SELECTIONS - Winter 2003
Reliable Genetic Superiority,
Time After Time
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Not only did 7JE442 Rock Ella PARAMOUNT-ET
top Select's list of high-selling Jerseys,
but the AJCA also registered more than
2,300 of his offspring in 2002, making him
the breed's second-highest sire of registered
offspring last year.
Photo by Frank Robinson. |
More than 50 percent of the genes represented in the Holstein active-A.I.
sire population today come from Select Sires, according to Holstein Association
USA (see page 1 of the fall 2002 Selections). Not only is this impressive, but
it also begs the question, "is this high level of genetic influence seen in other
breeds, too?"
To answer this within the Jersey breed, we used the same procedure to look at
five generations of pedigree information for sires that were active in November
2002. The resulting list shows the genetic contribution each bull has made to
the active-A.I. sire population that is being used today, as measured by percent
"genes in common." When looking at the highest 20 of this influential group (all
with 3.2 percent or more genes in common), you’ll find that the top four are
Select sires.Led by 7JE177 Highland Magic DUNCAN and 7JE159 Soldier Boy Boomer
SOONER of CJF, Select sires have 56 percent of the influence within this
exclusive group (see Figure 1).
Figure 1. Percent of genes in common for Jersey sires,
showing each A.I. stud's genetic contribution to the
breed's active-A.I. list.
Data from November 2002
This genes-in-common analysis documents past matings dairy producers and A.I.
organizations have made to create bulls that now are in active-A.I. service. But,
are there other measures that show more recent genetic choices?
Breed associations regularly track registry activity by sire for both females
and males, which shows the bulls used most for matings within the past several
years. Since 1999, at least four of the five top sires of registered Holstein
offspring are from Select. Leading the 2002 list is 7HO5157 Regancrest Elton
DURHAM-ET*CV, followed by 7HO6250 Ricecrest EMERSON-ET*BL,TV, 7HO5375 Mara-Thon
BW MARSHALLET* TV and 7HO6352 Four-of-a-Kind ELAND-ET*TV.
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Renwind Durham Charity (VG-85), owned by
Ted Renner, Dalton, Ohio, is representative
of DURHAM's early second-crop daughters.
Results like this are why, for the past
three years, DURHAM has been on of the
breed's top five sires of registered offspring.
Photo by Frank Robinson.
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When looking at the 20 Jersey sires that had the most offspring registered
annually for the past three years, Select-sired animals represent 50 percent of this
group (more than 20,000 head each year). With 5,000 daughters and sons registered
between them in 2002 alone, 7JE424 Molly Brook Glnwood FREEDOM-ET and PARAMOUNT
topped the registry list this past year.
So what does this mean for dairy producers? History and current sire usage shows
that Select-sired genetics have influenced the Holstein and Jersey breeds more
positively than the genetics of any other A.I. organization. Because of Select’s
commitment to research and development, as demonstrated by the annual sampling
of more than 350 bulls of six dairy breeds, you can trust that semen from Select
Sires will continue to provide reliable genetic superiority in dairy herds
for years to come.
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