire can be used to add a balanced genetic profile while improving component pounds (+149 CFP) and percentages and moderating frame size.

Hollermann Cabriolet 960

The Six Types of People at My Thanksgiving Dinner

Everyone on my Dad's side of the family gets together for one pretty amazing Thanksgiving celebration, but since my Dad is one of five children, and each one of his siblings had at least two children, who now have children of their own, it gets really loud and crazy! This year I found myself taking a good look around our very large gathering. Minus the toddlers, I think I can pretty much lump all of them into six categories.

The Farmer. You know the one who talks commodity pricing, eats and then immediately nods off. This year, due to unusual weather, the conversation also included how much corn still needed to come off.

The Retail Aficionado. These are the family members who bring the sale ads along and comb through every one, while making a detailed list of exactly what store, what time and in what order.

The Hunting Enthusiast. Thanksgiving falls during deer hunting season in Wisconsin, so there are plenty of photos and stories to share. When talk of deer hunting is exhausted, there are always bear, turkeys and ducks to talk about.

The Food Lover. This person may or may not be guilty of wearing stretchy pants to dinner!

The Ultimate Host. Takes your coat, your beverage order and shows you the snacks (are you kidding me, who needs snacks?) within the first 30 seconds of your arrival - all while tending to the gigantic dinner they will be serving in under 30 minutes.

The Football Fanatic. Be careful not to walk in front of the television, or you just might get scolded. It doesn't matter what teams are playing, these people are always interested.

So what does your Thanksgiving look like? Do you have a few more categories to add? What type are you?

No matter the types of people you had around your Thanksgiving table, hopefully you
were able to enjoy a good meal with great conversation. I know I am thankful for each and every one of those I am lucky enough to call my family. We may be different, but we can set our differences aside to enjoy each other's company. For this I am truly thankful!

Consistency Main Reward to GENEX Test Herd

The goal of the GENEX progeny test program is to determine the true breeding value of a young bull as quickly as possible.

GENEX works with some of the industry's best ranchers to prove young sires. These cattlemen, both registered and commercial producers, work together with GENEX to breed their cows and heifers to GENEX young sires and proven sires used for reference. Then, they provide fertility, performance and ultrasound/carcass data on the resulting calf crop.

This month, we would like to introduce you to four of our test herds through #TestHerdTuesday.

Today's feature is the Oneida Nation Farm in Seymour, Wisconsin, which has been a GENEX test herd for three years. They run a 240 head cow/calf operation, which consists of 360 acres of rotational pasture which is grazed from May 1 through December 1. Each year they retain 40 replacements and finish out the remaining 200. Finished cattle are sold on a quarter and half basis to the public, with several head per year going to the Oneida Nation School, Oneida Nation Elderly Home and Oneida Nation Retail Store.

Since becoming a GENEX test herd, Oneida Farms has seen more consistency in their calves. Calves typically range in birth weight from 65 to 80 pounds without calving difficulties which is especially important as several people who work at the farm have little experience with difficult calvings. In addition, the calf crop is very uniform at weaning. Herd Manager, TJ Swiecichowski sees a noticeable difference.

"Now that we are calving females sired by GENEX bulls and breeding heifers out of GENEX bulls, we really see the consistency within our cow herd," notes TJ. We see our cows being more efficient. They are smaller than a lot of our older cows, yet still wean some of the biggest calves. They are also much better on their feet and legs and will be around for a long time."

When asked what bulls have had the most impact on the herd, TJ listed 1AN01360 ELEMENT and 1AN01355 ALTITUDE.

Relationship Key to Test Herd Performance

The goal of the GENEX progeny test program is to determine the true breeding value of a young bull as quickly as possible.

GENEX works with some of the industry's best ranchers to prove young sires. These cattlemen, both registered and commercial producers, work together with GENEX to breed their cows and heifers to GENEX young sires and proven sires used for reference. Then, they provide fertility, performance and ultrasound/carcass data on the resulting calf crop.

This month, we would like to introduce you to four of our test herds through #TestHerdTuesday.

Today we are featuring Pleasant View Farm in Belmont, Wisconsin. Josh and Gretchen Kamps joined the test herd program in 2013, with the first calves being born in the spring of 2014. Some of that progeny has just weaned off their second calves. 

Pleasant View Farm is a predominantly Angus cow/calf to finish operation in the southwest corner of the state. Their cows calve in a loading area and then are moved to pasture. They have a spring herd and a fall herd, so their biggest calving months are March, April, September and October.

The Kamps say the benefits of being a GENEX test herd are that they have been able to develop some cow families they are excited to see the future of, both in the herd and in the feedlot. "We have also built a strong relationship with the GENEX team we work with. We put a lot of faith in their bull selection for our herd, and they have continually proven they are buying the right bulls." 

When asked what bulls have had the most impact on their herd, the Kamps listed the following:

1AN01302 WESTERN CUT - These heifers are weaning their second calves. They are functional, sound and productive cows that we've been very happy with.

1AN01302 WESTERN CUT daughters

1AN01300 INVESTMENT - A good carcass animal. They were efficient converters of feed and performed well on the rail.

1AN01379 iBULL - We didn't have good success with him on the heifers, but the the cows, the success was better. The iBULL calves sifted themselves to the top of the scale at weaning, we're excited to see how they perform in the feedlot.

1AN01379 iBULL calf

1AN01340 Upward - We used him as a reference sire early in the program. He made solid daughters for us, as well as feedlot cattle.

Generations of GENEX Testing

The goal of the GENEX progeny test program is to determine the true breeding value of a young bull as quickly as possible.

GENEX works with some of the industry's best ranchers to prove young sires. These cattlemen, both registered and commercial producers, work together with GENEX to breed their cows and heifers to GENEX young sires and proven sires used for reference. Then, they provide fertility, performance and ultrasound/carcass data on the resulting calf crop.

This month, we would like to introduce you to four of our test herds through #TestHerdTuesday.

Today's feature is Chris Larkin from Ottumwa, Iowa, who started as a test herd for GENEX in 1985. He runs a black Angus cow-calf operation, and finishes the steer calves. The heifer calves are fed until yearling, and for the last 25 years, they've sold as replacement heifers. Recently they started breeding all the heifers and selling a portion as bred heifers.

When asked what benefits he has seen in his herd as a result of being a GENEX test herd, Chris responded, "The use of GENEX bulls has greatly improved the quality of our cattle; performance, carcass and maternal traits. It has also enabled us to use many of the different bloodlines within the Angus breed." Chris noted that many bulls have made an impact on his herd after over 30 years in the program including: Bando 5175, 1AN01099 DENSITY, Net Worth, Traveler 004, Objective 3J15, Final Answer, 1AN01146 RIGHT ANSWER, Upward, New Day, Successor, 1AN01238 RESOURCE, 1AN01131 BISMARCK, and his current favorite 1AN01170 CHISUM.

Five Influential #FlashbackFriday Sires

Throughout the month of September, we featured a sire a week as a #Flashback Friday on the GENEX Dairy Facebook page. These sires were all influential to the GENEX story. Here are the five posts, all compiled together. I hope you enjoy reminiscing as much as I enjoyed learning and remembering!

21HO00280 I-O State Chief Ford

21HO00280 I-O State Chief Ford was born August 9, 1974. He was sired by Pawnee Farm Arlinda Chief. His dam, Ludvue Heilo Lulu was sired by Burkgov Heilo Belle. Ford received his first progeny proof in June 1979 and was marketed by GENEX predecessor, 21st Century Genetics, Shawano, Wisconsin. During his career, there were 18,395 daughters in 5,569 herds in his production proof. Today the main production barn at GENEX headquarters in Shawano is named the Ford Barn in his memory. Ford is pictured above with his sire handler, Geno Hagel.

1HO07380 Lutz-Brookview Bellman Rex-ET

1HO07380 Lutz-Brookview Bellman Rex-ET was born November 16, 1981. He was sired by Carlin-M Ivanhoe Bell. His dam, Lutz-Brookview Bova Alice was sired by Rockalli Son of Bova-ET. Rex received his first progeny proof in July of 1987 and was marketed by GENEX predecessor, 21 Century Genetics, Shawano, Wisconsin. Rex sired great udders with strong ligaments. The rear udders were extremely high and wide and the teat placement was excellent. By January 1994, he had nearly 19,000 milking daughters in 5,288 herds and his Predicted Transmitting Ability was +2303 for Milk and +70 pounds of Protein. On February 28, 1995, Rex had produced over a million units of semen, and he joined the prestigious Millionaires Club. During his career, Rex sired 39,721 milking daughters in more than 8,550 herds worldwide!

1HO00414 Tesk-Holm Valiant Rockie

1HO00414 Tesk-Holm Valiant Rockie was born January, 21 1981. He was sired by S-W-D Valiant. His dam, Houvale Apollo Gail was sired by Whittier-Farms Apollo Rocke. Tesk received his first progeny proof in January of 1986 and was one of the most popular bulls of his time for his tremendous ability to increase protein. He was also one of the best all-around calving ease bulls of this period and was known for siring daughters with very well-attached udders, sound feet and legs and moderate size. He sired nearly 46,000 milking daughters in over 9,700 herds throughout the world. He was also used very heavily as a sire of sons for the next generation and his genetics were valued for many years to come.

8HO02024 Rothrock Tradition Leadman

8HO02024 Rothrock Tradition Leadman was born March 5, 1985. He was sired by Sweet-Haven Tradition. His dam; Walkup Valiant Lou Ella was sired by S-W-D Valiant. Leadman received his first progeny proof in July of 1989 and was marketed by GENEX predecessor; Federated Genetics in Lancaster, PA. He was among the top 10 TPI® bulls of the breed when he was first proven in the early 1990’s. He was one of the few active A.I. bulls at that time to sire an increase in protein percent blended with extreme PTAM. It was exciting to see how Leadman could sire this extreme production along with impressive overall type. He was also one of the most popular choices available for siring shallow udders with a strong cleft. Leadman claims over 31,600 milking daughters in 8,073 herds around the globe in his career. In addition, Leadman was used very heavily as a sire of sons for the next generation and his genetics were valued for many years.

1HO07235 Jenny-Lou Marshl Toystory-ET

1HO07235 Toystory was born at Mystic Valley Dairy near Sauk City, Wisconsin, in May 2001. At his November 2005 debut in the artificial insemination (A.I.) industry, Toystory was noted as "the new must-have sire, whether your breeding goals are profitability or show type." His daughters provided a level of productivity, profitability and improved conformation that impressed producers as well as show judges across the globe.

In addition to his outstanding genetic qualities, Toystory possessed an unmatched semen production ability. In April 2009, he joined an elite group of bulls throughout the industry that had produced 1 million units of semen. Then, in May 2011, he became the industry's all-time semen production leader surpassing the previous world record of 1.767 million units held by the Dutch bull Sunny Boy. By May 2012, Toystory had furthered his impact on the A.I. industry reaching a remarkable 2 million units. At the time of his death,at age 13, Toystory had produced 2.415 million units.

Members Make the Difference

Members are the grease to our gears, the milk to our cereal and the yee for our haw. Without our members we fail to exist. Members own GENEX, which is one of the things that make a cooperative  business model so special. 

Co-op membership is simple and rewarding and includes benefits such as:
» Voting privileges and a voice in the governance of the cooperative
» Invites to member appreciation meetings and events
» Earning equity in the cooperative
» Opportunity to become a delegate or director

GENEX has a long history of acting on the needs and concerns of its members. Two of the most recent examples are the Ideal Commercial Cow (ICC$) index and RumiLife® CAL24™ nutritional supplement. 

The ICC$ is a Holstein sire ranking tool developed to meet the demands of GENEX members and customers for a healthy, medium-sized cow. It addresses the needs of commercial dairy producers using real-time economic indicators, scientific principles and data-driven genetic evaluations from multiple sources. A Jersey ICC$ is also in the development phase with plans for release soon.

Members came to us wanting a sustained release, once-and-done calcium supplement for transition cows. GENEX once again came through and introduced RumiLife® CAL24™ nutritional supplement. This new product allows producers to forget the worry of catching cows several times to administer boluses treating low blood calcium. This one treatment with two boluses provides the 24-hour coverage that is needed.

The grass-roots structure of a cooperative such as GENEX, means its members' voices are heard. GENEX is currently conducting its Fall Delegate Meetings where delegates and alternates from across the country are gathering to provide feedback and ideas. These are the very meetings where many of the new GENEX initiatives come from.

It truly is you, the GENEX member, who makes the difference in our cooperative. Thank you for your continued support and guidance as we fulfill our purpose to be the trusted provider of world-class animal genetics, progressive reproductive solutions, value-added products and innovative services to members and customers.

Knowledge is Power

As a kid, I remember watching a show called School House Rock. The opening jingle had a character who would yell out, "Knowledge is power." (Sorry if that jingle is now stuck in your head, child of the '80's!) The individuals responsible for creating the seven cooperative principles understood the enormity of knowledge and what those with it were capable of accomplishing. That is why principle number five is education, training and information.

GENEX takes this principle to heart and strives to be a source of information for our members and customers in both the dairy and beef cattle industries. I talked about some of the ways GENEX is currently educating members and customers in my last blog post Education Isn't a Four Letter Word.

Today I would like to spend a little time talking about training for GENEX employees, delegates and board members.

Employees

GENEX employees, along with others working for other Cooperative Resources International (CRI) brands, have the opportunity to participate in the cooperative's professional development program called REACH. Employee enrichment is important as the industry we work in changes quickly. To ensure a rapid response, employees also participate in webinars, listen to podcasts, are provided with internal newsletters and belong to a GENEX employees Facebook group. 

Many employees take their learning and teaching to the next level, such as the experience below, where Dairy Sire Procurement Specialist, Dan Bauer, spent time in Brazil in partnership with the American Jersey Cattle Association, AgSource and the USDA to study the emerging Jersey industry in the country. Dan was able to share some insight into our Jersey industry, while networking with Brazilian farmers.

Delegates

Delegates are the very heart of GENEX. They provide GENEX with the grass-roots direction it requires to operate from year to year. Over 150 delegates and alternates gather each year at one of eight delegate meetings to learn about the cooperative and industry, as well as to provide the GENEX board and senior management with recommended changes for the coming year. 

In addition, delegates and alternates attend the annual meeting each January, where they have the opportunity to network with other delegates and attend break-out sessions. Session topics vary from year to year and can include titles from Cooperatives 101 to Using Social Media on Your Farm/Ranch to Brazil Beef (below).

Board Members

GENEX is governed by a 13-member board consisting of dairy and beef producers from across the U.S. A policy exists to encourage structured participation in programs designated to enhance director knowledge and experience. Three days of basic training is provided for all new directors, and three to five days of education and training is expected of each director yearly. This is in addition to their regularly scheduled meetings. There is also the opportunity for more advanced training, if a director should choose to receive it. These learning experiences are in business management, cooperative education or other agricultural topics associated with GENEX, with many of them being graduate-level courses. Below, past GENEX Board President, Paul Greene, addresses the delegates during the 2017 Annual Meeting.

Education is not just a buzz word at GENEX. The cooperative truly believes knowledge is power. By providing learning opportunities to everyone involved with the company, GENEX can ensure its purpose of being the trusted provider of world-class animal genetics, progressive reproductive solutions, value-added products and innovative services to members and customers.

Education Isn't a Four Letter Word

When I was in school, I couldn't wait until I was done. The way I saw it, the word education was almost as bad as a four letter word! Looking back, I realize education got a bad rap. It wasn't the education I didn't like, but rather the methods of delivery and failing to realize where I would apply said knowledge.

Today education is something I yearn for. I make a daily goal of learning something new. Working for a cooperative and specifically GENEX has made this goal pretty easy. To be honest, it is a pretty sad day if I only learn one new thing. 

GENEX prides itself in providing education for its employees, board members, delegates, members and customers through several different outlets. 

Here are three great places to look for more information on the dairy and beef industries.

The Learning Center offers an online collection of over 100 dairy and beef related topics, arranged by category. This collection is added to and updated regularly. It can be found on the GENEX website.

Horizons is our magazine. The Dairy Edition is published three times a year (following each sire summary) and the Beef Edition is distributed two times a year (spring and fall). These periodicals are jam-packed with interesting articles from technical know-how to herd/ranch stories to working with your employees. If you don't get a copy mailed to you, check them out here.

Field Representatives are the heart of GENEX education. Everyday these men and women work hard to provide their customers with the most up-to-date industry information. After their day on farms has ended, they spend countless hours attending meetings, watching webinars, listening to podcasts and reading to ensure you will have the facts needed to make the best herd management decisions for your farm or ranch.

In next week's post, I will talk about all of the ways GENEX works to educate its employees, board members and delegates, so our cooperative can truly live up to the cooperative principle of education, training and information.