The 2016 April ABV release was not only a great result for Genetics Australia but an even better result for Australian farmers, says Genetics Australia General Manager Anthony Shelly. In what could be an ABV first, full brothers WRANGLER and GEEMCEE hold the top two positions on the Balanced Performance Index [BPI] while a third full bother CHALLENGER, also obtained a top all round first ABV.

WRANGLER and GEEMCEE join 2015 leading BPI sire CHRISTMAS and high rated GOLDCREST to see Genetics Australia hold an impressive 4 of the top 5 BPI positions on the new 2016 Good Bulls Guide. In addition CHRISTMAS is now the Number 1 bull for Type Weighted Index [TWI] while GOLDCREST holds the Number 1 mantle for the Health Weighted Index [HWI]. A total of seven new Holsteins had graduated to the proven team following the April ABV release.

Genetics Australia General Manger Anthony Shelly said the result was most pleasing and justifies the investment and support Genetics Australia has shown in embracing Australia”s new breeding indices and in the use of genomic technology.

‘We first began to include genomic data in our young bull selections as far back as 2008 and with continual improvements to the reliability of genomic breeding values we are really beginning to see the improvement in Australian bulls, particularly in the hard to measure traits such as health and fertility. MEDALLION and more recently CHRISTMAS were great examples of how genomics can help lift the quality of bulls selected at a young age. WRANGLER and his brothers now with the improvements to genomic technology were selected on the basis of their genomic rating and now represent the new era in Australian standing Holsteins, and that is not only great news for our cooperative but even better news for Australian farmers.’, he said.

The April ABV release also saw the new release of the top new genomics sires and the results for the cooperative could not have been more pleasing. Seven of the top 10 Holstein bulls stand at Genetics Australia, reinforcing the investment in genomics and assuring Australian famers will continue to have ongoing access to world class bulls standing in Australia. KINGTUT, also bred by Rengaw Holsteins heads the Holstein BPIg list at 308 and offers a 111 Daughter Fertility rating while the successful Manna Farms herd from Yankalilla in South Australia bred second placed Holstein COOLBLUE.

The result for the Jersey genomic team is no different with 7 of the top 10 bulls standing in Australia and all owned by the cooperative.

Mr Shelly said Genetics Australia shareholders will again have exclusive access to these top young bulls as members of the Horizon Genomic program.

‘We see the demand on high rated genomic bulls continue to rise every year and we will continue to offer our shareholders first opportunity to select these bulls as part of our Horizon Genomicprogram at PT prices. The best of the young genomic bulls will also be available more widely as they complete Horizon Genomic Programdistribution. A combination of the top proven bulls together with the best young bulls in a breeding program has increased the range and variety of bulls available to farmers and will continue to help lift the genetic merit of herds around Australia’, he said.

Polled Jersey AUSSIEGOLD also obtained his first daughter proven ABV. Mr Shelly said the reliable 1st ABV of AUSSIEGOLD further validated the use of genomics as he had been a high demand sire based on his ABVg and now with 113 milking daughters closely mirrored his genomic ABV.

Through the alliance with US genetics supplier World Wide Sires a number of high rated bulls are also available. Jersey breeders will be pleased to see the first ABV of US Jersey sire 7J1038 – All Lynns Louie Valentino. This bull offers a great balance of production and type and at 271 BPI ranks 7th overall in April. A number of his highest genomic sons have also been included for testing in Australia. Top ABVg Jersey DROGO still leads the charge as the highest genomic Jersey bull standing in Australia.

Mr Shelly said the quality and variety of bulls available to farmers in 2016 was at an all-time high. He highlighted the success and solid performance of second crop bulls MEDALLION, DELSANTO and BUDDHA.

‘These three bulls are now all 99% reliable for production ABV and both BUDDHA and DELSANTO 98% reliable for type while MEDALLION has a type reliability of 99%. We are sure farmers who used all three bulls will be pleased that with just short of 10,000 daughters collectively milking of these sires BUDDHA and DELSANTO remain in the top 1% on BPI and MEDALLION in the top 1% for mammary. Farmers can continue to use these bulls with a great degree of confidence in what you see is what you get, he said.

Based in Bacchus Marsh, Victoria, Genetics Australia is Australia”s leading animal breeding organisation, a farmer owned and controlled cooperative established in 1958. It is committed to supplying Australia”s most profitable genetics and making them available at reasonable prices.

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