The depth and quality of the Holstein team has never been greater and there is a wide range of options available for mammary improvement, shorter gestation, and calving ease
April ABVs have delivered great results for Genetics Australia bulls with a bull for every breeding goal and every breed, according to CEO Anthony Shelly.
Mr Shelly said the bulls standing in Australia have never been better. “We will continue to invest in the best genetics available to us and there isn’t a source of genetics around the world that cannot be ranked on the Australian system,” he said.
“Breeding the best to the best has paid dividends and the rapid gains made through the use of genomics can clearly be seen in each of the Holstein, Jersey and Australian Reds breed tables released by DataGene.”
Mr Shelly said GA was excited with the release of the 2022 April ABVs and its program has delivered some very nice daughter proven results.
These include Holstein sires FEDORA (476 BPI) with an exceptionally balanced proof with highlights across his production, conformation, survival and mastitis resistance.
SUPERPOWER (454 BPI) has received his first daughter proven breeding value and will deliver extremely profitable and robust cows with tremendous production and strength traits. SUPERDAVE (533 BPIg) has added his first milking daughter and is now the go to production specialist at 321 ASI.
The number one ranked BPI Holstein Genomic sire is once again TOMMYDEE 556 BPIg, TOMMYDEE is bred in the competitive herd owned John and Vicki Lillico in northwest Tasmania. Sired by GA genomic sire ENDGAME (449 BPIg), he descends from the Hindlee “Royal” cow family and offers exactly what the industry is seeking with top ABVs for Calving Ease 104, Survival 110, Mastitis Resistance 112 and Daughter Fertility 113.
Other Holstein young genomic bulls joining the team include DECIPHER (Letsgo x Wrangler) 485 BPIg, JOVIAL (Silverline x Perseus) 452 BPIg, REDGATE 445 BPIg (Redcarpet x Superhero) and CASHOLIVER (Nacash x Fedora) at 472 BPIg.
“The depth and quality of the Holstein team has never been greater and there is a wide range of options available for mammary improvement, shorter gestation, and calving ease,” Mr Shelly said.
Australian Jerseys continue to forge an excellent reputation worldwide and Genetics Australia’s daughter proven line-up is second to none with the top three sires. Now with 296 milking daughters, DOUGGAN (David x Murmur) remains the number one Jersey bull for BPI at 413, DOBSON (David x Elton) now with 155 milking daughters joins DOUGGAN as the equal number one Jersey sire. DOBSON offers a great combination of conformation and health traits and will be extremely popular. Both bulls were bred by While Star Jerseys at Terang, currently the Number 1 ABV Jersey herd. ASKN (Valentino x Tbone) reaffirms himself as one of the best Jersey sires worldwide with his unique combination of health and type.
The good news for Jerseys continues with PICKLE (Pixstar x Lemonhead) leading the genomic ratings at 420 BPIg, with positive milk flow and exceptional health traits. PICKLE is also a leading sire for daughter fertility (ABV 105) combining survival (ABV 112). A new addition to the GA Jersey line-up is Wallacedale GOLDBANDP 362 BPIg (Polledgold x Bandanna), who is clearly the highest ranked “Polled” Jersey sire following the April proof release, GOLDBANDP will offer an all-round package of Balanced Performance, Production, Conformation and importantly improved Health and Fitness traits.
“The new Jersey team is unsurpassed in its quality and represents a number of young bulls from leading cow families and top Jersey breeders in Australia,” Mr Shelly said.
The addition of genomics to Australian Red breed bulls has further strengthened the Genetics Australia team which now has the top four positions on BPIg. ARBPRIMESTAD P 354 BPIg (Onstad x Uudin), ARBMCKEON 336 BPIg (Faabeli x Foske), ARBBOOBOO BPIg 333(Wiking x Tokyo) and ARBCAESAR BPIg 329 (Aotearoa x Kenneth) offer a great combination of pedigree diversity, high profit and health.
Mr Shelly said the April 2022 bull team was stronger than ever.
“Now with genomics contributing to each breed, the future of local standing bulls has never been brighter,” he said. “We have been at the forefront of genomics in Australia for many years now and have available from our 2022 teams the Number 1 genomic Holstein TOMMYDEE, Jersey PICKLE and Australian Red in ARBPRIMESTAD. It is a significant achievement and a real credit to the quality and depth of bulls standing in Australia as well as to the Australian breeders who have developed these world class bulls and the cow families that are behind them.
“Demand on young bulls both in Australia and internationally as well as the use of sexed semen has never been greater, so I encourage all farmers breeding cows in the coming months to order early to avoid disappointment.”
-Genetics Australia