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Arm Chair Quarterbacks, Monday Night Football and Tuesday Morning Genomics

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Monday, March 9th, 2015

If you were the coach of an NFL football team, would you select your players based solely on looking at them or would you want to see their performance statistics, in order to decide how to assemble the best team possible? That is the question that Don Bennink (Read more: NORTH FLORIDA HOLSTEINS. Aggressive, Progressive and Profitable!!) asked at the recent genomics conference. (Read more. Genetics in the Age of Genomics – Seminar Recordings and Recap) While it’s a pretty simple question, it may forever change the way you make your mating decisions.

For generations, we have all been taught to look at a cow the same way, and that’s the way we continue to teach the next generation to look at dairy cows today. But just because that is the way it has always been done, does not mean that we have been doing it correctly. We all start out learning the parts of the dairy cow and have learned the same way as we always have on how to evaluate cows. In fact, one major publication did seven editions in a row about how to evaluate cows, and each one presented the same way it’s been done for generations. It doesn’t seem to matter that evaluating type or conformation has been proven not to be the most accurate way to determine longevity (Read more: She ain’t pretty she just milks that way).

For years, it has been assumed that, if a cow had “high type” and lots of production, she was the perfect cow. But we all know that perfect cows don’t always exist (Read more: The Perfect Holstein Cow). Nevertheless, we have bred for these two key areas: high type and lots of production. We totally disregarded that we did not make substantial gains in profitability. And, furthermore, herd life actually decreased, even though we all bought into to the theory that a high type cow is a long lasting cow. Unfortunately, actual performance data shows that, as we bred for this the cows were actually lasting less time than before. In fact mortality rates increased; conception decreased and the number of lactations that most cows lasted decreased.

Through the years, the use of high production and low fertility bulls has actually decreased overall herd conception rates. Don points out that when he “first started milking cows, and AI was in it’s infancy, farmers up and down the road, had a 60% conception rate. Today people brag if they have a 30% conception rate.” Don also points out that in 1996, 93.4% of the calves that were born in the US lived, (i.e. a 6.4% stillborn rate). In 2002, the stillborn rate increased to 11% (i.e. 89% lived) and by 2007, 14% of the dairy calves died at birth. It’s only in more recent years that the industry has acknowledged this trend and has started to put more emphasis on conception and the significant impact it has on profitability. The reason for this is we put so much emphasis on a two-year-old production that we were killing reproduction. That is because cows that get back in calf regularly drop in production because they have to use some of their energy to support the development of their calves. So the sires that gave the maximum amount of milk were also the sires who had the lowest conception rates. We all know that a cow that is milking hard is the hardest cow to get back in calf. No matter what their conformation.

The thing is that we have the systems and technology to make the changes we need to make for the future. As Don points out, we don’t need to go to the 125-year old technology of type evaluation to solve this problem. Instead of having to use theory to predict longevity, we can actually measure productive life through the actual length in months that cows last in herds compared to their herd mates. We don’t need type evaluation to guess who will last longer; we have the actual information. We have the ability to see just which cows will last longer, not from trying to figure out what type trait links best to longevity. We have actual longevity data, SCS, fertility, conception, still births, etc.

We are all armchair quarterbacks. We are all willing to second guess the mating decisions of others after the fact. The challenge is that, with the technology we have available today, we don’t have to do as much second guessing as in the past. Tools like genomics and new performance data such as DPR, Still Birth Rate, and Productive Life tell us everything we need to make an informed decision. Don asks, “Can you just pick the perfect team by just looking at your players? Or would it help to know which players have drug issues, which ones will end up in jail, which ones will last a full season, and which quarterbacks can actually complete a pass, or know how many sacks your linebackers have made in the past. As a coach, you want all this data to choose your team. Well we are not coaches we are dairy farmers, and we make our money milking cows. Don’t you want that data on your animals? Or are you just going to keep looking at them and think that you can guess which ones could perform?”

In today’s day and age, we not only have traits that are more directly connected to longevity than type evaluation, we also have genomic testing that can more accurately predict what sires and cows will last longer. Every Tuesday we now receive genomic predictions on animals. We don’t need to wait till for a quarterly classification visit, that may or may not catch a cow on her best day, to evaluate what we think from looking at her is the probability that she will last more lactations. We can actually get much more accurate data at a younger age on how long she will stay in the herd.

The Bullvine Bottom Line

Sometimes it can be hard to change the way we have always played the game. When something has been done for generations, there will always be those who are resistant to change. However, the industry has changed and the amount of information available today to make mating decisions is light years ahead of what it was just a few years ago. The game is changing, and you need to change what you base your breeding decisions on. . The best coaches and quarterbacks make their decisions based on performance data, not on hypothesis. Genomics has helped take away the guessing game. We can now know at a very young age, what the genetic potential of that calf is. We can make better decisions faster. In the past art and practical knowledge was what drove mating decisions. However, today’s breeding world calls for a different approach. It takes a level of focus and commitment, and it’s a business. It is just like football, where the coaches now use all the information possible to decide what players to put on the field and how to use those players for the big game on Monday nights. Tools like genomics have changed the game forever.

Not sure what all this hype about genomics is all about?

Want to learn what it is and what it means to your breeding program?

Download this free guide.

Show Heifer Ages – About as accurate as my horoscope

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Wednesday, March 4th, 2015

It seems like a question that comes up every February 28th, May 31st, August 31st, and November 30th among dairy breeders around the world. Since we launched The Milk House, it certainly seems to be a question of great debate. The problem is …. Is the question, in fact, irrelevant?

How big an issue is it?

The fact of the matter is that, no matter what date you choose, there will always be those who choose to “test” the system. There will be those who think they need to get the edge and register that February 28th heifer as a March 1st calf. The problem is those that really want to test the system are pushing even further and further. Now anyone who has worked with dairy calves knows that 1 or 2 days is not going to make a significant difference in the size of an animal. In order to actually see a noticeable difference, you would need to push the limits by at least 2-3 weeks. So when you talk about how much this has to be done, in order to get a true advantage, we are talking about a significant amount of time. Otherwise, you are just looking for a heifer being in the start of another class instead of at the end of the class before. While not nothing, it is certainly not that big deal that some make it out to be. The much bigger issue is those heifers that seem to get lost for weeks and weeks on end.

Any time you see a heifer with a March 1st, June 1st, September 1st, or December 1st birthday, there will always be those that suspect that the heifer is actually much older than that. Especially if she is well grown for her age. The thing that I caution is that with so much embryo transfer work and breeders using timed A.I. they are setting up their programs for calves to be born at the first of these months. Sure there will be those that come a little early, but given that the program is set up for these calving dates, the calves that come “naturally” early will usually be a little smaller because they did not have as long a gestation in their mother/recipient. And for the ones that got lost for a few days, well the relative advantage is not as big as you think, as we described earlier. In looking at the show results from last year’s World Dairy Expo and Royal Winter Fair, only a small percent were born on the 1st of the month.

Sure there will be heifers that look a little bigger for their age or squeak into a younger class. But the financial benefits are nominal. For if you are selling the heifer as a show heifer, sure size is a part of it. But if you again look at last year’s Expo and Royal results, in pretty much every class it was not the largest animal that won the class, but rather the most correct. And I advise those looking to purchase a calf for a 4-H member that you are always best to go with the most correct heifer versus the largest heifer. Not only will they be a much easier heifer to show for the 4-Her but they will also have the greatest chance of making the best cow.

How Do You Catch?

Over the years, there has been great discussion on how to catch these date of birth cheaters. There have been record audits by breed associations. Talk of judging age by teeth analysis. There have even been those that claim that they can tell the age of a heifer by looking at her tail. While all of those ways have their merits, well maybe not the tail analysis, ultimately they have not been successful. The big reason for this is that, unless you are on each farm each day, there is no actual way to judge. And all other measures are cost prohibitive. More recently there has been talk about using a lottery system. Two weeks before the nation’s first spring show, the dates for calf and heifer calves could be established using two bowls filled with numbered ping pong balls. The first bowl will have 12 balls (1 to 12) and the second bowl 31 balls (1 to 31). The ball drawn from the first bowl would represent the month, the second bowl would indicate the day. If 2 and 14 were drawn, classes could begin on February 14 and every three months thereafter . . . May 14, August 14 and November 14 . . . for both calves and heifers. If 29, 30 or 31 are drawn for months without those dates, simply draw again. Though that is counter productive as how would you compare one class from one year to the next. In order to get an age range large enough to actually mean something the variance from one year to the next in actual age for each class would have to be too large, also, in theory, you could end up with classes that have calves being born in a 2-3 day time frame. Note: For those that think the robotic milking systems and new on-farm herd management programs will make it harder to cheat, there is still the simple switch to full sisters born from different recipients, one that came a little earlier for one from a later date. There will always be a way.

The Great Equalizer

In looking at the winners of the cow classes from this past year’s Expo and Royal you will find that none were born on the 1st of the month. That is because by the time these animals reach the age of maturity any advantage they have had from being born earlier it long since gone.

A bigger reason why you see certain herds always having heifers at the top of the classes at the big shows is the management they provide their heifers. If you talk to and watch any of the herds that consistently have the winning cows, as well as heifers, they will tell you it’s a 365 day a year job that starts the day the heifer is born. These herds are treating their heifers the same as a well-tuned athlete is treated. They are getting the ultimate nutrition and management. They are getting lots of exercise and worked with on a daily basis. Not expecting significant results by just pulling the animals off the rough pasture or a TMR ration just before the show.

The Bullvine Bottom Line

While there will always be those who cheat the system, trying to find that “edge” that they think will bring them fame and fortune in the show ring. History has shown that just does not happen. While there are certainly a few dollars here and there, but at what expense? There will always be those that doubt the age of a heifer, but how relevant an issue is it? It’s not like these animals are going to be used as bull mothers at A.I. centers. The big thing to remember is when buying a heifer, always go for the most correct heifer you can find. Conformation correctness will most certainly offer the greatest long-term return on your investment, and don’t waste your money, or lower your ethics for something that will not even make a difference.

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The Bullvine – Comfortable making others Uncomfortable

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Friday, February 27th, 2015

‘We have made people uncomfortable … and we are comfortable with that’

No one saw it coming.

The Bullvine arrived like a speeding freight train.

It also knocked the media outlets off their axes. It challenged everyone. Its early online stories rampaged through the industry like a bull in a china shop.

It wrote the calls people thought, but never said.

People were shocked, even horrified … and they starting talking.

And that was exactly what founder Andrew Hunt wanted. Conversation and dialogue. Because this dramatic entry almost three years ago was no fly-by-the-seat-of-your pants’ decision. This was a strategic start to a fresh age of media coverage in the dairy industry.

And as everything starts to shake down and settle in, The Bullvine has rapidly become a power player with purpose and 30,000 readers. Its reach and impact is now unquestioned.

The publication is heading into 2015 with big plans that have yet to be revealed, but in an exclusive interview at World Dairy Expo (WDE), Andrew briefly stopped and allowed a tour of the frenetic and clever brain that is poised to dominate this industry’s media…

Andrew Hunt, 37, is a man of many layers. He comes from a powerful, tight well-connected family within the Canadian industry, who all had something to lose when their son/brother made the decision to initiate the outwardly controversial, online media outlet, The Bullvine.

He appeared — to many — to come from nowhere. The opposite is true.

His parents, Murray and Karen, are not only Master Breeders (Huntsdale Holsteins) but also integral industry leaders at the highest levels in the Canadian Holstein industry.

His brother, Paul, is the Chief Operating Officer for Alta Genetics (based in The Netherlands) and his sister, Heather, is a nutritionist for ANC (Agri-Nutrition Consulting, based in Ohio, USA). All are strong personalities with responsible roles. They are also potentially visible targets for any Bullvine detractors.

Strong connections

However, that is not how this close family works. Andrew has his parents’ and siblings’ support. They often disagree, but they are always in each others’ corners. And they were all sitting ringside together at WDE.

Andrew says, “If you know Paul, you know him as Paul Hunt and respect him for who he is. He’s not Andrew, Murray, Karen or Heather Hunt. If you judge any of my family because of what I do on The Bullvine, then you are discrediting yourself, not my family.

“We are all A-type personalities and we have all charted our own courses. But it doesn’t mean we’re not close. We’re family. We just had to learn to separate our work from our family time, and I have to say that kids have been amazing for changing that Christmas dinner-time conversation!”

Andrew’s mother, Karen Hunt, muses, “The first discussions about The Bullvine were colourful. You might say we were as surprised as anybody. However, with a lifetime of experience with Andrew’s somewhat unorthodox approach to technology and communication, we were ready to trust his instincts.”

Dad Murray adds, “And there was only two weeks between the time Andrew first ran the idea of The Bullvine up the flag poll, and the day the first article went up on February 24, 2012.”

Murray and Karen are the only additional official team members working for The Bullvine today, although staff from his two other companies play roles when they’re needed.

Murray says, “We both love it! Every day brings new ideas, challenges and contacts. It has taken the discussions that we’ve always had around our kitchen table and expanded them more than a little … to around the world.”

Driven back to dairy

Andrew went to the University of Guelph in their Bachelor of Commerce, Agricultural Business and Management programme, and earned his stripes on a six-figure income in the Fortune 500 consulting services world.

He was always a ballsy, driven and restless personality.

So it did not surprise the people who knew him well when he left the security of his former employment with the full support of his new wife, Dr Zosia Hunt (who was still a student then). They also had a two-year-old and a newborn child at the time.

He established his own marketing agency from the ground up, Inbound Sales Network (which would also later include Inbound Accelerator, for tech start-ups). Today it has over 100 team members. The company has been incredibly successful and, for many, that would have been plenty.

Not for Andrew.

“I love the dairy industry. That’s why I left and came back. It’s a drug that I’m hooked on. And it’s what I’m most excited and passionate about,” he says.

The Bullvine is the result of Andrew’s ongoing passion to work within the dairy industry, blended with a skill set and history that brings new dynamics to a sometimes-predictable news medium.

Real and edgy

He did not launch The Bullvine to make money. He launched it to create energy and a strong message for the industry.

The opening salvo on The Bullvine’s webpage remains as a reminder that things were going to be shaken up:

“Let’s start with what we are not. We’re not just an event reporting magazine. We’re not a billboard or promoter of whoever will pay us the most money. We are something different, something real.”

Andrew says, “When we first looked at the publications in the marketplace, we knew we were up against well-established, traditional family-around-the table reads. If we did the same thing, we were never going to be successful. We had to use the power of community and conversation to really drive our growth.

“We also needed to be edgier — especially in the first year. We have made people uncomfortable, and we’re comfortable with that. Over time, some would say we have softened our stance. But I think the industry has also adjusted and there is greater acceptance of what we do. I think the industry has come to us somewhat.”

Shock and relief

There was no question that the opening stories shocked some. Others were relieved someone had finally put a voice to what they were thinking.

In the beginning, 2000 people read The Bullvine’s email and online messages a day.

Today, it reaches that number within an hour of an article being posted. In a week, 30,000 dairy people are reading what The Bullvine shares. In any given day it has between 7000 and 10,000 visitors. It’s a bustling outlet that publishes five feature articles a week and 10 news releases daily on anything from show time and profiles, to genomics, sire breakdowns, politics, innovation and education.

Andrew says it’s not so much the shock value that drives him, as the desire for transparency.

“Yes, we wanted to get people’s attention and knock people off their centre and be as far from the norm as we could be. But we have always been about clarity and transparency. In my industry, those are your staples. In the dairy industry everyone has been too worried about being friends with everyone else. It is a small community, so there is pressure to not offend anyone.

“But because of our monetisation strategy, I don’t depend on income from the typical sources, so I can say what I want to say and take it for what it is. What I don’t think a lot of people understand is that because we had planned our strategy for the first three years, we didn’t take the initial feedback personally.

“We knew it would be coming. The interesting thing for us was because we weren’t connected to the industry as a financial driver, it gave us the freedom to express ourselves honestly.”

Honesty achieves

And honest they have been.

They have called out many people from many parts of the industry, and entertained stories few dare to write. They have tackled taboo topics such as Photoshop and show previews.

The Photoshop editorial prompted Andrew to introduce the Dairy Marketing Code of Conduct, designed to make photographers, AI centres, breeders and graphic designers accountable for any changes to cattle photographs.

“I discovered many new issues with current photography practices. The biggest one is just plain old laziness,” Andrew says. “They are too lazy to do it right. ‘Photoshop saved careers’, they told me. I say, ‘Photoshop has made many photographers lazy.’”

Advertising pressure

Yes, today The Bullvine carries advertising. But that has not changed who or what they write about.

“I’ve always written what I’ve wanted to write. There’s been some people we’ve written about that most would argue that we shouldn’t have because of their backgrounds and/or industry perception.

“But if I think they are interesting and I’d like to know more about them, then we’re going to write about it. And if I’m the only person that reads it, cool. We have done those stories. But I say to the people who challenge me on that, that the decision’s on me since I’m paying for it. So I guess I can have that opinion. If they don’t like it, they don’t have to read it.”

God or data

Andrew has also called opposing media outlets to account for making claims on readership. The most notable and recent being readership demographics.

“You need data to back what you say with regard to that. Here’s my analysis: in God we trust, everyone else better bring data.

“When you have a number of Facebook followers from India and Pakistan — that have an average herd size of three cows — those readers are not showing cattle or selling genetics. The top four cities that register on The Bullvine are Quebec, Madison, Toronto and Montreal. We’re Canadian. It’s self-explanatory who has the most useful readers.”

Hefty research into ringside photography

One of the strongest evolutions of The Bullvine has been the initiation of ringside online show coverage and extensive ring photography.

“When we started I wasn’t going to do it because everyone else was,” Andrew says. “I’d never done photography, but soon realised that I needed photographs, and, being a techno guy, I thought, ‘let’s rock’ n’ roll’.

“I was a huge fan of Han Hopman [Holstein International photographer] and I used my technical skills to study his photos and assess his camera settings. I have also spent close to $50,000 on camera equipment since we started, and received training from photographers outside the industry and drove everywhere in North America to get better. I also bored my kids senseless picturing them. But we do have some insane family memories because of it.

“I still think Han is the best composition photographer there is in the world and he does an amazing job of telling a story with a photograph. This journey for me has turned out to be very rewarding and helped the growth of the company.”

It has also added to the workload, because, while many outlets have several staff ringside, Andrew is mostly either on his own or accompanied by his parents as back-up. He uses his technical skills to overcome running a smaller team, and makes it look more effortless than it probably is.

Coffee-table book + picturing for free

Picturing led Andrew to producing a coffee-table book of photographs post WDE and he has many showman ask for photographs for their marketing campaigns. It is something he does for free.

“They work so hard to get those animals out there, how can I have the right to charge them and reap the benefit of ‘snapping a photo’ of a cow that looks amazing?

“It’s an honour to have that opportunity and that’s why I put every photograph on Facebook. All I ask of the breeders and owners of the cows I picture is that they don’t remove my logo. Other than that, they can go nuts with them.”

Last year, over 14 photographs taken by The Bullvine were used for industry magazine covers.

Next steps: education and mentoring

Taking on the photography pushed Andrew to embrace the next step — something he likes to do.

“If you stay in your comfort zone, you are not progressing and if you don’t challenge yourself every day by either improving your strengths or working on your weaknesses, then you’re not developing as a person. The day that happens, I will quit.”

The business has evolved from its base as a genetics, show and genomic-based commentary, through to also being an educational tool. It now has as much focus on dairy industry issues as it does on the subjects it began with — genetics and shows.

The Bullvine recently initiated The Milk House — the World Wide Dairy Breeding and Dairy Genetics Group on Facebook. It is a closed chat room for producers from all around the world to share ideas. Already, all manner of things have been covered, connecting the industry in a new way at the grassroots level. There are more than 2000 posts a week.

Andrew has also established a network where dairymen can be part of conference calls with a “board of advisors”. Andrew is not involved, other than to facilitate. It is purely actioned to help dairy farmers. “The quality of discussion on these calls is very informative and helps us understand our industry better and how we can better serve it.”

It’s learning from others that first got Andrew started in the dairy marketing industry.

“When I was in university, I was approached by Albert Cormier and Dave Eastman to do the marketing for their soon-to-be-released sire Champion and their new company GenerVations. Albert is legendary for his ability to market dairy cattle and David’s one of the smartest guys in the industry and at the forefront of breeding circles.” Andrew says they were a “great breeding ground for what he has become”.

Running a responsible line

Day to day, The Bullvine is growing and Andrew Hunt is growing with it — including his presence in the dairy industry.

With that comes greater responsibility — and that’s something he does not take for granted.

Of his direct approach, Andrew says, “I am more apt to run you over than stab you in the back.”

But helping the industry share ideas and progress is what drives him and makes him happy.

“I’m the luckiest man there is in the world,” he says. “I have a wife who ‘gets me’, who supports me and who is out of my league. She is the biggest stabilising factor in my life outside of my parents, who taught me to always believe in myself.

“When you are doing what you love and you can pay your bills, what else is there? The Bullvine can go on forever if I still have passion for it. How do you get bored with something that at your core is who you believe you are?”

This article first appear in the December 2014-February 2015 Edition of Crazy Cow in Print. Click here to check out there Facebook group and watch for their new website soon.

The Bullvine is Dead!

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Wednesday, February 25th, 2015

Today, a single email can launch a worldwide movement. Three years ago today, a single email started what would become the greatest social change movement in the dairy industry. (Read more: Twice the Bull – Half the S**T) However, it’s all going to fail without your support. Let us explain.

For years, the media has been censored. What you read and what you heard and the opinions expressed were those that the powers that be wanted you to hear. Magazines only published viewpoints that they knew would be popular with advertisers because that is how they made their money. That model had to be broken, and it took more than just technology to change the world as we know it.

In 2012, the Turkish military jets had bombed and killed 34 Kurdish smugglers near the border region and Turkish media completely censored that news. Editors sat in their newsrooms and waited for the government to tell them what to do. One frustrated journalist could not take this anymore. He purchased his own plane ticket and went to the village where it had occurred. He was confronted by this scene: a line of coffins coming down a hill and relatives wailing. He felt overwhelmed.. He didn’t know what to do, so he took out his phone, like any one of us might, and snapped that picture and tweeted it out. Voila! That picture went viral and broke the censorship and forced mass media to cover the story.

These same feelings are the feelings we here at the Bullvine felt when watching what was happening to the dairy industry. We could see the media and the industry censoring what information was being shared with producers from around the world. Scared to share an opinion that was contrary to that of the companies that had the power, the industry was heading down a slippery slope. We felt the need to say something. We didn’t like feeling overwhelmed. So we started the Bullvine.

However, sometimes starting the conversation or sharing a different opinion is not enough. Take what occurred in Turkey in 2012. A year later, Turkey’s Gezi protests began. It started as a protest about a park being razed but became an anti-authoritarian protest. It wasn’t surprising that the media also censored it, but it got a little ridiculous at times. hings were very intense. At the same time that CNN International was broadcasting live from Istanbul, CNN Turkey was airing a documentary on penguins. Now, I love penguin documentaries but that wasn’t the news of the day. An angry viewer put his two screens together and snapped that picture, and that one too went viral, and since then, people call Turkish media the penguin media.

We find this same level of censorship, either intentional or not, still exists in the dairy industry. Most publications are so afraid to offend the companies that have the power or the money that they are allowing them to choke out those same breeder-producers they claim to serve. Instead of standing up for those that they claim are members of the community, they sit back and watch as the industry slowly dies. They prefer to post pretty pictures of baby calves or young kids, choosing to hide their heads in the sand like CNN Turkey did, instead of analyzing the actual news of the day.

Nowadays, technology like Facebook, Twitter, and etcetera allow people from around the world to connect on any topic they choose. We see it all the time in chat forums such as The MilkHouse, where breeders express their concerns about actual issues that all breeders face. The challenge is, for the most part, it’s just talk. It’s a few breeders who are expressing their concerns while others lurk in the background afraid of repercussions.

A great example of this is when one breeder expressed their concerns over a sire of theirs failing health tests, after initially passing them upon entering an AI unit. The level of discussion went insane. Breeders and producers from around the world were expressing their support and outrage about how this AI unit had conducted themselves. The AI unit representative had even called the breeder threatening them for their actions. The problem is nothing changed.

Sure social media helped flame this fire to proportions never before seen in the dairy industry. However, nothing changed. Everyone eventually moved on. No one has purchased less semen from this AI company as a result of their actions and breeders still lease their sires to this AI company. So nothing has really changed other than the megaphone has gotten louder.

While we here at the Bullvine certainly see the need to raise and give a megaphone to the issues that face breeders here today, it is going to take more than just a louder voice to bring about real change. It’s going to take all members of the community to unite and take action.

The dairy breeding industry is on the edge of extinction as we know it. AI companies and other genetic organizations are using the superior technological and capital power they possess to choke out the dairy breeding industry as we know it. Unfortunately, dairy breeders are sitting back and watching this happen. They are letting these companies choke out their future. Sure a few voices on social media are shouting, “Hell no!” But no one is taking action.

The companies that are making these decisions that best serve their own interests see that, despite all the discontent that is being expressed through social media, no one is changing their buying habits. It was much the same when we first took on the touchy subject of AI units owning females. Sure everyone was upset about the issue but no one took action. Now these organizations own the majority of the top index animals in the world and have more than enough females to produce their own next generation of sires, without having to purchase bulls from breeders at all. Breeders have become like that little dog with a big bark that has no bite. There is no incentive, need or concern, on the part of the AI companies, to change.

The Bullvine Bottom Line

In the past, when dairy producers had a problem, the only way they could be heard was to join committees and get on boards in order to have their voice heard. In contrast, in today’s day and age, you can simply take to social media and express your opinion. The problem is that it’s too easy. It’s too easy to get it off your chest and then move on. This method leads to no sustainable change being made. So, the next time you are so pissed off about something in the dairy industry or the next time you are so concerned about the future of the breeding industry, don’t just take the easy route and put up an angry post on Facebook. Ask yourself what sustainable action you are taking to bring about change? For us here at the Bullvine, that is the motivation that first got us started three years ago today. That is the motivation that we use daily to do what we do. However, without you taking action it all dies on the vine – The Bullvine.

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25 Ways to Score Dairy Love on Valentine’s Day

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Friday, February 13th, 2015

If you have a dairy farmer in your life, there are 25 ways to irrefutably confirm that Valentine’s Day 2015 has arrived and romance dairy-style is making its presence heartfelt!! He may not have done ALL of these today but you can put a kiss (X) on the heart, if your dairy man has put romance, as described here, into your life.

25 Ways to Score Dairy Love on Valentine’s Day

Valentine’s Day he makes a YOU-turn especially for love. He salutes February romance by bringing his lunch to share with you in the calf barn where you’re re-bedding calf pens. It’s his idea of a “roll in the hay with his little honey”.
The only other women on his mind have four legs and udders. You have the magazines and advertisements and newspapers to prove it. Unfortunately he thinks of them nine days a week.
He’s always inventing more ways to spend quality time together. Recently you have had two-gether time stable cleaning, bagging feed and bookkeeping.
The last handwritten card you received on Valentine’s Day said, “We’re out of colostrum. The feedstore will leave it on the ramp after closing.” Who said your man no longer delivered any good pick-me-ups?
You may be owed it but don’t bank on a dairy farmer producing anything with more poetic rhythm than the seat on the tractor you get to drive to rake hay. Although you would love him to pen “Ode for my wife” you are more likely to receive laundry room “odor for my wife!”
Although you have a romantic vision of total agreement in your partnership, in actual fact, men and women working on dairy farms often disagree. It’s the GMO effect: Genetically Modified Opposition.
It isn’t that dairy farmers don’t like matchmaking. In fact it’s practically a full-time hobby. Give him a stack of pedigrees and the latest bull proofs and his thoughts, although maybe not focused on love, are definitely focused on finding the perfect mates.
When you occasionally ask why he never says anything romantic to you or about you, his response is, “I am struck dumb by your perfection.” Now that’s a smart dairy farmer.
The last time he presented you with a surprise box on Valentine’s Day, it turned out to be a trip to the granary to see the new litter of kittens that were making their home there. If you were lucky, he also had a second special box … a cardboard one….. so that you could move them somewhere that wouldn’t interfere with your daily chores. Such a thoughtful guy!
Thoughtful and sentimental. Or should that be “scent”imental. Women love it when a man lets his presence be known. Dairy farmers are great at that. Barn boots across the clean floor, greasy hands on the fresh towels — barny barn smell on the pillow cases. It may not be better housekeeping but it’s definitely animal husbandry.
Thank goodness most passionate dairy farmers don’t play the field they plough them!
Dairy farmers talk funny – especially when give instructions. You better know where the rock ridge is so that you can bring him a cotter pin when the tractor breaks down north of the dry well by the rail fence on the old Sutter place.
Dairy farmers may not be the brightest valentines in the chocolate box but they are definitely the sharpest ones in the laundry. More times than I can count I have washed pocket knives, burned out light bulbs and udder towels and turned everything the bright red of that new hat that was his “favorite”
It all comes out in the wash… if you’ve ever spent Sunday morning trying to untangle a pair of nylons from 200 yards of binder twine ….you know that isn’t true!
Washing the milk check takes money laundering and strained relationships to a whole new level.
However, on most days, there is no need for a matchmaker in dairy romances. Mother Nature does a wonderful job using storms, drought, wind and rain to keep the relationship from becoming routine or, heaven forbid, predictable.
You both know that your dairy guy thinks it’s a compliment to be asked, “Where you raised in a barn?”
Going “out” is a phrase you have to eliminate from your vocabulary. Out means: the cattle are out; or we’re out of feed;
Some couples share their love by going out to shows. When you share your life with a farmer you have a 24/7 front row seat for the greatest show on earth brought to you by Mother Nature productions.
Dairy sweethearts don’t need Valentine Surprises. The 24/7 of dairy farming has surprises built in. Like the ones that happen when the dairy man who has the key to your heart also leaves every door he passes through open: house, barn, calf pens.
Dairy love is always ready to cut to the chase. ‘Cattle are out’.
On the other hand, nothing says love like duct tape and binder twine. You may prefer the ribbons and lace of Valentine’s Day, but duct tape and twine get the job done until the perfect fix is available. It’s quick. It’s easy. Two can do it!!
So don’t expect a dairy farmer to get a fresh haircut for Valentine’s date. Keeping his shaggy locks is a sign of unconditional love. This romantic is not going to do anything that would make him attractive to somebody else.
If you’re still longing for a special treat for Valentine’s Day, sit hubby down and explain your vision for redoing the farmhouse in country modern style. When he looks up, obviously confused, ask, “What do you think?” Nine times out of ten he will answer, “Sounds great to me”. When he comes in from the barn next week he will have no choice but to love the brand new living room furniture.
This man can fix anything that’s broken but with dairy luck on your side he will never break your heart

The Bullvine Bottom Line

So looking back over our checklist, how does your Dairy Valentine’s Day lover rate? If you checked more than three of these boxes with a smile on your face, the truth is obvious. You’re in love with a dairy farmer. You need to repeat this phrase often “I’ve fallen for a dairy farmer and I can’t give him up!!” So to all my peers who also love dairy guys, Happy Valentine’s Day Ladies from the Broadside of the Bullvine!! (Read more: 8 OF THE GREATEST DAIRY LOVE STORIES IN THE WORLD, THE DOS AND DON’TS OF DATING A FARMER, THE MOST IMPORTANT PARTNERSHIP IN THE WORLD)

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Has Social Media Infected the Tanbark Trail?

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Friday, January 9th, 2015

For years, there has been considerable debate about how the person who leads or owns a cow influences a judge’s opinion and how the judge places the class. With the introduction of Facebook and other social media platforms, this debate has been amplified. Which leads to the question “Have Facebook and other social media platforms infected the show ring?”

There is no doubt that Facebook is the most powerful social tool in the history of mankind. The ability for Facebook to connect people with similar interests from around the world is unmatched. Previously, when you wanted to know the results of a cattle show or how a particular cow looked at a show, you had to call someone you knew who was there or wait at least a month to see the results and a few posed pictures in a print magazine. Now, in the age of social media, pictures are placed on Facebook even before the class has exited the ring. Larger shows now offer live streaming of the show and those at the show and/or watching the show online post their comments in real time.

How the World has changed

All this has significantly changed both the method and the speed that show oriented breeders communicate with one another. However, has this changed how animals are placed in the show ring? Ten years ago, most often the first time a judge would have seen most cows would have been in the show ring on show day. But today judges have more than likely seen pictures and heard comments on animals long before they ever enter the show ring.

One of the great things about social media is that it has enabled members of a small, remotely located community, such as the Tanbark Trail, to connect and share their thoughts very easily. Many top judges are active on social media and they see how certain animals are doing at shows and how popular certain animals are, long before they enter the show ring to judge a show.

Everyone has an opinion

In the past, when members of the Tanbark Trail disagreed with a judge’s placing, their comments would only be heard by a select few. Now in the age of social media, their opinion can reach thousands in a matter of minutes. While I have not seen many negative comments about a judge, I have indeed seen comments made about how certain cows where “gifted” due to certain circumstances. This touches on the question of the integrity of the show ring and those who are selected to judge it.

It’s a question of integrity

The question of integrity is not a new one. It has been around for as long as there has been subjective cattle judging. In the age of social media the need for integrity has been amplified. One of the interesting challenges with selecting dairy cattle judges is the fact that the best ones are often very involved in the show scene. This means that they have developed friendships, preferences and opinions over the years. The best judges have always been those that are able to let their judging performance not be influenced by these factors. In the age of social media, a whole new level of integrity is required. No longer is it just the opinion of a select few, but rather the opinion of thousands that can significantly influence a judge’s decision. Those who are of the highest integrity are able to tune out all the traditional influences as well as the new ones that social media brings to the table.

There are some who would comment that judges should not be active on social media. I argue the exact opposite. I want a judge who is involved in the dairy community. All aspects of the dairy industry. In today’s day and age, that means social media as well. There are many judges that are very active on social media and whom I trust to have the integrity to tune out what they read on Facebook or see online when, they are making their final decision in the ring.

Does social success influence show ring results?

There are some that would say that how popular a cow is on social media greatly influences her placing at a major show. I would argue that the reason that most of these cows have become so popular is because they have been able to demonstrate again and again their superior conformation and hence have developed a loyal following. There is no question that many cows’ show ring pictures have been able to go viral on social media. However, there is a very sound reason why these cows have great pictures….they are of superior conformation.

One of the great things about show ring pictures is that they are 100% honest. Since these photos are being posted online usually within minutes of being taken, there is no opportunity for them to be doctored or altered in anyway. Hence, when a cow looks great in her show ring picture, it is because she looked great in the show ring.

One of the greatest pleasures I get from taking pictures in the show ring at the major shows is that I am able to get the same view of the animals in the ring that the judges of the shows see when they make their decisions. Often I receive comments from people outside the ring about how one cow placed higher than another when from their view it did not look correct. Very seldom have I ever had a case where these questions proved accurate. When you see the pictures afterwards, you often see that particular cows looked better from a distance than they did up close. So while many will let their personal preference or influences affect the questioner’s own opinion, I have seldom found a case where it was not at least a tossup or where one judge’s decision on the day may be slightly different than another’s. However, never have I seen a blatant error on the judge’s part.

The Bullvine Bottom Line

Judging a dairy cattle show is never easy. Since the introduction of social media and the growth of dairy show coverage, the job of judging has only gotten harder. Probably the most important trait a judge has always needed is that of Integrity. In today’s social media age, the necessity of integrity is greater than ever. Now instead of hundreds of eyes watching you there are thousands, all with their own opinions. Facebook and other social media platforms have done wonders for growing the popularity of the Tanbark Trail, but it has also led to the potential infection by the influences they bring. It takes judges of the utmost integrity to tune all that out and place the animals based on how they appear on show day and only that day. And that’s exactly what the best judges have been doing for years.

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Big things are happening in 2015…

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Monday, January 5th, 2015

With the New Year comes new excitement, new ideas and new plans. After insane growth in 2014, the pressure is on us here at the Bullvine to continue our innovative ways….and we certainly plan to keep the dairy industry on its toes.

Since our launch, almost three years ago, The Bullvine has indeed changed the dairy industry media. While all our competitors are trying to be like us, we continue to break new ground in our coverage of all the key facets of the dairy industry. In 2015, we have the following exciting plans that will continue this innovation:

Bullvine TV will be weekly
The Bullvine is getting into video in a big way. Since we got our feet wet with Bullvine TV in 2014, the response has been very positive and, in 2015, we plan to take this to new heights. That means a weekly TV show that summarizes the week that was in the dairy industry. For those of you that would rather listen to or watch a 30 minute broadcast of the goings on from the past week, Bullvine TV is for you. We will provide our same unique perspective on all the major issues and help you to stay up to date on the latest events, issues and challenges that face the dairy industry. We will also be introducing a new show called TanbarkCenter that will be similar to the “SportsDesk” highlight show. It will feature all the shows we cover live in 2015. This will include video, interviews and analysis of the major shows in North America, as well as many international shows. It will start from Australia with our coverage of International Dairy Week from January 19^th to 25^th.
Introducing the Bullvine Quarterly
While our opinions on print magazines have been well documented, we certainly see the value in offering our unique perspective in that format. It has been a daily request from our community members that we make some of our unique content available in print form. That is exactly what we are going to do. Starting in February, we will be launching a quarterly magazine that will have all the best content from the last quarter as well as many unique articles. While there were certainly rumors about our potential acquisition of a few of our competitors, we decided that, in the end, we wanted to start something new and continue breaking new ground.
Greater International Perspective
Since our launch in February 2012 we have not been short of opinions. Love us or hate us, there is no denying that we have certainly made people think. That has been our goal since the beginning and, in 2015, we plan to take that global. When we first considered how to grow The Bullvine in 2015, we sat down and looked at the international dairy industry and noticed that we had not been applying our same analysis to all markets. Therefore in 2015 we are going to change that. We scoured the international dairy media to see who were the best of the best at providing this type of perspective. We are pleased to announce that we have been able to bring two such innovators onto The Bullvine Team.Leading the way is Dianna Malcom from Australia and Crazy Cow fame. Dianna has a wealth of experience in authentic journalism. Not just skilled at event reporting, Dianna has a knack for getting to the heart of the story. We have long been a huge fan of Dianna’s and we are excited about the opportunity to partner with her in 2015 (Read more: Dean and Dianna Malcolm: Forward in Five Gears! That’s Aussie D.I.Y. and Dean And Dianna Malcolm: Gobsmacked In Australia – Landing Right Side Up Down Under!). In looking for a distinctive voice in Europe one name kept coming up. Everyone we talked to, everywhere we looked we heard and saw the name Bruce Jobson. Bruce much like me has not been afraid to tackle the tough stories and challenge his readers. This is something that we feel the dairy industry needs a lot more of. We are excited to give Bruce this platform to share his unique perspective with the world. Much like us Bruce views dairying from many different facets. He knows how to cut through the BS and tell it like it is. This refreshing approach is something those who read www.thebullvine.com have come to expect.

The Bullvine Bottom Line

There are those who believe that “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”. We here are the Bullvine believe that “It is our job to Break it”. We did not start the Bullvine to do the same things the same way that they have always been done. Instead, we believe the world is changing and you can either lead that change or become irrelevant. In 2015, we plan to break as many things as we possibly can. While we certainly don’t want to mess with the success that we have already had in becoming the most influential media outlet in the dairy industry, we believe that in today’s fast paced world we need to be innovating not procrastinating. We will be doing many big things in 2015 to make that happen. Get ready for an exciting ride.

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2014 Breeders Choice Awards – Tanbark Trail Edition Nominations

Monday, December 15th, 2014

Back by popular demand, the 2014 Breeder’s Choice Awards – Tanbark Trail Edition are better than ever. The final show ribbons and rosettes have been awarded for 2014 and now it is your turn, the passionate dairy breeder, to decide who is the “Best of the Best”. With many class winners from World Dairy Expo not attending or repeating their victory at the Royal, there are sure to be some interesting results. (Read more: International Holstein Show – World Dairy Expo 2014 and Royal Winter Fair Holstein Show 2014)

The Breeder’s Choice Awards celebrate fan favorites in the show ring, index cows, sires and dairy celebrities. It stands alone as the only major award where real people – not industry insiders – determine the winners.

Enter Your Vote

1st Place

2nd Place

3rd Place

Categories : The Bullvine

The Top 14 of 2014 – The Bullvine’s Most Popular Articles of the Year

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Friday, December 12th, 2014

Every year we wonder if it will be possible to top the year before (Read more: Top 13 of 2013 – The Bullvine’s Most Popular Articles of the Year). Fortunately, thanks to the support of you, our loyal readers. 2014 was our best year yet.

14. DAIRY SLANG: 22 PHRASES THAT MEAN DIFFERENT THINGS TO DAIRY BREEDERS

Listen in on two dairy breeders’ conversation and you might think you were listening to an entirely different language. The show ring, dairy cattle breeding and the dairy farming industry are full of strange terminology that most people would simply not understand. Here are 22 phrases that have totally different meanings to dairy breeders. (Read more: DAIRY SLANG: 22 PHRASES THAT MEAN DIFFERENT THINGS TO DAIRY BREEDERS )

13. THE TOP 10 DAIRY BREEDER FACEBOOK FAN PAGES AND WHY THEY’RE SUCCESSFUL

Have you ever wondered what it takes to have a successful Facebook page for your dairy farm? Well, look no further! (Read more: THE TOP 10 DAIRY BREEDER FACEBOOK FAN PAGES AND WHY THEY’RE SUCCESSFUL)

12. BEST OF BOTH WORLDS – SALE REPORT

In picturesque upstate Vermont, the team of St. Jacobs ABC, Ferme Blondin and Brian Craswell Auctions Ltd. did an outstanding job coping with the wet weather to host this great sale at the St. Jacobs new dairy facility. (Read more BEST OF BOTH WORLDS – SALE REPORT)

11. ONTARIO SUMMER HOLSTEIN SHOW RESULTS 2014

On a beautiful Ontario summer’s day judge Gerald Caughin placed some of the best cattle in the world. Check here to see complete results (ONTARIO SUMMER HOLSTEIN SHOW RESULTS 2014).00

10. EXPO PROVINCIALE DE MONTMAGNY

This is one of the best kept secrets of the tanbark season. Timed just a few weeks before World Dairy Expo, here is a showcase of what the champion state herd from the past 2 World Dairy Expo’s has to offer. Clearly, it is one of the best shows of the year (Read more: EXPO PROVINCIALE DE MONTMAGNY).

9. THE TOP 10 HOLSTEIN SIRES OF 2014 THAT WILL SIRE THE NEXT WORLD DAIRY EXPO GRAND CHAMPION

Everyone wants to breed the next great one. The popularity of this article proves it. (Read more: THE TOP 10 HOLSTEIN SIRES OF 2014 THAT WILL SIRE THE NEXT WORLD DAIRY EXPO GRAND CHAMPION)

8. INTERNATIONAL RED & WHITE SHOW – WORLD DAIRY EXPO 2014

Every year it seems like the Red & White show at World Dairy Expo is never short of a story line. Last year it was the domination of Apple. This year it was the great Seisme vs Apple competition. (Read more: INTERNATIONAL RED & WHITE SHOW – WORLD DAIRY EXPO 2014)

7. FANTASY EXHIBITOR© – WORLD DAIRY EXPO 2014

In its sophomore season the Fantasy Exhibitor contest added more excitement and much more discussion to the 2014 Tanbark season. (Read more: FANTASY EXHIBITOR© – WORLD DAIRY EXPO 2014)

6. THE 10 EXTREME TYPE SIRES MOST LIKELY TO SIRE THE NEXT WORLD CHAMPION

For those looking to take a risk, these 10 sires will breed the extremes. They will either hit a home run or miss miserably. Sometimes that is the risk you have to take in order to breed the next great one. (Read more: THE 10 EXTREME TYPE SIRES MOST LIKELY TO SIRE THE NEXT WORLD CHAMPION)

5. 12 LESSONS YOU CAN ONLY LEARN FROM GROWING UP ON A DAIRY FARM

Growing up on a dairy farm is certainly one of the most rewarding experiences anyone could ever have. Here are just a few of the many lessons you can learn growing up on a dairy farm. (Read more: 12 LESSONS YOU CAN ONLY LEARN FROM GROWING UP ON A DAIRY FARM)

4. ROYAL WINTER FAIR HOLSTEIN SHOW 2014

Always one of the top shows in the world, it’s not surprising that The Royal comes near the top of our list. This year’s show was a showcase for some of the greatest cattle in the world, with Hailey taking that next step to securing her spot as one of the greatest in history. (Read more: ROYAL WINTER FAIR HOLSTEIN SHOW 2014)

3. SAVE FRANK & MARJORIE MEYERS’ FARM – THE ARMY IS AT THE GATE & THIS FARMERS NUMBER IS UP!

How would you react if you woke up tomorrow morning to find that an eviction sign had been posted on your farm and you and your family had a deadline to remove yourselves and your goods? What if the expropriation was being carried out by no less than the army and your legal rights amounted to absolutely zero? (Read more: SAVE FRANK & MARJORIE MEYERS FARM – THE ARMY IS AT THE GATE & THIS FARMERS NUMBER IS UP!)

2. INTERNATIONAL HOLSTEIN SHOW – WORLD DAIRY EXPO 2014

There is no question that the Holstein Show at World Dairy Expo is one of the highlights every year. This year the popularity of the show hit such levels that we had over 20,000 people ping our server in under a 1 minute span. That crashed our server momentarily. The excitement from the show ring was just that hot. (Read more: INTERNATIONAL HOLSTEIN SHOW – WORLD DAIRY EXPO 2014)

1. WHY THE DAIRY COMMUNITY IS THE GREATEST IN THE WORLD….

Imagine this….You wake up in the wee hours of the night to smell smoke. You discover that your house is on fire. And your grandchild is trapped in her bedroom with no way to escape. What would you do? This is exactly the scenario Patricia Stiles faced. This tragedy has gripped the dairy industry and helped prove why the dairy community is the greatest in the world. (Read more: WHY THE DAIRY COMMUNITY IS THE GREATEST IN THE WORLD…)

The Bullvine Bottom Line

2014 was certainly a great year. Just like the show at World Dairy Expo you wonder if the next year will be able to top the previous year. It always does. The same can be said here at the Bullvine. We’re always looking for new stories and things to do to make the next one better than the last. Watch for even greater things planned for The Bullvine in 2015.

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Editor’s Choice 2014 – The Top 12 Picks from the Bullvine

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Thursday, December 11th, 2014

Welcome to December 2014 at The Bullvine. It is the final month of another exciting year and time to pick a dozen articles for “Editor’s Choice 2014”. I hope you will join me in looking back at which articles exploded out of the gate, which ones won our reader’s hearts and which ones brought attention to agriculture and the dairy industry.

12. MAKING IT BIG! World Dairy Expo and The Royal!

A single dairy class may only take up half an hour – a whole show one day — but in terms of breeding, buying, planning, fitting, travelling, preparing and follow-up, dairy shows represent a significant investment of time and money. It is no surprise then that huge numbers of our readers follow The Bullvine reports from across North America and around the world (Read more: International Holstein Show – World Dairy Expo 2014, Royal Winter Fair Holstein Show 2014 and International Red & White Show – World Dairy Expo 2014 ). Like our readers, we enjoy the showcase opportunities that World Dairy Expo and the Royal Winter Fair provide. Live attendance, broadcasting and connecting with cows and breeders is what we like best. Bringing our readers as close as they can get to the show, without being with us on the scene, easily makes our top 12 picks of 2014. Thus both these North American showcases make our list of top picks.

11. ROSY-LANE HOLSTEINS – “Don’t Follow the Herd”

It’s not enough to know who the big show winners and top selling animals are. Dairy breeders are looking to understand, not only what got them to these lofty positions but also, how exceptional dairies are winners at producing milk. They want to know the decisions that were made before the award went on the mantel and the money went into the bank. Dairy breeders everywhere study the stories of great entrepreneurs like Quality Holsteins and Don Bennink. Lloyd and Daphne Holterman at Rosy-Lane Holsteins would tell you it isn’t a matter of one person or one ingredient. They would say that success comes from a functioning partnership of people, teamwork and strategic planning. (Read more: ROSY-LANE HOLSTEINS – “Don’t Follow the Herd!”). This was a great interview and stands out as an example of how following your dairy breeding vision leads to success.

10. The 10 Outlier Sires that Will Accelerate Genetic Gain

Recommendations on which sires to use always draws the attention of Bullvine readers. When our articles combine, not only list toppers but also important topics like reducing inbreeding, they draw increased attention (Read more: The 10 Outlier Sires that will Accelerate Your Genetic Gain the Fastest). These are the posts that our readers often refer back to, when discussing which bulls can offer the most genetic advancement. This article rang the bell with many breeders.

9. Why Braedale Goldwyn Wasn’t a Great Sire of Sons

An important part of what we do involves opening up discussion about what is not working too! When we identified Goldwyn, undoubtedly the greatest sire of show winning daughters, as less than a great sire of sons it generated many comments. The theory put forward in this article will be something bull breeders are likely to pay close attention to in years to come. (Read more: Why Braedale Goldwyn Wasn’t a Great Sire of Sons)

8. The 7 Most Influential Holstein Brood Cows of the Modern Era

Second only to bull lists are articles that turn the spotlight on cows. The seven cows included in this article cover all areas of breeding from show winners, to red, to polled, to dams of AI sons (Read more: The 7 Most Influential Holstein Brood Cows of the Modern Era). It is every breeders dream to breed one such cow. Clearly there is not a common definition of what makes an outstanding brood cow. This look back at the most influential cows may provide inspiration for those to come.

7. 50 Sires That Will Produce Feed Efficient Cows

For a second year, the Bullvine provided a list of sires using our Bullvine Efficiency Index (BEI). This index rewards bulls that sire cows that get the job done in the milking parlor after consuming the feed at the bunk. This approach to selecting sires has caught on with many of our readers. New or novel breeding strategies, although not always popular, definitely catch the attention of our readers and we enjoy the discussion and feedback that is generated. (Read more: 50 Sires that will Produce Feed Efficient Cows)

6. Look Who’s Talking – Dairy Slang

We regularly cover the major issues, the controversial ones and those that everyone finds difficult. That’s why it is sometimes fun to take a look at the lighter side of the dairy industry. So much of our time is focused on words, grammar, spell checking and expression, it was a special treat to look at dairying from the spoken word side. (Read more: Dairy Slang: 22 Phrases that mean different things to dairy breeders) It then continued with conversations on The Bullvine’s new platform ‘The Milk House’ (Read more: Introducing The Milk House – Dairy Breeder Networking on Facebook). Dairy breeders from New Zealand and Australia helped bring us up to speed on the lingo used by our counterparts from ‘Down Under”. (Read more: Australian Dairy Slang – They say things a little differently down under)

THE TOP FIVE PICKS

Like many who follow The Bullvine, although motivated by dairying, we too are most inspired by people. That is why our top five picks are based on people from the dairy industry. We are inspired by the personal stories, the amazing achievements and the many ways that real life people face the challenges of growing a 21st Century dairy. Although focused on cows, the dairy industry is, at its heart, all about the people.

5. FORGET KATE – The Dairy Industry has Kassidy Upton

The fact that the interview with Kassidy Upton caught fire among Bullvine followers, was no surprise in an industry that values the success of its young members most of all. The celebrity level success that this young lady is attracting will inspire young people from inside and outside of agriculture (Read more: Forget Kate – The Dairy Industry Has Kassidy Upton). For dairy folks it is especially encouraging that Kassidy feels that her farm background has contributed to her achievements – not only in international competition but also in landing an acting role. Certainly not everyone expects a girl from a dairy background to rise to the top of the Miss Teen Canada Globe competition or to win a part in a movie. It is unexpected until you learn the whole story. That is why it was one of my favorite picks and inspired us to continue to seek out articles on the ways agricultural is building a positive image through role models like Kassidy Upton.

4. BONS HOLSTEINS “The Type That Wins”

“Bons-Holsteins is a home bred farm. In the last 60 years we never bought a cow, heifer or embryo.” Thus begins a fascinating international story that, remarkably, also includes a significant amount of showring success. Nico Bons explains how family teamwork has successfully propelled them toward the shared dream of “breeding a European Grand Champion.” The emphasis on show type has been a winning breeding formula for this family in The Netherlands and we learn that – worldwide – there is a common passion for dairying that unites dairy breeders. (Read more: Bons-Holsteins: The Type that Wins!)

3. JOHN ANDERSEN “Building a Field of Dreams”

For the John Andersen family, dairy farming is a family affair. The unique part of this story is the way in which they have managed to balance family life while building a dairy business and managing a very large milking herd. Furthermore, they have brought both commercial and pedigree dairy farming together in a successful manner that many would consider an unlikely combination. Here is an entire family – multi-generations with a full-range of dairy skills – who are focused on dairying and setting a model for the industry (Read more: JOHN ANDERSEN – COMMERCIAL and PEDIGREE – Building a Field of Dreams).

Facing Impossible Odds

Sometimes the odds seem insurmountable. The top two Editors’ Picks for 2014 certainly fall into that category.

2. SAVE FRANK AND MARJORIE MEYERS FARM – “The Army is at the Gate and this Farmer’s Number is UP”

Here was a story that inspired The Bullvine to rally the troops in a call to action. Ironically, the call to action was one that we hoped would stop actual military troops from taking over a family farm. The battle for the Meyers family to be allowed to stay on their farm seemed doomed from the start. Too little. Too late. The opposition was too big. And – in the end — the outcry became enormous too, as the story spread and many took up the cry for a fair resolution to this travesty. Nevertheless, despite the support from thousands, the Meyers were evicted. The numbers didn’t count except to Frank Meyers (Read more: Save Frank & Marjorie Meyers Farm – The Army Is At The Gate & This Farmers Number Is Up!).

1. WHY THE DAIRY COMMUNITY IS THE GREATEST IN THE WORLD

Sometimes all you can do is pull together, pray and offer support. That is what became the unifying force for everyone touched by the events that forever changed the lives of Patricia Stiles and Reese Burdette. Seven months ago Patricia saved her grand-daughter Reese from a fire. She too suffered burns. Both faced a fight for their lives. That fight goes on to this day. It is a tough struggle. (Read more: Why the Dairy Community is the Greatest in the World…)

The great thing about communities is that they pull together, when times are tough. The dairy community – the agricultural community – and all those who identified themselves as part of a community that could reach out to Patricia and Reese — did that and continue to do so. So many months of struggle and setback. Many more months to go. As we enter into the Christmas season, let us be thankful that these lives were spared. Help and prayers are needed now – perhaps more than ever – as this courageous family faces the long road ahead. Patricia and Reese have won our hearts. We sincerely appreciate the grace of their families and thank them for keeping updates coming, despite how hard that has to be for everyone involved. We thank all those in the worldwide community who through prayers and fundraising are providing ongoing positive support. That is why the dairy community is the greatest in the world.

The Bullvine Bottom Line

At the end of each dairy day, we can’t guarantee that everything is perfect. But we love what we do and dairying will always be our passion. We care for our families, our cattle and our community. Here at The Bullvine we are thrilled that you have made The Bullvine part of your online home, and that you use this platform to express yourselves, far and wide, around the globe. We’re growing together in dairying and look forward to continuing our conversations with you in 2015.

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A Guide to Understanding How to Breed For Feed Efficiency and Fertility

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Wednesday, December 10th, 2014

Are your breeding decisions in tune with where you want your herd to be in the future? As I follow the breeder discussions on The Milk House (Read more: Introducing The Milk House – Dairy Breeder Networking on Facebook ), I see three different approaches: 1) Some breeders are asking what to breed a cow or heifer to, in order to get a show winner; 2) Some are saying that Holsteins are not the only breed and that Jerseys can also get the job done at returning a profit; and 3) The majority are saying that they want to stay with Holsteins but neither the show ring nor only filling the milk pail to overflowing suits their breeding plans for the future. This latter group want cows that, on average, stay in the herd into at least their fourth lactation, and that are efficient at converting feed to milk. They must also be fertile.

The good news for the third group of breeders is that there are two interesting new ratings that can assist them when it comes to sire selection for feed efficiency and fertility.

New Indexes for Feed Efficiency & Fertility

With the revisions to the TPI® formula (Read more: US Genetic Evaluation Changes: Are You Keeping Up?) made on December 2^nd, Holstein USA added indexes for Feed Efficiency (FE) and Fertility (FI) for breeders to use when they evaluate sires for their daughters’ ability to convert feed to milk and for combining the various indexes that relate to fertility. The weighting of these indexes in the TPI® formulae are not large – 3% for Feed Efficiency and 13% for Fertility. Breeders wishing to place more emphasis on either or both of these areas in sire selection can eliminate bulls, during their selection process, that are inferior for one or both of FE and FI.

In order to provide information, that may be useful to breeders, The Bullvine has taken the top fifty daughter proven sires on Holstein USA’s Top 100 International Bulls -December 2014 list and selected and analysed the top ten sires for both of these indexes. The top fifty gTPI® proven sires are 2210 gTPI or higher.

Feed Efficiency Index

Table 1 lists the top ten sires for Feed Efficiency (FE) as well as these sires’ indexes for other traits that breeders normally use when evaluating sires to use in their breeding programs.

Table 1 Top 10 Proven Sires for FE (Feed Efficiency) that are in top 50 gTPI

Sire and NAAB Code	FE	NM$*	gTPI*	PTAT	Milk	Fat	Protein	FI	PL	Sire Stack
1. Robust	177	767(1)	2504(2)	0.99	1143	81	49	1.8	6.3	Socrates x Oman x Manat
2. AltaFairway 11HO10980	163	643(3)	2303(18)	0.46	1457	72	52	0.5	4.7	Planet x Oman x Morty
3. Manifold 200HO00402	154	575(9)	2286(20)	0.36	1440	69	52	1.9	3.7	Oman x BW Marshall x Emory
4. Facebook 200HO03753	150	512(33)	2366(4)	1.51	1281	80	47	2.2	1.1	MOM x Airraid x Shottle
5. AltaGreatest 11HO10928	145	619(6)	2338(11)	1.18	2104	54	60	0.5	5.2	Planet x Bolton x BW Marshall
6. AltaPhonic 11HO10997	145	539(20)	2262(25)	0.38	914	69	43	1.5	2.5	MOM x Nifty x Lynch
7. Mogul 7HO11314	142	728(2)	2586(1)	2.84	1143	81	49	0.3	5.1	Dorcy x Marsh x Bret
8. Mixer 7HO11313	128	543(16)	2332(12)	1.75	897	60	42	0	3.6	Dorcy x Marsh x Bret
9. Myrle 29HO14828	128	554(12)	2278(21)	0.6	978	69	36	1.1	3.8	Lief x Encino x Oman
10. Erdman 1HO09800	126	631(4)	2260(28)	-0.52	991	59	32	3.6	6.9	Planet x Ramos x Amel
Average	146	611	2352	0.96	1258	69	46	1.3	4.3

* Bracketed number is the rank within NM$ or gTPI

Robust, the #1 NM$ sire and #2 gTPI®, easily comes to the top for FE. In second place is AltaFairway. All bulls on this list are superior for their ability to sire high production daughters with their proofs averaging Milk 1258 lbs, Fat 69 lbs and Protein 46 lbs. Further study of these bulls shows that they have a variety of sire stacks, have high Productive Life (4.3) but are not outstanding for type (PTAT 0.96) or fertility (FI 1.3). The indexes of these ten sires have a better correlation between FE and NM$ than between FE and gTPI®. It should be noted that only Facebook and Erdman, on this list, are over 2.0 for FI. Breeding for feed efficiency will not automatically get improved fertility.

Fertility Index

Table 2 lists the top ten sires for Fertility Index (FI) as well as these sires’ indexes for other traits.

Table 2 Top 10 Proven Sires for FI (Fertility Index) that are in top 50 gTPI

Sire and NAAB Code	FI	NM$*	gTPI*	PTAT	Milk	Fat	Protein	FE	PL	Sire Stack
1. Wright 7HO1123	5.3	631(4)	2355(8)	-0.19	401	28	20	72	9.6	Freddie x Wizard x Rudolph
2. Sobieski 1HO09853	5.1	501(37)	2311(15)	0.44	363	45	25	90	4.3	Freddie x Lynch x Duce
3. Denim 1HO10218	5	615(7)	2356(7)	-0.7	389	55	27	114	7.3	Freddie x Wizard x Mtoto
4. Freddie 1HO08784	4.6	533(23)	2349(9)	0.51	866	33	28	77	5.6	Oman x Die-Hard x Metro
5. Sapporo 200HO03773	4.5	438(82)	2248(29)	1.06	572	32	11	43	5.9	Jeeves x Goldwyn x Outside
6. Army 1HO09659	4.5	338(203)	2210(49)	1.06	-100	27	21	74	2.2	Jet Stream x BW Marshallx Rduolph
7. Gallon 29HO14684	4	489(42)	2245(30)	0.42	1380	33	31	74	4.9	Jeeves x Goldwyn x Oman
8. Yano 1HO10085	4	530(24)	2210(50)	-0.15	451	15	23	64	7.6	Planet x Bret x Manfred
9. Sherman 7HO11164	3.9	432(93)	2230(35)	0.67	63	29	24	82	3.6	MOM x Shottle x Roy
10. Petrone 7HO1169	3.8	549(13)	2361(5)	1.39	624	32	13	47	7.5	Super x AltaBaxter x Buckeye
Average	4.4	506	2288	0.45	501	33	23	74	5.9

* Bracketed number is the rank within NM$ or gTPI

Wright (Read more: TPI^® – Do we have it all wrong?) comes to the top of this list. The first three on the list are all Freddie sons and Freddie himself is #4 on the list. Knowing that leads to the question – Who says the fertility is not heritable or at least that there are sire lines that have daughters that are superior for fertility? The averages for these ten sires give a very clear indication that selecting for higher production is inversely related to fertility. As well, PTAT and FE are only slightly positively correlated to fertility. And that fertility (FI) has no correlation to NM$ or gTPI® for sires that are in the top 50 gTPI®.

Except for Freddie himself, breeders are not likely to recognize the names of the other nine bulls in Table 2. It is noteworthy to see that the ten sires in Table 2, on average, are high for PL (5.9). Cows that have a high genetic ability to get pregnant stay longer in herds. Commencing to select sires for FI but not at the total expense of production will be a wise decision for breeders that focus on profitability in their breeding programs.

Always Compare to the Top Sires

When making comparisons and selecting sires, it is always useful to know what the profile is for the best in the breed. Table 3 contains the index averages for the top 10 gTPI® daughter proven and genomic sires. The genomic list is limited to sires born in 2013, as this is the group of sires that breeders are likely to be using currently or in the near future.

Table 3 Index Averages for Top 10 Proven and Genomic Sires – December 2014

	Proven	Genomic
Feed Efficiency (FE)	104	170
Fertility Index (FI)	2.8	1.7
NMS	595	814
gTPI®	2398	2677
Milk	878	1623
Fat	50	80
Protein	33	57
SCS	2.8	2.84
Productive Life (PL)	5.8	6.4
PTAT	1.23	2.27
UDC	1.18	2.03
FLC	1.35	1.74

It goes without saying that the averages for these two top 10 sire lists are outstanding. Due to Freddie’s influence, the top 10 proven sires are very high for FI. While for FE the genomic list is far superior due to their milk, fat and protein indexes being almost double those of the proven list.

In studying these lists it did come to our attention that Mogul (#1 gTPI®) is the sire of six of the top 10 genomic sires. As well, Robust is the second sire for six of the genomic sires and Planet is the third sire for six of the genomic sires. Most breeders feel that inbreeding levels should not be ignored. Mogul, Robust and Planet are not closely related but it is always wise to check on the Expected Future Inbreeding level of a sire before purchasing semen (Read more: The Truth about Inbreeding, Twenty Things Every Dairy Breeder Should Know About Inbreeding, 6 Steps to Understanding & Managing Inbreeding in Your Herd and 12 Outcross Sires to Help Control Inbreeding).

By comparing the group average in Tables 1, 2 and 3, it can be seen that the top Fertility sires in Table 2 lag behind the other groups except for FI and PL. Also note that the Feed Efficiency sires in Table 1 are generally equal to the top 10 proven sires in Table 3. And except for fertility (FI) the genomic sires in Table 3 are the highest indexing group.

Sires to Select

The first sort of sires available should be the top fifty sires for NM$ or gTPI®. A few bulls that may qualify for their total merit and are significant improvers for FE and FI are listed below:

Proven Sires

Facebook (2366 gTPI & 512 NM$)
Denim (2356 gTPI & 615 NM$)
Robust (2504 gTPI & 767 NM$)
Manifold (2286 gTPI & 575 NM$)
Altaphonic (2262 gTPI & 539 NM$)

Genomic Sires

Supershot (2675 gTPI & 848 NM$)
Rubicon (2718 gTPI & 864 NM$)
Hotshot (2661gTPI & 815 NM$)
Delta (2709 gTPI & 873 NM$)
Draco (2642 gTPI & 810 NM$)

Polled Sires

Powerball-P (2534 gTPI & 653 NM$)
Multitude-P (2249 gTPI & 418 NM$)
Ewing-P (2229 gTPI & 510 NM$)
Yahtzee-P (2408 gTPI & 588 NM$)
Ladd Man-P (2201 gTPI & 365 NM$)

Red, RC and high PTAT sires do not rank high for either feed efficiency (FE) or fertility (FI). One exception is Mogul at 2.84 PTAT who received 142 for FE however his FI is only slightly above average at 0.3.

The Bullvine Bottom Line

Breeding for feed efficiency is closely related to breeding for increased production. However breeding for increased milk yield is counter-productive to increasing the genetic merit of females for reproductive traits. Based on our study of the new indexes for feed efficiency and fertility, we recommend that breeders select bulls that are over 80 pounds for fat and protein combined and that are over 1.0 for FI.

Not sure what all this hype about genomics is all about?

Want to learn what it is and what it means to your breeding program?

Download this free guide.

All a Dairy Breeder wants for Christmas is…

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Tuesday, December 9th, 2014

Most dairy breeders are pretty simple. Give ‘em a VG-89-2YR who wins Intermediate Champion at Expo and they will be happy. If you are stymied about what to buy your father, wife, brother, sister, best friend or hired help, but can’t afford that 2700 TPI heifer from an early release sire, we have prepared a list of top 10 unique gift Ideas for the special dairy enthusiast in your life.

2014 World Dairy Expo and 2014 Royal Winter Fair Holstein Show Photo Books

Due to the extremely popular demand for last year’s photo books, we brought them back for 2014. These 90 page 10”x 8” coffee table books each contain over 200 hi-resolution photos. You can relive all of the action and excitement of the 2014 World Dairy Expo Holstein Show and The Royal Winter Fair 2014 Holstein Show with these one-of-a-kind photo books. Check out these photo books here.

A Special Lady from Steel Cow

Although she is neither a dairy breeder nor a show ring competitor, artist Valerie Miller of Steel Cow is, nevertheless, completely hands on in her relationship with cows. This passionate painter not only paints her girls larger than life but she also aligns their bovine characteristics with dear family members and friends. These paintings are admired by all and make a great Christmas gift for the dairy breeder on your list. Steel Cow’s Valerie Miller: Larger Than Life With Her Cow Girls.

Paintings by Gary Sauder

Since the first time I saw Gary’s work on Facebook, I was amazed by the super-realism of his paintings. His passion and understanding of what great dairy animals look like comes through in each and every one. We had the chance to interview Gary in our feature article – GARY SAUDER: The Muse in His Studio. To order some of Gary’s fine art work visit Cow Art and More.

The Dairy Queen: A History of the Jersey Breed Worldwide

This 300-page book is a great Christmas present for anyone interested in the Jersey breed. It chronicles the origins and development of the Jersey breed through detailed text and photos. Be sure to check out our interview “THE DAIRY QUEEN” HAS ALL THE ANSWERS! with Co-Author Derrick Frigot. He tells how this book came to be and what makes it so unique. Supplies are limited, so be sure to check out their Facebook page and order your copy for the Jersey breeder in your life.

Prints by Emma Caldwell

Probably one of the most talented young artists I have ever come across, Emma Caldwell is well on her way to becoming a worldwide household name. Although she is just starting out in her career, she has already done some amazing paintings of Hailey, Smurf, and Francesca. Check out our feature interview with Emma, Emma Caldwell’s Art Stirs Mind and Heart, as well as her many great prints available from her web shop.

Millionaires in the Cornfield: The Glory Days of the National Dairy Cattle Congress by Norman Nabholz.

For me, Norm is probably one of the greatest cattle minds of the past 50 years. It only takes a few moments of chatting with Norm to recognize his passion for this business we all love. His book is easy to pick up but hard to put down. Not only does it recount the achievements of legendary breeders and showmen with words and countless pictures, the background information and this behind-the-scenes look are most entertaining and interesting. The Bullvine had a chance to sit down and interview this multi-talented man in our feature article – HALTER, PEN and GAVEL. That’s Just the Norm.\

Facebook Page for Their Farm

Instead of wasting hundreds of dollars on a web page that no one will ever read, give the dairy breeder in your life a Facebook page that will reach the world. The best part about it? It’s free! That’s correct, it will cost you nothing. All you need to do is download this simple guide, The Dairy Breeders Guide to Facebook and you will be well on the way to helping the dairy breeder in your life market to the world.

The Chosen Breed and The Holstein History by Edward Young Morwick

Anyone who likes history, even in the slightest, will greatly appreciate either the US history (The Holstein History) or the Canadian History (The Chosen Breed) by Edward. Each of these books is so packed with information that they are each printed in two separate volumes. We had a chance to interview Edward – Edward Young Morwick – Country Roads to Law Office and you get a true sense of his passion and quick wit and they also come shining through in his books. Be sure to get your copies of amazing compilation of Holstein history in these books.

Legends of the Tanbark Trail by Tim Baumgartner

Dairy cattle have been on exhibit for nearly 200 years and taking home the coveted title of National Grand Champion has always been a compelling force. Tracing the first 100 years of U.S. national dairy cattle shows, Legends of the Tanbark Trail is a salient account of the people, the places, and the superb and unparalleled animals that have graced the show ring throughout its history. Be sure to get your show enthusiast their copy of this special book.

Prints by Bonnie Mohr

For a long time Bonnie Mohr has been the industry standard for great dairy paintings. Like many, our family has had the opportunity to appreciate Bonnie’s great work. My wife has presented me with a Bonnie Mohr print every year on our anniversary. That is why when we had the opportunity to interview Bonnie – Bonnie Mohr – Science and Art Together Creates a Holstein Love Story-; it was an honor for us. Be sure to check out her website for more extraordinary fine art from rural America.

The Bullvine Bottom Line

Instead of buying the tie that they might only wear for weddings or funerals, or those work gloves that could get lost the first time they are worn, consider these 10 great gift ideas. Not only will they thank you for connecting them to their dairy passion, but also our thoughtfulness will touch dairy breeder’s hearts and make lasting memories this Christmas!

Be sure to LIKE and SHARE this post on Facebook to let your friends and family know exactly what you are wanting for Christmas.

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Put Some Jolly Into Your Very Dairy Christmas!

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Monday, December 8th, 2014

The holidays are almost here. And along with it, another seemingly endless list which demands that it, and you, are checking twice. Regardless of the chores, breeding, feed, finances, calvings, frozen pipes, storm damage …. And the fifteenth bull calf in a row … you are definitely feeling that you’re on thin ice.

The gifts, the tree, the perfect pies and turkey …. Christmas at the Farm … in some in one month. No wonder we’re stressed exhausted and in some cases, dairy depressed.

We may catch ourselves envying the non-farm neighbours who head to warmer climates for their winter break. After all, how hard is it to care for a cat (and maybe a dog)? They can even choose to sleep in while they get time off from that barely stressful 9-5 job that pays their bills so effortlessly.

Oops! Want a little cheese with that whine?

Try to remember that not everything about Christmas on a dairy farm is bad! And everything OFF the farm isn’t perfect either. Almost everyone has to deal with debt loads, decision making and lack of control over the weather. While they may not be as isolated as the typical farmer, they also don’t have nearly as much hands-on control of their daily living.

Long days and late nights may make Christmas parties, concerts, sleigh rides and ski hills seem out of reach. Don’t get your Christmas stockings in a knot yet. Put a wreath on the barn door. Remind yourself where the Christmas season started. Have you got a Santa Claus hat? Put it on your favorite cow. After all, she never tires of giving her best to you every day. Now that your workplace and staff are in a holiday moo-ed, take fifteen minutes to invite your family — or a neighbour to enjoy a hot chocolate. Find a place where the view of your farm, cattle, or pastures will recharge your energy.

Here Comes Christmas Stress! Right down Dairy Farm Lane!

Christmas is a time of waiting … and hurrying and worrying. The very fact that it is seen as a time to celebrate sets us up for the measuring, comparing and competing that can add huge stress to an already busy time. Unfortunately, just when there are all these added challenges, we seem determined to respond to them in ways that aren’t usual either.

Don’t cut off your usual support groups. While bemoaning what you’re missing don’t cut yourself off from church, 4-H or coffee at the local diner or Timmy’s. That hour isn’t going to make your list any shorter, but you will confirm that you’re not the only one coping with Christmas.
Make a Happy Christmas in the Stable. Don’t take your anxiety out on your cows. Remember Christmas started in a stable. But regardless of your faith beliefs, taking care of animals (and friends) takes the focus off ourselves.
Take Care of YOU: Seasonal stress can show itself through coughs, colds, flu, aches and pains. If you have annual visits from these ailments, try to anticipate the trigger situations and take steps to prevent getting worn out.
Make the Job a Game: If you’re missing family activities. Bring Christmas fun to your farm. Surprise your staff by wearing antlers or hanging mistletoe. It’s surprising how the sound of laughter can change drudgery to fun
Ask for what YOU Need: Never mind your list for Santa. If you’re feeling low, share that with those closest to you. There may not be an easy solution, but it’s important not to carry the whole load by yourself! Every little hug helps!

Make Someone Else Happy!

We all know how our outlook can change in an instant, when someone shines the light of appreciation on what we are doing. Make sure you light up someone else’s day with a sincere, “Thank you!” Everyone struggles. Don’t add to their stress with criticism or shared anxiety about all the troubles of the world. Find a piece of happiness to share with someone else!

A written thank you note to family who give up some of their time for the farm could make a big difference. A note to staff shows that you appreciate them beyond the daily dairy grind. The very effort of putting your thoughts of gratitude on paper will make a difference in your own outlook too!

Put Some Fun in Your Own Life!

Every year I have fun performing in Christmas Musicals and Concerts. This year, various issues tempted me to give up this frivolous behavior. However, fate stepped in, and just as I was about to give up my ladies’ performance choir – our new leader asked me if I would assist her with the stage managing. Well, there’s nothing like being needed to make you forget your troubles. Believe – herding cows or even cats — is less work than getting forty-five women on and off stage three times in one show!

Having recently turned 65, it seemed like this, finally, should be the year that I stopped putting on costumes and doing home groan comedy routines. But – like clockwork— I woke up one morning giggling at an idea that occurred to me for my church Altar-Ego “Sister Page Turner” to deliver. Our church is struggling through a somewhat dark period, and I thought the topic should be “Light!” Thus- “Batteries Not Included!” will, hopefully, send a message of hopefulness. As usual, trying to see the humour in an awkward situation actually does help.

The Bullvine Bottom Line

Learning to deal with stress takes time but, in the end, we develop coping strategies that help in many areas of life — not just in the barn. So friends, give yourselves a well-deserved pat on the back. The work you do goes far beyond your own farm gate. Chin up! Here at The Bullvine we’re glad to share our issues, concerns and joys with you. We’re proud of you. Have yourself a very – merry – dairy Christmas.

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Australian Dairy Slang – They say things a little differently down under.

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Friday, November 28th, 2014

There is no question that Dairy Farmers have a different way of talking. (Read more: Dairy Slang: 22 Phrases That Mean Different Things to Dairy Breeders) However, there are even differences in the slang farmers around the world use. One of the most noticeable differences is that used by of dairy farmers in Australia and New Zealand compared to North America. They certainly have a different way of expressing themselves down under.

With the assistance of the members of The Milk House, (Read more: Introducing the Milk House – Dairy Breeder Networking on Facebook) here are 20 dairy phrases that have different meanings in Australasia than they have in North America. Here, in their own words, is what they say in Australia and New Zealand.

Stud – ”The term Stud means a pedigree cow herd here and means a Bull AI company up in North America.”

Dairy – “In North America a dairy is where someone milks the cows but down under it is called a cowshed. A dairy here is the local corner shop where you can get your food, etc.”

Units vs. Straws – “In North America a straw of semen is often referred to as a unit of semen, whereas we refer to them straws. (Example “I purchased 20 straws of Goldwyn Semen”)

Paddocks – “We call the fields, where cows graze, Paddocks whereas in North American they are called pastures.”

Crook – “A crook in North America refers to a person who is dishonest or a criminal. Here it means someone who is gravely ill.”

Thongs – Here we wear flip-flops, while in North America a thong is a tiny bathing suit.”

Barbie – “In North America Barbie is very unrealistically proportioned doll. In Australia a Barbie is a Bar-B-Cue.”

Bonnet –“For us, a bonnet is a car hood. In North America it is a lady’s hat.

Cracker – “ “Cracker” is the term we use for a heifer or cow that is very high in conformation whereas in North America a cracker is a thin, crisp wafer often eaten with cheese or other savory toppings.”

Take Out – “In North America food that is cooked and sold by a restaurant or store to be eaten elsewhere is called Take Out. However, down under this is referred to Take Away. Take Away in North American would refer to an act of regaining the ball or puck from the opposing team.”

Topping – “The process of cutting the grass in a pasture or paddock is called topping but in North America this this is called bush whacking. Toppings in North America are something you put on an ice cream sundae or pizza. Moreover, the brush mower used to do the topping in Australasia is called a slasher. In North America a Slasher is a horror movie, especially one in which victims (typically women or teenagers) are slashed with knives and razors.”

Pitchfork – “In North America a pitchfork is a farm tool with a long handle and sharp metal prongs, used especially for lifting hay. In Australasia, a Pitchfork is a ‘grapple’.”

A Uniloader –“For us, a uniloader is a small tractor with lift arms used to attach a wide variety of labor-saving tools or attachments is called a uniloader in North America they are called kid-steers or bobcats.”

Commercial – In North America a milk producer who is who not as focused on animal breeding is considered to be a commercial producer. In Australia a commercial only refers to the ads that come on during a favorite TV show.”

Sookies “We refer to our calves as Sookies. Also, they are often called Poddys, which sounds like something North American’s call restroom facilities for young children.”

Bulk Tank – “In North America a Bulk Tank is a cooling tank. It is a large storage tank for cooling and holding milk at a cold temperature, until it can be picked up by a milk hauler. In Australia and New Zealand , this equipment is called a Vat.”

Crushes – “North American headlocks are referred to as Crushes here.”

Open vs. Empty –“A heifer who is not in calf in North America is referred to as being Open. That heifer, for us, considered Empty.”

A Milk Shed –“ In North America a shed is a simple roofed structure, typically made of wood or metal, used as a storage space, a shelter for animals, or a workshop. Here a shed is a milking parlour and nd a parlour is somewhere Australians and New Zealanders go to have their afternoon tea.”

The Bullvine Bottom Line

While the specific terms that dairy farmers use the world over can be very different, the one thing that we all can say for sure is, “Dairy passion and purpose unites us all!”

Know more dairy slang? Be sure to share it with us.

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4-H Canada’s Volunteer of the Year – John Drummond “A Passion for the Program”

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Monday, November 24th, 2014

Head, Heart, Hands, and Health is not just a motto. For John Drummond, it is three decades invested in training and encouraging the youth in his community. His leadership is all about “we”.

John being honored as the 4-H Canada’s Volunteer of the Year

Once In 4-H, Drummond Never looked Back

Young Canadians often look forward to hockey but for John Drummond of Lanark County there was another tradition that inspired his participation. “I was born and raised in the 4-H program. As the youngest of 6 kids, I watched my older siblings all be very active in the program, and waited with anticipation until it was my turn. My mother was a ‘Homemaking’ 4-H Club Leader, and I remember a group of girls coming over on Saturday afternoons – I would have been 4 or 5 at the time. I joined the Lombardy Calf Club at age 12, which was the starting age” way back then”, and never looked back.”

John competing at the 1982 Contact Hays Classic

4-H Leaders Ignited John’s Involvement

In the same way that he inspires others to get involved in 4-H leadership, John was inspired by his leaders. “Ron McMillan and Gerald Hunter were awesome guys, lots of fun, and great 4-H club leaders. I remember them giving me the tap on the shoulder that I should become a leader of the club, which I did for my first two years after graduating from the program. I also consider Bruce Witmer to be a great example of a lifetime of 4-H involvement.” John didn’t stop at the club leader level. He was on the Ontario 4-H Council Board of Directors from 2003-2010, serving as President in ’06/07. “That totally ignited my involvement on a provincial level. The influence of great executive directors like Rob Black and Lyndon Stewart provided lots of fuel and excitement for the program.”

4-H and Career Became Synchronized

John feels it was a natural transition to move from member to leader in the Lombardy Calf Club. “When I graduated from the University of Guelph, I accepted a position with Floradale Feed Mill, a move that brought me to Waterloo County, as a dairy feed specialist, and the wonderful 4-H program they have there.”

The Years Passed and the Commitment Grew

John merely did what was expected of him, and that certainly built an incredible leadership record. He is as surprised as anyone at the long standing commitment. “Waterloo Vet Club… 29 years now. Wow. Floradale Dairy Club for 28 years and the Senior Dairy Club for almost as long. In 2006, I became a lifeskills club leader when we started the Kitchener Market 4-H Club, a cooking club that runs Saturday mornings at the Kitchener Farmers’ Market.” John is still filled with youthful enthusiasm and, even more so, over another new club. “One of the most exciting clubs I’m involved with is the Waterloo Paintball 4-H Club, which has provided me with some great days of exercise, strategy, teamwork and leadership development.

People Make the Difference

Although he loves the variety of programs and experiences, John Drummond feels that there is one fundamental thing that makes the difference for him. “The people.” He asserts. “When I was President of the Ontario 4-H Council, I travelled across the province to Awards Nights and Annual Meetings, Judging Competitions and Achievement Programs. I loved meeting people that had a similar passion for the program.” Like other passionate leaders, John has found that two people performing the same job can produce quite different results in terms of quality because of their passion for what they are doing (or lack thereof).

4-H Memories are the Foundation

We all build on our successes. For John, many of these relate to his early 4-H experiences. “In 1981, my 4-H calf was virtually undefeated at shows, going on to be Honourable Mention All Canadian that year. The following year and my last as a 4-H member, I showed a calf of my own breeding, who went on to be nominated All Canadian.” With understated enthusiasm John sums that up as “Such an enormous thrill for an 18-year-old.”

Over the years, John has been involved in making it possible for others in 4-H to have outstanding experiences and memories. “In 2005, Waterloo hosted the 90th Anniversary Celebration of 4-H in Ontario. We formed a club that planned and presented such a great reunion and celebration that I don’t know how we’ll ever top it for next year’s 100th Anniversary. We do have a 100th Anniversary Club running now planning the celebration for next year, and the ideas that are taking shape are well on their way to making a party that will be every bit as amazing. As the home of Ontario’s first 4-H Club, we’ve had such great opportunities to put 4-H in the spotlight. We’ve never backed down from doing it.”

4-H has something for both Leaders and Members

John doesn’t hesitate in encouraging people to become involved at any level of the 4-H program. “It’s not hard; it’s not confusing. It’s always rewarding, and it’s always fun. The rewards of being a leader are every bit as much as they are for being a member.” Obviously, John is a natural born recruiter as well as a leadership specialist. It’s his enthusiasm that inspires the 4-Hers John works with. He not only motivates participation but encourages individuals to share their uniqueness. “Don’t be afraid that you don’t have something to offer – everyone does.”

There is no looking Back. For John, it is always about Building Forward.

When John Drummond sums up what is so great about the Waterloo 4-H Board of Directors, he is summarizing what has kept him passionate about 4-H. Hearing John describe his pride in the teamwork of his local group, sounds a lot like what great leaders say about great teams. “We work together, laugh together, celebrate our successes, learn from our mistakes and never lay blame. We’re not afraid to try new things!” It isn’t the least bit surprising that they work toward delivering a strong and fun 4-H program of the best value for everyone.” Of course, John deflects any personal praise, “ I have such an excellent backup of co-leaders who do more than I do to make these clubs fun. Great people like Wilf Strenzke, Jason Brownridge, Kevin Snyder, Lyndon Stewart, Linsday Oxby, James Martin, Joanna Follings, Lynsay Beavers, Colin McNabb, Anne Snyder, Susan Martin, Luke Wheal, Megan Pollock, Tayler Black, and countless others.”

The Bullvine Bottom Line

Any time you invest your Head, Heart, Hands and Health, there is going to be growth. John Drummond shares his 4-H passion and has a positive effect on youth and his peers and, as a result, everyone grows forward together. We extend our congratulations and heartfelt thanks to John Drummond for leading by example to serve, equip and inspire the next generation and being named 4-H Canada’s Volunteer of the Year.

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This MOVEMBER – GO FACE to FACE with MEN’S HEALTH

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Tuesday, November 18th, 2014

The November tradition is building. For several years now November has seen a resurgence in moustaches! Now MoDairy, a subset of the national organization called Movember USA, has a moustache challenge for dairy folks everywhere. MoDairy is building on the tradition of November being recognized as the men’s health awareness month, specifically focused on health challenges facing a high proportion of males – including cancer, and specifically prostate cancer.

Buford, the mascot at Jaylor, even grew a mustache for Movember Dairy.

The MoDairy is Spreading a Wakeup Call!

The call has been heard by thousands and, among them, by MoDairy. MoDairy is a tiny coalition of just 11 dairy industry and dairy-related Wisconsin companies. Despite the lighthearted and somewhat hairy visual side of the campaign, the message is a serious one:

“It is a statistical fact that one in six men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime.”

The issue is a grave one considering that 92 percent of U.S. dairy producers are men and that inspired Amy Throndsen, director of international sales for DCC cow waterbeds. “Dairy farmers have less awareness as to signs and symptoms [of cancer], likely have less frequent medical examinations and simply are often more focused on the care of their cows and crops than they are of their own health.”

A Good Idea is Right Under Your Nose

Recognizing the high potential the campaign is built on sharing information. “The good news is that, if prostate cancer is detected early, the cure rate nears 100%.”

MoDairy and the Movember Foundation encourage routine health exams for men in the dairy industry and, with a campaign centered around the mustache, the coalition is joining forces to start the conversation on men’s health through: industry mustache parties, a Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/MoDairy) radio public service announcements – and much more.

Keep Calm and Moustache ON

This is where you come in. Get your MO-GOING! Some ideas include:
• Post photos of your family and farm team with fake mustaches – either homemade or digitally added.
• Hold a mustache growing contest with your friends and post updates on your blog. A new mustache is a great conversation starter about Movember.
• Share how cancer has impacted a family member and your farm.

Post a MOOstache photo on Movember Dairy’s Facebook wall for a chance to win a 20×20 Steel Cow print!

MO-MENS To REMEMBER

Good health is the best gift. Preventing prostate cancer is possible with early checkups. Awareness of the facts about prostate cancer and the importance of early screening is something we can all share with those whose health we care about. It starts with conversation.

Ironically, or fortuitously, whichever way you look at it, the idea for Movember actually started reports the Australian founders “with a conversation between mates. There’s a nice synergy to the fact that today it’s conversation that is central to achieving our goals. That one conversation back in 2003 has today grown into billions, taking place around the world.”

Josh, who is an engineer, blogger and cancer survivor encourages everyone to get involved. “With greater awareness of these issues should come empowerment for men to face these challenges, knowing they are supported by their peers and wider community without judgement or stigma, and a lasting change in the state of men’s health worldwide.”

Movember is Global and It’s Changing the Face of Men’s Health

Since those humble beginnings in 2003 in Australia, the Movember Foundation has made huge strides, inspiring support from over 4 million Mo Bros, Mo Sistas around the world. The founders report. “The Movember Foundation currently runs official campaigns in 21 countries, however, we’re aware of pockets of support in virtually every corner of the world, from Moscow to Rio de Janeiro and everywhere in between. Movember’s success can largely be attributed to the strength of the global community; regardless of the city in which they live, they feel part of something bigger, united by a commitment to help change the face of men’s health. It’s about global mateship.” They describe their word-of-mouth method. “The global expansion of the Movember campaign is not something that has been driven from within – it has been invited and encouraged. Our policy is only to enter a new market if there is an existing strong ground swell of support. Word of mouth, the movement of expats and the incredible power of the internet have all contributed to the campaign stretching out across the globe. The geographic expansion supports and delivers on our primary objective of spreading key health messages to men everywhere.”

The call to action is, “Let’s MO!”

As MoDairy members say, “Whichever option you choose, you will be helping our industry raise awareness of men’s health and the importance of early detection. With your help, we can build support throughout the agriculture industry to help dairy farmers protect themselves against health risks. If you would like additional information or ideas, please feel free to click here.

The Bullvine Bottom Line

Here at the Bullvine we hope all of our readers will share your Movember pictures, thoughts and blogs. Start a conversation with those you love. It could save a life.

I would love to stay and chat but I really MOUSTACHE!

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Is the Dairy Breeding Industry Sexist?

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Wednesday, November 5th, 2014

The dairy industry is full of stereotypes. Some are false and some are well-earned. One stereotype that distinctly stands out is the gender inequality in the dairy industry. Look at the top of any of the dairy breeding companies and, outside of human resources and marketing, how many women are in C-Level or even senior leadership positions? One maybe two. This has me asking, “Is the dairy breeding industry sexist?”

While most of the world started going through a feminist movement in the 1960’s and ‘70s, parts of the dairy industry seem to have missed it entirely. Women are treated as inferior in many dairy breeding organizations with glass ceilings on their career growth and income levels. Ninety nine percent of the time executives and managers in the dairy breeding business and industry are men. While the dairy breeding industry has jumped headlong into new technology such as genomics, it is still light years behind when it comes to gender equality.

As a child, I grew up on your typical multi-generational dairy farm. With that the roles were well established. My grandfather and the men worked in the barns and the fields and my grandmother worked in the gardens and tended to the house. Except when it was harvest time. Then she did the milking and came in and put meals on the table for the hungry crews. She was more than capable of the chores when the “men” where in meetings and holding important dairy positions. Then my father, the only son, married a very independent and strong minded wife, who wanted to have her own career off the farm. It was like the world had come to an end!

For some families, differences in the roles of a wife and mother can be overlooked by the fact that you don’t see the comparison every day. But in our circumstance that was not possible, as we lived next door to my grandparents. Who actually did what job was very obvious. While grandpa was responsible for the cows and the cropping, and grandma was responsible for the children, house and gardens. Although as every farm family knows, grandma had to help out wherever needed, often working side by side with grandpa in the barn and in the fields. Who got credit was less obvious. My grandmother was justifiably proud of claiming (and getting) joint recognition for the Master Breeder achievement in 1984.

After 18 years of working for Holstein Canada running the type classification and genetic improvement department, my father had decided to move onto a new challenge and joined the Canadian Association of Animal Breeders (CAAB), and ultimately become the General Manager there. In looking to grow CAAB there was a need for a new marketing executive, and the then General Manager, Rusty MacDonald, hired my mother as the Information Director. Now, having two parents that work at the same place isn’t that unusual for many Bullvine readers since most dairy farms are family run. So you can relate to the fact that work does not stop outside the house. It is the conversation at the dinner table, on the way to church on Sunday and, heck, pretty much all the time. One of the things that became very clear to me as a child was the glass ceiling that had been established in the dairy breeding industry. We often heard heated discussions about how hard it was for my mother to get the respect she deserved for her ideas and efforts in the dairy breeding industry. My father, who was extremely supportive of my mother, could not change the ways of senior leaders in other dairy breeding organizations.

Not much has changed since the days that my parents both worked for CAAB. In doing a quick analysis of the current leadership teams at the major artificial insemination organizations as well as milk recording and breed associations, I find very few female senior leaders. While yes there are some in the colored breeds as well as the General Manager at Holstein Canada, and a few positions on the senior leadership team at Holstein USA, I have found it hard to find many females at the top. I posed this question on the Milk House (Read more: Introducing The Milk House – Dairy Breeder Networking on Facebook) and was only able to find two females – one at Accelerated and one at Genex in senior leadership roles that are not human resources or marketing related.

Growing up, my sister was as talented as my brother or myself. She was equally as capable as a judge, as well as talented in business. My brother has worked for one AI company for 20 years and is now the Chief Operating Officer. However my sister has had to deal with many more barriers and challenges in the past in order to achieve her success. My parents taught us all never to back down when you believe in something. While that has served us all well, it also created many challenges for sister. Especially when working with males who believe in male entitlement. When you look at things relative to the obstacles faced, there is no question that my sister has achieved as much, or more, than either of us boys. And yet, if you look at it in terms of fame and recognition, she has not had equal opportunity.

An interesting point that was raised in the discussion on the Milk House was about the many talented young woman that have been doing extremely well in the dairy judging competitions. However, this is not new. The challenge is that these young woman have not seen their abilities work as a stepping stones to senior leadership roles in our industry as they do for males. How many of these ladies have gone on to judge the Holstein Show at World Dairy Expo or The Royal? None. There are certainly many talented women, such as Kelli Cull from Budjon and Molly Sloan, who have the talent to do so, and I think should be given the opportunity. This has been the circumstance for over 30 years. I can remember when I was younger, over 20 years ago, I had the opportunity to be judged by the likes of Kenda Nurse, and Nancy Hazeleger, two woman that did an outstanding job, not just because they made me champion, but because they had placings you could easily follow, gave good sound reasons and interacted very well with the exhibitors. All trademarks of a good judge.

Bullvine Bottom line

As we have found many times here at The Bullvine, numbers don’t lie. The fact that there are so few woman in senior leadership roles and that we have never had a female judge at a major North American Holstein Show (Royal or Expo) speaks volumes. The same is true on the farm. While there is no question that most women are full partners and 50% (or more) of the brains behind the operation, how many times do you see them in the limelight or getting the recognition? Women are not only suitable for cooking, gardening or secretarial work but they are equally as capable as men in all aspects of dairying. We as an industry need to recognize that.

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Purebred Dairy Breeders – The Vocal Minority

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Friday, October 31st, 2014

Worldwide purebred dairy cattle breeders account for less than 1% of the dairy farmers. Purebred Holstein breeders account for around 20% of the Holstein cattle in the USA and about 17% of the total dairy cattle in the USA. However, if you were to read any of the media, or discussion groups among breeders, you would think that purebred breeders were closer to 90%.

This disconnect was once again made obvious to me yesterday, when I posted a simple question “Do you think there will be any more Millionaire Sires?” which referenced an article we wrote back in September by the same name. While the topic generated over 200 comments in under 12 hours, what was most telling was the perspective that revealed how long many breeders believed it would take for a sire to achieve such a lofty number. The one point that came through loud and clear was that the average pedigree breeder has an inflated sense of how much semen market share they actually account for.

Trust me I understand that we can all be guilty of having an inflated ego. Some of us…read that as I, have a bigger ego than must. However, even I can realize how little of the semen market share the pedigree sector actually accounts for.

There are approximately 115 million dairy farms in the world. India and Pakistan account for 89 million of those dairy farms although, at an average herd size of less than five cows; these two countries are mostly irrelevant from a dairy cattle breeding perspective (although some of The Bullvine’s competitors would argue differently if you look at their Facebook followers’ profile (Read more: The Truth about Dairy Genetics Publications Facebook Fan Page Statistics). As far as worldwide dairy cattle genetics are concerned, specifically semen sales, the principal markets, based on the number of dairy cattle, average herd size, and total production per cow, are: as follows:

United States of America
China
Russia
Brazil
Germany
France
New Zealand
United Kingdom
Turkey
Netherlands

When you look at these ten countries that account for 51.1% of the world’s milk production (68% if you exclude India and Pakistan), one of the key points that stands out is that the average herd size in most of these countries is well over 100 cows.

United States dairy cows stats show that the average herd size on dairy farms is 167 milking cows. The majority (74%) of U.S. dairy farms have less than 100 cows. Farms with more than 100 cows produce 85% of the milk. So while the majority of dairy farmers in the USA are relatively smaller herds, the large majority of the cattle and milk production are associated with large commercial herds.

When you are looking at semen sales, this is a very telling statistic. This shows that in order to move mass amounts of semen, like 1,000,000 doses, a sire needs to be used extensively in the large herd market.

It is purely a numbers thing. With almost 90% of the US dairy cattle population accounted for in the herds that are over 100 cows, in order for a sire to sell 1,000,000, he is going to need to be popular in that market sector. This is especially true given today’s high sire turnover genomic era. The opportunity to reach Millionaire status may exist for the odd sire to do it, such as the type specialist Atwood but he will be the last type sire that will ever have a chance to do so. However, as we demonstrated in the article (Read more: Do you think there will be any more Millionaire Sires?), the majority of today’s sires will be lucky to hit 500,000 in total sales.

What was shocking to me when I followed the discussion on the Milk House, was the number of purebred breeders who were throwing out niche type bull after niche type bull that could possibly achieve this lofty mark. Unless the large commercial herds have the worst conception rates known in the world, there are just not enough potential inseminations for type niche sires to ring the bell. As one member of the forum points out “More units of semen get dropped on the ground behind commercial cows daily than a small registered herd would use of that bull.”

Taking these metrics one step further, the show side of the dairy cattle breeding industry, something I love as much as anyone, accounts for less than 1% of the semen marketplace. By my calculations, less than 1/100 % of purebred breeders exhibit at World Dairy Expo, The Royal or other major dairy cattle show. Although the show segment accounts for almost 50% of the media coverage by the major dairy cattle breeding publications, it is relatively small potatoes when it comes to semen market share. From the A.I. perspective the show/type side of the marketplace is high blend price. It is also more costly to market to as these breeders are more of a sire by sire, mating by mating, purchase than a bulk semen or A.I. company loyalty purchase. This means it’s an expensive segment to attract and sell to. Hence why you see so many A.I. companies focusing on the 26% of US dairy farms that account for 85% of the dairy cattle. Heck, even Semex, the A.I. company that has produced the most sires that have sold more than 1 million doses (12) has changed their focus from a niche type market towards this much larger segment (Read more: Semex – The Rise and Fall of a Semen Empire and Select Sires vs. Semex – A Contrast in Cooperatives).

I find this issue to be especially relevant when I look at many of the boards that make decisions for the dairy cattle breeding industry, specifically breed associations. The vocal minority are not afraid to express their opinions and they are often the ones elected to the boards of some A.I. companies and most breed associations. This leads to a slant, especially at breed associations, toward their small group. So instead of focusing on the majority of the milk production market segment, these boards focus on a small niche and find themselves scrounging for relevance.

The Bullvine Bottom Line

Those who consider themselves dairy cattle breeders love to talk about the latest sire or what cow won which show. But it is important to remember they are of limited relativity to the semen market as a whole. They are a very niche segment. Yes, it’s a very vocal segment and accounts for a much larger portion of the conversation than the 26% of milk producers who account for 85% of the production. Nevertheless, the fact remains, it is still a small but vocal minority.

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Was the Genomic Investor Boom Nothing More than a Big Ponzi Scheme?

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Monday, October 20th, 2014

So the other day I was reading about a Ponzi scheme that had gone wrong and it got me to thinking whether the rapid increase in the value of high index genomic females was nothing more than a big Ponzi scheme?

First let’s look at what the definition of a Ponzi scheme is. A Ponzi scheme is a fraudulent investment operation where the operator, an individual or organization, pays returns to its investors from new capital paid to the players by new investors, rather than from profit earned by the player. Operators of Ponzi schemes usually entice new investors by offering higher returns than other investments, in the form of short-term returns that are either abnormally high or unusually consistent.

Now first let’s be clear that I am not directly implicating anyone as intentionally setting up a Ponzi scheme in the sale of breeding stock. However, when I look at how the prices of high genomic heifers kept going up and up, yet the actual income from these animals had not yet been realized, it certainly does have some similarities. In less than a two-year period, we saw the price of a high-end heifer go from $30,000 to more than ten times that. All of this in a period where those animals would not have had the time to realize that level of income. So these operations that were brokering these purchases had to keep flipping more and more animals in order to keep the cash flowing. The challenge was that eventually the amount of new money coming in to fund the level of return that the early investors were expecting was not enough. Some of the early investors started wondering if they would ever see their money back. This led to a mass panic among those who were in it for the short term as their confidence began to crumble. When this took place, we saw the prices paid for these top animals drop significantly.

It’s important to understand the business model that many of these investors were following. There were really only two sources of revenue for them: A) producing high genomic females and selling them and B) Semen royalties from AI companies. The challenge is that, in order to play the game, they could not sell off their top genomic index females. Furthermore due to no new money in the marketplace, there was no one willing to buy the 2^nd tier females that they wanted to sell. At one point, some of these genetic programs were selling off very high, but not topper females, at $2,000 or $3,000 less than the cost of producing them. Thus, they were actually losing money on them. Then came the second part of the equation. Instead of realizing insane royalties from selling semen from the sires in their programs, many of these companies did not get enough in royalties to even cover their own expenses. On top of that they were not even getting enough return to cover the cost of producing the 6-7 other progeny that, unfortunately, would never be profitable. Combine these factors with the high cost of IVF and these companies found themselves losing money. The expected profits promised to investors were non-existent. Interestingly, along the way, as those who were looking for a short term get rich plan started to took their losses and cashed out, , other players came into the market to buy these animals at pennies on the dollar. Most notably among these other players were many of the large AI companies. Unlike the investor money that started the speculation, the AI companies did have a direct line to long term return through semen sales. They were more than happy to acquire these females at significantly less than the cost it would be to buy the bulls. This not only caused losses from the sale of females, but also led to even lower royalties being paid out by the AI companies/ AI companies could now produce their own bulls at a fraction of the cost. Sure they may not be getting the #1 TPI sire, but they were able to produce sires that were high enough for the commercial producer and do it at a fraction of the cost.

The Bullvine Bottom Line

I sincerely don’t believe that anyone ever started out on this genomic investment boom with the plan of initiating a Ponzi scheme. However, based on how the events unfolded, and the way the market responded, that is exactly what happened. When they first started the business model seemed sound, but with one crucial, and ultimately incorrect assumption. That assumption was that the money would come from semen sales. That never happened and the significant investment in high genomic index females, combined with the high costs of producing the next generation of high index females, led to greater and greater cash outlays with no money coming back. Eventually, when the money runs out, investors come looking for an answer. The problem is the only answer “Oops we did not see that coming”. Those are words no investor ever wants to hear.

Not sure what all this hype about genomics is all about?

Want to learn what it is and what it means to your breeding program?

Download this free guide.

Introducing The Milk House – Dairy Breeder Networking on Facebook

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Friday, October 17th, 2014

From ringside at World Dairy Expo to farm tours and herd visits around the world, dairy people like to network with fellow breeders and members of the dairy genetics industry. That is why we have created The Milk House on Facebook. Breeders and industry professionals can talk about their favorite daughter from a special family, people can search for an internship or a (new) job next door or in another country, herd managers can get references on special milking equipment or herd management devices and how they work in different herd sizes, breeders can talk details on breeding strategies and which sires they use and why and owners can network with well managed high performing herds around the world. It can all be done on The Milk House.

This is your chance to network with other dairymen, technicians, clippers or any other person, which is why we have the same interests and passions, and do it all on Facebook the site more breeders in the world visit on a daily basis. The Milk House is Free to everyone, all you need is a Facebook account. So you can easily use your Facebook account without having to create a whole new profile and visit a whole bunch of different sites each day to network with other Dairy Breeder’s around the world. This is your opportunity to ask questions from breeder’s and industry professionals around the world, as well as learn more about different dairy events that are happening. This is also your opportunity to share your genetics and promote your herd to breeders around the world. Don’t miss this great opportunity to grow your breeder network.

Click here to Join

The Bullvine Breeder’s Cup – The Results

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Thursday, October 16th, 2014

The votes are in and the tally is complete on the inaugural Bullvine Breeders Cup. Our search for the best-kept secret has discovered the following amazing cows:

3rd Place – Sunset Canyon Militia Liza GP-84

Date of Birth: 12/2/2007
Lactations: 4
Submitted by: Francois Vermette
Breeder’s Comments: Liza is a cow with who it’s easy and fun to work. She will have 7 years old in December and will give her fifth calf in September 2014.She has a gold award and a silver award for her production record in Jersey breed. She will finish her fourth lactation with calving and 3 flush, we got 19 progeny including 4 sons in AI sold in three different studs and 6 daughters in milk including 1 VG 87 USA, 3 VG and 2 GP in Canada. 3 of her daughters have sons in AI and over 90% of the heifers at the farm who come from Liza have contracts in AI. We got 2 times the first jersey heifer in Canada on GLPI list with a grand and a great granddaughter of Liza. In April 2014, 5 of her descendants are in the top 10 GLPI jersey heifers in Canada (under 9 months) and 13 in the top 85.Her 3 oldest daughters also had silver or gold award for their milk performance by Jersey Canada. It’s a high fertility family who has high flush results and embryos exported in Australia and USA. They are also easy to put Liza and her offspring’s in calf. That’s a lot of reasons that Liza could be nominated for the Bullvine breeder Cup!

2nd Place – Voight-Acres Daisy Duke-TW EX-94

Date of Birth: 5/16/2004
Lactations: 6
Submitted by: Cole Voight
Breeder’s Comments: I’m nominating Voight-Acres Daisy Duke-TW EX-94. She’s my ideal cow for longevity and high lifetime production. Daisy Duke has a welded on udder, after having 6 calves, her udder is still well above her hocks. She has sound feet and legs and she’s all dairy strength! Daisy Duke is a Linjet from an EX-91 Durham, which was Res. Grand Champion at the Wisconsin State Fair Jr. Show. Daisy Duke also has an EX-93 twin sister.

1st Place – Jaspers Shottle Julianna EX-91

Date of Birth: 11/7/2009
Lactations: 3
Submitted By: Devin Jaspers
Breeder’s Comments: Every dairyman/woman wants a “correct” or balanced cow, they produce and stay healthier. It’s the key to longevity. Julianna is as balanced as they come standing at an even 60″ tall producing a plus in the herd for almost three lacerations only her stature keeps her from the show ring. But Julianna would work in any management system and excel. Julianna’s 4th dam was our first VG cow that we purchased when we started registering and getting away from grades only. Her Grandmother was our first homebred cow scoring EX 92 3E. Her mother a VG 88 Goldwyn. She scored EX as a very young 4yr YR and moved to EX 91 with more days in milk. The dairyman’s dream cow is why this Breeder’s cup is right up Julianna alley/stall!!

The Bullvine Bottom Line

We would like to thank all of those who submitted their animals, and to those who voted on Facebook as well on on our website. Congratulations goes out to Francois Vermette, Cole Voight and Devin Jaspers on their success with these animals.

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High Heels and Work Boots – You are what you wear!

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Tuesday, October 14th, 2014

Barn-appropriate attire has certainly changed over the years. Overalls, coveralls, boots and the iconic farm hat have defined ‘looking like a farmer’. The options available are weatherproof, waterproof and, if I had my way, they would be smell-proof and self-cleaning too. Regardless of what dairy folks choose to work in, we make our choices of what’s appropriate based on the job we are doing. There are no extra points given for fashion when cleaning stalls, filling feed bunkers or helping with a calf delivery in pouring rain in a muddy field. Dust, dirt and manure are ever present and ready to turn our country fresh style into downright dank and dirty.

While most dairy folks make excellent clothes choices for barn conditions, the ones we make in public, at meetings or in the show rings are sometimes questionable. What side of the fashion line are you on?

Ring, Booth and Barn Clothes are Broadcasting Your Farm Message

Clothes make a strong visual statement regardless of the industry you work in. Comfort and serviceability, boots and barn hats may serve their purpose in the barn. Unfortunately, some might think wearing them directly to a meeting not only saves time but sends a message that you’re a hard working dairy professional. Well. Not so much. You want your co-workers and potential customers to take you seriously. They should not smell where you’re coming from.

Should Farmers Dress for Success?

Yes, they should. Something as superficial as how you’re dressed does make a difference. Is there something clinging to your boots or pants from your last walk through the barn. Does your grooming and basic hygiene suggest that you have become “nose blind” to those country smells that city folk are not so familiar with? Maybe we are too familiarized with the messy side of our work day and forget that the uninitiated, who are also dairy consumers, are a little more fidgety about where there food comes from and what and who it comes into contact with. We have all seen how bad publicity over animal treatment can reflect on an entire industry. Wardrobe malfunctions can hurt too. It is always better to represent the industry as a professional whose outfit does not harm public perception of the people who produce or come into contact with the animals and food they eat..

Looking like a Farmers Starts with Who, What and Wear!

You can’t not communicate. Everything you do makes some kind of statement.

The old saying, “You can’t judge a book by its cover” may be true, but book jacket and product packaging designers around the world have created an industry betting that people will judge and purchase products based on how they look.

Things move incredibly fast today. Only things that catch our eye capture our attention. That goes for magazine ads, product packaging and, of course, people. Because we are so busy, looks count for a lot more than they used to. Like it or not, we are under a lot more scrutiny and looks make the first and most lasting impression.

We at The Bullvine make a big deal about the need to tell the story of farming in a positive way. However, before any of that story can come into play, we must get past the first impression. Whether we like it or not, that starts with your appearance. That first wave of impressions severely impacts perceptions of capability and credibility. Positive or negative that is what will stop you or start you moving forward.

“Dress for the ribbon you want”

If there were dairy ring fashion advisors, no doubt they would advise their clients to dress for the ribbon they want – in the same way job counselors tell you to dress for the job you and not the one you already have. When we stand at exhibit hall booths, or visit farms with our advice or products or simply converse with the public at a show, meeting or in the grocery story, we are evaluated by our appearance. It is important to “look the part”. There is no value in dressing low key in some misguided idea that it sends a humbler, more low key message. It simply says you don’t care.

You are What You Wear to the Show Ring!

To be fair, most dairy people display common sense when making their fashion statements in the show ring. Creativity is, usually, restricted to belt buckles for the guys and belts with bling and pants with sequined pockets for the girls. However, sometimes we witness some fashion statements which draw less positive attention to “those farmers”. If attention on yourself is more important to you than the animal you are leading, you might want to reconsider why you are in the ring in the first place.

First Do No Harm

When in the public eye either in the show ring or at a commercial booth – either buying or selling — the primary rule to observe is “first do no harm: The harm referred to is what happens right after split second decisions are made. While a showring Judge is unlikely to be affected by unprofessional, too tight, too revealing or unbecoming ring-wear, the audience has a great deal of time to ask themselves, “Is that the best they could do?” And then there’s the fact that you yourself are affected when your clothing is a distraction. We put countless hours preparing our animals for the best few minutes of their lives under scrutiny from a dairy judge who, in most cases, is formally dressed befitting the level of attention being given to selecting the top animals in each category.

Put Your Best Foot Forward

Dressing for success presents your true potential. It’s like putting your “best foot forward.”

Like it or not, most of us carry subconscious thoughts about what is acceptable or not. Especially in the workplace or when doing business. When given the choice between a well-dressed person and one in sloppy clothes with unkempt hair, the public, the judge or the possible client will choose the former… hands down

Although we loudly proclaim that looks should not make a difference …One advisor suggests this test. Wear your “barn” clothes to the bank one time and “professional farmer” clothes the next time. Pay attention to the difference in the attention you receive. Even though, we may protest, we are constantly judged on our appearance. And admit it. We do it too!

Start by Keeping it Covered!

We have all seen the outfit that looks great when the person is standing but becomes way too revealing when the wearer is seated on a chair at ringside or, worse yet, on a raised platform or stage. Too revealing works with tops too. It would be great if we all had perfectly toned bodies. We don’t. At the very least, keep it covered. Avoid cleavage displays, midriff tops and informal sheer T-shirts and butt views

Dairy Do’s, Don’ts and Dress Codes

In the dairy world, not all fashions are created equal. We’ve seen some pretty cringe worthy looks in our day. Here are some examples from the ring, exhibition hall and ag meetings that deserve a spot in the Don’t Hall of Fame!

Skin Tight Pants. Thank goodness that, in general, they are a thing of the past. At best, they are uncomfortable at their worst they provide a severe case of TMI.
Too much cleavage. If it isn’t right for the grocery store, it isn’t right for the red carpet, show ring or presentation ceremony.
Too much color. In most dairy show rings, white and black are the best choices. For show ring photographers, many shows request all black clothing. The focus (pun intended) is meant to be on the cows.
Too much glitter. So far this season, too much bling has not made it to the winners circle. My informal study indicated that glitter belts rarely place above sixth.
Keep your wardrobe malfunctions out of the news. With instant sharing through social media your wardrobe slip-ups or fallouts could go viral. It’s how you handle these wardrobe malfunctions that will determine whether you’re dressed for success or seen at less than your best.

The Bullvine Bottom Line

A well put together outfit sends the message that you pay attention to detail. It suggests if you put so much effort into your image, you’re probably just as meticulous in your work. If how you look is sending a message…. what are you saying about dairy farmers?

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5 Things You MUST Know about the Future of the Dairy Breeding Industry

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Wednesday, September 10th, 2014

As I attend dairy events and communicate with other breeders, I hear varied reactions to the ever increasing rate of change in the dairy cattle improvement industry. Some want things to stay the way they are or go back to the way they were. Others want a slower rate of change. While others say – “Bring it on!” Most often the last group are the new entrants and those that are expanding and buying the new technology. As a result of all these interest groups having different viewpoints, organization serving breeders receive mixed messages on how they are to operate and what they need to do to lead us into the future. But one thing is for certain, the future will not be the past or the present. Here are a few topics that we all need to mull over.

Criticism and Fault Finding Don’t Work

When was the last time you pointed a finger at others and said ‘They are wrong!’? Well maybe they are but then again maybe they are not. It seems that folks in the dairy industry waste energy on pointing out deficiencies instead of accepting others and moving forward to make the overall better. Every parent knows that when they complement and build up their children, the end result can be over the moon. There is a people management theory that talks about bosses finding employees doing things right and rewarding them for that instead of focusing on the things done wrong. Future and fault both start with an ‘f’, but they do not both belong in the same sentence.

Needed – Futuristic Organization Leaders

When you vote for your rep to an organization do you vote for the one that has the time to serve or the one that will put in place the policies and direction so that staff can develop the programs and services needed for five and ten years down the road. Often we hear “He or she would make an excellent director, but they are too busy developing their own business to take the time to serve on a board of directors.” The truth is that those ideas are exactly what progressive boards need. There are ways to get their creative input into policy and direction and it does not mean that they need to attend unnecessary and unproductive meetings. Big companies operate very well under policy and direction boards – so too can the dairy improvement industry. Our futures may depend entirely on the type of leaders breeders elect and how those leaders are encouraged to operate. (Read more: Empty Chairs at Empty Tables)

Dynamic Organizations

Frequently these days we hear about mergers, take-overs, consolidations and elimination. Often our initial reaction is negative to any or all of these. Nevertheless the industry moves on afterwards. Our industry needs to move continually on too new and higher heights. Protection, of jobs, programs, services or organizations, is a time, energy and resources waster.

Traditionally we have had individual organizations providing animal identification, animal tracking, milk recording, type classification, data storage, data analysis, research and technology transfer. If we were starting from where we are at today to create new, would we still need all these centers? Avoiding the costs of duplication and providing the best information to breeders in 2020 are opportunities that must be taken.

Most often we think nationally. But in this ever increasingly global world we need to consider if there are opportunities for more success if we were to have multicounty or worldwide organizations. International organizations for providing services such as genetic evaluations, data storage, research and technology transfer need to be considered. (Read more: The Future of the Dairy Cattle Breeding Industry – United we Stand, Divided we Fall!)

Automation Has Just Begun

Something new in robotic or drone technology comes on the scene for dairy farmers almost every month. Initially, it was machines replacing labour but it has quickly expanded to be more data captured that is significantly improving cow, herd and business management. The day is coming where every input is tested and measured and every output is measured, tested, monitored and documented for consumer awareness.

Our traditional concept of what’s official and what is not will not be necessary. Milk weights will be captured at every milking and on a routine schedule other tests, including components, will be performed.

But that is not all – animals will be continually monitored and have the results retained from birth to death. As herd size expands and the cost of technology decreases, breeders will fine tune their genetics, their nutrition programs, their management and how they market their products. If we call the current time the “information age” then I am sure, we’ll need to call it the super information age in ten years’ time. (Read more: Robotic Milking: More than just automation it’s a new style of herd management)

One Cow Will Not Suit All

In the past, we have defined the ideal cow and strongly encouraged every breeder to breed for that ideal. Well, that’s not what will happen in the future. Yes, every breeder will want and breed for the profitable cow but the definition of profitable will be very much breeder specific. With more on-farm software and more on-farm testing, programs like milk recording or type classification could well be replaced. It could very well be that automatically captured photos will be all that is needed as far as conformation assessment is concerned. Want to know how a cow moves? Then watch her move in real time. Want to know the mobility of a sire’s daughters, analyse the videos. When genomic indexes reach 80+% accuracy, then the need for third party verification of performance will be much less important than it has been in the past. Furthermore with most breeders deriving the vast majority of their revenue from the sale of milk and with cow input costs captured individually, net returns will determine which cows stay or go, not their performance. (Read more: The Secret to Breeding the Dairy Cow of the Future… )

The Bullvine Bottom Line

Our industry’s future success depends on the attitude and approach taken by breeders. Collaboration amongst breeders and support for new information and concepts is necessary. The leaders, we elect, need to be business oriented visionaries. Communication from breeders to their leaders and organizations and back to the breeders must be continuous. Information and data will determine profit or success. Where once breeding was considered primarily an art form, in the future cattle breeding will depend upon science and business. One thing is for sure, pulling together is not an option, it is a must have.

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The Bullvine Breeder’s Cup – The Finalists

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Monday, September 8th, 2014

The Bullvine’s search for the best-kept secret continues. With so many great submissions it was tough to narrow it down to the five finalists, listed below in alphabetical order.

Canhope Dagger Berry VG-88

Date of Birth: 6/13/2007
Lactations: 5
Submitted By: Bryce Sanor
Breeder’s Comments: Canhope Dagger Berry is the kind of cow I try to breed for a barn full of. She is moderate in stature, straight in her lines, has width from front to rear, a high quality mammary system, and travels on an excellent set of feet and legs. The best thing about her in my opinion is her dairy strength a trait that I feel like has went to the back burner in modern breeding. She’s a cow that could be out on the lot, in the freestall barn, or in the box stall for your show string and never gives you a bad look. She is scored VG 88 and has been grand champion at local shows twice.

Embrdale Bailey Federal

Date of Birth: 6/21/2011
Lactations: 2
Submitted by: Kyle Stockdale
Breeder’s Comments: I nominate this cow for the Bullvine Breeder’s Cup because she exemplifies what we strive to breed for in a young cow, she combines high type, pedigree, high production and show ring appeal, she is also a great grand-daughter of Embrdale Emily Charles who was 3 time All-Canadian and 2 time All-American and HM grand at RAWF all in milking form.

Jaspers Shottle Julianna EX-91

Sunset Canyon Militia Liza GP-84

Voight-Acres Daisy Duke-TW EX-94

The Bullvine Bottom Line

Voting will start today and run till September 10^th at Midnight EST. Votes can be cast on Facebook, Twitter or completing the form at the end of this article. The point values will be 1 point for each Like on Facebook, 3 points for a Facebook Share or a Tweet and 5 points for each web form submission. Best of luck to our finalists.

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Categories : Bullvine Breeders' Cup

Why I Lay In Cow Poop To Take Dairy Cattle Show Pictures!

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Friday, August 29th, 2014

I cannot tell you the number of times that I have been asked, “Why do you lay down on the ground in the cow piss and poop to take pictures?” It seems like after every show that I go to someone has taken a picture of me laying on the ground taking pictures. I figured that in order to answer everyone’s questions and explain it in more detail, I would write an article about it. Here goes.

When I first launched the Bullvine, we did not cover many shows, so we had to use professional side shots of the animals, instead of having pictures of the cows how they looked at the show. Then, as we grew, we started attending more shows and decided that we would start covering them in more detail. With that came the need for pictures. For years, I have been a big fan of the photography work that Han Hopman has been doing for Holstein International. (Read more: Han Hopman: Shooting Straight at Holstein International)

He has taken some of the most iconic shots the show ring has ever seen. Therefore, when we started to cover shows here at The Bullvine, we decided that we wanted to do more photos like Han. In order to achieve this, I first started by looking at Han work and seeing exactly how he was achieving such fantastic results. I went out and purchased a $500 Canon camera and started to learn about photography. One of the first things you learn is how to set up the camera to achieve the best results. The camera settings can often be found in the META Data of each photograph. So I found myself looking at Han’s photographs to see how he was setting up his camera. This gave me great insight into the technical part of the process but certainly left much room to learn the artistic side.

Han Hopman always get’s his shot including this one of Eastside Lewisdale Goldwyn Missy & RF Goldwyn Hailey, Grand Champion and Reserve Grand Champion at Royal Winter Fair 2011.

While Han has been the first to employ this method in dairy cattle show ring photography, it has been a very popular technique in sports photography for many years. Sports Illustrated, known worldwide for their excellent photos, has been using this technique since the 1970’s when Walter Ioos started doing this in order to differentiate his photographs. It also turned out to be a great contributor to the early success of Sports Illustrated.

Walter Iooss’ photos and collages of Michael Jordan featured in Sports Illustrated cover story celebrating the basketball icon’s 50th birthday

Having looked at what Han has been doing, and how Sports Illustrated used the power of differentiated photographs to grow to be the largest sports magazine in the world, I figured that we here at the Bullvine should do the same. Over the past two years, I have been working at learning this technique and using it and other lessons to create differentiated photographs for us here at the Bullvine.

This is a low-angle shot with by Sports Illustrated's Peter Read Miller. The camera resting on the ground.

This is a low-angle shot by Sports Illustrated’s Peter Read Miller. The camera resting on the ground.

First let’s clear things up. I often have conversations with other show ring photographers about this very issue. Many comment that they prefer to do event coverage photographs instead of cover shot photographs. For that reason, you will not find them lying on the ground to get the type of shots Han has made so popular. In doing regular event coverage photography instead of trying to get 3-4 cover shots, you are more likely aiming to get 5-10 pictures per class so that viewers can get a good understanding of what each animal in the class looked like and so that the viewers of the photographs could make their own judgement call on each animal. This means you don’t have as much time to set up for each photo, as you need to always be moving and getting the required shots. Add to that the fact that most publications are posting in real time to their website with placings, and here at the Bullvine we are also posting to Facebook and it can be very hard to stop and pose each photo. The challenge with conventional event coverage photographs is that they are actually not really giving you a good representation of the animals. That is because, when taking a regular event coverage photograph, you are shooting down on the animal (as most photographers are taller than 5 feet tall/60 inches). This causes the level of distortion that is actually unbecoming to the animal. Combine that with the fact that each camera and lens comes with a certain level of distortion and the pictures you see in typical event coverage are not as accurate as one would think.

Picture taken at standing height

Picture taken at about 30 inches off the ground.

The best viewing angle for the most accurate evaluation of an animal is to have a camera and lens approximately at the middle of the animal. So, for a 60 inch cow, you should have the lens at about 30 inches off of the ground. For most photographers, that means they would need to get at least down on one knee in order to get the best shot. This is something that many do not choose to do.

Now Han has taken this technique to a whole new level, where he prefers to get down on the ground as low as possible. This works great when shooting cattle from long distances as it makes the cows seem larger than life and provides very impressive cover shots. However, as I have learned the hard way, in the past two years that I have been doing this, when these photos are taken at close range, you will find that the cows start to look quartered. So there is certainly an art form to this photography.

Picture taken at about 30 inches of the ground

Picture taken at ground level

One of the things I quickly learned is that not all North American shows have iconic environments to create these magnificent photographs. Most dairy cattle shows in North America take place in dark arenas that don’t have very picturesque backgrounds, unlike those in Europe that have a custom environment which helps in producing outstanding photographic results. The other challenge I learned is that we are typically shooting in low light, with high color cast so certainly shows are a tricky place to get great shots. This is where I have employed and benefited from the help of others. I started with staff photographers I work with in my main company who taught me the technical side. It meant combining many conversations with the likes of Han and Randy Blodgett and two outstanding young photographers, Laurens Rutten and Bradly Cullen, as well as working through much trial and error. I have slowly learned how to overcome these challenges. Along with that came the understanding that I would have to invest in new equipment. What started out as a $500 investment has now become a $30,000 investment complete with converting my garage into a studio in order to learn even more. We have also now added a video studio for Bullvine TV (Read more: Introducing BullvineTV – The Dairy Breeding Industry Now Has Its Own Channel)

The lesson that I learned from many of the professional portrait photographers I have been fortunate to work with is that you need to develop your own style in order to stand out. For me, that started out with wanting to catch those moments that breeders will never forget. It meant being able to capture those moments when a cow is named grand at Expo, or when a father and son embrace after the Royal. These are the moments that people will never forget, and pictures from these events have proven to be viral on social media.

One of the things I found as our pictures become more recognizable, is that more and more exhibitors where asking me if I had been able to get a picture of their animals. In the beginning, since more of my photographs turned out somewhat less than good, it meant that I didn`t have time to get the shots all breeders were looking for. However, more recently, as our experience has grown, we now strive to get a picture of every animal that enters the ring, and this is something we have been very close to achieving. With the last Quebec Summer Show, we posted over 300 photographs from a show that had 148 animals. (Read more: Expo provinciale de Montmagny) The interesting part is that instead of just doing event coverage like most publications are still doing, we are now able to produce shots that showoff the animals in the best possible way. This has led to the Bullvine`s photos being the most used photos for ads and magazine covers in the dairy breeding industry.

The Bullvine Bottom Line

For me being able to be in the middle of the ring at Expo, the Royal or pretty much any other dairy cattle show is a real honor. Exhibitors go to a great deal of effort 365 days a year, and I love being able to see up close just which cows look good and which ones are not at their best on that day. I feel that it`s my responsibility to the breeders that view our photographs to provide them with the best photos possible. Also the reason I don`t charge breeders and exhibitors for the use of my photographs, as I have not paid for the right to take the photographs, how do I have the right to charge them? In order to achieve this it not only means having the best equipment we can afford, but it also means being willing to get down on the ground in order to get the angle and perspective that captures the best possible moment. Often this means laying in the piss and poop, as the angle that allows you to get to see the cows fore and rear udder may not be one that is in the cleanest spot in the show ring. Sure I could move to a different angle, but then I would be cheating the breeders who go to so much effort to bring their animals to the show as well as those who like to view our pictures online. It`s not about how pretty I look, but rather, what can I do to capture that animal looking her best! If that means laying in piss and poop, so be it. Besides how many true dairy farmers do you know that are afraid to get a little poop on them?

Check out more photographs in our gallery section

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Holstein vs. Jersey – What Color of Dairy Breed Is the Real Money Maker?

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Wednesday, August 20th, 2014

A recent headline in Hoard’s Dairyman proclaimed “Brown is the Color of Money” and that’s all it took for “The Hunt Family Feud” to take off over phone, email and Facebook. With roots in Holsteins, dairy nutrition and dairy genetics, the perfect ingredients were present for arguments, controversy and loud proclamations of bull* –all of which are highly esteemed in the Hunt family.

Can you Measure the Difference?

This debate is fueled by a lot of things but every good argument needs actual facts. Inputs of feed, facility, equipment and staff may be impacted by the size differential between Holsteins and Jerseys. Smaller animals may correspondingly require less inputs. We have to recognize that “may” is the operative word here because there are different variables depending on each particular dairy operation.

One size variable that can’t be ignored is that dairy herd size is growing. Faced with this scenario, there may be good reasons for choosing one breed over another or for having a combination of breeds on a single operation. Choice might be influenced by:

Specific markets
Relative health issues between breeds
Calving ease
Initial investment and sources for replacements

Many questions have to be answered, before a winner can be named.

Which Breed Fits the Facilities?

For those working in barns that were built twenty or more years ago where stalls are smaller, Jerseys may be a better fit. As well new dairy operators who are renting such facilities could find that Jerseys would operate better in those smaller stalls. Bedding packs also are another way to put minimal effort and expense into rented facilities. Jersey’s work well on packs. If there is a drawback, it could be that it may take more stalls to produce the same volume of milk. However, if the Jerseys are high volume for %F and %P, then the pounds of fat+protein produced per day may be the same whether it’s Holsteins or Jersey.

Which Breed Eats the Most?

Scientific examples abound regarding “efficiency” because of the Jersey’s smaller size. Let’s briefly consider human size relating to efficiency. “Is the size two female more efficient than her size 18 cousin. What are they producing? Food for a party? Or are you measuring food consumed? Not relevant. Well – what about groceries consumed? Or children produced? Getting warmer. But there are still too many variables to make a choice based on efficiency related to size alone. However, back to choosing the most efficient dairy breed to feed. It isn’t only about quantity of feed consumed per cow per day. The calculation should refer to the net dollars per day for the herd. When calculating returns minus feed costs, Jerseys can be competitive. (Read more: Feed Efficiency: The Money Saver)

Which Breed Has Better Genetics and Genomics?

Jerseys are not just for show oriented breeders. Milk production focused herds are using Jerseys.

Genetically Jerseys differ from Holsteins in that SCSs are higher, and the Median Suspensory Ligament (cleft) may not be as defined. Their reproduction is much superior. Jersey dropped bull calves are much less in demand. Dollar value is low. Using sexed semen for the top of the herd and beef semen on the bottom half gives a revenue source because crossbred dropped calves are in demand. (Read more: SEXED SEMEN – At Your Service!) Jerseys have genomic indexes as well. Genomics may have been a little slower to be adopted than in Holsteins but just wait Jerseys will catch up. Or so the argument goes. (Read more: Dairy Cattle Genomics)

Which Breed will Save Time?

Jerseys are the Queens when it comes to reproduction in dairy cattle, boasting easier calving, better conception rates and fewer inseminations. All of these have an impact on less vet time required for checking or treating as well as staff time and effort daily and annually. Easier calving for Jersey’s impacts that there will be fewer calf losses at birth and most likely more calves getting off to a better start. Superior reproduction can allow for less time off in the dry cow pen or less time milking at lower levels during a lifetime. (Read more: Artificial Insemination – Is Doing It Yourself Really Saving You Money?) Every manager knows that staff and cows need time off. Unnecessary time off on the cow’s part means less than optimum returns over a cow’s lifetime. Jersey heifers reach puberty at a younger age. This means age at first calving can be earlier, thus saving on rearing costs.

Which breed sells more milk? More live sales?

In the US, Jerseys are about 10% of the population. There has been steady growth in the number of Jersey herds in the U.S., particularly among large dairy owners in the West. The way breeders market and which markets they send their milk to is essential in areas where cheese and butter sales (which are at the highest relative level in twenty years) can greatly influence which breed you choose to work with. Owners are producing milk that their processors desire. In fact, the processor is the breeders’ customer not the end consumers. With eat local food movements the world over being emphasized, Jerseys may fit better than other breeds in some situations. The recent popularity of Jerseys has resulted in the fact that sales of breeding stock have been good as well,

It’s All About the Numbers. Are they In the Red or In the Black?

When you want to win the argument over which breed is the most profitable it all comes down to the actual data, you are analyzing. The reason the debate goes on is because there isn’t a source for reliable data comparing Jerseys and Holsteins. And so we come back to the initial article which triggered these questions which reported a comparison that exists through financial reports of Ganske, Mulder & Co. LLC, the largest dairy accounting firm in the U.S., They prepared reports summarizing all of its clients as a group and also does a separate summary for its Jersey clients. “It is perhaps the only such set of Jersey financial data that exists” reports the article that goes on to present statistics and the following summation. “Jerseys did make less milk per day than did all of the firm’s clients. But Jersey herds had much higher protein and fat tests, which resulted in significantly higher milk price per hundredweight. As a result, Jersey herds’ bottom line was much bigger – they made 45.7 percent more net profit per head.

NAME	Sale	Lot	GLPI
OCONNORS PLANET LUCIA	Genetics By Design	1	3823
STE ODILE MOON MODEL AMALUNA	GPS	16	3798
OCONNORS LIVING THE DREAM	Genetics By Design	14	3755
MAPEL WOOD LAST DANCE	Genetics By Design	3	3710
MAPEL WOOD SNOWMAN LEXUS	Genetics By Design	4	3673
OCONNORS BOULDER LUNA	Genetics By Design	6	3537
MAPEL WOOD BOULDER LIMERICK	Genetics By Design	7	3537
OCONNORS LAST HOPE	Genetics By Design	2	3534
BENNER FORK JANARDAN	GPS	1	3493
OCONNORS EPIC LAST CHANCE	Genetics By Design	8	3465
OCD MOGUL FUZZY NAVEL	Sale of Stars	5	3460
GEN-I-BEQ LEXOR PLAGE	Sale of Stars	45	3398
VELTHUIS SG LAVAMAN ENVY	Sale of Stars	46	3372
MARBRI UNO BEAUTY	GPS	11	3328
MAPEL WOOD M O M LUCY	Genetics By Design	12	3299
ROCKYMOUNTAIN LEXOR EDEN	GPS	32	3289
WELCOME-TEL ECOYNE ABBIE	Sale of Stars	12	3286
ZIMMER WENDON UNO CAMI	Sale of Stars	35	3268
OCONNORS SNOWMAN LEXIE	Genetics By Design	5	3255
BOLDI V S G EPIC ASTER	Sale of Stars	7	3240

So What Color of Dairy Breed Is the Money Maker?

Jersey herds produced 48 pounds of fat and protein where all herds produced 5.0 pounds of fat and protein. This is not significantly different. But on any given day, on any particular dairy operation, the numbers can be rallied to support the choice that is dearest to the heart of owner-operators.

The Bullvine Bottom Line

In the end, your particular passion is what it all boils down to. When it comes to the choice of Black and White, Brown, or “green”, the only thing you can know for sure is that dairy love is NOT color blind. Whether your passion is driven by the color of the dairy breed or by the color of money … or both… the right answer is up to you? End of argument.

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Hey PETA – You Don’t Know Jack!

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Tuesday, August 19th, 2014

Someone who does not work with animals on a daily basis may think that PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) champions a very worthy cause in defending animal rights. The challenge is that the noble cause PETA started from, and the entity that it is today have grown a long ways apart. Recently PETA has received a significant amount of publicity in regards to its unacceptable behavior.

One might forgive, or at least understand, PETA’s conduct in regard to Gillette Emperor Smurf EX-91, who won a Guinness World Record for Lifetime Milk Production achievement. Unfortunately, instead of talking from a position of fact or knowledge, they just pulled stuff out of their butts and leveled accusations at people who love animals with the same venom they use on people they charge with mistreating and exploiting dairy cattle. (Read more: What PETA Does NOT KNOW about Raising Dairy Cattle!)

This reminds me of a movie my children like to watch called BEE Movie. In it when the bee, Barry B. Benson, graduates from college, he finds that he will have only one job for his entire life and, absolutely disappointed, he joins the team responsible for bringing the honey and pollination of the flowers to visit the world outside the hive. Once in Manhattan, he is saved by the florist Vanessa, and he breaks the bee law to thank Vanessa. They become friends, and Barry discovers that humans exploit bees to sell the honey they produce. Barry decides to sue the human race for having destructive consequences to nature. Sure he wins the court case, which I am sure many PETA followers got excited about, but as a result of humans no longer being able to produce and eat honey, all the bees are not needed. Eventually, they all stop working and, as a result; flowers are not pollinated; plants aren’t able to grow, and ultimately animals have nothing to eat, and humans and the whole ecosystem are devastated. At the end of the movie, they show a dairy cow explaining her “beefs” to the bee Barry B Benson. I am sure this also gave many PETA follows many incorrect ideas.

More recently PETA released a new video showing less-than-ideal situations on a Hickory, N.C., farm. The video shows cows slogging through incredibly thick manure. Their legs are dirty, and the amount of manure in the barn is unbelievable. The challenge is the video appears to be in fact a hoax and not an accurate depiction of the actual conditions or events at the Hickory dairy. Carrie Mess, in a post on her website, DairyCarrie.com. Mess took still screenshots of the video, showing relatively clean cows walking through a very full (in terms of manure) manure alley in a free stall barn. While Carrie admits that she does not know the exact story about this specific Hickory dairy, there are certainly many inaccurate accounts and analysis by PETA about his particular farm. PETA found her actions so “threatening” that they have served Carrie with a cease and desist letter, demanding a public apology and retraction of her article. Something they are never willing to do themselves for their actions. This fits with PETA`s formula. They find a farm with bad conditions or fabricate these conditions, link them to regional or national name brand, and get everyone talking about it, and then never being accountable for their actions. Because of that, dairy farmers like Dairy Carrie get an undeserved black eye and now have a huge hill to climb to get the correct information out.

It is interesting that PETA tactics have been able to continue for so long. Despite themselves having been connected with the Animal Liberation Front (ALF), an FBI-designated “domestic terrorist“ group. PETA`s support of the ALF appears to include financing the legal defense of arrested ALF activists, providing resources to individual ALF cells, recruiting interns for the sole purpose of committing criminal acts at protests, and publicizing ALF activities in a favorable manner. One witness interviewed by the FBI (whom other sources have indicated was a former long-term PETA employee) made statements suggesting that PETA was formed as a cover for the Animal Liberation Front (ALF). These are not the actions of a group whose number one concern is the ethical treatment of animals.

In fact the PETA, which claims to be dedicated to the cause of animal rights, can’t explain why its adoption rate is only 2.5 percent for dogs. Out of 760 dogs impounded in 2011, they killed 713, arranged for 19 to be adopted, and farmed out 36 to other shelters (not necessarily “no kill” ones). As for cats, they impounded 1,211, euthanized 1,198, transferred eight, and found homes for a grand total of five. PETA also took in 58 other companion animals — including rabbits. It killed 54 of them. These figures don’t reflect well on an organization dedicated to the cause of animal rights and possess a $30 million annual budget.

The Bullvine Bottom Line

While certainly not all dairy operations treat their cattle like they are at a spa (read more Westcoast), the vast majority do care for their animals responsibly. Good care is good commerce. Stress-free, healthy cows produce more milk and deliver more progeny over their lifetimes. Just like at well-run company where they treat their employees well, dairy farmers know that how they treat their cattle has a direct impact on their bottom line. The challenge with organizations like PETA is that they sensationalize the story to elicit a strong reaction from their supporters in order to gain more support and funding. The challenge with this is the tactics they are using are extremely questionable and hurt dairy farmers, who love their animals as much or more than PETA supporters do. Do they ever take the same effort to highlight examples of the best treatment of animals? Instead of working to understand the complete story, and working with producers to ensure proper treatment of animals, PETA looks to discredit the dairy industry with nothing more than lies, mistruths and inaccurate stories. Ethical treatment is a label we all need to live up to. Otherwise, PETA — you don’t know Jack!

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The Future of the Dairy Cattle Breeding Industry – United we Stand, Divided we Fall!

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Friday, August 8th, 2014

A little while back I was comparing three different contracts offered to three different breeders for a lease of comparable sires, all from the same A.I. unit. The interesting part was that all three of the lease offers were drastically different, with the “best” contract being potentially almost twice as lucrative as the other two. This got me to thinking about the whole leasing of bulls to A.I. units and how it really is biased in favor of the A.I. centers and how the divided nature of dairy breeders has led to the failure of the seed stock industry.

Back in early 2012 we first raised the question Should A.I. Companies Own Females? At that time, we commented “some A.I. companies have taken early steps to control the source and supply top genetic animals to their customers. The world is changing and so will the inter-relationship between breeders and A.I. companies. In many cases they are no longer just a customer they are now a competitor.” Since that time, what was a smart business decision for A.I. companies has led to the devaluation of elite dairy cattle genetics and, in the long run, could lead to the end of the seed stock industry. (Read more: Why Good Business for A.I. Companies Can Mean Bad Business for Dairy Breeders)

The Enemy Is At the Gate

Many seed stock breeders are asking me what they can to do combat this challenge. While part of me wants to say, “I told you so” and another part tells me that it’s too late, I find myself still searching for answers. While the “I told you so” answer is pointless, I have been doing some thinking about whether it really is too late or not. In talking with some breeders about this issue, they raise the point that perhaps we need to form a variation of a union. This would be similar to the way pro athletes (the product) unionized in order to get a larger share of the revenue.

There are two problems with unionizing:

This reminds me of attempts to form a union in the NHL. In the late 1950’s Ted Lindsay rallied other players to form a union, after watching how Tim Horton, star defenseman for the Toronto Maple Leafs, had his pay cut after breaking his leg. This was at a time when players had to work summer jobs and could barely afford to cover their bills. To cripple the movement, the Red Wings traded Lindsay to Chicago, where he was less effective in organizing key players to join him. Other influential players across the league were also traded away or banished to the minor leagues. Lindsay was successful in creating a small association of players but the group folded shortly after Lindsay was traded. I see the same thing happening in today’s breeding industry. Those breeders that do try to make a stand are being undercut by their fellow breeders. Most seed stock breeders are so eager to sell, at any price, they don’t think about the ramifications those actions will have on their fellow breeders. In fact, I doubt that many are even aware what effect their actions are having. Breeders have no idea what other breeders of elite or similar bulls are getting, so they are at a tremendous disadvantage.
Many of the larger A.I. companies are now investing heavily in ownership of females, and they already have a stranglehold on supply. So unlike the way pro sports unions were ultimately formed as a result of an inferior product being offered with non-unionized players. The A.I. companies already have their supply and are in full control.

So What Can Seed Stock Breeders Do?

First of all seed stock breeders need to communicate openly about what is truly happening to their livelihoods. These seed stock producers are investing heavily in IVF and the purchase of top females and they are padding A.I.’s pocketbooks by purchasing early release semen at a significant premium. At the same time, breeders should be well aware of what females are worth, as they watch them going through public auctions for large sums of money. However, do they have any clue what other seed stock producers are receiving for their males? From the discussion with many seed stock producers, and as per the example at the beginning of this article, I would so, “No!”

In my career outside of the dairy industry, I have been fortunate to be involved in many merger and acquisition deals. In working with a few seed stock producers, I took a sample of one of the contracts to a lawyer who specializes in contracts similar to these that I worked with in my career outside the dairy industry. His reaction was almost comical. He first explained to me that since seed stock producers are the ones who have the ownership of the animal, it should be them developing the lease agreement. He then went line by line through the contract and pointed out how many of the stipulations would not holdup in court, or why seed stock producers should never sign such an agreement that is so vague and poorly worded. Now I understand that most seed stock producers are not lawyers and, if they were, why are they not practicing law instead of dairy farming? But still these agreements are pivotal to breeders’ income and yet they don’t have a clear understanding of what they are actually signing. (Read more: Top 10 Questions to Ask Before You Sign That A.I. Contract)

Seed stock producers are also not professional negotiators, yet they are going into contract negotiations with individuals who are. Don’t let the “Sire Analyst” title fool you. , The last time they actually had a real say in what sires they brought in, I was 60lbs lighter, had hair color, no kids and drove a mustang. (Read more: You’re Fired: The Future of the Sire Analyst) The role of the modern day “Sire Analyst” is to become your best buddy so that they can leverage that relationship to get the best contract they can for the A.I. company they work for. Seed stock producers need to become great negotiators, or at least learn that friendship is one thing, but this is a business, and business is business when it comes to the negotiating table. In my career, I have had to do tough negotiations with some of my best friends. I have learned that real friends know that business is business and what happens at the negotiating table has nothing to do with our friendship outside of work. That is what being a professional negotiator requires.

The Bullvine Bottom Line

The ship may already have sailed on this issue as there is a growing trend for A.I. companies to produce their own supply of elite sires. If you don’t think that could happen, take a look at the swine industry where this has already occurred. Seed stock producers need to start to unite now, if they want to have any hope of salvaging their livelihoods before the dairy genetics industry is taken out of their hands.

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Dairy Slang: 22 Phrases that mean different things to dairy breeders

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Tuesday, August 5th, 2014

Listen in on two dairy breeders’ conversation, and you might think you were listening to an entirely different language. The show ring, dairy cattle breeding and dairy farming industry is full of strange terminology that most people would simply not understand. Here are 22 phrases that have totally different meanings to dairy breeders.

Ring

Non Dairy Breeders: a typically circular band of metal or other durable material, especially one of gold or other precious metal, often set with gems, for wearing on the finger as an ornament, a token of betrothal or marriage, etc.

Dairy Breeders: The place where dreams can be made or broken. Where dairy breeders bring their best to compete for fame and fortune. Well for fame at least. Though there are times the two are combined. (Read more: World Dairy Expo Proposal – First comes cows then comes vows! and 8 of the greatest Dairy Love Stories in the World)

Expo

Non Dairy Breeders: a world’s fair or international exposition

Dairy Breeders: Expo in the dairy breeding industry is a short form for none other than the pinnacle of competition, World Dairy Expo. A five-day event showcasing the finest in dairy genetics and the newest technologies available to the dairy industry. For many dairy breeders this is their Mecca where dairy breeders from around the world make an annual pilgrimage to Madison, Wisconsin USA in early October for the greatest dairy cattle show and exhibition in the world. (Read more: World Dairy Expo 2013 – Memories to last a Lifetime and World Dairy Expo 2013 Holstein Show Results)

The Royal

Non Dairy Breeders: Most non breeders would think of the British Monarchy, and Queen Elizabeth. Very popular now are Prince William, his wife, Catherine Elizabeth Middleton and their adorable son Prince George.

Dairy Breeders: For dairy breeders in North America say the words The Royal and they will think of The Royal Agricultural Winter Fair, held every November in Toronto, Ontario Canada. Similar to Expo, the Royal showcases some of the greatest cattle the world over all in one place to compete for the coveted title of Supreme Champion. In Australia, they will think of The Royal Melbourne Dairy Show held in September of each year. (Read more: The Royal Flu – Did you catch it? and Canadian National Holstein Show Results)

County fair

Non Dairy Breeders: The once a year event where you ride the midway, eat fried food and go to concerts.

Dairy Breeders: The single most important show in the history of the universe. Your chance to become a legend in your own community. If you can’t make it here, you can’t make it anywhere.

Strapper

Non Dairy Breeders: a large, robust person.

Dairy Breeders: A dairy cattle showman with the unique ability to display a magnificent beast to the utmost of her ability. Though there are some “Strappers” who are also on the much larger side.

Fitter

Non Dairy Breeders: a person who fits garments.

Dairy Breeders: A unique person who travels from show to show preparing dairy cattle for competition. Often possessing egos to fit the situation.

Clear Magic

Non Dairy Breeders: the art of producing illusions as entertainment by the use of sleight of hand, deceptive devices, etc.; legerdemain; conjuring:

Dairy Breeders: a liquid in an aerosol or other spray container, used in preparing dairy cattle for the show ring.

Crazy Glue

Non Dairy Breeders: Super glue that is crazy strong, crazy fast. It works in as little as 30 seconds, forming an extremely strong bond on all kinds of surfaces.

Dairy Breeders: A tool used to temporarily correct poor teat placement on dairy cows.

Plough Puller

Non Dairy Breeders: from the genus Bos, oxen used to pull ploughs and other implements.

Dairy Breeders: A dairy cow that is so thick and heavy that they would be better suited working in the fields than producing milk.

Greasy

Non Dairy Breeders: composed of or containing grease; oily:

Dairy Breeders: A dairy cow that is over conditioned and not ready to exhibit in the show ring.

Silky

Non Dairy Breeders: the soft, lustrous fiber obtained as a filament from the cocoon of the silkworm.

Dairy Breeders: A dairy cow whose parts blend together so smoothly it is said she looks like silk.

Woody

Non Dairy Breeders: A character from the Toy Story movies.

Dairy Breeders: A dairy cow that lacks dairy character, i.e. is thick and not refined.

Sack

Non Dairy Breeders: a large bag made of durable material such as burlap, thick paper, or plastic, used for storing and carrying goods.

Dairy Breeders: A dairy cows mammary system

Goat Bag

Non Dairy Breeders: The latest couturier designer purses from the streets of Milan.

Dairy Breeders: A dairy cow who has only two quarters or extremely large teats, similar to that of a dairy goat.

Blow Bag

Non Dairy Breeders: The latest couturier designer purses from the streets of NY.

Dairy Breeders: A dairy cow whose udder attachments have deteriorated to the point where her udder hangs significantly low.

Chrome

Non Dairy Breeders: chromium-plated or other bright metallic trim, as on an automobile.

Dairy Breeders: A dairy cow that has such extreme venation on her udder that it “shines” like chrome on an automobile.

Fresh

Non Dairy Breeders: not preserved by freezing, canning, pickling, salting, drying, etc.:

Dairy Breeders: The calving date of a cow when she last gave birth.

Index

Non Dairy Breeders: a more or less detailed alphabetical listing of names, places, and topics along with the numbers of the pages on which they are mentioned or discussed, usually included in or constituting the back matter.

Dairy Breeders: A genetic evaluation tool such as TPI (Total Profit Index) or LPI (Lifetime Profit Index).

Genomics

Non Dairy Breeders: the study of genomes.

Dairy Breeders: A breeding tool that has totally changed the way we breed dairy cattle. Also, a four letter word for many old school dairy breeders. (Read more: Genomics)

Putting on her wedding clothes

Non Dairy Breeders: What a woman does when she is preparing to marry the love of her life.

Dairy Breeders: Getting a dairy cow ready to exhibit at the show.

Flushes like a chicken

Non Dairy Breeders: A chicken that is very prolific at producing eggs.

Dairy Breeders: A cow that is very prolific at producing valuable embryos.

Polled

Non Dairy Breeders: In today’s social media age, say the word polled and most people would think of a Facebook poll about Justin Bieber’s new hair cut or Miley Cyrus twerking video. Also, not to be confused with a type of dance at your local mens establishment.

Dairy Breeders: For dairy breeders it’s one of the hottest breeding topics. Hornless, especially genetically hornless dairy cattle are in great demand. The polled gene (P) is dominant to the horned gene (p). If an animal has two polled genes (PP), homozygous, or one polled and one horned gene (Pp), heterozygous, it will be polled. However, if it is heterozygous polled (Pp) it may pass either the polled or horned gene on to its offspring. The only situation when an animal will be horned is when it possesses two recessive horned genes (pp), homozygous horned. (Read more: Polled Dairy Cattle)

What phrases would you add?

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Why 84% of Dairy Breeders Will Soon Be Using Genomic Sires!

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Friday, August 1st, 2014

There are certainly breeders who are not fans of Genomics and the heavy use of high index genomic young sires. Yet genomic sires now account for 50% of semen sales. That leads me to propose that genomics will soon be used by 84% of the breeders in the world.

The reason for this has nothing to do with the merits of genomic sires versus proven sires. Rather it has to do with the historical patterns of adoption of new technologies. The theory behind this is called the Diffusion of Innovations. According to this theory, consumers differ in their readiness and willingness to adopt new technology. There are the innovators (2.5 percent of the population), the early adopters (13.5 percent), the early majority (34 percent), the late majority (34 percent), and the laggards (16 percent), who are also the people who still don’t have cell phones or who are not on Facebook.

As far as genomics goes, we have seen that it has followed this same pattern. When genomics was introduced, there was a small percentage of breeders who were so excited about the technology, or technology in general, which started using genomic sires instantly. These were the innovators in the dairy breeding marketplace. Since the information was not publically available and held by the A.I. centers, this uptake was very restricted. Then came the public introduction of genomics and the early adopters started using it. For a little while after that genomics seemed to stall. While there was 16% of the marketplace that was excited about Genomics and the possibilities that it held, the majority of breeders were not convinced. They had skepticism about whether genomics would work and if they should be using this new technology in their breeding programs. Regardless, the momentum started to grow.

Malcolm Gladwell describes this point, after early adoption, as “The Tipping Point” in his titled bestselling book of the same name. It’s at this point that it is determined whether something will spread like wildfire or sputter and fade into oblivion. Gladwell’s central argument is that there are actually a number of patterns and factors that are at play. They have an effect in virtually every influential trend, ranging from the spread of communicable diseases to the unprecedented popularity of a particular children’s television show. If you analyze the evolution of any significant phenomenon, Gladwell suggests, you will find that the processes involved are strikingly similar. Based on his in-depth research spanning a number of different fields, industries, and scholarly disciplines, Gladwell identifies three key factors that each play a role in determining whether a particular trend will “tip” into wide-scale popularity or fade. He calls them the Law of the Few, the Stickiness Factor, and the Power of Context.

The following is a closer look at each of these concepts and how they apply to what we have seen in the adoption of Genomics in the Dairy Breeding Industry:

The Law of the Few
Before the tipping point can be reached, a few key types of people must champion an idea, concept, or product, Gladwell describes these key types as Connectors, Salesmen and Mavens. If individuals representing all three of these groups endorse and advocate a new idea, it is much more likely that it will tip into exponential success. Regarding the use of genomics in the dairy breeding industry, these roles were filled by the large A.I. companies, their salespeople as respected high index breeders.
The Stickiness Factor
This refers to the unique quality that compels a phenomenon to “stick” in the minds of the public and then influences their future behavior. Gladwell defines the Stickiness Factor as the quality that compels people to pay close, sustained attention to a product, concept, or idea. In the dairy industry use of genomics, this was the allure of significantly more accurate genetic evaluations for young animals combined with the ability to dramatically accelerate breeding programs.
The Power of Context
This is enormously important in determining whether a particular phenomenon will tip into widespread popularity. Even minute changes in the environment can play a significant role in the likelihood of a given concept attaining the tipping point. If the environment or historical moment in which a trend is introduced is not right, it is not as likely that the tipping point will be attained. Clearly, in order for a trend to tip into massive popularity, large numbers of people need to embrace it. However, Gladwell points out that certain groups can often be uniquely helpful in achieving the tipping point. For genomics, commercial dairy producers were that group. When they started to adopt the use of genomic young sires that marked the point at which genomics fulfilled the three concepts and crossed the tipping point.

After the use of genomic young sires crossed the tipping point, the rate of adoption accelerated to the point where the limiting challenge was not consumer demand, but rather the ability of A.I. companies to supply the semen. Because young sires produce far less semen than mature proven sires, it is hard for A.I. companies to meet demand. This has actually led to an increase in the number of young sires being sampled compared to the number that was forecast when genomics was first introduced. A.I. companies have had to sample more sires than predicted in order to meet the growing demand. It has also led to a much shorter active use life span for sires than in the past.

The Polled Story

In looking at the three tipping point factors, when applied to the dairy industry, you can see why some trends may not have been adopted as quickly. An example of this is the use of polled sires. Polled sires have been around for years but have failed to gain significant traction until recently. (Read more: Polled Dairy Genetics: The Cold Hard Facts, From the Sidelines to the Headlines, Polled is Going Mainline! and Why Is Everyone So Horny For Polled?) That is because while polled certainly has the concept of the Law of the Few, it has not had the Power of Context. While there have been significant gains in quality of the polled sires available, adoption will not pass that tipping point until it meets the third concept that Gladwell highlights, which is the Power of Context. Until there is significant consumer demand that dairy cattle not be dehorned, the use of polled sires will not pass the tipping point. While there will certainly be polled sires in the top 10 genomic sires within 2-3 years, and proven sires in 5-6 years, polled semen will not account for more than 16% market share until it develops the Power of Context (consumer demand for animal treatment) needed to cross the tipping point. It’s for that reason that I think that widespread polled semen use will not really take off until 10-12 years from now. Until then, it will be the domain of the innovators and the early adopters and stay below 16% market share. In fact, I would argue that it has just recently crossed over in the past couple of years from the innovators to now include the early adopters.

The Bullvine Bottom Line

Throughout history, there have been many excellent examples of products or technologies that have failed for a variety of reasons. Genomics met resistance similar what was faced by artificial insemination in the early days. However, currently genomic usage has crossed the tipping point. It is now inevitable that soon 84% of the dairy breeding industry will be using genomic sires.

Not sure what all this hype about genomics is all about?

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“It’s just stuff….”

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Wednesday, July 23rd, 2014

A year ago Clarence and Wendy Markus were abruptly awakened in the night to discover that 30 years of their family’s hard work was burning to the ground. (Read more: Your Barn is on Fire!) A thousand times over the past year, Clarence has shared with everyone his unique perspective on that fateful night….”It’s just stuff”. Despite the loss and upheaval to their lives, Clarence and the entire Markus family have come to see something that could have defeated them has become a blessing. They are extremely appreciative of the outpouring of support from the dairy community around the world. As members of the dairy industry, we all know that the dairy community is the greatest. (Read more: Why the Dairy Community is the Greatest in the World….) Nevertheless, sometimes it is harder to remember and accept Clarence’s message that, “It’s just stuff.”

There are those who might take Clarence’s comments lightly, while agreeing with the observation “They’re just cows” or “It’s just a barn.” They may too quickly overlook the amount of hard physical work, the time spent, the late nights or the costs involved for “just a cow” and the memories that “just a barn” hold for generations of a dairy farmer’s family. For families like the Markus’s, dairy farming is more than just an occupation. It is more than a career. It is a way of life. Therefore, when the cows are lost, and the barns are destroyed, it is like getting laid off, fired or downsized from your chosen career and having your place of work completely eradicated.. Seeing all that was lost in this horrific fire, I don’t take Clarence’s words, “It’s just stuff” lightly. And neither does he or his family. What he is sincerely highlighting is the fact that everyone was safe. Clarence and his wife Wendy were not harmed in the fire. Their four kids, spouses and many grandchildren are all safe. They are able to appreciate that as a blessing especially when it was combined with the amazing support of the many community members from around the world who have reached out to them.

I contrast this story with the tragic one of Patricia Stiles and Reese Burdette. (Read more: Patricia Stiles –Dairy Farmer, Grandmother, Hero, Fighting for Her Life!) They too were awakened in the night to a devastating fire. However, unlike Clarence and Wendy, their fire was not in the barn, but rather in the house. Unlike the Markus family who were able to remain safe, Patricia and her husband Mike had their two young grandchildren, Reese and Brinkley, in the house and they had to help them escape the blaze. Tragically for Patricia and Reese, they did not make it out unharmed. Both suffered massive smoke inhalation and burns to most of their bodies. While Patricia is now out of the hospital, after a tough battle to regain her health, Reese still finds herself battling in hospital.

It is at a time like this that you can appreciate Clarence’s perspective on “stuff” as compared to family health, life and safety. . While there are large differences in the economic cost of the Markvale fire and the Waverly one, all of us can agree that , the damage to the health of our hero Patricia and her sweet granddaughter Reese far outweigh the losses of “stuff”. .

You see, ultimately the old stuff lost in the fire can be replaced by new stuff. This was the case on display yesterday as Markvale opened their doors to their new facility. However, instead of the day being about the fancy new barns, it was about the community that supported them and made it possible. It was about giving heartfelt thanks for how fortunate they were that everyone was safe and that they are members of such a caring community.

The Bullvine Bottom Line

Fire has a way of destroying the old and making room for the new. A forest fire clears the underbrush and dead trees and makes room for the new to grow and thrive. This is exactly the way the Markus family sees it as each of their three sons will continue on as dairy farmers and members of this great fraternity. Fire can also be devastating, as the Burdette and Stiles families have been experiencing. All of these families have certainly been reminded of the lesson that “it’s just stuff.” Stuff can be replaced. However being a member of this great community and having your health is irreplaceable and far more important than just stuff.

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The Seven Deadly Sins of the Dairy Breeding Industry

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Friday, July 18th, 2014

No matter what industry you look at there are always going to be those people who are immoral, shiftless, self-gratifying and good-for-nothing. Throughout the Middle Ages, the Catholic Church hierarchy emphasized teaching all lay people the Deadly Sins. We here at the Bullvine decided to take a look at the Seven Deadly Sins in the context of the dairy breeding industry. The following is what we found:

Lust

Who hasn’t lusted for money, food, fame, power or sex? Come on. We are not monks. So we are all guilty of this at some point or another. In the dairy breeding industry there are those who lust for money, fame and power. Lust for these three desires has led many dairy breeders to their downfall. Instead of just making their breeding and farm decisions based on sound judgment, they let the desire for money, fame or power influence them and, in the end, make investments or decisions that make no rational sense. Funny that the animal associated with lust is the dairy cow.

Gluttony

Gluttony is an inordinate desire to consume more than that which one requires. This is often interpreted as selfishness. Essentially it is placing concern with one’s own interests above the well-being or interests of others. This is one area that I can say very confidently that most members of the dairy community are actually not as guilty of. (Read more: Why the Dairy Community is the Greatest in the World….). However, there are those that have a tendency to overindulge in show ring results. While I am as big a fan as anyone of the tanbark trail, I often have to remind myself that it is just a passion and remember where it fits relative to the rest of the dairy industry.

Greed

Greed is the desire for material wealth or gain, ignoring the realm of the spiritual. It is, like lust and gluttony, a sin of excess. However, greed (as seen by the church) is applied to a very excessive or rapacious desire and pursuit of material possessions. “Greed is a sin directly against one’s neighbor, since one man cannot over-abound in external riches, without another man lacking them.” Lately, I see the dairy breeding industry getting “greedy” with their genetics. Empire building A.I. companies are not sharing their early release semen, and breeders are now not willing to sell embryos from their top females. Greed has undoubtedly infected the dairy breeding industry.

Sloth

Sloth is the avoidance of physical or spiritual work. It certainly would be really hard to accuse most dairy farmers of avoiding physical work. However, there are definitely some areas where sloth is starting to creep in. No, I am not talking about the skyrocketing number of breeders who are switching to robotic milking systems. These breeders are changing the type of work they are doing as opposed to the amount of work they do. What I am talking about here are the breeders who are looking to take the easy way out. On the tanbark trail, it is the breeders who expect to win at the big shows, but don’t realize how much work it takes and fail to do the work 365 days a year that it takes to achieve success. For the average dairy breeder, I notice sloth tendencies when they make their breeding decisions. Instead of taking the time to carefully do effective research on the best mate for their cows (Programs like GPS) they look for a quick and easy answer for their breeding programs. (Read more: gPs– Genetic Profile Systems – Dairy Cattle Breeding Made Simple). Another example of sloth in the dairy breeding industry, is livestock photography. Many professional photographers have gotten lazy and have let their ethics slide to a point where it is now downright sinful. (Read more: Dairy Marketing Code of Conduct)

Wrath

Wrath, also known as “rage,” may be described as inordinate and uncontrolled feelings of hatred and anger. Feelings of anger can manifest in different ways including impatience, revenge, and self-destructive behavior. In the dairy breeding industry, I notice this vice in many breeders choice of which A.I. unit to purchase their semen from. Instead of purchasing semen from the A.I. company that has the best sire for their animal, some breeders let their anger for a certain organization cloud their judgment and lead to diminished returns in their breeding program. There are also those who have turned their wrath on us here at the Bullvine (Read more: The Bullvine: Wanted Dead or Alive and Why I Don’t Care If You Like Me)

Envy

Envy is the desire for others’ traits, status, abilities, or situation. There are many (yes I say many) dairy breeders that are guilty of this. From those whose envy is relatively mild, such as case of envy over ownership of a certain animal, or breeding success to those that turn almost green with envy over the success of their fellow breeders.

Pride

In almost every list, pride is considered the original and most serious of the seven deadly sins and the source of the others. It is identified as believing that one is fundamentally better than others, failing to acknowledge the accomplishments of others and excessive admiration of the personal self. In the dairy breeding industry, I notice this in many old school breeders who fail to recognize new tools such as genomics. They believe that their “breeding strategy” is far superior to that of others and let pride get in the way of achieving even greater success.

The Bullvine Bottom Line

Remember – no one is perfect. Sin, like death, is an unassailable fact of life. It is also one of the last great taboos for public debate. We here at the Bullvine feel that it is possible and necessary to talk about sin in ways that enrich our industry, as well as our personal lives. These sins have been the downfall of some. However, others find success through overcoming them. It is important to recognize the vices you’re susceptible to and to manage them. Otherwise, these seven deadly sins will be the downfall of your dairy breeding program.

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The Wealthiest Dairy Farmer in the World…

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Tuesday, July 15th, 2014

You don’t have to talk to many dairy farmers who have committed their lives to the safe production of quality nutritional milk to discover that there are many different ways to be wealthy in the world. Wealth means a lot more than just financial success. However, sometimes, especially when times are financially tight, we forget that we are all wealthy in one way, or another.

Over the years I have become a big fan of a gentleman named, Robin Sharma, starting when I read his book The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari. It was Robin who first opened my eyes to the fact that there is more to life than just making money and specifically “there is no benefit in being the richest man in the graveyard.” He defined and introduced me to the following seven elements of wealth:

Inner wealth
This includes a positive mindset, high self-respect, internal peace and a strong spiritual connection. Positive people with a positive outlook on the world can be happy – Always. I have been fortunate in my life to have married a wonderful woman, who is a psychiatrist. (Read more: How I Used Everything I Know About Animal Breeding to Choose My Wife and The Other Woman) In our many conversations about people’s mental health, I have come to realize that this might be one of the biggest areas that many of us overlook when we judge our wealth. My wife deals with people from all economic backgrounds every day. Your financial health has very little to do with your mental health. Yes, lack of income is very stressful. However, there are also pressures on those who have significant wealth. I can remember when I was about 16 years old, a very “wealthy dairy farmer” from our community committed suicide. At the time, I can remember wondering why he would do such a thing. He had a financially successful farm and a great family. How could he possibly want to leave all of that? It’s now at an older age that I can appreciate that he suffered from inner health issues. Try this: Have a positive mental attitude and try to be sad at the same time. I don’t think it’s possible. With a positive attitude, life appears to be positive. Inner wealth really helps.
Physical wealth
Your health is your wealth. What’s the point of having all the money in the world if you get sick doing it? Why be the richest person in the graveyard? For me, it took having a heart attack to realize this. Before that, I worked 80 hours a week, and drank copious amounts of Coke in order to compensate for my lack of sleep. Upon having my heart attack, and realizing that I was risking losing it all and not being there for my children as they grow up that I knew that my lifestyle had to change. A person who is not healthy cannot enjoy life. If you want to learn the importance of wealth, ask someone who is not feeling well or facing health issues (Read more: Patricia Stiles –Dairy Farmer, Grandmother, Hero, Fighting for Her Life!).
Family and social wealth
Do you have loving parents or a caring brother or sister or friends who can come to your help at any time you want? Family and friends are another form of wealth. We are fortunate to be part of the greatest community in the world (Read more: Why the Dairy Community is the Greatest in the World….). However, one of the things about being part of this great community is being an active participant in it. No one gets to the end of their life and regrets making their family their first priority. Imperative in this is forging deep connections with friends and members of your personal community (including mentors, role models and trusted advisors).
Career wealth
When we have success in our chosen career, we feel a sense of fulfilment. In the dairy industry, this could mean earning a Master Breeder shield or production achievement awards. This is another type of wealth. Actualizing your highest potential by striving for your professional best is incredibly important. Earning recognition in your profession brings a feeling of satisfaction for a job well done. It helps you to make your mark. Being world class in your work is also good for your self-respect.
Economic wealth
Yes, money is important. Not the most important thing in life but very important. It absolutely makes life easier and better. Money allows you to live in a nice home, take beautiful vacations and provide well for those you love. And as Yvon Chouinard, the founder of the outdoor gear company Patagonia, has said: “The more I make, the more I can give away. So, earn more to give more.”
Adventure wealth
We feel happy when we visit a new place or meet new exciting people. We feel happy when we are able to take the challenge and deliver more than expected. Adventure is another form of wealth. To be fulfilled, each of us needs mystery in our lives. Challenge is necessary for happiness. The human brain craves novelty. We are creative beings, so we need to be constantly creating if we hope to feel joy. Lots of adventure (ranging from meeting new people to visiting new places, to trying new things) is an essential element of authentic wealth.
Impact Wealth
Perhaps the deepest longing of the human heart is to live for something greater than itself. That is part of what drives the majority of the dairy farmers I have met in my life. Each of us craves to be significant. To make a difference. To know that the world has somehow been better because we have walked the planet. This is just one of the reasons that dairy farming is one of the most rewarding professions in the world.

The Bullvine Bottom Line

Money alone does not define wealth. There are many rich people who are unhappy and unsuccessful as human beings. By focusing on improving these seven elements of wealth to higher levels, you will not only be richer in the eyes of those around you, but you will also find contentment in who you are as a person. That is when you will truly be the wealthiest dairy farmer in the world.

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Germany – Football and Dairy World Champions?

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Monday, July 14th, 2014

The world watched yesterday as Germany became world champions for the fourth time thanks to a stunning extra-time winner from super-sub Mario Gotze. Germany is the first European team to win a World Cup in North or South America. Germany won its fourth World Cup by displaying a team unity that was above and beyond anyone else in the tournament. Each man knew his role and the Germans moved as a unit with clockwork precision. This same teamwork and precision can be seen in the German dairy industry. In honor of Germany’s World Cup victory, we decided to take a closer look at the German Dairy Industry.

Dairy Cattle Numbers

In Germany half of the farms are specialized in livestock, with the main group (>25%) are dairy farms. With a production value of about 10.6 milliard Euro (2009) cattle production (milk and beef) contributes about 25 percent to agricultural output in Germany. Germany is the world´s largest exporter of breeding cattle and one of the leading countries in the export of bovine semen. Germany has around 12.5 million head of cattle in total, including 4.2 million dairy cows and 0.7 million suckler cows. Germany has the largest dairy cattle herd and the second largest cattle population in the European Union.

Graph 1 – Cattle Production in Germany 2013

The main areas for cattle are in the North Western part of the country (Lower Saxony, North Rhine-Westphalia) as well as the Bavaria region in the South Eastern part of Germany.

Graph 2 – Cattle Stock in Germany

More than 40 breeds are kept of which 80% belong to the major breeds: German Holstein black and white and red and white (67.3%); the German Fleckvieh (26.4%) and the German Braunvieh (5.1%). The remaining 20% are shared by eight local rare breeds and about 30 beef breeds. The diversity of the cattle breeds also shows the differences of the regional climate and the fodder availability from the north to the south. In the north and East German Holstein black and white and German Holstein red and white are the most common breeds. In the south, Simmental and Brown Swiss Cattle are dominant. With that, Germany has the largest Holstein herdbook population worldwide. About 2.2 million Holstein cows are officially milk recorded. Every year around 1,000 Holstein and Red Holstein young bulls are progeny tested.

The average yield of a Holstein cow in Germany is 9,013kg in 305 days of 4.00% Fat and 3.33% Protein. The German Fleckvieh (Simmental) average about 7,210 kg in 305 days of 4.09% fat and 3.48% protein. The German Braunvieh (Brown Swiss) average 7,190 kg in 305 days of 4.16% Fat and 3.55% protein.

Housing Systems

In Germany, there is a wide range of different management systems ranging from small family operated farms with 50 – 60 cows to large-scale operations with over 2,000 cows. The fact that German Holsteins prove to be successful under these widely varying feeding and management systems, both in the barn and on pasture, underlines their extraordinary adaptability. This adaptability is also shown under various climatic conditions and makes German Holsteins an export sales hit.

74% of dairy cows in loose/freestall operations
21% of dairy cows in tie stalls
42% of dairy cows utilize pastures

Dairy Cow Rations

Cows in Germany are fed based on forages [silage (mainly grass and corn) or hay i.e. alfalfa], concentrate [grains (barley, wheat, and corn), protein sources (soybean meal and rapeseed meal), and other by-products (sugar beet pulp, etc.)] and common additives. The ratio of forage to concentrate varies from 60:40 to 40:60 percent but mainly forage based diets are used.

More than 130 years of German Holstein Breeding

In Germany, the first official breeding cooperative was established in Fischbek near Altmark in 1876. The objective was “to use pure-bred sires of the black-and-white Lowland Breed“ to develop this breed in pure-breeding. From then on, the number of regional breeding associations and breeding cooperatives increasingly grew to merge into larger organizations over the years. To this day, Germany has numerous powerful cow families whose foundation cows can be traced back to the very first registrations in the herdbooks of North German breeding areas.

For a while, most of the breeding organizations kept on registering black-and-white as well as red-and-white animals in one herdbook and the breeding goal for both breeds was identical. Later on, breeding organizations were formed that exclusively dealt with Black-and-Whites and Red-and-Whites respectively.

Due to the world wars, the breeding organizations’ business was severely impeded. However, thanks to the commitment of enthusiastic breeders, the herdbook organizations took up their activities over and over again. This fact ensured the survival of the German Holstein industry and its qualities in West Germany as well as in East Germany.

In the mid-sixties, herdbook associations and AI studs intensified their cooperation. This led to a number of larger breeding organizations that stamp the German Holstein industry to this day. Following the reunification of Germany, the dairy cattle industry in the East German states reorganized itself according to this model too. In the meantime, the breeding goals for Black-and-Whites and Red-and-Whites became more and more similar to each other with the result that, in 1996, a common breeding goal was laid down, and the German Holstein Association (Deutscher Holstein Verband e. V. – DHV) was founded.

For decades, German breeding programs have been carried out according to the latest findings. They form the cornerstone for the high production and the functional conformation of the German Holstein cow. In addition, productive life, fertility and udder health are highly rated traits.

Due to its federalist structure and its special livestock breeding act, Germany has numerous different breeding organizations. There are 14 organizations which are involved in Holstein breeding.

During the past years most of the former independent herdbook organizations and A.I. centers have merged into powerful breeding organizations, uniting herdbook, breeding program, artificial insemination and marketing under one roof. Most of the DHV members are organized in such merged breeding companies. TopQ and NOG (North-East-Genetics) are large nation-wide co-operations between different breeding companies. To become more efficient, the co-operative partners together run sizeable breeding programs. Furthermore, the partners work close together on the field of research, product development, and scientific analysis of the breeding programs.

The milk recording organizations are independent. Milk recording, at about 85% usage, is higher than in any other country of the world. Among others, their staff members register all animals and transmit the data to the United Data systems for Animal Production (VIT). Under the federal program, the computer center VIT in Verden is responsible for the estimation of breeding values for Holsteins and Red Holsteins and processes all data registered. VIT publishes the breeding values as well as data for the business analyses of the dairy farms. VIT also connects all breeding organizations through a widespread online-communication system.

National Index – RZG

The Total Merit Index RZG guarantees a balanced breeding considering milk production, functional herd life, conformation, reproduction, udder health and calving traits according to their economic importance. The Total Merit Index combines a number of individual trait indexes and makes it easy for the breeders to choose a bull according to all relevant traits. Today, the Total Merit Index (RZG) includes production (RZM 45%), functional herd life (RZN 20%), conformation (Udders, Feet & Legs 15%), reproduction (RZZ 10%), somatic cell count (RZS 7%) and maternal calving traits (RZKm 3%). To date the RZG is one of the world´s most popular total merit indexes for the Holstein breed.

In 2009, the German Holstein industry implemented genomic selection as a new tool in its breeding programs. The model was completely developed by the German data center VIT, and was among the first in the world that became ICAR/Interbull approved in August 2010. Therefore, semen of sires with a genomic enhanced breeding value (gEBW) from VIT is allowed to be sold all over Europe without any restrictions. Within the scope of EuroGenomics, more than 27,000 proven sires are involved in this genomic project to evaluate the gZW today. EuroGenomics is not only the largest training site for genomic evaluation but also represents the complete European and Northern American genetic background of the Holstein breed.

Popular German Cows

Loh Nastygirl (Marbach x Marshall)
Grand Champion German National Show 2013.
3.8 La: 48,310 Kg 3.20% 3.15%
Type. 4 La: 96-94-96-95/95

WIT A-Klasse (Classic PS x Stadel)
Senior Red Holstein Champion German Holstein Show 2013.
3 La: 30,345 Kg 3.72% 3.46%
Type, 3 La: 94-93-88-94/92

FG Ice EX 90 (Jasper 2 x Lee)
2013 Intermediate Reserve Champion on the European Holstein Championship 2013 in Fribourg, CH

The Bullvine Bottom Line

Germany has the largest Holstein herdbook population worldwide. Germany is the world´s largest exporter of breeding cattle and one of the leading countries in the export of bovine semen. Now, as the world is recognizing Germany as a football powerhouse, the German dairy industry should also be recognized as a dairy cattle powerhouse.

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5 Things You Must Know About Secretariat, Lung Capacity and Dairy Cattle

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Wednesday, July 9th, 2014

Breeding the next generation cattle is always a combining of the females we have in our herds with the breed leading sires to obtain even more profitable herd in the future. How big our Holstein cattle need to be and how their bodies function are important matters that future focused discerning breeders are asking about and discussing with fellow breeders.

How Do You Measure Size?

Many different yardsticks exist in dairy cattle to measure size. It can start at the muzzle and goes all the way to the pins. For some breeders, it starts at the ground and goes to the top of the cow. In the perfect cow it a combination of everything – front to back and top to bottom. However, are all areas that measure capacity of equal importance? Alternatively, are there some areas that are more important than others?

Type classification programs and the show ring deal with many areas relative to width, depth and total mass. There are many areas, but I seldom hear reference made to the lung capacity that an animal has. Sometimes we hear mention of width of heart, as a measure for the size of the lungs. However, do we know, for sure, if animals that have more width of chest and heart actually have a greater lung capacity?

Do You Consider Lung Capacity?

We know that in humans the ability to take in air and add oxygen to our systems is essential for every person especially physical workers, mountain climbers or Olympic athletes. Do cattle breeders consider the capacity of their animals’ lungs? If they do, how do they know if animals have more or less lung capacity? As in human environments, dairy cattle are subjected to high altitudes, high temperatures and airborne diseases and our cattle are expected to perform no matter what. Every breeder knows that calves that have had severe pneumonia will not reach their genetic potential to produce milk. So less lung capacity due to loss definitely has an effect on performance. In cows, the more milk produced, the more blood that must flow to the udder. Every drop of blood requires oxygen. Larger lungs facilitate the addition of more oxygen to the blood.

Measuring Lung Capacity

One question that remains unanswered for me is this: “By breeding taller and taller Holsteins with narrow and narrower width between their front legs and also less width side to side in the heart region, have we decreased the lung capacity of our breed?”

I know from hands on experience that cows in hot climates differ in their ability to cope with sweltering weather. Especially when the temperature does not drop during the night. It’s hot sometimes for weeks on end. I have seen, in such an environment, wide chested cows able to produce 100 pounds (45 kgs) of milk in 113F (45C) temperature days. Moreover, in the same herds small heart and narrow chested cows have froth dropping to the ground from their mouths. They are panting, and even when cold mist is sprayed on their backs they can barely produce 80 pounds (36 kgs). In large herds, the managers do not often choose to take the steps necessary for the narrow cows to be comfortable. It’s a matter of economics not animal treatment. Trained staff are often not available on the farm. The narrow cows self eliminate from the herd.

During physical exams, people often blow into a device to measure their lung capacity. It’s not so easy to get a measure of an animals’ lung capacity. Somehow we need to know more about lung capacity and its impact the productive ability of our dairy cattle.

More Thoughts on Lung Capacity

There may be a way to physically measure lung capacity in dairy cattle but then to collect enough data to do genetic evaluations is a very costly task. Could an animal appraisal be done on heifers at weaning for a number of traits? Besides lung capacity, additional traits could include weight, feet, height, vigour and rumen function. After all, we need the type of weanling that will grow into heifers able to calve at 20 months and then quickly become productive and profitable member of the milking cow herd. Herd replacements are the third biggest cost item on dairy farms yet we often do not track and manage the heifer herds as well as we should.

It would be possible if we knew both lung capacity and genomic make-up of a sample group of heifers to develop a genetic evaluation system to breed for lung capacity without having to directly measure lung capacity on every animal.

Lessons from Secretariat

Let’s let our thinking move beyond dairy cows to race horses. For those breeders not familiar with Secretariat, he was perhaps the greatest racehorse in history. He won every race in the Triple Crown, the three biggest races that horse greatness is judged by. Not only did he win all the races, but he won that last one by 31-lengths. Destroying the competition. Charles Hatton of Daily Racing Form comments on Secretariat as follows “ Secretariat had depth of barrel, with well-sprung ribs for heart and lung room …. with the big rear end, the straight legs, huge lung and blood-pumping capacity, and his great size, he was a phenomenon waiting to happen ….. He lost only five times in his career … He was on the threshold of track or stakes records in most of his races and he broke them in his Triple Crown races … after his death, at 19 years, in 1989 post mortem examination revealed that his heart was two-and-a-half times the size of a normal heart for a horse his size. Not enlarged. Just big. There’s an equine gene for it. He had that too.” If there’s a gene for heart size in horses then likely there is a gene for lung capacity in dairy cattle.

The Bullvine Bottom Line

Breeders select and care for their animals so they can maximize their lifetime profit. We know and are learning more every year about the genetic makeup of our dairy animals. It is time to think about how our animals’ lungs operate in order to complement the balanced nutrition, sound management, high-calibre genetics and cow friendly environments that we provide. Maximizing oxygen intake is important.

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USA vs Canada – Who is Genetically Superior?

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Friday, July 4th, 2014

With Canada celebrating its national holiday this week and today being US Independence Day, we thought it only fitting to see which of these two great dairy cattle breeding nations has the edge when it comes to dairy cattle genetics.

We decided to look at 5 areas -Total Index, Production, Health and Fertility, Longevity and the Show Ring. For each category we calculated the top 100 Canadian or USA bred animals. For country of origin we used the country they were registered in. Each area carries a 20 point total. The following is what we found.

Total Index – BPI

Naturally the US will dominate the TPI list and Canada will dominate the LPI lists so we decided to use our own BPI index as a gauge to determine which country has the top sires in the total balanced index category. (Read more: Bullvine Performance Index)

While Canada is coming on strong in the genomic sire lists, on the whole the BPI index is dominated by the USA.

Verdict: 3 Points to Canada and 17 Points to the USA

Production

For top production sires we used a weighting of 50% PTAM, 20% PTAP, 5% %PTAP, 20% PTAF, 5% %PTAF

With 82% of the top proven and genomic sires for production, the USA dominates the production section of this competition. However it is interesting to see that Canada is getting stronger with 30% of the top genomic production sires. This stronger showing may also be a result of Canada’s national index, LPI having more production weighting than that of the American TPI.

Verdict: 4 Points to Canada and 16 Points to the USA

Health and Fertility

For Health and Fertility we used the following weightings SCS 20%, DPR 20%, SCR 20%, SCE 10%, DCE 10%, SSB 10%, and DSB 10%.

It isn’t surprising, since the USA’s national index, TPI, has a heavier weighting on Health and Fertility, to find that the USA absolutely dominates this list.

Verdict: 2 Points to Canada, 18 Points to the USA

Longevity

For longevity we used the following weightings -PL 50%, MS 30%, F&L 10%, BC 5% and DC 5%.

Given that Canada does put a high emphasis on type and, as a result longevity, it’s not surprising that Canada does have a strong showing in this category.

Verdict: 3 Points Canada, 17 Points USA

Show Ring Success

For the show ring we decided to take a look at the top 5 placings from this past year’s World Dairy Expo and Royal Winter Fair to see who dominates in the show ring.

One area where Canada does dominate the USA is in the show ring. At both National Shows Canada came out on top. Although the USA did have an edge in the cow classes at World Dairy Expo, Canada absolutely dominated the 2013 Royal Winter Fair.

Verdict: 14 Points to Canada and 6 Points to the USA

The Bullvine Bottom Line

Final Verdict: Canada 26 USA 74

Not surprisingly the USA comes out on top of this North American Battle. In fact the USA comes out on top when compared to any country in the world and Canada comes in 2^nd place in the world ranking. While Canada’s passion for the show ring certainly helps them in this competition, even in the index categories Canada performs better than their cattle numbers would indicate. Canada has 1/10 the cattle numbers of the USA but wins 15% of the index market share. In the end, national pride always finds a way to wave the flag!!

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Introducing the Bullvine Breeders’ Cup

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Monday, June 30th, 2014

Do you own the best kept secret in the dairy breeding industry? Would you like the world to know about your amazing cattle? Then enter them in the inaugural Bullvine Breeders’ Cup and showcase your animals to the world from the comfort of your own barn.

Not all great cows have the ability to win at the big shows and not all great cows are determined by what their genomic index indicates. That is why we have created the Bullvine Breeders’ Cup. Simply post a self-picture of your contender on Facebook or in the form below and tell us why your cow is worthy of being named The Bullvine Breeders’ Cup Champion. Finalists will then be voted on by Bullvine readers as well as our official judge and equal weighting between both will determine the winner.

This is not just a contest for show cows or for those that have the highest index. Equal consideration will be given to each animal’s pedigree, conformation, and progeny as well as their MVP status in your herd. This is a contest to determine who is the best kept secret in the dairy business.

Winners will receive a feature article on www.thebullvine.com about their cow and their operation, a banner ad on our website as well as use of the Bullvine Breeders’ Cup logo in the promotion of their animal.

Rules and Regulations:

Animals must have calved at least once (1) to be eligible for the mature cow class competition.
Competition is open to “in milk” cows only. (Picture must show cow in milking form)
No professional side shots of cows will be accepted.
This is an all breeds competition.
There are no classification or production requirements to enter.
Animals can be clipped but preferably not fitted for the show ring. (no toplines, no uddering)
The top five (5) selected as finalists will be voted on and placed.
ENTRY DEADLINE – Tuesday, July 31st, 2014. No Late Entries Accepted.

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Categories : Bullvine Breeders' Cup

Has the Show Ring Lost Its Function?

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Friday, June 27th, 2014

Over the past year, I have found myself wondering, “What is the function of the show ring?” Attendance at shows has gone down, and there are fewer animals coming out. But more concerning than anything else is that it seems that too many of the winners at the major shows have had significant flaws and do not truly represent the most productive, long-lived cows that were at the show. This has me wondering if the show ring still has a function in today’s dairy industry.

Long have I listened to the three functions of showing dairy cattle: breed improvement, merchandising and marketability. So as I am now pondering show ring relevance, I figured I would look at each of these three areas and see how well each one actually performs.

Breed Improvement

For years, there has been an ongoing debate about how well a top show cow would last in a commercial environment. Over the past eight months, pretty much every cow that I have seen named Grand Champion at a Holstein show has had a significant functional flaw. This definitely raises an issue for me because, if the show ring is supposed to be the best of the best, shouldn’t the Grand Champion be a great example of that? For me, the question now becomes, “What is it that we are looking for?” For that, I turn to the Dairy Cow Unified Score Card (US) and Holstein Cow Score Card (Canada), and I find myself looking at the relative emphasis of each major category. I question the relative weightings in relation to what a long-lived productive cow truly looks like. (Read more: She Ain’t Pretty – She Just Milks That Way!). This became very evident to me at a judging school I recently attended. On that day, the official panel (which was two representatives from AI) placed a cow at the top of the class who had a major rump problem which is usually associated with reproductive issues. Something you would expect someone who worked in the AI industry to be cognizant of. At the bottom of the class was a very sound cow, placed there because she was not as “deep bodied and dairy as the other cows in the class.” This caused me extreme concern. Not only did it kill my score/performance for the day, but also on a more significant scale, what does it say about us as an industry, if we are selecting these animals to represent the best of the best.

Ideal Show/Classification 2 year old

genomic 2 year old - composite background

Typical High Index 2 year old

efficient 2 year old - composite background

High productive and efficient production 2 year old.

For me, the issue here is not just a show ring problem. It is also a classification issue. The weighting on the score card is the same for both classification and show ring. If we look at the score card and compare the correlations between production and productive life, we see significant issues arising around what should be benchmarks for a long-lived productive cow.

*Performance based score developed by using weights of correlations for productive life and production to each of the four major trait areas.

By looking at the correlations between actual performance data and the breed scorecards, two glaring issues come to light:

Too much emphasis on Mammary System

For years I have heard it said, again and again, it all begins with the cow’s udder. Naturally, that makes sense, since we are talking about milk production. What is interesting is that, while the correlation between Mammary System and Productive Life are very high, the correlation between Mammary System and actual milk production is actually negative. My belief on this matter is that, since we have put so much emphasis on udders over the past 30 years, the Mammary Systems on most cows are to the point where they are more than sound for productive reasons. In other words, we have done such a good job at breeding for strong well-attached udders that are well above the hock that we now have taken it to the extreme, where even cows with average udders are still correct enough to last several lactations and be productive cows. Furthermore, and this is where the problem lies, the sires who provide the greatest udder improvement don’t actually sire enough milk.

Top 10 Proven UDC Proven Sires April 2014

Name	Milk	Fat	Prot	SCS	Conf	Stature	Body Depth
DE-SU OBSERVER-ET	2336	91	83	2.71	12	-2	-4
BADGER-BLUFF FANNY FREDDIE	1717	66	59	2.74	5	-3	-6
DE-SU CIMARRON-ET	2895	99	88	2.69	10	0	0
LONG-LANGS OMAN OMAN	1490	83	82	3.11	12	6	-2
DE-SU HISTORY-ET	2083	101	81	2.72	8	0	2
MORNINGVIEW LEVI	1321	86	74	2.57	3	0	-3
DE-SU ALTAGOALMAN-ET	2856	107	89	2.77	3	-2	-3
CO-OP BOSSIDE MASSEY-ET	1151	75	66	2.52	6	0	0
ENSENADA TABOO PLANET	2497	89	82	2.88	8	-6	1
WELCOME BOL LATHAM-ET	1797	78	81	2.94	7	2	2
KINGS-RANSOM B RUBLE	3078	87	92	2.98	7	-2	-2

In looking at the top 10 proven sires for Udder Composite you will notice that only 5 sires have a positive value for milk (PTAM) and only two sires (Buxton and Golf) are over 1000 lbs. of milk. The top 100 UDC proven sires from the April 2014 Genetic Evaluations average a very low 551 lbs of milk (PTAM).

Top 10 Proven Production (PTAM) Sires April 2014

Name	Milk	Fat	Prot	SCS	Conf	Stature	Body Depth
DE-SU MUCHO 11209-ET	1319	102	85	2.63	9	2	0
MR CHARTROI ELOQUENT-ET	1740	106	86	2.79	12	3	1
PARILE LOCARNO	1774	86	84	2.67	12	2	-3
SANDY-VALLEY PANAMA-ET	1841	108	74	2.49	11	-1	-2
BUTZ-HILL LETTERS-ET	1999	86	85	2.71	10	-2	-1
DE-SU THUNDER-ET	1339	100	60	2.63	16	4	-2
WELCOME ARMITAGE PESKY-ET	1088	101	71	2.72	9	4	-5
DE-SU PHOENIX 588-ET	2659	113	95	2.76	8	-1	-3
DE-SU SKYMONT 11195-ET	1631	94	74	2.74	12	-1	-3
CHAMPION ALTABOOKEL	1963	94	79	2.81	15	-1	-1

Conversely, if you look at the top 10 proven sires for milk (PTAM) you will notice that there are two sires (Ruble and Jigsaw) that are over +2.00 for UDC in fact the top 100 milk sires have an average UDC of 1.16. In the top 100 proven Productive Life sires average +1.44 for UDC and +1.48 for PTAT. Therefore it’s very clear that the top sires for milk do not always have the best udders, and the top udder sires are not typically you high production sires. Interestingly this leads to the conclusion that a high UDC is not as strong an indicator of either production or the ability to have high production over a cows lifetime as many believe.

Not enough emphasis on Functional Rumps

There certainly has been a strong positive trend over recent years to breed and select cattle with greater emphasis on reproduction. With that has come a greater focus on rump angle. This is an area where I am noticing the greatest discrepancy between the show ring and what it truly takes to be a long-lived functional cow. It has been generally accepted that a level wide rump was a show ring rump and a high rump angle rump was a calving ease rump. The challenge is that, over the past year, I have seen cows with extremely high pins being made Grand Champion. While I love a nice boxcar rump as much as the next person does, it still needs to be at least level and not have a severe tilt from back to front.

Merchandising

There used to be a time that you could take a heifer to a spring show with the expectation that, if she did well, you would be able to sell her for significant dollars. That has changed to such an extent that not nearly as many breeders are even sending animals to the spring shows anymore. In fact, those that are looking to sell their animals are opting to send them to a Tag Sale instead. Lately, that is proving to be a better avenue for merchandising your show animals. For a couple of hundred dollars you can have your heifer clipped, fitted and worked with. That is a fraction of the cost of taking them to a show yourself. (Read more: TAG – You are it! How and Why TAG Dairy Sales Are Successful)

One thing that came to light for me, as I was sitting watching the Best of Both World’s sale this week, hosted by St. Jacobs ABC, Ferme Blondin, and Crasdale Auctions, was that there is still a market for “show cattle.” (Read more: Best of Both Worlds – Sale Report) Now I am not saying that they are topping the major sales or bringing the highest revenue (Read more: An Insider’s Guide to What Sells at the Big Dairy Cattle Auctions 2013). What I am saying is that a cow that has had some success in the show ring and that can produce desirable type calves reliably is still very profitable. An example of this was Ernest-Anthony Aphrodite-ET 2E 95 who sold for $21,000 at the sale. While her show days are long behind her, she still carries significant value. That is because she is able to reliably produce nice cut calves. She also flushes well, as was evident at the sale with many of those nicely cut daughters selling for $5,000 to $10,000. (Read more: KUEFFNER DAIRY TEAMWORK “2 Dream the Impossible Dream!”) While the price of genomic animals has certainly fluctuated, a well-bred, nice pedigreed calf from a fairly well known show cow family continues to be one of the most stable markets. (Read more: The Judge’s Choice – Investment advice from Tim Abbott)

Ernest-Anthony Aphrodite-ET 2E 95 the Member 2009 All-American Produce of Dam, Member 2009 All-American Senior Best 3 Females, Member of 2007 Unanimous All-American Senior Best Three Females and Reserve All-American Produce of Dam sold for $21,000 at the Best of Both Worlds Sale. Of course Aphrodite is from the great Tri-Day Ashlyn-ET EX 96, the Supreme Champion from the 2001 World Dairy Expo and Royal Winter Fair.

Marketability

Over the past two years, I have noticed a drastic decrease in the number of people attending cattle shows. This has gotten to the point where many have started openly raising concerns about what is happening. Take for example the recent Maxville Holstein Show (Read more: Maxville Holstein Show Results 2014) where it would have been generous to say there were 100 spectators in the crowd. Furthermore, the average age of those spectators was well over 60. If you were evaluating marketability by that attendance at the show, you would certainly have been disappointed. However, here again, times have changed. Today, due to the Internet, more and more people are watching from home. Especially if they live a significant distance away. (Read more: Who is going to the show? Why attendance is down at the dairy cattle shows). The statistics from our own coverage tell a very different story than does the attendance at the show. We had over 10,000 people view the show results on our website on show day alone. Over 1,300 people shared our webpage on Facebook and another 3,000 people liked or shared our pictures on Facebook. Therefore, what has really happened? The answer is that the marketability of a show has gone from being that of a local attendance market to a worldwide market, where you can merchandise to people from around the globe (as long as the right dairy publications attend). If the dairy publications don’t choose to attend your local show, there is still an opportunity to snap your own pictures, get them liked and shared around the world and produce your own viral marketing. I have often seen a quick selfie by breeders at a show far outperform a professional side photograph on Facebook.

The Bulvine Bottom Line

When all is said and done, the viral nature of show results, pictures, and videos on the Internet prove that the show ring still serves a relevant position in today’s dairy industry. There are certainly opportunities to further enhance the relevance of the show ring to the rest of the industry. The best way to do that is in the type of cattle that we select at the shows. For years, the show ring and type classification led the charge on the need to focus more on mammary system improvement. Today we are at the point where cows’ udders in most herds in the world are very sound. It’s now time for the show ring and type classification to again lead the charge when selecting for long-lived productive cows. This will mean putting greater emphasis on functional rumps and functional cows.

Let`s ensure that the show ring has a relevant function in the dairy industry for years to come.

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Happy Cows Don’t Make Headlines

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Friday, June 20th, 2014

Two weeks ago, another “undercover” video from an animal rights group rocked the dairy world and gave the dairy industry yet another black eye. (Read more: Dairy Cattle Abuse Video – A black eye for the dairy industry). While tens of thousands of people across North America, and for that matter around the world, have now seen this brutal video, the fact is that most of them assume that the actions that occur on this video take place on all dairy farms on a daily basis. Those of us that work in the dairy industry know this is not the case at all. However, since Happy Cows Don’t Make Headlines, the general public is only exposed to the negative side of the dairy industry rather than the positive.

In the media business there is no question that if you can touch an emotion, whether it be positive or negative, you certainly can get attention and gain readership. Anyone watching this horrifying video would be hard pressed not to get emotional when seeing the abuses that occur. As a result, the mainstream media has been very quick to jump on this story and continues to pound the dairy industry with their negative coverage.

Even we here at the Bullvine are guilty of exposing this story. Some breeders commented to us that we should not cover this story. Unlike other dairy publications, we have learned that burying your head in the sand is not the way to bring about change. Instead, you need to be 100% transparent and address the problem head on. We as an industry cannot hope that this story will “quietly go away.” That is not going to happen. Moreover, we need to stand up for ourselves and share the positive instead of hiding from the negative.

It’s at times like this when we all need to be strong dairy advocates and make sure that the general public actually knows the truth of what goes on in the dairy industry. A great example of this is provided by Jerry Jorgensen from Ri-Val-Re Holsteins. Jerry was disgusted by what he had seen in the video and certainly expressed his comments on social media. However, he also took the time to produce a video that showed the public what actually happens on most dairy farms.

Jorgensen’s video provides an excellent explanation of how most dairy cattle are cared for. Jerry applied his unique sense of humor to the video. The challenge is that, while those in the dairy industry applauded the video and appreciated Jerry’s efforts, the video was viewed on YouTube by 4,000 people. This is just a fraction of the over 140,000 people that viewed the Mercy for Animals video from Chilliwack Cattle Sales.

Carrie Mess (aka Dairy Carrie) a strong dairy advocate and very active social media personality (Read more: Dairy Carrie – Diary of a City Kid Gone Country) says the social media comments spurred by the Mercy for Animals video have been frustrating.

“The group that is responsible for this video has an agenda. That agenda is… they advocate for a vegan diet. They don’t like animal agriculture. So when they release a video like this and try to paint all farmers with this huge brush, it’s so frustrating to me. Any industry will have bad actors, but that doesn’t mean that everybody is.”

Carrie adds that on the hundreds of dairy farms she has been on she has never seen anything like that happening. She does say that the video from Chilliwack is unacceptable, ”There is no excuse for that kind of treatment of cows.” Though she is also quick to admit that “sometimes I’m mean to my cows” and it’s because it can mean life or death. Sometimes farming is messy, ugly, and tragic. (Read more: Sometimes we are mean to our cows)

“I do want people to understand that these are very large animals and that we can’t necessarily just pick up with a couple of guys lifting her,” she explains. “A cow is so big that if she lays down for too long, whether it’s because of an injury or illness, the cow is large enough that basically her legs go to sleep. More so than you can ever imagine where she just can’t get up. So if she’s laying down for too long and can’t get up, she’s not going to be able to get up…a down cow that can’t get up is going to be a dead cow.”

Now to be fair to the video from Chilliwack Cattle Sales, there are some actions that to the uneducated watcher seem pretty horrific, but to the average dairy farmer can be explained. One such case is the rush to get a downed cow off of the rotary parlor before she is squished to death. The cows are so large there is no other way to lift them than to use a tractor. However, then the average dairy farmer would also ask, “Why was the cow down in the first place?” If it was because she was afraid of the rotary parlor, which can be the case, then why was she being forced to go on it in the first place?

None of this is to say the abuse shown at Chilliwack Cattle Sales was justifiable in any way because it’s not. However, this situation highlights a significant disconnect in our modern dairy production system. How does the consumer, who doesn’t know anything about where his milk comes from, have a meaningful discussion with the dairy farmer who doesn’t have to think about the person at the grocery cooler buying it?

The Bottom Line

Ultimately, the only way to prevent future videos of this nature is to give activists nothing to film. Dairy farmers around the world need to look at their own operations and make sure that they run a farm that they’re proud to show to anyone, at any time, and are not afraid to do so, especially through social media. Education is key, although it takes time and effort from both sides and doesn’t really prevent the possibility of problems slipping through. Thanks to the power of social media we all have the opportunity to help educate the consumer about how much we care for our dairy cattle and why the dairy community is one of the greatest in the world. (Read more: Why the Dairy Community is the Greatest in the World….) Remember we cannot expect the general media to do it for us, because Happy Cows Don’t Make Headlines.

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12 Lessons You Can Only Learn From Growing Up On A Dairy Farm!

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Wednesday, June 18th, 2014

Growing up on a dairy farm is certainly one of the most rewarding experiences anyone could ever have. Now that I am a parent myself, I am constantly reminded of some of the unique experiences that only a dairy farm kid can have.

1 – The unpredictable circle of life

On a dairy farm on any given day, you can experience the highs of welcoming a newborn calf, or the lows of a favorite cow getting hurt and having to be culled. While most kids may experience the death of a pet, a dairy farm kid gets to experience the complete circle of life, from birth, through raising to death. A dairy farm kid gets to experience it all. However, through everything a dairy farm kid also learns that no matter what happens you have to wake up each morning and plow on. Regardless of what happened yesterday, today you still need to feed, water and care for all the cattle on the farm.

2 – Summer vacation means mowing hay or fixing fences.

While many kids get all excited about their summer vacation trip to Europe or Disneyland, a dairy farm kid knows that their summer will consist of repairing the pasture fence, mowing hay, or training a 4-H calf. There may not be the glitz and glamor of international travel, but the discipline and work ethic learning during these “staycations” will prove invaluable no matter what career is chosen later on.

3 – Baler twine can fix anything

While some kids grow up learning that duct tape is the fix all around the house, it pales in comparison to the power of baler twine. From fixing broken fences, gates and keeping your pants up, the limitless potential of baler twine is invaluable around the farm. Even now when I find myself in a pinch I think to myself “If I only had some baler twine I would have this fixed in no time.”

4 – A hard day’s work is not measured in hours

In most other walks of life, you will hear people talk about how many hours they have worked, but not on a dairy farm. Dairy farm kids learn that there is always more to be done and, “If you have the time to calculate how many hours you have worked, you haven’t worked hard enough.” Every dairy farm kid knows that the day starts well before sunrise with cows to be milked, and ends after sunset after the crops have been harvested, and the pregnant cows have been checked for calving. The best way to appreciate how hard someone has been working is not by listening to them complain, but rather it is by shaking their hands and feeling the calluses from all the work they have been doing.

5 – Mistreat a cow and you are going to get kicked….hard

Recently there has been much made about a video released about cattle abuse. While the actions in these videos are certainly deplorable, any kid actually raised on a dairy farm knows this is not how you treat cattle. If you mistreat a cow, she is going to kick you, and hard. Hooves are hard and can leave a bruise like none other. Mistreatment only escalates whatever problem you think you are dealing with.

6 – It’s better to lead than to push

When cows refuse to cross a gutter or go through the door it’s far more productive to lead them across than to try to push them. Pushing them in this kind of a situation is pointless and is only going to lead to greater frustration for you. A far better way is just to lead them. Lead and they will follow. This kind of attitude can also apply in life. Don’t push…lead.

7 – The measure of a man is not how much money they have but rather the community that supports them

While many love to tell you about how much money they have, a dairy farm kid learns pretty quickly in life that it’s not money that is the measure of a man, but rather how quickly the community around them supports them in the tough times. Recently we have seen this very measure proven again and again (Read more: Why the Dairy Community is the Greatest in the World….)

8 – Multitasking means doing more than two things at once

I can’t tell you how many times I have heard socialite mothers complain about having to watch the kids (which means having the nanny do the work for them) and then have to worry about cooking dinner (that again is done for them) and then have to be ready to go out and be sociable. Really, try having to feed the family, feed the calves, milk the cows, be a taxi service for both the kids and the farm and then whenever you have time also be the accountant and referee between the kids fights. (Read more: Dairy Farm Moms are Unstoppable and The Dairy Farmer’s Wife)

9 – You have to give love in order to receive love

Anyone who has ever taken care of a dairy cow has quickly learned that if you show them the love they will quickly show you the love back. When you take care of them, they will take care of you. You discover that having a vigilant focus on your cows’ comfort and well-being is the key to a successful dairy farm. Healthy, happy cows give more milk and lead far more productive lives than cows that aren’t treated well. It’s been scientifically proven that cows with more love in their life will outperform any cows that aren’t being treated well.

10 – Nothing is more refreshing than a glass of ice-cold milk, fresh from the cow

Raw milk may not be everyone’s personal preference and is even considered “dangerous” to some, but anyone who was raised on a dairy farm agrees that nothing compares to it. After moving away from the dairy, I will never enjoy milk purchased from the store as much as I loved the creamy goodness of milk from your own herd fresh from the bulk tank.

11 – It’s possible to combine your passion and your paycheck

Far too many people, these days, are lost in their careers. They are stuck in jobs that they don’t like, working in an industry that they could care less about. In contrast, anyone who has grown up on a dairy farm certainly has been exposed to the passion that comes with being a dairy farmer. Sure, the paycheck may not be as sexy, but a rewarding career is second to none.

12 – Nothing compares to working with family

Everyone talks about and values teamwork but there are no greater teams than the ones comprised of dairy families pulling together. Growing up on a dairy farm the dinner table acts as the boardroom table and pretty much every decision is made over a dinner of roast beef, mashed potatoes and a glass of ice cold milk.

Whatever “dairy dozen” you hold most dear, I have no doubt that they have a positive impact on your life — on or off the farm!

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Archive for The Bullvine – Page 4

The Bullvine Bottom Line

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How big an issue is it?

How Do You Catch?

The Great Equalizer

The Bullvine Bottom Line

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Strong connections

Driven back to dairy

Real and edgy

Shock and relief

Honesty achieves

Advertising pressure

God or data

Hefty research into ringside photography

Coffee-table book + picturing for free

Next steps: education and mentoring

Running a responsible line

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The Bullvine Bottom Line

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25 Ways to Score Dairy Love on Valentine’s Day

The Bullvine Bottom Line

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How the World has changed

Everyone has an opinion

It’s a question of integrity

Does social success influence show ring results?

The Bullvine Bottom Line

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The Bullvine Bottom Line

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Enter Your Vote

Spring Heifer Calf

Winter Heifer Calf

Fall Heifer Calf

Summer Yearling Heifer

Spring Yearling Heifer

Winter Yearling Heifer

Fall Yearling Heifer

Milking Yearling

Junior 2 Year Old

Senior 2 Year Old

Junior 3 Year Olds

Senior 3 Year Olds

4 Year Olds

5 year old

Mature Cow

International

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The Bullvine Bottom Line

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Paintings by Gary Sauder

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