Genomics garners much attention at Holstein Convention

Tom Lawlor, Holstein USA's geneticist, spoke before a near capacity crowd at the 125th gathering of the nation's Holstein breeders. Based on the crowd size, it was clear breeders still have many questions following April's genetic evaluations.

During Lawlor's presentation, he told Holstein breeders that there were 1,471 cows that had imputed proofs this April . . . proofs derived from genomic test information from over five offspring. Since then, that number has risen to 2,004 cows as more animals enter the genomic database. Lawlor estimates that breeders saved some $500,000 in testing costs due in part to the imputed genomic proofs.

When it came to two hotly debated issues from the April evaluations, Lawlor told those in attendance that 98 percent of indexes went down when genomic evaluations were rescaled to more closely reflect bull evaluations. Meanwhile, when evaluations were imputed, 56 percent of indexes went up while 44 percent went down. It was the combination of these two events which caused all the turmoil. When rescaled evaluations and imputed proofs were added together, 83 percent of cow indexes dropped with only 17 percent going up.

Lawlor went on to tell breeders about two new genomic tests that were coming soon involving the 3K and 860K chips which will be in addition to the current 52K test. Lastly, Lawlor said that the rescaled indexes should be back on the same base by April 2011 as USDA geneticists hope to have all genomically tested cows on the same base as females with traditional evaluations.

Holstein has a new milk production record-holder

Ever-Green-View My 1326 -ET now holds the record for most milk produced in one single lactation by a Holstein. She is bred and owned by Thomas J. Kestell of Waldo, Wis. After a 365-day lactation, 1326-ET produced 72,170 pounds of milk, with 2,787 pounds of fat and 2,142 pounds of protein. That' a lot. A whole lot. What does that equate to? We did the math.
8,295 gallons of milk
or
If the average person drank three 8 oz. glasses of milk each day, she would have been able to sustain about 121 people each day for one year!
or
about 7,217 pounds of cheese — that's enough for 115,472 cheeseburgers (each with one ounce of cheese)

"She's always been a really good milk cow, and a very solid type cow," owner Tom Kestell says. "This record wasn't hard on her – she looks great and feels great. She just wasn't stressed out at all, just like the rest of her family." Ever-Green-View My 1326- ET, and was 4 years, 5 months when she made her record-breaking lactation. She is a Stouder Morty-ET daughter and is classified Excellent at 92 points. The farm — Ever-Green-View is owned Tom and Gin Kestell, with son Chris involved in the operation. They have 130 cows with a BAA of 109.7 percent and a Rolling Herd Average of 35,151 pounds of milk, 1,351 pounds of fat, and 1,083 pounds of protein. Congratulations on this incredible accomplishment!

Former Holstein head, Robert Rumler, passes away

Robert Rumler, long-time Holstein Executive Secretary and dedicated dairy industry leader passed away on January 10, 2010; he was 93 years old. Rumler served as Executive Secretary of the Holstein Friesian Association (now Holstein USA) from 1952 to 1975. In 1976, Rumler was elevated to the position of Executive Chairman. The Holstein breed's influence grew a great deal under his leadership. By the time Rumler retired, over 75 percent of the registered dairy cattle in the U.S. were Holstein. During his tenure, active membership in the Holstein Friesian Association grew from 15,000 to 27,000 with total membership in excess of 40,000. During his tenure in the mid-1970s, the Holstein Friesian Association installed a computer center and became the largest single source of genetic data and information on the Holstein breed in the world.

Born and raised on a Pennsylvania dairy farm, Rumler graduated with honors from Penn State University in 1936. After graduation, he went on to serve as assistant county agent in Missouri. Some 18 months later he came to back Pennsylvania, he became the youngest man to ever be named county agent in the history of the Pennsylvania Extension Service; it was a role he held for nearly eight years. His next challenge was serving three years as editor and assistant manager of the agricultural promotion division of Dupont before he was named, in 1948, as assistant Executive Secretary of the Holstein Friesian Association of America.

Rumler gave a great deal of his time to other dairy organizations. In 1967, he was selected by the USDA as one of four advisors to the newly appointed Joint Task Force on Dairy Research. The very next year, he was elected President of National Dairy Shrine. Rumler also served as an officer and director of the National Society of Livestock Record Associations. He also provided leadership to the Purebred Dairy Cattle Association and was an original member of the National DHIA coordinating group. In 1976, Rumler was named National Dairy Shrine Guest of Honor and in 1979 he received World Dairy Expo's Industry Person of the Year Award. In 1996, Rumler also received World Dairy Expo's International Person of the Year making him the only person to win two of World Dairy Expo's recognition awards.

In 1974, Rumler agreed to co-chair the fundraising committee with Robert Walton for National Dairy Shrine's permanent home in Fort Atkinson, Wis. At the National Dairy Shrine's dedication on September 29, 1981, Rumler said, "What you see today in this permanent home of the Shrine is a museum with a perspective of the future. It is a building, an exhibit hall, filled with memorabilia of the past, reminding us of how far our industry has come. It pictures those leaders who made the industry what it is today. It provides a suggestion of what is yet to come while we both see and hear the fascinating saga of the evolution of our industry."

Active discussion on Holstein USA’s Dairy Price Stabilization Program

Responding to growing member concerns, Holstein USA has been becoming increasingly more active in milk marketing. Not only have they established a milk marketing committee, but that committee has developed a producer-led plan to stabilize milk prices. In recent months, the Association has been meeting with milk co-op leaders, national dairy industry leaders, and others who might help implement the plan.

Bob Cropp , the University of Wisconsin-Madison dairy economist who help develop the program after significant Holstein member input, was on hand June 29 at the National Holstein Convention in Sacramento, Calif., to detail the plan being proposed by Holstein USA to stabilize milk prices.

As he led the discussion, Cropp quickly pointed out that, “this is as depressed a dairy economy I have seen in my 42 years in the dairy industry,” he said. “At the heart of the issue is low pay prices for milk combined with high feed costs,” he said. Regionally, feed costs are running higher than average in many western states such as California, Idaho, and West Texas just to name a few, Cropp pointed out.

There are a number of reasons producer pay prices are down. Certainly the weakening world economy tops the list. Perhaps next on the list is the fact exports are dropping. In 2008, the U.S. exported 10.8 percent of our milk product. Exports are off significantly from that number due not only to reduced demand, but the fact major exporting countries like New Zealand and Australia are producing more milk, the European Union is subsidizing exports at a higher level, and the strengthening U.S. dollar is making our products more expensive to importing countries. All these factors may combine to drop exports 35 to 57 percent this year.