Alta: Proudly Contributing in Canada

Each country’s breeding goals are a bit different, but everywhere Alta sires compete for the market, there are success stories that inspire us to do even better. The fact is, we love competition and in the end good competition makes all of us better – and that’s good for you the client! In Canada too, a number of items point to Alta sires contributing positively to the goals breeders have set, and we’d like to take a moment to share them with you.

Highest Classified Cows
Recently, Canada has adopted the practice of assigning point scores to cows having achieved the ultimate category of “Excellent”. Until September 2005, there had been no distinction between cows in the Excellent category. After three-and-a-half months there have been two cows that have achieved scores of 95 points or higher and both animals carry an Alta sire: Irwindale Leduc Macy EX-95 at 5 years and Dreane Astre Inksou EX-96-3E at 11 years. Both cows are perennial show campaigners – but moreover, they are cows that espouse the longevity characteristics that Alta promotes. Both cows are above average producers in their respective herds and in particular, Inksou has produed over 200,000 lbs in 5 lactations to which her current lactation credits will certainly expand upon. Certainly this example of delivering results makes us proud. We congratulate both the owners and breeders on this achievement.

Constant Improvement
A guiding principle in the business of breeding cows is to improve upon the previous generation. And when daughters are compared to their dams, Alta sires receive top marks in Canada. Holstein Canada track improvability scores, comparing daughter to dam 2-yr-old classification scores for 1st lactation animals calved before 30 months of age, scored within the first six months of their lactation. Although providing formidable and growing competition to the monopolistic domestic Canadian market leader, Alta’s market share is small by comparison in Canada. Still, among top ten list of sires with 100+ 2-yr-old daughters scored in September and October of 2005, two Alta sires (AltaTHRONE and AltaBOSS) rank in 5th and 6th place with scores of 55.8% and 55.4% of daughters achieving higher scores than their dams. And among the sires with between 30 and 100 daughters scored the results are even more impressive: AltaMERCHANT is tied for first place honors sporting a 66.7% improvement rate. Next in line is AltaAARON with a score of 62.1%, while AltaCEVIS ranks 6th on the list with 60.8% of his daughters besting their dams. So in a list that promotes 20 sires, 25% belong to Alta!

Source: Holstein Canada’s InfoHolstein Newsletter Dec05/Jan06

AltaGen: Superior Males come from Superior Females!
Coopon Flora, long one of Alta-owner Wijnand Pon’s dairy herds, became home to the AltaGen nucleus herd several years ago. Each year about 120 of Alta’s first calf heifers are tested in this non-preferential, commercial environment, located an hour west of Toronto, Canada. It is a survival of the fittest atmosphere, ensuring those that do contribute sons to be sampled, have proven their ability to compete in an environment that typifies commercial dairying around the world.

With nearly 200 milking females in total on the dairy, Coopon Flora has ranked among the top LPI herds throughout 2005 and at year end are positioned 3rd among herds with 100 cows or more. On yield traits the results have been even more astonishing. The AltaGen herd of cows ranks 1st in Canada for milk yield, 1st in Canada for protein yield and 2nd for Fat yield. What’s more, the herd’s average rating for milk yield is 441 kg higher than the next best herd (of any size). Furthermore, the herd’s average protein rating of +52 kg is a full 10 kg higher than the next highest herd. These results – in a herd where no preferential treatment exists – are a clear indication that good bulls will be generated too. And the herd is much more than just a high production herd. Scrutinized by many objective classifiers with a keen cow sense, the AltaGen herd enjoyed much success in 2005 with 21 new VG cows - a high percentage of which achieved this score as 2-yr-olds. The AltaGen program has established a proven track record too with a significantly higher graduation rate for bulls that originate from Nucleus tested dams. The AltaGen herd is another way in which Alta’s contribution to breed improvement in Canada can be measured.

Posted Dec 23rd

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