Hello and welcome to the GenElite website. This is our 30th edition of the news section - thank you for visiting. We hope you find it enjoyable and informative. Please refer to this news section periodically as it is revised following each genetic update with new information. We encourage you to respond with your comments or if you have elite Holstein genetics to sell. 2010 marks a significant milestone for GenElite. GenElite will celebrate 10 years in operation on June 1, 2010. It seems like just yesterday we were finalizing the formation of GenElite and were filled with hope, anticipation, happiness and just a little apprehension and anxiety. With supportive, loyal clients and breeders showing their confidence in us, we have endured and hopefully we have made a positive contribution to the profitability of our clients and to the breeders with whom we are privileged to work. We owe a big thank you to the US Holstein cow, whose superior genetics always seem to be in demand worldwide. We have tried to be more than just an “agent”, but a provider of quality, honest, fair, and professional service and to go the extra mile in providing current genetic information to both our buyers and sellers. Thank you to everyone who has made it possible for us to reach this milestone. January sticker shock has turned into April sticker shock! Wow, what changed in April? Though not an exhaustive list, here are a few of the highlights. Shottle dropped 232 TPI points which of course impacted the indexes of his daughters. Having said that, Shottle is still the #3 TPI bull in the breed! There is a lesson to be learned here, changes in index values and even the individual values themselves are most important when evaluated in the context of where does the animal rank and did the change in index value effect ranking within the breed in any significant way. Which is more important, that Shottle dropped 232 TPI points or that he is the #3 TPI bull of the breed? Shottle’s TPI decreased with the addition of information for the April run as well as a change made in the calculation for PL. The adjusted value of all of his genotyped daughters also had an effect on his proof. Genomics 8,031 females were genomic tested as of the January 2010 run compared to 5,735 in August 2009. A total of 12,707 animals have been genomic tested as of the April 2010 run. As more and more genomic information is added, including those from foreign tested females, the reliability of genetic predictions will increase. Imputed genotypes were added to over 1,600 females. What is an “imputed” genetic index? A female can get a genomic index in two ways: 1) she can be genomic tested, which is the only way an animal could get a genomic index until April, or 2) she can get an imputed genotype and calculated genomic index using information from her genotyped offspring, usually a minimum of 4 or 5. The first offspring generally contributes about 50% of the imputed information, the second about 25%, the third 12.5% and the fourth about 6.25% and so on until a minimum of 90% of the genotype can be determined. The more progeny that have genomic information, the more accurate the genotype of the imputed dam will be, so it can be assumed that imputed genomic indexes will change some as additional progeny are genotyped. The effects of the animal model have historically temporarily overestimated the transmitting ability of many individual cows. Once those cows have several sons and grandsons with progeny proofs this is usually corrected. The imputation of genotypes should result in more stability in the PTAs for cows over their lifetimes. Cow Adjustment USDA’s work showed that cows, young bulls and heifers that are genomically tested were over-evaluated by about 250 lbs of milk, 8 lbs of fat and 5 lbs of protein. To correct this bias, the genomically tested animals were adjusted downwards. Puzzling to many breeders is why cows that received an imputed genomic index dropped significantly even though there were several (as many as 15 in some cases) offspring with genomic indexes at or significantly above PA. We are still searching for the answer to this question and have a feeling that some females with imputed genotypes are under evaluated. General Comments about genomic indexes: 1) The imputed genomic indexes and the adjustments to genomic tested animals represented two big changes to deal with, 2) these changes could have been better communicated to the industry in advance of their being made, 3) USDA encourages breeders to get their animals genotyped, because an actual genotype is better than an imputed one, 4) if imputed cows are actually genotyped, not much change is expected in their genomic indexes by USDA, 5) once a genotype from the lab is received, that is the one that will be used for all future calculations (there will be no residual effect of the imputed genotype) and 6) you cannot compare genotyped and non-genotyped cows as easily anymore. All of that said it is important to see how a female ranks within the population as opposed to focusing on how much change there was in the actual index values of an individual female. Compare the values on your elite cows to the other elite cows of the breed. One way to do this is to look at the values of the top cows of the breed. The Holstein Association provides the following values for a female to rank in the top 1% of the Holstein population: The top 1% of breed has an average CTPI of +1913 or NM$ +476 (source Holstein Association USA Sire Summaries, April, 2010.). So even though your cow may have dropped from 2200 CTPI to 2000, she is still a very attractive cow from a genetic point of view. August 2006 saw the first bull with a TPI of +2,000 (Sandy-Valley Bolton). In January 2009, 6 bulls reached this magic number, in August 2009 there are 13, and in January 2010 there are 21 with the first bull reaching +2300 at +2374 while adding several 1000 daughters. This was none other than Shottle. In April, 2010 there were 18 bulls with TPI values over +2000. Freddie is now the #1 bull at +2298. August 2009 welcomed the first bull with a GTPI of +2300! Badger-Bluff Fanny Freddie had a GTPI of +2303. In January 2010 there are 4 bulls with GTPI values over +2400 and 40 over +2300 (includes bulls with and without daughter information)! In April 2010, there are 2 bulls over +2400 and 11 bulls over +2300. No doubt the adjustments made for genomic tested animals, which are thought to be over evaluated, is the basis for this decline in the number of extreme indexes. Keep Genomics in perspective it is better than Parent Average, but not as good as information from progeny testing in evaluating performance. It would be wise to use genomic bulls with some degree of caution. For example use limited semen on several genomic tested bulls depending on herd size as opposed to using heavily the top 1 or 2 genomic tested bulls. Bolton ranked #6 GTPI in August at +2057 and was #29 at +1946 GTPI in January and is now #41 at +1917! Goldwyn ranked #7 in August with a GTPI+2054, was #4 in January at +2181 and in April is #8 at +2115.

Current Mating Sires of our clients from the April 2010 proofs include (not complete list): Altaross, Aspen, Bronco, Cassano, Caruso, Dotson, Focus, Franchise, Freddie, Gabor, AaltaIota, Altaross, Aspen, Beacon, Bronco, Cassano, Franchise, Freddie, Gabor, Garner, Garrett, Gerard, Jake, Legend, Logan, Lonar, Manifold, Niagra, Radon, Super. Red/R&W Alando-Red, Audacity-Red, Dusk*RC, Fiction*RC, Fidelity-Red (Dutch), Serano-Red. Genomic tested bulls include: Aaron-Red, Destry*RC, Matrix-Red, Pembroke*RC As for genomic tested bulls there will be very limited use by our international clients, most of which are AI companies. Japan cannot use non-progeny tested bulls as the sire of sons for their government run progeny test program and our clients in Europe will probably be more interested in using genomic tested bulls from their countries than those in the US. Daughters of contract interest will include the top daughters of Bolton, Jet Stream, Jardin, Jose, Mascol, Alton, Sharky, Mac (only those with +30P or more), Baxter, Ramos, Toystory and special daughters of Shottle and Goldwyn. Genomic Tested Heifers Our clients will contract a limited number of genomic tested heifers sired by Planet, Active, Stol Joc, Auden, Million, Jeeves, etc. Basic requirement is +2100 GTPI and +40P. Speaking of heifers The reliabilities for genomic tested heifers are significantly higher than the reliabilities for young cows that are not genomic tested. The reliability of the transmitting ability of a genomically tested heifer is in the 70% range for production and type and the 60% range for health traits. Contrast this with reliabilities in the 55% range for production/type and the 30% range for health traits for young cows with one record and classification score, but no genomics. These bulls daughters will be the new ones coming: Freshening now include: Baxter, Mac, and Mr Burns. Those coming next include: Colby, Active, Moscow, Armstead and Lawn Boy, followed in early 2011 by Michael, Alexander, Sanchez, Socrates, Planet, Jeeves and Earnit. Genotyping the new ones coming: Freshening now include: Baxter, Mac, and Mr Burns. Those coming next include: Colby, Active, Moscow, Armstead and Lawn Boy, followed in early 2011 by Michael, Alexander, Sanchez, Socrates, Planet, Jeeves and Earnit.