ABS genetics – a proven investment

• ABS Holstein bulls are the top four proven sires in Australia.
• Top proven Holstein PERSUADE was the number one genomic Holstein sire in August 2019.
• RUBELS RED makes Australian Holstein history with tremendous type and production.
• Up and coming genomic Holsteins are set to deliver on production, profitability, linear traits, health, and welfare.
• Exciting new “complete package” Red bull SKOIEN ticks all the boxes for Aussie farms.

AUSTRALIA’S best Holstein bulls are ABS sires. That’s according to the latest Australian Breeding Values (ABVs) released this week. ABS Australia has six of the top 10 proven Holstein bulls, including the top four sires in the country, and these are led by previous genomic powerhouse Boghill Glamour PERSUADE.

Dominating the proven Holstein bull rankings is proof that these sires are “gold standard” according to ABS Australia Business Operations Manager Bruce Ronalds. “There are only 34 proven bulls – those that have demonstrated their value to dairy farmers across the country – in Australia,” he said. “But there are up to 889 genomic bulls available. For one bull – let alone the team offered by ABS Australia at the moment – to move so successfully from the genomic list onto the proven list demonstrates the depth of these genetics and the advantage they offer the Australian dairy industry.”

PERSUADE is the nation’s highest ranked proven Holstein with a Balanced Performance Index (BPI) of 549, high daughter fertility, A2 and 249 ASI. “PERSUADE is the second sire that ABS has graduated from the top of the genomic list to the top of the proven chart,” Mr Ronalds said. “The first was ABS JERONIMO P – an absolute freak of a bull – who now sits at number three with a whopping 716 daughters in his proof, including 46 of top 100 Australian dairy females and 80 per cent of the top 10 females.”

Denovo 14744 GINETTA is second on the Holstein proven list. Scored 689 for Milk, with positive components and an “extremely high” ASI, GINETTA is also 107 for Dairy Strength and 106 for Likability.

World-renowned sire of sons and breed-leading fertility bull DG CHARLEY continues his run near the top of the ABV rankings, sitting at number four with 478 BPI. His son, Pine-Tree DURABLE, comes in at number eight at 444 BPI. DURABLE is also a highly ranked Sustainability Index (SI) sire scoring well for Feed Saved, Calving Ease and Daughter Fertility.

But it’s the history-making Hoogerhorst DG OH RUBELS RED that has had the industry talking. The highest-ranking Red Holstein ever on the Australian proven index, he’s also the number one Type sire in the breed. Scored 115 for Type, his closest rival sits at 112. RUBELS RED has been popular with farmers because of his unique balance of high-ranking type and production traits, according to Mr Ronalds. “Holstein breeders can use RUBELS RED regardless of whether they are chasing Red or not,” he said. “Breeders have used him because he’s a Holstein that ranks well. To me, his type is reflective of the industry giant Seagull-Bay MVP and we know how successful he was as a sire in Australia. RUBELS RED delivers outstanding udders, dairy strength, and slope of rump – in many cases he’s better than MVP.”

Northern Victorian breeder, Adam Dee, Clydevale Holsteins, used RUBELS RED a few years ago, initially interested in the Holstein’s outcross pedigree. But it was his “all round” proof that cemented his place in the Clydevale herd. “There are no major holes (in his proof) you have to worry about, he is a pretty easy bull to use” Adam said. RUBELS RED is also available in sexed genetics product Sexcel®.

Glorious genomic future

Dairy farmers also have plenty to look forward to, with polled, profitable, healthy and “faultless type profile” sires coming through the ABS Australia genomic pipeline. One of these is the highest selling ABS genomic sire this year Denovo 2800 SAMWISE. “With a BPI of 522, positive milk with components, 113 for Survival and good linear traits, it’s not surprising farmers were keen to get hold of him,” Mr Ronalds said.

ABS Australia also has the highest BPI “double P” bull ever – Denovo 4798 ESTATE PP. Guaranteed to deliver 100 per cent polled progeny, ESTATE PP is 540 BPI, has high daughter fertility and good mastitis resistance while also adding teat length to his progeny.

Dairy farmers can also expect more choice of quality polled sires than ever before. “When the ABS team went through and selected the sires that we knew Australian dairy farmers would like – those with balanced type, teat length, positive health traits that were also double-P – we got to 11,” Mr Ronalds said. “That’s 11 quality, double-P Holsteins available for the Australian market out of a total global pipeline of more than 40 polled sires. ABS Australia is selecting only the best of the best to come to Australia.”

ABS Australia has also seen huge demand for its new St Jacobs’ ‘Linear Choice’ branded semen. Since its launch at International Dairy Week in January, Mr Ronalds said dairy farmers and breeding advisors have jumped at the opportunity to use sires that excel with production, health, and linear traits. “Linear Choice sires are out of the box, they really fit every criterion that a dairy farmer could possible want,” he said. “We anticipate demand to continue to grow for Linear Choice as farmers reap the benefits of the all-round, quality genetics and enjoy the ease of sire selection.”

Jersey options stack-up

New Jersey sire Ranleigh LAVA – a son of Murray Brook JAMIEO (CSCJAMIEO) is injecting crucial chest width, positive milk, and components into the Australian Jersey herd. Bred in Gippsland by the Boyd family, LAVA is 353 BPI and boasts great cell count and mastitis resistance traits.

Warrain TRASK (CSCTRASK) continues his run near the top of the ABV genomic Jersey rankings at number 8 with a BPI of 374. CSCTRASK also ranks number 3 on the Sustainability Index (SI).

After launching to huge demand in spring, Gippsland-bred Balnageith JANGO P (CSCJANGO) is the number two ranked polled genomic Jersey in Australia and seven on the Sustainability Index (SI).

Offering an outcross to the Australian Jersey herd, daughter fertility and scored a “pretty extreme” 15 on Udders, the high milk flow bull with good components ABS HE MOONWALK is set to shake-up the local industry. With a BPI of 278, MOONWALK offers some compelling traits and is also available in Sexcel®.

Exciting Reds

ABS Australia has secured access to semen from the son of world-renowned elite sire STORFLOR. SKOIEN is 200 BPI on the industry’s genomic list and has outstanding udder health, daughter fertility, extreme calving ease, and short gestation. “He’s also got good milking speed and temperament. He really is the complete package,” Mr Ronalds said. “On the back of his father’s success, SKOIEN is a pretty exciting sire for the Australia market.”

This comes after ABS Australia continues to dominate the Red dairy sire market with five of the six ‘double -P’ Red sires in the DataGene Good Bulls Guide and eight of the top nine Daughter Fertility Red sires. It’s the fifth ABV run where ABS Australia has owned eight of the top nine Red daughter fertility sires.

The second highest genomic ABV Red FINSLAND P is 331 BPI, second on the Health Weighted Index (HWI) and top of the Sustainability Index (SI). Known for his production, he’s also 104 for Daughter Fertility.

New to the ABV proven list, Norwegian Red sire ROEN sits at number six for BPI and is the second highest ranked Red sire on the HWI. ROEN is available in conventional and sexed genetic product REDX™.