Archive for Net Merit

Delta’s Legacy: The Bull That Changed Dairy Farming Forever

Uncover Mr. Mogul Delta’s groundbreaking impact on the global dairy industry through his unparalleled genetics and advanced technologies. What was it about this bull that reshaped dairy farming around the world? Continue reading to explore.

Mr. Mogul Delta, a bull whose distinct genetic makeup, a perfect blend of the best traits from his parents, has made a lasting impression on dairy cattle breeding worldwide. Delta’s well-balanced genetics and his pioneering role in advancing sexed semen technology have set new standards for producers. Delta was not just a bull but a creator and pioneer, serving as a flagship bull for years.  Let’s explore Delta’s journey to genetic prominence, his role in integrating sexed semen into conventional breeding, and the developments that have sprung from his progeny. 

The Perfect Union: Harnessing the Best of Delicious and Mogul

Two icons in the dairy breeding world, Delicious and Mogul, had an extraordinary mating that was not a mere coincidence but a deliberate strategy to produce Delta. Delicious, outstanding, yet lacking in several aspects, combined with Mogul. Famous for his robust health and exceptional type, Mogul countered Delicious’s shortcomings. Delta resulted from the deliberate matching meant to maximize and balance the genetic qualities of both parents. His genetic profile showed a perfect mix of both parents, which gave him competitiveness and balance. Delta thus had a significant influence on the dairy sector when he first entered it.

Robust daughter Miss OCD Delicious VG-87, with roots in Windsor-Manor Zip EX-95, was ahead of her time regarding health and fitness. Among Delicious’s many successful progeny was MS Delicious Nightout VG-85, whose clones provided several sires for AI studs. Notable among her top-classified daughters at Wet Holsteins are MS Delicious Mojo EX-90 and MS Delicious 73358 EX-90, a Mogul daughter. These grandchildren serve as a testament to Delicious’s extraordinary breeding ability, securing her dairy business legacy.

Delta’s father, Mogul, has considerably changed the Holstein breed. Following giants like Round Oak Rag Apple Elevation and Pawnee Farm Arlinda Chief, Mogul ranked sixth on the list of significant foundation sires in the US Holstein breed, earning 9.97% impact. Renowned for fantastic udders, low height, and excellent productivity. Former Select Sires consultant Charlie Will called Mogul “the new Elevation.”

Delta’s Meteoric Rise in the Dairy Industry 

Delta’s entry into the dairy sector was nothing short of transformative. He immediately showcased his genetic brilliance by ranking first for net merit and Total Performance Index (TPI). Breeders worldwide hold him in high regard for his unique mix of traits, which he consistently delivered. Delta’s profile combined outstanding type qualities, robust health, and excellent productivity, inspiring a new wave of excellence in the industry.

Delta is a unique bull, embodying well-rounded qualities that set high standards in the dairy industry. He consistently produced yields that met contemporary dairy criteria, making him a reliable option for sustainable farming. His health qualities, including longevity and disease resistance, further solidified his leadership. Delta’s type features, such as solid feet and legs and well-attached udders, enhanced his appeal and motivated others to strive for excellence.

Delta’s Role in Pioneering Gender-Sorted Semen: A Technological Breakthrough 

Delta’s introduction as one of the first bulls with gender-sorted semen revolutionized the dairy sector. Gender-sorted semen changed this landscape, significantly increasing the likelihood of female offspring—a significant boon for dairy businesses aiming to maximize milk output and herd control. As we know, this changed the future of dairy farming, leading to worldwide Beef on Dairy programs. These programs, which involve breeding dairy cows with beef bulls to produce calves for the beef market, have significantly increased dairy farmers’ profitability.

Given the industry’s devotion to tradition, this invention faced resistance. However, Delta was the ideal ambassador for this new technique because of his remarkable genetic profile: robust health features, essential production, and storage type attributes. Delta provided the comfort breeders needed to welcome gender-sorted semen.

Delta changed industry attitudes, not just with outstanding statistics. His constant output of viable semen-producing, dependable, high-quality female progeny eliminated questions about the dependability and effectiveness of the method. This increased Delta’s appeal as well as helped to open the path for further acceptance of gender-sorted semen.

Delta was essentially a significant player in demonstrating its worth, not just a recipient of gender-sorted semen. His general popularity and outstanding performance records underlined the valuable advantages of this invention, thereby motivating other studs to use these advanced breeding techniques. Delta’s part in this technical change highlighted his importance as a productive sire and driver of improving dairy industry operations.

Delta’s Resilience: Overcoming EHD and Geographical Limitations 

Delta’s journey wasn’t without hurdles. Contracting EHD as a young calf in Quincy, Illinois, restricted his semen distribution in major markets like Europe, Russia, and China, potentially limiting his impact.   Still, Delta’s unique DNA helped him to go above these limitations. Crucially, his capacity to generate high-quality semen—even if it was sexed female semen—was vital. Delta’s fertility and genetic qualities maintained demand strong even if just 50% of sexed semen could be marketed as female; this resulted in over 700,000 doses sold. ST Genetics’ approach helped Delta keep a significant foothold in the dairy sector, proving that great genes can overcome considerable challenges and leaving the audience in awe of his resilience.

An Endorsement in Every Corner: Dairy Producers Celebrate Delta’s Progeny 

Delta has a fantastic worldwide influence. His legacy echoes many dairy farms from North America to South America, and his qualities have significantly impacted the dairy.

Dairy farmers all across praise Delta’s progeny for consistency and fertility. With over a hundred milking Delta daughters, Glenn Mormann of San-Dan Holsteins says, “The most excellent thing about the Deltas is that they are problem-free. Strong cows with lovely bodies, not too tall, and with excellent legs and feet abound here.

Many dairy producers agree, stressing Delta’s daughters’ consistency and outstanding udders. “Delta’s daughters are reliable and balanced,” one farmer said, “a rare find.”

Beyond appearances, Delta’s children’s fecundity is also well regarded. “Delta’s semen quality is exceptional, so breeding seasons are more predictable and productive,” one producer stated.

Delta’s continuing relevance emphasizes its remarkable dependability and stability even with many base alterations. In the dairy industry, base alterations refer to changes in the genetic evaluation system, which can lead to significant rating changes for bulls. However, Delta has maintained his high standing over several genetic examinations, demonstrating his stability and reliability. This is a lighthouse of confidence for breeders who boldly make genetic investments.

Delta’s broad impact and acceptability on the international scene confirm his reputation as a transforming agent in contemporary dairy breeding. His combination of innovative technologies and constant genetic perfection guarantees his influence will be felt in the sector for years.

Delta’s Genetic Influence Continues to Permeate the Dairy Industry Through Successive Generations 

Delta’s genetic impact in the dairy sector will remain substantial over the next generations. His daughters are much sought after in commercial and breeding environments for their outstanding udders, moderate frames, and robust health features. These qualities improve their output and provide an excellent benchmark for future generations.

Delta’s legacy is further strengthened by his sons, who show exceptional type and manufacturing quality—Delta-Lambda, for example. Many stud catalogs highlight Delta-Lambda, which also continues to produce outstanding progeny, thereby increasing Delta’s influence on the breed.

Delta’s great-grandsons and grandsons have his revered traits, which helps to explain their unusual pedigrees. These descendants guarantee Delta’s balance of excellent productivity, health, and type characteristics, therefore assuring his genetic contributions remain relevant in contemporary breeding schemes. The great-granddaughters also show the tremendous constancy and dependability that define Delta’s family.

Delta’s capacity to pass desired features across generations finally emphasizes his enormous impact on dairy cow breeding. His legacy lives via his immediate progeny, which benefits from the genetic basis he created, underscoring the worldwide relevance of his efforts to the dairy business. 

Accolades and Achievements

  • Ranked among the top charts for TPI and net merit upon debut.
  • One of the first bulls to be released with gender-sorted semen, significantly influencing industry practices.
  • Consistently produced high-quality semen with high fertility rates, earning exceptional breeder satisfaction.
  • He accumulated a TPI of 2692, based on 25,329 milking daughters, making him Mountfield Mogul’s second-highest son.
  • Maintained a stable TPI ranking close to his debut score of 2709 gTPI, marking a long and sustained impact in the industry.
  • He became the world’s number one proven TPI bull during his career.
  • He achieved significant success in multiple countries, contributing to the global dairy industry with high milk production and outstanding physical traits in his progeny.
  • Remarkably high total production with over 700,000 doses of sexed semen sold, even in the presence of geographical and health-related restrictions.
  • He produced numerous elite daughters, leading to multiple successful sons and grandsons, extending his genetic influence.
  • It is recognized for exceptional consistency in transmitting desirable traits such as balanced proportions, moderate frame size, and high-quality udders.

The Bottom Line

It is indisputable that Delta has helped shape the dairy sector. His genetic perfection and innovative utilization of gender-sorted semen have changed contemporary dairy breeding. Delta’s diverse heritage has significantly affected dairy operations, from outstanding TPI rankings to consistently high-performance offspring. Despite geographic and health-related obstacles, Delta’s strong genetic impact endures via his many sons and daughters. Delta’s narrative emphasizes the potential of modern genetics and technologies in the dairy sector. We must keep stretching the envelope of genetic science and technology to guarantee a bright future for dairy producers.

Key Takeaways:

  • Delta, born from the union of Delicious and Mogul, emerged as a top-ranking, well-balanced bull, excelling in production, health, and type traits.
  • He was among the first bulls introduced with gender-sorted semen, overcoming initial industry skepticism and proving the technology’s efficacy.
  • Despite geographical limitations due to an EHD infection, Delta’s semen sales reached impressive numbers, particularly in North and South America.
  • Dairy producers worldwide praised Delta’s progeny for their uniformity, robustness, and problem-free characteristics, making him a valuable asset in various breeding programs.
  • Delta’s genetic legacy continues through his successful sons and grandsons, notably Delta Lambda, influencing the industry through successive generations.
  • Accolades for Delta include ranking as a top TPI bull and maintaining stability in his performance metrics over his career.
  • Despite not surpassing the ‘millionaire’ mark in conventional semen units sold, Delta’s overall impact and significance in the AI industry remain unparalleled.

Summary:

Mr. Mogul Delta, a bull with a unique genetic heritage, has significantly impacted dairy cattle breeding worldwide. His well-balanced genetics and pioneering role in advancing sexed semen technology have set new standards for producers. Delta’s daughter, Miss OCD Delicious VG-87, was ahead of her time in health and fitness, and her top-classified daughters at Wet Holsteins are MS Delicious Mojo EX-90 and MS Delicious 73358 EX-90, a Mogul daughter. Delta’s father, Mogul, has significantly changed the Holstein breed, ranking sixth on the list of significant foundation sires in the US Holstein breed. His unique mix of traits, including fantastic udders, low height, and excellent productivity, has made him a highly respected breeder. Delta’s introduction as one of the first bulls with gender-sorted semen revolutionized the dairy sector, increasing the likelihood of female offspring. His remarkable genetic profile, including robust health features, essential production, and storage type attributes, has opened the path for further acceptance of gender-sorted semen. Delta’s daughters are sought after for their outstanding udders, moderate frames, and robust health features, providing an excellent benchmark for future generations.

Learn More:

The New Net Merit Formula – The Winners & The Losers

For over twenty years USDA-AIPL and now CDCB have been publishing Net Merit (NM$) values for dairy cattle with US genetic evaluations.  Over those twenty years five revisions have been made to the formula, the last in 2010, as new traits have been added, new genetic evaluation methodologies have been developed, and the economics of dairy farming has changed. The next change in the formula will occur in December 2014.

It is important that breeders consider the impact of the coming changes as they review the sire, cow and heifer NM$ indexes on August 12th.  Breeder consideration is needed because the matings that are made this fall will have offspring born in 2015 when the new formula will be in place. Obviously the changes in the formula will not affect how the new future animals will perform but it will, however, affect where the animal ranks for marketing purposes and where a herd’s genetic level for NM$ is relative to other herds.

Let’s dig deeper and see what changes are to take place and how that may affect current breed leading NM$ sires.

Significant Changes Coming In December

The following table compares the weightings, 2010 to 2014 (December), for the components of the NM$ formula.

TABLE 1: Comparison of Relative Emphasis for Traits in NM$ Index

NameLbs. MilkPLSCSCENM$PTATUDCF&L CTPI
DE-SU OBSERVER-ET16027.22.7667922.73.020.892332
HONEYCREST BOMBAY NIFTY-ET2367.22.627553-0.46-0.130.971810
POTTERS-FIELD KP LOOT-ET10047.22.6876500.081.71-0.241954
KELLERCREST BRET LANDSCAPE817.12.3685060.651.271.161838
WHITMAN O MAN AWESOME ANDY2026.92.5557540.32-0.171.212063
ZIMMERVIEW BRITT VARSITY-ET4106.82.6266680.71-0.471.552013
CLEAR-ECHO NIFTY TWIST-ET9426.82.628748-0.32-0.421.172039
KED OUTSIDE JEEVES-ET3556.82.83105151.370.971.741913
ENSENADA TABOO PLANET-ET22166.72.9867211.931.44-0.472176
GOLDEN-OAKS GUTHRIE-ET10786.72.786535-1.15-1.240.361728
DALE-PRIDE MANFRED ALFIE5196.62.966461-0.63-0.36-0.011702
LAESCHWAY JET BOWSER 2-ETN2006.52.8474551.622.031.831940
ELKENDALE DIE-CAST-ET-8726.52.7263700.681.851.991718
LAESCHWAY JET BOWSER-ET2006.52.8474551.622.031.831940
BADGER-BLUFF FANNY FREDDIE12366.42.757791.571.62.872292
CABHI AUSTIN POTTER-ET1516.42.8165200.050.410.021766
CABHI MOOSE-ET456.42.6463730.180.31.111625
SILDAHL JETT AIR-ET11186.32.6466442.882.262.912168
SPRING-RUN CAMDEN-676.22.9174330.571.790.61762
KERNDT MAXIE GOLDSTAR-ET1996.22.576449-1.28-0.61-0.961631
 

Thoughts on the changes include:

3 Proven Sires Favored by New Formula

Three currently (April 2014) high NM$ proven sires will gain from the new formula. They are: Roylane Socra Robust; Den-K AltaGreatest; and Mainstream Manifold. They are all high production sires, and the new formula will favour them. All three, Robust, AltaGreatest and Manifold will also benefit from less emphasis on their average traits – SCS and DPR.

Breeders can expect to see sires that have production indexes below 1500 lbs for milk and 65 lbs for fat drop relative to other sires for NM$. Sires over 2200lbs milk, 80 lbs fat and 55 lbs for protein will rank higher for NM$ come December 2014. Breeders that use NM$ in sire selection should consider discontinue using, after August 12th, sires with low production indexes.

2 Genomic Sires Going Up!

Two currently (April 2014) high NM$ genomic sires will be rated higher with the new formula. They are: Cogent Supershot; and Uecker Supersire Josuper. They are outstanding for production. Supershot – 2528 lbs milk, 100 lbs fat and 85 lbs protein. Josuper – 2971 lbs milk, 118 lbs fat and 92 lbs protein. Supershot has good ratings for the other traits so will remain to standout for NM$. Josuper will benefit from less emphasis on traits where he is breed average.

Many current relatively high ranked NMS genomic sires will fall back if they have only moderate milk indexes.  Breeders should consider discontinuing the use of genomically evaluated sires below 1600 lbs milk, 85 lbs fat and 60 lbs protein.

The Effect on Polled Sires

Current marketed polled proven sires are not highly rated for production, so will not fair well with the new NM$ formula. On the genomic sire side, two high production sires standout as sires that should increase in their relative NM$. They are Bryhill Socrates P (1914 milk 99 fat and 65 protein) and Pine-Tree Ohio Style P (2033 milk, 64 fat and 57 protein). Other sires that will do relatively well under the new NM$ formula are Kerndtway Eraser P, Da-So-Burn MOM Earnhardt P and Pine-Tree Ohare P.  Many polled sires have below 1000 lbs of milk and can be expected to drop significantly in NM$ come December.

1 Star Sires of Sons

One sire of sons stands out as benefiting, in a significant way, from the new NM$ formula. That sire is Seagull Bay Supersire. His high production numbers put him in an elite status – 2434 lbs milk, 111 lbs fat and 78 lbs protein. The reduced emphasis on SCS and DPR, in the new formula, will also help Supersire, as he is average for those traits.

Other genomically evaluated sires of sons, heavily used over the past couple of years, often have been only moderately high for production traits. Included in this category are sires such as Mountfield SSI Dcy Mogul, De-Su BKM Mccutchen and Amighetti Numero Uno. These sires do have some outlier high production rated sons but, on average, the majority of their sons will drop for NM$ come December.

Be Prepared to Avoid Inbreeding

With both Robust (sire) and Supersire (son) in heavy use and both benefiting from the new NM$ formula, it will require that top outcross sire and female lines be identified and used in order to avoid inbreeding. That can be accomplished by breeders using both corrective mating and genomic testing.

The Bullvine Bottom Line

The changes coming for the NM$ formula in December 2014 are not just minor tweaks. Breeders that use the NM$ index in sire selection should be prepared to set aside sires that in the past have had high NM$ ratings but were only average to slightly above average for their production indexes.


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Canadian LPI Rescaling Explained (April 2013)

Understanding and correctly using genetic indexes is important to breeders who derive a significant portion of their profit from dairy cattle breeding decisions. Major changes in the expression of indexes do not occur frequently but when they do occur it can be a time of confusion and perhaps lack of trust. The Canadian total index, LPI, has been used for over twenty years by Canadian breeders, as well as by breeders from other countries who source genetic material from Canada. When changes occur in the LPI indexing system, as is the case just now in April 2013, it is important that the reasons for the changes and the results be understood and incorporated into breeders’ decision processes.

Why Change?

For some time now the LPI values, especially for Holsteins, have been increasing quickly for all animals but it has been most noticeable for animals that have genomic evaluations. Breeders questioned how these young animals with indexes that are about 65% reliable can be significantly superior to recently proven top end bulls and active cows with their own performance values. As most breeders refer to the absolute LPI number, significant differences between the leaders on the various listings left doubt in accuracy in breeders’ minds. For breeders who think is bottom line terms and do not follow the LPI numbers closely, comment were often heard about the fact that numbers are numbers but it is annual cow profit that pays the bills, expands the business and sends the kids to college. Point being that the LPI difference between animals over-stated the net dollar difference between animals. These questions, comments and concerns were heard loud and clear by the CDN’s Genetic Evaluation Board so it studied the matter and took action.

LPI Scaling

The extreme range (-3500 to +3500) in Canadian Holstein LPI values had many drawbacks. It assigned most older long-lived profitable cows a negative value thereby telling a story that was not true and limiting the saleability of their subsequent generation. It assigned values that indicated significant differences between animals when the actual dollar differences were not that large. And due to the scaling effect for animals at the very top of the breed it gave values far exceeding the actual differences.  This latter point was especially true for bulls and heifers with only parent averages and genomic evaluations.

While studying possible solutions, CDN noted that in other major dairy breeding countries the scale for their total merit index is much much smaller than Canada’s 7000 point range. CDN decided to adopt a publication methodology for the LPI similar to what the TPI™ has used for many years. That involves calculating a value and adding a ‘constant’ to it.

New LPIs

Effective April 09, 2013  the new LPI formula is ½ Previously calculated LPI  + Constant.

cdnfigure1

Note that the highest progeny proven sires do not change in value.

currentvsnewlpi

Note that the range in values of Holstein LPIs is now much more similar, although slightly more, than the range for  Holstein TPI™

Sire LPIs

It is important to note that this re-scaling of LPI does not re-rank animals. But it does bring the progeny proven sires and genomically evaluated young bulls much closer in their values.

toplpigenomicsiresdec2012

It is important to remember that LPI is the Canadian system for ranking animals according the weights assigned to the numerous genetic indexes of important for lifetime profit. For Holsteins the weights at 51% Production, 34% Durability and 15% Health and fertility while for Jerseys those weightings are 57%, 33% and 10% respectively. Breeders wanting to place more or less emphasis on the various can calculate their own rankings using  the CDN calculator available at www.cdn.ca or going the Bulvine’s bull listings for alternative ranking systems (Read more: Bullvine Performance Index (BPI) – Top Sires December 2012).

Using Genetic Indexes

Indexes are a very constructive tool to genetically breed better animals for the future. As genetics is less than half of the reasons animal differ in profitability, much depends on breeders to not only produce the animals that will be profitable but also to feed and manage them.  Some suggested ground rules to follow when making sire or heifer selections are:

  • Use LPI, TPI™ or Net Merit are you primary list reduction tool for sires or herd replacements
  • Always check out the index values for the traits important to you (i.e. protein, fat, feet & legs, udders, SCS, fertility,..). Eliminate animals from the list that do not meet your requirements.
  • A quick way to eliminate animals is to use % RK (percentile rank).
  • Animals below 75% RK for any yield or conformation traits will likely leave progeny that reduce your profit.
  • Animals below 60% RK for health and fertility traits will not move your herd ahead for these traits of emerging importance.

The Bullvine Bottom Line

Even though the method of expressing genetic indexes may differ from trait to trait or country to country, it is always important to have a plan on what you want to improve genetically  in your herd and then to select the sires or replacement females that will produce the results. The re-scaling of the LPI values will come closer to the actual dollars amount animals return in their lifetime profit and will more accurately compare older and younger animals. By all means keep your genetics current and on target to your needs. It is best to throw out the semen from low indexing bulls. Buy high ranking genetics. It always pays big dividends.

 

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