Classifications

VG Heifers Jan-Sept 2010

So far in 2010 39 heifers have been classified by HUK with a score of 85 points or more, there were 41 VG heifers in 2009.

The 39 heifers are sired by 28 different sires with Sweet Symphonys Cassidy siring five VG daughters , Treloweth Karen Oak and Four Winds Royal Delta siring three, Riverwood Tiller Khan and Coulee Crest RO Silverado siring two each and the other 23 sires with one VG daughter apiece.

26 of the dams are classified VG or better with 6 heifers being the third generation VG or better.

Leading owners are the Warren family with 8 heifers (7 of them home bred), with Blacknor having 5, Bickfield 4, Instead 3 and Sharnford and Trewey each having 2 VG heifers and 15 other herds each with one heifer.

These 17 young bulls are awaiting their proofs and most have daughters in herds in England and Wales and on Guernsey Island. They were all selected and used before the base change in Jan.2010 and therefore the GMI figures for them all have been adjusted by approx. +130 points of GMI and would therefore have averaged +346 GMI and 32 kgs of F+P. If you factor in the base change of 2005 which again was an upwards adjustment of +110 GMI and 11 kgs of F+P , the GMI would average +450 and the F+P +43 kgs. Given that the original target was +25 kgs of Fat +Protein it is good to see the improvement made since the Global Guernsey Breeding Scheme was introduced in 2001.

Whilst production is the key to paying the bills, it is also good to see that these bulls are also predicted to improve both Legs & Feet and Mammary Scores by +1

The last of the National shows has just taken place in Louisville Kentucky and saw the Champion and reserve from the Madison show again filling the top two places but on this occasion it was Stockwell Rewards Hailey as Champion with Four Winds Mentor Highlite as Reserve. With Clark and …

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The first article listed those cows/heifers with a GMI of more than +290 and these are the most likely to provide sons as the matings are easier to make given that standards are rising across the Guernsey breed. However this next list includes a lot of very good cows but will require the use of the limited number of high indexing sires to raise the GMI of the bull calves to the desired level.

14 of the 22 below have 25 daughters with Brymor Peggy 15 producing 5 heifers from 4 calvings, but to date they have only produced 2 sons Boccadon Astor Ivan and Brymor Pedros Bear, unfortunately Bear tested to be A1xA1 for Beta Casein and was therefore withdrawn from selection.

Two sons of Lang Haven Spider Nomar have been selected for semen collection in England and Wales and on Guernsey Island, they will enter the UK Sires AI centre early in 2011 and will hopefully have semen available in the spring/summer. Skeel Norman is from Wales and is from the …

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At a recent meeting of the Breed Development Committee it was agreed that a table of “possible” bull mothers should be published.

This is not an “inclusive” list and if you have cows that you think are of equal merit then please let Jon White or myself know.

Whilst we will probably only require two or three young bulls a year for semen collection, other sons of these cows will all play a part in the Guernsey breeds future as every year more than 30% of heifer calves registered are by natural service.

42 of the 45 females have been Classified and average 84.74 points but 26 of these are scored as heifers and we would expect the average score to rise as they mature and are scored again.

The new £PLI figures were released by Dairy Co on Friday 20th August but were not posted by CDI until Monday afternoon.

There are 14 heifers with a £PLI of better than £100 and they are headed by Bourton Clover 24 who with a £PLI of +£169 is the highest ranked female in the breed, she has just had a Laredo heifer calf and her dam Bourton Clover 3 is also ranked in the top 25. Philip and Caroline Cox have the four highest ranked heifers in the Bourton herd at Lifton, Devon.