Genetics in polled position as farmers look for disbudding alternatives
- No more horns- Australian dairy farmers invest in quality polled genetics.
- ‘DREAM BIG’ with hot new big-milk Holstein that also ticks the ‘type’ box
- Exciting new red bulls enter the Australian market
- Jersey genetics deliver for Western Victorian breeders
Australian dairy farmers will soon have access to the most genetically diverse and high-quality polled Holstein bulls ever.
This comes as more dairy farmers are buying polled bulls as a way to improve animal welfare and decrease farm workloads.
ABS Australia now has 24 homozygous polled sires – those that guarantee progeny without horns – in the industry’s Good Bulls Guide, including the highest BPI-ranked double-P polled sire ever, DENOVO 4798 ESTATE PP.
At number two is the new Holstein polled outcross sire BOMAZ POMPEII PP, 482 BPI, has also been added to Australia’s offering delivering high for vital traits such as Calving Ease, Daughter Fertility, and Teat Length.
ABS Australia Business Operations Manager Bruce Ronalds said there’s stronger demand for homozygous – double-P polled – bulls than ever before.
“By honing in on double-P bulls you can move horned animals to polled in only three generations,” he said.
“That’s compared to using single-P, heterozygous bulls, where there’s still a fifty-fifty chance of breeding an animal with horns.”
New and diverse polled Holstein pedigrees have also made choosing polled genetics more attractive, while removing the need for disbudding horned calves is welcome on-farm.
“Make no mistake, ABS has concentrated on breeding high quality, diverse double-P bulls, to meet farmer demand,” Mr Ronalds said.
“This focus has involved strategic matings and even bringing horned bulls back into the polled pedigree to breed outcross double-P bulls.”
Australia’s number one proven udder bull KINGS-RANSOM S DREAMBIG is proving that high type and good production are possible from the same bull at 406 BPI.
An outcross for many Australian Holstein breeders, he’s known around the world for delivering high-producing cows with lots of fat and protein.
Northern Victorian dairy farmers Brent and Kim Mitchell, Mitch Holsteins at Bamawm, have one milking DREAMBIG daughter and after using 100 doses, they have more to hit the dairy.
“They are good balanced heifers with lots of width,” Brent said.
“This means they are not too tall, have good deep-rib and really nice wide rumps. He’s also easy to use because he has a bit of a different pedigree.”
ABS Australia’s’ Bruce Ronalds said DREAMBIG, from the elite US stud Kings Ransom, was “wasted” pigeonholed within the show realm because of his great type.
“Production wise, he’s really kicking goals and he gained ground, thanks to genomics, with his production,” he said.
“He’s not only a showy-type, he can certainly pay the bills.”
DREAMBIG is a2 and 109 for Daughter Fertility.
There’s also good news for farmers who invested in one of Australia’s most popular Holstein bulls and long-time breed leader ABS JERONIMO P.
Not only does the farmer-favourite Holstein remain at the forefront of the breed at number four on the Australian Breeding Value (ABV) proven rankings at 493 BPI, but he continues to outperform his sons, even with 1021 milking daughters in his pedigree.
Two of the top six ABV proven Holstein sires have been bred from ABS JERONIMO P, but he continues to make an impact on Australian farms with his elite Cell Count, Mastitis Resistance, Survival, and Workabilities. Unique high milk and high component bull, DENOVO 15492 HUGO, ranked number five, has graduated to proven sire status at 491 BPI. One of the few bulls with 40kg of protein, he’s also 105 for Type and 106 for Udders.
Red Holstein HOOGERHORST DG OH RUBELS RED has maintained his place as Australia’s number one proven Type Holstein after 12 months in this position. At 415 BPI, RUBELS is a farmer’s favourite.
“Those that are milking them love them,” ABS Australia’s Bruce Ronalds said.
“Even those that normally just have black and whites, don’t care that RUBELS is red, he’s so elite within the breed, they want to keep using him regardless of his colour.”
PINE-TREE DURABLE-ET at number 15, 425 BPI, is further proof of the consistency of ABS’ bull line-up, with these long-time performers holding positions in Australia’s ABV proven rankings.
Leading Jersey genetics
One of Australia’s favourite outcross Jersey bulls has added daughters to his Australian Breeding Value (ABV) proof and maintained his position as one of the breed’s strongest production sires.
Forest Glen Craze TRIPP continues to prove himself on-farm with strong production, breed-leading teat length, and great fertility, he’s also cemented himself at number six on the ABV proven Jersey rankings.
Noorat, Victoria dairy farmers Con and Michelle Glennen, White Star Jerseys, are currently milking 37 TRIPP daughters and have another two “batches” of TRIPP calves to enter their 400-cow herd.
The Glennen’s originally selected TRIPP in their bull team because he’s an outcross sire and his semen was available “sexed”.
They kept using him because he delivered quality daughters that milk, stay in the herd, and are “invisible”.
“TRIPP is going to have quite the impression on our herd,” Michelle said.
“Not since VALENTINO has a bull had so much influence here.”
Describing his daughters as “wedgy”, Con said TRIPP delivers the much-needed “body and teat length” that the Jersey breed needs.
A TRIPP son – WHITE STAR TAVERN – bred by Con and Michelle has also hit the Australian Jersey genomic market.
Ranked 14 on the ABV genomic list WHITE STAR TAVERN is 372 BPI and a high production outcross TRIPP son, who is positive for daughter fertility, with high, wide rear udders and added teat length.
KAARMONA JERONIMO BRADY (CSCBRADY) – launched in January – remains Australia’s highest-ranking Jersey genomic bull without any daughters at 435 BPI.
A breed ‘game-changer- he’s big on milk, high on type, and has positive components.
ABS Australia has already sold 1700 units of CSCBRADY and demand remains strong.
“He’s exceeded all demand expectations and as a young bull, he’s producing very well,” ABS Australia’s Bruce Ronalds explained.
“It’s no wonder there’s so much interest in him, he’s elite for production at nearly 600 litres of milk, 41 kilograms of fat, and 36kg of protein. He’s also still the number two type bull for the breed at 111 and 110 on udders and the number one Sustainability Index (SI) bull at 929.”
ABS Australia also graduated farmer favourite and Western Victorian-bred MURRAY BROOK JAMIEO (CSCJAMIEO). He is the number two proven Jersey sire at 328 BPI adding to one of ABS’ strongest and deepest line-ups of Jersey bulls from Australia and overseas.
Reds
The future’s looking bright for Red bulls, with new game-changing genomic sires hitting Australia.
At the top of the ABV genomic rankings is ABS’ new “massive protein” bull KLOPSTAD 340 BPI.
With 1184 for milk and an “extreme” 49kg of protein, he will be available in Australia soon via ABS sexed genetics REDX™.
Number two on the ABV genomic rankings is ALME at BPI 318 and he’s shaping up as an exciting prospect for Red breeders and those wanting to add a cross into their herd.
ABS Australia’s Bruce Ronalds said ALME is the “complete package” – the fact he’s the number one genomic Red bull for Daughter Fertility at 105 is just an added bonus.
“He’s a bull that’s balanced for pretty much every trait, whether that’s production, type, or health, and a bull that will suit both red and cross-breeding herds” he said.
“At 395 for milk with components, 155 for Cell Count – which is really high for the Red breeds – as well as 105 Mastitis Resistance, 104 Type, and 103 Udders, you can see why we are excited about his future.”
KROVOLL is number three on the ABV genomic rankings at 317 BPI, while SAUSVATN PP is the top double-P polled proven Red at 253 BPI he is sure to continue to be a high-use sire
“Two years ago SAUSVATN PP was the number one polled bull and with overseas milking daughters in his proof, he’s back to number one again,” Mr Ronalds said.
“It won’t be long and he will start adding milking daughters in Australia, it’s exciting to see that he’s performing the way his genomics said he would.”