Author Archive for Andrew Hunt

Tarred With the Same Brush

By Andrew Hunt · Comments (0)

Friday, May 17th, 2013

Recently I had a conversation with a dairy cattle photographer that got me thinking about the state of dairy cattle marketing and the effect it has on the marketplace. For regular readers of The Bullvine our very publicly expressed positions on photo ethics and dairy cattle photography are very clear. (Read more: No Cow Is Perfect – Not Even in Pictures and Dairy Cattle Marketing Ethics – Do they exist?) The points made by this photographer encouraged me to think further about our approach. “Have we tarred all photographers with the same brush?”

There is no question that many good photographers have been tarred with the same brush as those who have a lower level of ethics. One of the effects that has happened from this is that many breeders no longer trust the images they see. Hence why we introduced the Dairy Cattle Marketer’s Code of Conduct (Read more: Introducing the Dairy Marketing Code of Conduct and Dairy Cattle Photography Overexposed)

This photographer I was speaking with pointed out to me that, since we have “brought this to light”, they cannot even set foot on a farm without hearing some sort of negative comment toward photographers or off-handed jabs about Photoshop. The sad part is that was not my intent at all. Certainly not for this photographer and the team she works with, as I have the utmost respect for them.

Contrary to public perception, there are photographers that do amazing work and do so ethically. There is no question that photography is an art form. Sure there is a science to it, but it is also a finely honed craft. Especially dairy cattle livestock photography. I dare anyone to just pick up the camera walk into the barn and expect that they can nail a great shot. Getting the composition correct isn’t easy. That one aspect really differentiates the talented ones from the average ones.

Another aspect that I have seen that really makes a difference between those photographers whose work I trust and those that I have some reservations about is their use of light. Lighting is probably the most important aspect that I think many photographers have gotten lazy about since the introduction of Photoshop. There are some that would rather edit or adjust during postproduction rather than take the time to get the shot correct in the first place. With the introduction of digital photography, many photographers are now just taking the pictures of the animals in the barn and then cropping them out, adjusting them and putting them on a new background. That is why I love to see videos such as this one below from Cybil Fisher and how they make sure they get the lighting correct so that they don’t have to do so much post production adjusting.

While Cybil and her amazing team do adjust tails, toplines and backgrounds, that is all they do. By my standards this is acceptable. They do exceptional work. Some of the greatest shots over the past few years have been done by these talented women. One of the reasons they do nail the shot so often, is that they take the time to respect the craft. They make sure they get the composition correct. They take the time to make sure they get the lighting correct. They do this before they snap the shot, not after. While for some this may sound like a little thing, for me it is a big thing. Sure it would be just as “easy” to edit afterwards. But in fact it’s not. If you don’t nail the shot both in composition and in lighting, there is no ethical postproduction that is acceptable when marketing dairy cattle genetics. Sure it works for super models, but we are not purchasing the genetics from these super models we are purchasing the clothes they wear (FYI Did you know that Gisele Bundchen made $45 million last year? Maybe we should purchase her genetics)

The Bullvine Bottom Line

There is no doubt that we, as an industry, need to clean up our act and improve public perception. We also need to make sure that we don’t tar all photographers with the same brush. That is why I encourage those photographers who don’t want to be tarred with that brush to call us and let’s talk about the benefits of the Dairy Cattle Marketer’s Code of Conduct.

To get a copy of the Dairy Marketing Code of Conduct please click here.

If you believe that there is a need for a ethical standard in marketing dairy cattle genetics please like and share this post.

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Categories : Dairy Marketing Code of Conduct

Tags : Dairy Cattle Marketing, Dairy Cattle Photography, Dairy Marketing Code of Conduct, The Bullvine

What Wayne Gretzky and Sidney Crosby taught me about Dairy Cattle Marketing

By Andrew Hunt · Comments (0)

Thursday, May 16th, 2013

Not since Wayne Gretzky ripped Leaf fan’s hearts out in game 6 of the 1993 playoffs have they felt such pain as they did on Sunday night after having a 3 goal lead on Boston with just over 10 minutes to play. (FYI I had to forgive Gretzky as I married his cousin and it would cause bad in-law relations). Making Leaf fans more prime for pain was the fact that they have not been in the playoffs for the past 9 years. After watching what had to be one of the worst collapses in hockey history, I got to thinking about what it took to be great. What I came up with is that truly great players like Gretzky and Crosby don’t only make themselves look great but they also make the players around them that much better. Just like great cattle investments don’t only make themselves profitable but also help the animals around them more profitable.

Lessons from Sydney Crosby

sidney-crosby-alex-ovechkin-game-7[1] Due to the lockout of 2004-2005, Sidney Crosby and Alexander Ovechkin both entered the NHL in the same year. At the time there was great debate about who was going to be the better player. Since then the stats would tell you that Ovechkin has been the better investment. He has 371 goals, 365 assists for 735 points, whereas Crosby has had 238 goals, 427 assists for 665 points. However, sometimes numbers don’t tell the whole story. Even though Ovechkin has won more individual awards (Rookie of the Year, 2x NHL goal scoring leader, 2x most valuable player, vs. 1 MVP and 1 scoring title for Crosby), ask any NHL player which one is better and they would tell you that Crosby is by far. That is because Crosby not only puts up numbers himself but he also makes the players around him raise their level of play. For example, before playing on a line with Crosby, Chris Kunitz highest goal total was 26 in an 82 game season. This year, playing with Crosby he had 22 in the shortened 48 game season. That is an almost 50% increase. This outstanding ability to inspire others around him has resulted in Crosby having played more playoff games than Ovechkin and has already won a Stanley Cup in his career.

When I got to thinking about how the truly great ones not only make themselves look great they also make the others around them better, it reminded me of a comment that Jeff Butler of Butlerview made in an interview we did with him just before Royal last year (Read more: Exciting Times for Butlerview). In the article Jeff say’s “type brings the foot traffic to the farm, but genomics and pedigree get them buying.” This further reminded me of an article I had written early this year about the great RF Goldwyn Hailey and how she herself may not be a great return on investment (Read more: RF Goldwyn Hailey: Cash Cow or Cash Hog?). While there is no question that Hailey’s own numbers alone are not the highest ROI in the market today, if you look at it from a marketing investment she and other great show cows could be the wisest marketing investment you could ever make. Now I am not talking buy these animals for the over 1 million dollar mark. But as Jeff says nothing drives traffic to your door like a great show cow. Something Jeff should know considering he owns 2 of the top 5 cult following cows in the world today (R-E-W Happy Go Lucky and Cookview Goldwyn Monique).

R-E-W HAPPY GO LUCKY VG-89-2YR-USA
ALL-CANADIAN MILKING 1-YR 2012
ALL-AMERICAN MILKING 1-YR 2012

The big thing you need to remember and as Jeff pointed out in our article is that you need the supporting cast in your herd to help convert that traffic into revenue. For Butlerview that means animals like Regancrest S Chassity, Regancrest G Brocade and De-Su 199 Chart Topper. These high genomic animals from big name pedigrees are the ones that help Butlerview’s big investment in show cattle pay dividends. Key to any of this is the fact that all animals need to be good embryo producers or you might as well kiss your money goodbye (Read more: What Comes First the Chicken or the Egg?).

Lessons from Wayne Gretzky

The great hockey player to every play the game, Wayne Gretzky, always said don’t go to where the puck is but rather, see where the puck is going and go there. As we highlighted in our article about the marketing of Glen Drummond Aero Flower and DES-Y-GEN PLANET SILK, you need to see or even predict where the marketing is heading and make sure your marketing and breeding goals are in alignment with that (Read more: Marketing Lessons From Glen Drummond Aero Flower). As the dairy industry develops, efficient milk production that fills the consumers’ needs will gain greater importance. National indexes are always being adjusted to reflect the marketplace. In Canada it will not be long before greater weighting will be placed on health and fertility traits, this means you should already be breeding for this today so that your ahead of the curve when these changes occur. Remember that it’s not only about how much milk, or how many show winning daughters a sire produces, but it’s also important to breed to a bottom line that is consumer friendly. It’s only a matter of time before the national indexes reflect this even more.

DES-Y-GEN PLANET SILK *RDC VG-87-2YR-USA
David Dyment has kept Planet Silk ahead of the curve by combining both high index, Red Factor and polled in one complete package. Her sons and daughters dominate the top of the Red and the RC list (GTPI). Her son DYMENTHOLM S SYMPATICO is one of the highest GTPI and GLPI active bulls in the breed.

The Bullvine Bottom Line

Headliners will get you attention, but their ability to make the others around you shine as well will be what makes you the money. Sidney Crosby is a great player, but it’s the ability to lift up the others around him better that wins the Stanley Cup. The same was true for Wayne Gretzky. It wasn’t just his own ability to dominate a game that created the opportunity for Gretzky to appear in 6 Stanley Cup finals, winning four of them. It was his ability to see the play developing and make his team around him shine too that did it. Until players like Ovechkin learn this key lesson he will never win a cup. The same is true when you are designing your genetic marketing program. Until you learn just how you are going to use your headliners to maximize the other genetic stars in your herd and look 3+ years down road and see where the market is heading, you are never going to generate as much return on your investment as you could.

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Categories : Dairy Cattle Marketing

Tags : Butlerview, COOKVIEW GOLDWYN MONIQUE, Dairy Cattle Marketing, De-Su 199 Chart Topper, DES-Y-GEN PLANET SILK, GLEN DRUMMOND AERO FLOWER, R-E-W Happy Go Lucky, REGANCREST G BROCADE, REGANCREST S CHASSITY, RF Goldwyn Hailey

Dairy Cattle Sales in a Digital World

By Andrew Hunt · Comments (0)

Tuesday, May 14th, 2013

With the introduction of the Internet and social media, the dairy cattle auction business has gone through a tremendous change. In the beginning there was dairy cattle marketing 2.0 where dairy breeders could use the power of social media to promote their cattle. More recently there has evolved dairy cattle auctions 3.0. This is where dairy cattle breeders are able to harness the triple powers of internet marketing and social media and websites like Holstein Universe, Holstein Plaza, and Eurogenes to actually sell their genetics to the world.

IMG_3364_edited-1 In our recent analysis of what is selling at the Canadian Auction sales of 2013, we found that high genomic animals, (animals that are over 3,000 LPI) outsold all other animals by a whopping 61%. (Read more at An Insider’s Guide to What Sells at the Big Dairy Cattle Auctions). This change in market demand has coincided with changes in how these sales can now be run. A great example of this is the recent Genomic Giants Sale series held in Quebec (Read more: The 2013 Genomic Giant Sale Was a Giant Success!) and the Planet Holstein Sale at the 2012 World Dairy Expo (Read more: The Plant Explodes at World Dairy Expo – 2013 Planet Holstein Sale Recap). Both of these sales had outstanding sale averages ($33,775 and $40,853 respectively) and yet none of the animals were actually present at the sale. The reason this startling change works is that breeders’ buying decisions are backed by confidence in genomics and in the favorable buyer satisfaction guaranteed terms. Breeders are investing in these animals with confidence.

The next evolution of these sales is about to happen as they are taken fully online. There have certainly been many breeders who have taken advantage of social media (Read more: The Dairy Breeders Guide to Facebook) and there is no question about how it helps promote your sales consignments (Read more: Nothing Sells Like Video). However these are all tools that facilitate the sale but do not actually result in the sale. That is where sites such as Holstein Universe, Holstein Plaza, and Eurogenes can help. (Read more: EUROGENES: You Love It. They List It! and Tag Sales: What are they? What makes them successful? and What does the future hold?) Breeders from around the world are looking to actually purchase genetics. While sites like Facebook are great for getting the message out there, you also need a platform to list all your genetics. Enter Holstein Universe, Holstein Plaza and Eurogenes. Holstein Universe is like an online tag sale. Tag sales have caught on like wildfire in North America and Holstein Universe is the digital version of a tag sale. Holstein Plaza and Eurogenes are a combination of donor listing services, live auctions and news and events. Breeders are looking to not only market their genetics to the world, but also to join the community and list actual genetics for sale. These three sites offer all these aspects.

The Bullvine Bottom Line

For years the knock on the internet and social media has been,”Yeah that’s great but how do I actually make money? How do I actually sell something? Instead of just using the internet and social media as a large megaphone, how do I use it as a sales tool?” That is where online auction sites and dairy community sites have greatly changed the game. No longer is it just a tool to get the latest news about your genetics out to the world but you can actually sell to the world.” Cha-ching!!

Not sure how much to spend on that great 2 year old or heifer?
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Categories : Investment Advice

Tags : Dairy Cattle Marketing, dairy cattle sales, Digital Dairy Cattle Auctions, Eurogenes, Holstein Plaza, Holstein Universe

Why Good Business for A.I. Companies Can Mean Bad Business For Dairy Breeders.

By Andrew Hunt · Comments (1)

Monday, May 13th, 2013

Just about a year ago we drew attention to the fact that, when Dairy Breeders could genomic test their own bulls, it would start to cause the beginning of the end of the seed stock business (Read more: How Genomics Is Killing The Dairy Cattle Breeding Industry).These predictions were pretty easy to make because these changes were necessary in order for A.I. Companies to thrive in this new genetic environment. With March 2013 now behind us and breeders able to genomic test their own sires, these predictions are coming true. The challenge with these changes is that, while they make great business sense for the artificial insemination companies, they could spell the end of the seed stock business, as we have known it

At the recent Farnear Focus on the Future Sale, Alta Genetics paid $185,000 for a Massey daughter from Larcrest Case VG-86-2yr with a gTPI of +2505 (Read more: Farneer Focus on the Future Sale Averages $15,471 on 112 lots) . While Alta Genetics owning females is not new (Read more: Should A.I. Companies Own Females?), it does mark the resurgence of their program and certainly a significant investment by Alta Genetics probably indicating that they are looking for new ways to control their sire procurement costs. Of course Alta Genetics is not the only A.I. company that currently owns females. Others, especially some of the smaller companies, have taken to owning top females in order to secure procurement of valuable and unique genetics and to differentiate their genetic offering (Read more: A Wake-Up Call To All A.I. Companies). There are also those who have taken a very public stance against ownership of females (Read more: Select Sires vs. Semex – A Contrast in Cooperatives). This too may be a move to watch, as the competition for breeder-bred bulls will decrease with less competition for them from other A.I. companies. Thus Semex and others too may start to see procurement costs subside. Of course the market will decide just how low this price will go, as the other studs will always be watching the cost of production versus the cost of procurement.

What Has Caused This to Happen?

Since March 2013, breeders have had the ability to test their own bulls before negotiating the deal with an A.I. company. This results in a much greater negotiating position for bull breeders. The estimated effects of this change are as follows:

The number of young sires sampled will not decrease further	The cost to actually sample a sire will stay low
With open ended leases and increased competition the cost of procurement could go way up and could even hit the $1M mark per proven bull.	Semen sales price will not change
Revenue will stay the same	With greatly increased procurement expenses profits will decrease drastically

How A.I. Companies are Reacting

There are not substantial enough profit margins in the A.I. industry to support such a change in profitability. As a result, A.I. companies are being forced to take one of the following actions:

Increase semen price
Since they now have greater expenses, A.I. companies will be forced to increase price. As demonstrated in many other industries, the market will not respond favorably to this and ultimately will drive prices back down.
END RESULT: No change
Cap contracts
So if A.I. companies cannot increase revenues they will have to try and cut their costs. The procurement of sires will become the major expense they will look to control. One way to do this will be to cap bull contracts. However, as the NHL has shown us, even if A.I. could introduce a cap, some members will break that rule and other breeders will not stand for it.
END RESULT: No change
Produce their own product line
If A.I. companies cannot buy the bulls at a cheaper price, then they will have to go out and buy females and produce their own product. This will lead to cheaper acquisition costs. A.I. companies can now buy the females for $50,000 to $250,000 and only need to have that female produce one son. That will still be cheaper than leasing the son on an open lease. This also allows them to have greater control of their bloodlines, accelerate their genetic advancement and develop their own distinctive product.
END RESULT: Cheaper product development costs and a distinctive product.

What does this mean to YOU the average seed stock producer?

For the initial stage, which we are currently in, as A.I. companies buy into the female side, prices will rise. Once they have the base genetics, they will not need to buy any more and they will stop buying. Also currently we see top genetic breeding programs investing more in the top .1% of the genetics market. The money for this is not coming as much from the female side as it is from the current or future revenue potential of semen lease deals. The problem is that these bull breeders will be out of the market, as more and more A.I. companies STOP leasing from them, because they are now producing their own genetics.

With A.I. companies starting to own more of the top genetics, especially in the health and fertility and polled bloodlines( an area the market is heading to in the future) this will leave the seed stock breeder with a product or cattle that do not top the lists like they used to. Also, now the A.I. companies will not release their new high genomic sires until they have mated them on all their own females first. This will give A.I. companies a substantial advantage in generating list toppers. Bull breeders, on the other hand, will not have the lease deals that they currently enjoy, so they will not have the same revenues from the sale of high index animals.

The Bullvine Bottom Line

Nobody likes to be told “I Told You So” and the reason I bring this up is not to do that, but rather to open the eyes of breeders to what is happening and what the future still holds. While there will always be a seed stock business selling females to other breeders, as the bull market continues to change, so will the prices for the top genomic females. You will continue to see a spike for a few years, while the genetics companies stock up on top genetics. However, after that, you will start to see prices drastically decline. Your best course of action would be to ride the wave while it lasts, and then plan on all future sales/revenue (3-4 years from now) to start to be from females only, with only a very small, select group of sires being contracted by A.I. companies in the future.

Not sure what all this hype about genomics is all about?

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Categories : A.I. Industry

Tags : Artificial Insemination Industry, Genomics

What Is Your Opinion?

By Andrew Hunt · Comments (0)

Friday, May 10th, 2013

Recently we have come under attack for opinions expressed on our different social media platforms. Some readers have felt that other reader’s opinions should not be expressed. For us that is completely OPPOSITE to what we believe in. We believe that everyone should have the right to express their own opinion. We not only believe in it, we encourage it!

Two Way Conversation

Since starting the Bullvine there is no question we have not been short on stating our own opinions. We have dealt with issues “too touchy” for the others to even think about covering (Read more: Select Sires vs. Semex – A contrast in cooperatives, Empty Chairs At Empty Tables, Lance Armstrong, Drugs and the Dairy Industry, The Hot House Effect on Sire Sampling, Rumors, Lies, and Other Stuff Salesmen Will Tell You What Happens If Genomics Doesn’t Work and Reality Check – Who Is Really Controlling The Dairy Breeding Industry). We have also certainly posted who we think are the greatest animals, sires and breeders of all time (Read more: Top 10 Most Influential Holstein Breeders of All-Time, 7 Sires To Use In Order To Breed The Next World Dairy Expo Champion, and Who’s Next? World Dairy Expo Holstein Show and many other mating recommendations).

The thing that makes The Bullvine different from all the rest is that we have also made this a two-way conversation. We have run many contests and polls asking the dairy community for their opinion on different issues. Highlighting this was the 2012 Breeders’ Choice Awards (Read more: Vote for the 2012 Breeder’s Choice Awards, The 2012 Breeder’s Choice Awards – The Tanbark Trail Edition and The Winners of the 2012 Breeder’s Choice Awards Are).

Then there are the daily conversations that we have on the different social media platforms. Instead of locking down what is being said, or worrying about the legal ramifications of comments made by breeders, we have actually encouraged dairy breeders to express their opinion. Our number #1 goal here at The Bullvine is not to control the industry like some other publications try to do. Our goal is to make breeders think and to get breeders talking. Yes we want to know your opinion. Yes we want you to feel you have the right to express it … Even if we don’t agree with it.

Bring It On!

An interesting thing has happened over the past few months. The Bullvine has gone from the hunter to the hunted. When we first started The Bullvine we were the hunter. We were the ones gunning for the bigger publications with the larger readerships. But now that has all changed. We are now the ones with the largest daily digital dairy readership and we find ourselves in the cross hairs. We listen. We learn. We share. Now everybody is shooting for The Bullvine and that’s just the way we like it.

Our very first post on The Bullvine clearly laid out how we were going to be different and how we thought others were missing the boat (Read more: Twice The Bull – Half the S**T). But we didn’t stop there. We continued to highlight things we felt relevant along the way. Including how other dairy magazines are old school (Read more: How Social Media Is Changing the Holstein World) and how our readership is more engaged and larger than the others (Read more: The Fakebook – Our Secret Is Exposed). So it’s only fair that when the others start gunning for us that we accept and deal with it.

Gandhi once said “First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win!” A pattern we have seen perfectly since starting The Bullvine. When we first started many ignored us. After a little while they started to laugh at us. And now more recently they have started to fight us. We surmise that we are starting to take the next step. (Read more: I’m Sorry But I’ve Had Just About Enough Of….)

The Bullvine Bottom Line

Who are we to be very opinionated and then not let others express their opinion? If we tried to control what others say, it would make us hypocrites. What makes the dairy industry so amazing is that everyone is so passionate about what we do, and we all have our own opinion. So please share your opinion. What issues would YOU like to target? Take aim. It’s good for all of us.

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Categories : The Bullvine

Who’s to Blame? Why is there a lack of accountability in the Dairy Genetics Marketplace

By Andrew Hunt · Comments (1)

Monday, May 6th, 2013

Accountability, Wikipedia tells you that accountability is the answerability, blameworthiness, liability, acknowledgment and assumption for the resulting consequences. Yet in the dairy genetics marketplace it seems to be a word that is seldom used, although very much required.

Dairy cattle genetics is big business. Millions of dollars change hands every year, yet the level of accountability, in some cases, appears to be non-existent. Once the genetics are sold who has the liability for the resulting animals? Why are the breeders or sellers not responsible for the performance of the resulting animals? Genomics and other tools have given us greater “confidence” in the reliability of the genetics we are investing in, so why aren`t the sellers of these genetics more responsible for the results?

Genetic Mutations

Recently there have been a couple of situations that have raised my concerns about responsibility. The first occurred in New Zealand, about a year ago. More than 1500 animals descended from Matrix a commercial Holstein-Friesian bull carry a genetic mutation that produces hairy, heat-intolerant, poorly lactating heifers. The breeders affected by this problem feel the semen company did not deal openly with the problem and are being less than “cooperative” in seeking a solution for their affected members. (Read More: New Zealand Dairy Farmers Seek Compensation For Hairy Calves). Now this case is a very challenging one as Matrix is actually a result of a genetic mutation that occurred naturally and happens regardless of the breeding method used. Genetic defects such as BLAD, CVM, Brachspia, Factor XI, DUMPS, CIT, and Mule Foot are all tested for and screened by the A.I. companies and as a result see very limited occurrence. “Hairy calves” such as these ones resulting from Matrix have not been tested for and as a result it is surprising that there has been such a case. So while it is genetically explainable and no one could have predicted this, the reaction of the company that sold and marketed Matrix, Livestock Improvement (LIC) is a concern. They are refusing to pay any compensation as “most farmers recognize that these rare mutations are naturally occurring and simply a fact of life.” Having said that, for the future, the LIC is no longer selling Matrix semen and offers free genetic testing to identify calves with the mutation. The question of legal and financial responsibility appears to be one that will take some time to answer in this case.

Through multiple, independent genetic tests, it has been confirmed that 7HO11781 Pine-Tree Colt SHINE-P-ET does not transmit the polled gene as previously believed.

Now not all mutations are a bad thing. There was a time when Red & White calves where disposed of. Today this is a “mutation” that many breeders desire. Another mutation that is heavily sought after is polled (Read more: Polled Genetics – Way of the future or passing fad? and They’re Sold On Polled). In this case, the resulting polled heifers sell up to 250% higher than non-polled animals of equal genetic merit (Read more: An Insider’s Guide to What Sells at the Big Dairy Cattle Auctions). However this highlights another story that caught my eye. Recently Select Sires announced that Pine-Tree Colt SHINE-P-ET does not transmit the polled gene as previously reported (Read More: Shine P Conflicting DNA Results for Polled Gene). This touched off some very interesting reactions from breeders. The polled trait in dairy cattle can only be genetic tested with haplotype marker testing, which does allow for rare errors to be made. This is quite different than actual gene testing that is available for genetic recessives like CVM or BLAD. Having said that, how did this sire make it to market without being more thoroughly screened? The fact that once Shine-P’s non-polled status was discovered he was removed from their “Super Sire ™ lineup and no longer marketed”. This indicates that his main genetic merit was the fact that he was a polled sire. Though I do commend Select for taking instant action and putting out a press release. Not wanting to sweep it under the carpet they handled this well. In such cases in the past other studs have not disclosed this information or claimed it was a case of mistaken ear tags. Is there a test for stupidity?

Are Dairy Cattle Genetics Companies Made of Teflon?

Now both of these stories highlight some very rare occurrences, which in their own right would not have me thinking that the companies who sell dairy cattle genetics are not willing to take responsibility for the product they sell. However they got me thinking about other issues, such as – inability to conceive, short herd life, deep udders, bad feet, poor production. If a sire or animal is marketed to be high in these traits and the resulting animal proves to be well below expectations, exactly who is to blame?

Currently the only recourse is in not purchasing genetics from that company again. This is an action many breeders are slow to take, as they seem to bleed the colors of their desired A.I. company. After all, it’s hard to believe that the AI company they’re loyal to is unconcerned about unfulfilled claims. However, should that be the case? So should breeders suffer?

The Dairy Marketing Code of Conduct LOGO
Program members can use this logo to show that they uphold to the standards of this program.

Marketing Accountability

Another example of this is when it comes to dairy cattle marketing. The false representation of animals has been a hot question among many breeders and has inspired us here at the Bullvine to start the Dairy Marketers’ Code of Conduct (Read more: Introducing The Dairy Marketing Code of Conduct and Dairy Cattle Photography – Over Exposed). The lack of accountability for the resulting genetic product is one of the biggest differences between photo retouching of super models versus dairy cattle. You are not purchasing the super model’s genetics you are purchasing the clothes, perfume, etc. that she is wearing. Even though you are purchasing the genetics of the animal in question, you never really know if the cow/heifer/bull actually looks like she/he does in their picture. Hence the need for some symbol to ensure that the company marketing these genetics is willing to take responsibility for the outcome.

The Bullvine Bottom Line

The genetic advancement of your herd is one of the greatest long-term investments breeders make. If you invest thousands of dollars in something you should have a minimum level of expectation for performance? There are no guarantees in life. Having said that, what happens when expected performance and actual performance are not even in the same stratosphere? What if it was your tractor? Your milking equipment? That’s right. People justifiably get mad….. in most cases. So why is this not the case when you invest in dairy cattle genetics?

To get a copy of the Dairy Marketing Code of Conduct please click here.

If you believe that there is a need for more accountability in marketing dairy cattle genetics please like and share this post.

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Categories : Dairy Cattle Marketing

Tags : Dairy Cattle Marketing, Dairy Marketing Code of Conduct, Polled Dairy Cattle, Sire Sampling

Love the Life You Live, Live the Life You Love

By Andrew Hunt · Comments (0)

Friday, May 3rd, 2013

Sometimes life is going to hit you in the head with a brick. Don’t lose faith. You have to find what you love to do because, whatever you do, your work is going to fill a large part of your life. Dairy farming is not the most lucrative work. You have to love it in order to excel at it. The only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the way to do great work is to do what you love. Dairy farming for many is great work, and that is why so many dairy farmers love what they do.

Dancing Among the Stars

This past week the dairy industry suddenly lost a great member. Mike Rakes had worked in the A.I. industry for 33 years with World Wide Sires (Read more: Mike Rakes of World Wide Sires Passes). On Monday of this week Mike suffered a massive heart attack and died on the operating table. Although, during the last 12 years, he battled one kind of cancer after another he never let that slow him down. Just 3 weeks ago Mike’s daughter Brilynn, who is legally blind, had been featured on ABC’s Dancing with the Stars. She’s an award-winning classical ballerina and contemporary dancer from Visalia. She was just accepted at Fordham University in New York City.

It was Mike who has been one of the greatest supporters of Brilynn in overcoming her challenge. “When I was six, my dad told me I could do that,” she said during an interview with Access Hollywood. He spoke to each of his four daughters before he went into surgery at Kaweah Delta Medical Center. “He was joking up until the end,” she said. “He loved his girls,” she said. “He wanted to make sure Brilynn went to college. He was just concerned for everyone else.”

All of us who have had similar health challenges can very much relate to Mike’s situation. Mike loved what he did and loved his family very much. His work took him on 19 overseas trips last year alone. In his interview with the producers of Dancing with the Stars Mike said “I’m a very high output guy. Small issues or concerns of health never worry me,” he said. “Doctors shake their heads at me and say keep doing what you’re doing.” “I’m fine, but I am a miracle,” he said. “I don’t worry about anything. I defy the odds.” The producers wanted to include some of the above interview in their story about Brilynn being featured on ABC’s Dancing with the Stars, but he would have none of that. It was Brilynn’s time to shine, he said.

Mike loved what he did. In an interview with his father Jerry, Jerry said “his goal was to feed the world.” “India used to depend on us for food, but now they produce their own milk because of people like Mike.”

Lessons from Steve Jobs

In his 2005 commencement speech at Stanford Steve Job’s said, “If you live each day as if it was your last, someday you will most certainly be right. Each day you need to look in the mirror and ask yourself if today where the last day of your life, would you want to do what you are about to do today? If the answer comes back no with any regularity, something needs to change. Remembering that we are all going to die at some point, means that you need to live life to the fullest.

All of life’s toughest decisions are that much easier when you remember only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the only way to avoid the trap of thinking that you have something to lose. So follow your heart and these decisions will become much easier.

Job’s went on to say that no one wants to die. Even people who want to go to heaven, don’t want to die in order to get there. And yet death is the destination that we all share. No one has ever escaped it. And that is the way it should be. Because death is very likely the very best invention of life. It’s life’s change agent. It clears out the old to make room for the new.

The Bullvine Bottom Line

Your time is limited. So don’t waste it living someone else’s life. If dairy farming is not your dream don’t do it. But if it is, do so with all the passion in the world. Don’t be trapped by dogma, which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of other’s opinions drown out your own inner voice. While there are always people who want to tell you what you should do or give you “advice”, remember to listen to your own inner voice. Have the courage to follow your heart and intuition, they somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.

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Categories : The Bullvine

Are You Breeding Purple Cows?

By Andrew Hunt · Comments (1)

Monday, April 29th, 2013

Face it, the tactics that have been used for the past 50 years don’t work anymore. The same old ads. In the same old magazine. Advertising the same old genetics. After you’ve seen one, or two, or 10, you’ve seen them all! Boring! However, a Purple Cow? Now that would be something. Are you remarkable enough to have a Purple Cow? In today’s day and age of in vitro fertilization, genomics and social media, you’re either remarkable or invisible.

Seth Godin’s book Purple Cow: Transform Your Business By Being Remarkable is perfectly titled for dairy breeders today. Godin’s understanding of dairy cattle is limited as represented by his comment “Cows, after you’ve seen one, or two, or 10, are boring,” but his point about needing to be remarkable, in order to stand out from the herd, is spot on.

Every day breeders come face to face with a lot of boring stuff – even a lot of the same old boring cows – but you can bet they would never forget a Purple Cow. Now getting a Purple Cow marketing idea doesn’t happen overnight. It’s not as if you can just wake up one morning and change your marketing to have your “Purple Cow” idea. You need to breed for it. You need to manage for it. And then and only then can you market it.

The Game Changers

For years, generation after generation of consistent breeding was enough to have your genetics in demand around the world. However, that is no longer enough thanks to in vitro fertilization (Read more: IVF: Boom or Bust for the Dairy Industry and FAST TRACK GENETICS: More Results in Less Time). With so many breeders leveraging this technology and producing more and more cattle at the top end of the genetic scale, there has been a shift in the marketplace. What used to be unique is becoming commonplace. In this recent spring sale season, I saw no less than three full sisters (Uno’s from the great Apple) selling at three different sales in a 1-week period. And then of course there were still more sisters at home. IVF has changed things so much that even at the very top end, owners of the very best genetics are having trouble differentiating their product. Genetics that at one time would have been sale headliners, are now selling in those lull sections of the sale that minimize profits. Combine that with the cost to produce these animals and the ROI is shrinking. Of course IVF is a catch 22 technology. If you don’t use it and other breeders are using it on their top genetics, you’re still left behind.

In one sense you could say Genomics has brought harmony to the world (Read more: The impact of genomics on cattle breeding and How Genomics is Killing the Dairy Cattle Breeding Industry). No longer are cattle from different countries viewed as inferior or of lesser genetic merit. Genomic testing has brought uniformity to the world market. But as a result it has also brought globalization to the industry and breeders can no longer differentiate their genetics by country of origin. This means that instead of the top 1% of the genetics in the world being in high demand, it is now the top 0.1% (Read more: An Insider’s Guide to What Sells at the Big Dairy Cattle Auctions). Either you are at the very top of the lists or you had better find a new niche or way to differentiate your genetics (Read more: Marketing Lessons from Glen Drummond Aero Flower).

AMMON-PEACHY SHAUNA a very popular purple cow

If you want to get your message out to the world, there is nothing better than social media. The power of tools like Facebook to let breeders around the world know what animals you have is amazing (Read more: 7 Reasons Why Your Dairy Farm Needs To Be On Facebook and The Anti-Social Farmer: On the Verge of Extinction?). The thing is, it still takes those animals that are the “Purple Cows” in order to be noticed. Hailey, O’Kalibra, Missy, Happy Go Lucky and Rae Lynn are cows whose show ring successes have also caused social media success for their breeders. On the genomic side, cows like Shauna, Lucia, and Hue have attracted a lot of attention. Another aspect that helps pictures on Facebook go viral is the ones that comply with the Dairy Marketers Code of Conduct (Read more: Introducing the Diary Marketing Code of Conduct and Dairy Cattle Photography – Over Exposed ). However, in order to achieve this sustained viral status you first need to be unique. You need to know your niche. You need to be a “Purple Cow.”

Valleyville Rae Lynn is certainly a Purple Cow

The Bullvine Bottom Line

In Purple Cow, Seth Godin urges you to put Purple Cow differentiation into everything you build and everything you do, to create something truly noticeable. It’s a manifesto for dairy breeders looking to take their genetics programs to a new level. Pretty ads, generations of VG or EX and nice cattle pictures will not pay the bills. Either you set yourself apart or you are wasting your time. What makes you unique? Have you found your Purple Cow breeding program or marketing idea?

To learn how to get your farm on Facebook download this free guide.

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Categories : Dairy Cattle Marketing

Tags : AMMON-PEACHY SHAUNA, and Cookiecutter MOM Hue, Dairy Cattle Marketing, Dairy Marketing Code of Conduct, DECRAUSAZ IRON O’KALIBRA, EASTSIDE LEWISDALE GOLD MISSY, Genomics, OCONNORS PLANET LUCIA, R-E-W Happy Go Lucky, RF Goldwyn Hailey, VALLEYVILLE RAE LYNN

How I Killed the Dairy Cattle Marketing Industry

By Andrew Hunt · Comments (0)

Friday, April 26th, 2013

In any industry there are those who adapt and those who die. It really is that simple. For example look at the dairy cattle publication world. Those that are trying new things are thriving while others are wandering around lost in no man’s land or living on life support. There is no question that if you cannot adapt you will die. In the dairy cattle breeding and marketing world that means, using the same old methods that have been used for the past 50 years. They just don’t cut it today. The dairy cattle breeding industry of the past is dead. In order to embrace the new you need to lead not follow the path of others into a world that has reconfigured the possibilities. Blame science. Blame technology. Blame the Bullvine. But don`t stop there.

Leaders Never Worry About Being Average

Tomorrow’s leaders are not the ones who seek to be average today. Tomorrow’s leaders are the ones who are willing to be seen as outlandish today because they believe in a different and better tomorrow.

A great example of this is Jerry Jorgensen (Read more: Breeding Ri-Val-Re: Where Looking Good in the Stall Is Just as Important as Looking Good on Paper and $10,000 a dose polled semen). Instead of worrying about what has been done in the past, Jerry is always looking for new ways to do things in breeding and marketing. For his recent sale, instead of just trying to do all the same old boring advertising everyone else does, Jerry looked outside the box and tried something new. He set up a free giveaway for all those people on Facebook that helped spread the word about his upcoming sale. The results were outstanding. He reached the right people and got a far greater response from one simple giveaway and request than all his other marketing combined. And at a fraction of the cost I might add.

This promotion by Jerry Jorgensen was seen by over 100,000 people and liked and shared by thousands.

I watch as more and more breeders embrace technology such as Facebook. I see some of the most traditional breeders, leveraging the power of social media to spread the word about newsworthy events in their breeding programs. A fine example of this is Quality Holsteins who are seen by many, including myself, as the model for successful “traditional” breeding and marketing (Read more: Quality Holsteins – Well Deserved Congratulations). Recently Quality started a Facebook page and has seen their already great “brand” explode to thousands more people than a traditional “ad” would have reached, again – at a fraction of the cost. They simply take a few minutes each day to share firsthand the great things that are happening at Quality. This willingness to step outside of the “traditional” and into the “new” has Quality reaching a much larger marketplace than many even imagine!

This mammary system photo of VALLEYVILLE RAE LYNN owned by Quality Holsteins has been seen by over 200,000 people and shared thousands of times.

You Don’t Have To Pander

Just giving people what they think they want is a shortcut to banality, mediocrity and ultimately invisibility. For the dairy cattle magazine world that means doing the same rote coverage of all the same events, year after year. These magazines are living on borrowed time. For dairy breeders, it means putting up the same boring ads every month reaching the same ad readers of the past 20 years and expecting them to purchase from you. This segment has not been inspired to buy before. What makes you think things are going to change now?

Stop pandering to past perceptions. The Bullvine is living proof that you don’t need everyone to love you and your work. When you focus on the out-there, the passionate and changing segment of the industry, you are focusing on issues that generate emotion and targeted reaction. You then can highlight the extraordinary - and watch it spread -instead of watering everything down to the status quo.

The Dairy Marketing Code of Conduct LOGO
Program members can use this logo to show that they uphold to the standards of this program.

Take our recent articles about dairy cattle marketing ethics (Read more: Dairy Cattle Photography – Over Exposed and Introducing the Dairy Marketing Code of Conduct) . We knew long before we ever wrote them that our position on this issue would cause problems for some. But instead of worrying about how people would react, we focused on where the industry needed to be in the future. And man already things are starting to change. Pictures carrying the DMCC (Dairy Marketing Code of Conduct) logo have become some of the most viral shots seen over the past few months. Breeders are not only accepting this new program, they are starting to request it. And yes we know there is a very long, long road ahead, but these changes show us where the market is heading and early adopters are great about encouraging us to drive forward.

The Bullvine Bottom Line

There certainly has been no shortage of reaction to some of the material we have written about here on the Bullvine. But instead of worrying about whether everyone will love us, or who will agree with what we are writing, we decided not to knuckle under to the average but instead to seek out the segment that some would consider “far out”. I am talking about those outliers in the dairy industry that are willing to think outside the box and try new things, to look at things differently and ultimately to drive change and make things so much better. Are we killing the dairy cattle marketing industry? Or are we saving?

To get a copy of the Dairy Marketing Code of Conduct please click here.

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Categories : Dairy Cattle Marketing

Some Cows Just Want to Dance…

By Andrew Hunt · Comments (0)

Monday, April 22nd, 2013

On an average day we get about 100-120 different comments on our website, Facebook page and other social media sites about how dairy cattle showing is inhumane and unethical. On Saturday alone we had over 200 comments on our Facebook page about how some of our udder shots were just downright cruel. (Read more: What PETA Does Not Know About Raising Dairy Cattle!) Now fortunately we do have filters and staff setup to handle this, but it still got me thinking about this issue. Is dairy cattle showing cruel and unusual treatment, or is it that the general public doesn’t understand that some cows just want to dance?

RF Goldwyn Hailey – A great show cow who just loves to dance

The image some would have you believe is that these cows are being badly treated, that they are in constant pain, and that they live a very harsh life. This quite simply is not the case at all. In reality these show cows receive the best possible treatment. They receive a bath pretty much every other day, they get all the best feed they can eat and are loved by those who care for them. And that is not just at the show. This treatment occurs on a daily basis.

Think about it, they get regular haircuts so that they look pretty. They get a little hairspray to make sure their hair stays in place. They receive a massaging bath to make sure they feel good. And they get all the nutritious food they could eat. What more could a pampered “lady” ask for?

Beverly Donavon and the great show cow Sweet Pepper Black Francesca

Oh yes, the love of a good man? Well they receive that as well. The breeders exhibiting these animals truly do love their show cows. Many times these cows become like family to the breeders who love and care for them and they wouldn’t do anything to hurt them. And to be “politically” correct there are many woman who love these great animals as well (Read more: The Magic of Francesca). In reality they do everything they can to provide for them. They give these animals names and they treat them, some would say, better than their own children because there are no mind games, or time out for bad behavior.

VALLEYVILLE RAE LYNN – Mammary System – RAWF 2012

Now there is the question about how cows mammary systems are prepared for show. While most can understand the washing, clipping and feeding, they just can’t get their head around the apparent “pain” they perceive that cow udders endure The practice of letting the cows udder fill to capacity has some thinking that these lactating boobs are about to explode. Well I look at it like this. When a young woman is out looking her best does she not put on her best dress and “push up” bra? That is the same as a cow has when she goes into the show ring. She wants to look her best and her “push up bra” helps her do that.

R-E-W Happy Go Lucky – Mammary System – NY Spring Show 2013

Now I know some would ask, “How do you know that the cow actually enjoys it?” Well look in their eyes. There are some cows that love to show. Just like there are some women who love to get all dressed up and go out on for a night on the town. The second these dairy-girls step in the ring, something changes, they just want to dance. And man can some of them do it. They walk into that ring as if they are walking down a runway in Paris, New York or Milan.

The Bullvine Bottom Line

While some would condemn the treatment of show cows, those that actually understand the practice, appreciate that these cows are some of the best cared for animals in the world. You see, for some of these cows, it’s as if they are “moovie” stars walking down the red carpet at the premier of their next big film. They just love it!!! All eyes are on them and there is nowhere else they would rather be. They just love to dance.

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Categories : Show Reports

Tags : Dairy Catttle Treatment, Ethical Treatment of Show Cows, R-E-W Happy Go Lucky, RF Goldwyn Hailey, Sweet-Pepper Black Francesca, VALLEYVILLE RAE LYNN

Who is going to the show? Why attendance is down at the dairy cattle shows

By Andrew Hunt

Friday, April 19th, 2013

Over the past month I have been to 5 cattle auctions and 7 cattle shows in 4 different states or provinces. To say that I spent some time on the road driving from one event to the next is an understatement. And, while all of these events were amazing in their own unique way, there was one consistent thing that surprised me. Less and less people are attending these events.

RF Goldwyn Hailey – Grand Champion NY Spring Show

Now normally this would cause one to think that dairy cattle showing is dying, but in reality I actually think that the exact opposite is true. Consider this. The quality of cattle at these shows has been the best I have ever seen. I have had the opportunity to see the great RF Goldwyn Hailey multiple times, and this last time at NY Spring Show I would say that she looked the best I had ever seen her (Read more: RF Goldwyn Hailey Rides to the Top Spot at NY Spring Carousel and New York Spring Holstein Show 2013 Results). Also in NY I saw one of the most competitive Sr. 2 year old classes ever, where the legend in the making R-E-W Happy Go Lucky was beaten for the first time in milking form. Though in all fairness she is in the later stage of her lactation and the others are peaking.

R-E-W HAPPY GO LUCKY

At the Ontario Spring Show, I saw what I think to be a future World Dairy Expo and Royal Winter Fair Grand Champion, Valleyville Rae Lynn, giving Hailey a run for her money, though as Hailey has shown this spring she is untouchable. (Read more: Ontario Spring Discovery – Nothing Slipped Past Judge “Crack” and Ontario Spring Discovery Results). And at Quebec Spring Show I get to visit with many of the most passionate breeders in the world today (Read more: Do We Speak the Same Language? and Quebec Spring Show Results).

Valleyville Rae Lynn – Reserve Grand Ontario Spring Show

So what is it then? Why are less and less people attending the shows?

In discussing this with Randy Blodgett, newly appointed publisher of Holstein World and mastermind behind Holstein World Productions, the answer becomes pretty clear. They are all watching the coverage online.

Decrausaz Iron O’Kalibra
Class 9 winner, Sr & Grand Champion – 2013 All European Championship

During the recent NY Spring Show, there were over 5,000 people watching on the live video stream. This reminded me of the video stream we shared of the EU Championship Show where there were so many people wanting to watch that we had up to 1,000 people waiting to get one of the coveted spots to watch the live stream on the Bullvine alone(Read more:The All European Championship Show: The Greatest SHOW on Earth and Decrausaz Iron O’Kalibra Wins Grand at the 2013 All European Championship). Interesting note about the EU Championship show. The show itself did such a great job of covering the show, we here at the Bullvine didn’t even have to attend the show and we had the largest viewership in the world, thanks to the power of digital and social media.

3X as many people watched the 2013 All European Championships on www.bullvine.com then all other publications combined.

And now we are talking about just those who are able to take the time to watch it live. If you add in those that watch the coverage on the various publications and Facebook you would easily be over 12,000 viewers. There are more publications than ever covering the shows. Gone are the days when you were lucky to get covered in your national breed publication and that’s it. In today’s digital dairy media world, you are likely to have 4 or 5 publications there taking pictures and sharing the results. Who knows maybe someday we will have coverage comparable to a professional sporting event? Imagine it, commentators during the cow show bring you all the play by play.

From the great camera angles combined with the very professional in ring cameras combined with the outstanding music and exceptional ring announcer the experience was riveting for all at the 2013 All European Championships.

But already even this is starting to change. We here are the Bullvine try to do even more. While we have not gotten into the live streaming of the shows, we have started to do more and more stories about what happens beyond the placings. We try to bring you the story behind the story, such as (Read more World Dairy Expo 2012 Holstein Show – A Battle for the Ages and The 2012 Royal Winter Fair Holstein Show – One of the greatest ever told!).

Brian and Rob Eby embrace after Ebyhomle Goldwyn Marcia is named Reserve Grand Champion at the 2012 RAWF

Watch out for those “Moovie” Stars

Actually, it’s almost scary how much some things have changed. Just write or share a picture of Hailey, O’Kalibra, Happy Go Lucky, or Rae Lynn and the piece goes viral. These cows have become “Moovie” Stars. They have their own cult following that would rival that of One Direction, Maroon 5 or Justin Bieber.

While I am sure that many dairy breeders are not “Beliebers”, they are very passionate about great cows and these four certainly are that. And yes I am sure that many of the showmen that show these animals do have egos as big as Justin’s is. Things have changed so much that the showmen of these cattle have gone from complaining about or at least ignoring the photographers in the ring, to a point where they make sure they have the animal set up correctly. They are all looking good and appreciate the exposure. So much so that in the past 2 weeks alone we have had over 20 requests by breeders for pictures from the show for use in ads and other marketing efforts. A “money shot” of their animal winning their class or better yet the show, brings coverage you just can’t buy and a boring side shot cannot compare with. (Read more No Cow Is Perfect – Not Even in Pictures and Introducing the Dairy Marketing Code of Conduct)

The Power of Social Media

Starting today in Wisconsin is the Mid-West Spring National. This is a show that I am sure will be great. But I will not be there. That’s because between, myself and my trusty traveling partner (my father and Bullvine writer), we need time to rest. Yes the time in the car is fine for discussing many of the great events or challenges facing the dairy industry and leads to some great articles (Read more: Where is the Balance in Balanced Breeding?)., we need time to get caught up on the other things in our lives.

We were stressing out that we needed to be there but just couldn’t do the 11hr drive back and forth and still get everything done that we need to do. So we are not going. The amazing part is, when I mentioned on Facebook about the show and asked what animals were there and who looked good, we got some super responses. The best of them were the people that said they would take some pictures for us and share with us all the “juicy” details about the stories behind the story. To our faithful readers who are doing this for us we send a BIG thank you. To those looking for results, we say “Don’t worry we’ve got you covered”.

Touch my heart

Now there is one event that I would love to be at. And yes it does happen today, and yes it is at a cattle show, but NO it is not happening in the show ring. Since starting the Bullvine we have had the opportunity to get to know many amazing people. One such case is Beverly Donavon, the passionate owner of the great Ayrshire show cow Sweet-Pepper Black Francesca. Their story has touched our hearts and made us huge fans of both (Read more: The Magic of Francesca).

Through the power of social media we have gotten to know Beverly and her husband Richard. Recently Richard mentioned to me that a great young artist, Emma Caldwell, had painted an amazing picture of “Frannie” and that he would be attending the Ayrshire Spring Show in Quebec today with Beverly to meet the artist and pick up the picture (Read more Emma Caldwell’s Art Stirs Mind and Heart!). Now you see Richard may come sometimes come across as a sarcastic wrangler but when you get to know him, you can’t help but like him. This special event that he has arranged, and that Beverly knows nothing about, is just another reason why. When Frannie passed this past winter, Beverly was understandably devastated and Richard has done everything he could think of to help her through this tough time. This picture is just one of the many things he has done to help her through it. Emma Caldwell has graciously agreed to auction of her latest painting “Hailey” with a portion of the proceeds to go towards a charity (click here to learn more).

Emma Caldwell’s painting of the great “Frannie”

So my interest in being there has nothing to do with the show, which I am sure will be great. It has nothing to do with covering this story, which I am sure will be a tearjerker. But rather, it has EVERYTHING to do with the power of the human spirit. Three amazing people will get to meet, share a few tears (Bev most certainly), and celebrate an amazing cow and a very thoughtful gesture by all in involved. There will not be a big presentation in the center of the ring. There will not be any announcement over the public address system. If you see Bev with tears in her eyes over her trademark heartwarming love for one of her favorites , be sure to give her a big hug and say, “Way to go, we all loved Frannie and she was one of the best ever.”

So this is where I will be this weekend.

The Bullvine Bottom Line

While we here at the Bullvine will not be able to attend as many shows as we would like, I think that is also the case for many passionate dairy breeders. However thanks to the power of social media and the enhanced coverage many of the trade publications are providing, you can rest assured that you will be able to get the full story. To those who pioneered this, such as Randy Blodgett over 16 years ago, when he first did digital real time coverage at Expo, “Way to go Randy”. To those that have stepped up to help bring us the story behind the story at Mid-West Spring National, we say “Thanks”. Yes show attendance is down, but there is no question that the show passion lives on.

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Categories : Show Reports

Tags : Dairy Cattle Marketing, Dairy Cattle Shows, DECRAUSAZ IRON O’KALIBRA, R-E-W Happy Go Lucky, RF Goldwyn Hailey, Sweet-Pepper Black Francesca, VALLEYVILLE RAE LYNN

RF Goldwyn Hailey Rides to the Top Spot at NY Spring Carousel

By Andrew Hunt · Comments (0)

Tuesday, April 16th, 2013

Considering that Carousel is a French word, it is fitting that the 2013 International Holstein Show at the New York Spring Carousel was won by RF GOLDWYN HAILEY from Quebec. Looking to build on a year that saw her win both World Dairy Expo (Read more: World Dairy Expo 2012 Holstein Show – A battle for the ages) and The Royal (Read more: The 2012 Royal Winter Fair Holstein Show – One of the greatest stories ever told!), Hailey is developing from a 1 year wonder to a true show legend for her owners Gen-Com Holsteins. ) (For class by class results check out – New York Spring Holstein Show 2013 Results)

Grand Champion RF GOLDWYN HAILEY

After winning a close battle at the Ontario Spring Show, Hailey quickly jumped on a truck and headed to NY to show that she is still the top show cow in North America (Read more: Ontario Spring Discovery – Nothing Slipped Past Judge “Crack”). For all those in attendance there really wasn’t any question. It was an amazing show, with great quality throughout Hailey took us along for an amazing ride and easily won the NY Spring Carousel.

Grand Champion RF GOLDWYN HAILEY

Following behind Hailey in this merry-go-round was MS GOLDWYN ALANA, the Goldwyn daughter of Shormar BKB S Alicia 2 EX-94-2E (the clone to the great Shormar Alicia), for the Premier Breeder of the show Ferme Pierre Boulet, or as Judge Health liked to call him “Mr Bullet”. Alana was a sleeper for Judge Michael Heath, who had her 2^nd in her own class at one point, before her outstanding mammary system caught his eye and led to her winning the 5yr old class and ultimately Reserve Grand Champion of this historic carousel ride.

Grand Champion RF GOLDWYN HAILEY & Reserve Grand Champion MS GOLDWYN ALANA

Talking about some true legends, the 150,000 lb cow class saw two greats battle it out. SAVAGE LEIGH LEONA bred and owned by Christopher Savage, the 2012 Reserve All-American 125,000 Lb. Cow edged out the extremely popular ELMBRIDGE FM LOVEABLE RED, who had been Reserve Grand Champion the day before in the Red & White Show (Read more: New York Spring Red & White Show 2013 Results) for Lookout Holsteins and Jerseys.

1st place 150,000 lb cow SAVAGE LEIGH LEONA, 2nd place ELMBRIDGE FM LOVEABLE RED

A cow with a great future was the 1^st place 4yr old CAR-BON GOLDWYN ANGELA, who Budjon Farms had purchased earlier last fall from a neighboring farm in Wisconsin. She is another cow that had been shown at the Ontario Spring Show and jumped on the truck, this time moving up one spot to winning the class and many fans (Read more: Ontario Spring Discovery Results).

Car-Bon Goldwyn Angela 1st place 4yr old

In a switch from the Ontario Spring Show results, Judge Health went with CHARWILL ATTIC MARCY (exhibited by Gen-Com) as his first place Sr. 2yr old and Intermediate Champion, followed closely in class and for Intermediate Champion by ARCROIX GOLDWYN JAMAIQUE (exhibited by Budjon), who had been the 1^st place Sr. 2yr old and Res. Intermediate Champion from Ontario Spring Show. What is interesting here is that both cows, as well as the great Hailey, are all managed by Budjon and demonstrated yet again their ability to make sure cows look great at all times.

Charwill Attic Marcy 1st place Sr. 2yr old and Intermediate Champion

Arcroix Goldwyn Jamaique – 2nd place Sr. 2yr old and Reserve Intermediate Champion

In a class that saw the extremely popular R-E-W HAPPY GO LUCKY be beaten for the 1^st time in milking form (she placed 3^rd and was in a much later stage of lactation than the top two animals in the class).The much rumored CROVALLEY KNOWLEDGE AKIKA was also in the class. While many of the Jr. 2yr olds for 2013 have yet to calve, BUDJON-JK SNCHZ EXCHANGE exhibited by Maple-Downs, Packard and Cacciola, certainly impressed many with her outstanding mammary system.

R-E-W HAPPY GO LUCKY

CROVALLEY KNOWLEDGE AKIKA

Coming in behind Marcy and Jamique for Honorable Mention Grand Champion was EASTRIVER GOLD DEB 850, the 1^st place Sr. 3 year old. The Reserve All-Canadian & All-American Milking Yearling 2011 has calved in again and looked amazing for Butlerview (Read more: Exciting Times for Butlerview), who were also named Premier Exhibitor of the show. The senior 3 year old class actually had the first 4 animals all sired by the great show legend Braedale Goldwyn. I can only imagine what the class would have looked like if Valleyville Rae Lynn had made the trip to New York as well.

Eastriver Gold Deb 850 1st place Sr 3yr

BVK ATWOOD ARIANNA continued her winning ways for owners Jeff Butler & Frank and Diane Borba & Ponderosa Holsteins, as she took 1^st place in the Jr 3yr old class. Arienna has certainly caught our attention here at the Bullvine as she was named to World Dairy Expo Investment Worthy list as well as being the 2012 Breeder’s Choice Award Winner (Read more: The 2012 Breeder’s Choice Awards – The Tanbark Trail Edition)

BVK Atwood Arianna 1st place Jr 3yr old

In the heifer classes Judge Heath went with the 1^st place Spring Yearling MS LULUS FEVER LEGACY exhibited by West Coast Holsteins as his Junior Champion, followed by his first place Fall Yearling FANICO REGINALD MARTY exhibited Eaton, Cates & Morrill and Winter Yearling Cobequid Goldwyn Bayonet exhibited by Doeberiener, Bowen, Boulet & Cole. This left his 1^st place Fall Calf and the recent Taste of Ontario Convention sale topper Pierstein Gold Chip Rockstar, exhibited by Butlerview Farms, out of his parade. Expressing his appreciation for the strength of the yearlings in the show, Judge Health chose to go with all yearlings for his parade.

Junior Champion – Ms LuLus Fever Legacy

Pierstein Goldchip Rockstar – 1st place Fall Calf

The Bullvine Bottom Line

While the crowd may have been a little smaller than that of the Quebec Spring Show (Read more: Do We Speak The Same Language?) and the Ontario Spring Show (Read more: Ontario Spring Discovery – Nothing Slipped Past Judge “Crack”) held in conjunction with the Canadian National Convention (Read more: Holstein Canada Annual Meeting 2012 – From Coveralls to Niagara Falls) the 2013 International Holstein Show at the New York Spring Carousel has certainly earned the reputation as the “World Dairy Expo” of the American spring show season.

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Categories : Show Reports

Ontario Spring Discovery – Nothing Slipped Past Judge “Crack”

By Andrew Hunt · Comments (0)

Friday, April 12th, 2013

Combined with the Holstein Canada National Convention, Ontario played host to breeders from across Canada, with the biggest names in the Canadian show ring on display. Given the task to evaluate the proceedings and determine the winners was David Crack Jr. a very accomplished dairyman who has shown time and time again that he is not afraid to make the tough decision (Read more: Dairy Show Judging – It Takes Courage)

With many of the Canadian owned winners from the Royal making the trip to Ancaster, there was no question that the 2013 Ontario Spring Discovery would be the best ever. Playing host to the Holstein Canada National Convention not only attracted many of the top animals but it also attracted a capacity ringside crowd. Not even the cold wet weather could deter these passionate breeders from seeing round 2 of Hailey vs. Marcia or the rise of what is sure to be the next great one, Valleyville Rae Lynn.

(For complete class placings click here)

Junior Champion Winright Sid Elegance

As David has done many times before, he quickly established the pattern that he liked, deep bodied dairy cattle with a great set of feet and legs. With the fan favourite from Quebec Spring Show Jr. Show (Read more: Quebec Spring Holstein Show Results) and Taste of Ontario Convention Sale topper (Read more: Taste of Ontario National Convention Sale Averages $7960) already headed down to her new owners Butlerview, this left the door wide open for others to take home the coveted Jr. Champion prize. Winright Sid Elegance, the Intermediate Yearling Pine-Tree Sid daughter was more than capable and deserving of the Junior Champion prize. She was followed by the 1^st place Summer Yearling Belfontaine Attic Ceyla and the 1^st place Junior Yearling Crovalley Gold Rapcity.

MS RollNView Gold Divine

Coming into the milking cow classes is where you knew things would start to get really interesting. Leading the way in the Jr. 2yr old class was MS RollNView Gold Divine. Exhibited by Hodglynn Holsteins, Devine is the Goldwyn daughter of RICHARDO DUNDEE DAWNETTE EX-95-2E-CAN, 3 times HM All-Canadian and 2 times Res. All-American.

Arcroix Goldwyn Jamaique

In the Sr. 2yr old class Arcroix Goldwyn Jamaique edged out Charwill Attic Marcy, Blondin Goldwyn Bordeau and Dougal Lea Goldwyn Danita. It was a close battle, with many of these cows at different stages of lactation. Jamaique used her size, balance and udder quality to take the prize in an outstanding class of Sr. 2yr olds.

Sharp Acres S T Maeve

Seeing our first repeat winner from Quebec Spring Show, Sharp Acres S T Maeve exhibited by Ferme Blondin, earned many more fans. This Showtime daughter used her overall capacity, smooth fore udder and dairyness throughout to lead an impressive class of Jr. 3yr olds.

Valleyville Rae Lynn

Catching the eye of everyone when she walked in the ring, but certainly not new on anyone’s radar was Valleyville Rae Lynn (Read more: The 2012 Breeder’s Choice Awards – The Tanbark Trail Edition). Exhibited by Quality Holsteins, Ponderosa & AL-BE-RO Cattle Co (Read more: Quality Holsteins – Well-deserved Congratulations and DON SCHWARTZ: “Love what you do and do the best you can!” ), this 2^nd calf Sr. 3yr old looked amazing. Her trademark mammary system has only gotten that much better since the Royal, and she has cleaned off and bodied down since showing very fresh at the Royal. While winning her class was no easy feat as both Budjon-Vail Gold Dreams, Quebec Spring Show Intermediate Champion and Desnette Alexia Roseplex a looked amazing. Rae Lynn was just that much taller, dairyer and displayed her outstanding udder quality, to not only win the class but also take Intermediate Champion honours. Arcroix Goldwyn Jamaique squeezed in between Rae Lynn and Gold Dreams for Reserve Intermediate Champion.

High Point Golden Rose

Catching the eye of many breeders was the smooth, very dairy and balanced 4 yr old High Point Golden Rose. Her sire stack reads like a who’s who of the show biz. Thus Rose edged out equally impressive sire stack Car-Bon Goldwyn Angela and Quebec Spring Show winner MS Pride Gold Invite 761. Golden Rose looked spot on. She displayed more width throughout and a very balanced mammary system.

Gerann Roy Grendel

Also peaking from Quality Holsteins was Gerann Roy Grendel. On the power of her massive frame, smooth fore udder and dairyness throughout, Grendel edged out Bourgival Goldwyn Oriel and Coxlyn Fireworks Pansy for the 5 year old prize.

Then came the much anticipated rematch between Hailey and Marcia (Read more: The 2012 Royal Winter Fair Holstein Show – One of the greatest stories ever told). From the moment they entered the ring, you knew it was going to be a battle of the two stars, although Tween Bays Sara Goldwyn did everything she could to attract some of the attention. Many have talked about who they prefer between Hailey and Marcia. While both cows are absolutely amazing and looked spot on in the ring, they really are two different styles of cow. Hailey is your long dairy and very balanced cow. Marcia is just a massive, deep bodied wide rear uddered cow. Judge Crack not afraid gave each one a thorough analysis and determined that for him today it was Hailey who would get the nod.

For some at this point it seemed like an easy stroll for Grand and Reserve for these two greats, but Judge Crack wanted to keep everyone on their toes and went with the extremely popular and future superstar Valleyville Rae Lynn for Reserve and her herdmate Gerann Roy Grendel for Honorable Mention. Obviously he felt that these two cows fit his pattern a little more.

The Bullvine Bottom Line.

While certainly a different atmosphere than that of Quebec Spring Show, the addition of many of the top cattle from Quebec as well at the US certainly helped create a very unique atmosphere in Ontario. It certainly displayed to all breeders at ringside as well as online that great things are happening in the show ring these days and at Spring Discovery 2013 nothing slipped through the “Crack”.

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Categories : Show Reports

April 2013 North American Genetic Evaluation Highlights

By Andrew Hunt · Comments (1)

Wednesday, April 10th, 2013

In this information age it is surprising how difficult it can be to get the latest information on proof day. For that reason the Bullvine has compiled a quick summary of the genetic evaluations from the United States and Canada.

US HIGHLIGHTS

DE-SU OBSERVER debuts as #1 gTPI sire in the USA.
Call it validation or even redemption but, if Observer’s first proof had him falling drastically, it might have put the industry back a few years. With over 195 sons already being sampled, there is no question that the industry could not afford to have him not achieve a successful daughter proven proof. Fortunately for all, he not only held his most recent (December 2012) genomic index, but he actually went up. The biggest change in his numbers was an increase of 142 lbs. of milk, while maintaining his component percentages. Observer also saw significant increases in his type composites, something the breeders who had been milking Observer daughters had already been forecasting. While he still needs to be protected on body depth and F&L, he is now over 3 points for udders and has a solid score for rumps. (Click here for a High Ranking Sire Report (April 2013) and Top 100 TPI International Bulls (April 2013) )
ZAHBULLS UNO GULLIVER new #1 gPA TPI Sire in the USA
While there were not many new sires in the top gTPI list other than Observer, the same is not true for the gPA TPI list. Leading the way is ZAHBULLS UNO GULLIVER (Though Supersire may still be the #1 gPA TPI available sire at this time). GULLIVER is a NUMERO UNO from a DORCY then Toystory and Rudolph. His dam ZAHBULLS DORCY GLAMOUR was fresh in December and is yet to be classified. His 2^nd dam JOHNAN TOYSTORY GLITTER is classified EX and has a 4yr record of 29,220 lbs. of 3.5%f 3.0%P. Look for GULLIVER to sire strong components, especially fat, with solid type. He will need to be protected slightly on his straight legs and depth of heal, but will greatly improve bone quality and foot angle. His daughters will not win many shows, but they will be large enough however, they will need protection on body depth. He will bring loads of genetic potential in the areas of health and fertility, especially productive life. (Click here for Top 100 gPA TPI Sires April 2013) (Please note semen available is subject to stud and age)
BUTZ-HILL SUPERSIRE 1757 new #2 gPA TPI Sire in the USA
From the EASTSIDE LEWISDALE GOLD MISSY EX-95-CAN, Supreme Champion WDE and RAWF 2011, family. Missy could, by the end of this week, also be the 2012 Canadian Cow of the Year (Read more: Eastside Lewisdale Gold Missy: 2012 Canadian Cow of the Year Nominee). 1757 has it all. He is a Supersire from a Man-O-Man followed by Dolman then Goldwyn. Look for him to bring a balanced package. With no real holes in his type breakdown, strong components and very desirable health and fertility traits, he is sure to be on many peoples’ must have list. (Click here for Top 100 gPA TPI Sires April 2013) (Please note semen available is subject to stud and age)
LADYS-MANOR DORCY AMIRA debuts at #5 gTPI Cow in the USA
From the same family as the long-standing #1 gTPI Cow, Ladys-Manor PL Shakira, Amira is a VG 86 Dorcy from 85 point Planet. While from a different line of the Ladys-Manor Delightful Jem family, Amira certainly packs a strong genetic punch. (Click here to see Top 25 GTPI Cows)

CDN HIGHLIGHTS

BADGER-BLUFF FANNY FREDDIE new #3 gLPI Sire in Canada
Already having over 2,200 registered daughters born in Canada, Badger-Bluff Fanny Freddie (O Man x Die-Hard) hits the mark with his first official domestic evaluation at #3 LPI. Coming in almost exactly where his MACE proof and genomic test would have indicated, Freddie’s Canadian proof shows the same strong production as in the USA, with great health and fertility, while needing to be protected on conformation, especially dairy strength. At just 65% GP or better and only 12 VG 2yr olds in Canada (on 253 daughters), Freddie is certainly not a type specialist, but can give you that great shot of herd life, daughter fertility, and calving ease when needed. His daughters excel at herd life, daughter fertility, body condition score and production traits from shallow smooth fore uddered mammary systems. It is recommended that he be used on large framed females, with strong median suspensories. He breeds a consistent pattern of worky functional daughters that should be robot compatible. For breeders wanting to move their genetics along quickly, they may consider using a high genomically evaluated Freddie son from a large framed dam. (Click here to read a full breakdown of the Canadian Holstein Evaluation Highlights – April 2013)
END-ROAD O-MAN BRONCO new #6 gLPI Sire in Canada
Bronco (Oman x BW Marshall) has his first Canadian proof coming in at #6 LPI progeny proven sire. Like his sire, Oman, he leaves functional cattle but Bronco’s daughters excel at production. He is in the top 1% of the breed for both milk and protein yields. His daughters have good Dairy Strength and Foot Angle is steep and Heel Depth is deep. Rear teat placement is slightly wide and udders are slightly shallow which will work well for robotic milking systems. His daughters are likely the ones milk producers hardly notice as they go about producing large volumes. (Click here to see Top LPI Canadian Proven Holstein Sires)
REGAN-ALH DIPLOMAT #7 gLPI and Highest New Release Sire in Canada
Regan-ALH Diplomat*RDC (Mr Burns x O Man) takes the spotlight as the highest young sire graduate this round at #7 LPI and the new leader among red carrier sires proven in Canada. His dam A-L-H DESTINY has many superior progeny including top sons, Danillo and Goldday, in Europe (Read more: 12 Holstein Sires to Maximize Genetic Gain) and his second dam is none other than Markwell Durham Daisy (Read more: Markwell Durham Daisy – 2012 Golden Dam Finalist). DIPLOMAT ( Mr Burns x Oman x Durham) has his first proof based on 62 classified and 123 milk recorded daughters. His production and durability ratings are well above average and he earns the distinguished Class Extra rating. Care needs to be taken, as he is slightly below average for milking speed and calving ability. He will likely qualify as a sire of sons mating sire, especially for red.
SUNTOR JOYRIDE new #1 gPA LPI Sire in Canada
JOYRIDE is from the same family as Oconnors Jay, as his 2^nd dam OCONNORS GOLDWYN JASMINE EX-92 is the Goldwyn sister to Jay (Read more: The Bloom is On Oconnors Goldwyn Jasmine). His dam SUNTOR MAN O MAN JELENA VG-2YR sold for $30,000 in the 2012 Sale of Stars (Read more: Genomic Stars Shine at Sale of Stars), a steal for a cow that has proven she can throw extremely high genomic progeny. No doubt the commission from semen sales on this one will be larger than the sale price of the dam. Joyride, sired by Epic, offers extreme production (+106 kgs protein) from outstanding type with strong health and fertility traits. With a DGV of +19 for conformation, there is no question that Joyride will leave you those nice sharp cut calves that will draw attention and top dollar at all the genomic sales in a year’s time. (Click here to see Top LPI Genomic Holstein Young Sires)
MAPEL WOOD M O M LUCY new #2 gLPI Cow in Canada
The highest newly indexed cow this round is Mapel Wood M O M Lucy, arriving at #2 GLPI right behind her maternal sister, OConnors Planet Lucia, who stays firm at #1 GLPI. Lucia and Lucy are daughters of Comestar Goldwyn Lilac (Read more: Comestar Goldwyn Lilac: 2012 Canadian Cow of the Year Nominee and Genetics By Design – Crosses the $4,000,000 Mark) with Lylehaven Lila Z as grand dam. (Click her toe see Top 400 gLPI Females in Canada)
RI-VAL-RE SUPRSRE NIKK new #1 gPA LPI heifer in the World!
Nikk jumps almost 200 LPI points and takes over the coveted #1 spot. Powered by her dam’s sire, Observer, who debuts at #1 gTPI, Nikk leads a pack of Supersire daughters that top the LPI list. Her dam RI-VAL-RE OBSRVR NIKKI is due this month and looks very promising for Ri-Val-Re (Read more: Breeding Ri-Val-Re: Where looking good in the stall is just as important as looking good on paper). (Click here to see Top 400 gPA LPI Heifers In Canada)

The Bullvine Bottom Line

Some might call it a quieter round in North America, with only one new top proven sire in the US and many of the new Canadian sires already proven in the US. However, this round is certainly an emphatic validation for the different proving programs. The fact that Observer came out where he did validates the genomic evaluation system. Additionally, having many sires that receive their official proofs in Canada matching the US MACE conversion also validates the Interbull MACE system. Many new genomic sires were released this time, providing terrific opportunities to discover the next Observer.

To see all the latest proofs be sure to check out our Genetic Evaluation Section.

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Categories : Genetic Evaluation Review

Tags : Badger-Bluff Fanny FREDDIE, BUTZ-HILL SUPERSIRE 1757, DE-SU OBSERVER, END-ROAD O-MAN BRONCO, Genetic Evaluations, LADYS-MANOR DORCY AMIRA, MAPEL WOOD M O M LUCY, REGAN-ALH DIPLOMAT, RI-VAL-RE SUPRSRE NIKK, SUNTOR JOYRIDE, ZAHBULLS UNO GULLIVER

Is Type Classification Still Important?

By Andrew Hunt · Comments (0)

Monday, April 8th, 2013

There are many changes going on in the dairy industry these days. Producers must try to understand what programs are worth still participating in and what ones to drop. At the Bullvine we have had some producers ask, “Should I still classify my cows?” To that we say a resounding, “YES!” The following article explains why.

First, I would be remiss if I did not disclose that my father ran the Type Classification program here in Canada for 18 years, before it passed into the very capable hands of Jay Shannon and Tom Byers. I was raised understanding type classification and how the system works. From when Dad and the late Dalton Hodgins first started playing with the handheld units to when it was time to update the True Type Model, you could say that classification was bred into me. For me to even have to consider whether the program has merit is a very challenging situation. But when a breeder from California asked me the other day, “Why should I still type classify?” this caused me to stop and think about that, as I didn’t have an instant answer for him. So, in typical Bullvine fashion, I did some more thinking about it, a little bit of research and here is what I came up with.

Why Type Classify if you Genomic Test All Your Females?

Tom Byers said it best, in our interview a year ago. “Classification will be the conformation verification of our Genomic selected sires.” (Read more: Tom Byers – “That’s classified”). Genomics is not a perfect science and, in order to improve the accuracy of the genomic predictions, we need a larger data set. That means we need more daughters classified by these new genomic sires so that the geneticists can compare the genomic predictions of these sires to the actual performance of their daughters. Only then can the geneticists improve the formulations so their predictions become more accurate. Currently you can feel about 95% confident that a sire will come within 10% of their genomic prediction. With more information, that rate of confidence will increase while the range will decrease.

It’s also important to understand how these sires work in your herd. I cannot tell you the number of times I have seen some sires work wonders in some herds and totally fail in others. While the sire’s proof may average out over all herds, that does not mean he or his blood lines will work well in yours. That is why you still need programs like type classification and milk recording to validate that what you see on paper (genomic tests) is what you actually get in reality.

Why Classification is More Important than Ever When Marketing Your Cattle

It used to be that when a fresh 2 year old went Very Good many breeders wanted to see her picture to see if she really was a VG 2 year old. Often times it was felt that maybe that animal got a gift and maybe would have only been a GP84 in a different herd. Nowadays, with the state of dairy cattle photo ethics the way it is, I actually jump back to the classification to see if the picture really resembles the animal.

When I look at the picture and the heifer looks VG87+ but yet she is only classified VG85, I wonder why. Often I notice that animal may only be a 2 or 3 for loin strength, yet in her picture with all the “hair” added she looks closer to a 9. This causes a drastic change to the general appearance of the animal and greatly misrepresents her rump. That is why now, more than ever, I look at the full classification breakdown in order to get a better understanding of just what the animal looks like.

Another area I often notice is size and stature. With so many pictures having the original background removed and often the leadsperson as well, it is hard to get an accurate reference for the exact size of the animal. When the photographer or graphic designer is adding in the new background, they are doing so by what makes the animal look the best. While this is considered acceptable by today’s standards, it can greatly misrepresent the size and stature of the animal. (Read more: Has Photo Enhancement Gone Too Far?).

Another area where it is impossible to get an accurate read is heel depth and angularity. Because these animals are being cropped out of their original images, often they lose some of the depth of heal in the picture as well as their necks get accidentally cleaned up. While I do not think most photographers do so intentionally, the programs they are using combined with photographer’s Photoshop skills often cause some of these parts to be cropped, leaving a shallower foot and a cleaner head and neck. It is for these reasons we have recently started the Dairy Cattle Marketer’s Code of Ethics (Read more: Introducing The Dairy Marketing Code of Conduct) in order to help re-establish credibility in dairy cattle photographs.

The Bullvine Bottom Line

There is no question that the industry is changing at a very rapid rate. For some it`s not changing fast enough. For others, it seems too fast. While all programs need to evolve to meet the needs of the modern dairy producer, there is no question that a dynamic Type Classification program has its place. Since genomics is not a perfect science, and some dairy cattle photographs do not tell the full story, type classification remains the one constant for identifying the strengths and weaknesses of the individual, so that we can correctively mate to help the next generation function best in the different environments we ask her to work in. This combination of science and cow sense is what will lead us into a very prosperous future.

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Categories : Dairy Cattle Classification

Tags : Dairy Cattle Photograph Ethics, Dairy Marketing Code of Conduct, Genomics, Tom Byers, Type Classification

Do We Speak the Same Language?

By Andrew Hunt · Comments (0)

Friday, April 5th, 2013

I always love heading to Quebec. From seeing Patrice Biron, the former Holstein Canada President that I spent summers trying to learn French from, to the memories of St. Huberts and my trip with my father, sister and David Houck, the legendary manager from Rommandale Farms, where I would pull the seat release causing his chair to go flying back, earning me the nickname “my worst enemy” from David (I guess some things never change…read more: The Bullvine- Wanted Dead or Alive), I just loved making those memories. . While my French still is not as good as it could be, and David is no longer with us, my enjoyment of Quebec will never change. One thing that is for sure a constant is how great the Quebec people are and the passion they have for the dairy breed.

There is something to be said about how Quebecer’s can put on a show. Just like Cirque de Soleil and the Montreal Canadiens award ceremonies for former greats, Quebecer’s put on a show like none other. Their hospitality and friendliness comes through no matter what language you speak.

The one thing that seems to unify them all is their passion for great dairy cattle. And man do they have some great cattle. Even as we walked through the barns before the show, previewing the sale consignments you knew that all this does not happen by accident. It takes time, dedication and more importantly passion. Passion that unites all, regardless of language

TAG You`re IT!

One place where there was no question that passion drives it all was attending the Trans America Genetics’ Genomic Giants sale. This amazing sale averaged an outstanding $38,472 ((Read more: Genomic Giants Sale Averages an Outstanding $38,472). With many of the top TPI and LPI animals in the world set to be offered you knew it was going to be very special (Read more: The Dairy Cattle Investor’s Guide to Spring Show Madness). And while this may be a tamed down version of the show they put on in the fall sale, there was no question that it too was a great one. One of the things I learned in speaking with Patrice and Natalie Simard, the passionate couple that helps drive TAG`s success, is that 3 of the top sellers were a result of their breeding programs. As we talked more, I learned about just how well thought out their strategy is and how they are really thinking about how to take things to new level. It`s passion and attention to detail that has helped them to attract new investors, the most recent of which are not from the dairy industry, but rather people who see the great business plan combined with the passion and have decided to invest in TAG. Outstanding!!!! Love to see new money coming into the industry.

Grand Champion: Wendon Goldwyn Allie, 1st mature cow, Ferme Rayon d’Or
Res. Grand Champion: Ms Goldwyn Alana, 1st 5-year-old, Pierre Boulet
HM Grand Champion: Desnette Alexia Roseplex, 1st Sr. 3-year-old, Yvon Sicard, Desnette Holstein

Great Cattle Unite Us All

Donald Dubois showing Ms Pride Gold Invite 761 1st 4yr old

There is just something special about attending a dairy cattle show in Quebec. The quality of cattle is always outstanding and the people truly passionate. This guarantees that the experience something you will never forget. From the Red and White show on Wednesday that made up for its small classes with outstanding quality (Read more: Quebec Spring Red & White Show Results) to the Holstein Show on Thursday (Read more: Quebec Spring Holstein Show Results) that had milking cow classes in excess of 25 animals , the heart of dairy cattle showing in Canada is certainly in Quebec. One great thing to see was Donald Dubois, winner of the showman Breeder’s Choice awards (Read more: The Winners of the 2012 Breeder’s Choice Awards are…) in the ring. Donald is truly one of the greats and was in fine form at the show.

From the first class of the day, highlighted by Pierstein Gold Chip Rockstar who won the Sr. Calf class and went on to become Honorable Junior Champion and who will sell in the Canadian National Convention Sale (Read more: National Convention Sale), you knew the classes were going to be deep and have tons of quality. Handling this was none other than the living legend Marc Comtois. While there isn’t anything Marc has not accomplished in the industry, it was great to see Marc working in the ring, passing on his considerable experience to his son Steve, who has now become a partner in Comestar. Holsteins.

marc and steve comtois

Great uncle Carl Saucier and the 3rd generation ferme Jacobs having fun at Quebec Spring Show.

Speaking of passing it on to the next generation, anyone attending the show had to be touched by some of the special moments from young ferme Jacobs these cute kids. And if the picture from the Premier Breeders presentation is any indication, it is certainly a family affair (Read more: Ferme Jacobs – Success is all in the family!).

preimer breeder quebec spring show ferme jacobs

Watching Marc handle the mature cow class that came down to a battle between two greats Wendon Goldwyn Allie and Boulet Goldwyn Chalou reminded me of when Marc judged the Royal and had to choose between two legends Acme Star Lily and Rainyridge Tony Beauty. Just like on that November back in 1999, Marc handled the situation with class and diligence, thoroughly going over them and ultimately choosing Allie for the win. Just like 1999 the mature cow class winner went on to be Grand, the same way Lily had.

The Bottom Line

We all face many challenges in the dairy industry and there is a great deal of uncertainty in some areas these days. A quick visit to Quebec will show you that as long as you have passion for cattle, it doesn’t matter what language you speak or problems you face. Let your heart drive you and your head guide you and success is sure to follow.

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3 Lessons Dairy Breeders can learn from Major League Baseball

By Andrew Hunt · Comments (0)

Tuesday, April 2nd, 2013

It’s in the air! Spring shows are starting. In some regions cows are getting outside for the first time in months. Most importantly, in major league baseball, spring training is over and it’s time to start the games that really matter. Every year Opening Day is marked with great anticipation by baseball fans. You can smell the hot dogs cooking on the grill and the feel of the leather glove in your hands. It’s baseball time baby. Now I bet you are wondering what dairy breeders can learn from baseball? Well here are three lessons dairy breeders can learn from professional baseball.

Lesson #1: Moneyball

The book and movie (starring Brad Pitt) Moneyball tells the story of how Billy Beane, GM for the Oakland A’s, used statistical analysis to find players who were undervalued by other teams. The movie was nominated for six Academy Awards, including Best Picture. It made over $100 million. Billy Beane forever changed the way major league baseball teams look at assembling their teams. No longer is it about your gut feel. You need Jedi senses in order to develop winners. .

In modern major league baseball, managers now play the percentages. They usually go with what has a higher likelihood of success. So left-handed hitters bat against right-handed pitchers and vice versa. Certain individuals will be in the lineup against certain pitchers because of their record against that pitcher. Fielders shift to cover the hitting tendencies of batters (like the famous Jim Thome shift). Does this mean right-handed batters can’t hit against right-handed pitchers? No. Does it mean batters always hit to the same location or that the past will always repeat itself? Certainly not.

In dairy cattle breeding, when we talk numbers, that means Genomics. Genomics has greatly changed the way many breeders go about sire selection. (Read more: The Dairy Breeders Guide to Genomics, Genomics: Think Big Not Small and The Truth About Genomic Indexes – “Show Me” They Work! ) By knowing your breeding goals, understanding the genetics you have in your herd, and leveraging the power of genomics, breeders can greatly accelerate their genetic programs, and more importantly increase the efficiency. (link 30 efficient sires)

Does this guarantee 100% results? Does this mean you are going to have the next World Dairy Expo Champion (Read more: 7 Sires to Use in Order to Breed the Next World Dairy Expo Champion) or top genomic sire (Read more: The Top 12 Holstein Genomic Young Sires to Use for Maximum Genetic Gain)? No. Genomics does not guarantee 100% results. But percentages do play out. For consistency and overall greatest rate of genetic advancement it’s best to follow the greatest reliabilities and leverage genomics to have the greatest probability of success (Read more: Genomic Young Sires vs. Daughter Proven Sires: Which one is best for reliable genetic gain).

Lesson #2: You’ve got to master the basics

In baseball the teams that win the championships are not always the ones who have the highest payroll, or the biggest names, instead it the ones who have mastered the basics and can do so consistently. Advancing the base runner (hit, sacrifice or bunt), throwing to the correct base to get the lead runner out, backing up every throw and not throwing the ball away and getting the leadoff batter out, these are all the little things that contribute greatly to the success of major league baseball teams.

The same is true for your breeding program. Using the greatest sires in the world, on the most expensive females in the world does not guarantee success. You still need to master the basics of dairy farming in order to make success happen. Producing high-quality forage, producing high-quality milk (SCC <100,000), raising healthy calves and healthy cows is pivotal to any breeder program. Without mastering these basics all the genetics in the world will not make you a winner. Think about it. How many traits are highly heritable and how many are heavily management dependent? (Read more: The Genomic Advancement Race – The Battle for Genetic Supremacy)

Lesson #3: You need a good manager

Bob Melvin was named 212 AL Manager of the Year.

Just like having players that do the basics well, it’s important to have a good manager. Often a good manager is the reason professional baseball players are willing to do the basics well. A good manager is able to step back, assess the team that he/she has and then leverages player strengths and protects or improves their weaknesses. Some dairy breeders think of their breeding programs as an art form and do not give it the level of analysis and business management it requires. The best dairy farmers and breeders take the time to step back and ask themselves “What areas in my operation need more management?”

The Bullvine Bottom Line

As in baseball, success in dairy breeding does not happen overnight. It’s a long season in baseball and you have to be patient. You can’t make all the necessary changes right away. It takes years to build a championship team. The same is true for a successful breeding program. It takes the right moves and an attitude of continuous improvement. There will be setbacks and there will be lean times, but keep working at building a competitive business. Don’t be discouraged. Don’t get impatient. Never be complacent. In baseball it’s three strikes and you are out. In dairy breeding it depends on Moneyball, Mastery and Management. Fail at these three basics and there is no question your breeding program will strike out.

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Categories : Management

Tags : Genomics, Management

Dairy Cattle Photography – Over Exposed

By Andrew Hunt · Comments (0)

Monday, April 1st, 2013

The art of dairy cattle photography has certainly changed over the past 15 years. With the introduction of digital cameras and advancements in programs like Adobe Photoshop, there is no question the industry is forever changed. The problem is, with all these changes, there has been no one to establish or regulate a code of ethics to ensure that the animal you see in pictures is the same animal you are investing in when you buy embryos, progeny or semen from them.

I cannot tell you the number of times breeders have told us that the cow they saw in the picture looked nothing like the animal in real life. While this non-reality has become acceptable for super models, that should not be the case with dairy cattle photos. In the fashion industry you are not buying the genetics the super model has to offer, but rather the clothing she is wearing. That’s a key difference. A difference that many need to remember when taking and editing dairy cattle photos. (Read more: Dairy Cattle Marketing Ethics – Do they exist? And Business Ethics and Marketing Dairy Cattle Genetics) Sure we all want the animal to look her best but that means she still looks like herself and not some other animal all together.

The following are three techniques that many livestock photographers use that “most” would consider acceptable and yet they really do a great deal to make the animal look considerably different than her true genetic self.

Addition to Toplines

While photographers have been adding hair, foam, tape, etc. to cows’ toplines for years, programs like Photoshop make it much easier to do and even harder to detect. (Read more: Has Photo Enhancement Gone Too Far) The following is an example of just how much the typical picture has had added. The light overlay (Fade) is the amount that was present in the final picture and the dark is the cow’s natural self.

topline hair add

Not a big deal some would say, but there is no question that this adds about 3-5 points on loin strength, 1-2 points on rump and drastically enhances general appearance. It is being done so often these days that it actually catches your eye when it’s not done. This is very much a FALSE representation of what an animal’s actually genetic potential is.

Over Exposure of Photos

To hide this type of work many photographers will over expose (brighten) the white sections of the photos or burn (darken) the black sections of an animal so the average eye cannot catch what has been done. Here is an example of a cow that has had this one. The following is a picture comparing her topline as it appears in the final picture and the same topline with the exposure corrected.

hair add lms

A very flat loined heifer that would have looked very common in her picture ended up looking much better. In measuring the proportions of this animal we estimate that this animal has had 6-7 inches of “hair” added. The interesting point is that this animal is classified VG-85 and yet in her picture looks more like 88 or even 89 points. A big difference especially in an animal that many breeders could potentially be purchasing genetics from and, more importantly, semen from her sons.

This not only makes a difference in their toplines, but also in the cleanliness of their legs and other parts. By over or under exposing details as needed you can greatly hide their flaws. Some photographers comment that since they didn’t “edit” the conformation of the cow, it’s acceptable. By hiding the flaws with these techniques, they are greatly misrepresenting the animal’s natural appearance and genetic potential.

Clarity

Have you ever noticed that the pictures you take with your own camera, even your phone camera, have more clarity than the ones that are taken by most professional photographers who have cameras and equipment costing thousands of dollars? Why do you think that is? Typically this is because of the Photoshop skills of the photographer. To make all these “typical” edits and still maintain that level of clarity requires a great deal of skill. Since most of the photographers are just that photographers and not graphic designers, that is an area that they have not mastered yet. The easiest way to account for this is to reduce the clarity so that some parts of the picture are very clear and others are not. Here is an example of the clarity of what a typical professional dairy cattle photographer’s picture should look like. It is taken with the same level of equipment, and has only had slight color correction and no exposure adjustments to the animal.

Woodsview Excitation Tracy (udder ring)

How many professional photographers’ photos look this clear? They should. They easily have the equipment to achieve this or even greater results.

The Bullvine Bottom Line

While there is no doubt programs like Photoshop make it so that anything is possible, should it not be the job of the photographer to make sure the image they produce is the best possible representation of that animal and not just what they think will sell the most embryos or semen?

To read more about this check out The Dairy Marketing Code of Conduct

To get a copy of the Dairy Marketing Code of Conduct please click here.

If you believe that there is a need for a ethical standard in marketing dairy cattle genetics please like and share this post.

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The Weak Never Forgive

By Andrew Hunt · Comments (1)

Friday, March 29th, 2013

There are those in this industry that would have someone crucified for the littlest mistake. They seem to never forget the wrongs people have done and yet can’t remember the good things they have done as well. While I totally understand the saying, “You never get a second chance to make a good first impression,” I also think of what Mahatma Gandhi said, “The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong.”

Since starting the Bullvine we have always tried to profile breeders who were “doing it right.” By that we mean breeders who were trying to do the best they could. Breeders who were trying new things such as using social media to market their cows, or individuals who have faced great adversity to achieve outstanding success. More recently some of our selections for whom to profile has come under attack by profiling some individuals with a colored past. To answer that I come back to being strong enough to forgive. People do make mistakes and I think they should be punished. But they should be forgiven and given the opportunity for a second chance. There’s nothing as exciting as a comeback – seeing someone with dreams, watching them fail, and then getting a second chance. We are human beings. When you forgive, you in no way change the past – but rather you work at changing the future.

Sex, Religion and Politics – Three of our favorite things

Now it may seem I have gone all religious on you here, which is something the Bullvine may have stayed clear of in the past. I do understand those three things they tell you never to write about: Sex, Religion and Politics. Well since starting the Bullvine we have already talked about Sex and Politics, so why leave religion out of it?

Today marks Good Friday, the religious holiday celebrated by Christians around the world commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. In this holy week, we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ and the forgiveness of our sins. That is correct. It’s at this time God gave his only Son to forgive or sins.

Now before I offend those who are not Christian, remember that, most world religions include the teaching of forgiveness. Buddhism teaches that forgiveness is a practice for removing unhealthy emotions that would otherwise cause harm to our mental well-being. Judaism teaches that ideally a person who has caused harm, needs to sincerely apologize, then the wronged person is religiously bound to forgive. However, even without an apology, forgiveness is considered a pious act. In Islam the word Islam itself is derived from the Semitic word slm meaning “peace” and forgiveness is a prerequisite for genuine peace. No matter what religion you practice there is no question that forgiveness is a key part.

Let He Who Is Without Sin Cast the First Stone

Over the course of the past year there is no question we here at the Bullvine have tried to push the limits of traditional thinking. We have tried to bring awareness to issues and conversations that most would not touch with a ten-foot pole. Several times our tactics have come under fire by some as being to risqué or even stepping over that line. And I totally understand that.

What I ask for is forgiveness and understanding. Understanding that our intentions are good even if our execution sometimes lacks. Moreover, forgive us for those times when we do cross that line. Because sometimes when you walk that line, it’s hard to know when you have crossed over it.

The Bullvine Bottom Line

The weak never forgive. Forgiveness is an attribute of the strong. On this Good Friday it could be the perfect time to offer forgiveness to those who have done wrong?

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Introducing the Dairy Marketing Code of Conduct

By Andrew Hunt · Comments (0)

Monday, March 25th, 2013

The call for ethics in dairy cattle marketing has never been louder. With the increased power of programs like Adobe Photoshop, the ability to edit and manipulate pictures and ads has never been easier. For this reason, the Bullvine in combination with other dairy cattle marketers is pleased to introduce The Dairy Marketing Code of Conduct.

What is the Code?

The Code sets out specific standards of conduct for participants in the dairy cattle marketing industry in relation to individuals, organizations and consumers and serves as a benchmark in the highest level of ethics showing to all breeders that they can buy with confidence that the images, ads, and promotional materials they are seeing are of the highest ethical standard.
The requirements of the Code are based on common sense and are matters of fairness and honesty. The Code not only promotes ethical behavior but also is intended to serve as a point of reference for Members to ensure they follow acceptable best practices and ethical guidelines.

The Objectives of the Code :

To ensure business and consumers have access to the product and service information they need to make informed accurate choices and decisions
To promote a culture among members of conducting their businesses fairly, honestly, ethically and in accordance with best practices; and
To increase business and breeder confidence in doing business with dairy cattle genetic companies and breeders.

Why Is The Code Necessary?

The world dairy genetics market is big business. No longer is it possible for breeders to personally see the animals they are looking to invest in. Because we now operate at a distance rather than face-to-face with fellow breeders, dairy genetics organizations and breeders must place greater emphasis on establishing breeder confidence and trust. This is especially true in dairy cattle livestock photos, where tools like Adobe Photoshop have taken the potential of digital editing and photo manipulation to completely new levels.
The future expansion of dairy marketing depends on the players conducting their business in a fair, honest and ethical manner in dealing with other businesses and with consumers. Only by doing so can the reputation of the industry be enhanced so that breeder demand will continue to grow.

Programs like Adobe Photoshop have made it possible for breeders to tell what is real and what is fake.

To Whom Does This Code Apply?

Livestock Photographers
Graphic Designers
Artificial Insemination Companies
Dairy Cattle Genetics Companies
Dairy Cattle Breeders

The Dairy Marketing Code of Conduct LOGO
Program members can use this logo to show that they uphold to the standards of this program.

What are the benefits of membership?

With breeder confidence in the images and ads they see at an all-time low, the ability to display to breeders that your marketing and genetics meet the highest ethical standards is a great way to reassure them that you value your relationship with them.
All members of this program will have the ability to place the Dairy Marketing Code of Conduct (DMCC) logo on their images and ads, showing all who view those ads/images that they can buy with confidence knowing that the decisions they make based on these ads and images meet the highest standards in the industry.
Members will be entitled to exclusive training. That is correct, as part of the program there will be training from some of the greatest experts in the industry today. In such areas as:
- Photoshop and digital post production for dairy cattle marketers
- Video and post production for dairy cattle marketers
- Advanced photo and video capture best practices
- Dairy cattle ad design concepts and best practices

What are the penalties for violation of the code?

For all those who sign up for the program and then do not adhere to its code of conduct the follow actions will occur:

Original photos must be provided upon request
All claims must be able to be substantiated with factual proof/documentation.
There will be an appeal process where said individuals/organizations can defend their case against being expelled.
If it is deemed that those photos/images/claims do not comply with the program, said member will be publicly expelled from the program.

Who is responsible for running the program?

Initially, the Bullvine and its agents will be responsible for the development and enforcement of the program for a 1 year period. After that, there will be the development of a Council for Ethical Dairy Cattle Marketing that will take over the development and encouragement of ethical practices, with the Bullvine supporting and administering the program.

The Bullvine Bottom Line

While this Code of Conduct is obviously in the early stages of development, we trust that photographers, graphic designers and other members of the dairy marketing community will take time to think about where the industry is headed and why now is the time for the establishment of best practices and ethical guidelines that help grow business for all community members.

To get a copy of the Dairy Marketing Code of Conduct please click here.

If you believe that there is a need for a ethical standard in marketing dairy cattle genetics please like and share this post.

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Tags : Dairy Cattle Marketing Ethics, Dairy Cattle Photo Ethics, Dairy Marketing Code of Conduct

The Bullvine: Wanted Dead or Alive

By Andrew Hunt · Comments (0)

Friday, March 22nd, 2013

Since starting the Bullvine over a year ago, I have learned to accept that we have become a polarizing entity. While most tell us how much they love what we are doing, there are also those who have put a bounty on our heads. This means there are moments when I have wondered if I have been wasting my time. Living life as a marked man is definitely not boring. When you’re blazing new ground, there is always the chance that you could be shot down in a blaze of glory.

Sometimes I get some sleep. Other times it seems like you are sleeping on a bed of nails not knowing what is going to happen next. Now some might say that I am being dramatic and I accept that. However, I am not sure that they understand the pressure that has come with running The Bullvine. In starting the Bullvine I have had to open up my soul to the world. With that comes a completely different experience than most would ever expect.

First comes a rush that many never experience. We have had days where we have literally reached hundreds of thousands of people around the world and you feel like Superman. Yet there are other days when you wonder if it was all worth it. Is it worth people slandering your name? Questioning your ethics? Is it worth losing relationships that have meant the most to you?

You see, the Bullvine isn’t your typical dairy magazine where we publish a few nice articles about fluff. Sure Karen (a.k.a Mom) has done an amazing job profiling some extremely interesting people. (Read more: Don Schwartz: “Love what you do and do the best you can!” and Christy Nurse: From Show Ring Beauty to World Class Rower) But if that was all the Bullvine was then we would be like every other publication out there. Instead we wanted to build a community around the key issues that are facing breeders on a daily basis. (Read more: Milk Marketing: How “Got Milk Became “Got Lost” and No Cow Is Perfect – Not Even in Pictures)

We wanted to bring about change, and that meant talking about, saying and doing things others wouldn’t. Have I said or done things that I regret? ….Sure who hasn’t? I don’t apologize because not even for one moment have I regretted our bigger purpose. (Read more: I’m Sorry, But I’ve Had Just About Enough of…) When pouring your heart and soul into something, you are going to react as much out of emotion as out of logic. There have been times where many thought that we were going down for the count. However, what they didn’t realize is we are fighters. If you don’t knock us out, watch out because we are coming back twice as strong and twice as hard.

Then there are the weeks where everything just seems to come together and you know what you’re doing is exactly what is needed and well worth it.

Take this past week for example. On Monday we profiled an amazing dairy farm mom, Mary Lou King. Mary Lou is like most farm wives, her day starts before the sun rises and doesn’t end still after the sun sets and she does it all while raising her children. (Read more: Dairy Farm Moms are Unstoppable) This story reached over 20,000 people.

We then had the opportunity to profile Carrie Mess and her remarkable blog, about a city girl who has become one of the biggest advocates for the dairy industry. (Read more: Dairy Carrie- Diary of a City Kid Gone Country) Very fitting for National Ag Day, where the Bullvine set a new Facebook dairy record reaching over 200,000 people in a single day.

Then in true Bullvine style, we profiled many of the upcoming sales. However, unlike the others, instead of promoting who paid us the most money, we did our own detailed homework on all the sales and gave our true opinion. We did this, because like everyone else, we are also breeders and wanted to make sure we were not missing any great investment opportunities. (Read more: The Dairy Investors Guide to Spring Sale Madness). I guess people like what we are saying because we had feedback from sales managers about how much it helped and how they have sold animals because of it.

Following that was the opportunity to profile Dusty Schirm. A young man, who much like myself, has faced criticism. But with the help of a great woman, has really become an outstanding member of the dairy industry. (Read more: Dusty Schirm- From Show Ring to Sales Ring Building a Franchise). For me personally this meant a lot. You see when others were running for the hills when we first started the Bullvine, Dusty has been a supporter since day one. For that the chance to share Dusty’s story was the least we could do. So yes we have been sharing lots about Dusty’s upcoming Sale on Monday (Read more: The Franchise Kind II), but if we cannot help those who have supported us, then why are we doing this?

The topper to the week was when Jerry Jorgensen of Ri-Val-Re Holsteins came to me wanting to try something outside of the box. You see we have had the opportunity to get to know Jerry pretty well since starting the Bullvine. He first hit our radar when he offered to purchase Golden-PP semen for $10,000 a dose (Read more: $10,000 a Dose Polled Semen) and ever since we have been a huge fan of Jerry’s. Being able to tell his story has been great (Read more: Breeding Ri-Val-Re: Where Looking Good in the stall is Just as Important as looking good on paper). So when he wanted to try something different we jumped on the opportunity. We assisted Jerry in promoting his upcoming sale by doing an innovative promotion on Facebook. The Result – In less than 12 hours it was seen by over 50,000 people on the Bullvine’s Facebook page alone. All at a fraction of the cost of a single ad in any major dairy publication. Goes to show that the power of Facebook is something that every breeder should look into (Read more: 7 Reasons Why Your Dairy Farm Needs to Be On Facebook)

The Bullvine Bottom Line

Since starting the Bullvine we have had one hell of a ride. We have started a ripple that has grown into a tsunami. We have gone from a small upstart to the largest daily digital reach in the dairy industry. Larger than all our other competitors combined. There are so many amazing breeders who made it all worthwhile. To those few who still may have me in your sights, I say FIRE. But you had better kill me cause if you miss…..If you don’t finish the job……be ready for me to come back firing twice as hard….twice as fast…..and shooting to kill. At The Bullvine we are that passionate about what we are doing and love being the dairy industry`s “Most Wanted!”

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The Dairy Cattle Investor’s Guide to Spring Sales Madness

By Andrew Hunt · Comments (0)

Wednesday, March 20th, 2013

Spring is in the air and it seems to do things to people’s heads. Maybe it’s being cramped up in the barn all winter, or maybe it’s because we start a new show season and much like the start to a pro sport everyone thinks they still have a chance at this point. With that in mind, The Bullvine decided to take a closer look at some of the sales coming up and find out which consignments caught our attention.

Genomic Giants Sale

April 3^rd – Victoriaville QC Canada – More details and catalog

With over 40 to be offered that have a gPA LPI of over 3,000 or a gPA TPI of over 2,500, there is no question that this sale is going to attract a lot of attention. In fact there are even three heifers in the sale that have over 4,000 DGV LPIs. With so many outstanding individuals in this sale, there are sure to be some great buys and many wise investments. Here are the lots that, on paper, caught our eye.

T-GEN-AC SUPERSIRE RUTH – Lot 3
Supersire x Observer x Bolver
From the same family as the popular TAG sires Domain and new release Determine, at 2619 gTPI and 3757 gLPI Ruth numbers well no matter how you look at it. She was the #3 gTPI female on the March genomic run and is the #2 Supersire in the breed. That also makes her the #12 gTPI female in the world. These high numbers combined with a strong family flush history makes Ruth a money making machine.
T-GEN-AC MOGUL SHIMMER – Lot 8
Mogul x Shottbolt x Boliver
Sure to attract the interest of many, including the A.I. companies, this Mogul is also from the same family – Domain and Determine. Her DGVs are off the charts at +4179 DGV LPI. That is 559 points above her gPA LPI. While I would like to see her dam’s DGVs be higher than her gPAs there is no question that this heifer will be in demand with her extreme fat and the fact that she is the #2 Mogul in the breed.
EDG CT UNO CINERGY – Lot 1
Numero Uno x Watson x Justice
Being in the top 10 gTPI heifers in the world pretty much gives you a license to print money. Combine that with the strong family flush history and here is a rare opportunity to get into the genomic powerhouse De-Su breeding at the very top and you have a great package. Her dam Chart Topper is due in May and looks great at Bryhill (Read more: Bryhill International Genetics: 10 Big Steps To Following Their Dream)
KERNDTWAY EHRDT DALLAS – Lot 44
Earnhardt P x Observer x Shottle
There is no question that polled is hot (Read more: Polled Genetics – Way of the future or passing fad? and $10,000 a dose Polled Semen) and Dallas is a polled heifer believed to be the #4 GTPI Polled heifer in the breed. While I would love to mate this heifer to some high health and fertility sires, Dallas has strong type numbers and outstanding production that will certainly have her in high demand for sons to service the massive commercial market that many A.I. companies covet.
T-SPRUCE MOGUL 7260 – Lot 36
Mogul x Planet x Shottle
For those of you who don’t think good plus is good enough (Read more: Is Good Plus Good Enough?) this lot may not be for you. However, as this sale has proven before, it is certainly good enough for the genomic market (Read more: Janardan – The Making of a Genetic Super Star and TAG’s Genomic Power Sale Averages an Outstanding $30,167). This may be a sleeper lot that if her dam could ever jump up to VG status could prove very profitable. Strong production with solid type helps this heifer to be among the top 10 gTPI *RC in the breed.
Other lots to watch for
- EDG MIST UNO MYLIFE – Lot 2 – The #11 gTPI female in the world.
- LACTOMONT NIKOTA SARGEANT – Lot 6 – DGV LPI over 4,000
- JOSEY-LLC UNO SANGARIA – Lot 16 – Over 3,000 DGV LPI Red Carrier
- T-SPRUCE MAYFIELD 7251 – Lot 43 – Could be the #3 *RC polled female in the breed.
- CLOVIS MOGUL SPECIAL – Lot 71 – DGV LPI over 4,000

Crackholm Spring Fever Sale III

March 29^th – Saint-Hyacinthe QC Canada – More details and catalog

Also in Quebec there will be another outstanding installment of the Spring Fever Sales managed by David Crack Jr. Crackholm Holsteins. Not to be outdone by the Genomic Giants Sale, this sale also has many high genomic females and also features some show-winning animals as well.

DE-SU 1912 – Lot 1
Mogul x Oman x Ramos
Similar to the Genomic Giants Sale, lot 1 in the Crackholm Spring Fever Sale III is right from the heart of the De-Su program. This heifer is a sister to the former #1 gTPI heifer in the world, De-Su 1438 sired by Shamrock. Their dam Clear-Echo M-O-M 2150 is the #5 gTPI cow on the locator list (12/12). This rare opportunity will not go unnoticed as she sells ready to flush and her outstanding components combined with strong type will make her in demand the world over. Also selling in the sale (lot 5) is the Peoti sister to EDG CT UNO CINERGY lot 1 in the Genomic Giants Sale who has a DGV LPI of 3855, which is 200 points over her gPA LPI.
WELCOME MOGUL PATTS – Lot 6
Mogul x Bookem x Jose
This heifer really is the complete package. Her gPA TPI of +2479 combined with a gPA LPI of +3651 makes her attractive no matter what base you are looking at her from. What really makes her stand out is her DGV LPI of 4069, making her one of the rare few over 4,000 since CDN introduced its new regression formula. Her dam is fresh and looks good at Welcome-Stock farms. This heifer is higher than her pa’s in every major category.
CLEAR-ECHO MCCUTCHEN 2820 – Lot 3
Mccutchen x Man-O-Man x Lauden
Coming in as the #1 LPI Mccutchen in the world will certainly attract attention. This fancy Oct 2012 is also within 2 months of the oldest McCutchens, something not to be lost on many looking to get ahead in the genomic race. While this heifer does have outstanding DGVs, you may want to make sure that you protect her on health and fertility in each mating as her sire stack and genomic test indicate this is her biggest area for improvement.
LOOKOUT PESCE M HONEY – Lot 8
Mayfield x Man-O-Man x Shottle
Honey’s dam COOKIECUTTER MOM HUE who recently scored VG-88-2YR could very well be the #1 LPI cow, or at least a top 10 LPI cow in Canada come this next round. This Mayfield daughter has outstanding numbers including a DGV Conformation of +21. Combine that with a family that has proven to flush well and is in demand and you have an outstanding money making machine. Also selling are her AltaSuplex, Cobra and Epic sisters.
WELCOME-TEL OBSERV SAINT – Lot 12
Observer x Socrates x Boliver
For those of you looking for something that is already milking there is Observ Saint. From the same family as Super, Obersv Saint is a potential top 50 LPI cow in Canada. She is fresh since January and gave 38.2 kg of 5.5%F and 3.0%P on her first test. She has balanced breeding values, but you may want to protect her on type especially rump and dairy strength, as both her sire stack and genomic test indicate this.
CRACKHOLM WIND HAILEY & CRACKHOLM WIND HELLO – Lot 23 & 24
Windhammer x Baxter x Hailey
Adding a little spice to the genomic mix are many family members of the great RF GOLDWYN HAILEY EX-97, 2012 World Dairy Expo and Royal Winter Fair Supreme Champion. Highlighting the bunch are Wind Hailey and Wind Hello, the Windhammer daughters from the VG-86-2YR daughter of Hailey. Given the type potency this family has proven to produce (read more. Dominate Expo Quebec) combined with the Windhammer these heifers are sure to be impressive.

Vente Nationale de Printemps

April 3^rd – Victoriaville Quebec – More details and catalog

Held in conjunction with the Quebec Spring Show, the Vente Nationale de Printemps is certainly a sale you will not want to miss.

SUMMERLIZ MAN O MAN LAUSYA – Lot 1
Man-O-Man x Shottle x Champion
This VG-2yr sells fresh since August 13. This heifer has the potential to be a top 100 gLPI cow and comes from a family that has flushed well in the past. While she may not be a top 10 gLPI cow, she will certainly be a great seed animal in any breeding program.
CALBRETT NUMERO UNO BRIN – Lot 8A
Numero Uno x Superstition x Talent
Brin’s Dam, Rainyridge Super Beth *RC VG-86-CAN 2yr, is the #2 *RC CTPI Cow in North America and the #3 DGV LPI *RC cow in Canada. Combine that with the fact that Beth’s dam is none other than the great Rainyridge Talent Barbara EX-95 (Read more: Lasting Legacy - A Tribute to Rainyridge Talent Barbara) and you have one extremely marketable package.
MS MOVIESTAR MOGUL MIMI – Lot 16
Mogul x Planet x Shottle
With an extremely popular sire stack, Mimi is a sister to the hot new release sire MR MOVIESTAR MODEL from Jetstream Genetics. The Productive Life, Health Trait blood lines of the Wesswood-HC Rudy Missy family pours the best into this heifer that is extremely balanced. Add to that a family that flushes extremely well and you have a money making machine.
LOOKOUT PESCE MOGUL HAPPY & LOOKOUT PESCE HONEY – Lot 11a and 11b
Mayfield x Man-O-Man x Shottle
Honey is a full sister to lot 8 at the Crackholm sale, so you will certainly have the opportunity to see just what these heifers are worth before sale day. With the highest LPI heifer from Hue selling for $130,000 at the 2012 Planet Holstein Sale (Read more: The Planet Explodes at World Dairy Expo – 2012 Planet Holstein Sale Recap) and Hue herself selling for $200,000 at the Sale of Stars (Read more: Genomic Stars Shine at Sale of Stars) this is certainly a family that is in demand.
JOLICAP MOGUL WIKITA – Lot 14
Mogul x Observer x Shottle
This heifer is the complete package and her 2^nd dam UFM-DUBS SHERAY EX-USA is the former #1 CTPI cow in the breed. This heifer has outstanding balance to her index and offers an outstanding opportunity to build around that as the family has proven to flush well.
RAYON D’OR SHAW EMILIA – Lot 19A
Shaw x Shottle x Justice
Talk about combining two of the hottest genomic families in the world. On the paternal side you have the great Ammon-Peachy Shauna VG-87-2yr (Read more: Ammon-Peachy Shauna: 2012 Golden Dam Finalist and Charting the right course at Seagull Bay Dairy) and maternal side you have WABASH-WAY-I SHOTTLE EMBER VG-86 1^st Calf, dam of MR LOOKOUT P ENFORCER +3837 gPA LPI and MR LOOKOUT P EMBARGO +3467 gPA LPI.
Other lots to watch for:
- MS APPLES UNO ADELE – Lot 3 – Uno from KHW REGIMENT APPLE-RED
- T-GEN-AC LAYNE RUSSIA – Lot 20 – Super Layne from the same family as Domain.
- LOOKOUT PESCE PNDE KARMA – Lot 25 – Epic from MS C-HAVEN OMAN KOOL the extremely promising Man-O-Man daughter now housed at Bulterview Genetics.
- STE ODILE MODEL CRISTAL – Lot 32 – Sudan Cri x from #1 GLPI Cow in Canada, LES091 BAXTER MODEL RUBIS VG-87.
- JACOBS GOLDWYN CHARM – Lot 40 – Full sister to Robrook Goldwyn Cameron EX-92, All-Canadian & All-American 2011 & 2012, Res. Intermediate Champion 2012
- VALLEYVILLE SANCHEZ VERNIE – Lot 45 – Full sister to Valleyville Rae Lynn VG-892yr (Read more: The 2012 Breeder’s Choice Awards – Tanbark Trail Edition and Quality Holsteins – Well Deserved Congratulations )

The Quest for Success Sale

March 22^nd – Marion WI, USA – More details and catalog

Not wanting to focus only on Canada there are also some great opportunities to be had south of the border. Leading the way is The Quest for Success Sale hosted by Bella-View Holsteins.

T-GEN-AC MOGUL LYANNA – Lot 66
Mogul x Observer x Socrates
Catching our eye pretty quickly is Lyanna with her outstanding genomic test results highlighted by her gTPI of 2421 and gLPI of 3485 and an impressive DGV LPI of 3849. With no Man-O-Man, Goldwyn, or Shottle, Lyanna certainly has a lot of options in sire selection (Read more: 12 Sires to Use in Order to Reduce Inbreeding).
A&M-BUSHMAN SUNBURN-RED – Lot R1
Contender x Advent x Skychief
Wanting to have something for everyone this sale also has a nice selection of red animals on offer. Highlighted by A&M-BUSHMAN SUNBURN the HM All-American Red and White spring calf and maternal sister to the 4x All-American, MD-Hillbrook Sunburst-Red-ET EX-92.
GOLDEN-OAKS COLT POPPY-RED *PP – Lot R15
Colt-P x Mitey P x Redliner
For those of you looking for something a little different there is GOLDEN-OAKS COLT POPPY-RED the homozygous polled Colt-P from the Perk Rae Family (2012 Golden Dam Finalist).
Other lots to watch for
- L-L-M-DAIRY S S PHAWN – LOT 2 – gTPI +2476 gLPI +3178 DGV +3343
- WEBB-VUE CAMERON 6611 – Lot 3 – •#5 GTPI Cameron daughter
- REGANCREST MOGUL DANCER Lot 26 – GTPI +2366 GLPI +2939/ DGV +3293
- T-GEN-AC MOGUL ROSSI – Lot 63 – GTPI +2384 GLPI +3015/ DGV +3223, Dam is a maternal sister to the dam of Lot 1 DE-SU 1912 in the Crackholm sale.

Tag Sale at Co-Vale

March 19-25 Preble NY, USA - More details and catalog

Continuing on from the success of the 2012 Co-Vale tag sale, the following lots that caught our eye.

First North American Choice form Decrausaz Iron O’Kalibra*RC EX-94-SW – Lot B
Certainly catching our eye for a long while now has been O’Kalibra (Read more: The All European Championship Show: The greatest SHOW on earth and Decrausaz Iron O’Kalibra Wins Grand at the 2013 All European Championship). Not only is O’Kalibra one of the greatest show cows in the world today but she also comes from an outstanding pedigree. She is from the same family as Dudoc Mr. Burns and Granduc Tribute. This calf will be the 1^st heifers available from O’Kalibra available here in North America.
Also catching our eye are:
- Lot A Choice of full sisters to 2012 All American 4yr old T-Triple-T Gold Prize EX-92
- Lot 18 MD-Dun-Loafin Lau Elly- Full sister to MD-Dun-Loafin Lauth Elli All-Canadian & American Fall Calf 2012
- Lot 28 Jacobs Sid Beauty – Pine-Tree Sid from Jacobs Goldwyn Brittany EX-95, 1st 4yr-old Royal Winter Fair 2011

Milk Source Tag Event

March 22^nd – 23^rd Kaukauna WI, USA - More details and catalog

For those of you wanting to get a little color with your show ring winners there is certainly the Milk Source Tag Event highlighted by Blondin Redman Seisme (2 Time WDE and RAWF R&W White Grand Champion), Budjon-Nitzy Destiny Red and Dupasquier Contender Whitney.

The Franchise Kind II

March 25^th Syracuse NY, USA – More details and catalog

If red and white Holsteins are not enough, or you prefer Jersey, you certainly do not want to miss the 3^rd installment of the Franchise Kind sale. Highlighted this year by Page-Crest Excition Karlie (All-Canadian Senior 2-Year-Old 2012), Woodsview Excitation Tracy (2nd Jr 2yr old WDE’11 and 3rd Jr 2yr old RAW ’11) and South Mountain Socrates Lavish (Show results) this sale is certainly going to be one of the top Jersey sales of the year. Watch tomorrow for interview with sale co-manager Dusty Schirm.

Canadian National Convention Sale – Taste of Ontario

April 10^th Ancaster Ontario, Canada – More details and catalog

Rounding out the major spring sales is the Taste of Ontario sale held in conjunction with the Canadian National Convention. Highlights include daughters of many of the great show winners including

Lot 1 – MS APPLES UNO ASPIRE – Uno from KHW REGIMENT APPLE-RED
Lot 4 – DUCKETT-SA WNDBRK FUJITA – Windbrook from HARVUE ROY FROSTY
Lot 5 – JACOBS GOLDWYN CANDY – Full sister to Robrook Goldwyn Cameron VG-87 2Yr, All-Canadian & All-American 2011 & 2012
Lot 6 – BOULET WINDBROOK CLOTY – Windbrook x Boulet Goldwyn Chalou EX-95 2E 2*, Champion Bred & Owned WDE, Madison 2012 H.M. All-Canadian 2012, Res. All-American 2012
Lot 8 – QUALITY MOGUL FIXI – Mogul x Shottle x Goldwyn x Quality B C Frantisco EX-96 3E 18*, Supreme Champion 2004 & 2005, believed to be the highest index member of the Frantisco family

The Bullvine Bottom Line

With all the excitement around a new year, it is easy to get caught up and make investments that you may regret later. It is always best to do your homework and invest wisely. These lots are the ones that caught our eye and are sure to help spur on the spring sale madness.

Not sure how much to spend on that great 2 year old or heifer?
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Categories : Investment Advice

Dairy Farm Moms are Unstoppable

By Andrew Hunt · Comments (0)

Monday, March 18th, 2013

Mary Lou King winning LIVE with Kelly and Michael’s Search for Unstoppable Moms contest

Mary Lou King looks like a typical, loving dairy farm mother, but she is anything but ordinary. Like most of her peers she has unrelenting dedication to her family and farm. What does make her extra special is that she is grand prizewinner of an “Unstoppable Mom” contest run by the national morning television show “LIVE with Kelly and Michael” (Formally known as Live! With Regis and KathieLee).

Her daughter nominated Mary Lou King, of Cochranville Pennsylvania, with the following letter being sent into the show:

Dear Kelly & Michael,

My mom is the most amazing woman in the whole entire world! I’m sure everyone claims this title for their mother, but I guarantee you have never met someone as special as my mom. Being 21, and the oldest of 4 kids, my mom has been the one and only role model of my life. My family all grew up on our 300 cow dairy farm in PA. My mom has been milking the cows at 4:00am and 4:00pm every day with my dad ever since they were married back in 88′. She never has off weekends, holidays, and VERY rarely goes on vacation, but this doesn’t phase her at all. My parents have been married for 24 years and are still head over heels in love. I mean, us kids still catch them making out in the barn! Their constant love and joy for each other has been the best model for me and my new husband of 4 months. I just admire how after 24 years and 4 kids, my parents are still so close. My mom is also a nurse. She went to school and received her degree right after high school, which inspired me to do the same thing, and my 18 year old sister now as well, who is starting nursing school this fall. My mom’s nursing degree also helped her when my youngest sister, Kandy, was born mentally handicapped.

My Mom is the most amazing, selfless, inspiring, and uplifting woman in this entire world. She is defiantly unstoppable and will forever be the best mom ever!

Like most dairy farm moms, Mary Lou’s day starts at 4am milking cows and then a very full day of working on the farm and taking care of her family. She and her husband of almost 25 years, Neil, own a 300-cow dairy farm in rural Pennsylvania, where Mary Lou seamlessly juggles the responsibilities of running the farm, while also raising their four children.

Even though her day starts before sunrise and ends well after sunset, Mary Lou still finds the time to serve a family dinner every night. She’s in the barn with the cows for a good chunk of the day, also spending her mornings and nights caring for their youngest daughter, Kandy, who was born with a mental handicap. King’s day lasts late into the evening, only to have her rise the next morning and start all over again. Trained as a nurse, this hard-working and selfless woman inspired both of her daughters to attend nursing school as well.

In addition to the $100,000 grand prize presented to Mary Lou, each finalist received a surprise gift from “LIVE” – ranging from a cruise, to a $5,000 shopping spree, to a resort vacation – plus an additional $10,000 for each mom as a ‘thank you’ for all they do.

The Bullvine Bottom Line

Mary Lou has been cast into the national spotlight and like “The Farmer” Super Bowl commercial (Read more: Agriculture Takes Center Stage at the largest TV event of the year!) her story has done wonders to portray the dairy industry in a great light. Mary Lou is a humble, compassionate woman and I cannot think of anyone more deserving than her to win. You can easily see the love she has for her family and the admiration her family shares for her. Mary Lou is a shining example of what makes Dairy Farm moms so unstoppable.

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Categories : Breeder Profiles

Reality Check – Who is Really Controlling the Dairy Breeding Industry?

By Andrew Hunt · Comments (0)

Friday, March 15th, 2013

Often I find as an industry we are guilty of living in a bubble. While sometimes that has served us well, other times there are situations where it for sure has hurt the dairy breeding industry as a whole. However, like all bubbles, this will have to burst in order for the industry to advance, otherwise the dairy cattle breeding industry will become irrelevant.

There is no question that the dairy breeding industry is going through times of great change. Genomics has had a massive effect on not only how we prove bulls, but also on the sources of revenue and the focus of many breeding programs. There has been great discussion about what the changes in April will have on the industry (Read more: How Genomics is Killing the Dairy Cattle Industry). There are some far greater issues that many breeders need to think about.

Some Big Hitters Are Coming To the Plate

One such issue is the entry of Pfizer/Zoetis into the animal genetics game. There is no question that companies like Pfizer have the resources and the experience to come into industries and dominate. When you compare the size and revenue of the Animal Health market to that of the dairy cattle breeding industry, you really have to wonder why Pfizer would even bother. There is no question that DNA testing is a very cool science, but companies like Pfizer don’t do things because they think that it is cool. They do it because they know they can make money.

When you step back and look at this from a 50,000-foot view, I start to think, is this Pfizer wanting to come and take over dairy cattle breeding? On the other hand, is it that Pfizer sees how they can protect their much larger revenue source, animal health? Walk with me on this one. If it is possible to understand genomics to such an extent that we can breed a better cow, does that not include a cow that is more resistant to disease, parasites, and bacteria? Now we’re talking about core revenue sources for Pfizer animal health, now called Zeotis.

That is why when I first saw the announcement from Pfizer in May 2012 about how Canadian Dairy Network, Holstein Canada, Pfizer Animal Health, The Semex Alliance and its owners are going to partner to support delivery of genetic services to the Canadian dairy industry it really got me thinking about is this a good thing or should we be concerned? While the public relations side of this looked all great with the message that the alliance gives dairy producers access to new genetic testing services, I could not help but think what does this mean if Pfizer/Zoetis now has direct access to all the genomic information not only in Canada but also indirectly for the world?

Also of interest about this move was that instead of being signed by all the members of the industry it was done very selectively. Instead of being signed by say Canadian Livestock Genetics Association it was done exclusively with the Semex Alliance. Is there a partnership between Semex and Pfizer that we are not aware of? Have we as an industry, or our representatives, on our behalf made decisions that we may all regret? While I am sure from first glance this agreement looked pretty basic, I can’t help but wonder if there are much greater ramifications that have not really been thought through.

Information is Power, But who controls the information?

With these questions about genetic evaluations and genomics, you can’t help but think about the heated discussion around the Council on Dairy Cattle Breeding (CDCB) and who controls genetic evaluations in the US (Read more: Council On Dairy Cattle Breeding: Land of the Free and Home of the Brave?). The Cooperative Agreement with the USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS) pertaining to the transfer of the USDA-‐ARS dairy genetic evaluation service to the CDCB has certainly had many asking who does have control?

While the Bullvine has request several times to do an interview with CDCB officers , Ole Meland, (Chair), Jay Mattison (Vice Chair), Becky Payne (Secretary) and Gordon Doak (Recording Secretary), we have still not yet been granted the opportunity.

No Demand Means No Market

Of course there is a much bigger issue I think every breeder needs to think about. While in Canada most breeders are pretty immune to having to think about market demand, you only have to look at the US and Australia to see what happens when market demand goes south. If consumers are not drinking milk, it does not take long for the industry to dry up.

Worldwide milk consumption in relation to population growth is falling. While yes total consumption is increasing, we are not keeping pace with other beverages.

With greater international supply and less demand, it doesn’t take long to drive price and revenue down (Read more: Why the Future of the North American Dairy Industry Depends on Supply and Demand). There is no question that breeders and the industry as a whole, needs to pay greater attention to consumer demand as it will have the greatest impact on our future.

The Bullvine Bottom Line

There is no question the world is changing. It always is and always will. The question becomes are you ahead of the change or behind it? If we continue to operate in a bubble or stick our heads in the sand, we will not be the ones driving our own future, but instead will be handed the scraps from the future decided by others. That is why it is important to know who is controlling the dairy breeding industry?

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Categories : The Bullvine

Tags : Council on Dairy Cattle Breeding, Genetic Evaluations, Genomics, Pfizer, Semex Alliance, Zoetis

12 Sires to Use in Order to Reduce Inbreeding

By Andrew Hunt · Comments (3)

Thursday, March 14th, 2013

Inbreeding, and more importantly its consequences, has long been a concern of breeders as it reduces production, lowers fertility, results in more stillbirths and leads to fewer days in the herd. When genomics was first introduced, the theory was that it could help limit the amount of inbreeding in Holsteins. In reality it has done the exact opposite. Research indicates that relationships within respective breeds could be accelerating even faster since genomics’ introduction five years ago and there is also evidence that genetic diversity, another factor of inbreeding, is shrinking.

When you look at the sires of the top 100 genomic young sires lists, you notice a decent variety of sires with 30 bulls siring the top 100 sires. However, a pedigree analysis on only the paternal side reveals that 90 percent of the bulls either have Oman, Planet or Shottle represented as the sire or grandsire. The remaining 10 bulls represent genetic diversity. However, the list needs further refining because 3 of the 10 remaining bulls have Oman’s sire or Shottle’s sire in the pedigree. That leaves seven bulls with unique sires among the Holstein breed’s elite.

To help guide breeders in dealing with this inbreeding issue, we decided to look for outcross sires either proven or genomic tested sires that would offer breeders the near maximum genetic gain while providing needed diversity. The word outcross or what constitutes an outcross sire can be tricky depending on where you are located. For our purposes, we are calling an outcross sire to be one that does not have Oman, Goldwyn, Planet, and Shottle anywhere in the 1st, 2nd or 3^rd generation of their pedigree.

Balanced Overall Performance Improvement

When looking for the sire that will help improve your herd across the board, we looked for sires that have a balance of production and longevity. We also wanted great health and fertility traits that will deliver a low maintenance cow (Read more – Fact vs. Fantasy: A realistic approach to sire selection). Here are our top three.

CO-OP BOSSIDE MASSEY
MASCOL x PECKENSTEIN FORM BRET x HA-HO CUBBY MANFRED
Massey is a popular sire of sons combining elite indexes with a great outcross opportunity. Massey daughters are snug uddered with strong attachments. Though they should be protected for rump angle (high) and dairy strength, his low somatic cell score, high herd life/productive life and strong fertility make Massey a great sire for your breeding program.
COYNE-FARMS DORCY
SANDY-VALLEY BOLTON X PECKENSTEIN FORM BRET x STARTMORE RUDOLPH
Look for Dorcy to sire balanced dairy cattle that have great udders and very good feet & legs, though he will need to be protected for dairy strength, fat percent and specifically his body depth and chest width. While his productive life and low somatic cell score make Dorcy very strong longevity sire, you will want to use him wisely on virgin heifers as he is not a calving ease sire.
CO-OP BOOKEM YUXI
DE-SU 521 BOOKEM x END-ROAD PVF BOLIVER x PECKENSTEIN FORM BRET
Yuxi is a great sire for feed efficiency, based on his strong milk production from smaller framed and stature cattle (Read more: 30 Sires That Will Produce Feed Efficient Cows). While he needs to be protected on loin strength and body depth, his high productive life, low somatic cell score and great calving ease will have his daughters producing milk in your herd for a long time.

Production Improvement

It might be easy to just take the top milk lists or combine the fat plus protein and say those sires are the best for overall production. We here at the Bullvine would not want to totally forgo type as well as health and fertility, so we are looking for the sires that give you the maximum production gain, without sacrificing everything to get it.

KINGS-RANSOM B RUBLE
SANDY-VALLEY BOLTON x END-ROAD PVF BOLIVER x B-Y-U MANDEL BOMBAY
A proven sire that maybe has not caught the eye of many breeders, Ruble offers outstanding production improvement from solid type. While certainly not a calving ease sire, Ruble will greatly increase production from strong uddered cows that have good feet and legs.
OCONNORS JAY
SANDY-VALLEY BOLTON x REGANCREST ELTON DURHAM x HENKESEEN MARCIS MARVELOUS
Coming from a strong maternal line (Read more: The Bloom is on Oconnors Goldwyn Jasmine) Jay offers great component improvement from solid production. He also has the ability to improve overall type, especially udder attachments and texture, but should be protected on pin setting.
CO-OP MASTER GENO
BOSSIDE MASSEY MASTER x BADGER-BLUFF FANNY FREDDIE x JOSE
Talk about a challenge. In order to find a genomic sire that met our requirements we had to go the 95^th sire on our list of production improvement genomic sires. Much like Yuxi, Geno will also produce feed efficient daughters (Read more: 30 Sires That Will Produce Feed Efficient Cows). His strong components, especially fat, combined with great udders and strong health and fertility makes Geno a great sire to look at for a solid outcross sire.

Longevity Improvement

For those of you that are looking to breed cattle that stay around lactation after lactation or maybe you are having problems with your 2 year olds not coming back for a 2nd lactation, we recommend the following outcross sires, in addition to Dorcy mentioned earlier:

SILDAHL JETT AIR
EMERALD-ACR-SA T-BAXTER x MARA-THON BW MARSHALL x HA-HO CUBBY MANFRED
This outcross sire offers great longevity improvement combined with strong health and fertility. While he does need to be protected on protein and milking speed, his great feet and legs, udders and health and fertility, make him an outcross sire you don’t want to miss.
BERTAIOLA MINCIO
SANDY-VALLEY BOLTON x BOSS IRON x CAROL PRELUDE MTOTO
With Boss Iron daughters such as Decrausaz Iron O’Kalibra catching the eyes of the world in the show ring (Read more: The All European Champion Show: The Greatest Show On Earth), there are also Iron daughters that are getting the job done as bull mothers. A great example of this is BEL IRON IRENE, the dam of Mincio. This high fertility Bolton son combines high type with great production, which is resulting in outstanding results in his current daughter performance. Watch for MINCIO to sire great udders and feet & legs though you may want to watch him on somatic cell score.
RONELEE DORCY DELIGENT
COYNE-FARMS DORCY x END-ROAD PVF BOLIVER x COMESTAR OUTSIDE
This outcross genomic sire just spells longevity. Deligent was bred to deliver long lasting daughters. With outstanding Herd Life/Productive Life, breed leading mammary systems scores and strong Feet and Legs scores, Deligent is a longevity specialist, though he does need to be somewhat protected for dairy strength. Look for DELIGENT to combine this longevity with strong production and type numbers.

Health and Fertility Improvement

One area that is not getting enough attention from most breeders is health and fertility. While there is no question that every breeder knows that more pregnancies equals more profits many of the top ranking sires actually have negative values for health and fertility. The following are some outcross specialist sires that should help you change that:

PENN-ENGLAND STOCKTON
PURSUIT SEPTEMBER STORM x FUSTEAD EMORY BLITZ x PEN-COL DUSTER
While you certainly would not use Stockton as a production improvement sire. His high daughter pregnancy rate, productive life and low somatic cell make Stockton the perfect sire for that high production cow you are looking to breed some health and fertility traits into.
CERVI PHONIC
LATUCH ROLEX x OLMO PRELUDE TUGOLO x SHEN-VAL NV LM FORMATION
While not a name that most breeders know, Phonic is certainly going to get some attention from breeders looking to breed to where the industry is headed. With extremely low SCS and high daughter fertility combined with functional type and above average production, Phonic is leaving daughters that are extremely low maintenance. Tracing back to the great Italian brood cow Cervi FIRESTONE, this family has produced such sires as BUXON, WOODSTOCK and PADERNUS. Given his high rump angle, it is interesting that he is such a good calving ease sire.
BLUMENFELD LEWIS TRUE
LATUCH FREDDIE LEWIS x LEIF x RAMOS
Similar to finding an overall performance improver on the top genomic lists, finding a health and fertility genomic sire had us going to number 55 on our list. Look for True to sire outstanding udders with strong feet and legs. He will need to be protected on loin strength.

The Bullvine Bottom Line

Choosing the correct sire can be challenging enough. Finding a sire that also offers an outcross from the main Goldwyn, Planet, Shottle and Oman can be almost impossible. That is why we compiled these 12 sires to bring to light some outcross pedigrees that many breeders may not have heard of. It is, certainly worth taking a look at many of these sires, when looking to combat inbreeding in your herd.

Not sure what all this hype about genomics is all about?

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Categories : Mating Recomendations

Tags : BERTAIOLA MINCIO, BLUMENFELD LEWIS TRUE, CERVI PHONIC, CO-OP BOSSIDE MASSEY, CO-OP MASTER GENO, COYNE-FARMS DORCY, Genomics, Inbreeding, KINGS-RANSOM B RUBLE, O-OP BOOKEM YUXI, OCONNORS JAY, Outcross sires, PENN-ENGLAND STOCKTON, RONELEE DORCY DELIGENT, SILDAHL JETT AIR, Sire Recommendations

Don’t Hate The Playa, Hate the Game!

By Andrew Hunt · Comments (0)

Friday, March 8th, 2013

I know you have heard the phrase, “Don’t hate the player, hate the game”. If you haven’t heard it, live a little longer and you will. What it means is: “Do not fault the successful participant in a flawed system, instead try to discern and rebuke that aspect of its organization that allows or even encourages the behavior that has provoked your displeasure”. This definition also holds true for many of the complaints that we hear from our Bullvine readers about various aspects of the dairy industry.

Since we started the Bullvine, just over a year ago, we have always tried to listen to the frustrations of our readers and do what we can to help. Whether that is explaining different aspects of genomics (Read more: Old School Dairy Breeders – Stop Pissing On Genomics, How Genomics Is Killing The Dairy Cattle Breeding Industry, and Is The Genomic System Really Working) or suggesting ways to increase your genetic sales (Read more: 6 Ways To Invest $50,000 In Dairy Cattle Genetics, Times Have Changed. Why Hasn’t The Way You Market Your Dairy Cattle, and Who Killed The Market For Good Dairy Cattle) or helping to bring clarity to many other issues, we have always tried to help find a solution. However there are problems where the solution does not lie within what you do on your own farm, but rather the solution needs to come from changes in the industry itself.

While we all love to get on a high horse and gripe and complain about things, Bullvine included, that is not going to change anything. It’s more important to use that frustration to bring about change. In looking back over the past year, some major areas that we see that need this are:

Marketing Ethics
Several times over the past year we have discussed the lack of ethics in the marketing of dairy cattle. More specifically photo ethics (Read more: No Cow Is Perfect, Not Even in Pictures, Has Photo Enhancement Gone Too Far, and Dairy Cattle Marketing Ethics – Do they exist?). To help deal with this the Bullvine has recommended and is going to further take up the charge for a set of ethical guidelines and accreditation process for professional livestock photographers to agree to and sign to, in order to bring credibility back to an industry that has developed much cynicism.
Sale Ring Prices
This past year has seen some impressive sale toppers at many of the great sales (Read more: An Insider’s Guide To What Sells At The Big Dairy Cattle Auctions). With it has also come some skepticism about whether those animals actually sold for those prices and were those animals really worth that amount of money. It’s for those very reasons that we here at the Bullvine created The Dairy Cattle Investment Calculator. This innovative tool allows you to plug in the numbers for your actual costs and expected revenue to determine exactly what that animal is worth to you. This number may be different for each person, but by going to this level of detail in understanding your investments, you are ensured that you will minimize your risk and maximize your return.
Bull Proofs and the Genetic Evaluation System
There is no question that this is a very pivotal time in the industry. Genomics has brought about great change and higher reliabilities. But it has also brought with it some uncertainty. From things like breeders being able to test their own sires starting next month, to changes in the system, to more accurately account for the genetic merit of young sires in relation to proven sires, there are a lot of aspects to be concerned about. That is why we have tried to bring clarity to many of these issues. From understanding what sires are the real deal, to which ones you should avoid (Read more: Fact vs. Fantasy: A realistic approach to sire selection, From Fantasy to Reality – Top Sires To Address Herd Culling Problems, and 7 Sires to Use in Order to Breed the Next World Dairy Expo Champion), to helping explain complex issues about the system (Read more: Canadian Bull Proofs – You’ve got to prove it to use it, What the Experts Will Tell You About Who is Winning the Genetic Improvement Race, and Preferential Treatment the Bull Proof Killer), The Bullvine has tried to bring some much needed clarity in these very murky waters. Watch for lots more about this to come as we head into what could either be the greatest time in history or the biggest flop since Fosbury.

The Bullvine Bottom Line

The Bullvine lives by the motto “Lead, follow, or get out of the way” (Read more: Lead, Follow, Or get out of the way!!!). Since we have started the Bullvine we have gotten out of the way of no one (Read more: The Bullvine – The Party is Over!), followed no one (Read more: I’m Sorry, But I’ve Had Just About Enough of…), and have tried to lead even when it put us under fire (Read more: The Bullvine – Under Fire). These are values we will never change as we look to tackle tough issues that have breeders concerned about the future. At the Bullvine we don’t hate the “playas” in the industry, we actually love all members of the industry. What we are looking to do is help change the game.

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Categories : The Bullvine

The All European Championship Show: The Greatest SHOW on Earth

By Andrew Hunt · Comments (1)

Monday, March 4th, 2013

This past weekend Switzerland hosted the 2013 All European Championship Show and sent a clear message to the world that NO ONE puts on a better SHOW than Europe. Think of it as the Olympics meets Cirque to Soleil and you have the 2013 All European Championships. From the outstanding cattle to the amazing production the 2013 All European Champion truly was the GREATEST Dairy SHOW on earth in 2013.

The Winners

Similar to the greatly anticipated battle at the 2012 World Dairy Expo between the great Harvue Roy Frosty and RF Goldwyn Hailey (Read more: World Dairy Expo 2012 Holstein Show: A battle for the ages), the 2013 All European Championship Show had its own much anticipated battle between DECRAUSAZ IRON O’KALIBRA EX-94 from Switzerland and ASHYLYN VRAY EX-94 from Spain. It didn’t disappoint. As predicted the Grand Championship came down to these two great cows with O’Kalibra taking Grand and Vray taking Reserve.

Decrausaz Iron O’Kalibra
Class 9 winner, Sr & Grand Champion – 2013 All European Championship

In his reasons Judge David Boyd from Ireland commented that he thought O’Kalibra, exhibited by GS Alliance and Pat Conroy, could walk in any show ring in the world and compete. Many show experts agree 100% with his declaration. Two separate polls on Facebook demonstrated that the world agrees with him. O’Kalibra certainly would give the great RF Goldwyn Hailey a run for her money. With her outstanding fore udder, sweep of rib and strength of pastern she would certainly make it a very interesting class competing with Hailey’s outstanding balance, size and dairyness throughout. (Watch for more to come on this topic or click here to participate in our Facebook poll)

Decrausaz Iron O’Kalibra
Class 9 winner, Sr & Grand Champion – 2013 All European Championship

LLERA ARIEL GOLDWYN (SPAIN)
Class 8 winner – 2013 All European Championship

Another show favorite that caught the eye of cattlemen was LLERA ARIEL GOLDWYN. For many she is the definition of the modern Holstein cow with her dairyness through the front end and snuggly attached udder that is high and wide. She certainly won many fans at the show. Also getting a lot of attention from Spain, who went on to win the much-coveted top country class, was HUDDLESFORD DUPLEX MEDORA. This silky black Duplex daughter rose to be Intermediate Champion over some outstanding young cows from Ponderosa Farms of Spain (Watch for our upcoming feature article with Ponderosa who had 5 Top 5 placing animals).

Huddlesford Duplex Medora (Spain)
Class 6 Winner and Int. Champion – 2013 All European Championship

A young cow with a very bright future is the Junior Champion C.M.E GOLDWYN VANITY (Note for North American readers at this show ALL animals are in milking form so Junior Champion is more like a 1^st or 2^nd calf cow). This young cow had the X factor that Judge Boyd was looking for. He loved her depth of fore rib over her classmate and Reserve Junior Champion SOUTHLAND ALEX CAROLA 11.

Complete 2013 All European Championship Show Holstein Results

C.M.E. GOLDWYN VANITY (Italy)
Jr Champion Holstein – 2013 All European Championship

Suard-Red Jordan Irene
Grand Champion 2013 All European Championship

The Red Holstein Show was very much dominated by the host country Switzerland with SUARD-RED JORDAN IRENE taking Grand Champion honors. This great Ja-Bob Jordan daughter used the power of her outstanding mammary system to take top honors in a show that featured many outstanding young cows.

Suard-Red Jordan Irene – Grand Champion 2013 All European Championship

Complete 2013 All European Championship Show Red Holstein Results

The Show

While some would argue that even the winners of some of these classes would not sit top five at World Dairy Expo or the Royal, one thing that this show does dominate over North America is the entertainment production value that even the emotional story of Ebyholme Goldwyn Marcia winning reserve at the Royal could not compete with (Read more: The 2012 Royal Winter Fair Holstein Show: One of the greatest stories ever told!).

From the ring environment that is custom developed for this show to the passion the breeders in Europe have for this show, the whole experience is was like something you would expect at an expensive production like Cirque to Soleil or the closing ceremonies of the Olympics. At times the final class for champion country (a walk in class in EU compared to a points class in North American competitions) with appreciation presentations and flag passing ceremonies to the next host France in 2014 seemed to take a very long time. However, a lively ring announcer and a suspenseful environment made even that an enjoyable experience for the over capacity crowd. That same enthusiastic crowd went on to show the world how well they can party late into the night. Where no fewer than 2,000 people taking part in a typical Swiss dish: the fondue and some fine refreshments.

From the great camera angles combined with the very professional in ring cameras combined with the outstanding music and exceptional ring announcer the experience was riveting for all.

Not only was the experience outstanding for those in attendance but also for those who watched online. With a limited capacity of 2000 viewers (1500 on the Bullvine alone) streaming online the show did an amazing job showcasing itself to the world. From the great camera angles combined with the very professional in ring cameras combined with the outstanding music and exceptional ring announcer the experience was riveting for all. At one point that we had over 200 people on our website who were not able to watch, constantly hitting refresh hoping to get a chance to see this amazing event. (Click here to watch the highlight video)

A capacity crowd was on hand for the 2013 Swiss European Sale. Sale highlights include: 14,700 – Morsan Showdon Red, the daughter of the Goldbull Christian is a granddaughter of Blondin Redman Seisme and is the only female descendant of Seisme in Europe.

The Bottom Line

With the 2013 edition of the All European Championship show now complete Europe has sent a clear message to the rest of the world and specifically North America. They are a serious force on the world scene. All who attended or watched online saw high quality cattle and an amazing production. There is no question, from a presentation stand point, that the 2013 All European Championship Show was certainly “the greatest dairy show on earth”

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Categories : Show Reports

Tags : All European Championship Show, ASHYLYN VRAY, C.M.E GOLDWYN VANITY, David Boyd, DECRAUSAZ IRON O’KALIBRA, Ebyholme Goldwyn Marcia, GS Alliance, HUDDLESFORD DUPLEX MEDORA, LLERA ARIEL GOLDWYN, Pat Conroy, Ponderosa Farms, RF Goldwyn Hailey, SOUTHLAND ALEX CAROLA 11, Suard-Red Jordan Irene

10 Reasons Why or Why Not To Get Rid of the Sr. /Fall Yearling Class Once and For All

By Andrew Hunt · Comments (3)

Friday, March 1st, 2013

For years there has been great discussion about how show type is different from functional type. Show cattle are bred to be taller, deeper and to have level rumps where functional cattle are bred for maximum feed conversion and sloping rumps (Read more: From Fantasy to Reality – Top Sires to Address Herd Culling Problems). For the most part, the show ring has always been an exhibition stage for genetic advancement. However, more recently there has been rising debate about whether the show ring is still achieving this. For the most part this conversation is centered around the need for a non-milking SR./Fall yearling class at the major fall shows. You see, by fall shows most of the animals in this class are over 2 years of age and, compared to the average calving age, are behind the majority of their other young cow peers. With the cancellation of the non-milking Sr./Fall yearling class for Ayrshires (Read more: A Letter to the Editor From US Ayrshire President in Regards to Fall Yearling Class Cancellation ) this discussion has heated up even more. To get to the bottom of this, the Bullvine decided to look at both sides of the argument.

5 Reasons for keeping the class:

Non-Milking Sr./Fall Yearlings represent about 6-10% of the animals exhibited at each show
They show all summer at an age that is under two, and if these shows are to be the championships for the year, should there be a class that animals have competed in all summer.
You need to look at the timing of the shows. Since Madison is in early October and only 1/3 of the yearlings should have calved by then, it doesn’t make sense to cancel the class there.
The show ring is about breed promotion, so why not show off as many great animals as possible?
There have been some interesting points made about how calving them in early can lead to cows burning out later in life. A case could be made for this. When you look at the All-Canadian Mature Cows and 5 year olds over the past 2 years, NONE were nominated in milking form as a yearling.

R-E-W HAPPY GO LUCKY VG-89-2YR

5 Reasons for cancelling the class:

The quality of the milking yearling class has probably shown the greatest rate of advancement over the past 20 years, compared to any other class. Yes some of the summer calves are pretty large and cut right, and the 150,000 lbs. class is amazing to see with the great longevity of these animals. However, if you look at the whole class, from top to bottom and consider the rate of change, none of these highlights compare to that of the milking yearling class.
Over the past 5 years more animals have gone on to success in Milking form from the Milking Sr./Fall Yearling class than that of the non-milking class (Read more: Do All-Canadian Heifers Make All-Canadian Cows?) A great example of this is Valleyville Rae Lynn who was 2^nd at the Royal this year as a 2^nd calf Milking Senior 2yr old and now has the ability to flush, develop and compete in 2014 as a 3^rd calf 4 yr. old. Just imagine how impressive she will be. This is also the plan for the very popular and unanimous All-Canadian and All-American Milking Yearling, R-E-W Goldwyn Happy Go Lucky. In fact the two most recent animals to convert heifer success into milking success where CRAIGCREST RUBIES GOLD REJOICE and T-TRIPLE-T GOLD PRIZE where both Winter/Intermediate Yearlings.
The Royal is in November when more than 2/3 of the class should have calved and, as a result, it really doesn’t make sense to have the class. When looking at the non-milking SR. yearling class at the Royal, one of the biggest challenges that is consistent throughout the class is the dairyness or lack thereof throughout the class. It is very hard to keep these animals clean and dairy. Jerseys have been well ahead on this from both a breed advancement and a show ring perspective and, as a result, their average age at 1^st calving is low and they DO NOT have a Senior Yearling class at the Royal. (Please note they do have a Fall Yearling class at World Dairy Expo).
I have heard the argument that some animals are just not big enough or developed enough to calve that young and I can totally understand that. Nevertheless, should these animals be rewarded for being behind in their development, when compared to others? Remember, Dry Cow classes were dropped because they did not showcase milking udders and production ability. Two major functions of dairy cattle profitability.
The dairy cattle industry is a business and dairy cows don’t become profitable until after they calve. Shouldn’t we be showcasing profitable animals instead of those that are still costing money? Remember the dairy farming is a business and everyone needs to appease the banker. The banker is like an undertaker and eventually everyone has to pay the price.

VALLEYVILLE RAE LYNN VG-89-2YR-CAN

The Bullvine Bottom Line

While there are many great points on both sides of this argument, if the show ring truly wants to stay relevant and represent the best the breed has to offer than there is no question it needs to be ahead of the curve and not behind it. That means it should be leading the charge not following it. The one thing both sides can agree on is this is an issue the breeders need to decided together in order to ensure that dairy cattle showing stays relevant going into the future. Since the breeders who show at the national level really are a niche group, they need to make sure they stay market relevant or become irrelevant very fast in the eyes of most producers and the breed associations as a whole.

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Categories : The Bullvine

Tags : Craigcrest Rubies Gold Rejoice, R-E-W Happy Go Lucky, Royal Winter Fair, T-TRIPLE-T GOLD PRIZE, VALLEYVILLE RAE LYNN, World Dairy Expo

The Genetic Genius of Darwin, Mendel and Hunt – Genetic Transmission and the Holstein Cow

By Andrew Hunt · Comments (4)

Wednesday, February 27th, 2013

There is no question that when it comes to understanding what cows will transmit and what cows will not, it is an enigma wrapped in a conundrum. There is much that we don’t know and some would argue it is not meant to be known. The problem is, for those of us with a passion for breeding great dairy cattle, we want to know it all. For that I turn to the three greatest genetic geniuses in the history of the world, Darwin, Mendel and Hunt (No they are not a law firm).

Charles Robert Darwin He established that all species of life have descended over time from common ancestors, and proposed the scientific theory that this branching pattern of evolution resulted from a process that he called natural selection, in which the struggle for existence has a similar effect to the artificial selection involved in selective breeding.

Charles Darwin

Ask anyone in the world to name a geneticist and the first name that comes to mind has to be Charles Darwin. No better demonstration of Darwin’s theory of evolution exists in the world than in dairy cattle breeding. While there is no question that artificial selection and selective breeding exist on a daily basis, a cow’s ability to reproduce and produce milk leads to a natural level of selection that epitomizes Darwin’s theory. “The laws governing inheritance,” Darwin wrote, “are for the most part unknown.” Moreover, while many modern geneticists have theories about the tendencies of the modern Holstein cow, their genetic transmission pathways in large part remain a mystery to this day.

Gregor Mendel

Then along came Gregor Mendel who introduced the concept of “genes” to explain heritability. Mendel changed the whole way we look at breeding when he introduced the theory that the chromosome is the carrier of genetic traits. He also explained why a trait can disappear in one generation and reappear in the next and why these traits occur in a three-to-one ratio. One of Mendel’s disciples, three quarters of a century later, was Thomas B. Macaulay. Macaulay conducted his own studies, on his Mount Victoria Farms (Read more: Mount Victoria Farms – The art and science of great breeding).

Thomas Hunt Morgan

Then along came Hunt. Well, more specifically, Thomas Hunt Morgan, but my ego wouldn’t let this go as my name is Andrew Morgan Hunt (Read more about my ego: I’m Sorry But I’ve Had Just About Enough Of… ). In research that is now reproduced by grade 9 science students around the world, Morgan introduced the concept of X and Y-chromosomes. Morgan concluded that a female has two X chromosomes and that males have both X and Y-chromosomes. He also posited that the male of the species, because of the presence of the Y chromosome, transmits differently than the female.

To get a better understanding of this, let’s look at this from both sides of the story.

His side of the story (XY)

If you look at Holstein bulls throughout history you find four distinct patterns:

Great daughters but no legacy sons
These are the bulls that sired amazing brood cows but none of their sons were able to continue their genetic legacy. Examples are Hanover-Hill Triple Threat, Carlin-M Ivanhoe Bell, and Braedale Goldwyn. They all were able to sire brood cow daughters beyond compare, but no real sons to advance that genetic legacy. Why did these sires seem to produce better on the female side than that of the male? For that we need to turn to Morgan and his X and Y chromosome theory. Since the Y chromosome is the only one that is inherited solely via the paternal line, this leads some geneticists to believe that it carries little genetic information, and as a result a great sires genetic legacy rest more with his daughters than with his sons. Therefore, with this first group of sires it is thought that much of their genetics were transmitted on the X chromosome rather than the Y.
Great sons but not as many brood cows
Bulls that sired outstanding sons but never produced a top daughter. A couple of great examples of this are Montvic Rag Apple Sovereign, Maizefield Bellwood and O-Bee Manfred Justice. All of these sires have left outstanding sons, but are not found as often in the maternal sire stack of the great sires. There is no question as to their genetic contribution to the breed, but it was more as a sire of sons than their ability to leave an equal number of brood cows.
Sons and daughters both extraordinary
These are the sires that have gone down in history as the all-time greats. Sires like Johanna Rag Apple Pabst, Governor of Carnation, Montvic Chieftain, Wisconsin Admiral Burke Lad, A.B.C. Reflection Sovereign, Round Oak Rag Apple Elevation, Pawnee Farm Alrinda Chief, Walkway Chief Mark, Hanoverhill Starbuck, Madawaska Aerostar and Maughlin Storm. These are the bulls that not only displayed personal greatness but were also able to transmit both outstanding brood cows as well as legacy sons.
Sons and daughters that were inferior
Sons and daughters that are both below average. These bulls left inferior daughters and as a result were never even given the chance to produce sons. Bulls in this category are too numerous to mention and loads of their daughters go to the slaughterhouses every day. No explanation necessary other than a lack of genetic merit and here enters the need for genomics (Read more: The Truth About Genomic Indexes – “Show Me” That They Work).

Her side the story (XX)

The female side of the story uses the same four distinct groups.

Great daughters but no legacy sons
These are cows with outstanding female descendants but undistinguished males. Great examples of these are the cow families of Hanover Hill Papoose, Krull Broker Elegance and Plunshanski Chief Faith. They all were able to leave outstanding female descendants generation after generation, but were never really able to accomplish the same feat on the male side of the story.
Great sons but not as many brood cows
These are the cows with potent transmitting sons, but daughters who didn’t outperform the average. Examples of these are Wylamyna Tidy Kathleen (dam of Sir Bess Tidy and Sir Bess Ormsby Tidy Fobes) Lakefield Fobes Delight (dam of Lakefield Fond Hope, Lakefield Fond Delight Fobes and Carnation Royal Master) and Pawnee Farm Glenvue Beauty (dam of Pawnee Farm Arlinda Chief). All of these cows had outstanding maternal lines but for some reason were just not able to transmit that legacy through their daughters.
Sons and daughters both extraordinary
Among the females in this category are Glenridge Citation Roxy, Mil-R-Mor Roxette, Comestar Laurie Sheik, Braedale Gypsy Grand and Snow-N Denises Dellia.
Sons and daughters that were inferior
Cows who, in terms of influence, failed to produce anything worthwhile. Blame it on lack of genetics, bad breeding, improper management, or just bad luck, these cows just didn’t influence the breed. We have all seen examples.

The Bullvine Bottom Line

There has never been a clear explanation of why some bloodlines seem to transmit better through maternal lines, others through the paternal, and still others do well in both. Even genomics does not answer this. There are high genomic animals that still have these same tendencies. Maybe if we could genomic test the genes on each chromosome we might find the answers? Until then Genetic Transmission in the Holstein Cow will remain a mystery.

To read more about this get a copy of The Holstein History by Edward Morwick and read the chapter on Inheritance Patterns.

Not sure what all this hype about genomics is all about?

Want to learn what it is and what it means to your breeding program?

Download this free guide.

The 2013 All-European Championship Preview

By Andrew Hunt · Comments (0)

Tuesday, February 26th, 2013

It’s like the soccer World Cup but for Dairy Cows. The European Championships are organized by the European Holstein & Red Holstein Confederation every two years and this year 16 countries (Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Great Britain, Hungary, Italy, Luxemburg, Netherlands, Poland, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland) will be participating in this outstanding event.

Great News!!! The Bullvine will be LIVE streaming the show.

Host city Fribourg

In 2013, the event is being held in Fribourg, a city located at the cultural border between the German and French speaking parts of Switzerland. Fribourg 2013 is going to be something special, since Switzerland itself represents one of Europe’s countries in the show ring.

Setup has already begun.

The Schedule

Tuesday 26 February
08:00 onwards Arrival of the animals

Friday 1 March
08:00 – 16:00 Farms visits
16:00 – 17:30 Showmanship: young breeders final
18:30 – 20:00 Opening ceremony
20:30 onwards Swiss European Sale

Saturday 2 March
9:30 – 11:30 Red Holstein championship: “Individual” / “National Groups”
13:00 – 16:00 Holstein championship: “Individual”
16:00 – 18:00 Holstein championship: “National Groups”
18:00 – 19:00 Prize‐giving ceremony
20:00 onwards Breeders’ fondue party

Sunday 3 March
8:00 onwards Departure of the animals
8:00 – 16:00 Farms visits

The Classes

Different from the standard classes many North Americans would be accustomed to, the classes for the All-European Championships for Holstein and Red Holstein are as follows:

Junior category: only 1^st lactation cows, having calved, up to 32 months.
Intermediate category: only cows having calved twice, up to 60 months as at 1 March 2013 (born 1 March 2008 or later).
Senior category: only cows having calved three times or more (at least two completed lactations).

In addition:

1^st Lactation cows must make up at least 20% of a country’s contingent. The same applies to cows having calved twice.
All cows must have been born in Europe and must have been recorded in the herdbook of the participating country since 1 March 2012 or before (subject to milk testing). All the cows and reserve cows must be registered by 25 January 2013 at the latest.

The Judges

Presiding over the Holstein classes will be David Boyd from Glaslough Holsteins in Ireland whilst the Red classes will take place under the watchful eye of Niels Erik Haahr of Anderstrup Holsteins, Denmark.

Holstein show judge David Boyd from Glaslough Holsteins

David Boyd is an Irish breeder who runs a dairy farm with his brother in Glaslough. There are 50 dairy cows and 80 heifers in their Glaslough Holsteins herd. The average output is 10,300 kg of milk over 305 days at 3.69% fat and 3.29% protein. There are 14 EX cows and 33 VG ones in the herd. In 2011, 20 first-calf heifers were classified VG, with two of these receiving a VG88 classification. David has enjoyed a great deal of success at shows. In particular, he was named the Best Breeder and the Best Exhibitor at the Irish National Show in 2011. David has been accredited as a judge by the Irish Holstein Friesian Association for more than 20 years and he is also a member of the IHFA board. He has judged at a large number of shows in Ireland, the UK, Portugal and Italy. He has also taken part in the last four workshops for European judges.

Niels Erik Haahr of Anderstrup Holsteins Red Holstein Show Judge

Niels Erik Haahr is a Danish breeder whose family owns the Anderstrup Holsteins dairy herd. They have 300 cows with an average output over 365 days of 14,600 kg of milk. They have developed an intensive Anderstrup Holsteins breeding program, with more than 200 calves per year resulting from embryo transfers. The scheme produces numerous bulls for AI centers in Denmark and Germany. Anderstrup Holsteins is also heavily involved in competitions and it has already won 25 awards at the National Show. Niels Erik Haahr has been judging since the age of 16 and he is now an accredited judge. He has performed judging duties at many important regional shows in Denmark and at the National Show on four occasions.

The Contenders

From the host nation, Switzerland, comes one of the strongest contenders Decrausaz Iron O’Kalibra EX-94, who many of the North American experts say could walk on the colored shavings at Madison and give the North American cows a run for their money.

Decrausaz Iron O’Kalibra EX-94
1st 5yr old, Champion Udder, Grand & Supreme Champion- Swiss Expo, Lausanne 2012
1st 4yr old and Res. Champion Udder and HM Grand Champion- Swiss Expo, Lausanne 2011
1st 4yr old and Reserve Grand Champion- Expo Bulle 2011
(from the same family as Dudoc Mr. Burns and Granduc Tribute)

However, there are many other cows to watch for including:

Ashlyn Vray EX-94-ES

M.E.DAL STORMATIC ILMA
2010 European Intermediate Champion

Ptit Coeur Iron Dirona EX-96-SW

Lavenham Adeen EX-92
Daughter of MS KINGSTEAD CHIEF ADEEN EX-94

Riverdane Talented Ashlyn VG88 EX90-MS 2YR
Nominated Intermediate Heifer in Milk All Britain 2012
1st Milking Heifer & Supreme Champion Holstein & Best Udder Cheshire County Show 2012
1st Junior 2yr & Reserve Champion Holstein Heifer Great Yorkshire Show 2012

The Past Champions

CASTEL JAMES JOLIE
2010 European Senior and Grand Champion

M.E.DAL STORMATIC ILMA
2010 European Intermediate Champion

PESS FARM GOLDWYN NEVIL
2010 European Junior Champion

PEPITA
2010 Junior Champion & Grand Champion Red

Festive events and a specialist trade fair

The focus of attention of the 5,000‐plus visitors from Switzerland and the whole of Europe will, of course, be the championship itself, which will be held in the ring. However, other aspects of breeding will also be presented to the public during the two days of the event. A competitive showing exclusively for young breeders, a cattle auction and two gala evenings will foster relations between the delegations within a pleasant and festive atmosphere, while a specialist trade fair will bring together commercial exhibitors from areas relating to breeding and agriculture, thereby promoting friendly, professional contacts between the various Swiss and European participants.

No EXPO Bulle in 2013

The organizers of EXPO Bulle have declared that due to the exceptional circumstances, the show will miss a year in 2013. Event manager Jean‐Charles Philipona stressed that: “This was a difficult decision to take because breeders are very attached to EXPO Bulle. However, we know what an event like the European Championship represents in terms of human and financial resources. Since the majority of our partners are involved in both events, we will work closely with the federations and pool our strength. Holding the European Championship is an exceptional occurrence that merited an exceptional decision.” EXPO Bulle, which celebrated its 40th anniversary last year, nevertheless confirms that this year’s show will not go ahead as planned on 24 and 25 March 2013.

The Bullvine Bottom Line

While maybe not as well known to many North American breeders, the All-European Championship is certainly one of the best exhibitions of dairy cattle in the world. With past winners who could walk on the colored shavings in North America and the potential for this year’s winner to give the great RF Goldwyn Hailey a run for her money, Fribourg 2013 is certainly going to be an event many breeders should be watching with a careful eye.

Check out the following team pre-selections:

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GERMAN PRE-SELECTION FOR EUROPEAN SHOW

Read More at www.thebullvine.com/news/german-pre-selection-european-show/ © The Bullvine

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Categories : Show Reports

The Bullvine – The Past, The Present & The Future

By Andrew Hunt · Comments (0)

Monday, February 25th, 2013

WOW hard to believe that it has been 1 year already since we started The Bullvine. What started as a desire to write about something that we were passionate about has grown into the largest daily digital readership in the dairy breeding industry. Reaching over 20,000 breeders a day!

The Past

Along the way we have a shared our clean side that highlights thought provoking articles and tools to help you make your dairy cattle breeding programs more profitable. However, we also have an edgy side that has not been afraid to talk about those issues the others do not touch.

Over the past year we have published over 280 feature articles (Four times more than any other digital or print dairy publication). Some of the highlights include:

7 SIRES TO USE IN ORDER TO BREED THE NEXT WORLD DAIRY EXPO CHAMPION
Everyone loves winning. No one enters a competition to finish last. Regardless of who you are every purebred dairy breeder dreams of winning supreme champion at World Dairy Expo. Your dream of walking in the spotlight, on the colored shavings, with everyone applauding you, starts with choosing the right sires. (Read more)
THE 2012 ROYAL WINTER FAIR HOLSTEIN SHOW – ONE OF THE GREATEST STORIES EVER TOLD!
From an outsider looking in, the 2012 Royal Winter Fair Holstein Show may appear to be somewhat boring. The winners were pretty much the same as, and for all intents and purposes the results whereas per expectation. Yet in my mind, the 2012 Royal Winter Fair Holstein Show will go down in history as one of the greatest stories ever told. (Read more)
SELECT SIRES VS. SEMEX – A CONTRAST IN COOPERATIVES
While many would think that all farmer-owned cooperatives would have the same challenges and the same mandates, there could be no greater contrast than the approaches taken by Select Sires and Semex. Select Sires is a federation of nine farmer-owned-and-controlled cooperative and Semex is a partnership of three breeder owned cooperatives. So structurally they are quite similar with perhaps some significant differences in mandates. However these two artificial insemination companies are headed in very different directions when it comes to approaches to communications and product development. (Read more)
$10,000 A DOSE POLLED SEMEN
First it was LIQUID GOLD that caught everyone’s attention when GenerVations released him and his brothers in a limited offering for $750 and $500. That gave all breeders the chance to have equal access to early release semen, instead of playing favorites with preferred herds or contract mattings. Now it’s GOLDEN PP, Kulp-Dale Golden PP-Red that is getting everyone’s attention. When his first five units of semen sold for $50,000, it generated heaps of discussion around the industry. (Read more)
$750 DOLLAR SEMEN! ARE YOU CRAZY
When you first read the recent Limited Offering from GenerVations for Liquid Gold, Fuzion and Gizmo priced at $750 and $500 and $500 respectively, I am sure some breeders will think: “Are the bulls dead? Are these guys crazy? Are they expecting to get rich? Who the heck will buy that semen?” (Read more)
TOP TEN MOST INFLUENTIAL HOLSTEIN BREEDERS OF ALL-TIME
The great thing about the North American dairy breeding industry is how passionate breeders are about what they do. This is what makes most dairy farmers get up in the morning to do hard work that many would not. Over the years there have been many great breeders that have dedicated their lives to advancing the breed. The following is our top 10 list of the ones who the Bullvine feels have had the biggest impact on the North American Holstein industry. (Read more)
THE TOP 12 HOLSTEIN GENOMIC YOUNG SIRES TO USE FOR MAXIMUM GAIN
Confused on what group of genomic young sires to use for your breeding program? Not sure which sires are the real deals and which ones are just smoke and mirrors (read The Hot House Effect on Sire Sampling)? We decided to take a closer look at the top 100 genomic young sires from around the world to determine just which ones are worth using and which ones you are better forgetting. (Read more)
WORLD DAIRY EXPO 2012 HOLSTEIN SHOW – A BATTLE FOR THE AGES
Pre-billed as being one of the greatest shows in history the 2012 World Dairy Expo Holstein Show was one for the record books. There was the battle of two EX-97 point cows ….the Rejoice vs. Monique battle … and there was the bull stud battle. (Read more)
THE 8 GREATEST NORTH AMERICAN SHOW COWS OF ALL-TIME
Coming off what might have been one of the greatest World Dairy Expo’s of All-Time there seems to be great debate about how some cows stack up in the All-Time rankings. To help determine how we would rank the greatest North American Holstein show cows of all time, we looked at their head to head match ups as well as overall accomplishments and dominance in their era and developed the following list (Read more)
THE WINNERS OF THE 2012 BREEDER’S CHOICE AWARDS
Forget the Vince Lombardi Trophy award to the Baltimore Ravens for winning the Super Bowl last night, it is now time to hand out the 2012 Breeder’s Choice Awards. After the month long vote and announcement this past Monday of the winners of the Tanbark Trail Edition, over 3000 dairy breeders cast almost 8000 votes in a one week period for their favorites in 21 different categories. Without any further ado, here are the winners. (Read more)
MILK MARKETING: HOW “GOT MILK?” BECAME “GOT LOST”
It’s just eight days into a New Year and already I’m thinking about the ‘good ol’ days!”. Remember when the dairy industry was at the top of the agricultural sustainable list, milk was the “perfect food” and milk moustaches were seen on celebrities and sports stars? Hmmm. Where has all the glory gone? In 2013, the dairy industry is fighting to stay alive, the North American diet, including milk, is under attack as obesity from babes to the elderly is out of control and, when all is said and done, milk is a slipping way down on the favorite beverage list! (Read more)

The Present

Today we are doing so much more. We now post 5-10 Breeder relevant news items a day in our Dairy News Section. The Bullvine now has amazing daily content and conversations taking place on our Facebook page. These dynamic interactions have led to our Facebook page setting a new world record for engagement for a dairy page.

new world record3

This past week alone saw these posts going viral:

Reached over 166,000 people in its first day and shared 1,500 times in under 24 hours

Reached over 118,000 people in 1 day and liked and shared 2,000 times

Seen by over 100,000 people in 1 day and liked or shared over 1,000 times.

In addition, our T-Shirts are in demand by many dairy enthusiasts.

Shirts-1000

The Future

When we first set out to launch The Bullvine, I decided that for the 1^st year we would not take any advertisers on our website. I wanted to first build The Bullvine community and not be influenced or biased by who spent the most money with us.

Now that we are turning two, we are going to start to monetize The Bullvine. However, we will not be doing so in the traditional way. Instead of having breeders pay for ineffective ads, we are going to use the Google proven Ad platform model that is based on pay by performance. As part of Google’s platform we will have no control over whose ads are displayed, and hence will not be influenced by who advertises with us. , We will need to make sure that we keep generating great content that breeders want to read.

We will also be introducing some great new contests and bylines from some of the leading experts and companies in the dairy industry. This will not only enrich the articles and guides that we have already been producing but will also provide you the reader with even more opportunities to get free stuff from us here at The Bullvine, including a chance to win a trip to World Dairy Expo.

The Bullvine Bottom Line

The first year has been an amazing experience for all of us here at the Bullvine. We appreciate all the support we have received from breeders from around the world. The Bullvine community has grown much larger and much faster than we could have ever imagined. We are even more excited about the great things to come in Year 2. Once again, thanks to all the breeders who have made The Bullvine the largest and most read digital daily dairy publication. Gandhi once said “First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win!” A pattern we have seen perfectly since starting the Bullvine one year ago.

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I’m Sorry, But I’ve Had Just About Enough Of…

By Andrew Hunt · Comments (2)

Friday, February 22nd, 2013

I like to believe that I am someone who sees the best in people. Even if someone might rub me the wrong way at first, I try my hardest to give that person the benefit of the doubt. That being said, if I’m being completely honest, there is one person out there that I’m really at my wits’ end with. I’d even go as far as to say this person sometimes has taken things too far. That person is….Me!

Look, somebody has to say it: I’m arrogant, I’m abrasive and to top it all off, I’m down right aggravating. Okay, sure, I can be a nice enough guy every now and again, but haven’t you noticed that seconds later I’m back to being a complete jerk who is harshly judgmental about anything anyone does?

Most of all, I never want to hear any more of my pitiful excuses for my behavior. I’m done listening to me trying to explain any of the aggravating things I do seem to do on a daily basis. When it comes right down to it, I’ve been a pain in the butt for as long as I can remember, and I for one just don’t think I’m ever going to change.

Why Do I Do It?

misinterpret So why do I behave the way I do. Is it ’cause have a vendetta against people? Nope. Is it because I am jealous of others? Nope. Is it because I love to cause trouble? Well maybe. But the real reason I do what I do is because someone has to speak up and lead change. And I am just the person who is narcissistic enough to do so. You see change is not easy. And leading change is even harder.

In my own defense, I have been bred and raised to be this way. Maybe it’s genetic. My father’s motto was “Lead, Follow, or Get Out of the Way” and there is no way that I am going to follow or get out of the way. Maybe it was how I was raised. I am from the video game generation where I could play games and pretend that I was an Olympian, Formula 1 driver, rock star or secret agent. Maybe it’s a sign of the times. You see on Facebook, you can fool yourself into thinking you have hundreds or thousands of “friends.” You can delete unflattering comments (but, I don’t I love them). You can block anyone who disagrees with you or pokes holes in your inflated self-esteem (but I don’t, ’cause I love that too). You can choose to show the world only flattering, sexy or funny photographs of yourself (which I do, after I have airbrushed them of course).

But then again maybe it’s the dairy industry that has made me this way. No, I have not judged the Royal or Madison. No, I have not bought or sold a Supreme Champion. However, what I did get is worth far more than any of these things. It gave me the confidence to be heard, the ability to know what I am talking about, and the skills to defend my position. These three things have served me extremely well. (Read more – How Dairy Cattle Judging Made Me Rich)

What I do know is I am not alone! Since starting the Bullvine almost 1 year ago, I have learned that my cry for change is not going unheard. In fact we now have the most engaged audience in the world.

Learning from the greats!

I would love to say I have modeled myself after some of the greatest leaders of all time. Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, and George Washington were all great leaders. But I haven’t modeled myself after them unfortunately. Even my mentor Ken Blanchard is a great leader, but I wouldn’t say I have followed in his exact footsteps.

What I have done is looked at some modern day leaders. A mixture between the great Don Cherry, Bob McCown and Howard Stern. Don Cherry is famous hockey broadcaster who is well known for his outspoken manner, flamboyant dress, and staunch Canadian nationalism. Three things I have been accused of many times. Bob McCown runs Canada’s most listened to talk show. My favorite quote of his is one where he is sitting at the Rogers Center (where the Toronto Blue Jays play) and he says “I’ve been told, that there are people out there who don’t like me, so I’d like to invite them all down to the Rogers Centre. Unfortunately, it only holds 50,000.” Something since starting the Bullvine I am well on my way to. And of course Howard Stern, because sometimes I do tend to have a little “shock jock” in what we do.

The Bullvine Bottom Line

Gandhi once said “First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win!” A pattern I have seen perfectly since starting the Bullvine. When we first started many ignored us. After a little while they started to laugh at us. And now more recently they have started to fight us. Guess that means………

P.S. For those of you who are concerned I AM seeing a psychiatrist. I married her.

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Categories : The Bullvine

The Notorious Jack Stookey

By Andrew Hunt · Comments (0)

Thursday, February 21st, 2013

By all accounts Jack Stookey came from good stock. His parents were hard working folks that were well respected by the community. Little did they know that their youngest child would have such an illustrious career that would see Jack Stookey go down in the history books as one of the most notorious in the history of the Dairy Industry.

While Jack’s oldest brother, Dr. George Stookey, discovered fluoristan, the substance in toothpaste that prevents cavities and sold his patent to Proctor & Gamble and made a fortune in royalties, Jack was destined for a very different future. As is typical with the youngest child, Jack could do no wrong in his mother Mary Stookey’s eyes. He was the golden boy that, when his first wife didn’t meet up to his mother’s expectations, she urged a divorce and Jack went along with her request.

Fortunately he got it right with his second wife, Darla, and she helped straighten him out. You see it all started out great. Jack had followed a successful career path from the start. He had graduated high school where he was a track and field star and as a result had received a scholarship to Wayland Baptist University, where he set athletic records. However, it’s after university where Jack’s true love for excitement started to show. He began to indulge in his passion for auto racing. Before long he was designing his own cars, building them from scratch and driving them in races. It was here where wife Darla put her foot down and protested his love of racing. So Jack quit the car racing business and went back to the family farm.

Jack’s parents Emra and Mary had started with very little and built their farm into a 1,500-acre show place. The Holstein herd was one of the best in the state and by 1980 there were 31 Excellent and 33 Very Good females. At the urging of son Jack, Emra sold the herd at its peak and the farm auction averaged $4,381.00 on 124 head with a top price of $21,000 for VT-Pond-View Bootmaker Lassi (EX). Six head sold for five figure prices.

Jack’s New Vision

The dispersal was promoted by Jack’s newfound vision. He wanted to start an investment herd. You see the US government had introduced Section 46 of the Internal Revenue Code that allowed for an investment credit which held interest for individuals earning $500,000 a year and upwards. Section 46 created a frenzy of activity the likes of which the industry had never seen before. It introduced an investment purchase credit, a tax write-off which permitted a taxpayer to offset against personal income the costs of investment in certain classes of livestock. A participating individual could purchase a beef or dairy animal by making a nominal down payment and then take a promissory note to pay the balance off over a specified time, usually three years. The tax credits received during that period would cover the cost of the cow. Accountants, lawyers, and other rich individuals were quick to act. Jack Stookey saw this as his opportunity to assemble a group of the best Holsteins that North America had to offer and gave him the opportunity to make a ton of money.

Continental Scarlet-Red
EX-95-3E (USA)

The first cow Stookey bought was Georgian Quality Pat EX-96-4E @ 5-09 (USA) who he purchased from Charlie Auger, who was a 3X All-American Nominee in Milking Form. To publicize his purchase Jack began showing at the major shows. Success was almost instant. In 1983 he took home the Premier Exhibitor banner at Central National Show and come very close to doing it at the Eastern and Western Nationals as well. One of the corner stones to his show string was Continental Scarlet-Red (EX) who he had seen the year earlier at the Royal where Scarlet had won her place in the history books as the only cow ever to defeat the greatest show cow in history, Brookview Tony Charity, who was reserve grand to Scarlet’s grand championship. However, Scarlet didn’t beat Charity in class, as Charity was a 4yr old and Scarlet was a 5yr old at the time. Another great red cow that Jack had purchased from David Brown (and only made the first payment on) was Nandette TT Speckle-Red (EX) giving Jack two of the greatest Red and White cows of the 1980’s.

Enter the IRS

Then as is always the case, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) came calling. They didn’t approve of these cattle investment tax shelters and in the early 1980’s they had started doing audits. Clearly in their sights was Jack Stookey. Once you are in their sights life becomes very challenging. They disallowed many of his tax loss claims and asked him to make good on his back taxes. The claim which was in the six figures caused a great problem for Jack as he didn’t have the money and had no prospects of getting it. The flow of investor money was slowing and his herd wasn’t generating much revenue.

Jack had hit the bottom. On a winter’s day in 1985 Jack couldn’t even pay his hired help. Therefore, he instructed them to take all the bull calves to the slaughterhouse in order to get some money. Among them were three sons of Scarlet by Roybrook Telstar, that had been scheduled to be sampled by AI units. Then there was his neighbor Mr. Van Forest and his son. Due to friendships with Jack’s parents, when Jack asked them to take care of 80 bred heifers, he agreed. After a year of feeding, time and trouble all Van Forest received was a worn-out semen tank. He lost his farm over the deal. To make matters even worse, during a blizzard in 1985 a hundred Stookey calf hutches were buried in the snow. They didn’t get the calves dug out in time and they all suffocated. Included were 18 calves by Enhancer from Scarlet.

It was at this time that the rumors really started. Rumors such as that Stookey had purchased a bunch of high priced cattle from Canadian breeders and when they discovered that their checks were no good, they stopped the cattle at the border. Another very tasty rumor was that a disgruntled investor had dynamited the porch off Stookey’s house. That’s when the world really started to cave in for Jack. The IRS filed a lien for back taxes forcing Jack to file bankruptcy. The bankruptcy trustee took possession of Stookey’s assets and this caused some more legal issues for Jack. Because Jack had only made the first payment on a number of the cattle, the breeders of these cattle were claiming their animals still belonged to them. Even though these breeders had some pretty tightly worded contracts, the bankruptcy trustee decided that this claim came after that of the unpaid vendors’ liens and hence the breeders never saw the rest of their money.

Wasted Potential

Seeing all this happening and deploring the waste of all these superior genetics, Louis Prange of Elm Park Farms, made a deal with the trustee whereby he took a couple of dozen Stookey cows and put them on a flush program. Prange was to receive one-third of the sale revenue from the resulting calves, the trustee was to receive a third, and Stookey the remaining third. This turned out to be a great move as one of the donors was Nandette TT Speckle, whom he flushed to Blackstar, resulting in one of the greatest type-breeding cows in history Stookey Elm Park Blackrose.

Stookey Elm Park Blackrose EX-96 3E GMD DOM
• All-Time All-American Jr 2-Yr & Jr 3-Yr-Old Cow
• Res All-American 5-Yr-Old Cow 1995
• All-American Jr 3-Yr-Old Cow 1993
• All-American Jr 2-Yr-Old Cow 1992
• Grand Champion, Royal Winter Fair 1995
• Over 30 Excellent Sons and Daughters!

Another would be participant in salvaging what was left was Randy Frasier. You see Jack maintained that he still owned the family farm and he undertook selling it to Randy for his Elmvue herd. Frasier invested $85,000 in fixing the buildings and whatnot and when he was told all was for naught –Frasier was left with nothing for his efforts.

The Bullvine Bottom Line

Jack Stookey’s investor business lasted just about four years between 1980 and 1984, but man was it an eventful time. The investment tax credit was repealed in 1986, but that was not the downfall for Stookey. It was Jack himself that led to his own demise. When Jack was convicted of fraud and embezzlement, the Judge let him serve his sentence on weekends.

However, it didn’t end there. In 2007 an article appeared in one of the Indiana farm papers about Jack Stookey’s recent suicide. Then all sorts of rumors started to fly. One such rumor was that Jack was involved with Colombian drug traffickers and was behind in his payments, so they gave him an ultimatum, he could either pull the trigger himself, or they would do it for him. It seems more likely that it was just that, a suicide. You see the IRS had never lost sight of Jack and in 2007, the year he died, they were ready to pounce. They had a tax arrears claim that came to $1.5 million. They ran the man to the earth and then they started their prosecution. It was more than a reasonable man could be expected to take. Though there were many interesting events throughout Jack’s career, this is for sure one of them. Jack Stookey can take credit for the two best animals to come out of the investment era, Stookey Elm Park Blackrose and Stookey Fagin Scarlet, the first red and white cow to make 50,000 lbs of milk. If there was ever to be an action drama movie to be made about the Dairy Industry, Jack Stookey’s life story might be the basis for it.

To find out more about Jack and other great stories from the past check out Edward Morwick’s latest book “The Holstein History” click here.

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Categories : Breeder Profiles

Tags : Brookview Tony Charity, Continental Scarlet-Red, Georgian Quality Pat, Jack Stookey, Nandette TT Speckle-Red, Stookey Elm Park Blackrose, Stookey Fagin Scarlet, VT-Pond-View Bootmaker Lassi

No Cow Is Perfect – Not Even in Pictures

By Andrew Hunt · Comments (0)

Tuesday, February 19th, 2013

The other day I read a comment that basically asked, “If steroids are illegal for athletes then shouldn’t Photoshop be illegal for models?” This got me thinking about the implications for dairy cattle marketing as well. As the Bullvine approaches the one-year mark, it reminds me of one of our initial articles, Has Photo Enhancement gone too far? In that article we first addressed this taboo subject questioning how programs like Adobe Photoshop lets designers create anything the client wants. Our goal in publishing that article was to spur change (Read more: Dairy Cattle Photography: Ethics and Copyright). Similar to the way that Jose Canseco’s book “Juiced: Wild Times, Rampant ‘Roids, Smash Hits, and How Baseball Got Big” exposed steroid use in Baseball, we wanted to spur change in the dairy cattle photography industry (Read more: The Big Bad Wolf of the Dairy Industry). The reality is that no cow is perfect, not even in pictures (Read more: The Perfect Holstein Cow).

The Bullvine Holstein Mature Model Cow
Read More at www.thebullvine.com/the-bullvine/perfect-holstein-cow/

If foreign substances are illegal for show cows, then shouldn’t they be illegal for cow pictures as well?

Like major league baseball the show ring has had a transformation in its perspective on drugs and ethics (Read more: The Code: The Unwritten Rules of Dairy Cattle Show Ethics). However, similar to the world of cycling, the dairy cattle marketing world has yet to see this transformation (Read more: Lance Armstrong, Drugs and the Dairy Industry) That really got me thinking that, if foreign substances are illegal for show cows, then shouldn’t they be illegal for cow ads as well?

Toplines that have had “hair” added, udder texture that has been enhanced and teat placement that has been corrected, all seem to be more prevalent than ever. Don’t even get me started about how some photographers have single handedly solved many breeder’s challenges of getting clean long necked cattle. Even the basics of getting good lighting seem to have gone out the window. Photoshop has made it too easy and more profitable for photographers to do it in post production than making sure the animal was the real deal to start.

With Great Expectations Comes Great Disappointment

In an industry that already has unreal expectations about real beauty, the use of Photoshop in the fashion-modeling world has made for even greater unrealistic expectations of appropriate body image – especially among impressionable children and adolescents. But there is one big difference between the photo retouching of fashion models and photo retouching of cattle images – The models are not the product that people are buying.

Right there is the big issue that I think many people are missing in this whole debate. While we have all become complacent about fashion models whose appearance has been retouched, we have also become complacent about dairy cattle photos that have been retouched. It has come to the point where most don’t even look at photos anymore to gage a sire’s potential (Check out our recent Facebook poll).

I can remember when we first marketed Calbrett-I HH Champion and we put a lineup of 10 VG 2YR test sire daughters photo’s together – the first in the industry to do so. But I am sure with genomic sires being used on such high caliber animals it will happen again soon. It sold semen like none other. Today when a new proven sire comes out, you are lucky to get two or three daughter shots and that’s about it. For genomic sires you are often lucky to get a picture of the sire himself let alone a picture of his dam (often it is a heifer picture as she was contracted and flushed at such a young age).

This has me thinking whether there is value in picturing anymore? I realized that while pictures today may not directly sell semen or embryos, they do a great job of generating hype. While everyone likes to bash some livestock photographers about the ethics of their photos, there is no question that you can share a great shot of a show-winning cow on Facebook and the thing goes Viral.

So what is the average ethical breeder to do when they don’t have some great show-winning cow but wants to market their cattle?

In thinking about this challenging question, I remembered what Unilever did with their Dove line of products when facing a very similar challenge. In 2004 they released The Dove Campaign for Real Beauty. The principle behind the campaign is to celebrate the natural physical variation embodied by all women and inspire them to have the confidence to be comfortable with themselves.

In the dairy industry three great ways I can see for this to be done are as follows:

Show all the angles
Instead of just a boring side shot, try to get different angles of your cattle. Three quarter rear shots are great at grabbing attention. Show multiple angles of your cow, in order to gain maximum attention. It is also hard to fake a shot when you see all sides of the animal as any changes would be amplified when comparing angles. (Read more: 5 Tips to Make Your Next Dairy Magazine Ad the Best Ever and All Talk and No Action)
Leverage the Power of Video
There is nothing better than video to help you sell and promote your cattle. It does not have to be some big costly production. In fact, it can be much cheaper than having a professional photographer come in. You can simply use your hand held blackberry or smartphone and snap some quick snippets to share with potential buyers on Facebook or on your website. Even good quality digital video cameras can be picked up at your local Best-Buy or Wal-Mart. Many even come with some basic software so that you can add your own titles, images, and music. (Read more: Nothing Sells Like Video)
Share it on Facebook
It’s really pretty simple. Set up your own Facebook page or a Facebook Fan page for your farm. Tell your story. Did you have a great classification round and want to let the world know? Share it on Facebook. Had a great flush and want to sell the embryos from it? Share it on Facebook. Your friends will spread the word and before you know it, you too will start to have a loyal following. (Read more: 7 Reasons Why Your Dairy Farm Needs to be on Facebook and The Fakebook – Our secret is exposed)

The Bullvine Bottom Line

Yes! There are certainly photographers who have held true to their ethics, however, it seems that they are now in the minority rather than the majority. I understand that Photoshop, a program that I love to use, makes life easier for all. There comes a point, however, where ease should not outweigh ethics, especially when you are editing the appearance of the very genetic product that you are selling. The reality is that no cow is perfect, not even in pictures

To learn how to get your farm on Facebook download this free guide.

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Categories : Dairy Cattle Marketing

Tags : Dairy Cattle Marketing, Dairy Cattle Marketing Ethics, Dairy Cattle Photography, Dairy Cattle Photography Ethics, Dairy Cattle Photography Marketing, Facebook for Dairy Farmers

Why the Future of the North American Dairy Industry Depends On Supply And Demand

By Andrew Hunt · Comments (3)

Friday, February 15th, 2013

With the recent announcements about both Canada and the US entering significant trade negotiations with the European Union (EU), there has been a great deal of discussion by breeders on both sides of the border about what this means to the future of the North American Dairy Industry (Read more: A Nation Held Hostage By Dairy Cows and Dairy Groups Welcome Launch of U.S.-EU Negotiations). One thing I learned in my microeconomics class is that in any competitive marketplace the price is determined by supply and demand. As we enter into a more competitive global marketplace there is no question that the dairy industry will depend on this economic model to determine its future.

The Future of Supply Management

It’s really pretty simple. In any industry you need a buyer and a seller. If you have more buyers (demand) than you do sellers (supply) the price goes up. If you have more sellers than you do buyers then price goes down. Well, unless you are in Canada, where there is supply management and then that is a completely different story. In Canada the 12,700 dairy farms have been protected from this economic model because of the supply management system. It blocks foreign competition from coming into Canada by placing elevated tariffs on milk and milk products thus making it impossible for imports to compete. Only about 5% of the Canadian dairy marketplace is supplied by imported products. It has also controlled the level of production domestically (Quota) so that there is not an oversupply in the marketplace. This protects the price of milk so that dairy producers in Canada have been able to enjoy a stable milk price and consistent predictable revenue.

The challenge with this is that the world is very quickly moving to a global marketplace. In addition, one of the global requirements is that there is “fair” and equal trade in all industries. This means that systems like supply management are being removed in many countries and certainly are key issues in international trade negotiations. Many Canadian producers have millions of dollars tied up in quota. Compare this to the $12 billion a year trade negotiations Canada is having with the EU and you can see why there is concern about the future of supply management. While I totally can see the benefits to Canadian farmers from the system, you simply cannot deny the benefits of world trade to the whole country. Hence you can see why these programs are severely at risk.

Canadian dairy farmers simply need to look south of the border to see what life without supply management is like. Dairy operations have to operate very differently when sale price and production is not set by a managed system. There you are forced to run your farm more like a corporate organization, with detailed analysis of profit and loss and all decisions dependent on the effect it will have on the bottom line instead of on emotion. Yes it makes dairy farming more of a business than a way of life, but that is the future. The other is the past.

It also means that the marketplace will determine who stays in business and who goes under. If there is an over production of milk, milk price will go down. Those organizations that are having challenges will go under. It’s simple business. Run a good business you will succeed. Run a poor business and you will fail. Notice how I said business and not farm. Dairy farmers have to start looking at things differently. Dairy farmers need to be business persons first and farmers second. This could be a change that many farmers are not able to make.

Demand the Other Side of the Equation

The second part that I learned in my long and boring microeconomics class is that if you want to increase milk price and cannot decrease supply, then you need to increase demand. According to estimates, the world population is set to reach 9.3 billion by 2100. Much of this growth is set to come from countries like China, South America and Africa. Very impressive numbers for sure, but let’s look at milk consumption in those regions. China averages 28.7 kg/capita/year, most African countries average less than 50 kg/capita/year, and most South American countries average around 100 kg/capita/year. That is nowhere near the 253.8 kg/capita/year that Americans consume, 206.83 kg/capita/year for Canadians and over 225 kg/capita/year for most EU countries.

Therefore, if population growth alone is not going to help significantly increase demand for dairy products, we then need to look at how milk and dairy products compete for market share. As we highlighted in our recent article, Milk Marketing: How “Got Milk?” became “Got Lost”, the land of milk and money is gone. As an industry we forgot about the consumer, we forgot about the product, and we forgot how to innovate!

demand variety

A simple trip to the local grocery store reveals that while products like organic foods, international foods and soft drinks are always innovating and battling for market share. Milk, for the most part, has not done anything. Look at these pictures that show the amount of shelf space (key in driving sales) these other products have compared to milk. We can no longer rest on our milk stools. We have to compete for the marketplace with all the old beverages … and countless innovative new ones. That may seem to be a daunting task but it can no longer be ignored!

The Bullvine Bottom Line

The world is changing, old systems and production models are being eliminated and new ones are being established daily. Those that sit and try to battle to keep the old will be left behind. We need to look to the future instead of fighting for the past. Consumer demand is the most serious issue impacting the future of the dairy industry. We need to understand what the consumer wants instead of fighting for what we used to have. If you want to be part of the future, think about SUPPLY and DEMAND. There are good reasons why it is NOT called The Law of Supply and PROTECT!!

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Categories : Dairy Industry

Tags : Consumer Deman, Dairy Industry, Supply Management

The fakebook – Our Secret is Exposed

By Andrew Hunt · Comments (1)

Friday, February 8th, 2013

For those who don’t understand social media, which tends to be the gray-haired generation, they like to say that Facebook is just a bunch of college kids spouting off about things that don’t apply to them. Furthermore, many say that there is no need to get involved in social media because it’s not where the “buyers” are. In actual fact, both statements could not be further from the truth. The first thing breeders need to understand about Facebook and the other social media platforms is that they are simply stories. Instead of breeders sharing stories in the milk house, or at ringside, they are happening online. It’s that change of location that is the first hurdle. Many are afraid of change. It is easier to pan it and accuse Facebook of being a fake than it is to adjust to the change.

There`s an even bigger difference. Instead of it being a one on one chat in your barn with a few people discussing who is the greatest show cow of all time (Read more: The 8 Greatest North American Show Cows of All-Time and Who would you vote for as the greatest Holstein show cow of All-Time?) or the best type sire ever (Read more: Braedale Goldwyn: Is he the greatest type sire ever? and Who would you vote for as the greatest type sire ever?) now it is happening online with thousands from around the world. This allows all breeders to tell their story to thousands of people, cheaper, and easier than ever before.

It’s all about telling a Story

Before Facebook, to get your story out there you needed to be fortunate enough to get one of the major print publications to do an article about your farm. Or you had to spend thousands in advertising to get your message out there. With tools like Facebook breeders can tell their story at relatively no cost to thousands of potential customers.

Now I know what you’re thinking, “Are there really thousands of dairy breeders online?” The answer is “Yes. Yes. Yes.”. Despite the fact that some publications like to buy followers from nondairy markets in order to pad their numbers, there really are breeders who are having amazing conversations online.

Take for example the recent Breeder’s Choice Awards from the Bullvine (Read more: The Winners of the 2012 Breeder’s Choice Awards are…). In a one-week period we had over 3,000 Dairy Breeders cast more than 8,000 votes. Now I know the next comment will be that those are a bunch of college kids. Well actually our Facebook page reports that 50% are over the age of 25. Moreover, 31.6% of our followers are male over the age of 25. That’s 2897 followers that are male over the age of 25. That’s more than most dairy publications readership, male or female, any age. So they are not only college kids. In fact I have conversations with dairy breeders of all ages. Breeders who you would never have thought would spend so much time online, are actually following the conversation. In fact our Facebook page reaches over 125,000 people on a weekly basis. That is more than the COMBINED total subscribership of the major dairy breeder print publications in the world!

Think about that for a minute. On Facebook you can reach more people at next to no cost, than you can reach offline even when you’re spending thousands of dollars. Why is that? Well it’s simple, Facebook is today’s most effective tool for finding entertainment and information. How you ask? It’s simple. In your Facebook stream your friends comment, share and like photos, articles, videos or other types of content. By doing so, people who have similar interests to you (your Facebook friends) are in effect narrowing down all the content that is out there in the world, to what you’re most likely to want to read or watch.

For us here at the Bullvine Facebook has been one of the greatest sources for finding new readers. One of our current subscribers reads something on our website, finds it interesting enough to share it or make a comment about it on Facebook, and then their friends come to the Bullvine and read it as well. That is why you find many of our articles having hundreds of shares on Facebook, instead of donuts like the other online publications. We don’t only publish all the same boring new releases that every other publication puts out, but rather, on a daily basis, we are producing thought provoking original content. Instead of just bragging that we get thousands of visitors to a website a day, we have the trackable social proof from Facebook that people are engaging in our community. Moreover, it’s the reason many breeders, who don’t always agree with us, keep coming back to the Bullvine. Think about it, over the past year, what articles, events or content has driven the most conversation? You don’t need to be told where the conversation is at. As a dairy breeder you are part of the conversation and already know where it`s going on.

So how does this apply to the average breeder?

It’s really pretty simple. Set up your own Facebook page or a Facebook Fan page for your farm. Tell your story. Did you have a great classification round and want to let the world know? Share it on Facebook. Had a great flush and want to sell the embryos from it? Share it on Facebook. Your friends will spread the word and before you know it, you too will start to have a loyal following.

A few things to remember. Just like that first date with that hot dairy princess, it will go better if you don’t make it all about you. On our Facebook page we make sure for every story we share of ours, we share someone else’s story. That is one of the major reasons many breeders check out our feed on a daily basis. We are sharing content that we find interesting as a dairy breeder and, as a result, other dairy breeders typically find it interesting as well. That is also why almost 70% of the breeders who follow our page share, like or comment on the information and entertainment we are sharing on a weekly basis. Now 70% sounds like a big number and it is. On a weekly basis that is over 6000 people engaging in the conversation, that is almost 3 times as many as any other publication. The thing that these other publications don’t get is that instead of just sharing a pretty picture each day, we are sharing interesting articles from around the world. We are asking questions. We are joining the conversation. That’s because we get it. We are breeders first and love being part of the breeder community. We are not trying to drive traffic to our website, so we can justify the high expense to advertise on our site. We are joining in with and, often times, starting the conversation.

A great example of this is that recently we shared an advertisement from a sale manager for an upcoming sale. We were impressed with their list of consignments, so we shared it with our readers. That advertisement was seen by more people on our Facebook page, than in the major print publication that they had spent thousands of dollars on.

The Bullvine Bottom Line

Now I know change can be hard. And for those who have been successful through traditional methods, it can be even harder to adjust to these changes. But the world has already changed. Either you adjust to live within or it will move on without you. Facebook is not Fakebook. It is real people, real stories and real connections. If you don’t learn to leverage the power of it, the only thing that is going to be fake is the money in your wallet.

To learn how to get your farm on Facebook download this free guide.

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Categories : The Bullvine

Tags : Dairy Cattle Marketing, Social Media

Genomics: Think Big Not Small

By Andrew Hunt · Comments (0)

Wednesday, February 6th, 2013

Even though we are still in the early stages of genomic indexes, certain trends are already apparent. One issue that I have noticed is that too many breeders are using genomics to narrow down their sire usage to a few sires at the very top instead of using genomics to discover what sires not to use. Everyone likes to look at the top of the list to see what sires hold their rankings, however, the real power of genomics is actually in pointing out what sires not to use.

While there is no question that genomics has changed the way we look at indexes, there is one major issue that we are all guilty of. We focus only on those sires that are in the top 10 or so to make our sire selection decisions.

So let’s take a look at the current top 10 genomic sires and their TPI Scores:

Supersire 2530
Jabir 2515
Numero Uno 2497
Jacey 2493
Predestine 2491
Chevrolet 2490
Hunger 2488
Jetset 2484
Balisto 2483
Willpower 2476

You will notice that all these sires are within 54 TPI points of each other. That is a difference of less than 2%. The issue with this is that, according to CDN research, 95% of the time sires can vary by up to 20%, when comparing their genomic index to their eventual daughter proven evaluations (Read more: The truth about genomic indexes – “Show Me” They Work!). Applying that to the current list of sires and instead of looking at the top 10 sires you would instead need to look at all sires within 20% of the top sire, Supersire. Since Supersire is +2530 gPA TPI that means your short list would include all sires over 2000 TPI. Instead of 10 sires this means looking at the 1000 current sires.

Furthermore, genomics is not as much about identifying the top few sires you should be using, as it is about identifying the sires you should not be using. When you are looking at two full brothers and trying to decide which one to use or sample, if they are greater than 500 gTPI points apart you are better to use/sample the higher one. Or, if you can only afford to sample one of them then genomics would be a strong indicator of which one to sample. However, when they are much closer, genomics alone cannot make this decision with great accuracy.

For sires that are less than say 300 gTPI points apart you really cannot use their genomic total merit index numbers alone to make that mating decision. You are better to make a short list of sires that are within the 300 TPI points and then look for the sire that is the best corrective mating on your animal. Given how much sires change and how little difference there is in the top sires these days, you are far better making corrective mating your number one requirement and only using genomics to help determine your shortlist.

The Bullvine Bottom Line

Genomics is only as good as the way it is used. If we begin thinking that the top short list is the be all and end all for mating decisions, we start to muddy the waters. You cannot use the top 10 gPA TPI sires alone for your mating programs. Instead you are better to look at the top 1000 sires and find the sire that is the best corrective mating.

Everyone l points to the few select top genomic sires and then bemoans how much they change with each proof round and eventually to their daughter proof. Genomics works best on the macro level and not at the micro level. Due to current 65% reliabilities and a limited differential between top sires, a genomic total merit index cannot be relied upon for the final answer. Genomics is a Macro level tool and not a Micro tool. If you are limiting your mating decisions to the top few sires, you are also limiting your genetic improvement program.

Think big. Find the genomic sires that will deliver the specific improvements that your cows need!

Not sure what all this hype about genomics is all about?

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Categories : Genomics

Tags : Genetic Evaluation System, Genomics, Mating Recomendations

The Winners of the 2012 Breeder’s Choice Awards Are…

By Andrew Hunt · Comments (0)

Monday, February 4th, 2013

Forget the Vince Lombardi Trophy award to the Baltimore Ravens for winning the Super Bowl last night, it is now time to hand out the 2012 Breeder’s Choice Awards. After the month long vote and announcement this past Monday of the winners of the Tanbark Trail Edition (Read More: The 2012 Breeder’s Choice Awards – The Tanbark Trail Edition), over 3000 dairy breeders cast almost 8000 votes in a one week period for their favorites in 21 different categories. Without any further ado, here are the winners.

Large A.I. Company

https://www.facebook.com/questions/327170977393781/

With what became a two horse race between the top two vote getters, Select Sires ended up winning over Semex by 10% of the popular vote, leaving the next largest A.I. vote getter ABS Global some 19% behind these two. To read more about these two A.I. centers and their different approaches check out Select Sires vs. Semex – A Contrast in Cooperatives.

Small-Medium A.I. Company

https://www.facebook.com/questions/327187584058787/

In what was close race from the start, St. Jacobs ABC used their strong market presence in the type market to edge out GenerVations. Trans America Genetics (TAG) earned a solid 3^rd spot. (Read more: The Judge’s Choice – Investment Advice from Tim Abbott)

Dairy Print Magazine

https://www.facebook.com/questions/327213437389535/

This category presented an outstanding showing with the team at Cowsmopolitan giving the much larger publication Holstein International a run for its money. Only 2% separated these two fine publications (Watch for our interview with Holstein International and outstanding photographer Hans Hopman coming soon)

Dairy Digital Publication or Website

https://www.facebook.com/questions/327215320722680/

It would have looked scary for us here at The Bullvine, if we could not win our own poll. We appreciate all the support and great comments from our readers.

Dairy Cattle Photographer

https://www.facebook.com/questions/327560577354821/

In what came down to a battle between mentor Patty Jones and mentee Cybil Fisher, the mentee took the win with only 4% separating the top two great photographers. (Read more about what it takes to get the perfect picture with our interview with Patty Jones – Patty Jones: Picture Perfect!)

Dairy Cattle Showman

https://www.facebook.com/questions/327640120680200/

In a category that we were concerned would become an ego nightmare, the contest ended up being not even close, with Donald Dubois running away with 48% of the popular vote.

Dairy Celebrity

https://www.facebook.com/questions/327636224013923/

Obviously having judged the Royal or World Dairy Expo this past year didn’t hurt in this category. With 2012 Royal Winter Fair Judge Callum McKinven edging out 2012 World Dairy Expo, Mike “Air” Heath. (Read more World Dairy Expo 2012 Holstein Show – A battle for the ages and The 2012 Royal Winter Fair Holstein Show – One of the greatest stories ever told!)

Dairy Cattle Fitter

https://www.facebook.com/questions/327640120680200/

Many an ego might be hurt with the results of this category, but not those of our winner Pat Conroy and runner up Joel Phoenix, who were in the closest battle of all, with only two votes separating these two great fitters. (Watch for our upcoming article with Pat Conroy about the great Swiss show cow Decrausaz Iron O’Kalibra).

Dairy Cowman

https://www.facebook.com/questions/327640120680200/

In a category whose titles confused some, as we wanted to call it more than just the people behind the scenes at the shows (Herdsman), the winner in a close battle was Gerald Coughlin over Ernie Kueffner. In a group that is an honor to be listed among, check out our interview with 4^th place finisher and 2012 Curtis Clark award winner Don Schwartz: “Love what you do and do the best you can!”

Dairy Cattle Industry Legends

https://www.facebook.com/questions/327654344012111/

This was a category that was never in doubt, not in disrespect to the others in the class, but rather in respect to the outstanding contribution made by Peter Heffering who earned 80% of the popular vote. (Read more: Hanover Hill Holsteins: Peter Heffering 1931-2012)

Holstein Herd Legends

https://www.facebook.com/questions/330287433748802/

Continuing his dominance, this time teaming up with his longtime partner Ken Trevena, Hanover Hill Holsteins earned almost 70% more votes than 2^nd place Mount Victoria Farms. (Read more: Mount Victoria Farms: The art and science of great breeding)

Holstein Show Herds

https://www.facebook.com/questions/330291093748436/

In what became a great debate about breeding versus exhibiting, Ferme Jacobs rose to the top over Budjon Farms. Check out our interview with Ferme Jacobs: Success is all in the family, also be sure to check out Quality Holsteins and their now record 8^th All-Canadian breeders herd award.

Genetic Impact Herds

https://www.facebook.com/questions/330296767081202/

In a list of herds that reads like a who’s who of the young sire and proven sire lists, Regancrest Farms dominated on the power of such great sons as Durham and Dundee and popular daughters Regancrest PR Barbie and Regancrest S Chassity both 2012 Golden Dam finalists.

Colored Breed Herds

https://www.facebook.com/questions/330301733747372/

In a category that was tough to narrow down to just 10, and next year will probably be split by breed, Arethusa Farm Dairy ran away with the vote getting over 41% of the popular vote. Strong showings from Brown Swiss herd Jo-Dee Swiss and Ayrshire herd Deer Hill showed this was not just a Jersey category. (Read more about Deer Hill and their great Ayrshire show cow Sweet Pepper Black Francesca)

Genetic Index or Mating Tool

https://www.facebook.com/questions/330650453712500/

While there has been great debate about what genetic index is the best, there is no question that our Facebook readers are very type focused with the Conformation index from Canada getting over 41% of the votes. (Read more: Everything You Need to Know about TPI and LPI)

Greatest Type Sire Ever

https://www.facebook.com/questions/330654520378760/

Now we arrive at the much debated competition for greatest type sire ever between Braedale Goldwyn and Regancrest Elton Durham (Read more: Durham vs. Goldwyn: A clash of two titans), with Goldwyn taking the popular vote. Goldwyn has certainly been extremely popular and well used (Read more: Braedale Goldwyn: Is he the greatest type sire ever)

Next Great Type Sire

https://www.facebook.com/questions/330656387045240/

In the search for the next Goldwyn, many chose his son Maple-Downs-I G Atwood. (Read more: Breeding the next show winners and 7 Sires to use to breed the next world dairy expo champion)

Holstein Index Sire

https://www.facebook.com/questions/330660470378165/

In an inclusion that may have seemed odd to some, Lirr Drew Dempsey rode his high health and fertility numbers and outstanding conformation to victory over Man-O-Man with a strongly type oriented Facebook audience. (Read more: Man-O-Man Will He Turn Platinum and Is Man-O-Man going to be a sire of sons?)

Genomic Index Sires

https://www.facebook.com/questions/330682993709246/

In a list that seems to change almost monthly, it is interesting to see the long-standing TPI list topper Amighetti Numero Uno dominate this category. (Read more about Numero Uno daughters with his high selling daughters: Genetics By Design – Crosses the $4,000,000 Mark and Genomic Stars Shine at Sale of Stars).

Greatest Holstein Show Cow of All-Time

https://www.facebook.com/questions/330692190374993/

In a category that many would have expected Brookview Tony Charity to absolutely run away with, Thrulane James Rose gave Charity a run for her money. But ultimately it was Charity taking the title. (Read more: The 8 Greatest North American Show Cows of All-Time)

Greatest Colored Breed Show Cow of All-Time

https://www.facebook.com/questions/330693853708160/

In a category that could have easily been dominated by Jerseys, it’s not surprising that Huronia Centurion Veronica 20J edged out Brown Swiss great Old Mill E Snickerdoodle OCS. What was surprising was Ayrshire great Sweet-Pepper Black Francesca making a strong showing in 3^rd place. (Read more: The 12 Greatest North American Colored Breed Show Cattle of All-Time).

The Bullvine Bottom Line

On behalf of the whole team here at the Bullvine, I want to say thanks to all those who voted and made this inaugural competition such a success. To those who won, congratulations you have earned it. Keep up the great work.

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Categories : Breeder's Choice Awards

Is There Still Going To Be A Market For Purebred Dairy Cattle In 10 Years?

By Andrew Hunt · Comments (2)

Friday, February 1st, 2013

People are starting to realize that the old market for purebred cattle, if not dead, is definitely endangered. Why is this once “healthiest” of marketplaces facing the current flat line?

The basic assumption has always been that there is a premium for purebreds that is paid back on sale day. Ever since there have been purebred cattle there has been a movement to convince commercial operators of the value of owning purebreds and registering their cattle. For about the past 20 years the focus has gone from educating the commercial producer on the increased value of purebred cattle to making the process and the system a better fit for the commercial producer. While the intentions were great, this change in philosophy has ultimately led to the demise of the premium received for purebred cattle.

Industry vs. Breeders – Whose Fault Is It?

For years I have heard both sides of this discussion. Seed stock cattle breeders complain that industry executives in organizations like milk recording and A.I., as well as geneticists, would not know a good cow if one kicked them in the head. I have also heard the other side of this argument where these geneticists and officials complain that purebred seed stock breeders don’t know how to see the bigger picture and the two sides have batted heads at the board level all along the way.

The part that many people don’t understand is that these industry officials did not set out to harm seed stock breeders. Neither were they looking to discriminate against them. Rather they saw this group as a niche segment of the market place and thought they needed to serve the bigger picture instead of catering to this small, but vocal group.

For many years the only organizations that seemed to hear the cry of the seed stock breeders were the breed associations. Initially, the breed associations were great about trying to build new marketplaces, as well as trying to help educate commercial producers on why they should pay a premium for these purebred cattle. They also educated commercial producers that by registering their cattle they too would receive a premium when they went to sell these cattle. Ironically, all that changed when breed associations started to try to become a greater service provider to commercial producers, instead of building the marketplace for purebreds. This shift in emphasis from worldwide market potential to bottom line domestic cattle and membership numbers, as much as anything, killed the premium paid for purebreds.

It Started Slowly, but Got Rolling Quickly

In the beginning the changes were small. They simply made it easier for commercial operations to register their cattle. Then came subtle (and necessary) changes to the classification systems to target a more commercial friendly cow. Followed by significant changes where breed associations stopped being a marketplace developer and focused on being a service organization to the commercial producer.

While this helped increase registrations and showed that the breed as a whole was growing, the objective set out by our breeder boards, it started to have a small but significant side effect. As the system changed to be more commercial friendly, the premiums commercial producers were expecting to receive for selling purebred animals disappeared. Take a look at many of the sale barns today and compare the price of a grade fresh heifer to that of a registered one. There is not as much difference as there once was. There is certainly not enough for many commercial producers to justify the cost and effort of registration and type classification. Add to that the fact that in many regions and with certain high end sires, there are no longer semen incentives for young sire usage, semen cost for young sires is almost as expensive as proven, and commercial producers ask, “If it doesn’t make financial sense, why do it?”

Without that premium selling price, many producers will stop registering their cattle. With less herds registering, that means that costs for the programs will fall on the niche group of seed stock breeders. Breeders who already have less income from fresh animal sales, and like all milk producers are battling the increased cost of production and the decreased milk sale price. It certainly isn’t a time to take back additional expenses.

Yes, your top 0.1% index seed stock breeder is seeing greater prices than ever. In addition, there is certainly still value in consistent generation after generation breeding families that provide a stable investment (more on that to come next week) but we are talking your average every day purebred breeder. They have certainly seen the prices for fresh heifers go down. Many have attributed that to the introduction of sexed semen and genomics. I would contend it was more accurately due to the fact that the cost of milk production went up, milk prices worldwide went down, and commercial producers, the buyers of these animals, no longer see the need for the extra investment in the purebred pedigree they once did.

The Bullvine Bottom Line

By making that small shift from building the marketplace for purebred cattle, to trying to woo the commercial producers into registering their cattle, the industry as a whole has, in a sense, contributed to its own demise. Now all sides need to find a way to work together, before it’s too late.

Has the heart of the industry stopped? Is there time for resuscitation? Who knows marketplace CPR?

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Comments (2)

Categories : Dairy Industry

Tags : Dairy Cattle Classification, Dairy Industry, Genetic Evalution System, Genomics

Mount Victoria Farms: The Art and Science of Great Breeding

By Andrew Hunt · Comments (0)

Wednesday, January 30th, 2013

With the recent announcement that the iconic red barns of Mount Victoria Farms on top of Macaulay Hill are to be razed in the next two months to make way for a planned residential subdivision, a monument of Holstein history, unrivaled by any other, will be destroyed. The invincible blood that pumped through the veins of Thomas Basset Macaulay led to the Mount Victoria herd influencing cattle populations in every land under the sun. No Holstein exists in this world that is not a descendant of the great Johanna Rag Apple Pabst, T.B. Macaulay`s foundation sire for Mount Victoria.

mount victoria key shot

To understand how one herd could have such a profound impact on the world of dairy cattle, you first have to understand the man behind the herd. TB Macaulay, accomplishments would rival those of the late great Peter Heffering (Read more: HANOVER HILL HOLSTEINS: PETER HEFFERING 1931-2012). Macaulay wasn’t born on a farm. He wasn’t raised on a farm and, in fact, didn’t own his first Holstein until he was 66. However, during an 18-year period he would change the Holstein world forever.

mount victoria tb plaque

Macaulay was actually a wealthy insurance executive who got into farming more by chance than by design. Towards the end of a very successful career he was looking to invest in other areas. When he discovered the farm he had purchased was more of a sand pile than great cropland, he started purchasing livestock to start building up the soil. This ultimately led to him buying his first Holstein in 1924, and the start of a very distinct bloodline. You see Macaulay had very definite ideas on the subject of genetics. His studies in corn breeding were more advanced than any that had been made at that time. This all traces back to his insurance career where he was an actuary. Actuaries are the people who compile and analyze statistics and use them to calculate insurance risks and premiums. It’s this love of mathematical theory that Macaulay would transpose into his breeding program at Mount Victoria.

Purifying the Bloodline

Inbreeding and line breeding work, when done correctly, because it involves concentrating the exceptional genes of the ancestors in the pedigree. As Edward Morwick points out in his book The Chosen Breed, “It is essentially a mathematical process and a discipline in which an actuary’s training would stand him in good stead. Through the lessons learned as an actuary which were cross-applied to the study of genetics, Macaulay became convinced of his ability to develop a strain of Holstein cattle pure for sound type, good udders and four percent test.” There is never ending debate about whether breeding great cattle is an art form or a science? Macaulay’s favorite saying from Beattie sums it up “What cannot art and industry perform, When science plans the progress of their toil!”

mount victoria door

Macaulay would study the dairy publications of the time to get a better understanding of what bloodlines were transmitting the ideals he was looking for. Specifically he was looking to breed four percent butterfat with heavy milk production and a high standard of type.

The Big Six

In his research Macaulay identified the Prince Colanthis Abbekerk bloodlines of Oxford County in Ontario to have what he needed and made trips in 1924 and 1925 to purchase the seed stock he needed. This lead to many purchases highlighted by what was coined by William Prescott of Holstein-Friesian World as “The Big Six”. They were Oakhurst Colantha Abbekerk, Ingleside Pietje Posh, Dixie Colantha Hartog, Lady Meg Posch and Bonheur Abberkerk Posch 2nd.

The Foundation Sire

He also needed a herd sire. Searching the Holstein-Friesian World, he found “The One” in Johanna Rag Apple Pabst. The bull that become the center of Macaulay’s line breeding vision. A vision that included using all the tools – testing, classifying, showing, culling and advertising would be utilized and outcross sires would be used sparingly when needed.

Johanna Rag Apple Pabst combined with the Mount Victoria foundation cows to create the Rag Apple bloodline. His progeny from the Posch-Abbekerk cows handpicked from Oxford County would go on to change the Holstein world.

Johanna Rag Apple Pabst sired three All-American Get of Sires and two reserve gets. 51 daughters with 100 completed records averaged 15,753 lbs. milk, 626 lbs. and 4.0% Fat. Realizing the dream that Macaulay had set out to achieve.

Famous Pabst daughters include:

Montvic Rag Apple Colantha Abbekerk (EX-11*)
The highest producing daughter with a world 3X record of 1,263 lbs of fat
Montvic Rag Apple Bonheur (GM)
A four time All-American
Montvic Rag Apple Bonheur Abbekerk (EX)
Fat production of 1,047 lbs.
Montvic Rag Apple Pietje (GM)
Produced 1,043 lbs. fat, 22,980 lbs milk, 4.54% as a three-year old

Highlights of his sons include:

Montvic Rag Apple Paul (Extra)
Pabst’s only Class Extra son.
Montvic Rag Apple Baron
Sire of Montvic Rag Apple Baron 2^nd, foundation sire of the Texal family.
Montvic Rag Apple DeKol
Out of Pauline Dandelion DeKol. One of Western Canada’s biggest impact sires. Sired show stock.
Montvic Rag Apple Hartog
A show bull. Sired Hays Supreme.
Montvic Posch Rag Apple.
Out of Lady Meg Posch. Tyler Farms Posch Letha, his daughter, was the dam of Osborndale Ty Vic (EX-GM), sire of Osborndale Ivanhoe (EX-GM)
Montvic Pabst Rag Apple
Lady Meg Posch son. Daughters provided part of the foundation of the Glenafton herd.
Montvic Rag Apple Dandy
Line bred, a son sired Rosehill Fayne Wayne (EX), three times All-American aged cow.
Montvic Chieftain
Son of Triune Papoose Piebe, and the sire of the Pathfinder, who in 1962 when the All-Time All-American’s where selected all four milking aged females where Pathfinder daughters.

The Bullvine Bottom Line

Mount Victoria has produced eight Class Extra sires. This is something only surpassed by Hanover Hill and more recently Ferme Gillette. Unlike the other two, Mount Victoria did not have the aid of embryo transfer or artificial insemination to spread their bloodlines. One could easily make the case that T.B. Macaulay and his use of mathematics to develop a line bred bloodline was the greatest cattle breeder of all time. His outstanding collection of Holstein cattle pushed the boundaries of what was considered possible. Macaulay stretched the limits of what was thought achievable. All this from an actuary who loved the artful science of animal breeding!

Special thanks to Sheila Sundborg for the great shots. Read more about Sheila and the great donation she made to the Friends of Andrea Crowe Fundraiser that raised over $83,000 for one of the brightest lights in the dairy industry.

For a full history of the Canadian Holstein breed check out “The Chosen Breed” by Edward Young Morwick and watch for our interview next week with him.