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AltaAdvantage® Showcase – Day 7
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The first ever Alta Advantage® Showcase program wound up on Day 7 with visits to 3 partner dairies in the Baldwin, Wisconsin area. The 150 guests from 22 countries had come to expect to see partnerships with progressive dairies and a consistent standard of high quality cows by this point in the Showcase program – and Day 7 delivered! At Betzoldvale Dairy, Bomaz Dairy, and Jon-De Dairy - which together milk a total of nearly 3000 cows - Showcase guests participated in 2 producer panels and saw almost 60 daughters of 34 Alta Advantage® tested sires. |
Great Cows, Consistent Results – That’s Alta Advantage®
The group of cows at Betzoldvale Dairy, 20 daughters in all, showed lots of stature and strength, plus tremendous udders. The favorite sire was once again AltaBOSS – given a tremendous group of cows that lived up to the high standards set by the great daughters on display at Green Meadow Farms earlier in the Showcase program. This marked the 2nd time that he has shown why he truly is the 'boss' when it comes to udders, and certainly cemented his status as one of the most outstanding sires of the Showcase tour. The pick for favorite cow was split at Betzoldvale, showing the tremendous quality across Alta's lineup. Daughters of AltaBOSS, AltaFINLEY, and AltaAPOLLO were all consistent vote recipients for favorites, but it was an AltaTHRONE daughter that left the strongest impression. Two daughters of AltaOLIVER also excited the crowd with their high production and consistent pattern.
A standard of producing consistently great cows that perform in competitive, commercial environments is what makes Alta Advantage® different.
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The Performance Pen at Bomaz Dairy simply reinforced that difference. The favorite sire pick was very close between AltaTOMAHAWK, AltaADAM, AltaFINLEY, and AltaGLINT (expected to be released in November 2006). The crowd also appreciated the AltaROLEX daughter that was just fresh, and an AltaSPARTA daughter with a tremendous udder. This group of bulls showed that quality genetics-“plus” are included in key Alta programs like ConceptPlus and HealthPlus. The favorite daughter of the group was an AltaTOMAHAWK daughter, but coming in close 2nd & 3rd respectively were 2 daughters of AltaADAM that are contracted to Alta as bull mothers. |
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A feature dairy on the day was Jon-De Dairy, an 1800 cow dairy that is home to some of the finest daughters being proven in the Alta Advantage® program. Everyone will remember the tremendous display of daughters at Jon-De, all tied in a tent and presented like a show string! Tremendous frames and capacity were the highlight. The Showcase guests left with a very positive impression of AltaZESTY and two AltaPATTON daughters.
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However, stealing the show for both favorite sire and favorite cow were two 3rd lactation daughters of AltaBRISTOL – one being a 92 point local show winner, and the other producing nearly 150 lbs/day made everyone ask - who is AltaBRISTOL? Now they know. In fact, AltaBRISTOL has always been one of the Alta Advantage® "consultant favorites." Those that have used this bull will be more than pleased when the daughters turn out like the ones on display at Jon-De. The 20 daughters at Jon-De were an impressive display of what Alta Advantage is all about - delivering results! |
Genetics that Deliver Customer Satisfaction – That’s Alta Advantage®
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It’s not just about pregnancies and milk on many progressive dairies. Many progressive dairies want to work with quality equipment and quality people – they expect no less from their cows. That is an area where, once again, Alta Advantage® is leading. Dairies like Bomaz Dairy also market genetics through embryo transfer. Accurate genetic evaluations are critical to their business that goes beyond just milk. “There is nothing a dairyman dislikes more than spending a lot on semen, then the bull crashes,” states Bob Zwald, co-owner of Bomaz Dairy. Zwald’s enthusiasm for the Alta Advantage® program rests on two features. “DNA testing gives me a lot of confidence. Also, Advantage daughters being proven in large dairies with large groups of herd mates give me confidence that accurate comparisons are being made.” |
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A similar point was made by Bob Traynor, owner of Honeycrest Holsteins and presenter on a producer panel that focused on farm marketing of genetics. “Nothing worse than flushing a cow to the hot bull that then falls out of bed,” states Traynor. “I really like the thought process and DNA testing behind Alta Advantage®. You get what you see.” For the breeder like Honeycrest Holsteins, who is also the breeder of AltaRUFFIAN, genetics they can be confident in is key.
In addition to genetic quality, dairymen globally are looking for great cows that require minimal management. According to Bart Verbeek, Alta’s International Product Marketing Specialist, “Farmers need a 5 minute cow. A farmer has about 5 minutes per day to manage a cow, so they need a cow that fits into that management environment.” Alta’s unique HealthPlus Index is intended to identify the genetics that create the trouble-free cow – the “4 event cow” that routinely freshens, gets bred, gets pregnant and then gets dried off to prepare to start producing again.
Quality People – That’s Alta Advantage®
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Rigorous testing and maintaining data integrity make Alta Advantage® unique in the AI industry. But it is the quality and expertise of the people who operate the program that makes Alta Advantage® special. Progressive dairy managers who seek to combine high milk production and maximum reproductive performance appreciate it best. “Alta has people who can help with reproduction and mating. They know cows like we do,” says Bob Zwald. “Alta has the people to back up the program.” |
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That was an opinion shared by the owners and managers of 3 different Alta Advantage® partner herds – Todd Doornink, Rick Schuessler, and Rick Dada – during a producer panel held at Jon-De Dairy. The panel topic of managing for a “20% pregnancy rate and 90 lbs. production average” offered Showcase guests several areas to focus on – cattle, employees, feed and facilities. The three dairy managers agreed that minimizing cow stress will improve production and breeding performance, as will regularly monitoring feed quality through forage samples and dry matter testing.
The people they work with is also important to progressive dairy managers. “It has worked out well for us,” says Todd Doornink. “The Advantage program gave us the opportunity to test cows more regularly and have all animals properly identified. The people behind the program is key.” Doornink also noted his anticipation of the day when Alta Advantage® proven sires are available in the Decisive™ package.
For Rick Schuessler, partnering in the Alta Advantage® program was an easy decision. “We signed up right away. No other program compares to Advantage. Alta wants to know they are getting the right information from the right cows.”
It all seems so obvious. After all, dairy managers depend on accurate feed evaluations before feeding their cows. So it stands to reason that they shouldn’t accept anything less in genetics. “Advantage is a value-added product. We buy a bull and know what we get. You get assurance the proof is real,” concludes Schuessler. “A 20% pregnancy rate is an achievable goal, and Alta is there to help you.”
Posted Oct 12th
