World leading Holstein bull Toystory has smashed his second world record as he produces his two millionth dose of frozen semen. And at just 11 years old, dairy farmers look set to benefit from his genetics for many years to come.

Toystory (BW Marshall X Patron) became the most productive bull ever in May 2011 when he passed the previous record of 1.767 million semen units. The new two million dose milestone has been achieved in less than six and a half years as US A.I. centre CRI only started collecting his semen in November 2005.

“This new record is a testament to Toystory’s consistent ability to deliver the type of genetics that is demanded by dairy herds across the world,” says Nick Kirby, Managing Director of Bullsemen.com, who sell Toystory semen in the UK.

“What is so impressive is that the new record is for frozen semen. Past records have been for fresh semen which is much easier to process.”

“Time and time again, customers are impressed by the easy-to-manage cows that Toystory delivers. They comment on their ideal milking speed and calm temperament”.

There are nearly 75,000 Toystory proof daughters worldwide, with more than 400,000 daughters ‘on the ground’ in total, and he is a feature in many dairy herds across the UK.

Toystory plays an important role in the herds of dairy farmers Paul Greening and Dan Norris, who commend him for his consistency in delivering good calves and the temperament of his daughters.

Mr Greening of Waverbank Farm in Cumbria says: “Toystory is a very fertile bull; in fact I’d say he’s still the most fertile bull we are using.”

Meanwhile, at Sandy Hill Farm in Somerset, Mr Norris says this: “Toystory is a good all-rounder. His cows are very good milkers, but that’s balanced with a good temperament.”

Commenting on Toystory’s latest record, Doug Wilson of breeders CRI says:

“When you consider how many hundreds of thousands of bulls have entered the global A.I. industry in its 70 year history you appreciate what a remarkable achievement this is by Toystory. His success is partly due to his excellent genetics and the care of the team here, but it is primarily to the fact that he continues to deliver what farmers want – productive, healthy and contented cows.”

Mr Wilson believes that the latest genetic technology such as genetic evaluations based on the genomics of a bull and sexed semen might mean that Toystory’s record will never be beaten.

Looking to the future, Mr Kirby says:

“This is a story where we will be not saying ‘The End’ for some time yet. Because of his reputation, Toystory is still a major asset to any dairy herd and even though he has been joined by many great bulls in the past few years, he continues to more than hold his own. To celebrate this unique milestone we are offering Toystory semen at a special price of just £14 a straw as a feature of our latest Bull Book.”

The Toystory

Chapter 1: Born 7 May 2001. Full name Jenny-Lou Marshall Toystory. Dam Jenny-Lou Patron Toyanne. Sire BW Marshall. Bred by Wisconsin-based Cooperative Resources International (CRI) who had previously bred internationally popular bull Bell Rex.
Chapter 2: First semen doses collected in November 2005.
Chapter 3: Inimex Genetics began importing Toystory semen into the UK in 2006 and selling it to dairy farmers via Bullsemen.com in 2007.
Chapter 4: He produces one millionth semen unit on 10 June 2009 at just eight years old. He is one of the youngest bulls to pass the landmark.
Chapter 5: During 2010 Toystory produces 386,000 doses of semen. He is still in the top 100 of American bulls in early 2011, demonstrating his longevity and value.
Chapter 6: Toystory gains an international following. His semen has been sold across North, Central and South America and Europe, but is also popular in Japan, Korea, China, Russia and Pakistan.
Chapter 7: Toystory becomes the most productive bull ever in May 2011 when he delivers his 1,767,000th semen unit at just 10 years old. He beats the previous record set in the 1990s by Dutch bull Skalsumer Sunny Boy. Die-hard and Jacko, who also passed the 1.7 million dose mark, did so in 15 and 16 years respectively.
Chapter 8: In May 2012, just before his 11th birthday, Toystory becomes the first bull to produce two million semen units.

To be continued...

The death of top quality Holstein bull Laudan means there is now a limited opportunity to benefit from his world-class genetics.

With an exceptional pedigree of Lukas X Raider X Blackstar, Laudan was renowned for his longevity holding the number one Lifespan bull position in the UK in 2009 with a score of +0.8. He was the most popular bull in Europe and his enormous fitness potential means that he is found in most Holstein breeding programs across the world.

Libea, a German daughter of Laudan, recently achieved 100,000kgs of production in just her seventh lactation. She peaked at 13,491kgs of milk in her fourth lactation, delivering 5.08% fat and 3.29% protein.

“Laudan is prized by dairy farmers across the world and we are anticipating very strong demand for the remaining semen,” says Bullsemen.com managing director Nick Kirby.

“Herds throughout the world have benefitted from his longevity and productivity and I urge producers who want to have the same benefits to put their orders in very soon.”

Laudan Daughter: Ilona

With over 64,000 daughters internationally, Laudan still stands out for his health traits. Now with a proof based on his 389 UK daughters he scores + 0.3 Lifespan, -16% Cell Count Improvement and a daughter Fertility of + 3.2. In addition to his health traits his daughters are very profitable with a £PLI of 121 and + 508 kgs Milk. A UK Type Merit score of + 1.26 and very good Mammary composite of + 1.48 enable his daughters to stand the test of time.

Laudan died at 13 years old and there is limited stock of his semen available in the UK. Bullsemen.com is selling Laudan semen at £19.50 a straw.

Genomic bulls might have only been in the bull proof run for the first time in April, but they are already securing top positions. Bullsemen.com is the UK’s largest supplier of genomic bull semen and dairy farmers have access to the best genomic bulls in the latest Bullsemen.com Bull Book.

The Holstein bull Abraham (Jeeves X Ramos) was the highest performing genomic bull in the run entering the rankings with a Lifespan +0.7 and a Daughter Fertility score of +3.6. A very good Type Merit score of +1.96 and a Milk production figure of +386kgs means that his daughters are able to combine strength, longevity and milk output.

“Abraham is an excellent example of the benefits of using genomic bulls,” says Bullsemen.com managing director Nick Kirby. “

Dam: Welcome Ramos Annie

He will deliver UK daughters that are ideally suited to the needs of today’s dairy herds, while the extra genetic information that the genomic system gives means that dairy farmers can improve the quality of their cows with confidence.”

Sexed Abraham semen is available now from Bullsemen.com and his full details are contained in the Bullsemen Bull Book.

Abraham is just one of nine genomic bulls available from Bullsemen.com in its latest Bull Book. Others include Chap and Denim who deliver milk containing the A2 beta Casein Gene for which there is a growing market. Chap has excellent Type (+3.28) and Mammary traits (+3.05), while Denim scores very highly for profitability (PLI 210) and health (Lifespan +0.5).

Overall, there were 32 Bullsemen Holstein bulls out of 100 in the April Top Daughter Proven list, double that of the second placed cattle genetics company. Details of many of those bulls are in the Bullsemen Bull Book alongside proof topping Red Holsteins and Friesians.

“By working with respected Holstein genetic suppliers from across the world, we are able to offer the best bulls possible for British dairy farmers,” says Mr Kirby.

“The Bull Book contains special ‘Best of Both’ genomic and conventional offers valid for the whole of May. The book has all the information producers need to choose the right bull for their herd.”

Dairy farmers can order semen or get copies of the Bull Book by calling Bullsemen.com free on 0808 202 3230 or via the website www.bullsemen.com

Alliance, with a UK Type Merit of +2.58, is delivering progeny to match his outstanding linear proof, with over 107 classified daughters in the last six months averaging 1.5 points higher than their dams according to Holstein UK.

Daughter:  Hanna

With an average type classification score of 82.0 (61.7% being higher than their dams), this ranks Alliance as the second placed available Holstein bull in the category for bulls. There are now 450 Alliance daughters in the UK, and more than 120 herds recognise his strengths.

A Canyon Breeze Allen son, Alliance is from the great Laurie Sheik Canadian cow family, out of a Comestar Lee daughter of Comestar Lausan Black VG87. With exceptionally strong all round type, Alliance is specifically notable for his +2.42 Mammary and +1.92 Legs and Feet figures. His daughters display excellent Locomotion, as demonstrated by a UK score of +2.54. A Life Span score of +0.3 mean these long-living cows are a great asset to any herd, while a Temperament rating of +2.06 and good ease of milking allows for trouble-free management.

“This is further evidence that Alliance is doing an excellent job for type in the UK,” comments Bullsemen.com managing director Nick Kirby. “Daughter numbers for Alliance rose significantly between the January April bull proofs, but so did his score.”

“He illustrates Canadian Holstein breeding at its very best. Alliance is an all-rounder with no weaknesses. He is ideal for dairy farmers wanting size, good muscle, strength and style as well as excellent functional traits and good production.”

Mr Kirby adds: “Ease of management and good health traits are important as herd sizes grow and the demands on farmers and herdspeople increase, allowing herds to minimise costs and stress. Alliance fits the need for productive and placid cows perfectly.”

Leading Holstein sires Loydie, Logan and Toystory are amongst a significant number of elite bulls available from Bullsemen.com that are guaranteed to pass on the desirable A2 beta-casein protein gene to their daughters.

With interest in A2 beta-casein milk production growing following the recent formation by Wiseman of a UK-based joint venture company to source and market this added value alternative to standard milk, the wide availability of elite Holsteins with this genetic trait is a boost for dairy farmers, says Bullsemen.com’s Nick Kirby.

“Progressive dairy farmers in the UK will be looking at ways to differentiate their product and add value, and A2 milk is undoubtedly an opportunity for the future,” he says. “A2 betacasein is the original milk protein and is the key to what is being positioned as an alternative product for the significant proportion of the population who may suffer digestive discomfort from drinking standard A1 milk. The market is already established in Australia, for example, where A2 milk generates a significant premium for producers.

“Dairy farmers that are considering the merits of establishing an A2 herd can begin the process by only using bulls that are homozygous A2A2, and will therefore be certain to pass on the A2 gene to their daughters. Given that high £PLI Holsteins such as the Oman sons Loydie and Logan are A2A2, there need be no penalty or detriment to making these breeding decisions.”

Bullsemen.com has around 70 Holstein sires available to UK farmers that are homozygous A2A2, offering wide access to this potentially important trait without compromising other breeding priorities.

Sons of leading US Holsteins Freddie (Badger-Bluff Fanny Freddie, No.1 in the most recent US TPI rankings) and Super (Charlesdale Superstition, No.4 in US TPI rankings) feature in new UK genomic indices released as part of the April 2012 proof run.

Freddie has never been available in the UK for health reasons, but his ET progeny are highly sought after. Amongst the Freddie sons on the new UK genomic listing is De-Su Freddie DENIM, with a £210 PLI, an excellent somatic cell count reduction figure of -23 and outstanding Lifespan at +0.5.Denim is third ranked Holstein for daughter fertility in the genomic listings, alongside another Freddie son, Co-op Freddie GILL. Welcome GERVASE, a further Freddie son with over £200PLI, has 608kgs Milk with 47kgs Fat & Protein.

Minnigan-Hills DAY leads the way amongst sons of Super, offering the second highest combination of Type Merit and £PLI, with a TM of 3.55 and £179PLI. Also with high Type Merit, at 3.28 – with Mammary at 3.21 and Feet & Legs at 2.1 – is Eildon-Tweed Super CHAP. This Super son excels in production too, with 678kgs Milk and 41.6kgs Fat & Protein.

Super Daughter

These sons of Freddie and Super are available in the UK from Bullsemen.com, which is in partnership with leading US breeding co-operative CRI.

“CRI has led the way in genomics in the United States and so has a lot to offer UK dairy farmers now that the system has been adopted over here,” says Bullsemen.com managing director Nick Kirby.

“Super is a good example of the progress made and the opportunities that now exist. A Boliver son and O-Bee Manfred Justice grandson, he has been used internationally as a sire of sons for several years. An all rounder with outstanding production and type proofs, Super was one of the first top sires with sufficient daughter numbers to allow comparisons to be made between their genomic and progeny-based figures.

“With availability of official genomic proofs, and sufficient confidence in the system, sons of bulls of the calibre of Super and Freddie – who has himself never been available in the UK – are an exciting proposition.”

High ranking Braedale Goldwyn son Guarini is one of the biggest movers in the April 2012 daughter-proven Holstein bull proofs with a significant improvement in his £PLI which is up £28 TO £229PLI, leaving him fourth placed in the £PLI rankings.

Guarini Daughter - Lorella

With his Type Merit stable at an impressive 2.35 and milk production at +505 kg, Guarini is a rarity as a bull available to UK producers with over 500 kg milk, £200 PLI and +2.3 Type Merit.

Guarini, with a wider pedigree that includes Oman as his dam’s sire and the Jocko Besne son Junker, is +2.8 Daughter Fertility (up +0.2), -30% Somatic Cell Count (improved from -23), +0.3 Lifespan (up from +0.2), reflecting all round improvement across an impressive combination of type, production and functionality.

Whilst Guarini only had his first progeny proof in April 2011, he is already well-known in Germany as one of the highest genomic proof Holsteins available, originating from the Rinderzuchtverband Berlin-Brandenburg / RBB AI stud area – well known for the bull Laudan.

Heidenskipster GOLDDAY is the latest outstanding Braedale Goldwyn son introduced by Bullsemen.com following the April 2012 Holstein proof run.

 
 
Daughter - Jean

With a UK Type Merit of +3.07, £185 PLI and 511kgs Milk, Goldday offers UK dairy farmers a balanced combination of production and functionality. This is reinforced by figures of +3.71 for Legs & Feet, +1.99 Mammary, +3.6 for Daughter Fertility, -14% Somatic Cell Count, and +0.4 Lifespan.

In use as a sire of sons on the strength of his outstanding pedigree and genomic index, Goldday has been widely tested in Germany and already has a progeny proof with 55 daughters in 39 herds.

Goldday is highlighted for his high breeding values for protein, longevity, daughter fertility, locomotion and positive calving traits. His dam ALH O-Man Destiny descends from a fantastic breeding cow, Markwell Durham Daisy EX 92, and can therefore be traced back to the legendary Markwell Blackstar Raven EX 95. Destiny is the full sister of the new O-Man-son ALH Duke.

Bullsemen.com is offering many of its leading Holstein bulls in its 2012 winter sale, including Jancen the 2nd in £PLI rankings, Levin the highest ranked Holstein for Lifespan and Loydie a top 10 £PLI Holstein available sexed. The sale, which runs to the end of January, also includes the high Type Merit Holstein Alliance, who climbed significantly in the December 2011 proof run and whose first UK daughters are averaging +2.9 Type Merit points higher than their dams.

Lynbrook JANCEN, an Oman son bred in Ireland and from the famous Luke Classic family, was edged into second place in the £PLI rankings in December, is an exceptional bull at £242 PLI, +461 kg Milk and +0.5 Lifespan.

Comestar Lee son LEVIN with a Lifespan of +0.8 is the leading bull for this important trait in the UK. He is also £155 PLI and +4.2 for Daughter Fertility, making him another bargain in the winter sale.

Loydie Daughter : Schreiner Nectar

Co-op Oman LOYDIE (Oman x BW Marshall) is in the top 10 for £PLI in the latest rankings and available as conventional and fully sexed semen. Loydie has significant advantages over many other Oman sons, producing cows with excellent chest width and body depth and good rump width. At £217 PLI and with milk production of +472kg, +0.11 and +0.1 fat and protein percentages respectively, +1.4 Daughter Fertility, +0.2 Lifespan, and exceptional calving ease, Loydie has all the attributes for all round herd improvement. Dairy farmers buying Loydie at the sale price can also buy the same volume of fully sexed semen at a discounted sale price.

Please call their dedicated team of breeding advisors for further information and the lowest prices available – Freephone: 0808 202 3230.

The addition of 125 daughters has resulted in significant increases in the UK proof for high type Holstein Alliance in the December 2011 rankings announced this week, moving his figures closer to what has for some time been an impressive international proof.

A Canyon Breeze Allen son, Alliance is from the great Laurie Sheik Canadian cow family, out of a Comestar Lee daughter of Comestar Lausan Black VG87. His latest UK proof, now based on 242 milking daughters, shows significant improvements across the board, with his PLI up from £77 PLI to £95 PLI, his Type Merit up from +2.15 to +2.41, and his milk production up 90kg to 389kg. Lifespan has also increased significantly for Alliance, up from +0.2 to +0.3.

“This significantly improved proof is consistent with the reports we are receiving from the field,” says Bullsemen.com managing director Nick Kirby. “Alliance is certainly delivering progeny to match his outstanding linear proof, with his 21 classified daughters in the first half of 2011 averaging 2.9 points higher than their dams according to Holstein UK. With an average type classification score of 82.2 (71.4% being higher than their dams), this ranked Alliance ahead of any other Holstein bull in the category for bulls with 20-50 new classified daughters in that period.

“Breeders can be confident that Alliance is doing an excellent job for type in the UK,” comments Bullsemen.com managing director Nick Kirby. “He illustrates Canadian Holstein breeding at its very best. Alliance has no weaknesses and will suit dairy farmers wanting size, strength and style as well as excellent functional traits and good production.”

Alliance is currently on offer from Bullsemen.com at £16.50/straw.