During the Royal there was certainly a lot of talk about Toronto Mayor Rob Ford. He was the butt of many jokes and, to be frank, the guy is messed up. If it was not for fact that he has money and family supporting him he would probably have been committed. He is one-step away from being the sideshow headliner between The Elephant Man and The Bearded Lady. But instead he is the mayor of the fourth largest city in North America and has become an international sensation. The same can be said about the Bullvine. Over the past 2 years we have become the talk of the dairy world and not always in a positive light.
You see, just like Mayor Ford, we strive to make things more interesting. We have done and said things that no others in our profession would ever touch. (Legal note: We have never smoked crack, we don’t have an excessive drinking habit and have not been seen with a prostitute). However, those things aside we do share some similarities with Mayor Ford. One of which being that to those from the outside looking in we appear to have gone from being a car crash, to a ten car pile-up, to a scene in a disaster movie where space junk flies out of the sky, crashes into an overpass, it tumbles over, crushes a bus. Well at least that is what some of our competitors and detractors would like you to think. (Read more: Supermodels, Show Cows and the Future of Dairy Cattle Breeding, Genomics – Lies, Miss-Truths and False Publications!, Why I Don’t Care If You Like Me and The Bullvine: Wanted Dead or Alive)
Of course there is more than just reading, there are pictures. Our competitors like to make fun of me laying down in the “piss,” and are not willing to get down in order to get the best picture possible. They love to make fun of us, but as the viral nature of our pictures on Facebook show, breeders around the world appreciate the effort. There’s a fine line between laughing stock and picture perfect. Besides I ask you “Don’t real dairy farmers get piss on them every day?” (Check out more pictures in our gallery, The Royal Flue – Did you catch it? and World Dairy Expo 2013 – Memories to last a Lifetime)
The Bullvine Bottom Line
While many have seen my tactics since launching the Bullvine to be somewhat of a circus act, our readership, the community we have built around the Bullvine is very real. In the beginning many of our competitors were quick to write us off saying there was no chance we could survive let alone thrive. They laughed and scoffed at us. Then slowly but steadily we have gone from the rebel upstart to the source for unique coverage of all things that matter to milk producers around the world. The key thought for all to remember is “what matters.” Whether you’re Rob Ford, The Bullvine or a 24-7 dairy producer, you need to keep a clear head about where your priorities are. Success is built on knowing where you’re going rather than having to defend where you’ve been. Therefore the Bullvine will continue to provide insight, analysis and perspective on what matters most to people who are passionate about the dairy industry. That is why we have and will continue to have the largest daily dairy media readership!
Iman, Giselle, Claudia, Hailey, Frosty, and Charity….What do they all have in common? Besides that they are all so famous that they are recognizable by just one name, they are also famous for something else …their exceptional beauty. In the same way that supermodels are perceived to be the “perfect” woman, great show cows are often perceived to be the “ideal” cow. The problem is that, in the real world that may not be the case and, in fact, might be doing some breeders more harm than good.
You see, when we talk about ideal conformation of a cow, we look for many of the same things that we do in a supermodel. We want them to be long and skinny, unblemished and perfectly proportioned. The problem is, when you are looking for the perfect production cow, many of those traits may be detrimental to their ability to be a low maintenance, high performance animal.
The image of an ideal cow was one that was developed for a milk production system that was geared around one on one care of each animal, typically in tie stall. In that environment, you have the ability to work extensively with each animal and the time to do whatever it takes. The reality is that 85% of the milk that is produced these days happens in environments that are not able to give that level of individualized care.
The Bullvine Holstein Mature Model Cow
Tall, long, skinny works great on the runway, but not in a commercial milk production facility. These girls are high maintenance. They require lots of extra attention in order to look this great. That is something that milk producers cannot afford when, in reality, they are looking for the exact opposite. (Read more: FACT VS. FANTASY: A Realistic Approach to Sire Selection and The Perfect Holstein Cow)
The Bullvine Total Performance 2 Yr Old Cow
You see each milk producer’s ideal cow will be different. That is because their production facilities are different and, as a result, the cows that excel in those facilities will be different. (Read more: Are Today’s Holstein Cows Too Tall?) A great example of this is a robotic system versus a tie stall. While a breeder in a tie stall environment strives for taller, longer and wider, these traits may actually cause problems for some robotic systems. Sure you can always make the robots bigger, but what happens for those breeders who cannot afford to be continually upgrading? Instead these producers are more concerned about teat placement, calving ease and temperament. These traits typically do not find their way onto the radar of breeders who are looking to breed the next World Dairy Expo or Royal Grand Champion. (Read more: Robotic Milking: More than just automation it’s a new style of herd management)
Significant differences in production environments are the biggest reason that the gap is widening between what the typical seed stock producer considers the ideal cow and what the commercial producer’s ideal cow looks like. . This is occurring despite breed associations’ attempts to narrow the gap. The reality is there are so many different requirements with each different production environment that one breeder’s definition of the ideal cow can be very different from another’s. It also begs the question “Is there really such a thing as an ideal cow anymore?”
In fact there are many mindset differences among breeders who derive their revenue from different sources. You see it’s understandable that producers who make a significant portion of their income from selling seed stock would be more concerned about how the animal looks. These producers usually have qualifiers like, she has to be over 2 points for type (+10 Conformation in Canada), while many commercial producers could care less about using type as a qualifier for sire selection. A great example of this is Don Bennink from North Florida Holsteins. (Read more: NORTH FLORIDA HOLSTEINS. Aggressive, Progressive and Profitable!! ) Don points out that “Bulls with + 3 and + 4 type proofs have daughters that are too big and too sharp for commercial dairymen. For this reason gTPI or TPI are essentially ignored in bull or female selection. Net Merit $ has some value.” The latest correlation of final type score with stature is .77. Worse yet, the correlation of udder composite with stature is .57. That means if you breed 100% for udder composite, you will increase stature at more than half the rate that you would if you bred for stature alone. That is one of the reasons that Don does not even look at conformation when he is making sire selection. Instead he chooses the following qualifiers: 60 pounds or more of protein; 5 or above for P.L.; 1 or above for DPR; 2.9 or less for SCC; 5. 8 or below for Calving Ease. Interestingly enough when you apply these requirements you will find that the top 30 sires that meet them are between +1.50 and +4.00 for PTAT, have strong udders, positive feet and leg scores, and, probably, are not as tall or as wide chested and deep bodied as some of your typical high type sires, but they possess functional type.
Just like super skinny supermodels, when a cow is extremely underweight, it can cause many reproductive issues. First a cow’s menstrual cycle often stops or becomes irregular when she is too skinny. While that typically does not cause as many problems in yearlings and 2 year olds, as a cow gets older this can make it harder and harder to get them back in calf. Not only is it harder for underweight cows to conceive, it’s also harder for them to sustain the pregnancy, as menstrual irregularities affect the uterine lining that supports a fetus.
The Bullvine Bottom Line
Great show cows are like having a supermodel on your arm. They are eye candy pure and simple. Don’t get me wrong, I love to look at and take photos of a great show cow. And guess what? Showing a great show cow makes you look good as well. It’s not just self-aggrandizement either. There’s no shame in feeling proud of breeding or exhibiting the greatest looking cow at the show. It takes significant effort to exhibit a great show cow, so when it pays off, more power to you. The pitfall is that these great cows are also typically high maintenance. While that may not be an issue for your business, for most commercial producers it simply does not work!
Every dairy farmer wants to run a carefree dairy operation that has the greatest cows that produce the most milk. Of course, in addition to that they must also have a great family, lots of money, look perfect and live the good life. Everybody wants that, but it’s doing it that’s hard! It’s easier to lower our sights to a more ordinary level and do what everyone else is doing.
Recently I read an article on Huffington Post about how it is easy to want things, but asks, “What pain are you willing to go through in order to achieve these things?” Now there is no question that if you have chosen dairy farming as your career path you are unafraid to work. Otherwise, you would have taken a 9-5 job somewhere else. But in order to get all these other wants typically means that you are going to have to go through at least an equal amount of pain in order to achieve them.
People want to be rich without the risk and without the delayed gratification necessary to accumulate wealth. Everyone wants to have a herd that turns visitors green with envy upon visiting your immaculate facilities. But what level of extra work or pain are you willing to go through in order to achieve this level of success? Everybody wants to have great sex and an awesome relationship — but not everyone is willing to go through the tough communication, the awkward silences, the hurt feelings and the emotional psychodrama to get there.
It’s only natural human behavior, the good feelings we all want are more or less the same. Therefore what we get out of life is not determined by our wants but by rather by the amount what pain we’re willing to sustain. Now we all know that “Nothing good in life comes easily,”
Personally, I have always wanted to have six pack abs. But I have not been willing to suffer the pain of hour upon hour in the gym, calculating and calibrating the food I eat, planning my life out in tiny plate-sized portions, so as a result I don’t have the much wanted six pack.
We are all guilty of it. We see other dairy breeders winning all these awards at the cow shows, or for their outstanding operations, and we think, “Man I could do that.” But we don’t schedule in the hours of work and attention to details that it takes. In reality, the devil is in the details. The details include long hours. Fewer non-cow related hobbies, sports or holidays. It means reducing every potential activity down to the effect it will have on your cow focused priorities. It means hours in the barn. Hours in the field. Dedication to computer, finances and planning. Otherwise, as the years go by, it starts to turn into “What if?” and What for?” and then before you know it is 20 years later and it’s too late.
Probably the biggest lesson I have learned is that to achieve exceptional dairy success, our passion must raise our pain (and work) threshold up to a point where we don’t even notice the sacrifices anymore.
Every day you have to be willing to go that extra mile that is too hard for many.
The Bullvine Bottom Line
Everyone wants something. We all would love to have the Royal or World Dairy Expo Grand Champion, or the top awards for our dairy operations, but the question is, “What is your plan? How hard will you work to achieve it? What sacrifices are worth what you will give up?” At the end of the day you must be so focused on the gain, that you don’t feel the pain.
There is no question that dairymen are some of the toughest in the world. Like many tough men, they can often overlook their own health. Cancer is not something you can afford to overlook. This November many men a growing mustaches in support of cancer research. The best time to have started to grow a Movember moustache was at the beginning of the month. The second best time is right now! There is no such thing as a bad hair day when it comes to spreading the word about preventing prostate cancer.
Buford, the mascot at Jaylor, even grew a mustache for Movember Dairy.
Changing the Face of Dairy Men’s Health
With the high potential of all men being challenged with prostate cancer, the North American dairy farmer is not spared from these statistics. Perhaps because of the 24/7 nature of dairying, dairy farmers tend to be less aware of the signs and symptoms. Added to that they may have less frequent medical examinations and are often more focused on the care of their cows and crops than they are on their own health. The good news is that, if prostate cancer is detected early, the cure rate nears 100%.
Movember Dairy
To encourage routine health exams for men in the dairy industry, a small-but-dedicated coalition within the dairy industry developed Movember Dairy, a subset of the national organization called Movember. With a campaign centered on the mustache, the coalition is joining forces to start the conversation on men’s health through: industry mustache parties, a Facebook page, radio public service announcements – and much more.
A time for Hair Raising Togetherness
Would you be willing to dedicate a blog post to an important dairy industry initiative this month? The initiative is called “Movember Dairy” and the goal of the movement is to raise awareness of men’s health in the dairy industry. Movember Dairy builds 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. It is a statistical fact that one in six men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime.
From Grass Roots Idea to Global Campaign
Movember founder Garone urges those who may feel that the effort may not be significant enough to “never underestimate a room full of people. That is how Movember started, there were four of us and we inspired 30 people in 2003. That 30 people grew to 450 and then 10,000 the next year. We created this movement from a very very grassroots level and grew to the state, then Australia and now it is a global campaign”. Globally, three million participants have raised more than $446 million to date. You may have missed your moustache growing opportunity but you can donate to the Movember campaign which funds prostate cancer research by visiting the online chapter near you such as http://us.movember.com/donate/ or ca.movember.com.
This is Where You Blog In!
The Movember Dairy group is asking bloggers in the agricultural community to dedicate at least one blog post to Movember Dairy in November to help raise awareness within the agriculture industry. There are many ways to show your interest in caring for the health to dairymen, starting with social media.
Share how cancer has impacted a family member and your farm Post photos of your family and farm team with fake mustaches – either homemade or digitally added.
Find photos of your favorite celebrity mustaches online and create a Pinterest board to share them.
Take a picture of your mustache (fake or real) and post it to the Movember Dairy Facebook page. As part of the Movember Dairy photo contest, you could win a Bonnie Mohr print!
Notes to the Topline Challenged and Moustache Fitters
With less than a month remaining you may not challenge Tom Selleck but, with patience, you can raise awareness and money for dairymen’s health causes. You won’t need major equipment or “black” but a moustache comb may encourage both you and your new ‘stache. Back away from the cow clippers or any other electric razor. They could cause a slip above the lip that might leave you with no growing time at all in November! Better to be untamed than skinned off!
What if You Have BULD – Bare Upper Lip Disorder?
Not everyone can be successful at growing a moustache and for the female side of the farm they probably would prefer not to. Having said that, everyone loves a party and where two or three gather together to celebrate Movember there is the possibility of improving the negative statistics that prostate cancer is stacking up.
You may not be able to grow a moustache but you can definitely bake one.
You could offer tasteful support to the cause with November moustache cookies on sticks. One online blogger provides a recipe, pictures and comments. “These moustache cookies are a lot easier to make than they look, and just take a batch of sugar cookie dough and some chocolate. You can have a fully grown and groomed ‘stache in an hour – way, way less time than it takes to grow one. And you can actually eat these ones.” There are other options as well. You can always wear a fake moustache, pin, hair ornament or t-shirt. After all, the goal is to start a conversation. The end result is to have all those men we love and cherish, fully informed and ready to take care of their health. Whichever option you choose, you will be helping our dairy industry raise awareness of men’s health and the importance of early detection of prostate cancer. With your help, we can build support throughout the agriculture industry to help dairy farmers protect themselves against health risks.
The Bullvine Bottom Line
Take action. Contact your local doctor for an annual health screening for yourself or a loved one! Also please like and share this article on Facebook to help get the word out. This cause is worthy of your support. Be a survivor not a statistic!
Every year the week after the Royal Winter Fair, it seems like everyone ends up with “The Royal Flu.” Now doctors might try to explain it away as the result of being in and out of cold environments, or poor diet combined with lack of sleep, lots of drinking and poor air quality, but I think there is something else to it. I think the Royal Flu is more likely the result of our bodies mourning the end of what was another amazing show season.
There is no question that for those passionate breeders who love to take cattle out to all the spring, summer and fall shows the grind that it puts on their bodies is insane. And that does not even factor in the amount of work it takes back home at the farm to have these amazing cattle in show shape. However, for those of us who appreciate and have been fortunate to attend most of these major shows this year, I want to say thanks to all the breeders and exhibitors who have made this year’s show season so exciting.
Spring show fever
Every year starts with the excitement and promise of what could be. And while in the heifer and young cow classes this is true, this year we saw RF Goldwyn Hailey, last year’s Supreme Champion at World Dairy Expo and The Royal looking probably the best she has ever looked. This was especially true at the NY Spring Carousel, the “Expo” of the spring shows. Hailey looked absolutely amazing! (Read more: RF Goldwyn Hailey Rides to the Top Spot at NY Spring Carousel).
RF Goldwyn Hailey Swept grand champion honors at all 3 major spring shows and looked the best I have ever seen her at NY Spring Carousel.
It was also at NY Spring show that we started to see Charwill Attic Marcy start to step out of the shadow of R-E-W Happy Go Lucky and show her dominance in the Senior 2 year old class. Every time I had the opportunity to see Marcy she looked better and better culminating in her dominating wins at both Expo and The Royal. (Read more: Canadian National Holstein Show Results) I certainly am excited at the prospect of the two great young cows calving again and going head to head to see just who has the potential to be the next great one.
Charwill Attic Marcy Winner of both Expo and The Royal – Marcy dominated every show she went to in 2013
Then of course there is always the excitement that builds around which heifers will ring the bell. And while early winners like Ontario Spring Show Junior Champion Winright Sid Elegance managed to contend all year long, others seemed to peak early and fall off the radar as the year went along. (Read more: Ontario Spring Discovery – Nothing Slipped Past Judge “Crack” and Quebec Spring Holstein Show Results)
Things start to get hotter in the summer
It was in the summer that we started to see things really start to heat up. At the Quebec provincial championship we saw Roquet Jasmine Sanchez upset RF Goldwyn Hailey, though Hailey had been milking over a year at that point (Read more: Expo Provinciale Montmagny – Holstein Show 2013 and RF Goldwyn Hailey Unbeatable?). It was also at that show that I saw two fairly fresh cows – Bonaccueil Maya Goldwyn and Belfast Goldwyn Lasenza. Here were two cows that I pegged for success at that point and who would certainly make a lot of noise in the fall.
Expo Provincial Montmagny marked the first time in over a year that Hailey had been beat in any form (never in class). It was also where I first discovered that Maya would be a force this year.
Things were also starting to get interesting in Ontario as well. Calbrett Goldwyn Layla had recently freshened and won grand at Ontario Summer Show and was followed closely behind by the very popular Valleyville Rae Lynn, who had won one of the greatest senior three-year-old classes I have ever seen in my life. (Read more: Ontario Summer Show Holstein Results). Layla would sell just a few days later for $125,000 to Comestar Holsteins and Ponderosa Holsteins at the Cormdale Summer Sale. (Read more: Cormdale Summer Sale 2013 Results)
Valleyville Rae Lynn Dominant early in the year, Rae Lynn is due to calve in time for World Dairy Expo next year!!!!
It was also at the Summer Show that we got our first glimpses of Futurecrest Aftershock Tahlia the very impressive Aftershock daughter from the All Canadian Salem Goldwyn Theresa EX-94, who would go on to win at the Autumn Opportunity Show (Read more: Autumn Opportunity 2013 Holstein Show) as well as become the 2nd highest seller at the Sale of Stars. (Read more: Sale of Stars Averages $19,344).
Futurecrest Aftershock Tahlia Undefeated in 2013 this Aftershock daughter from the All Canadian Salem Goldwyn Theresa EX-94 sold for $150,000 in the Sale of Stars.
It was also late summer/early fall that we saw another great senior three year old class, with Cowtown Durham Grasshopper upsetting the 2012 All-American and All-Canadian Butz-Butler Gold Barbara at Harrisburg (Read more: 2013 All American Black and White Holstein Show).
If three is one thing we where reminded again and again is that on any given day, even some of the greatest show cows in the world can be beet.
It was also at Harrisburg that Cameron Ridge Atwood Beauty earned her second of what would be three top show Junior Champion awards for her new owners Chris & Jennifer Hill & Gene Iager, who purchased Beauty in that International Intrigue sale for $62,000. Beauty would go on to be named Junior Champion at Expo. (Read more: International Intrigue at Ferme Blondin Sale Results 2013).
Cameron Ridge Atwood Beauty Was junior champion at three major shows, including Expo, and was purchased mid season for $62,000 at the International Intrigue Sale.
KHW Regiment Apple-Red In combination with her clone (Grand) and her daughter (HM Grand) Apple set a new record of achievement that will probably never be duplicated, by sweeping the top honors at the World Dairy Expo Red & White Show.
Bonaccueil Maya Goldwyn After winning Grand Champion at WDE, Maya has pretty much become an overnight sensation. We here at the Bullvine would like to think that we where fans before all this happened.
The stars start to fall
MS Goldwyn Alana After being 2nd at WDE, Alana went on to be Grand at the Quebec International Show and HM Grand at The Royal.
As we started to enter the home stretch, with only two major shows left, you could certainly start to feel the flu bug starting to set in. Maybe it was the thousands of miles travelled and the hours of hard work, but the winds of change where blowing. In what would be a foreshadowing of the Royal, Judge Adam Little made MS Goldwyn Alana his Grand Champion followed by Robrook Goldwyn Cameron and Maya having to settle for HM Grand Champion honors (Read more: Expo Internationale Holstein Québec Results).
Aingers Advent Bambi In what was expected to be a two horse race (Rae Lynn and Barbara), Bambi surprised many by winning Intermediate Champion at both Quebec International Show and The Royal.
Also foreshadowing the Royal were the Intermediate Champion Aingers Advent Bambi, the impressive 3rd calf senior 3 year old and HM Intermediate Champion Charwill Attic Marcy as well as the Junior Champion Fanico Reginald Marty and Reserve Junior Champion Comestar Larion Goldwyn.
Calbrett Goldwyn Layla Layla has a way of surprising people. She did at Ontario Summer Show and then again at The Royal. Guess it’s genetic, as her dam the great Lila Z was also great at surprising people.
With change being the major theme, Judge John Crowley certain kept the momentum going at The Royal. While the Royal results were not that different than those of Quebec, there was certainly one major change, in that Maya did not only not win Grand, she was also defeated in her own class by Calbrett Goldwyn Layla. That meant two major upsets this year (Rae Lynn at Summer Show, and Maya at the Royal) by this Goldwyn daughter of the great Lylehaven Lila Z, a cow who in her own right stirred much discussion when she sold for $1.15 million. (Read more: Lylehaven Lila Z: Was She Really Worth $1.15 Million?).
Cookview Goldwyn Monique Maybe Monique should be named “The Brides Maid” as she was Reserve Grand Champion at both World Dairy Expo and The Royal.
Also generating a lot of discussion at the Royal was the naming of Cookview Goldwyn Monique Reserve Grand Champion. While she certainly did not start the show looking her best, she did come on strong and looked impressive by the time Grand Champion was named. Her rear udder looked fuller and she moved with great ease. While some would not have even had her in their final parade, by the time it came to name Grand Champion, most at ringside felt that there was no doubt that it would be the two 4 year olds. Monique earned Reserve and the class winner Robrook Goldwyn Cameron was named Grand Champion.
Robrook Goldwyn Cameron Stepping out from Monique’s shaddow, Cameron certainly shown bright at The Royal wining Grand Champion honors.
Seeing Tom and Kelli Cull embrace after Cameron was named grand champion certainly epitomizes what is great about the show ring. Tom and Kelli are great examples of passionate dairy enthusiasts, they show, board and sell great cattle. They so love the show ring and their passion and dedication is 2nd to none. Their success is truly a result of having the show “bug” and it was wonderful for them to achieve this amazing honor.
Congratulations to Tom and Kelli Cull. Your passion and dedication to the show ring is second to none.
The Bottom Line
Yes, there remains the excitement of the All-Canadian and All-American Awards. And don’t forget the Breeders Choice Awards which is the only major award where you the dairy enthusiast get to decide who was the best from the past year. However, the actual shows for the 2013 season are over.
The memories are great and, of course, we will always have the pictures. There is no question that we feel the letdown as we put away the show halters, boxes and whites for another year. There is a part of me that once again is suffering from the “Royal Flu” at the end of another exciting show year. Thanks to all the Breeders, Exhibitors and to you our readers for helping to make this year so exceptional. . Of course spring shows are just around the corner.
Rumors, slander and outright lies have been flying around our industry lately. What large genetic operation has had “changes” in their make-up? What A.I. company is about to hit the news? It’s shocking the number of rumors that come across my desk hoping we will fuel the fires that they are afraid to face. Everyone loves to hear gossip (especially about someone else), but few are willing to take a public stand. That is why I commend those that do put their money where their mouth is. There is no question that “The Spineless Will Be Forgotten.”
Since starting the Bullvine, we have been accused of many things and have had rumors about us run rampant through the dairy industry. Sometimes I laugh. Sometimes I snap. Sometimes I “rip someone a new one.” (Read more: Genomics – Lies, Miss-Truths and False Publications! and The Weak Never Forgive) One thing is certain. , We have never been afraid to take a stand. Of course that means that we have taken heat for some of our tactics. But you know what? No one can accuse us of ducking for cover and being spineless.
If You Can’t Take the Heat Get Out of the Kitchen
Everyone wants to be everyone’s friend or, at least publically, appear that way. However, when the chips are down and it’s time to be counted, where are they? I find it disappointing that some of the individuals who have the most to say and proclaim their dairy industry wisdom to anyone listening on the sidelines run for the hills when it comes time to support what is right and perhaps take some heat for it.
“As an industry the only way we are going to move forward is by taking bold positions.” Many want to become “legends” but are unwilling to put their butts on the line in order to do so. The truth is that boldness is the very trait that made great industry leaders like Peter Heffering. (Read more: Hanover Hill Holsteins: Peter Heffering 1931-2012) The fact was that they were willing to take the risk and stand up for and act upon what they believed in.
When I first started the Bullvine, I said that within one year we would be the largest digital dairy magazine in the world. The strange thing is that by choosing to take the harder road, that is exactly what happened. I look at some other publications that started over 10 years ago and see that they have become stagnant. Sure they party with the show guys and they kiss the right butts, but obviously that isn’t what it takes to be truly successful in today’s information age. For us, we decided to talk about issues that others fear to address (Read more: Dairy Marketing Code of Conduct, Ethics and Drugs ) We risk trying new things that others won`t even attempt (Read more: Fantasy Exhibitor and Breeder’s Choice Awards). By taking the hard road we have achieved exactly what others can only dream of.
The Higher they Rise the Harder the Fall
They say “The road to the top is easy, it’s the fall that will kill you.” That thought probably scares the crap out of most people. Our road to becoming the largest daily digital dairy readership has not been what you would call smooth, so I can only imagine what the fall could be like. But you know what? Bring it on! “Attitude determines altitude!” That motto has been successful for us so far. It will help us continue to be successful in the future. We are not willing to sit back and rest on our laurels. Instead we always push the envelope. We will always look for new and different ways to bring you insights into the dairy genetics world.
The Bullvine Bottom Line
There are always two choices. Two paths to take. One is easy. And the only reward is that it’s easy. The other is hard. You must know who you are and what you stand for. You must know where you want to go and why you want to get there. Great dairy industry leaders did this and that is why we remember them. When you have to make a choice and don’t make it, that is also a choice. Be courageous because “The Spineless Will Be Forgotten.”
Every year we wonder if this year`s Expo will be able to surpass benchmarks set in the past.. This year was no different. Coming into Expo, there was perhaps a little less optimism. No one could foresee that a former Expo Champion would add to her already great legacy or that a new legend was set to begin. Unexpected. Yes. But that is exactly what happened.
A Living Legend Makes and Appearance
We arrived late to the show, after trying to juggle multiple companies in very different industries. This meant that the first show that I got to see was the Brown Swiss Show. Looking back, this show set the tone for the rest of my week as I witnessed and recorded one the greatest colored breed show cows of all time, OLD MILL E SNICKERDOODLE OCS EX-4E-94-USA, who made an appearance. (Read more: The 12 Greatest North American Colored Breed Show Cattle of All-Time). While Snickerdoodle did not add to her record 7 Grand Champion awards at Expo, as she was showing in the dry cow class, she did win her class and the hearts of all in the building who raised the roof with their applause. (Read more: Elite Dairy Has Banner Day at International Brown Swiss Show).
The living legend, OLD MILL E SNICKERDOODLE OCS EX-4E-94-USA
Apple Takes Things to Whole New Heights
If Snickerdoodle gave us a glimpse into the past, KHW Regiment Apple-Red gave us a look into the past, present and the future. Sure she looked amazing and was named Reserve Grand Champion. She showed off her trademark depth, angularity and balance but that was not enough for the living legend. Apple-Red was able to take things to a level that might never be able to be repeated ever again. Her clone, KHW Regiment Apple 3-Red-ETN who is the spitting image of a younger Apple-Red was the only cow that was able to beat her on this day. Yes you could say she was beaten by herself. And to add to the growing legend, her daughter MS Candy Apple-Red-ET was named Honorable Mention Grand Champion. (Read more: KHW Regiment Apple-Red – Beauty, performance, and even more record accomplishments and History Made At the 2013 International Red & White Show). Watching Apple, Apple clone and her daughter sweep the Red & White Show will be a memory I will never forget. Having the honor to be right there and taking the pictures to preserve that memory was priceless.
KHW Regiment Apple-Red Adding to her legacy
Paul Ekstein – Grumpy Old Man? I think NOT!
There is no shortage of awards given out during World Dairy Expo. Two of the biggest are the Robert “Whitey” McKown Master Breeder Award and the Klussendorf-Mackenzie Award. Coming into the show, I was well aware that Paul Ekstein would be receiving the much deserved McKown Master Breeder Award. (Read more: Ekstein Named Fifth Robert “Whitey” McKown Master Breeder Award Winner and PAUL EKSTEIN – 2013 Recipient of the Prestigious McKown Master Award). I have had the pleasure of knowing Paul my whole life. First it was by a reputation that might have you thinking of Walter Matthau from Grumpy Old Men. However, since starting the Bullvine, I have had the pleasure to get to know Paul on a whole new level. The biggest thing that touches me is just how much he cares. When I suffered my heart attack or have had to deal with the challenges that come with running the Bullvine, Paul and his son Ari have been amazing supporters and good friends. So when Bert Stewart, lifelong friend of Paul’s and university classmate presented him with his award, my heart was overflowing and my trigger finger was snapping pictures as fast as I could. I knew family and friends would want as many pictures as possible to preserve this moment of well-deserved recognition.
Paul Ekstein receiving the Robert “Whitey” McKown Master Breeder Award from life long friend Bert Stewart
Grumpier old men?
Speaking of someone who appears grumpy on the outside but is golden on the inside, Richard Caverly winning the Klussendorf-Mackenzie Award surprised me. (Read more: Maine Native Wins Klussendorf-Mackenzie Award) Not because he was not a very deserving winner. He is. In fact Richard’s list of accomplishments and the cattle he has worked with reads like a Who’s Who of the show ring greats – Gold Prize, Nadine, Melanie, Delilah, Ashlyn, Victoria, Veronica and Frannie. It’s the cow on the end of that list that stands out for me. Sweet-Pepper Black Francesca was last year’s Grand Champion of the Ayrshire show for the 2nd time. In wanting to learn more about this cow, I started chatting with Richard more and more and found that the story behind this cow is truly amazing. (Read more: The Magic of Francesca) What I learned was that, not only was this cow an amazing show cow, but she did something even more magical. Francesca changed the lives of Richard and his wife Beverly, in a way that no other cow possibly could. United by their passion for great cattle, Richard and Beverly are two of the most amazing people I know. That is why when I learned of Frannie’s passing the tears started to fall. Watching the Ayrshire show this year was tough for me, as I knew that, for those in the ring, there would be moments of extreme happiness, but for Richard and Beverly, the memories of “Frannie” would come back again.
Richard Caverly winning the Klussendorf-Mackenzie Award
A Picture is Worth Twenty-Thousand Words
Over the years I have had the opportunity to attend Expo many times. But this year would be a first for me. This year I would be in the ring taking pictures. I think I must have annoyed the heck out of the Expo staff prior to the show. I was repeatedly checking to make sure that I would be able to take pictures in the ring. For me it meant that I would be experiencing a dream come true.
You see I have been able to experience the show as a fitter, as a showman, but never have I been able to sit right there and get the same exact view the judge gets and see who is the best of the best. Last year at Expo I sat in the stands and took pictures from there. This year I wanted to take things to a completely new level. Since last year’s show I took the opportunity to take pictures at as many shows as I could. I pretty much forced my father to go to every show with me, 19 in all. Many required that we drive all night to get to the show, spend the whole day taking pictures, and then drive all night to make it back in time to attend meetings for my main company the next day.
In preparation for this amazing opportunity I also took more than 60 hours of training on the technical side of photography. You see I am not a photographer by trade. I learned graphic design as a must when I started Elite Breeders back in University. When I started that company I didn’t even own a computer of my own and then I was presented with the opportunity to market Calbrett-I H H Champion, the #1 LPI sire in the world, for GenerVations. I had to get a loan from my grandfather, buy a Mac, and Photoshop and do a catalogue and ads for them, all while even learning the basics of how to use the programs. This time I was going to be prepared. Sure none of the video companies could even imagine shooting under these conditions. The show ring combines two of the most challenging circumstances a photographer can encounter, low light and action. In order to be able to get the pictures that would preserve the memories I have had to invest over $20,000 in camera equipment alone. No small investment for a digital magazine that until this point has had no revenue sources at all and is driven by the passion of our team.
Armed with this insight and the camera equipment to get the pictures, I was ready to get to work. Since last year’s World Dairy Expo our readership has grown to over 10,000 readers on a daily basis, the largest in the industry. So I knew that people would be watching. But man I could have never expected the results that we have had. Pictures such as the naming of the Junior Champion and Grand Champion went viral. In the past week since the show, the pictures that we shared have been seen by over 1,000,000 people and liked or shared by over 10,000 people. That is more than all the other Dairy publications combined. Scary to think for a magazine that is just over 18 months old.
Junior Champion Female honours went to the 1st place Spring Yearling Calf, Cameron Ridge Atwood Beauty exhibited by Gene Iager and Chris & Jennifer Hill, Thurmont, Md.
For me it’s a humbling experience to have our hard work be rewarded the way has been. The team here at The Bullvine has put in many long hours to put out four unique articles a week. That is 16 articles a month. When you consider that the average magazine does about four a month you understand the amount of work that goes into producing The Bullvine. On a daily basis we are always looking for new and different ways to add engagement to what we do. This was highlighted by our recent Fantasy Exhibitor contest which received over 5,000 entries and was seen by over 50,000 people on our website alone. (Read more: Fantasy Exhibitor – World Dairy Expo 2013 Edition – The Results!). For the Bullvine team being at Expo was amazing. Having so many people from all walks of the dairy industry come up to us and tell us just how much they appreciate what we do was inspiring. It’s moments like these that drive us on a daily basis to do better.
Bonaccueil Maya Goldwyn, exhibited and owned by Ty-D Holsteins, Drolet & Fils, Ferme Jacobs, A. & R. Boulet, Inc, who was crowned Grand and Senior Champion of the 2013 International Holstein Show.
Here are some of the over 4,000 pictures I took during my 3 days at World Dairy Expo 2013.
World Dairy Expo 2013 - Holstein - Milking Yearling
[Not a valid template]
The Bullvine Bottom Line
Just like each of my children (who are my first love) every World Dairy Expo is different and unique in its own way. The 2013 Edition will certainly be an extremely memorable one for me. Expo is where legends are made. This year we saw two great legends add to their story and new legends, Bonaccueil Maya Goldwyn and the amazing team at Ferme Jacobs emerge. From all of us here at The Bullvine, we want to say thanks to you the exhibitors and breeders who, with commitment and passion, make these awesome memories turn from dreams to reality!
What’s next for us here at the Bullvine? Well today we will all be at the Rockton World’s fairy where my children, Drew (6), Ethan (4) and Zabrina (3) will be showing for the first time.
While attending a local monthly dairy cow sale this week I was approached by a young dairyman who said to me You need to write (in the Bullvine) about our dairy cows getting too tall and too narrow. This dairyman in explaining his position, that today’s cows are too extreme in stature and width, shared with me that he sees all the cows going through this monthly sale as he helps receive, pen, number and milk the cows as they are received the morning of the sale or a day or two previous to the sale. As I drove home from the sale I pondered his question.
My first recollection of thinking about the width of cows goes back to my 4H training. My three dedicated 4H leaders were three very different people. One was an educator, one a very successful farmer-milk producer and one a prominent show judge who had judged national shows in a number of breeds. The educator did not care about what a cow looked like, but did care about preparing me for life. The milk producer wanted his cows to be good converts of his high quality feed into large volumes of 4% fat milk. And the show judge wanted Holstein cows to be taller but was satisfied with the stature of the cows in the other dairy breeds. Each leader helped me in different ways and I think back now to the trend, that started half a century ago, to taller and taller Holsteins. That trend may not have had much science associated with it.
As I drove on Tuesday, my mind fast forwarded to my early days in managing Holstein Canada’s Type Classification program. (Read more: Murray Hunt: Perspective from Both Sides of the Fence) There was a requirement that a cow had to be 56 inches tall to be eligible for Excellent. By the way she also had to have calved at least three times and have an Excellent mammary system. Annually the classifiers and breeder advisory board meet and the first meeting I attended of that group discussed why Excellent cows needed to be 56 inches (140 cm) tall. The discussion came around to a well known show cow that was excellent in every way but she only stood 55 inches at the hip. You can well imagine the points put forward. “Holsteins need to be taller so their udders clear the ground more so you can get a milking machine under her properly”. All the way to ”if she’s good enough then stature should not matter”. In the end those saying Holstein cows needed to be taller won out.
Over the past forty years I have watched the Holstein breed as heifers and cows increased in stature to the point where first lactation cows in the show ring need to be over 62 inches in stature to place at the top of the class. But with that added 8 to 10 inches in stature comes calves that are larger at birth, animals that are narrower between their front legs and first lactation cows that appear to have less width to their rump and birth channel. Oh, yes today’s first lactation cows are capable of producing much more milk out of much wider and more tightly attached udders. The question is has the pendulum swung too far to the side of Holsteins being too tall and lacking width of body and width of rump?
Judge Michael Heath (Right) and associate David Dyment (Left) at the 2012 World Dairy Expo
The matter of width and stature in Holsteins was on my mind, last year, as I watched Michael Heath judge the Holsteins at World Dairy Expo (Read more: World Dairy Expo 2012 Holstein Show – A Battle for the Ages) and Callum McKinven judge the Holsteins at the Royal. Both judges (Read more: The 2012 Royal Winter Fair Holstein Show – One of the greatest stories ever told), in my opinion, placed less emphasis on stature than judges in the past have done. Both emphasised the cows that were closest to the ideal cow. Finding the tallest animals and placing them first was not their guiding force. Interesting to me is the fact that both Michael and Callum also breed and judge Jerseys that are a foot shorter in height than Holsteins but the milking machines easily attach and milk Jerseys. Which may beg the question “if Holsteins were the same size as Jerseys would that be okay?”.
Judge Callum McKinven and associate Bruce Mode discuss a tough placing at the 2012 Royal Winter Fair
This brought my mind to thinking about Don Bennink’s (Read more: North Florida Holsteins: Aggressive, Progressive and Profitable) comment that show Jerseys can go to shows and go home to frees stall barns and do just fine yet today’s show Holsteins cannot. Is Don right? Do we need to get off the tall Holsteins bandwagon and have cows that have body mass and an ability to function in large group housing?
The Bullvine Bottom Line
The conformation scorecard for dairy cows placed 70% of the points on udders and feet and legs. With less than approximately 12-15% of the emphasis on body size why do we need mature Holstein cows that are over 60 inches at the hips? Too tall or too narrow, why don’t we let form follow function and let the cow that returns the most lifetime profit be our ideal?
As I was watching the Morsan 300 Sale this week (Full results here), a recurring question kept bouncing around in my head, “Where did all the money go?”
Eastside Lewisdale Gold Missy – Grand Champion WDE and Royal ’11
What I mean is that here you have a family that pretty much funded the high-end dairy genetics marketplace since the turn of the century. For at least the last 10 years, you would not run a sale without making sure that Morris Thalen was coming. Morris would buy at pretty much all levels and all types of cattle. Morsan invested in top pedigree cattle, index cattle and even unique special offer animals such as variant red and polled. He was everyone’s dream buyer. On top of that Morris is a great person to deal with: very pleasant, modest and appreciative of everyone in the industry. Therefore, that is why watching the Morsan 300 Sale raised my concerns. Here is a family that has invested heavily and was presenting many animals with outstanding pedigrees. Nevertheless, most of them were selling for under $4,000 and the sale averaged just over $6,023. This is but a fraction of what the sale results would have been in the past. Not for a minute am I suggesting any error on the part of Morsan Farms. I actually am very impressed with the work they have done over the years (Read more: Morsan Farms – Money Well Spent). They have had a World Dairy Expo Grand and Supreme Champion, as well as a Red & White Champion. They have also managed to breed high index into these cow families. Great work by a great family.
What I do think has happened is that the industry has changed, Furthermore, Morsan themselves are great examples of this very change. Before Morsan was a household name for winning shows and buying top cattle, they were a well-run commercial operation. In 1998 they milked 200 commercial grade cows and today they have grown to milk 1600 to 1800 cows (80% purebred).
You see it was not the genetics market that Morris started out in. As said previously, he actually started out in the commercial market and grew into the high-end genetics market. I think that is something many people forget but it is key to what has happened to the industry as a whole over the past 14 years. You see, while we watched all this money flying around at the high-end genetics sales, it was actually the evolving commercial market that was funding it.
Commercial Producers – The backbone of the high end genetics marketplace
This same phenomenon is happening in barns all around the world every day. Commercial producers have been looking to accelerate the improvement of the cattle they milk and using high-end bulls was not doing it quickly enough. So, with a strong US dollar and high milk price, even commercial producers were out buying better cattle. Sure they were not buying your $100,000 show cow, but they were buying your $3,000+ fresh heifer with a nice pedigree. In turn the breeder of that heifer was then buying your $20,000 to $30,000 dollar nice pedigree potential EX cow from some of your higher end seed stock producers. Seed stock producers would, in turn, buy your $100,000 big time show winner or high index animal. And hence you have what I like to call the “Dairy Genetics Circle of Life.”
The problem is that this lucrative model fell apart and now the circle of life is on life support. This isn’t because the high-end genetics market is not as good as it once was. Genetic advancement is faster and the prices for very top animals are actually better than ever. Genomics has brought a completely new level of breeder confidence, and bull sale prices have gone through the roof (Read more: How Much Can You Trust Genomic Young Sires?)
The problem comes at the other end of the equation. Milk prices around the world (except in supply-managed countries like Canada) have plummeted and so has the US dollar. This has caused the commercial market for fresh heifers to all but dry up. Hence the rivers of cash that used to flow into the system are gone. Commercial producer actions have caused two major changed in the marketplace. First, years of buying these better quality cattle has greatly accelerated the genetics in their herds. Secondly, they have become better herd managers, particularly for longevity. No longer are their cows seen as a 1-2 year investment. They are looking to get multiple lactations out of these animals and, as a result, this has decreased the demand for replacement animals.
The Bullvine Bottom Line
With the funding model broken, we now find those breeders that dealt in the high-end genetics marketplace having to find new business models. Some are getting out of the high-end genetics marketplace altogether saying “It was a great ride while it lasted.” Others are finding new markets and services aiming at commercial producers or to supply AI studs with recipients for their new genetic programs. Then there are those who are left in limbo. They love working with these high end cattle and want to keep pushing the envelope on genetic advancement but, more and more. they are finding it hard to fund this passion. They are not sure what to do now that the money is gone.
To these seed stock producers I say look for new ways to fund your model. Is it through bull sales since female sales are a lot less than they used to be? (Read more: Investing in Dairy Cattle Genetics – Think Outside the Box, Stop the Sale! Genomics, Chocolate and the Future of the Dairy Breeding Industry and How Genomics is Killing the Dairy Cattle Breeding Industry) Or is it through developing a product (bloodline) that you can sell directly to the commercial producer? Any way you look at it commercial producer dollars are what fund the high-end genetics marketplace. When the river runs dry always look at the source. For the high end genetics marketplace the source is the commercial producer. As the commercial producer goes so goes the rest of the industry. Are you ready to go with the flow?
Recently the Bullvine posted a judging contest on Facebook to see how breeders would place these six animals based on their pictures alone (Read more: Facebook image, entry form). The results were very interesting and raised the question “How well can you judge an animal from their picture?”
Of course we all know that No Cow is Perfect – Not Even in Pictures. What we are trying to figure out, is if these animals would place differently with pictures as compared to how they would place if they were judged side by side. The results were very interesting. Most people placed the class C-F-A-D-B-E and our official placing was F-C-D-A-E-B. F and C were a very very close placing, with only a slight split between them. They were followed closely by A, and then there was a decent split to D. The bottom pair of B and E could go either way.
The pictured placings were not too different, until you compare how these animals would place if you actually had them side by side. In that case, you would see a very different result F-D-C-A-E-B. F would take the class handily. You see F is Valleyville Rae Lynn, and C is Desnette Alexia Roseplex. These two cows have faced each other several times with the most recent time being at Ontario Summer Show (Read more: Ontario Summer Show Holstein Results and The Shocking Speed of Social Media and the Dairy Industry) where Rae Lynn won the class and went on to be Intermediate and Reserve Grand Champion and Roseplex was 3rd in that class. In the picture, Roseplex looks much deeper and more open of the rib. In real life she may be pretty close, but there are two things that you greatly miss in the picture that you can only see in real life. First is that Rae Lynn is just as deep and long. Since the leadsman of Roseplex is standing beside the cow instead of in front of her during this shot, we were able to crop in and so the cow appears that much larger. The other factor that you cannot see in just a side shot compared to being able to have the cows side by side is that Rae Lynn possesses much more width throughout. She is a much longer cow (another reason the pictures look different) and has a higher and wider rear udder.
Valleyville Rae Lynn It’s interesting to see just how cropping of a picture can change the way the animal looks.
The placing of D over C is where many may start to wonder what happened. We admit that in the pictures this is an easy placing of C over D, but if you had these in animals in the same ring at the same time, two factors would come into play. First that D, Eastriver Gold Deb 850, is again wider of the chest, higher of the rear udder and cleaner throughout. The second is that D would type in better with F (the class winner) and then would naturally follow her in the class. Similar to how Raivue Sanchez Pamela did at Ontario Summer Show and hence Roseplex (C) was placed 3rd at Summer Show (Read more: Ontario Summer Show Holstein Results). Something that you are not able to tell when judging pictures is also the stage of lactation. In this picture Deb 850 is fairly fresh where Roseplex is in mid lactation.
The other thing you would not realize in pictures, that you do when you see these cows, is that there is a size difference. This comes to play in our next placing of C over A. A, originally identified as Crater Indiana Goldwyn is actually Debeau Jasper December, she is a very balanced dairy cow but, with a live view, you would realize that she is not as much overall cow as the three above her. Also her rump, slope to hooks to pins, as well as width of rear udder would limit her from placing higher in this class.
Huntshaven Deb Narobi Red It’s amazing how much getting a lower perspective can change the appearance in a photograph.
The last two cows (E and B) also bring some interest to the class and not just because they are red. In this case, the difference is actually the quality of the picture. In both pictures the cows are not set up perfectly or looking their best. That was by design for this class. You see we have better pictures of E, Huntshaven Deb Narobi Red, and B Deslacs Ritzy Greedy Red. But what we wanted to point out here is just how animals can look very different depending on who is taking their photo. Both these cows are much better than their pictures would indicate. However, for me it is an easy placing putting E over B on the dairyness throughout and the quality of her fore udder. Yes Rizty Greedy Red is a very deep opened ribbed cow, but Narobi, is cleaner of the leg, smoother of the fore udder and longer throughout. The challenge you have with Narobi’s picture is that it is slightly over exposed here and so you cannot see her ribs as well as in Rizty Greedy Red’s picture. We intentionally used a slightly darker picture of Rizty Greedy Red and a slightly over exposed picture of Narobi to prove our point about what over exposing pictures does (Read more: Dairy Cattle Photography – Over Exposed).
The Bullvine Bottom Line
Let’s sit back and think about how often we don’t get to see many of the great cows in the world in person. Unless you are someone like Han Hopman (Read more: Han Hopman: Shooting Straight at Holstein International) or a select few that get the opportunity to get to the major shows around the world, you would never really be able to pick out exactly how all these great cows compare to each other. For example take Decrausaz Iron O’Kalibra *RC EX-96-SW (Read more: DECRAUSAZ IRON O’KALIBRA: Simply the Best). Many who have seen her as well as the top cows in North America admit that she is an extremely balanced cow and that her udder is amazing, though they wonder would she be enough cow to contend with the likes of Hailey on the North American show circuit. For those looking at both of them in pictures you could certainly go either way. O’Kalibra takes amazing photos and it can sometimes be hard to get as good a picture of Hailey as she looks in real life. And so the bottom line tells us it takes more than a picture to judge a cow.
It’s that time of year again. Time for you to show us your judging chops. This time we are running a contest with some great prizes. The first class this year is 2nd calvers.
After attending the Ontario Red and White Show (Read more: 2013 Ontario Red & White Holstein Show Results) and watching the events unfold at the US Red & White Convention Sale, I find myself asking if red is still relevant in the marketplace? To answer that question I thought I would look at both sides of the argument.
The Case for Red
For years there has been growing demand around the world for Red and White Holsteins. In the US last year the largest total number of Red Holsteins were registered in history. The top selling animal for $184,000 at the Parade of Perfection Sale, OCD McCutchen Duchess-ET *RC, was a red carrier from Curr-Vale Obsrvr Delta and the second highest seller at the World Classic sale for $122,000 MS M-P Dak 4777 Pie-Red the #1 gTPI Red Animal in the USA at the time. In Europe, at the recent All-European Show in Switzerland, the top sellers were all red & white or red carrier animals.
Blondin Redman Seisme EX-96 2E Reserve Supreme Champion Royal 2011 & 2012 Grand Champion R&W Royal 2010, 2011 & 2012 Grand Champion Red & White Madison, 2010, 2011 & 2012
Red Holsteins are also seeing their greatest success and popularity ever. Cows like Blondin Redman Seisme EX-96 2E and KHW Regiment Apple-Red-ET EX-95 2E are two of the most popular cows in the world today. Many descendants of Apple are winning in both the show ring and on the red index charts.
KHW Regiment Apple-Red-ET EX-95 2E Unanimous All-American Red & White 1st 4-year-old & HM Senior Champion 2012 International Red & White Show
Then there are red sires like Kulp-Dale Golden PP-Red. Golden PP-Red’s first five units of semen sold for $50,000 (Read more: $10,000 a dose Polled Semen). With that came a 90-day exclusive guarantee, a unique deal struck between some very progressive thinkers. While there is no question being the highest homozygous polled bull at the time-helped drive the demand, the fact that he is red also added another desirable element to his market appeal.
The Case against Red
First let’s look at it from a milk production standpoint. While some will make the comment that their red coat helps them in the heat, in reality red coat actually has relatively low relevance to efficient milk production. Even polled that is more a consumer/animal welfare issue than it is a herd management issue, has more relevance to efficient milk production than red cattle.
Then there is the issue of genetic potency. The top R&W proven sires are almost 18% lower for genetic merit than the top black genetics available, and the top *RC are 17% lower. When it comes to young sires, the top Red or Red Carrier bulls are 9% lower than their black contemporaries are. While it does show that Red genetics are advancing at a fast rate they are still a significant distance behind. This means that red breeders have to take a substantial genetic loss in order to obtain the red gene.
Part of the reason for red’s relevance issue may be the popularity of polled (Read more: From The Sidelines To The Headlines, Polled Is Going Mainline!, Why Is Everyone So Horny For Polled?, Polled Genetics: Way Of The Future Or Passing Fad?). For years red has been one way for breeders to breed for something unique. Something that makes the animal special. Both in the barn and in the sales ring polled has gained significantly in industry popularity. While proven polled bulls are almost 23% lower in genetic merit than their horned contemporaries, genomic polled sires are 13% behind. This shows that polled genetics are actually advancing at a faster rate than red genetics.
The Bullvine Bottom Line
While it is hard to predict the future, there is no question that the demand for polled is both a good thing and a bad thing for the red and white breed. With polled being far more prevalent in red and red carrier cattle, the Red and White breed has seen significant increase in demand as a result of the increased demand for polled. That blessing can also be a curse. Since polled has now gone mainstream, many of the top polled sires are no longer red or red carriers. Contrary to polled, Red and White cattle will always have a challenge gaining traction in large commercial herds. For that reason it is destined to be a niche market.
However, after attending recent red and white events and seeing the demand for red in Europe, there is no question that while small in number, red and white breeders are some of the most passionate in the industry today.
Just like Alex Rodriguez and Major League Baseball, the dairy genetics industry has a drug problem.
You cannot go very far without reading something about the latest drug scandal involving a pro athlete. This week it`s 13 major league baseball players headlined by Alex Rodriguez the league’s highest paid player. Experts in sports doping believe that the problems in baseball — and cycling, track and field and other sports — remain widespread and that policing sports is proving to be nearly impossible. With recent events at a few of the dairy cattle shows, has me asking whether the dairy industry also has a drug problem.
According to major league baseball, the point of the testing is to keep the sports-entertainment industry functioning, to maintain its loyal public and to stay in business. For these very same reasons, wouldn`t it be a good idea to set up some form of rules around the use of performance enhancing drugs in the dairy industry?
Yes I am well aware that there is the use of ultrasounds at the Royal and World Dairy Expo. However, they can only catch so much and it means that some exhibitors just switch to a different drug of choice. For some that means the use of dextrose to get that cow alert and veins popping while she is in the show ring. Though many have admitted that dextrose is not that effective, it still could be viewed as a performance-enhancing drug. The big issue is that, whenever there is testing, there will always be those who are one-step ahead of the tests.
However, as I said earlier, the bigger issue is not with the show ring but rather with the fact that some of the genetic index stars are getting that extra edge on classification day, or on the day they are pictured or they are even getting the day-to-day production boost they need in order to get ahead of the rest. These animals have absolutely no testing to prove whether they are simply living up to their genetic potential or why they are far exceeding it.
In talking with many average producers, and especially in talking with many commercial producers – both groups who represent the largest purchasers of semen, I have heard a consistent theme, about how they have lost trust in the seed stock industry, especially certain high index cattle. They feel that generation after generation have shown that they are unable to cut it in the working day-to-day environments.
Do we really want to clean it up?
The dairy industry is guilty of ignoring the drug issue, just like the NFL. Just because you don’t have positive tests, does not mean there is not an issue.
Even with all the talk about what needs to change, there has been very little done over the years to actually bring about change. It’s kind of like the way the NFL does not want to admit it has an issue with drugs. Do you really believe a 300-pound lineman can run 40 yards in 4.4 seconds? The National Football League generates millions and millions in revenue, clobbers everything in the television ratings and is a national obsession. The NFL brags about its drug-testing program and, while they catch a few players from time to time, the inference is that the majority of the players are clean. Yep, that’s probably true. Those offensive linemen are bulking up to 335 pounds on good diet and weight lifting. Sure they are. Instead of dealing with the issue, they would rather look the other way.
The same is true in the dairy genetics marketplace. Instead of addressing this issue, many in the industry would rather sweep it under the carpet and not discuss it. Here at The Bullvine we have written many articles on marketing ethics (Read more: Dairy Cattle Marketing Ethics – Do they exist? and Business Ethics and Marketing Dairy Cattle Genetics), and for the most part the A.I. companies, those who make the most money from these practices, have decided to bury their heads in the sand, not wanting to buck the system. That is because they are the ones making the most money from this and yet not the ones actually committing the crime. Similar to how the owners of the baseball, hockey, soccer, and football teams are trying to pin the issue of drugs in professional sports solely on the athletes. If they really wanted to clean up the game, they could do so, since they are the ones controlling the most important part in this equation. The money.
Are we doing enough?
One of the big knocks on sports like Hockey and Football is that you never hear about any players actually being caught for the use of illegal drugs. The same is true for the show ring. You never hear about a cow failing a test, as we recently did in the beef industry (Read more: Stampede steer champion disqualified after drug test). While some would tell you that is because there are none, those in the ring and the barns know that is not the case. At least the shows are doing something. What are the photography and seed stock industries doing?
The Bullvine Bottom Line
While certainly everyone loves to talk about what show cows are fixed and which ones are not, the bigger issue for me is that of the seed stock industry. Yes genomics has helped eliminate some of the hothouse cattle but it certainly has not changed the way many of these top cattle are cared for (Read more: Preferential Treatment – The Bull Proof Killer) and how they are marketed. So the answer to the drug question boils down to this. Until changes are made in these areas the dairy genetics industry will continue to have a problem!!!
Looking for a way to stand out from your classmates? Want to pad your resume and learn the inside story of the dairy industry? The Bullvine is now accepting applications for students interested in Ag communications to cover dairy cattle shows, sales and learn how to blog, write articles and provide social media coverage throughout the fall.
The Bullvine has taken the dairy publishing world by storm. In under a year we have grown to the largest engaged audience in the world. Leveraging the power of the digital world, this internship opportunity will give you the opportunity to get the head start in the competitive job market.
Selected applicants will attend and cover industry events in their region and will assist in taking photos, writing captions, stories, blogs, and providing social media coverage of those events. Applicants who exceed expectations will have the opportunity to earn an all-expense paid trip to one or more national shows.
Students are required to have some foundation knowledge of a camera, video camera, audio recorder, and need to be willing to learn basic photo, blog, and website software. Writing and social media experience is preferred. Some pre-event training will be provided (9 classes in such areas as social media marketing, web page development and optimization, Smarketing, Email Marketing and content development), but most intern experience will be gained on the job – cause hands on is the best way to learn. The ideal candidate will excel working independently and have great communication skills. PLEASE NOTE: This opportunity is open to anyone in the world. Do not need to be located in Ontario.
Do you have what it takes to be the best? Here is your chance to join the team that is on the cutting edge of all things dairy. Click here to submit your application
Now there is a question that you will get many different answers to. From your die hard show supporters that believe the earth revolves around the show ring, to your commercial producers that would tell you there could be nothing further from what really matters. Everyone has an opinion. The question becomes, ”Who is right?” For me personally this question comes up as I prepare to head out to the Ontario Summer Show and then on to the International Intrigue Sale at Ferme Blondin on Saturday. On the one hand, I am questioning if this is really that important to 99% of the breeders out there? And beyond that, how much will the results of this show and the sale affect the dairy industry?
I wonder will the Grand Champion of the show really have any genetic effect on the rest of the industry?
Probably not. For example, take a look at last year’s World Dairy Expo and Royal Winter Fair Grand Champion, RF Goldwyn Hailey. Are her genetics setting the breed on fire? NO.
RF GOLDWYN HAILEY EX-97-2E-CAN GRAND ROYAL 2012 GRAND MADISON 2012
So then if it’s not from the genetic advancement standpoint, what is it that’s important about dairy cattle shows?
Will the standard from the show ring become the new standard for type classification? No. In many cases type classification and show ring evaluation could not be farther apart (Read more: Over-Scored and Over-Rated). Therefore, it’s not the show ring that is setting the standard for which all other cows will be measured.
So then what is it that has so many breeders excited about showing?
Could it be the thrill of competition? There is no doubt that as a society we put our great athletes on pedestals and maybe the show cows are just like the great athletes, whom we idolize so much. Just as in every day society, the vast majority of us could not name the top executives at the world’s Fortune 100 companies, many breeders could not tell you the top ten gTPI or gLPI females in the breed. HOWEVER … we all can tell you our favorite show cow. And just like we have Green Bay Packer, Montreal Canadians or Toronto Blue Jays fans who would die for their team, there are fans of the many great show cows that would scorn anyone who says anything negative about them.
I think another great thing about shows is the way they bring everyone together. Whether you love showing cows or not, pretty much all breeders are passionate about dairy cattle. Anytime you can get this number of people together who are passionate about the same thing, you are sure to have a good time. There is no question that dairy breeders are very passionate about what they do. You certainly cannot say you got into dairy farming for the money, because there are much greater opportunities to make money in other industries. However, you certainly will be hard pressed to find a greater community where everyone shares the same passion as they do in the dairy industry.
The Bullvine Bottom Line
Is the show ring the center of the dairy world? Probably not. But is it the perfect opportunity to see amazing cattle and talk with fellow breeders about what is great about this industry? Yes. I love to show…I love going to shows…..I love looking at great show cows…..most importantly I love talking with dairy breeders about cows. All of these things happen at a show. So for me, the answer is “Yes!” For that day, that show is definitely the center of the dairy industry!
“Warning: Some Material May Be Inappropriate for Children Under 13. Article intended for readers ages 14 and older. May contain strong violence and strong profanity, and depictions of sexual activity as long as they are within the context of the story.”
Were you one of those guys who wouldn’t shower after gym class because of embarrassment? Pretty much since birth, most men are engrained with an infatuation with size. For many their very manhood is measured by size. Most men live in constant fear that their manhood is not big enough. Well I have great news for you Women don’t care.
The same is true for your dairy cattle breeding program. For years, many dairy breeders put excessive emphasis on size. Maybe it was because of the show ring and it is the easiest comparison to judge. Fortunately, the show ring now places less emphasis on size (although not totally gone). More importantly, I have had many conversations with forward thinking breeders who are actually starting to put a negative emphasis on size.
Quality over Quantity
Having a bigger organ doesn’t hurt. Having a bigger cow can actually cause you and your cow pain. Many cows are getting too big for their environments. Cows are not fitting comfortably into their stalls and this is causing both free stall and tie stall breeders to have to modify their environments. The old theory that a bigger cow produces more milk is actually incorrect. When looking at the top 10 gTPI sires in the world, we see that their average estimated breeding value for stature is 1.80 and 1580 lbs. of milk. The top 10 proven production sires average 1.45 for stature and 2757 for lbs. of milk. Yet the top 10 proven PTAT sires have an average stature score of 3.78 and 112 lbs. of milk. This clearly demonstrates that bigger is not always better when it comes to milk production.
With that in mind, the Bullvine decided to look at the top overall production sires in the world and put an actual negative weight on size. We developed the Bullvine Efficiency Index (BEI). (Read more: 30 Sires that will produce Feed Efficient Cows) The formula is as follows:
BEI = Production (45%) + Durability (35%) + Health & Fertility (25%)
Production = 30 Fat Yield + 50 Protein Yield + 10 Fat% + 10 Protein%
Durability = 17 Herd Life + 42 Mammary System + 25 Feet & Legs – 8 Body Depth – 8 Stature
Milk Yield is not included, as it contributes to more udder strain and added milk haulage or on-farm water removal costs.
The negative weightings on Body Depth and Stature reflect that larger cows require extra feed to grow to that size and to maintain that larger size each day compared to cows of more moderate size.
Also for the purpose of this article the sires could not be higher than a 5 for combined Stature and Body Depth.
The following is what we found.
Proven Sires:
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
Genomic Sires:
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
The Bullvine Bottom Line
In a world of supersize cars, jobs, meals, and just about everything else, it’s hard to stop thinking that bigger is actually better for everything. Unfortunately, after years of locker-room comparisons, the go-to source of pride or shame seems to put the emphasis on size. The same has been true in many breeding programs. It’s time to stop thinking about size and start thinking about efficiency. As they say, “It’s not the size that matters, it’s how you use it”.
The dairy industry is not a large one. It’s also an industry that loves gossip, controversy, and the latest rumor. So when you do something stupid it does not take long for word to get around. And that was before there was social media. That is why I find it so surprising that some breeders don’t realize that the dairy industry is a pretty small pond and that the ripples reach from edge to edge.
I have had the pleasure of knowing many different characters in the industry. Some of them carried a reputation that was much larger than life yet, when you got to know them, they were actually pretty good people. Then there are others who would tell you to your face how good they are or how “honest” they are and then turn and stab you in the back the second you weren`t looking. The challenge is that sometimes it’s hard to tell which one is which.
Whether it’s someone who loves to party hard and be the life and soul of the party, or how you conduct yourself in business, the number one thing you have is your name. Once tarnished, it takes years to rebuild. In the dairy industry there really is no difference between your personal and professional brand. Many young people try to think that they can do crazy things and it will not affect them later in life. The thing is, the industry is too small for that. There are many very talented young people that have kissed away potentially great careers in the dairy industry by the stupid things they did in college or university. There are also those that have taken years to regain the trust of others.
Social media has taken word of mouth and put it on steroids. What used to take weeks or even months to spread through the dairy industry, now takes just minutes online. There is a new reality in the dairy industry. It’s no longer what you say and do to manage your brand or good name that matters. It’s what others are saying about you online. From our smartphones to our tablets and computers, to interacting with family, friends, colleagues and customers, our lives – and thus our reputations – exist online.
It may sound funny but it’s true. Since starting the Bullvine I have seen it many times. Breeders getting ripped apart by other members of the community on Facebook and other places and they don’t even realize that it’s happening. But thanks to things like Facebook news feeds and Twitter streams, thousands of other members of the dairy industry do see it. It may be as simple as someone being very critical of a cow or bull. Other times it can be a blatant attack on someone’s character. However, since the victims are not on these different social media platforms, they are not there to defend themselves. Moreover, others that are reading these comments assume they`re the truth.
Another area where I have seen an extreme effect is dairy cattle livestock photography. No group as a whole has been more ripped apart in social media. While many of them have avoided Facebook as much as possible, it has not stopped breeders from expressing their opinions. It was the barrage on photographers that led us to develop the Dairy Marketing Code of Conduct, in order to help rebuild their reputations.(Read more: Introducing the Dairy Cattle Marketing Code of Conduct and Dairy Cattle Marketing Code of Conduct)
Now we have all been there, where someone misrepresented what they were selling or we felt that we got the raw deal in a purchase agreement. There have been some very legendary breeders that have been able to keep things like this under wraps. But in today’s social world, things like this can go from known by one or two people to known by thousands in a moment’s notice. That is why in today’s industry you have to conduct yourself above board 100% of the time. Otherwise all it takes is a few comments on places like Facebook, before the whole world knows your true character.
Every day more and more breeders are getting on Facebook. Breeders of all ages are enjoying the many benefits of connecting with breeders from around the world. If you want to market your cattle to the world, there is no greater more cost effective platform than Facebook. It’s no longer optional. It’s mandatory. But that is just the first step. You also need to become an active member of the conversation. Not just promoting only what you want to sell, (which kills your reputation), but also joining the conversation and developing friendships and a strong online reputation. It’s funny how some breeder’s true colors come out online. The ones that care about building community and helping others find that their posts get promoted like wildfire. While others, who are just in it to suck money out of others, find that they get very little response to their posts. Inevitably, t building a credible reputation online and forming real and lasting relationships with people, pays off in substantial ways, when you find yourself the center of negative online attention.
The Bullvine Bottom Line
In the dairy industry many breeders talk a lot about their name and their reputation. The thing is sometimes they don’t understand the difference between how they perceive themselves and how others perceive them. It’s not what you say that builds your reputation. It’s what you do. The key thing is to understand that when you make good decisions and stand behind what you say, especially when it’s difficult, your name, who you are, and what you stand for becomes something everyone can trust. Because, when we leave this earth, your good name is all you really have.
Success isn’t sexy. It’s all about doing the basics the best you can with passion and consistency. Not one of the uber-successful people I have ever worked with got there without outworking everyone around them. The old line remains true “The harder you work, the luckier you get.” The dairy industry is no different from that of any other. Yes there is a lot of work involved in farming, but to be a successful dairy breeder you need to work hard and be persistent.
Too often we see herds that seem to capture all the headlines and own all the super star cattle and think, “Man, life must be easy for them!” The thing that many don’t realize is that behind all the flash and cash there is a lot of hard work.
Dairy Cattle Breeding Is Not a Popularity Contest
The herds that I have seen that have the greatest consistency from animal to animal, and generation to generation, don’t always use the most popular sires, or only the bulls from the top of the lists. They take the time to really look for what their breeding program needs and more accurately, exactly what that particular animal needs in order to be improved for the next generation. Does that mean they have to be great evaluators of cattle? No. Sure it helps. But you can also use tools such as type classification and genomics to assist with this. (Read more: Dairy Cattle Genomics and Dairy Cattle Breeding Recommendations) What it really means is that you take the time to figure out what your definition of success is and then work at achieving it.
Sweat the details
Dairy cattle breeding is not rocket science. While I am not saying it is easy to breed the next great one, what I am saying is that it is as much about hard work as anything else. The reason you see many of these herds consistently breeding great cattle, is because the take the time to sweat the small stuff. They take the time to think about each matting and consider just what sire will provide the greatest result. From how they run their close-up program to every one of their transition programs, uber successful breeders take the time to sweat the details.
The Bullvine Bottom Line
Sure we would all love to be rock stars in the dairy industry. But it isn’t going to happen overnight. It takes time and effort to achieve success. There is no doubt in the dairy industry that the harder you work the luckier you get. There is no instant gratification in the dairy breeding industry, it takes hard work and persistence in order to achieve success. The sexy part comes at the end of the road not at the beginning.
Here is an idea that I am sure will shock many of the people who read The Bullvine. I don’t care if you like me. I really don’t. I actually think it’s better if you don’t like me. That tells me that I am achieving my ultimate goal. You see. We didn’t start The Bullvine to become liked by everyone, or to be the most popular people in the dairy industry. We started The Bullvine to provide some leadership in a time of uncertainty. Besides being a leader isn’t about being liked. It’s about doing what’s right.
So many leaders in the dairy industry are afraid of conflict. They hide from it. They have this deep-seated need to be popular and admired. They hate ruffling feathers and making waves. In reality they are insecure and not comfortable living in their own skin. Great leaders are different than that. They fearlessly make tough calls. They speak the truth as they see it. They run their own race, making the right decisions and worrying little about public opinion. They are courage in action.
It wasn’t easy. The right thing to do is generally the hardest thing to do. Sure we could have taken the easy route. But isn’t that what led us to these issues in the first place. Cattle photographers doing what is easy instead of what is right? Sure we can add topline hair and tails back in Photoshop. But where do you draw the line. When does that become no longer respecting the craft that you love so much? I often see photographers these days not making sure that they get the lighting correct. “We can just touch it up in Photoshop later”. Being a leader is not about doing what is easy. It’s about doing what is hard, when you know it is the right thing to do.
The same can be said about breeding ethics. Sure you can cheat the age of a calf or sneak a few extra pounds in on a milk test. But where is your integrity? Integrity is what you do when no one is watching. It’s doing the right thing all the time. Not because it’s the easy thing to do. Not because it’s the most popular thing to do. It’s because it’s the right thing to do.
The Bullvine Bottom Line
When you lead from a position of truth, justice and fairness you’ll have your critics. I once heard this quote and it rings true for us here at The Bullvine, “Great people build monuments from the stones that their critics throw at them”. If we listened to all the critics that say what we’re am doing is wrong, we would never bring about change in the industry. And that is not the reason we started The Bullvine. We started The Bullvine to lead from the front. We won’t hide behind the lines.
All roads lead to Webberville, Michigan, or at least they did yesterday. The Ri-Val-Re Select Sale achieved an outstanding average of $25,910 on 68 lots. Starting on Friday night the Jorgensen family, led by Jerry, had great food and live music to entertain the many friends and breeders in attendance. All agreed that the Jorgensen’s hosted an outstanding event.
The Jorgensen Family
Topping the sale was Ri-Val-Re Num Uno Nady, the #6 GTPI Heifer in the breed. With a gTPI of +2645, gLPI of +3438 and an outstanding NM$ of 978, Nady numbers well on both sides of the border. This correct, dairy black calf sold for $280,000.
Ri-Val-Re Num Uno Nady – Sold for $280,000 (Lot 13)
The 2nd highest seller was Bomaz Numero Uno 5904 *PC *TL *TD. With an outstanding polled pedigree 5904 will make future polled progeny that are over +2500 gTPI. No wonder she commanded an outstanding price of $215,000.
Lot 63 Swampy-Hollow Hope gTPI +2537, sold for $75,000
Lot 14 RI-VAL-RE NUM UNO BEE Elite NM$ and GTPI!! Sold for $60,000
In Jerry’s typical outside the box thinking, the Jorgensen’s also offered some great opportunities. Not only could you get in on some top polled, gTPI and R&W animals, but they also sold two packages (animals and their embryos) that would give their purchasers a great chance to hit the ground running. The top package was Lot 1 RI-VAL-RE BOOKEM ROSEY P!ET *RC *PO who sold with 30 guaranteed pregnancies for $315,000 . The 2nd package was Mapelwood Epic Giggle-Red the high index Epic from the variant red daughter from MORSAN MANOMAN FOOLS GOLD RED-VG-2yr and 8th Jr 2Yr Old R&W Royal Winter Fair 2012. Selling with Giggle was a guaranteed 40 pregnancies from eight different sires. This package sold for $270,000.
The rest of the story:
Lot 34 $22,000 first choice of Cashcoin or Long-P female out of Ri-Val Re Bookem Hero-ET
Lot 20 $5,000 Ri-Val-Re Super Nike-ET VG-85 Superstition with several sons in AI and a daughter that sold last fall for $150,000. Open and ready to flush.
Lot 19 $5,300 Ri-Val-Re MOM Elegance-ET, a VG-85 Man-O-Man with a +2217 GTPI. With several generations of VG and EX she goes back to Peckenstein Elton Nikki
Lot 49 $4,100 Triplecrown SS Ada-ET RC goes back to the Apple Family.
Lot 7 $25,000 Josey-LLC Latimer Star-ET RC TL TD +2396 GTPI Number 1 GTPI Lattimer in the breed
Lot 8 $35,000 Choice of 2 Parker heifers from Stamp Farms
Lot 9 $31,500 MS Koenen Ladd P5715-RED-ET top GTPI for her age group from the Roxy Family, homozygous Polled.
Lot 6 $13,000 Ri-Val Re Ehrt Diamond-P-ET PO TL TD a March Earnhardt ranks in the top 15 GTPI of polled females.
Lot 3 $38,000 Ri-Val-Re The Best P Red-ET PO TL TD number 1 GTPI and NM$ R &W polled female in the breed.
Lot 4 $215,000 Bomaz Numero Uno 5904-ET PC TL TD Number 3 PO GTPI heifer in the breed +2365 GTPI
Lot 2 $270,000 A package of 40 pregs out of Mapel Wood Epic Giggle-Red ETS by Cashcoin, Tango, Jackman, Morgan, Willpower, Jacey, Skyline, and Doorman.
Lot 10 $43,000 Eldon Tweed SAJ Tano-ET +2491 GTPI number 1 Sajac
Lot 24 $2,600 a Mogul out of Goldwyn Nadine
Lot 22 $3,200 A January McCutchen out of Nadine
Lot 26 $2,200 a polled March Dolo out of Nadine
Lot 25 $3,600 a polled Earnhardt out of Nadine
Lot 29 $3,000 a Lithium out of Observer Nikki
Lot 30 $2,700 a Lithium out of Nikki
Lot 31$2,000 A Lithium out of Nikki
Lot 16 $30,000 Ri-Val-Re Super Nadine herself!
Lot 17 $31,000 a Supersire out of Nikki +2448 GTPI
Lot 54 $16,000 Ri-Val-Re Respect PP-ET RC an April Earnhardt
Lot 18 $13,000
Lot 28 $15,500 +2275 GTPI the only Snowman from Nikki to sell
Lot 12 $35,000 Sonray-Acres MC DI-ET TL TD a +2506 GTPI McCutchen out of Sonray Acres Soc Observer VI
Lot 11 $30,000 +2494 GTPI McCutchen out of Sonray Acres Soc Observer VI
There have been many great dairy breeding partnerships in the history of the dairy breed. On the top of that list many would place Pete Heffering and Ken Trevena (Read more: Hanover Hill Holsteins). However, one partnership I think many forget about is the one they have with their wife or husband. On most dairy farms and in every marriage the most important partnership in the world is the one with the spouse.
When was the last time you thought of your wife or husband as your “partner”? Dictionary.com defines partnership as, “the state or condition of being a partner (Partner: a person who shares or is associated with another in some action or endeavor; sharer; associate.); participation; association; joint interest. Most often we think of partnership when we think of business or law. But the idea of a partnership is also applicable to our marriages. Today I celebrate my seventh wedding anniversary and it very much has me thinking deeply about how much my wife, Zosia, is the perfect partner for me.
I know a lot of people don’t bother to mark every anniversary and holidays such as Valentine’s day sometimes get bad press with the cynics protesting that if couples are truly in love then this should be reflected in their daily lives rather than requiring a special holiday to remind them to tell each other how much they mean to each other. But for me, since my wife deals with my BS every other day of the year, the least I can do is express how I feel about her on this special day.
While I try to show my wife how much I appreciate her every day, let’s face it, with the pressures of modern life, it is difficult to maintain the initial flush of romance on an ongoing, long term basis. After 7 years of being with the same person a much of the mystery is gone, you have fewer “firsts” to look forward to and you will have had to deal with times of difficulty and hardship together as this is a part of life.
In many ways my wife and I could not be more opposite. We kid that if we had met in high school we would have hated each other. I was the jock who skipped class and loved to party. She was the nerd who even asked the teachers for permission to skip school on national skip day. However, as we matured (mostly me, Zosia was already pretty mature) we changed and now have become the perfect complement for each other and ready to take on life’s challenges.
Over the past week I have had the amazing opportunity to go back to where we got married and take some time off to spend with my wife. Awesome. It re-energized me to take on the world. But I must admit, as I watch our extremely energetic and defiant kids run around, I sometime tease my wife that she must have falsely advertised her genetics, After all, I chose her partly due to her ability to corrective mate those faults out of our children. That’s the joking part. (Read more: How I Used Everything I Know About Animal Breeding to Choose My Wife). Seriously, I could not be more proud of her and the family that we have started.
The Bullvine Bottom Line
I can tell you all, that without a very supportive and understanding wife, The Bullvine would have never existed. A fully supportive, loving, trusting wife who will be honest and speak her mind but who will also stand with her husband to the very end frees a man up to do with all his heart that which he desires to achieve. Zosia does just that for me. While she may not be a cattle breeding expert, or even from a dairy farm, nevertheless she loves me and supports me in all the weird and wacky things that I do. For that I can only quote Elvis and say to Zosia, “Love me tender, Love me true, all my dreams fulfilled. For my darlin’ I love you, And I always will.”
I get it! Change freaks some people out. Even though “Change” is a broad term it affects our lives in many specific ways. Our brains expect certain things to stay the same. The old saying might be right, “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks!” But we are not talking about dogs, we are talking about the dairy industry and things are changing – rapidly! As Winston Churchill said “To improve is to change. To be perfect is to change often.” In order to excel in the dairy industry, you cannot be afraid of change, but rather must embrace change.
The dairy breeding industry is going through the most tumultuous time in its history. Between genomics and IVF the industry has been turned on its head, flipped over and slapped on its butt. As if that wasn’t enough, all of these changes have started a chain reaction of even more changes. However, as Niebuhr once said “God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.” Many breeders would rather fight than switch. . They are unwilling to accept the fact that even if they refuse to change, the industry around them has changed and is moving on.
Genomics is a game changer
Now I am not saying you have to run out and use all the hottest genomic sires, and start IVF’ing all your top cattle. What I am saying is that you need to take the time to look at what is going on around you and plan how that is going to affect your dairy breeding program. This all starts by knowing your goals. If your goal is to have a Master Breeder herd, or make money selling young stock then yes you best start to embrace these changes.
I know there are many that would tell me that becoming a Master Breeder herd has nothing to do with the use of genomics. However, I would beg to differ. You see many are still confused about exactly what genomics is. Genomics is the technology that allows you to accurately predict what a sire’s (or heifer’s) breeding ability will be (Read more: How much can you trust Genomic Young Sires? and The Truth About Genomics Indexes – Show me they work! ). IT IS NOT AN INDEX. It is a TOOL and that is the message that I wish more would understand. You can use genomics to breed a great show cow. It’s not just for top index animals (Read more: Does Genomics Belong in The Show Ring?). I think if more people took the time to understand this single difference, they would start to use genomics effectively. You can use it to do type mattings all the time, and in fact, it can be very good at helping you do it.
IVF is a game breaker
The technology that I really think is changing the game for those who are looking to make money selling genetics is IVF (Read more: IVF: Boom or Bust for the Dairy Industry). IVF has given breeders the ability to cross their top animals to a greater number of sires and produce many more progeny. The problem this causes is that now there is an abundance of supply in the marketplace. With greater supply at the top end and not having an equally greater demand, the prices for all sectors in the marketplace are forced downward. In the past, when embryo exporters were looking to fill orders, they were held to a threshold of +2500 LPI or +1,900 TPI. Now since there is so much more supply at the top end, their threshold has risen to +3,200 LPI or +2,500 TPI. Have a look at our recent analysis of the public auction of live cattle. You will see that the very top cattle draw the high prices and then the prices drop significantly. (Read more: Who Killed the Market for Good Dairy Cattle?) This produces mixed emotions for me. The breeder in me that sees the potential to get so many more progeny from different sires from my top animals. But then there is the business man in me that sees that due to the massive influx of animals from the top few animals, there is less market for the rest. Recently I have also become concerned that it is making breeders lazy. They don’t work as hard to decide what sires to cross cows on since the only people who are really making money at this are the companies selling the service, as opposed to the breeders that are using the service.
The Bullvine Bottom Line
The key lesson here is that if you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change. Instead of being afraid of genomics and fearing the change it’s making, take the time to see how it can actually help you achieve your personal breeding goals. I am definitely not saying change your breeding goals. I am saying that you should consider how this new tool can actually help you achieve them. If you don’t like something, change it. If you cannot change it, change your attitude.
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?
Recently we have come under attack for opinions expressed on our different social media platforms. Some readers have felt that other reader’s opinions should not be expressed. For us that is completely OPPOSITE to what we believe in. We believe that everyone should have the right to express their own opinion. We not only believe in it, we encourage it!
Then there are the daily conversations that we have on the different social media platforms. Instead of locking down what is being said, or worrying about the legal ramifications of comments made by breeders, we have actually encouraged dairy breeders to express their opinion. Our number #1 goal here at The Bullvine is not to control the industry like some other publications try to do. Our goal is to make breeders think and to get breeders talking. Yes we want to know your opinion. Yes we want you to feel you have the right to express it … Even if we don’t agree with it.
Bring It On!
An interesting thing has happened over the past few months. The Bullvine has gone from the hunter to the hunted. When we first started The Bullvine we were the hunter. We were the ones gunning for the bigger publications with the larger readerships. But now that has all changed. We are now the ones with the largest daily digital dairy readership and we find ourselves in the cross hairs. We listen. We learn. We share. Now everybody is shooting for The Bullvine and that’s just the way we like it.
Our very first post on The Bullvine clearly laid out how we were going to be different and how we thought others were missing the boat (Read more: Twice The Bull – Half the S**T). But we didn’t stop there. We continued to highlight things we felt relevant along the way. Including how other dairy magazines are old school (Read more: How Social Media Is Changing the Holstein World) and how our readership is more engaged and larger than the others (Read more: The Fakebook – Our Secret Is Exposed). So it’s only fair that when the others start gunning for us that we accept and deal with it.
Gandhi once said “First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win!” A pattern we have seen perfectly since starting The Bullvine. When we first started many ignored us. After a little while they started to laugh at us. And now more recently they have started to fight us. We surmise that we are starting to take the next step. (Read more: I’m Sorry But I’ve Had Just About Enough Of….)
The Bullvine Bottom Line
Who are we to be very opinionated and then not let others express their opinion? If we tried to control what others say, it would make us hypocrites. What makes the dairy industry so amazing is that everyone is so passionate about what we do, and we all have our own opinion. So please share your opinion. What issues would YOU like to target? Take aim. It’s good for all of us.
Sometimes life is going to hit you in the head with a brick. Don’t lose faith. You have to find what you love to do because, whatever you do, your work is going to fill a large part of your life. Dairy farming is not the most lucrative work. You have to love it in order to excel at it. The only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the way to do great work is to do what you love. Dairy farming for many is great work, and that is why so many dairy farmers love what they do.
Dancing Among the Stars
This past week the dairy industry suddenly lost a great member. Mike Rakes had worked in the A.I. industry for 33 years with World Wide Sires (Read more: Mike Rakes of World Wide Sires Passes). On Monday of this week Mike suffered a massive heart attack and died on the operating table. Although, during the last 12 years, he battled one kind of cancer after another he never let that slow him down. Just 3 weeks ago Mike’s daughter Brilynn, who is legally blind, had been featured on ABC’s Dancing with the Stars. She’s an award-winning classical ballerina and contemporary dancer from Visalia. She was just accepted at Fordham University in New York City.
It was Mike who has been one of the greatest supporters of Brilynn in overcoming her challenge. “When I was six, my dad told me I could do that,” she said during an interview with Access Hollywood. He spoke to each of his four daughters before he went into surgery at Kaweah Delta Medical Center. “He was joking up until the end,” she said. “He loved his girls,” she said. “He wanted to make sure Brilynn went to college. He was just concerned for everyone else.”
All of us who have had similar health challenges can very much relate to Mike’s situation. Mike loved what he did and loved his family very much. His work took him on 19 overseas trips last year alone. In his interview with the producers of Dancing with the Stars Mike said “I’m a very high output guy. Small issues or concerns of health never worry me,” he said. “Doctors shake their heads at me and say keep doing what you’re doing.” “I’m fine, but I am a miracle,” he said. “I don’t worry about anything. I defy the odds.” The producers wanted to include some of the above interview in their story about Brilynn being featured on ABC’s Dancing with the Stars, but he would have none of that. It was Brilynn’s time to shine, he said.
Mike loved what he did. In an interview with his father Jerry, Jerry said “his goal was to feed the world.” “India used to depend on us for food, but now they produce their own milk because of people like Mike.”
Lessons from Steve Jobs
In his 2005 commencement speech at Stanford Steve Job’s said, “If you live each day as if it was your last, someday you will most certainly be right. Each day you need to look in the mirror and ask yourself if today where the last day of your life, would you want to do what you are about to do today? If the answer comes back no with any regularity, something needs to change. Remembering that we are all going to die at some point, means that you need to live life to the fullest.
All of life’s toughest decisions are that much easier when you remember only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the only way to avoid the trap of thinking that you have something to lose. So follow your heart and these decisions will become much easier.
Job’s went on to say that no one wants to die. Even people who want to go to heaven, don’t want to die in order to get there. And yet death is the destination that we all share. No one has ever escaped it. And that is the way it should be. Because death is very likely the very best invention of life. It’s life’s change agent. It clears out the old to make room for the new.
The Bullvine Bottom Line
Your time is limited. So don’t waste it living someone else’s life. If dairy farming is not your dream don’t do it. But if it is, do so with all the passion in the world. Don’t be trapped by dogma, which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of other’s opinions drown out your own inner voice. While there are always people who want to tell you what you should do or give you “advice”, remember to listen to your own inner voice. Have the courage to follow your heart and intuition, they somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.
There are those in this industry that would have someone crucified for the littlest mistake. They seem to never forget the wrongs people have done and yet can’t remember the good things they have done as well. While I totally understand the saying, “You never get a second chance to make a good first impression,” I also think of what Mahatma Gandhi said, “The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong.”
Since starting the Bullvine we have always tried to profile breeders who were “doing it right.” By that we mean breeders who were trying to do the best they could. Breeders who were trying new things such as using social media to market their cows, or individuals who have faced great adversity to achieve outstanding success. More recently some of our selections for whom to profile has come under attack by profiling some individuals with a colored past. To answer that I come back to being strong enough to forgive. People do make mistakes and I think they should be punished. But they should be forgiven and given the opportunity for a second chance. There’s nothing as exciting as a comeback – seeing someone with dreams, watching them fail, and then getting a second chance. We are human beings. When you forgive, you in no way change the past – but rather you work at changing the future.
Sex, Religion and Politics – Three of our favorite things
Now it may seem I have gone all religious on you here, which is something the Bullvine may have stayed clear of in the past. I do understand those three things they tell you never to write about: Sex, Religion and Politics. Well since starting the Bullvine we have already talked about Sex and Politics, so why leave religion out of it?
Today marks Good Friday, the religious holiday celebrated by Christians around the world commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. In this holy week, we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ and the forgiveness of our sins. That is correct. It’s at this time God gave his only Son to forgive or sins.
Now before I offend those who are not Christian, remember that, most world religions include the teaching of forgiveness. Buddhism teaches that forgiveness is a practice for removing unhealthy emotions that would otherwise cause harm to our mental well-being. Judaism teaches that ideally a person who has caused harm, needs to sincerely apologize, then the wronged person is religiously bound to forgive. However, even without an apology, forgiveness is considered a pious act. In Islam the word Islam itself is derived from the Semitic word slm meaning “peace” and forgiveness is a prerequisite for genuine peace. No matter what religion you practice there is no question that forgiveness is a key part.
Let He Who Is Without Sin Cast the First Stone
Over the course of the past year there is no question we here at the Bullvine have tried to push the limits of traditional thinking. We have tried to bring awareness to issues and conversations that most would not touch with a ten-foot pole. Several times our tactics have come under fire by some as being to risqué or even stepping over that line. And I totally understand that.
What I ask for is forgiveness and understanding. Understanding that our intentions are good even if our execution sometimes lacks. Moreover, forgive us for those times when we do cross that line. Because sometimes when you walk that line, it’s hard to know when you have crossed over it.
The Bullvine Bottom Line
The weak never forgive. Forgiveness is an attribute of the strong. On this Good Friday it could be the perfect time to offer forgiveness to those who have done wrong?
Since starting the Bullvine over a year ago, I have learned to accept that we have become a polarizing entity. While most tell us how much they love what we are doing, there are also those who have put a bounty on our heads. This means there are moments when I have wondered if I have been wasting my time. Living life as a marked man is definitely not boring. When you’re blazing new ground, there is always the chance that you could be shot down in a blaze of glory.
Sometimes I get some sleep. Other times it seems like you are sleeping on a bed of nails not knowing what is going to happen next. Now some might say that I am being dramatic and I accept that. However, I am not sure that they understand the pressure that has come with running The Bullvine. In starting the Bullvine I have had to open up my soul to the world. With that comes a completely different experience than most would ever expect.
First comes a rush that many never experience. We have had days where we have literally reached hundreds of thousands of people around the world and you feel like Superman. Yet there are other days when you wonder if it was all worth it. Is it worth people slandering your name? Questioning your ethics? Is it worth losing relationships that have meant the most to you?
We wanted to bring about change, and that meant talking about, saying and doing things others wouldn’t. Have I said or done things that I regret? ….Sure who hasn’t? I don’t apologize because not even for one moment have I regretted our bigger purpose. (Read more: I’m Sorry, But I’ve Had Just About Enough of…) When pouring your heart and soul into something, you are going to react as much out of emotion as out of logic. There have been times where many thought that we were going down for the count. However, what they didn’t realize is we are fighters. If you don’t knock us out, watch out because we are coming back twice as strong and twice as hard.
Then there are the weeks where everything just seems to come together and you know what you’re doing is exactly what is needed and well worth it.
Take this past week for example. On Monday we profiled an amazing dairy farm mom, Mary Lou King. Mary Lou is like most farm wives, her day starts before the sun rises and doesn’t end still after the sun sets and she does it all while raising her children. (Read more: Dairy Farm Moms are Unstoppable) This story reached over 20,000 people.
We then had the opportunity to profile Carrie Mess and her remarkable blog, about a city girl who has become one of the biggest advocates for the dairy industry. (Read more: Dairy Carrie- Diary of a City Kid Gone Country) Very fitting for National Ag Day, where the Bullvine set a new Facebook dairy record reaching over 200,000 people in a single day.
Then in true Bullvine style, we profiled many of the upcoming sales. However, unlike the others, instead of promoting who paid us the most money, we did our own detailed homework on all the sales and gave our true opinion. We did this, because like everyone else, we are also breeders and wanted to make sure we were not missing any great investment opportunities. (Read more: The Dairy Investors Guide to Spring Sale Madness). I guess people like what we are saying because we had feedback from sales managers about how much it helped and how they have sold animals because of it.
Following that was the opportunity to profile Dusty Schirm. A young man, who much like myself, has faced criticism. But with the help of a great woman, has really become an outstanding member of the dairy industry. (Read more: Dusty Schirm- From Show Ring to Sales Ring Building a Franchise). For me personally this meant a lot. You see when others were running for the hills when we first started the Bullvine, Dusty has been a supporter since day one. For that the chance to share Dusty’s story was the least we could do. So yes we have been sharing lots about Dusty’s upcoming Sale on Monday (Read more: The Franchise Kind II), but if we cannot help those who have supported us, then why are we doing this?
The topper to the week was when Jerry Jorgensen of Ri-Val-Re Holsteins came to me wanting to try something outside of the box. You see we have had the opportunity to get to know Jerry pretty well since starting the Bullvine. He first hit our radar when he offered to purchase Golden-PP semen for $10,000 a dose (Read more: $10,000 a Dose Polled Semen) and ever since we have been a huge fan of Jerry’s. Being able to tell his story has been great (Read more: Breeding Ri-Val-Re: Where Looking Good in the stall is Just as Important as looking good on paper). So when he wanted to try something different we jumped on the opportunity. We assisted Jerry in promoting his upcoming sale by doing an innovative promotion on Facebook. The Result – In less than 12 hours it was seen by over 50,000 people on the Bullvine’s Facebook page alone. All at a fraction of the cost of a single ad in any major dairy publication. Goes to show that the power of Facebook is something that every breeder should look into (Read more: 7 Reasons Why Your Dairy Farm Needs to Be On Facebook)
The Bullvine Bottom Line
Since starting the Bullvine we have had one hell of a ride. We have started a ripple that has grown into a tsunami. We have gone from a small upstart to the largest daily digital reach in the dairy industry. Larger than all our other competitors combined. There are so many amazing breeders who made it all worthwhile. To those few who still may have me in your sights, I say FIRE. But you had better kill me cause if you miss…..If you don’t finish the job……be ready for me to come back firing twice as hard….twice as fast…..and shooting to kill. At The Bullvine we are that passionate about what we are doing and love being the dairy industry`s “Most Wanted!”
Often I find as an industry we are guilty of living in a bubble. While sometimes that has served us well, other times there are situations where it for sure has hurt the dairy breeding industry as a whole. However, like all bubbles, this will have to burst in order for the industry to advance, otherwise the dairy cattle breeding industry will become irrelevant.
There is no question that the dairy breeding industry is going through times of great change. Genomics has had a massive effect on not only how we prove bulls, but also on the sources of revenue and the focus of many breeding programs. There has been great discussion about what the changes in April will have on the industry (Read more: How Genomics is Killing the Dairy Cattle Industry). There are some far greater issues that many breeders need to think about.
Some Big Hitters Are Coming To the Plate
One such issue is the entry of Pfizer/Zoetis into the animal genetics game. There is no question that companies like Pfizer have the resources and the experience to come into industries and dominate. When you compare the size and revenue of the Animal Health market to that of the dairy cattle breeding industry, you really have to wonder why Pfizer would even bother. There is no question that DNA testing is a very cool science, but companies like Pfizer don’t do things because they think that it is cool. They do it because they know they can make money.
When you step back and look at this from a 50,000-foot view, I start to think, is this Pfizer wanting to come and take over dairy cattle breeding? On the other hand, is it that Pfizer sees how they can protect their much larger revenue source, animal health? Walk with me on this one. If it is possible to understand genomics to such an extent that we can breed a better cow, does that not include a cow that is more resistant to disease, parasites, and bacteria? Now we’re talking about core revenue sources for Pfizer animal health, now called Zeotis.
Also of interest about this move was that instead of being signed by all the members of the industry it was done very selectively. Instead of being signed by say Canadian Livestock Genetics Association it was done exclusively with the Semex Alliance. Is there a partnership between Semex and Pfizer that we are not aware of? Have we as an industry, or our representatives, on our behalf made decisions that we may all regret? While I am sure from first glance this agreement looked pretty basic, I can’t help but wonder if there are much greater ramifications that have not really been thought through.
Information is Power, But who controls the information?
With these questions about genetic evaluations and genomics, you can’t help but think about the heated discussion around the Council on Dairy Cattle Breeding (CDCB) and who controls genetic evaluations in the US (Read more: Council On Dairy Cattle Breeding: Land of the Free and Home of the Brave?). The Cooperative Agreement with the USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS) pertaining to the transfer of the USDA-‐ARS dairy genetic evaluation service to the CDCB has certainly had many asking who does have control?
While the Bullvine has request several times to do an interview with CDCB officers , Ole Meland, (Chair), Jay Mattison (Vice Chair), Becky Payne (Secretary) and Gordon Doak (Recording Secretary), we have still not yet been granted the opportunity.
No Demand Means No Market
Of course there is a much bigger issue I think every breeder needs to think about. While in Canada most breeders are pretty immune to having to think about market demand, you only have to look at the US and Australia to see what happens when market demand goes south. If consumers are not drinking milk, it does not take long for the industry to dry up.
Worldwide milk consumption in relation to population growth is falling. While yes total consumption is increasing, we are not keeping pace with other beverages.
With greater international supply and less demand, it doesn’t take long to drive price and revenue down (Read more: Why the Future of the North American Dairy Industry Depends on Supply and Demand). There is no question that breeders and the industry as a whole, needs to pay greater attention to consumer demand as it will have the greatest impact on our future.
The Bullvine Bottom Line
There is no question the world is changing. It always is and always will. The question becomes are you ahead of the change or behind it? If we continue to operate in a bubble or stick our heads in the sand, we will not be the ones driving our own future, but instead will be handed the scraps from the future decided by others. That is why it is important to know who is controlling the dairy breeding industry?
I know you have heard the phrase, “Don’t hate the player, hate the game”. If you haven’t heard it, live a little longer and you will. What it means is: “Do not fault the successful participant in a flawed system, instead try to discern and rebuke that aspect of its organization that allows or even encourages the behavior that has provoked your displeasure”. This definition also holds true for many of the complaints that we hear from our Bullvine readers about various aspects of the dairy industry.
While we all love to get on a high horse and gripe and complain about things, Bullvine included, that is not going to change anything. It’s more important to use that frustration to bring about change. In looking back over the past year, some major areas that we see that need this are:
Marketing Ethics
Several times over the past year we have discussed the lack of ethics in the marketing of dairy cattle. More specifically photo ethics (Read more: No Cow Is Perfect, Not Even in Pictures, Has Photo Enhancement Gone Too Far, and Dairy Cattle Marketing Ethics – Do they exist?). To help deal with this the Bullvine has recommended and is going to further take up the charge for a set of ethical guidelines and accreditation process for professional livestock photographers to agree to and sign to, in order to bring credibility back to an industry that has developed much cynicism.
Sale Ring Prices
This past year has seen some impressive sale toppers at many of the great sales (Read more: An Insider’s Guide To What Sells At The Big Dairy Cattle Auctions). With it has also come some skepticism about whether those animals actually sold for those prices and were those animals really worth that amount of money. It’s for those very reasons that we here at the Bullvine created The Dairy Cattle Investment Calculator. This innovative tool allows you to plug in the numbers for your actual costs and expected revenue to determine exactly what that animal is worth to you. This number may be different for each person, but by going to this level of detail in understanding your investments, you are ensured that you will minimize your risk and maximize your return.
The Bullvine lives by the motto “Lead, follow, or get out of the way” (Read more: Lead, Follow, Or get out of the way!!!). Since we have started the Bullvine we have gotten out of the way of no one (Read more: The Bullvine – The Party is Over!), followed no one (Read more: I’m Sorry, But I’ve Had Just About Enough of…), and have tried to lead even when it put us under fire (Read more: The Bullvine – Under Fire). These are values we will never change as we look to tackle tough issues that have breeders concerned about the future. At the Bullvine we don’t hate the “playas” in the industry, we actually love all members of the industry. What we are looking to do is help change the game.
For years there has been great discussion about how show type is different from functional type. Show cattle are bred to be taller, deeper and to have level rumps where functional cattle are bred for maximum feed conversion and sloping rumps (Read more: From Fantasy to Reality – Top Sires to Address Herd Culling Problems). For the most part, the show ring has always been an exhibition stage for genetic advancement. However, more recently there has been rising debate about whether the show ring is still achieving this. For the most part this conversation is centered around the need for a non-milking SR./Fall yearling class at the major fall shows. You see, by fall shows most of the animals in this class are over 2 years of age and, compared to the average calving age, are behind the majority of their other young cow peers. With the cancellation of the non-milking Sr./Fall yearling class for Ayrshires (Read more: A Letter to the Editor From US Ayrshire President in Regards to Fall Yearling Class Cancellation ) this discussion has heated up even more. To get to the bottom of this, the Bullvine decided to look at both sides of the argument.
5 Reasons for keeping the class:
Non-Milking Sr./Fall Yearlings represent about 6-10% of the animals exhibited at each show
They show all summer at an age that is under two, and if these shows are to be the championships for the year, should there be a class that animals have competed in all summer.
You need to look at the timing of the shows. Since Madison is in early October and only 1/3 of the yearlings should have calved by then, it doesn’t make sense to cancel the class there.
The show ring is about breed promotion, so why not show off as many great animals as possible?
There have been some interesting points made about how calving them in early can lead to cows burning out later in life. A case could be made for this. When you look at the All-Canadian Mature Cows and 5 year olds over the past 2 years, NONE were nominated in milking form as a yearling.
R-E-W HAPPY GO LUCKY VG-89-2YR
5 Reasons for cancelling the class:
The quality of the milking yearling class has probably shown the greatest rate of advancement over the past 20 years, compared to any other class. Yes some of the summer calves are pretty large and cut right, and the 150,000 lbs. class is amazing to see with the great longevity of these animals. However, if you look at the whole class, from top to bottom and consider the rate of change, none of these highlights compare to that of the milking yearling class.
Over the past 5 years more animals have gone on to success in Milking form from the Milking Sr./Fall Yearling class than that of the non-milking class (Read more: Do All-Canadian Heifers Make All-Canadian Cows?) A great example of this is Valleyville Rae Lynn who was 2nd at the Royal this year as a 2nd calf Milking Senior 2yr old and now has the ability to flush, develop and compete in 2014 as a 3rd calf 4 yr. old. Just imagine how impressive she will be. This is also the plan for the very popular and unanimous All-Canadian and All-American Milking Yearling, R-E-W Goldwyn Happy Go Lucky. In fact the two most recent animals to convert heifer success into milking success where CRAIGCREST RUBIES GOLD REJOICE and T-TRIPLE-T GOLD PRIZE where both Winter/Intermediate Yearlings.
The Royal is in November when more than 2/3 of the class should have calved and, as a result, it really doesn’t make sense to have the class. When looking at the non-milking SR. yearling class at the Royal, one of the biggest challenges that is consistent throughout the class is the dairyness or lack thereof throughout the class. It is very hard to keep these animals clean and dairy. Jerseys have been well ahead on this from both a breed advancement and a show ring perspective and, as a result, their average age at 1st calving is low and they DO NOT have a Senior Yearling class at the Royal. (Please note they do have a Fall Yearling class at World Dairy Expo).
I have heard the argument that some animals are just not big enough or developed enough to calve that young and I can totally understand that. Nevertheless, should these animals be rewarded for being behind in their development, when compared to others? Remember, Dry Cow classes were dropped because they did not showcase milking udders and production ability. Two major functions of dairy cattle profitability.
The dairy cattle industry is a business and dairy cows don’t become profitable until after they calve. Shouldn’t we be showcasing profitable animals instead of those that are still costing money? Remember the dairy farming is a business and everyone needs to appease the banker. The banker is like an undertaker and eventually everyone has to pay the price.
VALLEYVILLE RAE LYNN VG-89-2YR-CAN
The Bullvine Bottom Line
While there are many great points on both sides of this argument, if the show ring truly wants to stay relevant and represent the best the breed has to offer than there is no question it needs to be ahead of the curve and not behind it. That means it should be leading the charge not following it. The one thing both sides can agree on is this is an issue the breeders need to decided together in order to ensure that dairy cattle showing stays relevant going into the future. Since the breeders who show at the national level really are a niche group, they need to make sure they stay market relevant or become irrelevant very fast in the eyes of most producers and the breed associations as a whole.
WOW hard to believe that it has been 1 year already since we started The Bullvine. What started as a desire to write about something that we were passionate about has grown into the largest daily digital readership in the dairy breeding industry. Reaching over 20,000 breeders a day!
The Past
Along the way we have a shared our clean side that highlights thought provoking articles and tools to help you make your dairy cattle breeding programs more profitable. However, we also have an edgy side that has not been afraid to talk about those issues the others do not touch.
Over the past year we have published over 280 feature articles (Four times more than any other digital or print dairy publication). Some of the highlights include:
7 SIRES TO USE IN ORDER TO BREED THE NEXT WORLD DAIRY EXPO CHAMPION
Everyone loves winning. No one enters a competition to finish last. Regardless of who you are every purebred dairy breeder dreams of winning supreme champion at World Dairy Expo. Your dream of walking in the spotlight, on the colored shavings, with everyone applauding you, starts with choosing the right sires. (Read more)
THE 2012 ROYAL WINTER FAIR HOLSTEIN SHOW – ONE OF THE GREATEST STORIES EVER TOLD!
From an outsider looking in, the 2012 Royal Winter Fair Holstein Show may appear to be somewhat boring. The winners were pretty much the same as, and for all intents and purposes the results whereas per expectation. Yet in my mind, the 2012 Royal Winter Fair Holstein Show will go down in history as one of the greatest stories ever told. (Read more)
SELECT SIRES VS. SEMEX – A CONTRAST IN COOPERATIVES
While many would think that all farmer-owned cooperatives would have the same challenges and the same mandates, there could be no greater contrast than the approaches taken by Select Sires and Semex. Select Sires is a federation of nine farmer-owned-and-controlled cooperative and Semex is a partnership of three breeder owned cooperatives. So structurally they are quite similar with perhaps some significant differences in mandates. However these two artificial insemination companies are headed in very different directions when it comes to approaches to communications and product development. (Read more)
$10,000 A DOSE POLLED SEMEN
First it was LIQUID GOLD that caught everyone’s attention when GenerVations released him and his brothers in a limited offering for $750 and $500. That gave all breeders the chance to have equal access to early release semen, instead of playing favorites with preferred herds or contract mattings. Now it’s GOLDEN PP, Kulp-Dale Golden PP-Red that is getting everyone’s attention. When his first five units of semen sold for $50,000, it generated heaps of discussion around the industry. (Read more)
$750 DOLLAR SEMEN! ARE YOU CRAZY
When you first read the recent Limited Offering from GenerVations for Liquid Gold, Fuzion and Gizmo priced at $750 and $500 and $500 respectively, I am sure some breeders will think: “Are the bulls dead? Are these guys crazy? Are they expecting to get rich? Who the heck will buy that semen?” (Read more)
TOP TEN MOST INFLUENTIAL HOLSTEIN BREEDERS OF ALL-TIME
The great thing about the North American dairy breeding industry is how passionate breeders are about what they do. This is what makes most dairy farmers get up in the morning to do hard work that many would not. Over the years there have been many great breeders that have dedicated their lives to advancing the breed. The following is our top 10 list of the ones who the Bullvine feels have had the biggest impact on the North American Holstein industry. (Read more)
THE TOP 12 HOLSTEIN GENOMIC YOUNG SIRES TO USE FOR MAXIMUM GAIN
Confused on what group of genomic young sires to use for your breeding program? Not sure which sires are the real deals and which ones are just smoke and mirrors (read The Hot House Effect on Sire Sampling)? We decided to take a closer look at the top 100 genomic young sires from around the world to determine just which ones are worth using and which ones you are better forgetting. (Read more)
WORLD DAIRY EXPO 2012 HOLSTEIN SHOW – A BATTLE FOR THE AGES
Pre-billed as being one of the greatest shows in history the 2012 World Dairy Expo Holstein Show was one for the record books. There was the battle of two EX-97 point cows ….the Rejoice vs. Monique battle … and there was the bull stud battle. (Read more)
THE 8 GREATEST NORTH AMERICAN SHOW COWS OF ALL-TIME
Coming off what might have been one of the greatest World Dairy Expo’s of All-Time there seems to be great debate about how some cows stack up in the All-Time rankings. To help determine how we would rank the greatest North American Holstein show cows of all time, we looked at their head to head match ups as well as overall accomplishments and dominance in their era and developed the following list (Read more)
THE WINNERS OF THE 2012 BREEDER’S CHOICE AWARDS
Forget the Vince Lombardi Trophy award to the Baltimore Ravens for winning the Super Bowl last night, it is now time to hand out the 2012 Breeder’s Choice Awards. After the month long vote and announcement this past Monday of the winners of the Tanbark Trail Edition, over 3000 dairy breeders cast almost 8000 votes in a one week period for their favorites in 21 different categories. Without any further ado, here are the winners. (Read more)
MILK MARKETING: HOW “GOT MILK?” BECAME “GOT LOST”
It’s just eight days into a New Year and already I’m thinking about the ‘good ol’ days!”. Remember when the dairy industry was at the top of the agricultural sustainable list, milk was the “perfect food” and milk moustaches were seen on celebrities and sports stars? Hmmm. Where has all the glory gone? In 2013, the dairy industry is fighting to stay alive, the North American diet, including milk, is under attack as obesity from babes to the elderly is out of control and, when all is said and done, milk is a slipping way down on the favorite beverage list! (Read more)
The Present
Today we are doing so much more. We now post 5-10 Breeder relevant news items a day in our Dairy News Section. The Bullvine now has amazing daily content and conversations taking place on our Facebook page. These dynamic interactions have led to our Facebook page setting a new world record for engagement for a dairy page.
This past week alone saw these posts going viral:
Reached over 166,000 people in its first day and shared 1,500 times in under 24 hours
Reached over 118,000 people in 1 day and liked and shared 2,000 times
Seen by over 100,000 people in 1 day and liked or shared over 1,000 times.
In addition, our T-Shirts are in demand by many dairy enthusiasts.
The Future
When we first set out to launch The Bullvine, I decided that for the 1st year we would not take any advertisers on our website. I wanted to first build The Bullvine community and not be influenced or biased by who spent the most money with us.
Now that we are turning two, we are going to start to monetize The Bullvine. However, we will not be doing so in the traditional way. Instead of having breeders pay for ineffective ads, we are going to use the Google proven Ad platform model that is based on pay by performance. As part of Google’s platform we will have no control over whose ads are displayed, and hence will not be influenced by who advertises with us. , We will need to make sure that we keep generating great content that breeders want to read.
We will also be introducing some great new contests and bylines from some of the leading experts and companies in the dairy industry. This will not only enrich the articles and guides that we have already been producing but will also provide you the reader with even more opportunities to get free stuff from us here at The Bullvine, including a chance to win a trip to World Dairy Expo.
The Bullvine Bottom Line
The first year has been an amazing experience for all of us here at the Bullvine. We appreciate all the support we have received from breeders from around the world. The Bullvine community has grown much larger and much faster than we could have ever imagined. We are even more excited about the great things to come in Year 2. Once again, thanks to all the breeders who have made The Bullvine the largest and most read digital daily dairy publication. Gandhi once said “First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win!” A pattern we have seen perfectly since starting the Bullvine one year ago.
I like to believe that I am someone who sees the best in people. Even if someone might rub me the wrong way at first, I try my hardest to give that person the benefit of the doubt. That being said, if I’m being completely honest, there is one person out there that I’m really at my wits’ end with. I’d even go as far as to say this person sometimes has taken things too far. That person is….Me!
Look, somebody has to say it: I’m arrogant, I’m abrasive and to top it all off, I’m down right aggravating. Okay, sure, I can be a nice enough guy every now and again, but haven’t you noticed that seconds later I’m back to being a complete jerk who is harshly judgmental about anything anyone does?
Most of all, I never want to hear any more of my pitiful excuses for my behavior. I’m done listening to me trying to explain any of the aggravating things I do seem to do on a daily basis. When it comes right down to it, I’ve been a pain in the butt for as long as I can remember, and I for one just don’t think I’m ever going to change.
Why Do I Do It?
So why do I behave the way I do. Is it ’cause have a vendetta against people? Nope. Is it because I am jealous of others? Nope. Is it because I love to cause trouble? Well maybe. But the real reason I do what I do is because someone has to speak up and lead change. And I am just the person who is narcissistic enough to do so. You see change is not easy. And leading change is even harder.
In my own defense, I have been bred and raised to be this way. Maybe it’s genetic. My father’s motto was “Lead, Follow, or Get Out of the Way” and there is no way that I am going to follow or get out of the way. Maybe it was how I was raised. I am from the video game generation where I could play games and pretend that I was an Olympian, Formula 1 driver, rock star or secret agent. Maybe it’s a sign of the times. You see on Facebook, you can fool yourself into thinking you have hundreds or thousands of “friends.” You can delete unflattering comments (but, I don’t I love them). You can block anyone who disagrees with you or pokes holes in your inflated self-esteem (but I don’t, ’cause I love that too). You can choose to show the world only flattering, sexy or funny photographs of yourself (which I do, after I have airbrushed them of course).
But then again maybe it’s the dairy industry that has made me this way. No, I have not judged the Royal or Madison. No, I have not bought or sold a Supreme Champion. However, what I did get is worth far more than any of these things. It gave me the confidence to be heard, the ability to know what I am talking about, and the skills to defend my position. These three things have served me extremely well. (Read more – How Dairy Cattle Judging Made Me Rich)
What I do know is I am not alone! Since starting the Bullvine almost 1 year ago, I have learned that my cry for change is not going unheard. In fact we now have the most engaged audience in the world.
Learning from the greats!
I would love to say I have modeled myself after some of the greatest leaders of all time. Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, and George Washington were all great leaders. But I haven’t modeled myself after them unfortunately. Even my mentor Ken Blanchard is a great leader, but I wouldn’t say I have followed in his exact footsteps.
What I have done is looked at some modern day leaders. A mixture between the great Don Cherry, Bob McCown and Howard Stern. Don Cherry is famous hockey broadcaster who is well known for his outspoken manner, flamboyant dress, and staunch Canadian nationalism. Three things I have been accused of many times. Bob McCown runs Canada’s most listened to talk show. My favorite quote of his is one where he is sitting at the Rogers Center (where the Toronto Blue Jays play) and he says “I’ve been told, that there are people out there who don’t like me, so I’d like to invite them all down to the Rogers Centre. Unfortunately, it only holds 50,000.” Something since starting the Bullvine I am well on my way to. And of course Howard Stern, because sometimes I do tend to have a little “shock jock” in what we do.
The Bullvine Bottom Line
Gandhi once said “First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win!” A pattern I have seen perfectly since starting the Bullvine. When we first started many ignored us. After a little while they started to laugh at us. And now more recently they have started to fight us. Guess that means………
P.S. For those of you who are concerned I AM seeing a psychiatrist. I married her.
For those who don’t understand social media, which tends to be the gray-haired generation, they like to say that Facebook is just a bunch of college kids spouting off about things that don’t apply to them. Furthermore, many say that there is no need to get involved in social media because it’s not where the “buyers” are. In actual fact, both statements could not be further from the truth. The first thing breeders need to understand about Facebook and the other social media platforms is that they are simply stories. Instead of breeders sharing stories in the milk house, or at ringside, they are happening online. It’s that change of location that is the first hurdle. Many are afraid of change. It is easier to pan it and accuse Facebook of being a fake than it is to adjust to the change.
Before Facebook, to get your story out there you needed to be fortunate enough to get one of the major print publications to do an article about your farm. Or you had to spend thousands in advertising to get your message out there. With tools like Facebook breeders can tell their story at relatively no cost to thousands of potential customers.
Now I know what you’re thinking, “Are there really thousands of dairy breeders online?” The answer is “Yes. Yes. Yes.”. Despite the fact that some publications like to buy followers from nondairy markets in order to pad their numbers, there really are breeders who are having amazing conversations online.
Take for example the recent Breeder’s Choice Awards from the Bullvine (Read more: The Winners of the 2012 Breeder’s Choice Awards are…). In a one-week period we had over 3,000 Dairy Breeders cast more than 8,000 votes. Now I know the next comment will be that those are a bunch of college kids. Well actually our Facebook page reports that 50% are over the age of 25. Moreover, 31.6% of our followers are male over the age of 25. That’s 2897 followers that are male over the age of 25. That’s more than most dairy publications readership, male or female, any age. So they are not only college kids. In fact I have conversations with dairy breeders of all ages. Breeders who you would never have thought would spend so much time online, are actually following the conversation. In fact our Facebook page reaches over 125,000 people on a weekly basis. That is more than the COMBINED total subscribership of the major dairy breeder print publications in the world!
Think about that for a minute. On Facebook you can reach more people at next to no cost, than you can reach offline even when you’re spending thousands of dollars. Why is that? Well it’s simple, Facebook is today’s most effective tool for finding entertainment and information. How you ask? It’s simple. In your Facebook stream your friends comment, share and like photos, articles, videos or other types of content. By doing so, people who have similar interests to you (your Facebook friends) are in effect narrowing down all the content that is out there in the world, to what you’re most likely to want to read or watch.
For us here at the Bullvine Facebook has been one of the greatest sources for finding new readers. One of our current subscribers reads something on our website, finds it interesting enough to share it or make a comment about it on Facebook, and then their friends come to the Bullvine and read it as well. That is why you find many of our articles having hundreds of shares on Facebook, instead of donuts like the other online publications. We don’t only publish all the same boring new releases that every other publication puts out, but rather, on a daily basis, we are producing thought provoking original content. Instead of just bragging that we get thousands of visitors to a website a day, we have the trackable social proof from Facebook that people are engaging in our community. Moreover, it’s the reason many breeders, who don’t always agree with us, keep coming back to the Bullvine. Think about it, over the past year, what articles, events or content has driven the most conversation? You don’t need to be told where the conversation is at. As a dairy breeder you are part of the conversation and already know where it`s going on.
So how does this apply to the average breeder?
It’s really pretty simple. Set up your own Facebook page or a Facebook Fan page for your farm. Tell your story. Did you have a great classification round and want to let the world know? Share it on Facebook. Had a great flush and want to sell the embryos from it? Share it on Facebook. Your friends will spread the word and before you know it, you too will start to have a loyal following.
A few things to remember. Just like that first date with that hot dairy princess, it will go better if you don’t make it all about you. On our Facebook page we make sure for every story we share of ours, we share someone else’s story. That is one of the major reasons many breeders check out our feed on a daily basis. We are sharing content that we find interesting as a dairy breeder and, as a result, other dairy breeders typically find it interesting as well. That is also why almost 70% of the breeders who follow our page share, like or comment on the information and entertainment we are sharing on a weekly basis. Now 70% sounds like a big number and it is. On a weekly basis that is over 6000 people engaging in the conversation, that is almost 3 times as many as any other publication. The thing that these other publications don’t get is that instead of just sharing a pretty picture each day, we are sharing interesting articles from around the world. We are asking questions. We are joining the conversation. That’s because we get it. We are breeders first and love being part of the breeder community. We are not trying to drive traffic to our website, so we can justify the high expense to advertise on our site. We are joining in with and, often times, starting the conversation.
A great example of this is that recently we shared an advertisement from a sale manager for an upcoming sale. We were impressed with their list of consignments, so we shared it with our readers. That advertisement was seen by more people on our Facebook page, than in the major print publication that they had spent thousands of dollars on.
The Bullvine Bottom Line
Now I know change can be hard. And for those who have been successful through traditional methods, it can be even harder to adjust to these changes. But the world has already changed. Either you adjust to live within or it will move on without you. Facebook is not Fakebook. It is real people, real stories and real connections. If you don’t learn to leverage the power of it, the only thing that is going to be fake is the money in your wallet.
In the age of American Idol, Dancing with the Stars and countless other franchises where the fans decide the outcome, it’s about time for Dairy Breeders to join the decision-making fun.. That is why the Bullvine has created the Breeder’s Choice Awards. The Breeder’s Choice Awards celebrates 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.
So be sure to “like” our Facebook page and Click on “Show” in the News feed as Facebook now only shows you about 20% of posts on pages you like. Don’t miss any of the great polls and great conversation.
Since the beginning, the Bullvine has been committed to talking about the issues that others run from. It’s not surprising that this has provoked a lot of discussion. From both sides. Adding to everything is the power of the internet and social media, which is the biggest megaphone the world has ever known. There is no question that the Bullvine has taken the dairy industry by storm.
At the Bullvine we did not enter this with the delusional belief that we thought it would be easy. Having been involved at various levels in this industry for many years, the team here at the Bullvine knew that this would not come quickly. The parties on both sides of these issues are very passionate and see the virtue in what they are doing.
Whenever you raise discussion about touchy issues in an industry as passionate as the dairy industry, you know that it’s going to get personal. That is what makes the dairy industry so amazing. For all those involved it’s more than just a job. It’s a livelihood. It’s a way of life. It’s that passion that drives the need for change. If the dairy industry was like some industries, people just wouldn’t care. It wouldn’t matter. In the dairy industry, it’s because we all care so much that we want to help drive change.
Turning
When you take a leadership position, you put yourself in the direct line of fire. While some like to lead from the rear, that has never been our style (Read more: What the Dairy Industry can Learn From The Firing of Brian Burke). When my mother and father saw the need to cut costs, redundancy and could see that the Canadian A.I. companies did not want to work together on the world markets, they led the dissolution of the company they were passionate about (The Canadian Association of Animal Breeders). They faced putting themselves out of work rather than quietly watch that organization become nothing more than a bureaucracy and logistics organization (Canadian Livestock Genetics Association). Likewise, my brother saw the need to further maximize breeders’ investment in the industry and led the charge for the merger of Holstein Canada and Canadian Dairy Network (CDN). Our family has never been afraid to face change.
While I have no doubt that others share that same passion, the challenge is always finding a way to see the vision through to the end. Change is never easy. There are those that would rather fight than risk change. I get that. Therefore, it’s only natural for those who are afraid to start firing bullets at those who push for change. The part that has always got me is that how when these bullets start firing that many run for the hills instead of picking of the flag and supporting the charge. Those same people that talked the talk in the barns, at the cow shows and during the picture sessions now find themselves running for the hills. While the reasons are many, for the most part it comes down to the fact that they are afraid, just like those that are firing the bullets.
Upon These Stones
A funny thing happened on the way to change. The call that was started by some of the biggest names in the industry, that have now abandoned the charge, is now supported by the average breeder. The groundswell of support that we have received from our readers has been insane! Upon the stones first laid by those turncoats the banner has now been taken up by those who have felt that they never had a voice. And that too has changed the voice of the Bullvine. What started as a voice for education in the marketplace has now become a megaphone for the marketplace to educate its leaders on the need for change. What started as a new way to market, sell and breed dairy cattle, has now become a rallying cry for those who never had their voices heard.
I want to say thank you to those who first started with us and laid the stones for what has now grown into the most talked about and relevant community in the dairy industry. Even though it sometimes feels like that there is no one coming to support the battle and it makes you question if the fight is worth it? Is it worth straining or losing relationships that have been built over the years? Tough question. But then at least 2 or 3 times every day, we receive messages of great appreciation for what we do from people that we have never known or would not have expected to hear from. This support recharges our conviction and helps us fight that much harder.
In this time when many breeder organizations are having their annual meetings, I ask these new leaders to think about stepping up and taking positions on these boards. It is time to help those who have already started the call for change to help bring it about. We have all heard complaints about the direction that these organizations are head in. Well the only way to bring about change is to step up and be heard. Otherwise, the positions are filled but, sadly,we are left with empty chairs at empty tables.
The Bullvine Bottom Line
Sometimes when we look back at the original group that helped us start the Bullvine, it feels like we are left sitting at an empty table with empty chairs. However, we are no longer sitting at a small table but rather we are standing with a much larger community. This one has been built on passion not for dollar signs, but rather built around a vision for tomorrow that is far greater. This community is not afraid of change but rather demands it. New leaders have emerged and great new friendships have started. Voices we never expected now inspire us on a daily basis. Does this make standing on the front line easy? No. However, it does make it worthwhile. Here at the Bullvine that’s all we need.
The whole world watched as Lance Armstrong admitted to Oprah that he used EPO, human-growth hormone, testosterone and other drugs to help him win his 7 Tour de France titles. Actually, many learned about his confession second hand since, not that many people get Oprah Winfrey’s OWN network. The part that was really interesting is how Mr. Armstrong said he doesn’t consider himself to be a cheater. He said he looked up the word “cheat” in the dictionary and said the definition—to gain an unfair advantage—doesn’t describe his use of performance-enhancing drugs. “So many other riders were also using them”, he said, that “the playing field was level”. This got me to thinking, if leveling the playing field is what some of those in the show and high end genetics world consider that they are doing?
Show Ethics and Major Sports They Have a Very Similar Past
The one thing that caught my attention was how for the most part show ethics have mirrored those of the cycling world as well as most other major North American pro sports. Baseball, Football, Basketball and Hockey (yes we are Canadian so we have to acknowledge Hockey) as well as cycling have all gone through major transformation in their perspective on performance enhancing drugs.
At one time, using illegal drugs or doing unethical practices was seen as a necessary evil in order to compete at the top level. As Armstrong says the need to take banned substances was like saying “we have to have air in our tires and we have to have water in our bottles.” Well, in the show scene, at one time, it was pretty much the same. For the most part in order to compete at the highest level (there are exceptions) you needed to push the limits in order to win the prize.
Villains or Lambs to the Slaughter?
Lance Armstrong is to cycling what Jose Canseco is to Baseball (Read more – The Big Bad Wolf of the Dairy Industry). Both have been tagged as the poster child for their drug era. Both sports want to put this dark time behind them. The debate boils down to whether these two are really the rare villain or are they the greatest of their time who performed on the stage demanded by the spectators of that time?
It’s funny when Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa were in pursuit of Roger Maris and his single season home run record, the world watched with great amazement. Television broadcasts interrupted prime time shows to show a McGwire towering blast. Previously, interruptions were restricted to an act of war or a Presidential address. Similarly, everyone loved the great story of Armstrong’s seven Tour de France victories. But now as the full story comes to light everyone looks back and labels them as horrible people, as evidenced by the treatment of Armstrong in the media, and how both McGwire and Sosa were shunned in the recent Hall of Fame voting.
Have Things Really Changed?
The question now becomes “Has the cheating stopped? Or are those being tested just one step ahead of the testers?” There has been great debate in the media whether baseball and the other major sports are really clean, or have the users found new and better ways to elude detection. In the case of Armstrong, there was regular testing at the time but he was able to elude detection. It was not until recently that new tests were developed that they were able to confirm his use, since they had his blood samples on file (Something the major pro-sports have not started until recently). This has me thinking, has the show ring and the genetics market really cleaned up their act? Or are they just staying one-step ahead?
The Bullvine Bottom Line
In the 90’s and early twenty first century, drug use in sports was so endemic that the moral culpability of individual players who start taking steroids after the use is widespread is much more ambiguous. Much like the dairy cattle show scene in the late 80’s and early 90’s. I am sure there are those that will tell you it never happened. There are also those who will try to tell you that the Apollo Moon landing was a hoax or that there really were UFO’s recovered at Roswell. Even better, that the Council on Dairy Cattle Breeding (CDCB) are controlled by the big A.I companies and they just want to beat the little guy down. The major lesson is that you can’t waste your time pointing the finger at individuals but, instead, we need to keep working together to improve the industry as a whole.
Hockey fans, which most dairy farmers are, know Brian Burke as the guy with the permanently askew necktie and reddish face, and a plug of chewing tobacco planted firmly beneath his cheek and gums as he stared down at his hockey team from the general manager’s box in the press level at the Air Canada Centre, chirping at opposing teams or on-ice officials and urging on his Toronto Maple Leafs. They also know him as the guy who talked a good game but failed to deliver a competent goaltender and overspent for players. Something far too familiar to many dairy industry executives. Burke was fired this week.
The thing that many dairy farmers need to realize from this scenario is that dairy farming, just as hockey is a results oriented business. Just like hockey, when someone is not performing, change is needed. When Burke was ushered in to Toronto many fans were already planning the Stanley Cup parade down Yonge Street. The problem is it never materialized. Similar to the announcements of many dairy industry executives.
Leadership starts at the Board Level
The same can be said of many dairy organizations. New leadership comes in and it seems to take a long time to see any change, and even longer for the boards that preside over these organizations to realize it’s not working and enact change. Take a look at the Leafs, the board at the time when Burke was hired, was comprised of mostly hockey fans (Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan owned the Leafs as much for the PR value with membership as they did for ROI). Then about a year ago Canada’s two media giants, Rogers and Bell, teamed up to purchase the majority stake in the Leafs for $1.07 billion, with official transfer happening in late August. As one of their first moves, though delayed by the lockout, the very results driven board decided that Burke was not the man to lead them forward. He’s gone.
This is one area that I think many of the dairy breeder boards (Breeds, Milk Recording, A.I., Milk Marketing etc.) do not do a good job of. While everyone likes to be everyone’s friend, management must be held accountable for results. This is its very mandate that every board should hold itself to. Now I know that in many cases breeders tenure on these boards is short (something many big corporate boards would never allow), so the ability to bring about change can be hard. However, it is also why I think as an industry we need to look closer at how we comprise these boards.
While there is no doubt I believe the breeders should be represented, it can also be very helpful to have people from outside the industry on these boards. Any good board needs to have its stakeholders (the breeders) on its board. However, it’s also important to bring non-investor (non-breeder) who has outside perspectives to the board. Typically this means bringing people from financial, legal and organizational growth to the table. This will help in bringing a more balanced approach to growing the organization.
Blue and White Disease
For all his performance shortcomings, there were certainly things about Brian Burke’s tenure that I have a great deal of respect for. One thing is the way in which he worked at getting rid of the “blue and white” disease. This was the clever phrase Brian used to slam the culture of entitlement they believed every Leaf was stricken with. We see this in many dairy organizations, where staff and board members seem to have a sense of entitlement just because of their position with that organization. They seem immune to the performance and accountability that all employees and boards should feel as paid or elected representatives of a public or co-operative organization.
Now I understand that there is a time and a place for different styles of leadership. At times, it is better to lead from the rear than the front. No questions asked. However, much like William Wallace (Braveheart) and Maximus (Gladiator) there is also a time that you need to lead your organization from the front, leading the fight at risk of firing or in Wallace and Maximus case even death. That is what it is going to take to win. In a time where there was no superstar capable of being the front man for the Leafs, Burke took the heat and stood up for the organization. (Don’t even get me started on Kessel, whose trade may be the one biggest mistake Burke made that ultimately cost him his job). Now he may have partly done it out of ego, but when the organization or even certain players were under severe scrutiny (which happens a lot in the hockey crazed city of Toronto), Burke stepped up and took the heat, something that earned him a great deal of respect from all internal staff and players. This is one thing I see severely missing in the dairy industry. At one time there were people like Moe Freeman, Roy Snyder and George Clemons, that when it was needed stepped up and led from the front lines.
The Bullvine Bottom Line
The dairy industry is stricken by its own Blue and White disease. The sense of entitlement held by many of its breeder organizations is staggering. These organizations need to be accountable for performance, and when performance metrics are not met, heads need to roll. Currently, there is rising uncertainty, due to changes in consumer demand, marketplace decline and genomics. It is time for leaders to step up to the plate. It is time to lead from the front. It is time for accountability. Brian Burke accepted that leadership responsibility. He was willing to risk it all, knowing that performance would dictate his fate. Can dairy breeders expect the same from our boards and leaders?
Over the years, I have often been amazed at the rumors that go around the dairy industry. Sometimes these are just a result of a bad game of “gossip” where one person passes a story on to another and each time parts are added or changed. Other times there seems to be actual intent to spread fraudulent rumors for financial gain. Recently some of these have come to my attention and provided a few chuckles over the holiday season. For example did you hear this juicy tidbit “The Bullvine is secretly funded by Select Sires”?
The part that made me take notice, as I traced back to the source, was that these particular rumors are coming from semen salesmen! Of course, they vow that they are just repeating what they have been told by people higher up in their company. Is this how they are trying to contradict what they perceive as bad publicity that is out there? These somewhat unsuspecting sales representatives have passed on what they are told, trying to get breeders to believe that what they are saying is based on fact.
Well the fact is, as we have stated many times, the Bullvine is currently funded 100% from our own pocket books. We have not accepted any payments from any A.I. or other companies, in either advertisement or any other form. The comments we make and subjects that we write about are inspired by actual conversations we have had with dairy breeders or subjects that have caught our interest. NOTHING ELSE.
While this rumor about the Bullvine gives me a good chuckle, it does not really catch me by surprise. For years the grapevine has been a marketing tool that many companies have used. They pass information, often incorrect or not 100% accurate, to their frontline staff in order to sway public perception (Read more – Fight the Power). The problem is in the 21st Century, these are old school public relation tactics that, instead of demonstrating how progressive a company is, highlight the fact that they are still stuck in the past and not ready or willing to connect to today’s breeders.
Instead of using these out of date tactics, these companies should be engaging breeders in the public forum that is social media (Read more – How Social Media Is Changing the Holstein World). I found it very funny that while these companies think they are taking a beating on social media platforms like Facebook, they choose to say nothing there. Instead they try to use their out of date methods to combat the publicity. Maybe they are afraid of what they cannot control? (Read more – Got the Horns to Mess with the Bullvine?)
They have even gone as far as calling us here at the Bullvine and asking for “private” conversations, where we can clear things up. The one thing we have said since we started is that we believe what the industry needs is transparency and accountability. That is why we have been 100% transparent in our actions, and why we will NOT have “private” back room conversations brokering deals or whatever with ANYONE. We believe in our values and will hold true to them.
The Bullvine Bottom Line
We all know many salesmen whom we like and respect from many different companies. Obviously one important part of their job is that of Public Relations. For many companies these are the only frontline staff that will interact on-farm with breeders. How they represent their organization can have a huge impact on the success of that organization within that breeder’s herd. While I have written articles in the past about the need for semen salesman (Read more – Are There Too Many Semen Salesmen Coming in The Lane?), I sincerely believe that they provide a great service to the breeders they work with. The ones that are most respected build trust, offer unbiased advice, and leave the job of disseminating false rumors to those of lesser credibility. So, the next time you hear a rumor that seems to be too much PR bull and not enough fact, think twice and ask your source, “Where is this coming from?”
With 10 months in at The Bullvine and a New Year just beginning, this is a timely opportunity to revisit our Top 12 Favorite Stories of 2012 and tell you why we loved them so much.
These aren’t necessarily the highest-traffic stories (The Top 10 of 2012 – The most read articles of the year) although in some cases they did attract a lot of attention. More importantly, they are the stories that best represent what we try to deliver to our Bullvine readers every day: real stories, features, and analysis about the people, cows, issues and trends that are shaping the dairy industry in North America and around the world.
These are the ones that kept us up at night and got us out of bed in the morning! We know that when we are engaged, you will be too! Read on for our favorites of 2012!
“These days, dairy producers need to have as much confidence in handling their advertising as they do when handling their high-producing cows.” We like this article for its relevance to modern dairy producers. Just as important as what you feed your dairy cattle, what you feed your customers in terms of information can make or break your bottom line. Social media has overtaken our industry. (Read more – How Social Media is Changing the Holstein World). What tech gadget did YOU get or give for Christmas? Unlike other advertising trends these ones are here to stay and growing more and more relevant to marketing success.
“Every farmer and every farm has their own individual situation. One type of cow is not the most profitable for everyone. But it is important that every cattle breeder takes the time to decide which, for them personally, is the most profitable cow. And then it’s equally important that they take the next step and breed for that type of cow. Your reality is the source for your profit.” This is a message that The Bullvine feels is both informative and timely. With a changing industry, global economics and advancements in genetics and technology finding the profitable cow is crucial to every producer.
“This was our favorite story to put together this year”. That is saying a lot when you consider that The Bullvine provided the opportunity to interview Cristy Nurse (Read more – Cristy Nurse: From Show Ring Beauty to World Class Rower and Cristy Nurse: Standing Tall) and Bonnie Mohr (Read more – Bonnie Mohr: Science and Art Together Creates a Holstein Love Story) – who are both amazing role models for the industry. In the case of Don Schwartz it was the unassuming way in which he has dedicated himself to the cows he works with that stood out for us. His passion shows in the cattle he guides from birth to the show ring — and home again. The 2012 Curtis Clark Award Winner is a fine example, like Cristy and Bonnie, of how far you can go by loving what you do and doing your best every day!
From the outset The Bullvine has stated our belief that open discussion is the best way for the industry to grow, develop and move forward.” This article reiterates that. One supporter wrote, “If only there were more people in our industries who adopted the same attitude. Don’t shy away from it, reveal it, raise it, discuss it and come out the other side better informed, more empowered, more engaged, and much stronger!” Will do!
There are many questions that are relevant to today’s dairy industry and this article is one example that we have taken a look at. Profitability is the driving force of a sustainable industry and weaves its way through many of our articles on investing in genomics, robotics and management articles that consider the money-makers and money-wasters in today’s dairy business. Of course, it’s always relevant to keep our minds and eyes open to more than “black and white”.
7. Gone But Not Forgotten.
Seventh place on my top 12 list is occupied by cows who have left a legacy for the dairy industry despite passing on much too soon for those who raised and loved them. Rainyridge Talent Barbara (Read more: LASTING LEGACY: A Tribute to Rainyridge Talent Barbara) and Sweet Pepper Black Francesca (Read more: The Magic of Francesca) are two stories that are the cornerstone for why breeders dedicate their lives to dairy cattle breeding.
6. Talk About Money!
The Bullvine takes seriously its role in providing information to breeders to help them make informed decisions. We enjoy the research and analysis that provides a basis for articles that are relevant and useful. Our investment articles are consistently among the most popular and, for us, bring this article in at number 6 (Read more: Top 6 ways to invest $50000 in Dairy Cattle Genetics).
5. Answering the Tough Questions.
Every day we are faced with new ideas, financial challenges and, on occasion, the impact of Mother Nature on our day to day dairying success. It isn`t the Bullvine`s style to fly below the radar or to deny the obvious. Whether it`s providing a needed wakeup call or asking a tough questions about Genomics, the Show Ring, hot house or high priced cattle or Industry leadership, we bring the issues to the table for discussion and debate. One of our favorites earns 5th place – (Read more: $750 Semen Are You Crazy?”) because it took a different angle on this new approach to dairy cattle semen selling.
If frequency of discussion was the only measure, this article on envisioning the perfect Holstein cow would be out in front by a country mile. It is a topic that we never tire of at The Bullvine. With experience in classification, true-type model designing and day-by-day cattle management, it is the “impossible dream” that eludes our grasp. That doesn’t mean that we won’t try every scientific, photographic or genetic tool to bring it within our impassioned reach! And we WILL talk and write about it!!
3. The Story Behind the Story.
There are many obvious stories to write about: the winner at the cattle show; the top seller at the Auction; the list of industry Award Winners and so on. However, for the Bullvine, the real excitement comes from learning what goes on “behind barn doors” as we say! By far one of our favorite articles was the one from this year’s Royal describing the touching events for the Eby family in “The 2012 Royal Winter Fairy Holstein Show – One of the Greatest Stories Ever Told”. While it rises to the top, we are constantly impressed by the dedication, commitment and expertise of the dairy breeders we meet. Quality Holsteins (Read more: Quality Holsteins – Well Deserved Congratulations) and (Read more: Top 10 most Influential Holstein Breeders of All-Time) are great examples. It is the personal stories they shared with us that make our work a pleasure every day.
2. If it Matters, It Produces Controversy.
We continually ask ourselves, “What really matters to the dairy breeders who read the Bullvine?” Sometimes the answers take us into areas that may be deemed politically incorrect or even none of our business. Great! Obviously, we receive (and accept) criticism especially when it leads to open and transparent discussion of these issues. When we look at industry leaders, we definitely raise hackles (Read more: Semex – The Rise and Fall of a Semen Empire). Our readers give us feedback: “I for one enjoy the service you provide. While I do not always agree with you, you always make me think” “Unfortunately truth is not always popular and frequently contradicts the institutional consensus.” and, most encouraging, “Your articles and subject are great. I’m so damned tired of hearing the same old thing from others.” “I read The Bullvine first thing every morning and think about it, while I do chores!” Perfect!
This brings us to #1 on our Editors’ Choice list of favourites.
#1 Now That’s Timely.
Anyone involved in journalism will tell you that the Holy Grail of article writing is timeliness. At the Bullvine we strive to provide news in a way that is relevant to where you are RIGHT NOW! Sometimes we burn the midnight oil. Quite often we see the sun rise while we click away on our computers. It is all worth it when it works for YOU!
For these reasons our favorite article of 2012 was (Read more: Who’s Next? World Dairy Expo: Holstein Show Preview). This choice may surprise many. While, to some it was controversial, it comes in at number one because it met our top three criteria of timeliness, usefulness and relevance.
As we seated ourselves early on the morning of the Holstein Show at World Dairy Expo, I received a tap on my shoulder. The couple in the seats behind us had noticed our Bullvine logo on our jackets. As we introduced ourselves the gentleman pulled a paper out of his pocket. It was the article previewing World Dairy Expo. He had printed it off and brought it with him. He updated us throughout the show on our insights. We were right on and he followed up with comments, when he returned home. This interaction and dialogue happens often whether its auction sales, cattle shows or predictions of rising stars in genomics or the next proof run!
Input from our readers will always be #1 with The Bullvine.
THE BULLVINE BOTTOM LINE
At the end of the day — or at the beginning – we love what we do. Your passion and enthusiasm for dairy breeding inspires everyone The Bullvine. We are grateful to Len Vis, the breeder-friend who didn’t hesitate to be the first breeder to interview with us (Read more: “Mapel Wood Farms – Invest in the Best! Forget the Rest!) and are thrilled at the growing network of breeders, experts and enthusiasts who share with us regularly. We will continue to look for our best story ever! It’s coming soon and will definitely be shared on The Bullvine.
Our first 10 months has certainly been eventful for us here at the Bullvine. We have seen our readership grow by about 40% month over month to the point where we now have the 2nd largest digital readership in the world, and we have by far the largest engaged social readership in the world. We have ruffled some feathers along the way but we have also brought to light many subjects that the others are just too afraid to talk about. The following are our top 10 most read articles of 2012.
The Top 10
10. THE 8 GREATEST NORTH AMERICAN SHOW COWS OF ALL-TIME
Coming off what might have been one of the greatest World Dairy Expo’s of All-Time there seems to be great debate about how some cows stack up in the All-Time rankings. To help determine how we would rank the greatest North American Holstein show cows of all time, we looked at their head to head match ups as well as overall accomplishments and dominance in their era and developed the following list (Read more)
9. $10,000 A DOSE POLLED SEMEN
First it was LIQUID GOLD that caught everyone’s attention when GenerVations released him and his brothers in a limited offering for $750 and $500. That gave all breeders the chance to have equal access to early release semen, instead of playing favorites with preferred herds or contract mattings. Now it’s GOLDEN PP, Kulp-Dale Golden PP-Red that is getting everyone’s attention. When his first five units of semen sold for $50,000, it generated heaps of discussion around the industry. (Read more)
8. WORLD DAIRY EXPO 2012 HOLSTEIN SHOW – A BATTLE FOR THE AGES
Pre-billed as being one of the greatest shows in history the 2012 World Dairy Expo Holstein Show was one for the record books. There was the battle of two EX-97 point cows ….the Rejoice vs. Monique battle … and there was the bull stud battle. (Read more)
7. THE TOP 12 HOLSTEIN GENOMIC YOUNG SIRES TO USE FOR MAXIMUM GAIN
Confused on what group of genomic young sires to use for your breeding program? Not sure which sires are the real deals and which ones are just smoke and mirrors (read The Hot House Effect on Sire Sampling)? We decided to take a closer look at the top 100 genomic young sires from around the world to determine just which ones are worth using and which ones you are better forgetting. (Read more)
6. TOP TEN MOST INFLUENTIAL HOLSTEIN BREEDERS OF ALL-TIME
The great thing about the North American dairy breeding industry is how passionate breeders are about what they do. This is what makes most dairy farmers get up in the morning to do hard work that many would not. Over the years there have been many great breeders that have dedicated their lives to advancing the breed. The following is our top 10 list of the ones who the Bullvine feels have had the biggest impact on the North American Holstein industry. (Read more)
5. $750 DOLLAR SEMEN! ARE YOU CRAZY
When you first read the recent Limited Offering from GenerVations for Liquid Gold, Fuzion and Gizmo priced at $750 and $500 and $500 respectively, I am sure some breeders will think: “Are the bulls dead? Are these guys crazy? Are they expecting to get rich? Who the heck will buy that semen?” (Read more)
4. SEMEX – THE RISE AND FALL OF A SEMEN EMPIRE
I have seen men who once screamed EBI green turn to the dark side. Men who used to bleed WOBI blue now openly criticize the organization that was the epitome, half a century ago, of everything Dairy in Canada. The Semex Alliance that once dominated, no longer owns the Canadian marketplace. There is criticism from within. How did the organization that once defined the Canadian marketplace lose control of it? (Read more)
3. SELECT SIRES VS. SEMEX – A CONTRAST IN COOPERATIVES
While many would think that all farmer-owned cooperatives would have the same challenges and the same mandates, there could be no greater contrast than the approaches taken by Select Sires and Semex. Select Sires is a federation of nine farmer-owned-and-controlled cooperative and Semex is a partnership of three breeder owned cooperatives. So structurally they are quite similar with perhaps some significant differences in mandates. However these two artificial insemination companies are headed in very different directions when it comes to approaches to communications and product development. (Read more)
2. THE 2012 ROYAL WINTER FAIR HOLSTEIN SHOW – ONE OF THE GREATEST STORIES EVER TOLD!
From an outsider looking in, the 2012 Royal Winter Fair Holstein Show may appear to be somewhat boring. The winners were pretty much the same as, and for all intents and purposes the results whereas per expectation. Yet in my mind, the 2012 Royal Winter Fair Holstein Show will go down in history as one of the greatest stories ever told. (Read more)
1. 7 SIRES TO USE IN ORDER TO BREED THE NEXT WORLD DAIRY EXPO CHAMPION
Everyone loves winning. No one enters a competition to finish last. Regardless of who you are every purebred dairy breeder dreams of winning supreme champion at World Dairy Expo. Your dream of walking in the spotlight, on the colored shavings, with everyone applauding you, starts with choosing the right sires. (Read more)
Last week I suffered a mild heart attack. I say mild heart attack because, as any good farm boy knows, if it’s not strong enough to knock you on your ass and make you beg for the Lord above, it must just be a mild heart attack. So I did as any good farm boy would do, I got back to work so that I could focus on something other than the pain. Now was that the best course of action? Obviously not since I tried to hide it from everyone including my wife and my editors (parents). Now some would say, ”Why did you wait to go to the hospital?” My response. “That’s exactly why I married a doctor!” (Read more – How I used everything I know about animal breeding to choose my wife) and in good order I was feeling much better and was able to continue my introspection and forced bed rest back at home.
Currently I have many irons in the fire including running a company that is responsible for attracting billions of dollars in sales for its clients last year. That company, Inbound Sales Network, and the Bullvine represent my lifelong dream supported by my wife, three kids, and close family. However, the events of last week have me taking time for introspection.
The Big Bad Wolf
I put everything I have into the work I do. The biggest challenge is that there are too many ideas, a lot of wonderful clients and too few hours to fit everything into. This brings me to The Bullvine. Ten months into this amazing project and I love the tug and pull that being both big bad wolf and watchdog brings to my daily routine. It is literally where my heart is and keeps the adrenalin pounding!!
This got me thinking about the great baseball slugger Jose Canseco, who likes to call himself “The Big Bad Wolf of Baseball”, as a result of his tell all book on steroid use in baseball. You see Canseco earned more than $45 million playing professional baseball and yet he isn’t ashamed to admit there’s nothing left and that he plans to file bankruptcy this year because he still owes the IRS $1.1 million. The founding member of baseball’s 40-40 club (40 home runs and 40 stolen bases in 1988, even if Canseco jokes it’s 40 woman in 40 nights) is flat broke and out of the game he loves so much.
You see in writing “Juiced: Wild Times, Rampant ‘Roids, Smash Hits, and How Baseball Got Big”, Canseco exposed his steroid-using former teammates and for that was effectively kicked out of the game. But yet, when surrounded by people, he’ll loudly proclaim the 2005 bestseller saved the game: “You f—king ignorant cave-dwellers, how did I ruin baseball? Baseball is the best game in the world right now because of that goddam book I wrote!”
In thinking about this I see many similarities to the experience I have had since starting the Bullvine. I have put every ounce of myself into this project. I worked at educating the breeders and at times have taken unpopular positions on issues that others are even afraid to mention (Read more – Semex – The Rise and Fall of a Semen Empire, $750 Dollar semen! Are you crazy? and Select Sires vs. Semex – A Contrast in Cooperatives). That is what has me being called the “big bad wolf” of the dairy industry.
Dairy cattle breeders, like baseball fans and well pretty much every other industry out there, need to have transparency and all the information, regardless of how difficult it is to present. Similar to Canseco, “I would do it all again for the love of the (Holstein) game.” As a results have weathered the good, bad and the ugly because I believe what we are doing here at the Bullvine is very much needed in the dairy industry.
The Bullvine Bottom Line
The nice thing about having a wakeup call is that it clarifies things and identifies priorities. When I was a growing up, I had the pleasure of growing up and working side by side with my grandfather on our family dairy farm. I watched as he worked hard, loved his work and, when he could no longer do what he loved, he passed away quite suddenly leaving a legacy that inspires his entire family to this day. That taught me a big life lesson: ”Love what you do and do it every day of your life”. I love what I do with all my heart – every minute of every day. Health and financial willing I will continue to be the “big bad wolf of the dairy industry” as some like to label me.
To provide the best experiences, we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions.
Functional
Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes.The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
![996615_576162402449211_1417130011_n[1]](https://www.thebullvine.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/996615_576162402449211_1417130011_n1.jpg)
![1383407_576751399056978_247407767_n[1]](https://www.thebullvine.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/1383407_576751399056978_247407767_n1.jpg)
Notes to the Topline Challenged and Moustache Fitters
So why do I behave the way I do. Is it ’cause have a vendetta against people? Nope. Is it because I am jealous of others? Nope. Is it because I love to cause trouble? Well maybe. But the real reason I do what I do is because someone has to speak up and lead change. And I am just the person who is narcissistic enough to do so. You see change is not easy. And leading change is even harder.
For us here at the Bullvine Facebook has been one of the greatest sources for finding new readers. One of our current subscribers reads something on our website, finds it interesting enough to share it or make a comment about it on Facebook, and then 
In the age of American Idol, Dancing with the Stars and countless other franchises where the fans decide the outcome, it’s about time for Dairy Breeders to join the decision-making fun.. That is why the Bullvine has created the Breeder’s Choice Awards. The Breeder’s Choice Awards celebrates 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.
