Alta Introduces FutureStar

Alta Genetics is pleased to announce that February proof week - exciting for the usual reasons associated with the industry’s updated numbers and new release sires - will also serve as the official launch of its new marketing program called “FutureStar”. The program’s descriptive name already provides part of the story about what it is and what value it offers: the company’s future genetic stars made available today.

The founding principle for the FutureStar program is that it is much more than a marketing program for young sires. “Any company can sell young sire semen”, explains Alta’s Product & Program Marketing Manager, Paul Meyer. “FutureStar bulls have already identified themselves to qualify for Alta’s “ConceptPlus” high fertility designation, they have been selected for Calving trait information that is already known and their parent information on Health traits predisposes them to earning HealthPlus status as proven sires”. Alta is confident that FutureStar, a product of the ground-breaking Alta Advantage® program - just like ConceptPlus and HealthPlus – will be appreciated by clients for its inherent value-added benefits of superior data quality delivered from progressive, large-herd, bias-free testing environments.

The FutureStar program in human terms is equivalent to the teenager – no longer a child, but not yet an adult either. FutureStar sires do not yet have milking daughters; hence no progeny Production or Type data exists. By conventional standards they are still “young sires”, but, even for these traditional traits - and the Health traits too - thanks to second crop daughter information on their own sire, reliabilities are considerably higher than when compared to those for Advantage® young sires at the time of sampling.

Alta sires slated for the FutureStar program have been selected to deliver the benefits progressive clientele value most: High Fertility, an excellent Health trait profile - with a bonus that they enjoy very good odds of graduating to the proven lineup. The company has already established clear criteria to select bulls for the FutureStar program:

• 1. Alta Advantage® tested
• 2. Semen fertility rating from Advantage® data that qualifies for ConceptPlus status
• 3. Advantage® data that generates a Calving Ease rating of <= 9%
• 4. Pedigree prediction for Health at a level consistent with HealthPlus qualification
• 5. AltaValue rating = $200

Aside from the opportunity to access tomorrow’s genetics today the client benefits from FutureStar sires are compelling.

• 1. ConceptPlus designated - these are Alta’s best for fertility based on an average of nearly 900 inseminations per bull. Clients should expect more pregnancies with FutureStar.
• 2. Calving Ability - FutureStar sires will reduce overall calving difficulties and stillbirth rates
• 3. Healthy choice - with similar reliabilities as newly graduating proven bulls on health traits, FutureStar sires have a high probability of becoming HealthPlus sires themselves delivering precisely what producers want: more 4 event cows

“The FutureStar program is not for everyone”, admits Meyer, “but to those value-oriented clients who are willing to accept a bit of risk, this is a product that packs a powerful punch”. Still the company advises that FutureStar sires should be purchased as a group as opposed to individually, in order to gain maximum benefit. With an expected 50% graduation rate, FutureStar bulls will feature prominently among the next generation of Advantage® graduates – and as another piece to the Alta Advantage® equation, FutureStar can be touted as a program without equal.

Posted Feb 11th

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