Green cows are the future TEXT ERIK THOMPSON, SALES MANAGER/BREEDING ADVISOR NATIONAL Healthy cows will need to be a priority for dairy farmers into the future, cost reducing, income building. A cow that conceives easily, does not get mastitis, never has feet trouble or metabolic disorders, is truly a wonderful cow to own. Every herd I go into, there is always someone’s “Daisy”, who never broke any production records or won “belle of the ball”. But Daisy goes in calf every year to AI, and never has Veterinary treatments and still has a great SCC. Also, overall type is very functional as she is eight years old and still here. She is always in the first run in the dairy and never really noticed. Daisy’s story is always followed by the statement “I wish they were all like her”. Daisy was never a star as a 2-year-old in milk, but now as an eight-year-old cow, she is a legend. A one cow herd Most of the time these kinds of cows happen by chance, but what if you could build a herd full of Daisy’s? Most leading breeders have been trying to produce a herd like this for years, so why aren’t we there yet? Most cows leave herds because they must, rather than when we consider that “Dear old Daisy has done a great job for 10 years, but I think its time to put her on the truck”. Sadly, most of our cows leave due to poor fertility, mastitis and lameness. Udders usually coming into the picture in following lactations if those first three problems don’t take them out first. Inside out Could it be because we have been breeding cows from the “outside in” rather than “the inside out”? In other words, outward physical observation, appraisal and scoring, rather than actual physical data collection and entry on all treatments and joining’s etc. We need high reliability for both, for the greatest gains. Sometimes a football team can look great as they run onto the ground but lose the game, even though they had some great players. We know they lost by the score on the board at the end of the game. Cow data is no different, how do we know if a bull is great? By the performance of a large group of his daughters, not some outstanding individuals. A champion team, not a team with some champions. Vikings great data bank When you use Viking sires, you are guaranteed to have information drawn from a huge bank of data collection, as 90% of farms in the Scandic countries are under herd recording. This gives you something very important, RELIABILITY and it is reliability of data, above all else that allows you to achieve that champion team and know exactly where the team is heading. Into the future VikingGenetics has an extensive proven and genomic programme backed up by millions of data entries of everything that happens to a cow in her journey from birth through to slaughter. This assures confidence in our information so you can breed the herd (team) that you desire with a high degree of reliability giving you confidence in the Viking product. We here at Viking wish every one of you a great Spring 2020 and hope we can communicate effectively and efficiently with you in these unprecedented COVID-19 times. I urge you also to please call any of us here at Viking for any requirements that you have, and we will assist in any way we can. OUR TEAM AT VIKINGGENETICS From Administration to the paddock we are here to help so please do not hesitate to contact any of our very competent staff on the following contact details: JIM BRUCE Country Manager T 0437 781 694 jibru@vikinggenetics.com ERIK THOMPSON Sales Manager/ Breeding Advisor National M 0417 219 156 ertho@vikinggenetics.com DARREN MOLONEY Breeding Advisor, Western Vic and South Australia M 0419 727 649 damol@vikinggenetics.com DAPHNE THOMPSON Administration and Accounts T 02 6071 3007 datho@vikinggenetics.com DARREN FLETCHER Breeding Advisor Gippsland M 0427 973 106 dafle@vikinggenetics.com Limitation Of Liability: This information is from sources we believe to be reliable, nevertheless, VikingGenetics gives no warranty and makes no representation as to the accuracy of such information. Any person/s relying on any information set out herein does so entirely at their own risk and shall not have any claim against VikingGenetics for any loss or damage which they thereby sustain notwithstanding any negligence on the part of VikingGenetics in relation thereto. 2 Sire Catalogue | 2020
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