{"id":3046,"date":"2021-04-11T23:00:58","date_gmt":"2021-04-11T23:00:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www-dev.absglobal.com\/au\/?p=3046"},"modified":"2021-04-13T23:11:33","modified_gmt":"2021-04-13T23:11:33","slug":"jeronimo-joy-holstein-smashes-breeding-records","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www-dev.absglobal.com\/au\/2021\/04\/11\/jeronimo-joy-holstein-smashes-breeding-records\/","title":{"rendered":"JERONIMO joy – Holstein smashes breeding records"},"content":{"rendered":"

Australia\u2019s highest-ranking dairy bull and heifer were revealed on Monday in the latest Australian Breeding Values (ABV) release.\u00a0ABS JERONIMO-P<\/a> was the first sire to record a Balanced Performance Index (BPI) of more than 590, coming in at a record breaking 596, deeming him the most profitable dairy sire in the nation.\u00a0The Holstein also notched a breed-leading 602 on Australia\u2019s Health Weighted Index (HWI) \u2013 a breeding index that values vital traits such as fertility, mastitis resistance and feed saved.<\/p>\n

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ABS JERONIMO-P is the first sire to record a Balanced Performance Index (BPI) of more than 590, coming in at a record breaking 596.<\/p><\/div>\n

A heifer sired by JERONIMO-P and owned by south west Victorian dairy farmers Andrew and Jacqui Delaney was also crowned Australia\u2019s number one heifer, with a BPI$ of 544 – up 51 BPI points from the December ABV release. Australia\u2019s top heifer is about 15 months old and is one of about 40 owned by the Delaney family that will be joined in the coming weeks to Bomaz EPISODE. JERONIMO-P has flooded the pointy-end of the heifer rankings, having sired 34 of the top 100. The Delaney\u2019s own five heifers sired by JERONIMO-P in the top 100.<\/p>\n

The rise of JERONIMO-P is a win for Australian dairy farmers, a vote of confidence in genotyping and proof selecting sires for local conditions delivering profit, according to ABS Australian Business Operations Manager Bruce Ronalds.\u00a0\u201cWith 27 daughters milking in Australian herds, Jeronimo\u2019s performance has eclipsed his genomic prediction,\u201d he said.\u00a0\u201cIf ABS hadn\u2019t run every bull through the Australian genomic system, Jeronimo may never have been found. He\u2019s the ideal sire for Australian conditions and his success demonstrates to farmers that there are bulls which deliver profit and health benefits for our unique milking systems.\u201d<\/p>\n

JERONIMO-P burst onto the Australian breeding scene three years ago as the first sire to hit the market with a BPI of more than 400.\u00a0He\u2019s remained at the top of the ABV genomic list since. In this recent ABV release, JERONIMO-P<\/a> lifted 2 points to 104 for temperament, 64 points for ASI (production) and 3 points for mastitis resistance.<\/p>\n

Terang dairy farmers Bryan and Jo Dickson have nine JERONIMO-P daughters milking in a herd of up to 1000 and these heifers contributed to the bull\u2019s ABV ranking.\u00a0In late March, the Dickson heifers had an average PI of 100, with the highest hitting 109.\u00a0\u201cThey are going reasonably good considering he is a health sire, health doesn\u2019t go into the production index,\u201d Bryan said. \u201cThey also aren\u2019t out of super good cows, just normal, standard cows. None of the heifers kick and they aren\u2019t slow milkers either.\u201d<\/p>\n

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ABS JERONIMO-P has flooded the pointy-end of the heifer rankings, having sired 34 of the top 100. Pictured are a group of JERONIMO P in-milk daughters at Dixie Park Holsteins, John, Helen and Matt Glennen.<\/p><\/div>\n

Across in South Australia, JERONIMO-P heifers have met the expectations of Mt Gambier dairy farmer Shane Gardiner. Two of the five milking in Shane\u2019s 250 cow herd have undergone their first herd test with the results proving to Shane the value of genomic technology. \u201cI am definitely more confident that they are going to be profitable animals,\u201d he said. \u201cSo far, from what I can see, they are performing the way I expected them to perform. It gives me confidence that they are going to do the job we bought them for in the first place.\u201d In March, the heifers were calved six-to-seven weeks and while they were showing promising signs in the vat, Shane was also pleased with them in the dairy. \u201cThey are very quiet, he said. \u201cIt\u2019s good because it\u2019s a safety factor, for starters, and its enjoyable to milk quiet cows.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jeronimo\u2019s Journey<\/strong><\/p>\n