AI Bull Census description:

The AI Bull Census contains genetic evaluations for milk, fat, protein, 48-month stayability, and dollar value for AI sires. The evaluations are based on direct comparisons of contemporary AI daughters in the joint multiple trait cow and sire evaluation. All four of the genetic paths of progress are properly evaluated in the AI Multiple Trait Cow and Sire Evaluations ( AIM CASE ). Genetic relationships among all the AI cows and bulls are incorporated by the use of the relationship matrix. Genetic evaluations of all cows and bulls are compared to a common base. The base is the average genetic value of all two-year-olds freshening in 1987. Therefore, a bull that is +1,200 pounds of milk should be interpreted as producing sperm that have an average genetic value of +1,200 pounds of milk more than the genetic average of the two-year-olds that freshened in 1987.

In-progress and complete lactation records of AI daughters on DHI , DHIR , AM/PM , MO , Owner-Sampler , and all commercial recording plans are included in the genetic evaluations. Non-AI daughters, daughters unidentified by sire, and daughters in the herds of the breeder or owner of a bull are eliminated.

In-progress and complete first lactation records are computed using the results of the Test-Day Model ( TDM) within each herd. The TDM uses test day production to estimate for each test of every cow:

    1. Within-herd effect of management on production

    2. Within-herd effect of age on production

    3. Within-herd effect of days in milk on production

    4. Within-herd effect of pregnancy on production

    5. Within-herd effect of month of freshening on production

Subsequently, 320-day records are estimated using all available tests on a cow. The 320-day lactations are used in the AIM CASE . The AI Bull Census differs from other genetic evaluations because it:

    1. Normalizes records for herd level of production.

    2. Uses only AI daughters.

    3. Uses only first lactations.

    4. Evaluates milk, fat, and protein simultaneously using the genetic and environmental correlations among the traits, thus maximizing accuracy of evaluations for traits with missing data, such as protein.

    5. Considers the genetic level of the competition.

    6. Uses only AI records.

    7. All daughters in the herds of the breeder or owner of the bull are eliminated.

    8. Registered and grade cows are compared separately.

    9. Comparison groups are formed by "clustering" to ensure that cows with similar calving dates are compared.

    10. Cows with questionable birth dates, i.e., daughters conceived when semen is not available, are deleted.

Sire must have 20 daughters with completed records to be published. Records with more than 300 days in milk are considered complete lactations. A sire must have 20 daughters evaluated for stayability to have a published evaluation, that is, 20 daughters must have had the opportunity to reach 48 months of age. The genetic parameters used in the AIM CASE are shown in Table 3. Table 4 contains base year information.

 

 

Definitions and addresses:

Table 1. Definitions used in the A.I. Bull Census.

Terms

Definition

NAAB

National Association of Animal Breeders

CR

Confidence Range

St

48 month Stayability

$$ MFP

Dollar Value (Milk Fat Protein)

$$ MF

Dollar Value (Milk Fat)

Milk Price

 

 

Table 2. AI Stud codes, names, addresses, and phone numbers.

Stud

Stud Name

Address

Telephone

E-Mail

1

Genex

P.O. Box 5518, Ithaca, NY 14852-5518

607-272-2011

genex@studcodeone.com

4

Northstar / Select Sires, Inc.

P.O. Box 23157, E. Lansing, MI 48909-3157

517-351-3180

northstarselectsires@ibm.net

6

Prairie State / Select Sires

Rt.1, Hampshire, IL 60140

312-464-5281

-

7

Select Sires, Inc

11740 U.S. 42, Plain City, OH 43064

614-873-4683

info-line@selectsires.com

9

Sire Power, Inc.

RD 2, Tunkhannock, PA 18657

717-836-3168

danec@epix.net

11

Alta Genetics

P.O. Box 939, Hughson, CA 95326

209-883-4001

alta@ainet.com

14

Accelerated Genetics

Rt 2, Box 50, Westby, WI 54667

608-356-8357

accelgen@baraboo.com

23

Excelsior Farms

7401 Hamner Rd, Box 128, Corona, CA 91720

909-737-2343

dranney406@aol.com

29

ABS Global, Inc.

P.O. Box 459, DeForest, WI 53532

608-846-3721

mailbag@absglobal.com

31

Golden State Breeders

18907 E. Lone Tree Rd., Escalon, CA 95320

209-838-7891

-

36

North American Breeders, Inc.

Rt.1, Box 228, Berryville, VA 22611

703-955-3647

-

39

British Columbia AI Centre

Box 40, Milner, British Columbia, Canada V0X 1T0

604-530-1141

-

44

Central Valley Dairy Breed

32077 Road 144, Visalia, CA 93277

209-798-2290

-

70

Eastern Breeders, Inc.

Box 2000 Kemptville, Ontario, Canada K0G 1J0

613/258-5944

jmeek@gencor.ca

71

Gencor

Box 2000 Kemptville, Ontario, Canada K0G 1J0

613-258-5944

jmeek@gencor.ca

72

Gencor

Rt.5, Guelph, Ontario, Canada N1H 6J2

519-821-2150

jmeek@gencor.ca

73

Quebec A.B. Centre (CIAQ)

C.P.518, St. Hyacinthe, Quebec, Canada J2S 7B8

514-774-1141

ciaq@ciaq.com

74

Universal Genetics, Ltd

P.O. Box 910, Cardston, Alberta, Canada T0K 0K0

403-653-4437

-

76

Taurus Service Inc.

P.O. Box 164, Mehoopany, PA 18629

717-833-5513

taurus@epix.net

94

St. Jacobs ABC

RR. #1, Elmira, Ontario, Canada N3B 2Z1

519-664-1616

-

100

JLG Enterprises, Inc.

P.O. Box 1375, Oakdale, CA 95361

209-847-4797

-

120

Zimmerman Custom Freezing

131 Red Well Road, New Holland, PA 17557

717-355-2048

-

122

Network Genetics

P.O. Box 669, Hilmar, CA 95324

209-632-5836

-

151

Complete Sire Services, Inc.

Box 1777, Fond Du Lac, WI 54935

414-921-6029

-

154

EBS/West

Box 696, Capitan, NM 88316

505-354-2929

-

158

Galaxie Repro. Center, Inc.

4173 Lyman Dr., Hilliard, OH 43026

614-857-1221

-

159

Special Sires, Inc.

131 Zook Mill Rd, PO 487, Brownstown, PA 17508

717-399-6445

-

170

Holland Genetics

P.O. Box 5073, 6802FB Arnhem, The Netherlands

31-2-63864100

hg@nrs.nl

 

Table 3. Heritabilities.

Trait

Heritability

Milk

.35

Fat

.28

Protein

.31

Stayability

.095

 

 

Table 4. The 1987 Genetic Base (Average M.E. Production)

Breed

Milk

Fat

Protein

48-Month

Stayability

Lbs.

%

Lbs.

%

Ayrshire

14,686

582

4.0

494

3.4

74

Guernsey

13,076

586

4.5

454

3.5

63

Holstein

20,211

725

3.6

640

3.2

72

Jersey

12,516

596

4.8

468

3.7

71

Brown Swiss

16,627

668

4.0

577

3.5

72

 

The AI Bull Census is produced by the Animal Breeding Group of Cornell University as a part of the extension and research mission of maximizing profitability on New York and US dairy farms. Contact the Animal Breeding Group at:

Animal Breeding Group
Morrison Hall
Cornell University
Ithaca, NY 14853-4801
Tel: (607)-255-4416
E-Mail: rwe2@cornell.edu

or visit our Web Site at:

http://www.abc.cornell.edu/abc/dairy.html

© 1998 Cornell University.

All Rights Reserved.