Crossbreeding is here to stay! There will be a lot of buzz at the World Ag Expo in Tulare about the Norwegian Red bull, Braut, the Crossbred Bull of the Year for 2013 and… for bulls that have similar trait profiles.
What traits does Braut (10177) pass on to his daughters that got him the top number of votes in the 3rd year of this contest at The Dairy Crossbred Blog?
Braut transmits very easy calving and low stillbirths, high production – both for yield and percentages, high daughter fertility, improved feet and legs, and good udders. Braut also has the added advantage of extremely high fertility as a service sire. Most Norwegian Red sires have a non-return rate at the least 5% higher than Holstein service sires, and Braut is the most fertile of the team! – – Kristin Børresen, Area Sales Manager for Geno Global
Braut has been a top bull on the Total Merit Index (TMI) list in Norway for much of the last decade, but has stiff competition from many up-and-coming NRF bulls with outstanding trait profiles. Below is a partial list of the 17 Norwegian Red bulls offered by ABS Global in the U.S. and their most outstanding traits. 8 of the 17 have greater than a combined 100 lbs. of fat + protein lbs. on the Holstein scale!
High TMI and production bulls with very good to excellent calving ease:
- Eik (10540) Excellent calving ease, high production, good daughter fertility, good udders
- Lekve (10714) Polled, great for health & fertility, good calving ease, high production, very good udders
- Skei (10617) High fat & protein production, tremendous mastitis resistance, very high udders
- Tangvoll (10909) Polled, extremely high production, great daughter fertility & health, good udders
- Val (10918) Extremely high production, excellent udders, good daughter fertility, great for heifers
High production, great udders, but use with some caution on heifers:
- Dahle (10801) Polled, high production, excellent udders (extremely high)
- Eggtroen (10579) Polled, very high production, high udders, great daughter fertility
- Engebakken (10673) Polled, very high production, high udders, excellent all around sire
- Haga II (10278) Great udders, great daughter fertility, high components
- Ravn (10739) Polled, high production, very high udders, good daughter fertility
If you want to talk great bulls for crossbreeding February 11-13 at the World Ag Expo in Tulare come to booth 6800-6801 in the Farm Credit Dairy Center. Here’s a short list of tall NRF promoters who would love to talk with you: Jim Griggs – Area Sales Manager – ABS Global, Gary Rogers – Global Technical Advisor for Geno Global and Joan Cooper – Geno Global Analyst and Support Specialist. Hope to see you there!
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