Strong legs and healthy hoofs underpin bull performance in CRV’s breeding program

Red-and-white Delta Framework (Endless rf x Jakarta) performs exactly as his genomic breeding values predicted in his first breeding value based on the performance of 256 daughters. He transmits strong frames (106), excellent feet and legs (107), high components (+0.19% fat and +0.17% protein), a good milk yield (738 kg) and strong overall health traits.

Additional daughter information has been added to the breeding value of the popular Delta Borax (Freestyle x Jakarta) in this index run. The Freestyle son firmly maintains his position as the leading red-and-white proven bull in the ranking. Borax is also performing very well in Germany, where he ranks fifth. In Spain, he is in the top ten.

Delta Surfer P (Brandung P x Simon P) has received his first breeding value based on daughter performance and proves himself to be an outstanding production sire, with a breeding value of more than 2,900 kg milk, 161 kg fat and protein, and €583 Inet. The daughters of this FeedExcel bull produce this huge milk volume very efficiently (110 feed efficiency), while combining it with above-average fertility (101) and good udders (106). Surfer daughters are dairy-type cows with plenty of openness in the ribs, wide rumps and high, well-attached rear udders. In Germany, Surfer P ranks fifth among proven polled bulls.

There is also good news about the exceptionally popular Delta Perfect (Woody x Jafin). He is becoming available again, and with more than 8,600 daughters included in his breeding value, the Woody son has improved further in this index run. Perfect’s strengths include outstanding feet and legs (111) and a high breeding value for hoof health (109). This makes him a worthy flagship of the CRV breeding program, which continues to be characterized by bulls with high scores for feet and leg traits in the youngest generation as well.

Take Delta Excelsior (Soundbite rf x Boreso), for example, with genomic breeding values of 110 for feet and legs and no less than 115 for hoof health. He also scores 107 for udder health, 105 for daughter fertility and has a very high breeding value for longevity. Excelsior is also a highly interesting production sire, with +1,254 kg milk, +0.19% fat and +0.26% protein, resulting in €524 Inet. Excelsior is already available through the Create program, which gives participating dairy farmers early access to future ‘sires of sons’ before they are publicly available.

The homozygous polled FeedExcel bull Delta Tiramisu PP rf (Primetime PP x Fair Play P) can also boast high breeding values for feet and legs (108) and hoof health (109). He is also an absolute top bull for udder health (114). Tiramisu PP transmits 756 kg milk with +0.50% fat and +0.16% protein and combines this with high feed efficiency (109).

All calves by Delta Holiday PP (Universe P rf x Warren P rf) are also born without the genetic predisposition to grow horns. He too is a FeedExcel bull. As a production sire, however, the Universe P son has a different profile, transmitting 2,157 kg milk with -0.09% fat and +0.11% protein, resulting in €627 Inet. Holiday also improves udder health (107) and is an outstanding bull for hoof health (113).

A fourth standout for hoof health is Delta True Blue P rf (Header P fr x Rohirim), with a breeding value of 112. He also scores 108 for feet and legs and 109 for overall conformation. True Blue combines almost 1,000 kg milk with +0.15% fat and +0.20% protein with very high feed efficiency (112) and excellent longevity (981 days). He transmits average body size. With Delta Header P rf as his sire and the French bull Rohirim as his maternal grandsire, True Blue brings fresh bloodlines. His semen is available through the Create program.

Delta Miller (AltaMuller x Dolmen) is a young bull with a strong international profile. He descends from the American Coyne Farms Ramos Jelly family and has Delta Dolmen as his Dutch maternal grandsire. Miller is an outstanding production sire, transmitting 2,268 kg milk with +0.27% fat and +0.02% protein (€731 Inet), combined with 106 daughter fertility, 110 udder health and 1,022 days of longevity. Miller is also a FeedExcel bull with 110 feed efficiency, while a robot milking index of 112 makes him highly suitable for robotic dairy farms. These strong figures also translate internationally. In the US, Miller scores 3,308 gTPI, while in Germany he scores 150 gRZG. With 45 gNTM, he ranks fourth among genomic-tested bulls in Scandinavia.

The highest new black-and-white bull this index run is Zwanebloem Escape (Tigerwoods x Wendat). Escape transmits more than 2,000 kg milk with positive components and combines this with 113 udder health, 105 daughter fertility, 108 overall conformation and an exceptionally high longevity breeding value of 1,261 days. In Spain, Escape ranks second in the Interbull ranking. His semen is not yet available.

Delta Hyrox P (Statement rf x Appetizer rf) is the highest new red-and-white InSire (genomic) bull in the line-up. Hyrox transmits 1,349 kg milk with +0.12% fat and +0.22% protein, and 110 feed efficiency. Hyrox P is also a top conformation sire, with 108 udder, 109 feet and legs and 109 overall conformation. The young bull from the Jaantje family also scores highly for health traits, with 111 hoof health, 111 udder health and 104 daughter fertility.

Delta Metropole PP (Cream P x Taskforce P) is an interesting new homozygous polled bull from the Peeldijker Liesje family. With +0.69% fat and +0.41% protein, he is an extreme components sire. A robot milking index of 112 also makes him highly suitable for farmers using automatic milking systems.

Delta Jenning P (Polestar P x Imperial) is a young bull with all-round breeding values at a very high level. He transmits more than 1,600 kg milk with positive components and scores 109 for overall conformation, including 109 for feet and legs. He also performs strongly across health and management traits, including 112 for udder health. Jenning P has high breeding values for persistency and maturity and is suitable for use on heifers. This young bull is already available through the Create program, as are Hyrox P and Metropole PP.

For red-and-white breeders, CRV also offers an exceptional young bull with aAa code 561. Red-and-white Delta Country P (Bearcat x Candyman P rf) shows an attractive conformation profile with the desired balance between height and width, good udders (107) and excellent feet and legs (111), resulting in 111 for overall conformation. Country P rf transmits more than 1,500 kg milk with +0.07% protein and is suitable for use on heifers.

The CRV breeding program in the United States has produced five new genomic-tested bulls this index run with an inheritance pattern that will appeal to commercial dairy farmers around the world.

Young bull Penn-England Parliament (Mirko x Sheepster) comes through with 3,467 gTPI and 1,023 gNM$, partly thanks to an exceptionally high production profile of 1,257 pounds milk with +0.26% fat and +0.09% protein, 3.1 Productive Life and 2.88 SCS. He also scores very well on the new overall conformation breeding value (HCC), at 1.30. Parliament is an A2A2 bull and transmits somewhat longer teats.

Semen from Aurora Othani P (Howland P x Sheepster) will also become available through the CRV Create program. This bull is guaranteed to produce cows that pay the bills. He transmits almost 1,000 pounds milk with +0.24% fat and +0.11% protein and is a strong longevity sire with 3.7 Productive Life. Othani P transmits average stature and adds width to the rump and height to the rear udder. He therefore scores very well on the new HCC breeding value, at 1.94. Othani P scores 3,444 gTPI and 935 gNM$.

Peak De Luxe (Inspire x Letchworth) comes through with 3,420 gTPI and 847 NM$. With 3.8 PL, he is a very strong longevity sire, while his robot milking index of 116 makes him an interesting bull for farmers using automatic milking systems. His production profile is more than 1,000 pounds milk with +0.19% fat and +0.10% protein, combined with 107 feed efficiency. De Luxe improves fertility (104) and hoof health (104) and transmits the desired A2A2 and BB protein variants.

Peak AliceCooper (Sanborn x Tyrol) is a bull with a highly complete inheritance pattern, resulting in 3,386 gTPI and 738 gNM$. His production profile includes 1,278 pounds milk with +0.15% fat and +0.04% protein, together with 108 feed efficiency. AliceCooper combines this with very good health traits (104 daughter fertility, 102 udder health and 105 hoof health). Within his faultless conformation profile, which results in 1.71 gPTAT, udder traits stand out in particular (1.23 UDC). AliceCooper transmits the A2A2 and BB protein variants, increases milking speed and is suitable for use on heifers.

A new interesting homozygous polled bull in the red-and-white offering is TLU Mo Reamer PP (Mo PP x Remover PP). He comes through with 2,902 gTPI and 321 gNM$. Reamer PP transmits more than 1,000 pounds milk with 106 feed efficiency. He scores strongly for functional conformation traits, with 0.75 F&L and 0.72 UDC, and reaches 1.64 PTAT. Reamer PP transmits low somatic cell count and is an A2A2 bull.

Following the latest index run, CRV can add three young Jersey bulls with complete genomic breeding values to its line-up. Among them are two interesting full brothers.

Heterozygous polled Peak Latte-P (Cozy P x Trasher) is an interesting bull for farmers looking for a combination of production, health, longevity and functional conformation. He transmits 914 pounds milk with +0.03% fat and reaches 541 NM$ and 178 JPI. Latte P improves longevity (+4.0 PL) and udder health and fertility. With +13.1 JUI, Latte P also scores very well for udder traits.

Peak Laduma, Latte’s full brother, goes one step higher with 486 NM$ and 182 JPI. He is a components improver, with +0.19% fat and +0.08% protein from 411 pounds milk. Laduma also scores well for longevity, fertility and udder health. He improves udder traits, corrects short teats and transmits the A2A2 and BB protein variants.

Dutch Hollow BV Nationwide-P (Inxs x Jammer) is a top bull for udder traits, with a JUI of 21.1, and also transmits longer teats. He also has a high and well-balanced production breeding value of 967 pounds milk with +0.05% fat and +0.04% protein. The polled Nationwide also scores well for longevity (2.8 PL) and daughter fertility. He reaches 167 gJPI and 476 gNM$ and transmits A2A2 beta-casein.