Hi Scott, Cowsmopolitan magazine were at the All Britain show in the UK back in February and had results on their website before the British press, so I endorse what you have said about them. The Somerset & Dorset Guernsey club have an on farm competition annually, for in milk …
I have been impressed with the heifers and calves seen on the Canadian tour by Penny Lane Royal Oak Turley, who has a few daughters and one son at Brymor. I saw his dam on my first visit to the USA in the herd at Marodore. He was syndicated at …
I agree with a lot of what Mike Cox has said. I use the best bulls available, proven or unproven, and I was always taught to get your fastest genetic gain breed your heifers to test bulls. As for genomics, it needs to be used as another piece of the …
The post-conference tour is coming to a close with a visit to Prince Edward Island today and has proved to be physically tiring as the roads of Quebec and the bus used by the tour company have not proven to be compatible. With just 15 on the tour a change from the coach used in the first week was expected, but the bone shaker chozen has left us exhausted at the end of some long days. The Australians and New Zealanders have remained on tour with 3 from England, two different couples from the US and Rob Forster from Canada.
The question of which has been the best Guernsey bull has been the topic on the WGCF Tour bus today as we travelled from Frederickton to Moncton New Brunswick. The question was posed by Bernie Heissner who used to work for the AGA and now works for COBA/Select Sires. He and Blaine Crosser had made a list score whilst at the conference, triggered by the “genomics” debate and wondering which of the most successful bulls had the “least” relationship and could therefore offer “outcross” genetics.
Genomics continues to crop up as the big posh word in the world of breeding but i believe the powers that be are missing the real problem and the continual decline in numbers is the biggest threat to the Guernsey breed, and hence total numbers of bulls attaining proofs. On …
On meeting up with Lyndon Cleggett in Vancouver, my second question was if he had any Mervyn daughters in milk (He did not), the first question was whether he was happy with the Boskenna June Royal Oak daughters whose semen he had managed to get imported into Australia after seeing Boskenna June in the UK at the 2004 WGCF Conference. He was milking about 10 of them and was generally pleased with them but had a concern about front teat placement (too wide, a problem for the breed in every country that I have visited).
I am delighted that there have been some “comments” made as a result of the article about the Guernsey World Conference and thank you to those who made them. This website is open to anyone interested in Guernseys and the more dialogue the better.
Mike Cox in his inimitable way has suggested that all maiden heifers should be mated to the best young bulls and quotes the Dutch method whereby all 2nd calvers are so treated. The Dutch dairy industry are much better organised than we are in the UK. The Government subsidize the data collection for all cattle species and both vets and inseminators are required by law to report all of their interventions to the database.
if nothing else the conferance has stirred a few up to do something, with regards to Maurice’s speach and i haven’t read full article so with limited knowledge i make comment we are all commercial breeders whether registered or not! few of us milk cows for something to do a …
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