ABS Global, Inc. (ABS) is committed to providing customers with superior bovine genetics designed to enable them to produce high-quality animal protein more efficiently, in the form of meat and milk. We invest heavily in strategically identifying, developing, and marketing animals which we believe are best able to drive forward genetic progress in your herd. To continue to provide you with the most effective genetics, and to protect our ongoing investment in our breeding program, ABS has developed the Icon Sires™ program. By executing an Icon Sires option agreement with ABS, you get access to our best commercial genetics, while also having the potential opportunity to receive a respectable price for the progeny of Icon Sires that come back into the ABS system.
Icon Sires Offspring Option
If you have a son or daughter from an Icon Sire that you wish to sell, first check that the sire is listed on this page and your Icon Sire son or daughter meets the genomic testing requirements listed below in the Genomic Test Requirements section.
If your Icon Sire son or daughter meets both these requirements, fill out the Offspring Option Submission Form. If ABS selects your son or daughter for purchase, ABS will pay you the value listed under the Option Price section of the Option Terms page.
If your Icon Sire son or daughter does not meet both of these requirements, no more action is required on your part, and you are free to sell your offspring at your discretion, subject to ABS’s standard Terms and Conditions.
If you are unsure whether your offspring meets the genetic testing requirements, contact ABS at [email protected].
Genomic Test Requirements
The Genomic Test Requirements are listed below. Please obtain a United States genomic evaluation on your offspring from an approved Council on Dairy Cattle Breeding (CDCB) nominator before filling out the Offspring Option Submission Form. If you wish to sell your offspring and have not obtained a U.S. genomic evaluation, your offspring may still qualify for ABS’s Offspring Option, and you may not sell your Icon Sires offspring until a U.S. evaluation has been obtained and you have confirmed ABS no longer has any rights in the offspring under the Genomic Test Requirements. If you are unable to obtain a U.S. evaluation, please contact ABS Product Development at [email protected].Your nominator will provide you with a GTPI (Genomic Total Performance Index) score, which is a Holstein Association Calculation that measures the genetic merit of a bovine animal. If no GTPI score has been provided, you may provide ABS your genetic evaluation and ABS will calculate the GTPI. If your offspring has a haplotype not listed below, they may still qualify under the general Holstein or Jersey offspring category.
GTPI Scores – ABS Global
| Category | GTPI Score |
|---|---|
| Holstein Offspring (male or female) | 2810 GTPI or higher |
| Polled Holstein Offspring (male or female; homozygous or heterozygous) | 2680 GTPI or higher |
| Red Carrier Holstein Offspring (male or female; homozygous or heterozygous) | 2680 GTPI or higher |
| Dominant Red Holstein Offspring (male or female; homozygous or heterozygous) | 2680 GTPI or higher |
| Jersey Offspring (male or female) | 120 JPI or higher |
| Polled Jersey Offspring (male or female; homozygous) | 100 JPI or higher |
| Polled Jersey Offspring (male or female; heterozygous) | 120 JPI or higher |