June 2020

‘We do not want to sacrifice any type, but also pay attention to fitness traits like DPR.’ Joseph Osinga from Hico has a clear breeding goal in mind. Whether it concerns the group of show cows in his barn, or the large n...

Here is a wide view from the French department of Haut-Rhin. Exactly four years ago, this region – and especially its capital – was in the limelights of the entire Holstein world. In Colmar, the European Holstein Show wa...

Just in 2019 alone, no less than 16 Holstein cows were able to pass the special milestone of 300,000 lb (136,360 kg) milk at Siemers Holsteins. A herd in which the number of cows >100,000 kg milk (220,000 lb) is unparall...

It is the top sires like Basist-PP, Bronneus-P, Reduro-Red, Romanus-PP, Benettoni or Samon-RC that have helped give the TGD barn of Thomas Gerber its international reputation. Or the names of outstanding female donors li...

After the April release, Captain is far and away the leader on the American gTPI list. His profile: lots of production (1481 lb +0.19% +.05%), good (rear) udders, a high longevity index (+6.0 PL) and at that level, a spe...

In April, a large number of Hotspot sons stormed the international DNA lists. Geyser-P, Vogue 2020-PP, Harley-P, Halifax-P, Hesekiel-PP, Perfect, Otorina, Nippon-P, Hilmar-P; all members of the impressive Hotspot platoon...

They are all polled – homozygous polled (PP). They all debuted in April and they all started with noteworthy breeding values. The quartet that we are presenting here is not just a list of any four bulls. They are the hig...

It really makes no difference if we present the Millington son Totem on US or Canadian basis. The debut for the allrounder, most of whose 136 daughters are found in Canada, was eye-catching in both of the North American...

Now he has a progeny proven index! Indeed, no less than 609 milking daughters were included in one and the same release in the index of Stantons Chief – the bull who has been very popular since he was launched. At the be...

Last year, she was overwhelmingly the readers’ favourite and finished second. As such, from the outset, Luck-E Advent Asia-RC EX-94 was a big favourite for the Red Impact title 2020. Even so, the 24 other candidates incl...

The whole herd descends from just one cow, a cow born in 1996. This is the Schmitt family’s 100-cow Ralma herd at Rice, Minnesota. Indeed, for many of these cows the pedigrees traces back to the massive framed Ralma Juro...

Amazingly it has been over five years since HI has dedicated a cow family story to the Canadian Blondin Supra family. Starting at Blondin with the purchase of Diamond-Hill Warden Lass VG-87-3yr in 1984, the family’s stor...

The recent Italian April release once again brought the Zani prefix into the forefront. The index list for cows is led by Zani Bandares Mony and Zani Sound System Nora. The index list for DNA sires is led by Zani Stradiv...

Around 60-70% of the 100-cow Marshland herd (Wisconsin, US) goes back to the 1960s cow, Marshland Reflection Beatrice EX-91. Understandably for a long-standing family there are many branches at Marshland, but easily its...

Are you overlooking the passive improvement you could gain in your herds’ fertility?

Which traits receive the most attention in sire selection? What is the contribution of DNA and polled sires on your farm? Which bulls have you used the most for inseminations during the past few months? From which bulls...

Do-It-Yourself Artificial Insemination (DIY AI) has made significant gains in recent decades. World-wide, millions of Holsteins are being bred by farmers themselves or by employees on dairy farms. Besides the traditional...

No matter whether your breeding goals are aimed at producing a cow for commercial milk production, a high-type show animal, or if you are trying to breed elite genetics for an international market, two areas always requi...

From quick processing of daily administration to complete overviews of herd performance; it is hard to imagine modern dairy farming without a well-functioning management program. Since 1986, Uniform-Agri has specialized...

Established in 2012, Global Ag Alliance (GAA) initially sold fresh semen to large commercial herds in California. ‘The goal was higher conception rates but it proved too costly so we moved away from that,’ explains Wout...