Lessons From Our Rural Moms Part 3

I'm not sure what it is about a mom that makes her so extraordinary. Maybe it is her ability to seemingly effortlessly pull off amazing feats of organization or that look she can give you from clear across a crowded room that lets you know you should knock.  it.  off.  right.  now. Or, perhaps it is the magic her kisses possess to make all of the ouchies go away. Whatever it is, I can tell you there is something special about the women we are lucky enough to call mom. For the next couple of days, in honor of Mother's Day, we will share a few stories about rural moms, because I'm sure you will all agree, rural moms have a completely different set of challenges to conquer!

I didn’t grow up on a farm. Neither good nor bad – that’s simply fact. My mother, however, had rural roots. (I think that’s fairly inevitable since she hailed from east central Iowa. Olin, Iowa, to be exact.) That rural background impacted her personality and lifestyle, and then, in turn, impacted me.

While growing up, many of the lessons my mom taught my brothers and I stemmed from that background:

›She taught us how to win and lose with class. After all, she’d been there. Sure, she’d earned blue ribbons, but she’d earned white ribbons and participation ribbons as well. She knew what it meant to win with grace and lose with dignity. She passed that lesson on to us.
›She taught us how to care for and respect animals. Back in her childhood, my mom raised and showed beef cattle. Since we grew up in town, we didn’t have cows of our own. Instead she let us raise and show rabbits (lots of rabbits … probably more than city ordinance would have allowed). Still, it taught us responsibility in caring for animals. As we got older, one brother showed cattle and the rest of us showed sheep (all were housed at friends’ farms). Every step of the way, she was there beside us, supporting us and serving as an example of how to care for and respect the animals.
›She taught us to do everything to the fullest, even the dreaded 4-H record books. She would never do it for us, but she’d sit next to us as we pounded away on the typewriter filling out the forms and writing stories about our projects. I’m certain it was much in the same way her father did for her.

This Mother’s Day, I thank my mom for the lessons she has taught me – the lessons that stemmed from her rural upbringing. Happy Mother’s Day!

Lessons From Our Rural Moms Part 2

I'm not sure what it is about a mom that makes her so extraordinary. Maybe it is her ability to seemingly effortlessly pull off amazing feats of organization or that look she can give you from clear across a crowded room that lets you know you should knock.  it.  off.  right.  now. Or, perhaps it is the magic her kisses possess to make all of the ouchies go away. Whatever it is, I can tell you there is something special about the women we are lucky enough to call mom. For the next couple of days, in honor of Mother's Day, we will share a few stories about rural moms, because I'm sure you will all agree, rural moms have a completely different set of challenges to conquer!

My mom wasn’t raised on a ranch, so after my parents got married, not only did she have to learn what it meant to be a rancher’s wife, but also what it meant to be a rancher.  She worked side by side with my dad at almost every odd job in the book, including milk testing cows – in eastern Montana, so they could realize their dream of supporting their family on the ranch.  She threw everything into learning the ins and outs of every aspect of ranching, and it is safe to say that we all know that things wouldn’t run nearly as smoothly without her, especially when it comes to the ranch record keeping. 

One of my favorite memories of growing up was when my mom, and couple other moms (who I over 20 year’s later still consider my “second moms”) took on the task of coaching my 4-H livestock judging team, which was made up of myself and 3 other 12-13 year old girls.  Frustrated with our inability to give reasons on a set of yearling bulls without blushing and dissolving into fits of nervous giggles, the moms had us standing in the middle of the yard yelling, “Testicle! Testicle! Testicle!” at the top our lungs!  Needless to say, I got over the fear of giving that set of reasons fairly quickly and still share a laugh about it nearly every time I happen to run into another member of my former judging team.

Thirty-seven years later, my mom is still my dad’s number 1 ranch-hand.  A couple of months ago I was being interviewed for a newspaper article that was going to be written about our family operation.  The gal that was writing the article was asking me whose job it was to do various tasks on the ranch, and I found myself repeating my mom’s name over and over.  From submitting data to the American Simmental Association, to paying the bills, to pulling the records together for the bull sale catalog and coordinating all of the advertising - my mom is truly the one who keeps the ranch running behind the scenes.  On the rare occasion that my sister, brother and I are all back at the ranch at the same time she usually takes on, what I consider, the toughest job of them all, wrangling five grandchildren ranging in ages from nine years to 18 months.  She does it with grace and patience, eager to teach them the ways of the ranch.  My 9 year old, Grace, is always eager to help, but still intimidated by the cows, but my mom is always there to guide her, keeping a watchful eye as Grace records weaning weights or mixes vaccines.  And when my 5 year old, Harper, is caught inscribing the number of her favorite calf, 661, on the door of the brand-new sale barn with permanent marker, she takes it all in stride.

Happy Mother’s Day to my mom, and all the other farm and ranch moms out there!

Lessons From Our Rural Moms Part 1

I'm not sure what it is about a mom that makes her so extraordinary. Maybe it is her ability to seemingly effortlessly pull off amazing feats of organization or that look she can give you from clear across a crowded room that lets you know you should knock.  it.  off.  right.  now. Or, perhaps it is the magic her kisses possess to make all of the ouchies go away. Whatever it is, I can tell you there is something special about the women we are lucky enough to call mom. For the next couple of days, in honor of Mother's Day, we will share a few stories about rural moms, because I'm sure you will all agree, rural moms have a completely different set of challenges to conquer!


Farm Mom (noun): jack-of-all-trades, keeper of all things, multi-tasker, marathon runner

While growing up, my mom was a stay-at-home mom. Remember those forms you’d have to fill out for school that asked for your parents’ occupations? She wrote Farm Mom in that field and would comment, “I wonder if anyone reads these things.”

At the time I never appreciated all the things she did. Somehow she managed to keep the home fires burning while my dad traveled quite a bit for his job. In addition to keeping things running on our beef farm, she was a member of community groups, church committees and helped with school activities. Like a marathon runner, she could dash outside, do chores and be done just in time to change her clothes, pause momentarily to ask ‘Does my hair smell like the barn?’ before running a kid to town for some evening extracurricular activity. She could fly around her kitchen and whip together a well-rounded meal better than any mom I knew. And if you were that kid she ran to town earlier, she’d most likely remember to come pick you up!

She taught me many life lessons but here’s a few I wanted to share:

  › You can do anything you set your mind to
  › Quitting isn’t an option
  › Wearing nail polish in the show ring isn’t appropriate (I’m not sure where she came up with this one?)

  › Be respectful, kind and courteous to everyone because you never know where you might run across them later in life
  › She [attempted] to teach me how to cook one meal each summer, although I’m still not a good cook.

Today, as a mom myself, I aspire to be just like her. To keep the home fires burning while my husband travels, be respectful to everyone I meet and make sure my hair doesn’t smell too much like the barn!

Here's my mom participating in Mom Showmanship (circa 1993) and it doesn't appear she was wearing nail polish. Practicing what she preached!

Selecting Recipients for Embryo Transfer

For commercial dairies looking to increase herd progress and improve their overall bottom line or purebred operations striving to produce the next great cow or bull, embryo transfer (ET) and in-vitro fertilization (IVF) programs are becoming increasingly common. Technologies, such as donor aspiration and IVF lab techniques, are contributing to the popularity of ET and IVF programs among many types of operations.

To establish an effective and efficient ET or IVF program, a dairy’s management team must consider both the donors and the embryo recipients. Selection and care of elite genetic merit donor animals is critical for obvious reasons, but the selection and maintenance of recipients has significant implications too. Selecting recipient animals based on health, genetics and fertility – and maintaining
optimal conditions throughout the pregnancy – results in more high genetic merit calves on the ground.

Consider these factors when selecting and caring for embryo recipients:

Health. The basics of a healthy recipient are like that of the donor; she must be reproductively and
nutritionally sound. Heifers serving as recipients should have reached puberty, have a sound reproductive tract and have exhibited a first heat. Ideally, cows should have calved without any problems and be free of ovarian cysts, metritis or other issues. As a general rule, recipient candidates should be on a good nutritional plane and have proper body condition to support a healthy pregnancy.

Genetics. The genetics of the recipient animal have often been disregarded since she is “only carrying the embryo.” Donors are selected based on their high genetic merit, but those same traits are not applicable to recipients. Instead, it is important to consider traits which might contribute to getting the most calves on the ground.

When looking at a group of lower genetic merit animals as potential recipients, the dairy management team should sort those animals by traits that can contribute to conception and calving rate. A reliable Daughter Stillbirth (DSB) and Daughter Pregnancy Rate (DPR) evaluation can more accurately determine which animals should be used to carry embryos of high genetic value with the most success.

Fertility. Numerous studies show conception rates in dairy cattle are typically higher when heifers
are used as recipients versus cows. This is true for several reasons. First, heifers do not have the lactational stress cows do, particularly first lactation cows which are transitioning for the first time and still growing to reach their mature size. Also, heifers typically have less reproductive issues such
as cysts or infections from a hard calving. However, using only heifers as recipients is usually not practical or viable either, and cows can make perfectly acceptable recipients.

Consider this scenario. Many dairies are genomic testing their females, and often cull older, low genetic merit cows in favor of younger, high genomic animals. Still, these older cows typically produce quite a bit more milk than their 2-year-old counterparts. In this scenario, it can make sense to use older, lower genetic merit cows as recipients. By serving as an embryo recipient, the cow gives birth to a valuable calf and remains in the herd contributing significant pounds of milk. When selecting which older cows should serve as recipients, DPR and DSB are again the traits on which to sort them.

In conclusion, as ET and IVF continues to become more common in strategic breeding programs, strive to use healthy heifers or lower-ranking cows with desirable DPR and DSB values to carry high value pregnancies. Higher genetic merit females can then be used as donors or bred with more valuable semen. Ultimately, the genetic progress made through ET and IVF can lead to profitable future generations and dollars in the producer’s pocket.

Excellence in Genetics & Reproduction Award Winners

This year's GENEX Excellence in Genetics & Reproduction Award Winners represent six states; several are repeat winners, and for some, this is their first time on the list. However, they all know about the commitment it takes to maintain an efficient reproduction program. Here are the winners and a few of the things they have in common.

For more on each individual platinum-winning farm, check out our Horizons Dairy Edition, pages 27 through 31.

GENEX Jersey April Sire Summary Highlights

It was an exciting proof run for GENEX as our Jerseys captured 14 of the top 25 spots on both the genomic Cheese Merit $ and genomic JPI™ lists!

New Sires

1JE00966 FUTURE {3} leads the new releases. He debuts with an impressive +208 JPI™ and tops our Cheese Merit (CM$) list at +733. An early Marlo son out of an impressive Marvel dam, FUTURE {3} is an elite Combined Fat & Protein (CFP) sire at +125, carrying positive percentages for both Fat and Protein as well. He will also add daughter fertility with a +0.5 Daughter Pregnancy Rate (DPR) and elite udders with a +29.4 JUI™. His full brother, 1JE00962 DEGROM {3}, was also activated. He transmits elite production and impressive udders. He comes in at +697 CM$, +194 JPI™ and +27.0 JUI™. With positive component percentages, DEGROM {3} adds production profit (+114 CFP) and also longevity (+7.4 Productive Life).

Dam of FUTURE {3} and DEGROM {3}: Faria Brothers Marvel Messi {4}, VG-84%

1JE0967 FRANKY {4} is a Harris out of an Aztec that adds elite component yield at +80 Fat and +54 Protein for a +134 CFP. He is +632 CM$ and +172 JPI™. Use FRANKY to also improve milk quality with his low +2.77 Somatic Cell Score (SCS).

1JE00967 FRANKY {4}

1JE00961 FRODO {3} joined the lineup at +173 JPI™ and just over +600 CM$. A VANDRELL out of a Very Good Galvanize, FRODO {3} adds balanced production at +1189 Milk and +120 CFP. He will be ideal to use in the heifer pens with a +2.6 Heifer Conception Rate (HCR).

1JE00956 RUTH {3} is a production powerhouse. This Harris son tops the production list at +1951 Milk and an impressive +144 CFP. RUTH {3} is +578 CM$ and +176 JPI™. He will also improve udders with a +15.7 JUI™. Note RUTH {3} is JH1C.

1JE00965 RUTH {3}

1JE00958 NICO {5}, another Harris son, provides a balanced genetic profile for production and type. He is +175 JPI™ and +573 CM$ with +118 CFP. NICO {5} also improves udders (+18.5 JUI™), longevity (+4.7 Productive Life) and milk quality (+2.82 SCS).

1JE00968 INTEL {3} another VANDRELL son, earns a spot in the lineup at +164 JPI™ and +561 CM$. He is +108 CFP and adds fluid production at nearly +1400 Milk. With a +0.7 Cow Conception Rate and a +2.0 HCR, INTEL {3} should add some fertility to any breeding program. Note INTEL {3} is JH1C.

1JE00968 INTEL {3}

1JE00937 BIRDMAN {3} rounds out the new releases. This Harris out of a Renegade is another elite production sire. BIRDMAN {3} is +146 JPI™ and +509 CM$ with +1650 Milk and +121 CFP.

1JE00937 BIRDMAN {3}

Other Highlights

Continuing her elite genetic stamp, JX Faria Brothers Action Dean Smith {1}, EX-92 family members remain at the top of the elite lists. 1JE00892 VANDRELL {2} maintains his elite CM$ yield at +713 and is our highest JPI™ sire at +217. From the same maternal line as VANDRELL {2} is 1JE00922 RONALDO {3}. He posts our highest CFP value at +153 and is +206 JPI™ and +696 CM$

GENEX April Sire Summary Highlights

Leading the way for the Ideal Commercial Cow (ICC$) index following the April proofs
is 1HO11955 BEYOND. This Josuper son is a health trait specialist at +1.7 Daughter
Pregnancy Rate (DPR) and +8.7 Productive Life (PL). Use this sire with confidence to
boost production and component yields (+1784 Milk, +135 Combined Fat & Protein).

1HO11955 BEYOND

1HO11665 GENIUS maintains an elite rank, this time second on the ICC$ list with an
exceptional +1072. This Montross son has an elite genetic profile offering production and
outstanding udders and feet and legs.

Dam of GENIUS: Co-op Robust Galina 6447, VG-85

From the Super Apple family, 1HO11889 AVENGER has an outstanding +1058 ICC$.
This sire has an unmatched combination of +4.6 DPR and +8.9 PL. Use AVENGER with
confidence to sire moderate-framed daughters with desirable body condition. He also
excels for two proprietary GENEX health traits at 104 Subclinical Ketosis (SCK) and
109 Metritis (MTR).

Dam of AVENGER: Richlawn Super April Apple, VG-88, VG-MS, DOM

New release 1HO11989 ROMERO is elite in all indexes having an impressive +1054
ICC, +907 Lifetime Net Merit (LNM$) and +2728 TPI®. This sire is the complete package
offering production, fertility and longevity.

Dam of ROMERO: Hollermann Cabriolet 960G

A Bayonet son from the well-known Sharky Robin family, 1HO12433 ROCKSTAR checks
all the boxes for production, health and longevity. This new sire has a +1026 ICC$ and
+2732 TPI®. With a 6.6% Sire Calving Ease (SCE), he’s a great option for heifer pens. He
also features a +2.7 DPR and +8.5 PL. ROCKSTAR is joined by a full brother, 1HO12428
RAIDEN, at +983 ICC$ and +2739 TPI®. Look to these sires for type and health.

Dam of ROCKSTAR and RAIDEN: Co-op Moonboy Rescue-ET, VG-85, VG-MS

An excellent combination of production and type are found in 1HO11960 REZIN, a bull
that was first released as a genomic giant in February. This Montross son offers elite
+2013 Milk, +143 Combined Fat & Protein (CFP) and +2.00 Type. Look to REZIN for his
striking production and daughter fertility (+2.1 DPR).

Dam of REZIN: Peach-State HLRachel-ET, VG-85

Continuing to top our elite sires, 1HO11905 BLOWTORCH has a TPI® of +2752. This
Silver son also ranks extremely well at +1006 ICC$. Use BLOWTORCH for production,
type and tremendous udders (+1604 Milk, +2.07 Type, +1.71 Udder Composite).

1HO1105 BLOWTORCH

Adding some red to the lineup, 1HO12427 AVERY-RED joins the active list as a high
Type (+2.05) Red and White sire. This Olympian *RC son out of a Supersire will add
variety while also improving udders at +1.88 Udder Composite.

1HO12427 AVERY-RED

1HO12423 KATANA-P is a polled Tesla son that adds exciting pedigree diversity to any
polled breeding program. With a 6.7% SCE, use KATANA-P in the heifer pens to improve
profit with over +1500 Milk and over +1.00 on all type indexes.

1HO12423 KATANA-P

On the daughter-proven LNM$ list, 1HO10396 CABRIOLET had another impressive
day. He stands at +875 LNM$. This Robust son is extreme profitability with excellent
production at +960 Milk and +151 CFP. He can be used in heifer pens and sires
daughters that will last in the herd (4.7% SCE, +7.4 PL).

Aardema Cabriolet 7820

For more highlights, check out our GENEX Dairy Facebook page, where Sire Procurement Specialist Dan Bauer recorded two FB Live segments.