Die-Hard becomes #1 lifetime production bull at ABS ABS Millionaire Sire 29H8538 Regancrest Rbk Die-Hard VG-86 has surpassed another exciting milestone – he is now the number one semen production bull of all time at ABS. As of March 26, 2008, Die-Hard has produced 1,408,195 units that have passed ABS quality control measures and been made available for sale to dairy producers around the world. The previous title holder was 29HO9023 ROYlane Jordan-ET.

“With the addition of numerous Die-Hard sons at ABS, including 29HO11145 Ammo, 29HO11473 Deano, 29HO11198 Manager and others being sampled, Die-Hard is set to become one of the most influential sires in the history of the Holstein breed and is creating a global legacy,” stated Ryan Starkenburg, ABS Sire Selection Manager.

Die-Hard is a Roebuck son from the Snow-N Denises Dellia EX-95 family. His daughters excel in any environment and possess well-attached udders with a deep seam and correct teat placement. An ABS Durabull™, Die-Hard is a health and management trait standout, ranking in the ABS Top Ten for Daughter Pregnancy Rate (+2.8) and Productive Life (+4.1). Die-Hard is also an ABS Diamond Sire (over 1,000 milking daughters) and a Calving Ease Specialist at 6% CE.

ABS Global Genetic Management System (GMS®) Manager, Amy Knuth adds, “Extreme customer satisfaction with Die-Hard daughters has continued the exceptional global demand. He is one of our most popular (GMS) mating sires ever with over 380,000 and GMS evaluators have scored 30,000 daughters globally.”

Die-Hard tops an elite class of ABS bulls worldwide in providing high customer satisfaction genetics for a continuous number of years. He headlines the ABS Millionaires Club (1 million units produced) that also includes 29H5296 Southwind, 29H8343 Convincer-ET and 29HO9023 Roy.

Tarus adds depth to its line-up
It’s official – Ridgedale Estel is now EX-95 3E. The third classifier for the committee was at Ridgedale Farm recently. Estel is the “Rudolph” sister to 76HO0429 Export, also EX-95, so now the family is a third- generation EX-95 by having both Export and Estel classified EX-95. Their dams are Ridgedale Estelle 3E-95 by “Lindy” and Ridgedale Fond Example 3E-95 GMD by “Fond Matt.” We have traced this family all the way back to importation. I will give you the history at another time, but the dams behind Fond Example are sired by “Ultimate,” “Startrek,” “Originator,” “Marquis,” then Winterthru and Montvic bulls. Also note Export has 10 EX sisters with one of course being the new EX-95 “Estel” who is also the dam of 76HO0466 Escalate (EX-92 as a young sire) by “Outside.” This bull is siring “profitable genetics” also.

Windy-Knoll-View Pledge is now EX-95 2E. She of course is the “Outside” daughter of “Promis” also 2E-95 GMD DOM, then Pala 3E-94 DOM. “Pledge” is the full sister to 76HO0441 Promote EX-92 and 80HO1056 Power EX-94. She is also the dam of 76HO0544 Persist VG-88 by “Mr Sam” and 76HO0567 Phoenix (VG-85 at two years) by “Goldwyn.” Taurus Service and Foundation Sires have more sons optioned from the Pala Family coming from Windy-Knoll-View Farm.

The dam of 76HO0550 Tundel-RED (the bull himself is now VG-87) just classified EX with her second calving. She is Peachey Rubens Toya, who also has a full sister EX-92. The second dam is Tobianna 2E-94 DOM by Storm out of the 3E-96 DOM “Tobi,” then Inspiration Tina 2E-95 DOM GMD. Tundel-Red’s dam will score even higher as she is fresh less than 30 days now.

He is one of the best Red “Advent” sons available and complements other popular Red sires in the “Profitable Genetics”™ line-up like 76HO0530 Ducky-P-Red (polled) by “Talent,” 76HO0541 Fusion-Red from the high production Sweet-Peas Family, 76HO0545 Mazda-Red, the “Talent” brother to Derrwyn Miss Special, 80HO0317 Redliner, the popular “Talent” son from the Fradon Jodie’s, 80HO0321 Thunder (Red), the Red & White bull from the Tony Beauty (5-E) Family, 80HO1068 Redlou (Talent x Red Marker), a perfect cross, and 80HO1071 Jockey-Red (Talent x Integrity).

The very best for Reds are at Taurus Service, especially when you also consider the proven bulls such as 76HO0450 Rockin-Red (Roxy Family), 76HO0425 Ajax-Red (Chief Faith Family), and 76HO0457 Sid-Red (Scarlet Family), as well as additional Red sires, Red Carrier sires and Polled Red and Red Carrier bulls.

IPS advances with April sire proofs
Following the April 2008 sire summaries, International Protein sires (IPS) saw exciting advancements through new additions to their proven sire lineup according to Ron Sersland, President and CEO.

6HO1127 Ocean-View Roy Shane continues to add clout to the IPS proven sire lineup. First, Shane is a Roy son from the Outside daughter of Lindy Sheen, Ocean-View Outside Sheen (EX-91). Second, Shane completes ten generations of very good or excellent dams. And Shane’s overall type rating jumped to +3.01 while his udder composite moved up to +2.29 along with calving ease at six percent.

The pacesetter among IPS new additions is 183HO0135 Spoutnik. At +1751 TPI, Spoutnik ranks thirty-first on the Holstein Association’s Top 100 TPI list. Sputnik’s hallmark attributes are milk yield, high components and strong type with a +502 NM$ rating. In addition, Spoutnik excels in management traits with a high daughter pregnancy rate. A Jocko Besne son, Spoutnik is from an Excellent-92 Rudolph daughter.

Another newly released bull with great credentials is 6HO1128 Honest-John. Honest-John is only one of three bulls in the world with +1,100 Milk, +2.58 Type, +2.02 Udder Composite and +1.86 Feet & Legs while still offering calving ease at 7%. This breed-leading Morty son descends from the well-known brood cow matron, Snow-N Denises Dellia (EX-95-GMD).

A second Jocko Besne son released by IPS is 183H02100 Riplay. This high-ranking bull has a TPI mark of +1750. Riplay excels in components and overall type with exceptional udder traits. In fact, Riplay is one of two bulls in the world with +1,100 Milk, +0.14% Fat, +1.30 Type and plus for Foot & Leg. And his superb productive life achievement is +2.8. Riplay’s Excellent dam by Tesk Terry descends from a very deep cow family with high milk yield.

Several of the IPS bulls have achieved special breed rankings as follows: 6HO1124 Tycoon-Red is ranked #4 in the entire breed for Somatic Cell Score at 2.52. Tycoon continues as a superior Red Holstein being ranked #4 for TPI. 6HO0999 Cole RC is tied at #9 for Service Sire Calving Ease with five percent. Cole is also a breed leader for fertility. And 6HO944 Joel achieved a #16 breed ranking for Feet & Leg Composite. Overall, the entire IPS sire lineup now has a very enviable type average of +2.07.

April proofs reveal changing of the guard for Excalibur
April showers brought more than May flowers during the new April proofs. The April sire summary saw many household names like Laudan, Bojangles, Leif, Big Daddy, and Delano holding rock solid but also brought in many incredible new bulls to the Excalibur Sires’ line-up.

Four new proven sires were added by Excalibur Sires during the April proofs:

Lesperon Lewis provides dairymen a fantastic source of outcross genetics. A Canyon-Breeze Allen son from the Laurie Shiek family, he has come through at +714 Milk, +.03% butterfat and +.02% protein. +2.07 PTAT and +1.32 FLC round out this complete package.

Henkeseen Hurricane-ET joined the ranks of the proven sires with a spectacular production proof. Hurricane, a Stormatic Son, has an impressive +1124 milk. and +0.04% for protein. Hurricane’s dam is Henkeseen M Hillary-ET 3E-94 GMD DOM who is the dam of 8 Excellent daughters.

Another graduate of the Excalibur Sires Pinnacle Program was Ralma Morty Fillmore-ET. This Morty son debuted at +1522 Milk. He also boasts an aAa of 516. Fillmore’s Dam, Ralma Juror Faith EX-91 GMD DOM.

Diverse pedigrees and increased data make improvements at Select Sires
Select Sires’ Holstein lineup is stronger than ever, featuring sires with diverse pedigrees and greater daughter information. Lineup highlights include second-crop success and customer-satisfaction specialist 7HO6758 Regancrest-MR Drham Sam-ET and Total Performance Index™ (TPI™) superstars with unique pedigrees and increased data.

“Select Sires is your source for the greatest selection of 7HO5157 Regancrest Elton Durham-ET and 7HO5375 Mara-Thon BW Marshall-ET sons in the industry, but we also offer elite bulls from many other sires,” said Charlie Will, manager, Holstein sire program for Select Sires. “In fact, Select Sires is home to 27 sires on Holstein Association USA’s Official Top-100 TPI list and they are sired by 17 different bulls and have 22 different maternal grandsires.”

Mr Sam climbed up by 64 TPI points and 261 pounds of milk with 4,037 daughters in 1,779 herds and 99% Reliability in his April Interbull/USA sire summary. The epitome of second-crop success, Mr Sam, now with gender SELECTed™ semen available, transmits extremely favorable type (+2.50 Type) and composites (+1.50 Udder Composite and +1.42 Feet and Leg Composite).

7HO8081 Ensenada Taboo Planet-ET is second on the Official Top-100 TPI list at +2071 TPI, up 18 points from the January sire summary because of more daughter information. He also ranks third in the breed for Milk at +2,880 and fourth for Net Merit at +$667. A Superior Settler™ and sired by Rose-Baum Taboo-ET, Planet offers exceptional Type (+2.61). All this and Planet earns a Calving-Ease designation.

With an increase of 35 TPI points, 7HO8236 GG Spartacus is the No. 3 sire on Select’s lineup at +1833. Spartacus, a Superior Settler, also specializes in Fat (+82) and Net Merit Dollars (+$536), ranking among the top-3 sires at Select for both traits. As a Herdlife Builder™, look for Spartacus to transmit the type traits that correlate to improved longevity.

7HO8163 Penn-England Temptation-ET increased 22 points in TPI to +1738, claiming the No. 34 spot on the Official Top-100 TPI list. A Herdlife Builder, Temptation is an excellent choice for heifers at 6 percent Calving Ease. Temptation improves udders at +2.01 Udder Composite and overall type at +2.66 Type.

Proofs you can trust at Alta Genetics
Developing genetics that answer the needs of progressive dairy producers is the guiding principle behind Alta’s product development efforts. The selection process is key of course, but where sampling occurs and how the data are collected is just as important. After all, not all studs do it the same way. Developing proofs you can trust is an obsession at Alta and the April sire summaries demonstrate why, when it comes to delivering peace of mind combined with genetic value, Alta is the clear choice.

There is a quiet confidence that emanates from the Alta sire listing – sire proofs that have become models of stability.

The listing includes numerous well-known icons used heavily as sires of sons, including the dynamic duo of 11HO08195 AltaBaxter, 11HO07965 AltaArmstead – the world’s leading Blitz sons – 11HO08342 Mac, and the health king, 11HO08046 Ramos. And while Ramos also doubles as a second-crop success story, three more similar successes can be found in 11HO05929 AltaAlly, 11HO06414 AltaAllegro and 11HO06433 Rudy, who all display remarkable stability in the face of significant daughter additions.

The largest gain made among this group of 20 sires was delivered by the remarkable 11HO07791 AltaRoswell, whose 36 points of TPI gain come from further improvement to Health traits including gaining the Calving Ease designation. He’s a HealthPlus and a ConceptPlus sire and a Production giant to boot. But it was a proof round that delivered Health gains to many Alta sires – the top group in particular. In fact, 14 of the top 20 Alta sires made improvements on their Health Index. In addition to AltaRoswell’s Health showing (moved up from +1.40 to +1.66), noteworthy as well, AltaArmstead daughters now in 2nd lactation pushed his Health Index score upward from +2.12 to +2.24.

New-release sires also display a decidedly Healthy aura, with 11HO08600 AltaBayside (Outside x Convincer) leading the way. With highly reliable proof data, this Advantage® graduate debuts with an exceptional longevity score in combination with extreme fat transmission. He’s earned the HealthPlus designation right out of the gate and promises to be a popular addition to the lineup.

The Canadian sampling program also contributes: 11HO08538 AltaSystematic (Stormatic x Rudolph) is solid on Production and Type while being above breed average for both longevity and daughter fertility.

April proofs show Semex works everywhere
With proving programs in four countries on three continents, Semex’s lineup of veterans and newly proven sires offers dairymen a diversified lineup of profitable sires.

“The April proofs show that Semex’s sires work everywhere,” says Pierre Laliberte, Semex Alliance Senior Vice-President, Global Genetic Programs/Operations. “Our success in Canada has never been greater, with 71 of the top 100 being Semex bulls. In the U.S. we’re seeing our Premier Program excel as our graduates continue to rank highly, contributing to 13 of the Top 100 International Bulls carrying the 200 code. These bulls are successful worldwide, and average 1775 TPI – impressive no matter where you are.”

Newly released Premier Graduate 0200HO05217 Vieuxsaule Malicieux (Income x R Marshall) is one example of Semex’s success through the USA’s Premier Program. Malicieux graduates with a 1794 TPI with an impressive NM$ of +417, driven by his low SCS at 2.99, positive Productive Life, 10 for Calving Ease and impressive +2.48 PTAT, +1.99 UDC and +1.70 FLC.

0200HO07317 Magor Bolivia Allen (Allen x Storm) and his full brother 0200HO07321 Magor Baroque Allen (Allen x Storm) are two newly proven Allen sons that are true global sensations, showing that Semex works everywhere.

Making his official debut in the #1 LPI spot, 0200JE00423 Lencrest Blackstone has arrived on the international scene and not left anyone disappointed. Dual-sampled in the U.S. and Canada, Blackstone ranked highly in the January JPI proof round, creating a great deal of excitement with his high combined production and type rankings.

Now in April, with an LPI of over 2000 points, a strong +8 for Conformation, over 1000 lbs Milk and a combined 110 lbs fat and protein with 1.9 PTAT in the USA, Blackstone dominates the Jersey breed. His exceptional production breakdown offers tremendous yields for Milk, Fat and Protein with deviations of +.13%F and +.06% P. This kind of production profile makes Blackstone well-suited for all global markets, adding volume and quality to production outputs.

BW Parade Blackstone’s maternal line needs no introduction, as it is the same cow family that still dominates the LPI listings, the Duncan Belles. His dam is Declo Belle EX-94-CAN, a former Royal Agricultural Winter Fair Intermediate Champion with 5-03 305 24,775 4.9% 1,208 3.8% 955 lbs.

Blackstone’s progeny show his strength and overall functional type. His daughters have very well-attached mammary systems, with extreme support from a deep crease. Their rear udders are wide and highly attached with the capacity to support heavy production. They walk on a very solid, well-shaped foot with a great heel depth. These daughters are tall and long-bodied with great openness of rib, being top-producing two-year-olds in both Canada and the United States.

Four outstanding new sires in LNM’s 97th percentile at Genex
1HO7900 Earnit leads the lineup in the 99th percentile for LNM and ranks no. 7 in the industry for TPITM at +1902. This Sikkema-Star Zenith son is out of Brandt-View Outside Esther, EX-90, VG-MS, GMD, DOM who reached an outstanding production of 5-06, 3x, 365 days, 55,940 lbs. milk, 4.3%, 2430 fat and 2.8%, 1584 protein. Earnit, in turn, sires +1766 PTA Milk and +87 pounds of Fat in addition to healthy production at +2.81 Somatic Cell Score (SCS) and long-lived daughters (+4.5 Productive Life).

97HO6075 Bertil %-I, a Holland Genetics sire, makes a dramatic entrance into the lineup within the 98th percentile for LNM. A +0.12% Protein and +0.14% Fat make this Willis x Jocko Besne son an appealing source of production.

A Stormatic son out of a Manfred daughter from the famous Morningview Converse Judy, 1HO7925 Judson is sure to be a producer favorite. He’s got profit power as a 97th percentile sire and is over a point for PTA Type, Udder Composite and Foot & Leg Composite. Use Judson for easy calvings (6% Sire Calving Ease) and to improve longevity and daughter fertility.

1HO7913 Pecos rounds out the four new graduates in the 97th percentile. Pecos, a brother to 1HO7127 Sharky, improves cow conformation at +1.53 Udder Composite and +2.49 Foot & Leg Composite and ranks +1728 for TPI. His linear indicates excellent fore udder attachment (+2.0), udder height (+1.5) and udder depth (+2.4). Production and longevity also top this Mr Ships son’s list of credentials. PD