THE SUCCESS
OF GENETICS AUSTRALIA’S AUSSIE RED PROGENY TEST PROGRAM CONTINUES
Writes John Harle, Genetics
Australia, April 2010
The results of the recent release of the Australian Breeding Values in April 2010 were very positive.
ARBBOBDOWN – LODEN BOB (BOTANS X HUSVEG) proven in Team 2005, retains his place as team leader with an outstanding rating of 231 for APR. He has a top all round proof improving production, components, survival, workability and type traits, as well as profit.
ARBBOBDOWN was Genetics Australia’s most popular red bull in 2009 and this high demand is continuing in 2010.
FIVE NEW GRADUATES FROM PROGENY TEST
TEAM 2006
ARBMAWSON – BOSGOWAN MAWSON (ORRARYD X BJURIST) has an impressive initial proof including an APR of 215. He comes from the outstanding Primula cow family at Bosgowan. The strengths of ARBMAWSON include improving profit, production, cell counts, type, survival and the workability traits, milking speed, temperament and farmer likeability.
Featuring top profit, top production, top protein, a good cell count rating and a rating of 110 for composite mammary and a rating of 111 for overall type (breed average 97 for these type traits). ARBMAWSON should find a place in the proven teams of all red breeders and crossbreeders. However, I would like to make a couple of suggestions to help breeders maximizes their profits from using the semen of ARBMAWSON.
· ARBMAWSON is definitely a bull to lift production of protein and milk and improve profits. However, he is not the best choice to mate to low fat composition cows. If you have any low fat composition cows, check the credentials of ARBBONJOVI, ARBBOBBOWN, ARBKOOKA, ARBPIRATE, ARBJIM, ARBMASON, ARBBLAIR and ARBRALPH.
· I have seen ARBMAWSON recently and he is a very stylish, impressive bull. He has very high ratings for improving composite mammary 110 and overall type 111. However, a study of his type proof indicates that whilst he should definitely improve the mammary system, feet and legs, bone quality and angularity, it is unlikely that he will improve body traits. In other words he is not the bull to mate to cows which are fine, frail or narrow “up front”. If you have any cows like this, fortunately there are many alternatives to consider. Check the credentials of ARBBONJOVI, ARBPIRATE, ARBSUNNY, ARBLORD, ARBBLAIR, ARBMASON, ARBBAGGINS and ARBRALPH.
ARBBONJOVI – BOSGOWAN BON JOVI (ORRARYD X TORP 882) is another outstanding new graduate from Team 2006. He also comes from the very successful Primula cow family at Bosgowan and is another son of Orraryd. However, ARBBONJOVI and ARBMAWSON have proofs with different strengths.
In reality, ARBBONJOVI, ARBMAWSON & ARBBOBDOWN will make a great team. The strengths of ARBBONJOVI include: 114 for overall type, 107 for composite mammary including good ratings for improving body traits and the mammary system. ARBBONJOVI is also a very good choice to mate to high milk flow but low composition cows. We predict high demand for ARBBONJOVI, ARBMAWSON and ARBBOBDOWN in 2010.
ARBKOOKA – LODEN KOOKABURRA (ARBLORIKEET X HANSMOEN)]
ARBPIRATE – LODEN PIRATE (ARBLORIKEET X HUSVEG) ] are also successful graduates from Team 2006. They are both sons of ARBLORIKEET and are both polled. ARBLORIKEET, still ranked at No. 5 on the list of red sires with ABVs, was proven in Team ’99 but died before he received his first proof. However, the strengths of this important sire line are being carried on by both of his illustrious sons – ARBPIRATE and ARBKOOKA.
ARBPIRATE has the same dam as ARBBOBDOWN – LODEN SPOTTY 1740. His strengths include improving profit, production, components, workability traits, cell counts, survival and overall type. Siring daughters with longer teats, good front teat placement, chest and muzzle width, plus high production, he should also find a place in the team of all red breeders and cross breeders.
ARBKOOKA introduces a new cow family – the Loden KIBOKOS, into our premium team. The Kibokos are a homebred family developed in the last 40 years at Loden. ARBKOOKA also will contribute higher profits and an improvement in production, components, workability traits and cell counts. Whilst he is considered to be a breed average bull for type, he has a very good rating for improving front teat placement.
ARBLORD – BEAULANDS LORD (FYN AKS X CHRISTIANSBORG) (Holstein content 25%) is our first Fyn Aks son to be selected for our premium team. He comes from the successful LADY cow family at Beaulands. His many strengths include a sound production proof, good ratings for survival, overall type and the mammary system, plus workability traits. He is currently our team leader for farmer likeability and in the top group for improving milking speed. Comments from progeny test cooperators milking daughters are very positive. They commented very favourably about the performance, body traits and udder traits and of the daughters of ARBLORD.
Whilst ARBLORD is not the team leader for APR, because of his good ratings for body traits, mammary system, survival, milking speed, farmer likeability plus sound production, we anticipate he will find a place in the team of many red breeders and cross breeders.
ARBRALPH – GRAZIN PRINCE RALPH (VPRINCE X EKES 519) (31% HOLSTEIN)
ARBRALPH remains the team leader for type. He has an excellent type proof improving virtually all type traits, body, feet and legs and the mammary system. ARBRALPH remains in the top group for survival – his daughters stay in herds. He has a good workability proof and is one of the best choices for mating to high milk flow cows with low fat composition. ARBRALPH was one of the most popular red bulls marketed by Genetics Australia in 2009.
ARBJIM – BEAULANDS JIM (CHRISTIANSBORG X FREDVANG)
ARBJIM is another top sire from the Scarlet cow family at Beaulands. He is another of the “stayers” in the team. On this occasion he added over 300 second crop daughters to his proof and he held his proof. He retains a very good production proof and is in the top group for improving cell counts.
For those farmers who want proofs of high reliability, two of the better red choices remain – ARBJIM and ARBLAWRENCE.
ARBLAWRENCE – BOSGOWAN LAWRENCE (DROPSTAD X TORLAND)
ARBLAWRENCE is another top sire from the PRIMULA cow family at Bosgowan. Originally proven in Team ’99, he is one of the “stayers” in the team. He added another 300 daughters and held his proof. His many strengths include production, workability and type and he is still in the top group for cell counts, daughter fertility and survival.
ARBSUNNY – BEAULANDS SUNNY (HULAN X CHRISTIANSBORG)
ARBSUNNY, from the Beaulands SCARLET cow family, is another top sire that held his proof. ARBSUNNY is a good all rounder improving profit, production, components, type, survival and workability traits. He has a very good type proof for improving body traits.
ARBBREW – LODEN BREW (SKOLE X UDDEN)
ARBBREW retained his sound production proof. He remains in the top group for workability traits, cell counts and survival. His type proof has improved and he scores highly for body traits and front teat placement.
ARBBLAIR – BOSGOWAN BLAIR (BJURIST X CHRISTIANSBORG)
ARBBLAIR retains his good workability proof and type proof. He remains team leader for survival – his daughters stay in herds. ARBBLAIR is one of the better choices to mate to high milk flow but low fat composition cows.
ARBMASON – BOSGOWAN MASON (DROPSTAD X HALLA 798)
ARBMASON remains in the top group for daughter fertility, survival and farmer likeability. He has a sound production proof and a good type proof, scoring well for body traits and most traits of the mammary system.
ARBBAGGINS – LODEN FRODO (NZLCHALLENGE X ARBTOILER)
ARBBAGGINS held his production proof and remains in the top group for improving milking speed, daughter fertility and survival. He retained a very good type proof, receiving high scores for all the body traits and traits of the mammary system.
THESE ACHIEVEMENTS – proving and marketing bulls whose daughters perform in Australia are the results of the cooperation of many people. We should recognize and acknowledge the contribution of all of them. These people include the breeders of the bulls, team members of the Aussie Red Progeny Test Committees of the ARDB and Genetics Australia, many team members of Genetics Australia involved with looking after the bulls, collecting and processing semen and all the “backroom work” organizing and distributing PT brochures, getting orders for our PT bulls, dispatching semen and managing the project. In addition we need to recognize semen retailers, staff at ADHIS and data processing centres plus of course, the classifiers.
Finally, we need to recognize and thank the real VIPS – the Australian progeny test cooperators. Their role is vital and is really appreciated. At Genetics Australia we are very committed to doing everything possible to increase the number of active progeny test cooperators and maximizing the support we get from them. In reality, the more support we get from progeny test cooperators, the younger, high index Aussie Red sires we can test for the benefit of Australian dairy farmers, both red breeders and cross breeders.
Genetics Australia is always on the lookout for more progeny test cooperators so we can continue to test more bulls and have a ready supply of top Australian standing Aussie Red bulls. If you would like to find out how you can be involved and the benefits of participation, contact John Harle on 07 3818 0564 or free call 1800 039 047.