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“Durabulls” Prominent in Alta’s August Proof Results August global sire evaluations have brought prominence to Alta’s growing list of sires offering the durability characteristic dairymen have increasingly been demanding. The promise of longer Productive Life (PL) and lower Somatic Cell Scores (SCS) are the key. From a variety of proving environments – US, Canada, Netherlands and Germany – there are new sires to consider and improved sires that demand a closer inspection. All have the necessary type and production profiles that deliver the two year olds dairymen appreciate, but incorporate the extras as well that keep them around for years. Jafral Duster Forrest is the perfect example of Alta’s growing “Durabulls” lineup. Long living daughters that resist mastitis are his specialty but they are extremely productive too with impressive type. He’s exactly what dairymen have asked us to provide. Opsal Finley follows his lead. A ton of milk is what dairymen can expect from this newly proven Formation son. But that’s not all. Finley makes beautiful dairy cows too that carry extremely well attached healthy udders. Perhaps that’s why they are predicted to last. Finley is also suitable for heifer matings. Another bull already identified for his durability characteristics has made significant type and production gains this proof round. Morningview Jacob is one of Rudolph’s best sons for delivering daughters with the legs to last. They have the well-hinged udders you’d expect, pleasing overall type, the will to work hard and they have the constitution to make many repeat performances. He’s also suitable for heifer matings. Bred the same way as Jacob, Guided-Path Tomahawk is another Rudolph son that continues to generate rave reviews from the field. Hard working cows that are built right characterize what dairymen can expect from Tomahawk. They don’t come much wetter than the Tomahawks and yet they have amazing udders with low cell scores, tracking straight on strong feet and, predictably, they last. From the German proving environment where nearly as many bulls are proven annually as in the US, selection for health traits has been evolving for several years. Still, even in Germany Ramos, a high component Rudolph son, is extreme for durability. He’s predicted to deliver better mastitis resistance than any other top 100 German bull and he combines it with an exceptionally balanced offering for type, production and calving ease. He’s available through Alta as a result of the partnership established last year with the German stud OHG. Although he’s certainly not a newcomer to Alta’s leader board, Bosside Ruben continues to chart his own course. His daughters have developed into impressive second lactation cows while reports of fancy calves are also making the rounds. Exceptional udders are his specialty – but increasingly so is durability. In fact, with culling data now replacing pedigree information, Boss has established himself as the premier longevity specialist among Canada’s top 25 LPI sires! His calves are delivered easily, his daughters resist mastitis, and they excel in delivering high component milk. He’s exactly what dairymen have been asking for! From the Netherlands Alta graduates De Crob Bingo, a son from the famous longevity specialist Lucky Leo to support Noorder Perfect*cv, already a noted Durability specialist. Bingo daughters have terrific frames, well-attached udders and legs that track perfectly straight. High component yields are a bonus on this unique “Durabull”. Perfect daughters have also helped their sire carve a longevity niche in the Netherlands. In addition to strong yields – he converts to over 100 lbs combined F & P – Perfect calves are extremely easy to deliver and they display a slow maturing pattern that supports longer life spans. Although Alta’s “Durabulls” dominate the proof news, other sires too deserve mention. Dixie-Lee Aaron and Cooks-Valley Aero Bond each have added numerous second crop daughters indicating they are precisely what their first crop indicated they would be. Aaron improved his TPI rating in May while doubling his daughters and in August he did it again. Now with over 1500 daughters in his proof the story continues to be that they are all the same. Super udders and outstanding feet and legs are the backbone that supports their high protein milk production – and that’s why Aaron continues to be extremely popular all over the world. Second crop Bond daughters are also causing a stir. Their strength, perfect foot structure and easy calving nature provide him with so many places to work. Trouble free cows are definitely his appeal. Several new bulls from the May proof round with daughter additions have extended upon their type-specialist label. Altagen-I Merchant breaks the +3.00 barrier for type while extending upon his unbelievable udder rating. If you want fancy show type, Merchant’s definitely the one. Roylane Karat makes a strong surge as well while nearly tripling his type evaluated daughter numbers. They are terrific framed cows that carry picture perfect rear udders. Rickland Patron Pat is a third type specialist that continues to broaden his appeal. Improved type, udder scores bring him to elite status, but adding production at the same time will undoubtedly help to draw attention to him. Ricecrest Marshall continues to dominate the production listing with yields that very few sires can match. Impressive type along with that productiveness helps extend Marshall’s stay among the breed leaders for TPI. Timlynn Adam continues to be the Rudolph son of choice for many dairymen. His daughters combine all the durability traits, calving ease, exceptional udders, strong feet and high protein yield in a sire of son package. Neu-Way Four Star relinquishes his title as breed leader for milk but, his gains on type and calving ease more than make up for it. Regancrest-JR Defender shows solid improvements to both type scores and production ratings along with a nice upward surge for PL. Supported by strong endorsement from the field he rounds out the newsmakers, setting the stage for a busy fall breeding season. Posted August 13th |
