The UW-Madison Dairy Judging has arrived! Scotland welcomed the team that will compete at the Royal Highland Judging Contest in conjunction with the Scottish Highlander Show. The team is comprised of Brian Coyne, Chelsea Holschbach, Ben Sarbacker and Kelly Sime along with former UW-Madison Dairy Judging Coach, Ted Halbach.

Update from Kelly Sime…pictures coming soon!
June 23, 2011

We arrived in Glasgow, Scotland after our 6.5-hour flight at 9 am local time. When going through customs, the officers decided to hold Brian and make sure he wasn’t working without a permit in Ireland later in the summer. After an hour of interrogation he was allowed to pass through customs.

Our first stop was the National Museum of Rural Life, which exhibited the tools and methods of farming throughout history in Scotland. The museum included old tractors, milk machines, and an operating farm, fashioned as it would have been in the 1950s.

After that we travelled to the west coast of Scotland to one of the three Scottish Agricultural Colleges in Ayr. There we toured a modern Scottish dairy, consisting of about 200 cows and 80 Sheep. The cows had a choice of housing between pasture and a freestall “cubicle shed” and were milked in a double-eight herringbone parlor. Perhaps the most interesting part of the dairy was the automatic calf feeder which fed milk to about 20 calves. Due to the fact that farms are basically in the towns and cities in Scotland, the consumers are typically more vocal about their opinions of animal care. Because farmers are a part of the community they try to respect the wishes of the consumers and don’t use calf hutches. Because of this all of the calves were housed in groups, not individually like we are used to in the US.

We were also interested to learn that farms are required to keep their Bulk Tank SCC under 300,000, so their restrictions are much tighter than they are in the US.

Stay tuned for more!

France National Holstein Show

Thinking the language barrier would barricade any conversations with French Holstein breeders, we were hesitant to converse with many. However, the words “Goldwyn”, “Jasper”, and “Fever” have no boundaries!

We were able to visit with the Grand Champion’s owner and many other exhibitors about their breeding and embryos they are using from the states and Canada.

What I found most interesting was that after no more than a minute of visiting, farmers asked “What embryos are you using?” Not the common question of “What bulls are you using?”

This show hosted nearly 300 head of milking Holsteins (no heifers) and breeders from across the country of France. Also in attendance were companies in the impressive tradeshow.

Because there was another large Holstein Show going on at the same time more south of Le Mans, the numbers and attendance was a slightly down from years past. However, the show proved to be enjoyable by both exhibitors and the public.

In order to enter this show, breeders must pay $10 and donate their milk to a milk processor. With that form of “payment” comes free bedding, feed for the cows, and feed for the people! Much different than the US, but it works for them!

Announcing of Grand Champion was quite the event. It included everyone on the grounds in one building, a DJ and 10-piece band in the background, a 1,000 person wine toast to the champion, and shouting “Bravo” to the champions. Very exciting and grand!

We were fortunate enough to tour the French countryside and visit a few Holstein Farms afterwards. Right now, most of Europe including France is in desperate need of rain resulting in struggling corn. The buildings and infrastructure were as beautiful as they were old. Barns dating back to the 15th century are still standing with the original bushes and tress! Gorgeous!

Email me at olso4703@umn.edu if you would like to here more about France! My England update is soon to come.

Minnesota’s own Elizabeth Olson, sister of former, famed World employee Sarah Schmidt, is reporting to us after attending a few European Holstein Shows! Look for more from Elizabeth’s travels coming soon!

National Prim’holstein – French National Holstein Show – Le Mans, France – May 28th, 2011
Holstein Grand Champion: Venus TGV (Gibson X Reubens)
Owner: Gaec Derriere La Tour
Breeder: Vasseur Regis
Holstein Reserve Grand Champion: Bonher (Instinct X Lheros)
Owner: Earl Du Grand Gue
Breeder: Earl Le Guillou Fabrice

Check out their blog for videos and French commentary: http://nationalprimholsteinlemans2011.blogspot.com/

Suffolk County Show – Suffolk, England – June 1st, 2011
Judge: Tom Phillips
Holstein and Supreme Grand Champion: Rendham Aspen Nav Jane – 1st Place 4 year old
Owner: Rendham Holsteins, Strachan Family
Breeder: Rendham Holsteins, Strachan Family

Holstein Reserve Champion: Rendham Rogue Prog June – 1st Place 2 year old
Owner: Rendham Holsteins, Strachan Family
Breeder: Rendham Holsteins, Strachan Family

Both owned, bred, and exhibited by Rendham Holsteins, the Strachan Family, of Rendham, England. Rendham Holsteins are also the owners of Rapid Bay Jerseys – UK Herd.

Harley Nicholson, a sire analyst and Jersey Department head for Semex, was in the area visiting various herds and selecting cows for future contract matings in mid December this past year. The friendship between the subjects of the photo below stretches back over 30 years to a time when Harley used to visit Grand Oak Farm as a young sire analyst in the late 70′s and early 80′s. During his bi-annual visits he contracted many of the cows that were then owned by Bruce and Alan and housed at Whittier’s Grand Oak Farm facility.

One of the cows Whittier housed at Grand Oak Farm in those days was – Welcome Strephon Gala, a Very Good score Strephon daughter bred by Bill Peck of Schuylerville, NY. She was owned in partnership between Alan, Bruce and Ken Adams – formerly of Ken-Ric Farm in Spencer, MA.

Little could anyone seen standing in this photo ever imagine that one of the greatest bulls in breed history, Braedale Goldwyn, would eventually have his ancestry trace back to the Gala cow through BOTH the sire and dam’s side of his pedigree. Another interesting fact about this cow is that she had at one time 5 sons listed simultaneously on the Top 100 TPI list. Obviously, this fact was partially influenced because of the aggressive flush program the partnership employed on the cow. But never the less, her genetics blossomed through even during that era of time.

Harley’s greatest personal achievement in genetics might well have been a decision that ultimately changed the course of Holstein breed history, as well as the lives of thousands of dairymen across the globe. It was Harley Nicholson who decided it might be a good idea to sample just one more son of the great Round Oak Rag Apple Elevation before they closed the door completely on him as a sire for the “next generation”. So, against the advice and wisdom of some other influential geneticists of the time, Harley penned a deal that resulted in a bull called Hanover Hill Starbuck becoming a member of the CIAQ bull stud in Quebec, Canada. The rest is history and what’s even more amazing is Harley never even had to consider taking a hair sample from Starbuck’s tail! But that’s how good cowmen did it in those days. It kind of reminds me of what Paul Harvey always said: “Now you know the REST of the story”!

The photo below was taken at the home of Alan & Shirley Lilly in Ashfield, MA where we stopped briefly that day just to say hello.

Lindsey Worden of Holstein USA has been serving as a guest blogger for her time at YDLI (Young Dairy Leaders Institute) – here is her final report, along with some photos!

YDLI Day 3 – “Taking it Home to Elected Officials”

The final day of YDLI Phase III was centered completely on understanding the political process. In order to be able to affect policy, it is important to understand how it is formed.

The morning began with the basics – how a bill becomes a law, the differences between the House of Representatives and the Senate, and some fundamentals of how to influence the law-making process. This was led by Holstein Foundation Programs Manager Jodi Hoynoski, Chandler Goule, YDLI Class 5 alum and Staff Director of the House Agriculture Committee Subcommittee on Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry, and Charlie Garrison, President of the Garrison Group, LLC. The three combined have a great deal of experience working in Washington, D.C. for the dairy industry.

After laying out the basics, it was time for the class to test their knowledge and gain a greater understanding through an interactive exercise. The participants were divided into two groups – representing the House of Representatives and Senate, assigned a party and a specific role to play, and given the task of debating, voting on, and passing a Dairy Commission Bill. The House and Senate voted separately, then a Conference Committee came together to work out the details of the bill. The session was a great chance to more about the political process from the experts, and even those that didn’t necessarily have strong interest in politics were able to learn some new information. If farmers aren’t willing to take steps to create change, it is certain that others will, so it’s important to have an understanding of how public policy works, and how to have an influence on it.

At lunch, Jerry Jennissen, Brooten, Minn., was recognized as the 2008 YDLI Distinguished Alumni Leader Award recipient. Jennissen is a graduate of Class 1, and the eighth recipient of this honor since the program began in 1994.

Michele Payn-Knoper closed the final session, empowering class members to develop a take-home plan for the group of how they could continue their work and have an impact on the dairy industry. The YDLIers summed it up by developing a Class 6 mission statement, resolving to stay connected and involved. With great minds and passion for the industry, there’s little doubt that this exciting group of young people will continue to have a real impact on the industry in the future!

Of course, the class could not go home without “celebrating their ride” with a Final Fiesta! Following the close of the last session, the group headed out to the world-famous El Pinto Restaurant in Albuquerque for a night of great fun, food, and fellowship with their classmates. The evening began with a chili cook-off, pitting seven teams against each other to see who could brew up the best authentic New Mexican chili! Not only did the teams have to work together to create the tastiest food – they also had to come up with a team name, decorate their aprons and chefs’ hats to match, and come up with a song or skit to perform when presenting their creation to the judges! You would have thought that after three days of intensive learning that the groups creative juices would have been zapped, but that was definitely not the case! After the cook-off winners were declared, everyone sat down for a final meal together, enjoying some delicious enchiladas and other authentic New Mexican cuisine.

For more information on the YDLI program or the Holstein Foundation, visit www.holsteinfoundation.org or contact Jodi Hoynoski at 800.952.5200, ext. 4261.

YDLI Class 6!

Dawn Mausser, IA, tries to convince Holstein Association USA Vice-President Larry Tande to join her group during an exercise on “working the room”

YDLI Coach Michele Payn-Knoper looks over Johnathan Chamberlin’s shoulder as he receives his role for the mock board meeting

Kathryn Higgs, OR, Becky Heimerl, WI, and Chris Connelly, PA, answer audience questions during the mock town meeting

Holstein Foundation Programs Manager Jodi Hoynoski, Maggie Jennissen, 2008 Distinguished YDLI Alumni Leader Jerry Jennissen, Linda Jennissen, and Holstein Foundation Trustees Chairman Chuck Worden

World-famous El Pinto Restaurant – site of the class’ Final Fiesta!

Teams working hard to try to cook the best chili!

Scott Silviera, CA, works hard to saute his veggies

Lindsey Worden of Holstein USA is once again serving as a guest blogger from YDLI, here is her recap of Day Two!

Young Dairy Leaders Institute – Friday, February 27, 2009

Day Two, Friday, of YDLI was another day jam-packed full of exciting and relevant issues that dairy producers are facing. The focus of the day was “taking it home to consumers.”

Dr. Wes Jamison from the University of Florida led the first session of the day, which dealt with successful conflict resolution techniques. These skills are applicable whether dealing with consumers, colleagues in the workplace, or even family. Conflict is something that most people deal with on a daily basis, in one form or another, and knowing how to properly manage the conflict can determine the final outcome. Class members learned about the different types of conflict, identified sources of it, and learned to deal with conflict in professional and productive ways.

Next was the Animal Welfare panel, which provided some extremely thought-provoking discussion for the class. Panelists included Dr. Clive Wynne from the University of Florida, Dr. James Reynolds, the AVMA Animal Welfare Committee Chairman, Mr. Gene Baur, Founder of Farm Sanctuary, and Dr. Bernie Rollin, from Colorado State University. The class heard statements from each panelist about their general policies and thoughts on animal welfare, their response to a scenario that was presented, and then the panel entertained questions from the audience. All-in-all, a great discussion was had, and everyone gained insight into both sides of the animal welfare debate.

The afternoon began along a similar line with Dr. Jamison again taking the floor and furthering the discussion about consumer perceptions of animal welfare. The class gained some valuable perspective into how consumers view animal welfare issues. One of the take-home lessons of the day was that, when trying to convey messages to consumers, it’s important to realize that the debate is typically more of a moral issue than a scientific one. Both producers and consumers want what is best for animals, but their opinions of what is “best” often differ between the two sides.

The remainder of the day’s session was spent on a continuation of a Phase I exercise – on-the-street consumer interviews. Participants visited the University of New Mexico campus, interviewed people at the hotel, or went online to do research. They tested some of the new key messages that were learned during the previous day’s meeting training, as well as Dr. Jamison’s afternoon session. Everyone learned a little more about consumer perceptions of dairy – both positive and negative.

Friday evening was a time to unwind with dinner and a hilarious show from comedian Russ Rivas.

Check back tomorrow for pictures and a report on the final day of YDLI 2009!

Producers Celebrated The Dairy Industry At The Young Producer Winter Get-Away Hosted by Accelerated Genetics

Guest Blogger:
Kari Stanek, Communications & Public Relations Coordinator at Accelerated Genetics

Producers and their families from Wisconsin, Minnesota and Iowa attended the 2009 Young Producer Winter Get-Away sponsored by Accelerated Genetics on January 31-February 1 at the Kalahari Resort in Wisconsin Dells, Wis. Even with a challenging economy ahead, about 200 attended this year’s event and truly celebrated family, friendships and most importantly the dairy industry!

The weekend kicked off on Saturday with producers coming dressed to ‘Chill Out’ for the weekend. Even though it was warm inside the hotel, the producers and children dressed in winter wear, some old and some new. And those who were the most creative enjoyed some fun prizes awarded during dinner.

Chill Out Dressed Up Contest Winners. From left: 4th Place – The Heck Family, Durand, Wis. – Dale, Mary & Marsha (they took off their warm clothes early); 3rd Place – The Tveten’s, Utica, Minn. – Paul & Rae; 2nd Place – The Larson Family, Evansville, Wis. – Jamie (Amy & Ellie not in photo); and 1st Place – The Solum’s, Spring Grove, Minn. – Dan & Tricia.

As the conference got started everyone was grouped together in tables of eight. Then they were given toilet paper, construction paper and tape and instructed to be creative and make a snowperson in 5 minutes time. The group was definitely creative…and it helped everyone meet someone new.

The snowman team from Minnesota…Ben Tibor, Elle Walker, Issac Kronebusch, Eric Walker (snowman), Chelsea & Cory Lehnertz.

What a big carrot that is.

A perfect snowperson…but can they move?

As the day got rolling, the adults and children split into different sessions and activities. The adult session featured Gary Sipiorski of Vita Plus. His presentation focused on Business Planning and Farm Transitions. This interactive session got producers talking about the cost of production, cost of food both domestically and internationally, how production agriculture has changed in the last 100 years and how progress has been affected by the economy. Above all it got producers look at yesterday and today, in hopes it will help them plan for the future.

While the ‘heavy’ discussions were going on with the adults, the kids got to check out Kalahari’s new Themepark which has go-carts, bowling, mini-golf, lazer tag, rock climbing and so much more.

Getting ready to ride the Go-karts on the second floor.

Rope climbing, bridge crossing is another adventure to test the youngsters.

And don’t forget about the high soaring ferris wheel that takes kids up to the sky!

And the youngest kids in the group got to have fun making crafts and watch some movies.

The kids also participated in a coloring contest, here are the different age division winners.

Saturday evening consisted of dinner followed by free time for everyone to enjoy the Kalahari’s huge indoor waterpark. And then before bedtime everyone gathered for the PJ Party and Ice Cream Social where producers could play cards, games and watch a movie on the big screen.

Sunday morning arrived quickly, some were worn out from the waterpark and others from staying up late watching movies. But after a filling breakfast, they were re-energized for the morning’s scavenger hunt to find chunks of icicles around the building (it was really string, but everyone used their imagination). The groups then had to build the longest icicle. The winning icicle building team called themselves the ‘Snowflakes’.

Then the adults and children split for two different sessions again. The youth had a hands-on Home Safety session, which included experience calling 9-1-1 and what one should say and do in a real emergency. During this time the adults learned more about the Coop Health Care program that is available to producers in Wisconsin from Melissa Duffy.

Ending the conference was a special session called ‘Dare to Risk Life Change’ presented by Rebecca Long Chaney. Her session covered her yearlong adventure overseas with her husband, Lee, mostly on an 880,000-acre cattle ranch in the Australian Outback. The incredible life-changing journey, filled with physical and emotional challenges, led to the publication of “Bulldust In My Bra – An American Couple’s Working Season in the Outback.”

Today, Chaney is a full-time mom to five-year-old twin daughters, Rianna and Sheridan, and promotes her book nationally through inspirational speaking and is a freelance writer. Chaney is also proud that the first book in a new agricultural education children’s book series by their twin daughters was released in 2008 entitled, “Little Star… Raising Our First Calf.” It is being considered for an agricultural literary award with the Ohio Farm Bureau.The family lives in Maryland where Lee manages Randall Land & Cattle Company, a registered Hereford operation.

Leading the activities throughout the Winter Get-Away weekend was a dynamic group of individuals…the Accelerated Genetics Young Producer Committee members.

Front row from left: Kelly Cookson (Alex Gimler) Katie Grady, Tricia Solum, Donna Parrell, Tammy Styczynski, and Amy Larson. Back row from left: Jerry Gimler, Tim Bowers, Tom Grady, Brian Koch, Dan Solum, Joe Parrell, Jeff Styczynski and Jamie Larson.

If you live in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, and Illinois – the Accelerated Genetics cooperative membership areas – and are interested in attending future Young Producer events check out the Accelerated Genetics website www.accelgen.com or contact Kari Stanek 800.451.9275 ext. 222 or kstanek@accelgen.com. For those interested in Accelerated Genetics Young Producer events, the upcoming activities include:

Leadership Conference – March 28-29 in Wisconsin Dells, Wis. Young producers interested in learning new things and meeting other producers should check out Accelerated Genetics’ upcoming Young Producer Leadership Conference. This year’s event titled ‘Breaking New Ground’ will take place at the Wintergreen Resort and Conference Center. Accelerated Genetics has specifically tailored the Leadership Conference for persons who would like to improve leadership skills, participate in educational activities, network with other producers and have good time doing it.

Speakers Jolene Brown, Donna Moenning, and Tom Jadin will be featured at the Leadership Conference, along with other educational and fun-fi lled sessions designed to help producers manage and lead their family, farm and cooperative in the future. The Leadership Conference is designed for emerging young leaders (individuals or couples) who have not previously participated in this conference. Reservations need to be made by March 2nd.

Summer Meltdown Celebration – June 13, 2009 at the Hoard’s Dairyman Farm in Fort Atkinson, Wis. The focal point of their new facility is the milking center with a double-10 herringbone parlor. The farm uses electronic ID using neck-chain transponders. This system and automatic sort gates, eliminates the need for lockups in the free stall barn, permits milking summary reports and free stall barn activity reports that assist the herd with heat detection.

Following the farm tour, producers and their families will be treated to lunch on the farm. Then the Summer Meltdown Celebration will move to the Hoard Historic Museum and the National Dairy Shrine Visitors Center-which captures the sights and sounds of dairy farming of the past, present and future.

We all realize that we’re facing tough times in the dairy industry lately, but not much can compare to the trying “weather” times of Washington State. Holstein World contributor Ann Marie Magnochi lives in the middle of the excitement and has posted many of the flood pictures at the following links on her Facebook account:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=57263&l=1c596&id=524668095
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=57274&l=dae5d&id=524668095

Here are a few to give you an idea of the magnitude of the flooding…

And in her own words, Ann Marie retells the tale of dealing with the disruption of everyday life:

“We knew the high water was coming, and since we had water in the barns in November, pretty much everything was picked up to stay dry already (so we thought). The main concern was the animals and the feed. We hauled out heifers and calves Tuesday afternoon and night to neighboring farms in the valley that don’t get water, leaving just the milk cows and dry cows on the farm. There’s a field across the highway from the barns that during the worst flood recorded has stayed half dry. (That’s where we ran everyone during the Nov. flood) The water was predicted to be high enough to get in the barns by 4 o’clock Wednesday night. So, we milked late that morning, thinking we would run the cows across the road to the high field, and hopefully be milking Thursday night, or Friday morning.

Some neighbors brought trucks and got all the hay out Wed night, except for about 75 bales we left on a trailer in the barn.

We went back to check on the cows at 8:30 Wed night, and they weren’t in high spot of the field. We couldn’t find them, and were rather scared about trying to get through the flood waters to the barn to check the other end of the field. We were also very concerned that the “high” part of the field was nearly gone, and the river wasn’t supposed to crest for another 14 hours. Not knowing what else to do, Dad drove down the highway on the tractor to see where everyone was, fearing the worst. He found them all, water over their knees, standing at the gate, wanting back across the road to the barn. The water behind them was easily over their heads; so there they were, stuck. We couldn’t get a trailer in, and didn’t dare open the gate as they would for sure swim back over to the barn where the water was way deeper. Reports said the water was only supposed to come up another 6″, so we decided to leave them there, and hope for the best…not knowing what else to do.

About 10 minutes later, they busted down the gate and headed for the barn. By now, there was no dry ground anywhere at the farm, and the water was easily 2′ deep over the highway in front of the barn. The worst party though, was that we are in a direct route from the dike, so the current through the farm is insane. It’s not just calm flood waters, even though we’re on the very fringe of the valley. (You can see in some of the pictures how crazy the current was through there. At night, when everything was relatively calm, it sounded like a freight train rushing through there.)

We chased cows until 3:30 Thursday morning, trying to get them to my parents’ place south of the farm. By the time we were done, we didn’t know which cows were there, and which weren’t. We were sure we’d lost at least a third of the herd, as favorite faces were missing. Later that morning, one of the kids who lives at the farm said he saw three cows north of the farm on the highway on a small island of high ground. We loured them in with hay, got them caught, and took them out tied to the back of the tractor.

We never lost power, and surprisingly, no structural damage that we can tell. We dumped the milk out of the tank, and left the valve open, so the pressure would equalize in the tank and it wouldn’t go anywhere. A guy north of us in Duvall left his shut and the buoyancy of the tank pushed it out the back wall of the milk house. The hay we left on the hay trailer got wet, and the bottom of the grain bin got water. Everything we had in our quonset hut that normally stays dry got water. The tack boxes, show halters, fans, waterers…everything is soaked and covered in mud.

All the round bales we had stacked up behind the barn went everywhere. Some pushed through the fence to the lane and nearly ended up in the lagoon. Others went into the lean-to with the compressor and vacuum pumps, several were in the middle of the highway, and others ended up across the road and were snagged by blackberries and the fence.

The “cattle drive” was to bring the cows home. There really wasn’t anywhere to load out of at my parents’ place, so we decided to bring them home John Wayne style. There is an old railroad grade that runs parallel to the highway, so we brought them up our driveway, down the railroad grade, then down a side street to the highway, then down to the barn.

I haven’t heard of anyone losing cows, so that’s good.

This was the worst flood our area has seen by nearly 2 feet. What made it worse was that the hydrologists were predicting for the longest time that it was only going to be 60.9′ at crest. The highest recorded crest was 61.2′, so we knew where the water should go. But it never stopped. So, by going off what the hydrologists said, we were shooting ourselves in the foot kinda.

And, I can’t say it enough, when it comes to these kinds of things, it’s amazing the support you get from the community and fellow dairymen. We had probably 50 people (no exaggeration) helping bring those cows home Friday night. Folks that got hit hard last year were calling, wanting to know what they could do to help. We had all the freestalls and box stalls pitched out and bedded within 10 hours of getting back in the barns.

So, all things considered, we feel pretty lucky. No dead cows, barns all in tact, and no one got hurt. I have a lot of dry cows right now, and a lot of cows with really sore udders, but with time, they’ll be okay.”

Report on the Council Meeting October 2008

The Council on Dairy Cattle Breeding met on October 29th in Baltimore Maryland. Each segment of the industry that is represented on the Council presented an overview of the new activities or concerns in each of their respective industries.

The PDCA introduced Nicole and Stephanie Stout as the new management team for the Red and White Dairy Cattle Association. They also mentioned that work was continuing on refinements to the uniform dairy cattle scorecard. They are also looking at the training of national show judges.

The DHI personnel reported on the audits of industry providers that have been completed by Quality Control Services to date. They also related industry meetings on American ID were ongoing. The development of a truly national ID program is still progressing but slower than most desire.
The NAAB report updated the industry on the new release of genomic enhanced evaluation in January of 2009. All bulls with less than 99% reliability will have a new evaluation published. A limited amount of high genomic young sires will be collectively marketed with their genomic proofs. The breeding experts hope that the dairymen utilize a portfolio technique in utilizing these young sires. That is they choose a high group of young bulls to breed from rather than just one or two young sires.

The AIPL staff announced improvements to the sire conception rate calculations will be implemented in January. They are currently performing research on two more female fertility traits besides DPR. They also described the ongoing research to utilize genomic information for genetic evaluation.

The Council has appointed a committee to make an industry wide review of the current by-laws and make any recommendations they feel necessary. This is done to reflect on the new era of research and development that is reshaping the entire industry.

The next meeting is scheduled for April 2009 and will include more access of USDA research scientists to these 3 key organizations. Everyone left the meeting upbeat about the new era of genetic advancement that is occurring.
~David Selner

Genomics and “Joe the Dairyman”

As the U.S. presidential race began to wind down, Presidential hopeful Senator John McCain, introduced “Joe the Plumber” to the American public. Regardless of politics and the U.S. elections in 2008, the dairy industry has been in their own debates. Our topic, genomics, continues to be discussed both pro and con by nearly everyone involved within the dairy industry.

Having been encouraged to provide a simple and relative explanation of genomics, the purpose of this article is to do just that. Hopefully you will also gain a clearer appreciation for what genomics is doing or not doing for the industry. Remember it is important to accurately understand what genomics is and it is important to be realistic about what the contribution of genomics to the dairy industry can be.

Essentially, genomics is a fancy word for DNA. Most of us have watched the crime shows on television and watched as they used DNA technology to catch the criminals or link someone to a crime. I recently heard that scientists believe somewhere in the future they will be able to re-create extinct animals due to the use of DNA. Why? DNA is exact and specific to each individual. Each living thing has its own unique sequence of DNA. In our dairy industry, the use of DNA to determine parentage and more importantly, which characteristics from the family each offspring has obtained is now a reality.

“Joe the Dairyman”

Let’s use the example of Joe & Mary and their five children. Four of their children have similar black hair like their parents, yet one has blond hair. One would assume that since Joe and Mary have black hair, that all their offspring would have black hair as well. So, just where does the blond hair come from?

Here is one more example. Joe and Mary both stand 5’8” tall. Three of their children are also 5’8” tall, one stands at 5’2”, with the blond hair child being 6’5”. So again, where do these differences come from? The use of DNA or in the case of the dairy industry – genomics, can prove where these differences come from and also predict what could happen in the future.

Before the use of DNA or genomics, one relied on information passed on from generation to generation to find the stature and hair color answers. So where do these hair color and stature differences come from? The blond hair on the one child comes from John’s mother. Now in the case of the stature differences, all four grandparents are also approximately 5’8” tall. John also mentions that he doesn’t recall any of his ancestors being extremely tall or short, yet Mary recalls her mother mentioning that Mary’s grandfather was extremely tall and her grandmother was not so tall. Thus, it is the genetic contribution from Mary’s side of the family that influenced the stature of Joe and Mary’s children. If we take it a step farther, the use of DNA or genomics will allow us to predict with higher accuracy, the hair color and stature of John & Mary’s next child which is to be born next summer.

Genomics in Dairy Cattle

Through years of research and studying DNA sequencing patterns, scientists have determined the locations on bovine genomes for the various production, health and type traits in dairy cattle. Through this research, they can accurately determine which genomes each individual has received and as more individuals get tested, they can more accurately determine exactly where the specific traits are coming from.

Here is another example. We all have cows that we enjoy working with and owning. For those of us who enjoy breeding and studying conformation on cows, often times we come to the realization that cows are more than an equal combination of the fathers and mothers traits. For example, in the Holstein breed, think of the daughters of Regancrest Elton Durham. While many of his daughters have very similar characteristics, every now and then, there is one that does not. Via the use of genomics, we will be able to validate that her phenotypic make-up is due to a strong maternal influence and only a small portion of her physical appearance is due to the influence of Durham.

How will genomics influence “Joe the Farmer”?

On a day-to-day basis, I would expect there to be no change at Joe’s dairy. Every morning, the cows will still need to be milked, the calves fed and chores accomplished. It is when the sales-person from the A.I. company drives in the yard and wants to discuss that companies product, that Joe then may begin to gain from the use of genomics.

If Joe decides to buy semen on his favorite proven bull, the only noticeable difference after the January 2009 proofs could be a change in the reliability values for that individual. On the other hand, if Joe wants to purchase a new young sire to use on his herd, he may notice some changes in the information about the bull. Traditionally, a young sire’s promotional flyer would have pedigree information, parent average numbers for production and type, and a reliability value usually less than 40%. With the information provided by genomics, the promotional flyer will still include pedigree and parent average values, but will show a higher value for reliability. Why? Genomics simply adds more credibility to the information.

After the January 2009 genetic evaluations, information provided will change. For all unproven individuals that have been genomic tested, those values and only those values will be published. For individuals that have not been genomic tested, you will continue to see the same traditional information. Here is an example. In the case of a calf being registered from a genomic tested father and an untested mother, the parent average information you will receive on the pedigree will be a blend of the two values. The calf’s sire information will show his genomic values and the mother, her traditional parent average values.

For bulls that have received genetic evaluation information, and have been genomic tested, the information that is published will be a combination of his genomic values along with his daughters’ contributions. Those bulls that are 99% reliable, genomic results will not effect his genetic evaluation to any substantial degree.

Will Genomics change the industry?

Yes! I believe the genetic level of males selected by the A.I. industry will shift and become more intense. How? Here is a fictitious example. In 2008, the range of Holstein bulls sampled as ranked by parent average TPI was 1200 to 2400. Via the use of genomics, the range of TPI would have shifted to the right and that range would have been 1600 to 2500. The shift in TPI value is due to two simple facts: 1) The genomics tests that have been done on bulls born prior to 2003 and compared to their traditional parent average values validates the fact why they did not survive the sampling regiments. 2) The use of genomic testing will reveal which young sires have received the best traits from their parents and show that some of these values are actually higher than the average of their two parents, thus giving them higher parent average TPI value. So for Joe, the product he is purchasing today may be a better and more reliable product than the young bull he purchased previously.

Genomic testing will also reveal individuals that were not fortunate enough to get all the good traits from each side of the family. It will also identify individuals that been given preferential treatment, and thus inflated genetic values. We have all seen full brothers at A.I. centers that don’t have the same exact genetic evaluations. We have seen full sisters that are not identical in production and type as well. Genomic testing will unveil this information and allow bulls studs to save substantial expense in progeny testing bulls that won’t make an active status. It will also allow dairy producers to find the better of the full sisters at a younger age and allow them to capitalize on her genetics and not wasting time on the inferior siblings.

What does the future hold?

Those with vision and foresight may tell you that traditional young sire sampling programs may eventually disappear, as the need to sample bulls to find out who the best ones are will become less important. But just relax for the time being, over the next period of three to four years, the A.I. companies that have supported the genomic research will continue to sample bulls in the same traditional ways to validate what the research has shown. Dairy producers over the next couple of years will be merely involved in sampling more superior young sires than in the past, and receiving the benefits of the higher genetics offered.

Nothing in the dairy industry has changed, cows still need to be bred one at a time and calves are still born one at a time. As the industry changes, progresses and moves in a new direction, the use of aAa in your herd has never been more important than right now. The concepts of aAa have not changed since its inception in 1950 and the goal of every dairy producer to own cattle that are free from fault is still the top priority goal. Even if the traditional ways of sampling bulls disappears, rest assured that the accuracy of animal analysis on the male population will remain the vital link to properly using them on cows. Remember, aAa is still the only actual information about a bull that is published for use on your female cattle! From its inception, aAa animal analysis has helped producers make more profitable cows and its traditional time-tested values will not change.

Tim Baumgartner – author

aAa approved analyzer