While most of us enjoy spending time at family picnics, vacations, and in general, being outdoors, the weather poses some big challenges for our cows. In All-West country, we are starting to see heat-related stress in our fresh cows and high cows. Cows in this situation generally have a hard time getting on feed, staying on feed, or responding to our fresh cow protocols. When this lack of response takes place cows generally do not transition well and breeding, as well as production, will suffer.

The good news is, we have solutions to heat-related challenges. The even better news is, it's a great time to buy!

All-West is a proud supplier of BioFresh Boluses and BioFresh Plus Soluble. These two products have been shown to have a positive response with fresh cows, off-feed cows, sick cows and high SCC cows. We have university research to back that up, as well as numerous field studies that support our sales. But maybe the true testament to BioFresh is that more dairies than ever are using the products for one, simple reason...they work!

Within All-West Select Sires and throughout the federation a buy 5 get 1 free promotion on both products (BioFresh Boluses, and BioFresh Plus Soluble) is taking place for a limited time! Contact your All-West Select Sires representative or call the main office (800.426.2697) for more details.

Excessive heat and dry conditions have already put stress on dairy producers throughout All-West. Take advantage of this limited time offer to control heat-related stress for your cows. They'll respond better, you'll feel better...and you can get back to summer-time fun-time even quicker!

Best wishes for a safe & happy July 4th from all of us at Agrarian & All-West Select Sires

Michael Henderson
Western Region Sales Manager

Agrarian Marketing Corporation

Office: PO Box 476, Sultana CA 93666

Cell: 559-967-2676

Email: [email protected]

 Web: www.agrarianmarketing.com 

What else should I know about heat-stress management? Mel DeJarnette tells us! 

Are there any bulls that are best to use in the summertime?

How can I find out more about Buy 5 Get 1 Free?

  Just when you thought the A.I. industry was "quiet" this spring, a new "joining of forces" has heated up the genetics world again. Select Sires reached an agreement in May to purchase GenerVations Inc. and their bull housing & production facility, Sire Lodge Inc.  David Thorbahn, president and CEO of Select Sires Inc., confirms these are exciting times!

"We feel this acquisition provides our member organizations and customers access to a globally qualified, high-ranking sire lineup and gives us more production capacity to meet our growing demand for high-quality semen."

Many are familiar with some of the GenerVations sires that have been headliners in recent times, including 250HO1002 Genervations EPIC, 250HO1010 Genervations LEXOR, 250HO1049 Genervations LIQUID GOLD, and 250HO1127 Stantons MAIN EVENT.  And some might also be using two of their current Top 25 LPI sires, 250HO928 Freurehaven NIAGARA and 250HO954 Fleury Gen LE PLAN.

But just who is this new member of the Select Sires family and what are they bringing to the table?  New bulls, new cow families and a whole lot of enthusiasm for the industry!

In an interview done with Bonnie Cooper of the Holstein Journal, the history of this Campbellville, Ontario, Canada A.I. company was explained.  "It was Albert Cormier of Cormdale Genetics Inc., Bethany, ON, who laid the groundwork for GenerVations. GenerVations was formed in 1999 when a partnership was established between Albert Cormier and Dave Eastman.  It replaced the previous Cormdale Genetics division started earlier by Cormier, who had established several successful livestock and marketing businesses while breeding his Master Breeder Calbrett Holsteins herd at Georgetown, ON."

 
"Dave Eastman joined Cormdale Genetics as an A.I. sales representative in 1993 and within a year was appointed sales manager for Cormdale's semen marketing business.  A native of Eastern Ontario, Eastman grew up on his family's Mapleigh Holsteins farm at Kinburn, ON.  Intrigued by bulls and bloodlines, he began looking after the farm's breeding program at the age of 12.  Eastman graduated from the University of Guelph in 1991 where he had majored in agriculture business.  He gained A.I. experience prior to joining Cormdale by working for Eastern Breeders Inc. and Transfer Genetics/Select Sires."

"In 1998, Albert Cormier split his existing export and semen divisions into two companies and offered shares and eventual ownership of the companies to two of his employees.  Yvon Chabot of Victoriaville, QC., took over the export department and today is the owner of Cormdale Exports Ltd.  Dave Eastman became a partner in the semen marketing division which became GenerVations Inc. in January 1999.  Five years later in January 2004, Eastman became GenerVations' sole owner."

"Cormier has remained a valued consultant, mentor and friend to Eastman.  In 2004, the two men purchased a custom bull housing and semen collection facility at Cardston, AB, which was previously owned by Universal Genetics.  Renamed Sire Lodge Inc., it has always been home to the GenerVations' bulls.  The facility can house up to 300 bulls in individual and group pens."  (Source: Holstein Journal, July 2012).

GenerVations became a household name with one of their first proven bulls hitting the big time.  Calbrett-I HH Champion (EX-Extra) was a former #1 LPI bull in Canada and became a "millionaire" sire in 2007.  Shortly after, GenerVations released such big sellers as Gillette Wildthing (EX-90-Extra), Gillette Willrock (EX-90-Extra) and Gillette Windhammer (EX-95-Extra).  All three hailed from Gillette Blitz 2nd Wind (VG-88 35*), the 2011 Canadian Cow of the Year.  The next dam was a former #1 LPI cow, Braedale Gypsy Grand (VG-88 37*), the 2003 Canadian Cow of the Year.

 
250HO914 Gillette WINDHAMMER (EX-97 Extra)
Bolton x Gillette Blitz 2nd Wind (VG-88, 44*) x Braedale Second Cut (VG-86, 23*) x Braedale Gypsy Grand (VG-88, 37*) the 2003 Holstein Canada Cow of the Year. Only the 4th bull in Canadian history to score EX-97!

Other well-known cows that have several sons at GenerVations are Gen-I-Beq Shottle Bombi (EX-92 2*), Lylehaven Lila Z (EX-94 11* and a two-time All-Canadian), and Tramilda-N Baxter Emily (VG-85), a 12th generation VG or EX from Whittier-Farms Lead Mae-ET (EX-95 3E GMD-DOM).

The Red & White side of things is quite impressive as well with GenerVations graduating two outstanding bulls, Crackholm Secure-Red (a former #1 GLPI R&W bull) and Valleyriver Ruben Redman.

Eastman explains that sire stack has always been one of his leading qualifications when selecting a bull and that's remained top priority through the years.  "We haven't changed our focus on the type of dams we are looking at.  We have always been strong believers in sire stack on the maternal line.  We really prefer to have all bull dams genomic tested and if possible a couple of generations - I think this adds accuracy.  From what I've seen, many of the high ranking animals have one thing in common - tremendous sire stacks.  I think the bulls that will really create the maximum "return on investment" will be from well-known, well-respected families.  There is a certain value in the brand already created."
 
GenerVations recently classified 80 bulls housed at their Sire Lodge Inc. facility in Alberta.  Of those 80, 24 scored EX, 53 went VG and 3 scored GP.  As an added highlight, the classifiers returned to make WINDHAMMER only the fourth bull in Canadian history to score EX-97!

"Not one of the bulls classified this time was originally selected on how they look; rather they were chosen on the cow families behind them.  Genomics helped sort them from there.  We're probably luckier than most as we started working with most of our cow families before genomics became a household word.  Fortunately these families have tremendous transmitting abilities and they've proven to be high genomic testers as well."

For Dave, the building of a smaller A.I. company simply meant he had to be extremely careful with his selections.  "We didn't have room to select bulls with high genomics but no cow family strength behind them.  Maybe if we were bigger and had more room to grow, we could have.  As it turns out, we chose families that have great genomic power, and the ability to make genetic outliers.  We couldn't have planned it better!"

When asked what bulls have been his favorite sires over the years, he was quick to acknowledge CHAMPION as the sire that really got GenerVations established, but also pointed out that EPIC and LEXOR put the Ontario-based company on the map.  "And I can't forget LIQUID GOLD!  He's got GenerVations on the top and bottom side of his pedigree.  He's a great example of what our selection philosophy has always been."

What's in store for the future?  Dave has assumed his new title of Global Products Manager for GenerVations and will still work with several breed leading females, as they were not part of the merger. 

"This new agreement will be beneficial for our Canadian customers in many ways," he explains.  "Between the two sire lineups, every breeder should find more than enough bulls to fit their breeding programs.  And we'll now have access to a great number of high quality gender-selected sires.  In addition, our product line will be tremendous, and we'll have more support and research available to us."

More cow families.  More variety.  More products.  More people.  Two businesses that have long been known as working with the customer's best interests in mind.  The combination of Select Sires and GenerVations makes for a truly exciting future!

Keep up to date on all "7" and "250" bulls at www.selectsirescanada.com.   

*Photos courtesy of Holstein Journal

Stanislaus County accounts for 10% of total milk production in the state of California.  In fact, 184,161 cows produce 4,022,279,731 pounds of Grade A Milk on 248 dairies.  One of these happens to be Machado Dairy in Turlock, owned and operated by Isabel Machado and sons, Frank and John.  Their 700+ cows definitely contribute to the overall production totals for the county, averaging just over 30,000 pounds of milk per cow per year.  The way they've gotten to that impressive statistic isn't exactly "the norm" but it's been working for them...and working well!

The Machado herd was always "bull-bred" when Frank and John were young, which yielded an adequate herd average on cows housed in adequate facilities.  But after talking with the brothers for even just a few minutes, you realize that "adequate" isn't an option for this progressive-minded duo.  "We began making a lot of changes in 2002," Frank explained.  "Our first big decision was to get rid of the bulls and begin using A.I."  Their good friend, and All-West Select Sires Evaluator, Tony DeMello, was brought in to analyze the herd through the Select Sires mating program (SMS).  The ultimate goal was to work together to create a uniform and profitable group of cows.

Both brothers agree that means breeding for type and feeding for production.  "In our minds, we're trying to create a group of cows that model the ideal Holstein," said John.  "They've got deep, open rib and strength, which means they have more capacity and more room to eat.  The more they eat, the more they produce!"

Frank agreed.  "We also appreciate a good looking cow...who doesn't?  When any dairyman has invested this much time and money into a herd of cows, why wouldn't you want nice cows to look at?  We invest $8.00/day/cow for feed, and have put a lot of effort into changing this dairy around in the past few years.  It's nice to see a herd of cows that we can enjoy looking at."

The herd currently uses 90% Select Sires semen, with the 2-year-old pens full of daughters of 7HO9030 RICHMAN, 7HO9222 SHOT, 7HO9247 FULTON, 7HO9420 GUTHRIE, 7HO9893 ATLANTIC, 7HO9161 CATCH and 7HO10506 ATWOOD.  Frank and John routinely follow the recommendations from the SMS program, with the addition of some young sires when needed.  They typically pick 5-6 bulls to use on cows and 3 bulls for heifers for a six-month period, or up to 80 daughters per bull, whichever comes first.  In their semen tank you'll currently find 7HO10228 GULF, 7HO10406 DASHAWN and 7HO10176 SHOT AL, as well as young sires 7HO11118 BROKAW and 7HO12042 CORVETTE.  "We select for type and have definitely seen a difference in the cows," said John.  "They milk because they have good type.  They can move on good feet & legs, and their udders stay above their hocks."

"I agree," added Frank.  "Selecting for milk is not as important as selecting for other traits like teat length and quality udders.  We want cows that breed back and stay healthy.  We're breeding cows at 13 months and average a 23-month first calving age.  We can breed them earlier because they have grown and matured well by that age.  If you really break it down, you can almost save 30 days of feed as a heifer by breeding them earlier.  Saving 30 days of feed and getting them into production earlier pays for the semen cost.  And all that's possible because they have good type.  They're well grown-out and mature."

To illustrate that point, John printed off a list of their 34 milking ATWOOD daughters.  One calved at 2-00 and one calved at 2-01.  The other 32 daughters calved under the age of 2 years, and they are some of the biggest 2-year-olds in the pen.

Beyond genetics, there were several other factors that played into the changing face of Machado Dairy, the biggest of which was "attention to detail" as the brothers pointed out.  "We made a lot of well-timed changes.  We assembled (and learned to rely on) our management team that includes our vet, Luke Miller; our nutritionist, Todd Stroop of Pine Creek Nutrition; Tony DeMello who evaluates our cows with the SMS program; and Rory White who analyzes our operating procedures through Select's SRS program.  Our herd size grew nearly five times, and we've maintained a conception rate above 20 year round.  We keep up with the equipment and pay close attention to making quality forages.  We clean the commodity bins out completely between each load.  We purchased a heifer facility and now raise our own females after 100 days of age.  That's made a big difference because we can feed them the way we want.  Many people use a lot of corn silage in heifer rations because it's a less expensive feed.  We want to grow them big, but not heavy, so we limit the use of corn silage to our unfresh animals and it's made a big difference.  We've installed rubber mats in the barns, along with additional cooling and access to dirt lots at least six months of the year.  We also run foot baths twice a week.  There's just a lot of 'little' factors that have all come together at the right time," said Frank.

What's the biggest benefit of these well-timed management and genetic changes?  Cows are lasting longer because they're made right.  As a result, the Machados can "luxury cull."  With a current cull rate of 26% on 3x milking, Frank and John can afford to be picky on the cows they keep in the herd.  Now that everything else like feeding, cow comfort and management are working together, it gives the brothers time to focus on genetics.  "It's impossible to find more land and for the most part, everything else is where we want it to be," explained John.  "Therefore, the only way for us to grow is to improve our herd.  We have to look at where the industry is headed.  With profit margins getting smaller, we need to concentrate on making longer-lasting cows and getting more lifetime production from each.  You can choose to move forward or get out, and we're choosing to move forward!"

Brothers Frank and John Machado own and operate Machado Dairy in Turlock, CA. The herd of 700+ cows averages just over 30,000 pounds of milk on 3x milking.
 

Machado Dairy has quite an impressive group of cows, and the last round of SET classifications confirmed that. There were 13 new VG and EX cows in the herd, highlighted by a 7HO8165 MILLION daughter (EX-90 milking 139 lbs.); a 7HO10052 TIME daughter (VG-87 milking 122 lbs.); and a 7HO8081 PLANET daughter (VG-86 milking 161 lbs.).

Cow comfort is priority #1 for Frank & John Machado. In just over ten years, the brothers have made dramatic changes to the facilities, management, feeding and breeding of this 700-cow dairy, which has paid off in herd longevity and production.

John Machado follows recommendations on the SMS Program very carefully, and uses about 5-6 bulls on his cows and 3 bulls on his heifers every six months. John's pictured here with SMS Evaluator and good friend, Tony DeMello of All-West.

One of the favorite young cows in the barn is this 3-year-old 7HO9247 FULTON daughter pictured just four days fresh.
 

What's your favorite bull to use Johnny? "ATWOOD ATWOOD ATWOOD!" With over 30 milking daughters in the herd, the Machados really love their Atwood daughters and the fact that they are great standouts in the corrals.

Another bull the Machados have used quite extensively is GUTHRIE. Pictured here is a recently fresh 2-year-old daughter with a tremendous udder!

The ideal Machado cow...long-lasting, trouble-free, with plenty of width, dairyness, strength, and great feet & legs.         

Jul. 1-3 San Luis Obispo, CA CA Holstein Cow Camp
 Jul. 5 Mulino, OR Oregon Jersey Assoc. Open House & Picnic, Lady-Lane Farm, hosts
Jul. 9 Cowichan, BC Vancouver Island Holstein Clipping Competition
 Jul. 10 Cowichan, BC Vancouver Island Holstein Show, Mike Berry, OR, judge
 Jul. 12 Chilliwack, BC Hyljon Holsteins Ltd. Complete Dispersal
 Jul. 16 Milner, BC BC Branch Picnic hosted by Westgen
 Jul. 17-18 Lynden, WA Washington State Black & White and Jersey Shows, Ryan Matheron, Hilmar, CA, judge
 Jul. 18-23 Sacramento, CA CA State Fair Dairy Shows
 Jul. 23-24 Burlington, WA All-West Board Meeting (and Sharon Wilson retirement BBQ)
 Jul. 22-26 Elkhorn, WI National Red & White Convention
 Jul. 25 Alberta Holstein Association Family Picnic
 Jul. 30 - Aug. 2 Denver, CO National Cattleman's Beef Association Summer Conference
 Aug. 1-4 Abbotsford, BC Abbotsford Agri-Fair
 Aug. 6 Modesto, CA CA Holstein Summer Event - Modesto Nuts Baseball Game
 Aug. 8-10 Chilliwack, BC Chilliwack Exhibition
 Aug. 11-16 Lynden, WA Northwest Washington Fair
 Aug. 12 NEW PROOFS
 Aug. 13 Cultus Lake, BC BC Branch Golf Tournament
 Aug. 17-22 Vancouver, BC World Congress on Genetics Applied to Livestock Production
 Aug. 17-22 Fair Oaks, IN SelectCheck Training School
 Sep. 5-6 Puyallup, WA Washington State Fair Brown Swiss & Jersey Shows, Chris Lahmers, Marysville, OH, judge
 Sep. 9-10 Plain City, OH Select Sires National Technician Conference
 Sep. 9-11 Woodstock, ON Canada's Outdoor Farm Show
 Sep. 10-11 Puyallup, WA Washington State Fair Guersey, Shorthorn, Ayrshire & Holstein Shows
 Sep. 23 Vancouver, WA Pacific National Exhibition Conformation Classes, Joel Phoenix, Uxbridge, ON, judge
 Sep. 24-25 Green Bay, WI NAAB Annual Convention
 Sep. 30-Oct. 4 Madison, WI World Dairy Expo
 Oct. 1-6 Madison, WI All-West Select Sires customer tour to Expo
 Oct. 8-9 Vancouver, BC Pacific Northwest Animal Nutrition Conference
 Oct. 14-18 Billings, MT Northern International Livestock Exposition
 Oct. 23-25 Red Deer, AB Westerner Championship Dairy Showcase
 Oct. 27 Fortuna, CA All-West District Membership Meeting, River Lodge Conference Center
 Oct. 28 Petaluma, CA All-West District Membership Meeting, Cattleman's
 Oct. 29 Corning, CA All-West District Membership Meeting, Rolling Hills Casino
 Oct. 30 Turlock, CA All-West District Membership Meeting, All-West Office
 Nov. 7-16 Toronto, ON Royal Winter Fair
 Nov. 16-21 Fair Oaks, IN SelectCheck Training School
 Dec. 2 NEW PROOFS
 Dec. 2 Vancouver, BC BC Branch Annual Meeting, Vancouver Convention Centre
 2015
 Feb. 10-12 Tulare, CA World Ag Expo
 May 11-15 Richmond, UT 100th Richmond Black & White Show.