SEMEX: YOUR SOURCE FOR GOLDWYN SONS pg. 3 MODERN BALANCED BREEDING pg A NEW LOOK AT: HERD LIFE pg. 6-7

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1 SEMEX: YOUR SOURCE FOR GOLDWYN SONS pg. 3 MODERN BALANCED BREEDING pg. 4-5 A NEW LOOK AT: HERD LIFE pg. 6-7 INCREASE PROFITS: REDUCE INBREEDING pg. 8-9 USE BODY CONDITION SCORE TO INCREASE REPRODUCTION pg SEMEX SUCCESS: KINGS BENEFIT FROM SOLUTIONS pg SEMEX S LANCELOT: REDUCE INBREEDING COSTS pg. 16 TIME WELL SPENT: WHERE YOUR HERD MAKES MONEY pg

2 Your Source for Goldwyn Sons Page 3 SEMEX: Your Source For Goldwyn Sons Page 4-5 MODERN BALANCED BREEDING: Beyond The Typ(e)ical Page 6-7 A New Look At: Herd Life Page 8-9 INCREASE PROFITS: Reduce Inbreeding & Its Economic Costs Page USE BODY CONDITION SCORE: To Increase Reproduction Page SEMEX SUCCESS: Kings Benefit From Solutions Page 16 SEMEX S LANCELOT: Reduce Inbreeing Costs Page TIME WELL SPENT: Where Your Herd Makes You Money Balance is a magazine designed to promote dairy genetics, technology and management. The magazine is published by the Semex Alliance. The Semex Alliance is focused on global leadership in the genetics marketplace. Semex Alliance Canadian Partnerships: Semex Solutions More and more dairymen are coming to rely on Semex as a source of solutions for their dairy. With the August genetic evaluations, we are leading the world, by providing you with the industry s most diverse and profitable Goldwyn sons. We are fortunate to continue to offer you some of the breed s most elite genetics. Beyond Goldwyn sons, we have numerous profitable outcross sires ready to add diversity to your herd. The best part, however, is that not only can we meet your genetic needs but we can meet the overall needs by providing your herd with management solutions at the same time. In this issue of Balance, you ll notice our increasing success with the ai24 program. We now have systems installed from coast to coast in the USA and around the world, with producers everywhere amazed by its heat detection accuracy and how their reproduction programs have On the cover: Healthy cows at Greg Andersen s farm in American Falls, ID, USA. Photo by Ruth Demandt. not only improved, but been greatly simplified. Powered by Heatime, ai24 is in use around the world, with over half a million collars in use every day checking on cows and recording over 90% estrus detection rates. Semex s continued focus on fertility is taking place in our.25plus straw. We have seen great adoption in this technology, as customers like yourself demand more for your AI dollar. The leading fertility edge that this straw can net you at least an additional $5 USD per dose in value. We are taking into account the importance you place in fertility and are making sure that we prove ourselves by offering the best fertility options. Semex is ready to work with you and your staff, offering a complete suite of genetic and reproductive solutions. Ask your Semex representative today about these solutions and join the thousands upon thousands of customers worldwide that partner with Semex because they know that Every Dose Counts. From left to right: Liatris Jordan Merril VG-85-2YR-CAN, Noelidase Yannick Jordan VG-86-2YR-CAN, Campagna Jordan Narianne VG-85-2YR-CAN, Clemarquet Rachel Jordan VG-85-2YR-CAN, Clari Jordan Petalika GP-81-2YR-CAN, Liatris Jordan Merillbay VG-86-2YR-CAN, Flechedor Jordan Petunia VG-86-2YR-CAN, Chailow Jordan Liz VG-85-2YR-CAN, Rocsel Jordan Margot VG-86-2YR-CAN Clemarquet Rachel Jordan & Rocsel Jordan Margot pictured by Frank Robinson; all others by Vicki Fletcher Mike West, Semex Alliance Sire Analyst & Product Support Specialist Gauging greatness and forecasting success is difficult, but in the A.I. industry we hesitate to call any sire a great until he has proven himself as a sire of sons. August 2010 marks the release of Semex s first big wave of proven Braedale Goldwyn sons. Based on results and field reports, Goldwyn is poised to take on the title of industry great! Two of his sons that are going to make a large impact are the split embryo brothers, 0200HO05575 Gillette Jordan and 0200HO05577 Gillette Jerrick. Hailing from an exceptional Durham dam, Gillette-I Durham Jericho EX-CAN 10*, with records to over 22,600 kgs in 305 days and nearly 91,000 kgs lifetime, plus three more VG or EX dams, dictated success for Jordan and Jerrick. Jericho went VG-87 in her second lactation, but was bred right back to carry. So when she calved for the third time she really bloomed to her full potential, says Julien Chabot, Semex Sire Analyst and buyer of Jerrick and Jordan. She had a Freelance heifer that now is EX-93. Jericho went VG-89 early in lactation, and a few months later moved up to EX. Her first flush was to Canyon-Breeze Allen, which produced an EX-91 daughter. The second flush was to Goldwyn just after he was made available. It produced Jerrick, Jordan and a heifer, Jenny. She is VG as a first calver and has one of the highest LPI direct genomic values in the Gillette herd. Being split embryo brothers makes Jordan and Jerrick 100% identical in their DNA, offering a rare and exceptional opportunity. However, in their initial proof we will see small differences in their breakdowns due to maternal influence of the daughters as well as environmental impact. The biggest difference at this point, is in their daughter numbers. Jordan has over 90 daughters in his initial type proof, while Jerrick has just over 50 daughters scored. Both bulls have continued to add many daughters since the genetic cut off for the August proof, which will make the December 2010 and April 2011 genetic evaluations even more interesting. Jerrick and Jordan were members of Semex s Genomax program, and were re-released outside of their initial young sire sampling program. This was a great opportunity for breeders, and it also will allow them both to add daughters each proof round for the next two years. final score is 81.5 on the first 126 daughters that had a classification for both the dam and daughter. For Jerrick the numbers were very similar, with an average final score of the dams being 81 points on the first 54 daughters that had a classification on both the dam and daughter. Keeping in mind that these scores are the dams current final scores, not classification at first lactation, the results are very encouraging, showing their ability to improve over dams. In the field, both bulls are very impressive and show an expression of both the maternal and paternal side of their pedigrees. One of the most common traits passed on is their tremendous rear udder width, which was one of the greatest attributes of their Durham dam. In fact, this is often the highest scoring trait for both bulls daughters. Jericho developed slowly but surely into a trouble-free cow with great feet & legs and a super udder, says Chabot. She especially had a very high and wide rear udder. After seeing 20 Jordan and 20 Jerrick daughters, I admit that you see a lot of the Jericho features in these cows. If the Jerrick and the Jordan daughters develop anywhere close to what Jericho did in her 2nd and 3rd lactation, they will be great cows. Jordan is definitely a breeder of style and quality, and it is easy to see many of Goldwyn s attributes coming through in Jordan s daughters. He is able to make cows that are super stylish, with great udders and ideal feet & legs. Like Jordan s daughters, we definitely see angularity and quality expressed in Jerrick s daughters. Similarily we see the pattern of great mammary systems expressed in both bulls. There has been a great deal of hype surrounding Jordan leading up to his proof release. This has resulted in him being used on many high profile embryo flushes. Additionally, Jordan is being used to produce the next generation of bulls as a sire of sons at Semex due to the exceptional field reports and the number of daughters in his production proof. These two sires offer a rare and exciting opportunity. They are genetically identical and are both producing excellent results, meeting the high standards the industry has set for all Goldwyn sons. At this point, Jordan may be considered to be the higher profile sire due to a slightly higher LPI rating, but Jerrick has a very similar breakdown and will have Semex SEMEXX sexed semen available, making him one of the industry s premier sexed semen sires. Breeders and dairymen worldwide have been anxiously awaiting the release of Goldwyn sons, and now at Semex we re pleased to be Your Source for Goldwyn Sons! We re certain that Jordan and Jerrick are two Goldwyn sons that have something to offer dairymen everywhere, underlining the fact that Every Dose Counts! Currently, Jordan has 166 daughters classified with a 75% Good Plus and better rating, while Jerrick rates 76% Good Plus and better on his first 82 daughters classified. More interesting though, is looking at the Comments or submissions to the editor should be forwarded to Brenda Lee-Turner, Semex Alliance, 130 Stone Road West, Guelph, Ontario, Canada N1G 3Z2. tel: , fax: ; bturner@semex.com average scores of the progeny s dams. The Jordan dams average 2 3 SEMEXX, Genomax, Genomaxx, Repromax, ProMate, ReproMix, Semex Premier, Health$mart, ai24, Designer Series and.25plus are registered trademarks of the Semex Alliance.

3 Lady Gaga, Britney S and Beyoncé, triplet daughters by Crockett-Acres Eight at Ben and Jackie Bailey s Tregonhowse Farm, Tregony, Truto, Cornwall, UK Photo by Andrew Oxford The August 2010 proof round saw the arrival of Semex s Goldwyn sons and the return of Semex to its role as type leader, much to the approval of type fans worldwide. Looking through the entire Semex lineup though, it s easy to see that Semex offers much more than sons descending from one family tree. Proof positive of this diversity is the arrival of several Mr Sam sons to the Semex lineup, offering an outcross to herds dominated by Goldwyn and Shottle bloodlines. Balanced Breeding: Beyond The Typ(e)ical Semex has actively sought sires that will offer more to a broader range of customers, says Brad Sayles, Vice President Global Marketing. We re appealing to more and more dairymen worldwide through a product offering that continues to become more diverse. at FU Attach, RU Height, RU Width and U Cleft. Additionally, he s a high fertilty Repromax sire. 0200HO03498 Gillette Winners is a Mr Sam from a VG-88 10* Blitz dam that traces back to Canada s famous Gypsy Grand family. These daughters are deep-ribbed, with good udders that are wellattached. Breeders will appreciate an outcross sire like Winners, says USA Premier Consultant Nick Sarbacker. Ranking as the #4 PTAT Mr Sam son, Winners is a Designer Series sire that meets the needs of many, arriving at PTAT, UDC with a 7 for Calving Ease and is also a high fertility Repromax sire. Dairymen are looking for their genetic suppliers to offer more than just the very top of the lists. They re looking for sires that are outcross sires, highly reliable sires and sires that can get to work today on their bottom line. and low somatic cell score giving him all the qualifications to be both a Designer Series and Health$mart sire. Sourcing the best genetics worldwide, Semex utilized the German star Laudan, known for transmitting high yields, good udder health, good We re still looking for deep pedigrees, good sire stacks and cows that combine production and type. fitness and longevity, on a BW Marshall from the same family that gave us Semex great Canyon- Breeze Allen. The result was Health$mart sire 0200HO00423 Canyon-Breeze Alaska, Semex s #1 LPI Release sire in April, now ranking an impressive #13 LPI at GLPI as a Semex Health$mart sire with +108 Herd Life, +104 Milking Speed, +107 Dtr Calving Ability, +106 Dtr Fertility with positive components. In the USA, he s the #3 PTAT Laudan son, showing the same desirable herd health traits, excellent type and positive deviations at PTAT, +2.4 PL, 8 Calving Ease, +.05%F, +.06%P and low 2.85 SCS. 0200HO05024 Dudoc Mr Burns *RC has literally been red hot since his release in February 2007, with an extremely balanced proof that is proven to deliver worldwide! Now, the #3 Second Crop Sire in Canada, Mr Burns *RC delivers ideal foot structure, shallow, wellattached udders, good production and components from a strong maternal line. As a Semex Master Series and Designer Series sire, dairymen worldwide appreciate how his daughters mature and develop, milking from high, wide rear udders built to last. 0200HO00402 Mainstream Manifold remains a step above all other Oman sons on the market today. This Repromax and Health$mart sire has carved out his own niche, being just one of two sires in the 100 High Ranking Sire report to be over 1000M, greater than 70 lbs Fat, over 40 lbs Protein, positive for deviations, under 3.00 for SCS, over 3.0 PL while posting greater than 1.00 for both PTAT and UDC! His NM$ is 597 with an impressive TPI, ranking him as the #10 TPI sire of the breed overall. The Manifold daughters are really good commercial cows, says Michelle Pedretti, Semex USA West Coast Premier Consultant. They are medium sized, strong cows with good depth of rib and nice width in their rumps. Manifolds are extremely youthful in their udder attachments; their fore udders blend smoothly with nice veination and they show great height and width to their rear udders, walking on strong pasterns that easily get them to and from the feedbunk and parlors. Another Oman son, 0200HO09804 Crockett-Acres Eight, continues to rank high on the LPI listing at #6. A high fertility Repromax and Health$mart sire from a famous Mtoto dam, with eight more generations of VG or EX, Eight was the highest ranking newly-proven sire in Canada when he debuted in April 2009 and remains in the same position today. Dairymen describe their Eight daughters as a dream at 111 Herd Life, 2.54 SCS, 109 Calving Ability, 107 Daughter Fertility, making them hardly noticeable in the barn. Eight converts well to the USA TPI with 100 lbs combined Fat & Protein and those workability traits dairymen love at 2.76 SCS, 6 Calving Ease and 2.7 PL. High fertility Repromax sire, 0200HO03315 Braedale Pagewire combines a great maternal line and a strong second crop to drive breeders back to using him again and again. Looking in the lots, the Pagewires stand out as being some of the best daughters in their herds, says Semex Sire Analyst Mike West. He s a sire of sons at Semex, with Genomax sons available shortly. Dairymen are going back and using him again and again. His reliability and pleasing type traits make him an easy mating for so many of today s cows. Dairymen looking for the most reliable in health traits need look no further than Semex s 99% Reliability BW Marshall son, 0200HO04779 R-E-W Buckeye. Proven in August 2005, many considered Buckeye to be their favorite BW Marshall son. Today, he s still as solid as ever, offering PTAT, UDC and FLC with a 6 for Calving Ease, 2.3 PL and low Somatic Cell Score. With over 22,000 dtrs/8,000 (type) and over 36,000 dtrs/12,000 herds (prod) dairymen can trust this Semex Health$mart sire, who breeds healthy cows that contribute lactation after lactation. Looking towards the future, Semex trusts its Balanced Breeding philosophy as a guide to all of its mating decisions. We re still looking for deep pedigrees, good sire stacks and cows that combine production and type, says Pierre Laliberte, Semex Alliance Senior Vice President, Genetics & Research. Genomics give us another tool to use. It has helped offer better young sires to our customers. The customers that have used our Genomax lineup are very happy. One of these, is the #1 PTAT Mr Sam and #3 Conformation sire, Proven in April, Repromax sire 0200HO02106 Stantons Steady 0200HO02137 Pine-Tree Sid. From a VG-88 DOM Finley dam, this is from the famous Saturday family, Steady s dam is a VG-85 17* Designer Series, Health$mart sire offers dramatic improvement Convincer from the VG-86 35* Rudolph Stress cow. This family is over dams and is a transmitter of strength and tremendous mammary well-known for delivering profitable sires to the marketplace including systems. These claims are evident in his August showing, at +18 Conf, seven other sires at Semex. These are big, black, powerful, angular While genomics may not be the key to success for all dairymen, +17 Mammary System and +15 Dairy Strength with 2.93 SCS, +108 cows, says Carl Saucier, CIAQ Progeny Analyst. They have shallow Semex continues to use this tool to help select the next generation Breeders looking for highly proven genetics trust Semex as their Herd Life, +102 Calving Ability and +110 Dtr Calving Ability on LPI. udders with tremendous fore udders, are wide with hard tops, of sires. For those dairymen looking to put this tool to use, the source for cows that are the longest-lasting, most profitable cows in On the USA TPI rankings he s an impressive PTAT, UDC, balance and style. Balanced throughout this Repromax sire has a Genomax lineup at Semex has offered diversity, with bulls like their herds. These sires can be used with confidence, as they ve been FLC with a low 2.90 SCS and tremendous mammary systems PTAT, FLC all with an impressive +.21% F, calving ease 0200HO05575 Gillette Jordan, 0200HO05428 My-John Karik and proven in many herds with daughters backing up their success. 4 5

4 Figure 1 A new look at herd life Brian Van Doormaal, Canadian Dairy Network General Manager & Holstein Canada Chief Executive Officer Imagine a whole herd of cows without any problems with disease, reproduction, locomotion, mammary system, or other important reasons for disposal. While this vision may not be totally realistic, sire selection based on Herd Life can help get closer to this goal. What producers really want is to gain back the control of the decision to cull from the cow to the owner. Identifying sires that will increase the genetic potential of the dairy herd for improved Herd Life is an important factor for taking control of the culling decisions in future years. Shown in Figure 1 is the latest data from the Canadian Dairy Network. The most heritable traits for improving Herd Life are cell count, days open, Mammary system, Udder depth, Conformation and calving to first service days. Improvements to Herd Life Evaluations Published Herd Life (HL) evaluations for progeny proven sires are a combination of their Direct Herd Life (DHL) and Indirect Herd Life (IHL) ratings depending on the relative amount of information in each. Given the advanced state-of-the-art at the Canadian Dairy Network of the current genetic evaluation system for Direct Herd Life, which evaluates the rate of daughter survival to five stages of productive performance following first calving, the most critical research is to continually improve the prediction formula for deriving Indirect Herd Life. Figure 1 provides the list of evaluated traits that have a correlation of at least 10% with Direct Herd Life, based on proven sires that have sufficient actual data for daughter survival rate to fourth calving. In addition to Somatic Cell Score, which is the most highly correlated trait associated with daughter survival (35.2%), other important traits include those associated with female fertility (average correlation of 24.8%), calving performance (average correlation of 23.7%) and functional type traits (average correlation of 23.2%). These proof correlations reflect the complexity of longevity as a trait of interest since it is almost equally associated with measurements of disease, fertility, calving performance, mammary system and feet and legs. Note that bulls with high proofs for Lactation Persistency and Body Depth tend to be associated with poorer Direct Herd Life, and therefore daughter survival, with correlations of -10.7% and -14.4%, respectively. Adding Genomics to the Picture Sire proofs for Herd Life have been available in Canada for 15 years and their accuracy has continually improved over time. Since August 2009, the Holstein breed has also benefited from the inclusion of genomics in official evaluations for all traits, including Herd Life. One way to consider Herd Life sire proofs currently published is that they are a combination of three sources of information: genomics, predicted Indirect Herd Life and Direct Herd Life based on daughter survival. In general, genomics has been highly promoted due to the gain in accuracy for young sire and heifer evaluations but for Herd Life the benefits are also signifi cant for progeny proven sires. In fact, the average published Herd Life Reliability for newly proven sires with their first official LPI increases from approximately 50% without genomics to 72% when it is included. For genomically tested young bulls, published Reliability for Herd Life increases from an average of 31% to 58%, yielding an increase of 27 percentage points. These Reliability increases represent a significant gain in accuracy of Herd Life evaluations for young and newly proven sires that warrant increased attention when making sire selection decisions. of 100 and a range of 85 to 115 to include 99% of all proven sires. Figure 2 provides the expected outcome in terms of daughter survival from first calving to either second, third or fourth calving depending on the sire s Herd Life proof. For an average sire rated 100, 70% of his first calving daughters are expected to start a second lactation, 50% are expected to start a third lactation and 31% are expected to survive to start a fourth lactation. These are population averages for the Holstein breed in Canada so become the expectation of daughters of the average proven sire. Highly rated bulls with a Herd Life of 115 are predicted to have 47% of their daughters survive to a fourth calving, which is substantially better than the 16% expectation for daughters of sires rated 85. Figure 2 shows the impact of sire selection for improved Herd Life on the rate of survival of daughters to various stages in their productive life. Figure 2 Expected Survival Rate of Daughters by Herd Life Proof of Sire Herd Life % Daughter Survival to: (RBV) 2nd Calving 3rd Calving 4th Calving Summary and Conclusions Herd Life is an excellent genetic evaluation tool for improving the underlying genetic potential of your herd, which gives the owner more control of culling decisions, instead of the cows. By enhancing the genetic evaluation system for Direct Herd Life based on daughter survival, as well as the accuracy of the formula to predict Indirect Herd Life, and then adding genomic information on top, producers can have more faith and confidence in Herd Life evaluations to select for longevity. Semex Top Herd Life Sires 0200HO02066 WEST PORT BUTLER *RC HO05606 RALMA CONFIRM-ET HO03516 GINARY JACK HO02087 SANDY-VALLEY DEPUTY HO05049 MORNINGVIEW ASHLAR HO09804 CROCKETT-ACRES EIGHT HO07030 LADINO PARK TALENT *RC HO05451 COMESTAR LEXACT HO03205 BRAEDALE GOLDWYN HO05575 GILLETTE JORDAN HO04387 LA PRESENTATION WINDOWS HO02143 KRULL EXPLORE 110 Expected Outcome of Herd Life Selection As with most functional traits evaluated in Canada, bull DAVIDSONS RAIDER BRONZE EX-97-9E-CAN proofs for Herd Life are expressed in terms of Relative At 17 Years Has Produced Over 150,000 kgs of Milk Lifetime Breeding Values (RBVs) using a scale with an average Photo by Els Korsten 6 7

5 Increase Profits: Reduce Inbreeding & Its Economic Impact Greg Dietrich, Semex ProMate Coordinator Inbreeding is defined as the probability that two alleles at any locus are identical by descent and occurs when related individuals are mated. This statement quickly raises three questions: 1. What does this mean? 2. How will it affect my operation and finances? 3. Most importantly, what can I do about it? Figure 1: Schematic Diagram of Mating Results for Coat Color in Holsteins Associated with the True Red & White Gene Source: Canadian Dairy Network: Adapted from a schematic diagram produced by the Canadian Red & White Holstein Club DNA How will it affect my operation/finances? The effect of inbreeding on lifetime and individual lactation performance in registered Holstein cows can be costly. Trait Lifetime net income Age at 1st freshening Days of productive life Lifetime total milk prod Inbreeding depression per 1% increase in inbreeding $-24 (US dollars) 0.36 days 13 days -358 kgs (Cassell et al, 1999) What the chart above shows is that, for example, if your herd has 100 cows, and you were able to reduce inbreeding by just 1% you could gain an extra 35,833 kgs of milk... or an additional $2400 dollars lifetime net income! Most importantly, what can I do about it? Semex offers a strong line up of bulls that are low inbreeding sires, but also have high quality genetics, so you do not have to sacrifice one for the other as seen in Figure 2. Semex also offers programs to help you use the best bulls, getting the best genetic gain while minimizing your inbreeding. Semex s mating program, ProMate, has an industry-leading inbreeding calculator that will mate the herd with the ideal bulls, while working within your desired parameters for inbreeding. ProMate is designed to understand your needs and the effect of both genetics and profits. What does this mean? Cattle, like humans, have two sets of chromosomes that make up their DNA. Cattle have 60 chromosomes; one set of the chromosomes comes from the mother and the other from the father. A locus is a certain position on a chromosome. This can be a gene or a genetic marker that stays in that fixed position. A gene is typically made up of two alleles, one from the mother and the other from the father. Imagine the DNA as your country, and the chromosomes as your state and the locus is your farm, one of many in the state and it is a fixed location. On your farm you have many bikes (genes) that have two wheels each (alleles). There are usually many different alleles (kinds of tires) per gene, and these result in the expression of a particular trait. Some traits, such as coat color, are affected by one gene where others, such as milk production, are affected by several genes. All traits are the result of the interactions of their alleles; no individual can have more than two alleles for a given trait. dominate and receives the black allele from both parents. A red carrier (RDC) has one red allele and one black allele, and is known as heterozygous. The Red & White Holstein is homozygous recessive and receives red alleles from both parents. In some traits, alleles may be co-dominant, where neither acts as dominant or recessive. An example of this is the roan color in Shorthorn cattle; they exhibit both Red and White together. (genetics) deoxyribonucleic acid: an extremely long macromolecule that is the main component of chromosomes and is the material that transfers genetic characteristics in all life forms, constructed of two nucleotide strands coiled around each other in a ladderlike arrangement with the sidepieces composed of alternating phosphate and deoxyribose units and the rungs composed of the purine and pyrimidine bases adenine, guanine, cytosine, and thymine: the genetic information of DNA is encoded in the sequence of the bases and is transcribed as the strands unwind and replicate. chromosomes (genetics) any of several threadlike bodies, consisting of chromatin, that carry the genes in a linear order: the human species has 23 pairs, designated 1 to 22 in order of decreasing size and X and Y for the female and male sex chromosomes respectively. locus (genetics) the chromosomal position of a gene as determined by its linear order relative to the other genes on that chromosome. Figure 2: Semex Low Inbreeding Sires Based on the August 2010 proof round Semex offers 10 bulls that average over 2100 LPI with a low inbreeding average of 4.91%. %INB 0200HO05379 Stallion HO02147 Colfax HO05024 Mr Burns *RDC HO01712 Aladdin HO05588 Lauthority HO05428 Karik HO09804 Eight HO01584 Frosty HO02128 Axion-Red HO00423 Alaska 5.61 Average 4.91 If paired alleles are the same, it is homozygous for that trait. If they are different, it is referred to as heterozygous. A Therefore, to determine the level of inbreeding we look at the dominant allele will override the traits of a recessive allele in a number of genes that are homozygous and the number of heterozygous pairing. alleles that are from the same origin. An example of simple dominance would be the red coat color as seen in Figure 1. The Black & White Holstein is homozygous alleles (genetics) any of several forms of a gene, usually arising through 8 mutation, that are responsible for hereditary variation. 9

6 Your Source for Goldwyn Sons H O GILLETTE JERRICK VG-85-CAN EXTRA Goldwyn x EX 10* Durham x EX GMD DOM 6* Leadman Loyalea Jerrick Becky VG-85-2YR-CAN Loyalea Holsteins, Hastings, ON, Canada H O GILLETTE JORDAN VG-87-CAN EXTRA Goldwyn x EX 10* Durham x EX GMD DOM 6* Leadman Fever Jerrick Jordan CAMPAGNA JORDAN NARIANNE VG-85-2YR-CAN Ferme Campagna Inc., St. Francois, PQ, Canada Seaver Lauthority H O R-E-W SEAVER VG-87-CAN ST Goldwyn x VG-88 DOM Durham x EX GMD DOM Airliner H O CRACKHOLM FEVER EX-91-CAN ST Goldwyn x EX-92 5* Blitz x VG-86 4* Mattie G BOILY SEAVER CACAOUETTE Ferme Boily ENR, St. Bruno, PQ, Canada H O COMESTAR LAUTHORITY Goldwyn x VG-89 6* Igniter x VG-85 2* Emerson LEDUCHE FEVER MARTHA VG-85-2YR-CAN Ferme Leduche SNC, St. Madeleine, PQ, Canada GREENDIKE LAUTHORITY EVA 119 GP-83-2YR-CAN Chris Groenendijk, Chemainus, BC, Canada

7 Using body condition score to select for better reproductive performance Catherine Bastin*, Sarah Loker, Nicolas Gengler*, Asheber Sewalem #, and Filippo Miglior # * University of Liège, Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech, Animal Science Unit, B-5030 Gembloux, Belgium Centre for the Genetic Improvement of Livestock, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, N1G 2W1, Canada National Fund for Scientific Research, B-1000 Brussels, Belgium Guelph Food Research Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Guelph, Ontario, N1G 5C9, Canada # Canadian Dairy Network, Guelph, Ontario, N1K 1E5, Canada Body Condition Score (BCS) is commonly used as an indicator of the extent and the duration of the postpartum energy balance status of the dairy cow. It is therefore related to economically important traits such as production, reproduction and health. A recent study conducted on Holstein and Ayrshire BCS data from Québec indicated that BCS is genetically linked to fertility but also to calving performance. The inclusion of BCS in selection programs should therefore be considered in order to select for or maintain better reproductive performances. Body Condition Score: definition and interest Body Condition Score (BCS) is a subjective measure of body tissue reserves and indicates the energy balance status of the dairy cow. It is generally based on the observation of the rump regions, hip and pin bones, tail head, etc. Different scales are used around the world, but the BCS (scale) generally varies between emaciated cow (1 in Canada) and obese cow (5 in Canada). The BCS profile changes throughout the lactation: fresh cows in peak lactation tend to be in a negative energy balance and therefore lose condition; late lactation cows, dry cows and low producers are in a positive energy balance and gain condition. BCS is collected by farmers, veterinarians, field staff or classifiers. If regularly recorded in a herd, BCS can become a valuable management tool giving farmers the ability to fine-tune feeding and management practices (e.g. the timeliness for artificial insemination). Furthermore, BCS could also be integrated in selection programs. Previous studies indicated that BCS has a moderate heritability (from 0.15 to 0.35) and that genetically low BCS suggests poor fertility and health. Furthermore, BCS is negatively related to angularity but also to milk, fat and protein yields. A study recently published in the Journal of Dairy Science assessed the genetic relationship between BCS and reproduction traits for first-parity cows in Québec. Data and methodology difficulty (CD); and calf survival within 24 hours from birth (CS). Both maternal and direct (or calf ) components of calving difficulty (CDm and CDd) and calf survival (CSm and CSd) were analysed. Analyses were undertaken on data from 12,000 Ayrshire cows in 108 herds and on data from 43,000 Holstein cows in 342 herds. For each breed, six two-trait models (BCS and one of the reproduction traits) were run. These models included random regressions that allowed the estimation of genetic correlations between BCS over the lactation and reproduction traits that are measured as single lactation record; i.e. they could estimate the genetic relationship between the fertility of the cow and BCS at different stages of the lactation (illustrated in Figures 1 and 2). Figure 1: Genetic correlations between BCS and fertility traits for Holstein first-parity cows Figure 1: Genetic correlations between BCS and fertility traits for Holstein first-parity cows Figure 2: Genetic correlations between BCS and reproduction traits for Holstein first-parity cows energy levels sufficient to activate ovarian function or display oestrus. These types of cows were likely inseminated for the first time at a later date and would likely conceive later as well. Relationship between BCS and calving traits Genetic correlations between BCS and calving traits were generally the strongest at calving and decreased with increasing number of days after calving. The correlation between BCS at calving and the maternal component of calving difficulty was 0.21 for Holstein (illustrated in Figure 2) and 0.31 for Ayrshire, which emphasize the relationship between fat cows around calving and dystocia. Indeed, previous studies reported that animals carrying excessive body condition resulting in intra-pelvic fat deposition and a reduction in pelvic area (especially for heifers) were more likely to develop dystocia. Genetic correlations between calving traits and BCS during the subsequent lactation were moderate and favorable, indicating that primiparous cows with a genetically high BCS over the lactation would have a greater chance of producing a calf that survived (maternal component of calf survival), and would transmit the genes that allowed the calf to be born more easily (direct or calf component of calving difficulty) and to survive (direct or calf component of calf survival). Inclusion of BCS in selection programs Current breeding programs tend to combine both productive and functional aspects to select high-producing and robust cows. In support of this global objective, interest in functional traits such as BCS is increasing, especially because of its relationships with economically important traits like fertility and calving. As these traits are difficult to measure, are often not readily available and have low heritabilities, BCS can serve as predictor for estimating breeding values for reproduction traits. It is particularly interesting given that BCS has a greater heritability than reproduction traits and that the correlation between BCS and reproduction were generally moderate. Therefore, developing selection tools based on BCS would allow indirect selection for reproduction traits. In this study, data used were Relationship between BCS and Summary Ayrshire and Holstein first-parity fertility traits Except for the maternal component of calving BCS collected by Valacta field staff Average daily heritabilities for BCS were close to 0.13 difficulty, favorable genetic correlations were several times over the lactation for both breeds; these relatively low estimates could be found between BCS and fertility and calving between January 2001 and explained by the high variability among herd and BCS traits. This was in support of previous studies September 2008 in herds from evaluators. Genetic correlations between BCS and interval that reported that genetically low BCS was more Québec. Reproduction records fertility traits (days between calving and first service, days common in less robust cows presenting impaired for herds that scored BCS were between first service and conception, and days open) were fertility or heatlh disorders. Genetic correlations extracted from the official database negative and ranged between and for Ayrshire were stronger in mid-lactation for fertility traits of the Canadian Dairy Network. and between and for Holstein (illustrated in and in early lactation for calving traits. Genetic Genetic correlations between BCS Figure 1). Genetic correlations between BCS and 56- correlation trends were the same for both breeds, and the following reproduction days non return rate were positive and moderate. Trend but were generally greater for Ayrshire than traits were studied: days between of genetic correlation over the lactation suggested that a Holstein. This might reflect a different focus of calving and first service (CTFS); genetically low BCS in early lactation would increase the selection between the breeds. Finally, these days between first service and number of days that the primiparous cow was not pregnant results supported the interest of including BCS conception (FSTC); days between and would decrease the chance of the primiparous cow to as an indicator trait in the current breeding calving and conception or days conceive at first service. This indicated that cows that were programs in order to improve cow robustness. open (DO); 56-days non return rate genetically low for BCS may not have been able to maintain 12 at first insemination (NRR); calving 13

8 Semex Success: Kings Benefit From Semex Solutions Elizabeth Kempel, Semex USA Dairy Genetics Consultant Brothers Keith and Brian King are the second generation to dairy on their 150-acre farm near Lima, Ohio, just over an hour north of Dayton, Ohio. Keith and Brian s parents bought the farm in The current freestall barn and herringbone parlor were built in 1982 before Keith and Brian took over the family farm in Run with no outside employees, this true family farm operates with Brian taking care of crops and feeding, while Keith takes care of the milking, herd health and reproduction. Keith and his wife Sally, along with Brian and with his wife Susan, milk approximately 115 cows two times a day, with capacity to grow to 150 milking cows. The Kings raise the young stock themselves and would like to eventually grow from within to reach their full capacity. Since 2001 (when began using ProMate ) our cows have lasted longer, says Keith. We began to immediately see an improvement after just one generation of ProMate and Semex genetics. Most of their 60 hectares are planted in forages, and they buy approximately 16 hectares of corn silage. The current RHA is 10,233 kgs with a 3.9% Fat and 3.1% Protein test. The family added a compost barn three years ago that houses approximately half of the milking herd. The Kings chose to build a compost barn instead of adding on to the existing freestall barn, due to their focus on cow comfort. In addition, they did not have to add on to current manure storage facilities in order to allow for the addition of the compost barn. Trusting Semex as their partner in reproduction, the Kings are currently using 90-95% Semex sires, with approximately 81% of the herd being Semex sired. sense approach by targeting specific traits and avoiding common faults. The Kings own breeding philosophy coincides with ProMate s ability to improve longevity, by breeding balanced, consistent cows. Since 2001 (when began using ProMate ) our cows have lasted longer, says Keith. We began to immediately see an improvement after just one generation of ProMate and Semex genetics. Keith has also noticed more consistency in their herd after mating with Semex for nine years. The cows carry their udders higher above their hocks, and their mammary systems are more snuggly attached, increasing both longevity and profitability. Semex greats like Stouder Morty, Comestar Outside, Shoremar James, Comestar Stormatic and Braedale Freelance have worked well in the Kings herd and lace many pedigrees. Currently they re using popular sires including 0200HO09448 Monument Keneth, 0200HO05024 Dudoc Mr Burns *RC, 0200HO04779 R-E-W Buckeye, 0200HO04608 Regancrest-MR Samuelo and Regancrest Dolman. These sires offer reliability, strong type and proven results exactly what the Kings are looking for in their mating sires. Semex bulls have always settled the herd well, but Morty and Freelance have definitely stood out in recent years. Buckeye is currently performing well at 39% conception solely on cows. In addition, Dolman is settling well with 42% conception. Another link in the Kings relationship with Semex is the Semex Premier program. The Kings started on Semex s young sire program in March They currently have four milking young sire daughters. They are extremely pleased with the daughters of 0200HO00453 Ronelee Dignity (Mr Sam x Rudolph), 0200HO03494 Cedar-Haven Linnie (Mainstream Magical x Champion), and 0200HO00453 Koepon-I Shotput (Shottle x Jesther). The Kings stated that their decision to switch to the Semex Premier program was an easy one. They were pleased with the daughters of the Semex proven bulls they had been using, so it only made sense to sign up on the Premier program. They trust Semex genetics and its Balanced Breeding philosophy. The most recent Semex program added by the Kings was Semex s ai24 program featuring Heatime. They installed the heat detection system in December of 2009 and have had fantastic results. The decision to install the system was a simple one for Keith and Brian. Keith s main question for Semex District Sales Representative, Mark Devitt, prior to installing the system was, Can Heatime be used as my 100% heat detection tool? Mark s response was, Absolutely All you have to do is change the collars! The Kings chose ai24 over other heat detection systems because it was already tested and researched. Keith was able to talk to producers actively using the program, and these conversations gave him the extra confidence to make the investment. Keith and Brian are pleased with the results they have seen after installation. The Kings have calculated that the system will pay for itself in just one to two years. Two of the most significant results recognized after installing Heatime is the increase in heat detection rate and percentage of cows pregnant in the herd each month. They have seen an increase in their heat detection of 26% compared to 12 months prior to installation (based on a three month average). heat detection interval ranging from days, and a decrease in the heat detection interval ranging from days. Additionally, the Kings have eliminated the need for timed breeding and its associated costs. Their percentage of breedings from natural heats has increased from 30% to 69% on cows and heifers. The remaining 31% of breedings are the result of heats from prostaglandin shots. Keith s reproduction protocol is simple. During milking he checks the ai24 read box as cows come into the parlor. If there are cows in heat, they are sorted off as they exit the parlor. Then as time allows, Keith Time Period Heat Detection% % Herd PG # Cows PG (4 Months Post) % 82.3 (4 Months Prior) % 77.5 (1 Year Prior) % 75.0 Time Period Avg # PG/Mo Avg Heat Inter Avg Heat Inter days days (4 Months Post) (4 Months Prior) (1 Year Prior) breeds any cows that have been sorted out. The Kings value and trust Semex as their reproductive partner. I could not have a better impression of Semex right now ai24 sealed the deal with Semex for us, Keith says. Keith King with son Clint. The Kings relationship with Semex Another measurable advantage the grew stronger in 2001 when they system has shown on the Kings dairy chose to begin mating their herd with is the shortening of their average ProMate. ProMate is a balanced heat detection intervals. The Kings mating program that takes a common have seen an increase in the average 14 15

9 3 Month Avg Milk Yield (kgs/day) H O BOMAZ LANCELOT EX-91-CAN Lancelot x Rubytom x Finale Time Well Spent Mark E. Carson BSc. (Agr). MSc., Gencor Herd Reproduction Analyst BOMAZ LANCELOT 4071-TW GP-80-2YR-USA Bomaz Inc., Hammond, WI, USA Photo: Nick Sarbacker Productive, Long Lasting Cows - Lancelot daughters are long-lasting, +106 Herd Life, productive cows with a good volume of milk and strong components. They display high functional type, excelling in +11 Fore Attachment, +11 Median Suspensory, 9S Udder Depth with sound Calving Ability at Save Money and Labor on Easy Calving Heifers - You can expect reduced calving problems with Lancelot daughters with wide pins and +105 for Daughter Calving Ability. Studies have placed difficult calvings to cost dairies $4788*/100 cows/ lactation (Guard, 2008). Today s Profitable Outcross Sire - Having no O Man, BW Marshall, Mtoto or Aerostar Lancelot is today s perfect outcross with a low inbreeding coefficient of 5.84! Breeder : BOMAZ INC., HAMMOND, WI, USA Reg. #: HOUSAM Born: 2005 Mar 22 aaa: DMS: 345 I ve seen over 30 daughters and they are a consistent group of medium-sized cows with excellent feet & legs and good udders with deep clefts. These Lancelot daughters were in herds of 250, 500 and 600 cows. All owners were pleased to report they were problem-free cows that work well in their herds. Nick Sarbacker, Semex USA Midwest Premier Consultant Your herd s profitability depends on how your cows and the people working with your cows spend their time. A critical part to ensuring that your cows spend their time in the right part of their lactations is through excellent reproductive management. Reproductive management is one of few areas in which you can directly influence where your cows spend the majority of their productive lives. Getting cows bred and pregnant in an efficient manner will ensure you get the most milk out of both the genetics and environment that you ve provided for your herd. rate. It also highlights the importance of getting your cows as quickly as possible to their third lactations (48 months), where peak milk yields are seen. For this herd, soon after the cows turn four years of age, they reach 100 lbs/day average, illustrating the importance of getting cows into their third and subsequent lactations as soon as possible. Next, we compared the average milk revenue by age at DHI test day between a herd with excellent reproductive performance with an average reproductive performance herd. To make analysis simple, we This importance of time was highlighted recently while Effect of inbreeding on lifetime and individual lactation analyzing data from a herd with outstanding reproduction. This particular herd had numerous years of good performance in registered Holstein cows (Cassell et al, 1999) reproduction, with pregnancy rates consistently above 20%. When their three month rolling average milk yield Inbreeding Depression by cow age at last DHI test day was graphed, Figure 1 Trait Per 1% Inbreeding Increase appeared. Lifetime net income ($US) -24* Each point on the graph represents the average milk yields Age at 1st freshening (days).36 of a group of cows who were the same age at the last test day. You can see when the majority of lactations begin Days of productive life -13 and end on time and follow through the barn at the same Age of Cows at Last DHI Test Day (months) 16 Lifetime total milk prod (kgs) *US $ Figure 1

10 3 Month Rolling Revenue Avg (hl) looked at cows aged 24 to 48 months (first and second lactation cows) over a two year period. The marginal milk price was assumed to be $25 CDN per hl. The pregnancy rates for first and second lactation cows combined was 27% and 17% for the excellent and average herds, respectively. 27% PR Herd Figure 2 17% PR Herd * Assuming a Milk Price of $25.00/hl Age of Cows at Last DHI Test Day (months) The objective of this graph is not to show high and low differences between herds of milk revenue, but rather to look at when the peaks occur by age at last DHI test day. When graphing the results, it showed some stark differences between the herds. Cows in the average performance herd took more time to achieve peak milk yield than the above average herd. Average peak milk yields translated into peak revenue from the second lactation. The herd with average pregnancy rates was approximately three months behind reaching this point. This means that cows in the average reproduction herd spent more time away from their peak production periods than the herd with excellent reproductive performance. For the average reproduction herd to improve, it should look at tools and program adjustments that will increase insemination and conception rates, leading to increased pregnancy rates. Increasing the pregnancy rate will decrease the time it takes to get to the next lactation, keeping all cows closer to their peak milk production. Semex recommends the ai24 system to reduce days open and to keep your herd on track. Key Indicators That Your Herd is Running on Time 1. Age at First Calving All first calvings should occur between 22 to 24 months of age. Herds calving heifers older than 24 month of age will cost the herd significantly. Take the example of a herd calving in 50 heifers a year. If this herd were to reduce the average age at first calving from 27 to 24 months of age, at a $2.00 USD a day cost to maintain the heifer, the herd would save itself an additional $9000 USD. The savings in rearing costs does not include the financial advantages of having the heifer generating revenue earlier. However, many producers are concerned with reducing the age at first calving to two years and its impact on the health and performance of their heifers. If heifers are calving in at two years of age with some troubles, the more profitable decision is make necessary adjustments to the heifer raising program, instead of waiting a few more months to calve them in. 2. Days in Milk at First Breeding Days in milk at first breeding is an indicator of your herd s ability to successfully identify cows that need to be bred after the voluntary waiting period has concluded. When evaluating reproduction data for herds that rely on a mixture of heat detection and timed A.I., we would like to see all cows bred within 28 days after the voluntary waiting period has expired. So, if you plan to begin breeding your cows at 60 days after calving, all cows need to be bred for the first time by 90 days in milk. For herds that do the majority of first breedings with a synchronization protocol, inseminations must occur in accordance with the timed A.I. schedule. Being able to identify and breed cows in a timely fashion, after the voluntary waiting period ends, will help to increase your herd s pregnancy rate and decrease days open. Monitoring timing of first breeding will also help identify non-cycling cows so appropriate action can be taken. This will help to reduce the number of cows that get into late lactation without any insemination occurring. 3. Pregnancy Rate The best indicator of your herd s reproductive efficiency is in your Basically, pregnancy rate answers two important questions: Are your cows getting bred? And are they getting pregnant from those breedings? pregnancy rate. The goal should be to keep the pregnancy rate above 20%. With the insemination and conception rates both considered in this number, all attempts to improve the herd s reproductive performance are considered in this one statistic. Basically, pregnancy rate answers two important questions: Are your cows getting bred? And, are they getting pregnant from those breedings? Keeping your pregnancy rate above this goal of 20% will ensure that your cows get bred, pregnant and reach optimal production levels quickly, making the herd more profitable overall. Simmental Cows Can & Do Milk! The Simmental dual-purpose breed is a breed from Swiss origins. This breed has influenced the Fleckvieh cattle all around the world. At Swissgenetics, the Simmentals attract a lot of attention thanks to their ability to produce milk and beef in practically every production system. These robust animals keep fertile and healthy at the same time, making it a breed with a very long productive life. Dairyman Gilbert Christen, in Chéseaux-Noréaz VD Switzerland, has one of the most eye-appealing herds of purebred Simmentals. On his farm, Simmental cows prove they can and do milk. Christen s 35 purebred Simmentals produced 9,000 kgs of milk with 4.3%F and 3.6%P in 305 days. Some excellent individuals have been part of this herd. For example, Christen bred the cow Ninette, who holds the Swiss Simmental production record for kgs of fat and protein in 305 days. In her fifth lactation, Ninette produced 15,050 kgs milk with 4.6%F and 3.5%P, resulting in more than 1,200 Kg fat and protein. Ninette was a successful bull dam as well that classified EX-91, making her not just a high producing cow but also a very complete cow. Christen s Farm Data: Cows Purebred Simmentals Young stock Head Beef stock Homebred bulls Milk production Kg milk 4.3%F 3.6%P Acreage Hectares In the barn you notice that the cows are tall, heavy and have a lot of capacity in their frames. This is part of Christen s breeding philosophy. Where other Simmental breeders prefer a moderate sized cow, Christen has a breeding goal combining stature, strength and milk production. Cows over 150 cm in height are no exception, which is not that common for Simmental cows. Christen is successful with his cows in the show ring, with his cow Fabio Adeline being named Grand Champion Simmental at the Swiss Expo earlier this year. Illustrating for the high fertility of the breed is Christens cow Fleur. Fleur calved for the seventh time at eight years, one month in February 2010 and is expected to calve back for the eighth time in January This is the result of an average calving interval of only 348 days! FLEUR combines high fertility with high production, with an average daily production of 35 kgs of milk over all lactations and a lifetime record of 66,445 kgs of milk with 4.5%F and 3.6%P to date. These qualities qualify her to be a Swissgenetics bull mother. Christen realizes that in the area where he is farming conditions are optimal for achieving high production. He has quality crop land where corn, sugar beets, wheat and barley are grown. Compared to farms in the Alpine region, Christen feeds his cows intensively, showing the Simmental breed s potential. These cows milk well, while remaining healthy and fertile, confirming that they have the ability to last a long time in all environments. Christen is pleased with his Simmental herd, with seven cows producing over 100,000 kgs of milk and several proven bulls sent to stud that had a great impact on the entire Swiss Simmental population. Fleuron NINETTE EX-91 Top production of +15,000 Kg milk in 305 days Gilbert Christen with Fabio ADELINE VG-87 Grand Champion Simmental Swiss Expo 2010 Bull dam Aelpler FLEUR EX-90 (Sim) Combines high production with high fertility 18 19

11 Focus on Fertility Just like on the dairy, every dose counts at Semex. We work hard to ensure that each and every dose stamped with the 200 stud code is the very best product available, from the bull to the farm tank. Semex s focused and dedicated staff prides itself on exceeding industry standards for sire care, laboratory, warehouse and transportation services. This commitment to excellence and belief that every dose counts, guarantees that Semex sires are the most reliable, fertile and profitable choice for dairymen everywhere. TM Optimizing conception rates are key to the success of any breeding program. With proven results of 2% higher conception rates, the Semex.25Plus straw arms dairymen with an additional $5 in value per straw, making the switch to the.25cc straw not only logical, but profitable! Semex high fertility Repromax sires are the best of the best for semen fertility. Repromax utilizes Sire Conception Rates, Agri-Tech Analysis and Non-Return Rates to establish the world s only international fertility evaluation. Repromax sires are highly reliable bulls with no genetic sacrifices, ensuring that each pregnancy is a valuable one. Semex researchers have developed Repromix, a pooled semen product, to provide dairymen with one powerful cocktail to fight infertility. Each cocktail is a high fertility package that provides proven genetics to fit producer s specific needs. Each sire has been chosen after careful evaluation for semen quality and nonreturn rates by Semex laboratory and genetic staff. ai24 is Semex s Solution for Efficient AI. The centerpiece of this innovative reproductive management program is Heatime the 24-hour a day, 365-day a year heat detection system. With this program dairymen can expect increased pregnancy rates, fewer health problems, reduced labor costs and more cows back in the milking line sooner. Looking to increase profitability and create solutions on the dairy, Semex s research & development arm, L Alliance Boviteq (LAB), is diligently working to utilize the newest technologies available. These projects are aimed at increasing fertility, implementing new technologies and making AI more efficient and profitable. 130 Stone Rd. W., Guelph, Ontario, Canada N1G 3Z2 Tel: Fax: info@semex.com