From left to right: Corey Geiger, Dale Drendel, Mark Kerndt, Roy Buessing, R. Paul Buhr, John Meyer; Chief Executive Officer/Executive Secretary, Jonathan Lamb, Glen Brown; President, Bill Wright, Gordie Cook; Vice President, Peter B. Waterman, Barbara Casna; Chief Financial Officer/Treasurer, Gayle Carson, Mike Jones, John S. Burket, Patrick Maddox
The spring Holstein Association USA, Inc. (HAUSA) board of directors meeting on March 26-27 at the Association’s Brattleboro headquarters Brattleboro.
The board heard a presentation on the new mobile website for use on smartphones and tablets, which welecomed more than 450 visitors, the majority of them on smartphones, since its February launch. Management reported EnlightTM, the online management tool, has enrolled 654 herds since June 2014.
Program Activity
Management reported registrations through February 28 of 58,399, up 2 percent from the same time last year. Total transfers, including individual, whole herd, and family transfers, through the end of February, stood at 8,673, up 32 percent from 2014. Holstein COMPLETE® enrollment through February 28 totaled 305,727 cows and 1,860 herds. This is an increase of 7 percent and 2 percent respectively, since the end of last year.
Research
Work continues on a project to find haplotypes of elite Holstein females associated with their valuable and unique phenotypes, which began in 2013. The Type Advisory Committee recommended a research project to find out specifically what role genetics/genomics could play in reducing the occurrence of digital dermatitis (hairy heel warts) in Holstein cattle.
The board also heard an update on the feed efficiency research project being conducted between USDA and several universities. Since 2013, the Holstein Association has provided type evaluation services on approximately 2,000 cows in the study, which will last through 2016. The main project plan is to deliver genomic breeding value estimates for dry matter intake and residual feed intake and to learn more about the relationship of feed efficiency to body, mobility, udder, and other type traits.
Holstein History
One of the highlights of the meeting was the tour of the Holstein Association USA, Inc.’s new history room. Still in development, the “Ideal Holstein Room” is designed to create a space to preserve and display important historical Holstein Association artifacts and documents that tell the story of the Association. President Glen E. Brown led the initiative for this permanent home of important Holstein history.
Other Board Action
Several recommendations by the Genetic Advancement Committee were approved, including:
- To emphasize the need for continued validation/verification of actual phenotypic performance of type and production
- To make the haplotype information available on the weekly genomic updates
- To support a research project on the genetic resistance and susceptibility to digital dermatitis
- To encourage USDA-AGIL to continue to study heat stress across the U.S., with the goal of identifying the genetics that works best in different climates, and
- To support the industry moving to an annual Genetic Base Change.
The Junior Advisory Committee’s (JAC) recommendation to transition the Junior Breeder and Production awards from an application process to a query process was supported in hopes to acknowledge more youth. This will be used for the first time in 2016 using 2015 data. Awards involved are:
- Breeder of an EX Cow
- Breeder of a Multiple E Cow
- Cream of the Crop (replaces 30,000# Cow)
- 150,000 Lifetime Cow
- 200,000 Lifetime Cow, and
- Junior Star Performer (replaces Junior Progressive Breeder).
Adult members Matt Lippert, Wis., and Staci Zilles-Nelson, Utah, were both reappointed to a second two-year term on the Junior Advisory Committee.
The Association’s has a new legislative affairs page to keep in touch with elected and appointed officials via email and through other means. Visit www.holsteinusa.com, click on “Our Association,” and then “Legislative Affairs.”
Proposed Bylaw Amendments
Finally, three proposed amendments to the Constitution and Bylaws will go before delegates at the annual convention in St. Charles, Ill., this June. The first would remove the requirement of holding the annual meeting in June or July. The other two proposals increase the number of delegates allowed to serve and would establish a process for appointing alternates from neighboring states to unfilled delegate seats.
The next board of directors meeting will be June 22-23, in conjunction with the Association’s Annual Meeting and Convention.
