Thursday, 05 September 2024 08:55

First polled bull to make prestigious ranking list

Written by  Staff Reporters
CRV genetics product manager Mitchell Koot. CRV genetics product manager Mitchell Koot.

CRV has produced the first homozygous polled bull to make New Zealand’s prestigious Ranking of Active Sires (RAS) list, demonstrating the strides the company is making in breeding top-quality polled bulls.

The Jersey bull, Gym, is currently ranked 31 on the RAS list with a Breeding Worth (BW) of 464 (August 2024). Gym boasts size, and capacity, and excels in health and production traits.

Gym was bred by Gordon Ferguson of Horopito Jerseys from Ross on the West Coast, a long-time supporter of polled genetics. CRV genetics product manager Mitchell Koot says Gym’s place on the RAS list shows that genetic excellence and polled traits can go hand in hand.

“Gym’s place on the RAS list means farmers can breed for polled (hornless), without sacrificing genetic merit,” says Koot.

He says breeding high-quality polled bulls has been a focus for CRV as the company seeks to support New Zealand farmers who are committed to the highest animal welfare standards, wanting to lower their costs and meet the needs of changing consumer preferences.

Calves born without horns remove the need for disbudding, improving animal welfare, and reducing labour and costs, says Mitchell.

“Gym has size and capacity to go with his excellent health and production traits, resulting in him being one of our top 10 selling Jerseys this season, which reflects the quality and demand for this polled bull.”

Koot says CRV has made a significant investment in its polled breeding programmes internationally across Holland and the USA. That work, combined with CRV’s efforts in New Zealand is paying farmers dividends with plenty of high-quality polled bull options to choose from.

“New Zealand dairy farmers now have much greater choice of polled bulls for their breeding programmes. With 20 per cent of our bull breeders now using polled genetics and increasing adoption of technologies like embryo transfer, one of the fastest ways to accelerate genetic gain, the future looks promising for high-genetic-merit polled bulls,” says Koot.

April and Jason Dibble now own the herd that Gym was bred from and are continuing the legacy. They have more contract matings with CRV this season and they also used Gym as a sire on some of their herd this year.

“If you can remove the need to dehorn or to disbud, that is good for animal health and the farmer. We’re proud to continue supporting CRV and build on the good work of Gordon, our herd’s previous owner, to improve polled genetics,” says April.

“Good genetics are everything. It’s not just about breeding worth. To get a bull-like Gym that is polled and with other valuable traits, is great to see.”

More like this

The future of beef breeding

Progeny testing at Pāmu’s Kepler farm in Southland as part of Beef + Lamb New Zealand’s Informing New Zealand Beef programme is showing that the benefits of hybrid vigour could have a massive impact on the future of beef breeding.

Dry cow management is key

OPINION: We need to stop treating the dry period as just a rest between lactations and understand that it’s a significant biological reset that impacts the health and productivity of the next lactation.

Featured

Wyeth to head Synlait

Former Westland Milk boss Richard Wyeth is taking over as chief executive of Canterbury milk processor Synlait from May 19.

Bremworth board upheaval

Listed carpet maker Bremworth has been rocked by a call from some shareholders for a board revamp.

Let the games begin!

New Zealand's largest celebration of rural sports athletes and enthusiasts – New Zealand Rural Games - is back for its 10th edition, kicking off in Palmerston North from Thursday, March 6th to Sunday, March 9th, 2025.

Breeder credits late uncle for hair sheep success

Southland breeder Tim Gow attributes the success of his Shire breed of hair sheep to the expert guidance of his uncle, the late Dr Scott Dolling, who was a prominent Australian animal geneticist.

The future of beef breeding

Progeny testing at Pāmu’s Kepler farm in Southland as part of Beef + Lamb New Zealand’s Informing New Zealand Beef programme is showing that the benefits of hybrid vigour could have a massive impact on the future of beef breeding.

National

Certainty welcomed

There's been very little reaction to the government science reform announcement, with many saying the devil will be in the…

Science 'deserves more funding'

A committee which carried out the review into New Zealand's science system says the underinvestment will continue to compromise the…

Machinery & Products

Landpower win global award

Christchurch-headquartered Landpower and its Claas Harvest Centre dealerships has taken out the Global After Sales Excellence award in Germany, during…

Innovation, new products galore

It has been a year of new products and innovation at Numedic, the Rotorua-based manufacturer and exporter of farm dairy…

» Latest Print Issues Online

Milking It

No buyers

OPINION: Australian dairy is bracing for the retirement of an iconic dairy brand.

RIP Kitkat V

OPINION: Another sign that the plant-based dairy fallacy is unravelling and that nothing beats dairy-based products.

» Connect with Dairy News

» eNewsletter

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter