Company News

Semex’s Canadian Embryo Production Centre, Boviteq, located in Saint Hyacinthe, Quebec, is world renown for both its research and bovine embryo work. For decades, producers from coast to coast in Canada and the US have benefited from and looked to Boviteq as their source for reproductive excellence. Now, Semex is proud to announce the accreditation of several satellite OPU (Ovum Pick Up) sites in eastern Canada to compliment the services offered in western Canada by Boviteq West.

“We’re extremely excited about working with beef and dairy clients across the country, assisting them to implement genetic and reproductive activities on their farms,” says Brad Sayles, Semex Vice President Global Marketing. “Boviteq is home to the industry’s very best advancements in reproduction and genetics. Our embryo and IVF (In Vitro Fertilization) techniques have been extremely successful for the commercial and purebred breeder alike, and now with this expansion of OPU services, we’re able to serve an even greater customer base.”

Boviteq is working directly with the following veterinarians as well as the McIntosh OPU/Fradon Donor Facility in eastern Canada:


Dr. Melvin Crane & Dr. Chris Versteeg, Kensington Veterinary Clinic Ltd., Kensington, PE
Dr. Mario Lefort, Services Vétérinaires Mario Lefort inc., Ormstown, QC
Dr. Louis Picard, ETE Inc., Québec, QC
Dr. Adam Haight, Kirkton Veterinary Clinic, Kirkton, ON
Dr. Ken Christie, Dr. Everett Hall & Dr. Tim Henshaw, EastGen, Guelph, ON
Dr. Christopher Church, McIntosh OPU/Fradon Donor Facility, Woodstock, ON


Boviteq West, a strong partner of Boviteq in western Canada, supplies ... Read More...

Semex is saddened to announce the passing of its 11th Millionaire Sire, 0200HO04779 R-E-W Buckeye.

Proven through Semex’s Premier™ young sire proving program in the US in August 2005, Buckeye’s popularity was instantaneous, arriving as one of the world’s most popular BW Marshall sons and ranking #4 TPI. In February 2006 Buckeye climbed to the #2 TPI position, commanding international respect for his desirable production, solid type and in-demand health traits.

Buckeye daughters were known for exceptional feet & legs, mobility and flatness of bone. They had tremendous udders that were silky, very well-attached and were designed to handle large volumes of milk. His status as a calving ease sire only added to his popularity, selling into well over 50 countries worldwide.

“Buckeye was one of the ultimate breeder satisfaction bulls,” says Brad Sayles, Semex Vice President Global Marketing. “He delivered long-lasting, profitable cows that their owners loved because they were milky, dairy and profitable. His daughters are still impacting their herds, being long-lasting and profitable.” 
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Genetics for Life is all about delivering the best possible product to our clients, and Semex’s Jersey sires are no exception. The rigorous selection process used when selecting our Jersey lineup has netted impressive results with code 200JE owning four of the top 25 US GJPI Active Sires and the #1 new release sire in Canada! 

Leading Semex sires was HealthSmart™ sire 0200JE00073 GR Wilsonview Maxwell at +198 GJPI. This Gannon son from the widely-respected M family at Wilsonview in Oregon delivers 66 pounds of Fat, 558 CM$, 524 NM$, 500 FM$ and impressive stats of 4.21 JUI and 4.8 for PL.  He ranks 4th for Net Merit $, 5th for Cheese Merit $ and fourth for Fluid Merit Dollars on the active list. 

Blackstone son 0200JE00477 Lucky Hill Joker climbed 17 points GJPI with additional daughters to land one point behind Joker at +197. From a Legion x Montana Java, Joker sires hard-working cows that give him an impressive +60 F and +50 Protein. This high fertility Repromax™ sire is also available Sexxed™.

Semex’s rigorous selection process for its Genomax™ lineup has resulted in some of the most in-demand progeny proven bulls in the world. One of these elite young sires is 0200JE01007 Missiska MacKenzie (Vinnie x Merchant) is no exception, ranking as number four on the G Code list at +259 GJPI. This impressive sire ranks #1 for Cheese Merit dollars (+766) and pounds of fat (+100), #2 Net Merit dollars (+671) and #6 for Fluid Merit $ (598). He also beings profit to the table with a .26% fat and +.08% protein and a high JUI at +4.86!

In Canada, Robot Ready™ sire 0200JE00470 Comestar JDF Beautifull (Iatola x Fprize Belle x Declo Belle) graduates as the #5 GLPI sire overall, the #1 new release sire and the only double digit Conformation bull in the top 30! Beautifull daughters have all the great conformation traits you would expect, with nearly perfect-shaped udders having silky texture, great heel depth, a ... Read More...

Semex’s Genomax™ sires meet the industry’s most rigorous genomic young standards. This results in some of the most in-demand genomic and progeny proven bulls in the world. The newest graduate of this program, 0200HO03753 Marbri Facebook, now ranks as the world’s #1 TPI sire! Facebook joined Semex’s elite Genomax lineup as the #3 GTPI sire in December 2010. Identified quickly as a top sire, Semex sampled 17 sons that have now entered the Genomax program themselves. They are now some of the most highly respected and in-demand genomic sires in the breed including 0200HO02870 Mr Lookout P Enforcer and 0200HO03877 Coyne-Farms Jabir who have each been at the top of the GLPI and GTPI charts. Now as a progeny proven sire, Facebook’s international demand will only increase as his #1 TPI and #1 MACE LPI rankings combined with his Immunity+™ status make him one of the most valuable sires in the world. With impressive statistics of +2356 GTPI/+3469 MACE GLPI, +2.49 PTAT, breed-leading +172 lbs combined Fat and Protein, moderate stature and fantastic udder traits of +3.04 RUH, +2.80 RUW and +2.90 UC, Facebook and his sons are only just beginning. “Facebook is exactly the kind of bull our clients are looking for,” says Brad Sayles, Vice President, Global Marketing. “He was an extremely popular Genomax young sire who has proven himself through his milking daughters. He is truly more than a triple-threat sire, being Immunity+, a high fertility Repromax™ sire, Calving Ease™ and HealthSmart™. He’s got everything our global clients are looking for to be profitable at the farm gate.” For more information on Semex, Genetics for Life, Immunity+, Genomax, Repromax, Calving Ease or HealthSmart sires visit www.semex.com
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Genetics for Life is all about ensuring that our customers everywhere have the tools they need to be successful. For our clients who are seeking a non-invasive solution to dehorning, the polled gene is extremely valuable. Semex recognizes the potential of the polled gene and we’re working with our customers worldwide to find the best possible polled genes for them. New to the Semex Polled™ and Genomax™ lineups in August is the #1 homozygous polled bull available in the world, 0200HO10157 Calbrett Blueprint PP *RC. He’s an impressive +2124 GTPI with a +4.6 PL, +1.10 DPR, +2.09 PTAT with a great +2.68 RUH, +2.47 RUW and 573 NM$ and is also designated a HealthSmart™ sire. A son of the popular Earnhardt P and from the well-known PR Barbie maternal line, Blueprint’s pedigree is extremely popular and valuable. His dam is VG-85-2YR Cherry Crest Colt Bambi P, a Colt P from a VG-88 Alexander, Lookout Pesce A Brava, from VG-87 2* Regancrest MB Breyell then EX-90 GMD DOM 3* Breya, a Shottle from PR Barbie herself. “We have seen the remarkable increased interest in polled genetics over the past few years,” says Brad Sayles, Vice President Global Marketing. “As the genetic merit of these sires increase so does the demand. Our clients are looking for homozygous polled sires with a high genetic value, and Blueprint is certainly one of those sires! This is his first semen available for use anywhere and we’re excited about the potential it holds for our clients worldwide.” Available worldwide beginning September 1, Blueprint is priced at $150 with no minimum purchase required. For more information on Semex, Genetics for Life, Genomax, Polled sires or any of Semex’s brands visit: www.semex.com
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The discovery of high immune response (HIR) and Semex’s release of Immunity+™ sires was a game-changer for the bovine industry. With a 25% heritability, Immunity+ sires can help improve a herd’s overall health and longevity.  Regardless of herd size or management style, Immunity+ sires are a valuable tool for breeding a healthy herd of profitable and efficient cows.  Based on the HIR technology developed by Dr. Bonnie Mallard and her colleagues at the University of Guelph, the research surrounding this technology spans decades. It shows that HIR cows have 19-30% lower disease incidence compared to herd averages. These cows also respond better to commercial vaccines and produce higher quality colostrum. As a result, they are more profitable by bringing in more revenue, lowering costs and wasting less of the dairyman’s time. And, most importantly, Immunity+ works.  “We’ve been excited to hear from dairymen real life examples of Immunity+ sired daughters being healthier than their herdmates,” says Jay Shannon, Semex Global Dairy Solutions Manager. “For example, recently a dairyman using bulls from several studs reported that a bug hit his dairy’s calf pen. Unfortunately, he lost 11% of the daughters from other sires, but none of his Immunity+ sired calves were lost.”  Joining the proven Immunity+ lineup following the August 2014 genetic evaluation are: 0200HO03753    MARBRI FACEBOOK...    MAN-O-MAN x AIRRAID 0200HO02653    MISTY SPRINGS TRIBUTE...    MAN-O-MAN x GOLDWYN 0200HO07432    REGANCREST INTIMATE...    PLANET x SHOTTLE 0200HO02690    STANTONS EMPRESS...    MAN-O-MAN x OUTSIDE The following Genomax™ bulls are also designated Immunity+: 0200HO06631    MYSTIQUE ALSACE...    MCCUTCHEN x GERARD 0200HO03994   ... Read More...

With the August genetic evaluation, Semex once again reaffirmed our commitment to our clients and their drive for profitable genetics. We’re more confident than ever that our programs offer our clients everywhere what they’re looking for through our lineup of newly released daughter proven sires, high reliability sires and the very youngest and brightest genomic superstars.  Semex highlights include its Genomax™ program graduating 0200HO00402 Marbri Facebook (Man-O-Man x Airraid) who received his first official proof ranking him as the #1 TPI sire and #1 MACE LPI in the world! He joins Millionaire Sire 0200HO00402 Manistream Manifold, 0200HO0528 Sildahl Jett Air and another new graduate 0200HO02690 Stantons Empress (Man-O-Man x Outside) in the top 25 GTPI sires in the world.                  Genomax™: Led by household names including 0200HO07450 Amighetti Numero Uno and the program’s most famous graduate to date, Facebook, our rigorous selection standards ensure that Semex’s Genomax sires are the industry’s finest, most desirable and profitable young bulls available anywhere:  0200AY00784    KAMOURASKA BIGSTAR...    SITUATION x JUPITER 0200BS00123    LIME ROCK TOLEDO...    MOTOWN x DRIVER 0200HO06304    VAL-BISSON MORNING...    AFTERSHOCK x GOLDWYN 0200HO10072    CLAYNOOK DIECAST...    DAY x BEACON 0200HO10085    SANDY-VALLEY DIVO...    DAY x METEOR 0200HO06621    VELTHUIS B LUNDI...    DAY x PLANET 0200HO10121    SILVERRIDGE ENDURE...    DOORMAN x SNOWMAN 0200HO10157    CALBRETT BLUEPRINT PP *RC...    EARNHARDT P x COLT P-RED 0200HO10101    MORNINGVIEW MAINTOP...    LET IT SNOW x ... Read More...

Each genetic evaluation underscores our commitment to our customers worldwide and our dedication to their success and profitability, whether they’re seeking GLPI, GTPI, Type, Net Merit $, Calving Ease, Immunity+ or any of the other traits that drive profitability at the farm gate. We believe that this is Genetics for Life. Holstein Highlights: 0200HO03753 Marbi Facebook is World’s #1 TPI & #1 MACE LPI sire Semex’s #1 LPI bull 0200HO00528 Sildahl Jett Air Semex’s #1 new release LPI sire 0200HO06183 Comestar Lemust 0200HO10157 Calbrett Blueprint is World’s #1 Homozygous Polled Bull with semen availablea Jersey Highlights: Semex #1 new release GLPI bull 0200JE00470 Comestar JDF Beautifull #5 GLPI sire overall Only double digit Conf bull in the top 30  Two top 20 proven sires in the USA: 0200JE00073 Wilsonview Maxwell 0200JE00477 Lucky Hill Joker Two of the top five, four of the top 10, eight of the top 15, 10 of the top 20 among young sires in Canada for GLPI Two of the top 15 young sires in the world! To view daughter video footage of many of Semex’s sires visit our Youtube channel at www.youtube.com/semexalliance Additional information on these bulls including complete LPI and TPI data is available at www.semex.com 
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No matter your management preference, maintaining a healthy herd of profitable and efficient cows is challenging. Semex’s patented Immunity+™ sires have a naturally high immune response, and by using them you can improve your herd’s overall health and longevity. Immunity+ sires are those possessing an extremely high immune response rate, with only one in 10 bulls qualifying. Based on the extensive research of high immune females by Dr. Bonnie Mallard and her colleagues at the University of Guelph, and by applying genetic transmitting principles that go with a 25% heritable trait, we can estimate that Immunity+ sires’ daughters will have 4-8% less disease incidence. Recently released Genomax™ sire and the world’s #3 GTPI McCutchen son, 0200HO06639 Stantons Pulsar now adds Immunity+ status to his impressive resume. Already a HealthSmart™ and Robot Ready™ sire, Pulsar’s impressive statistics rank him as the #12 GTPI sire on Holstein USA’s Top 100 Genomic Young Bull listing! With a +2541 GTPI, 816 NM$, +2.3 DPR and +6.2 PL and solid +3.62 PTAT and +3.21 UDC, Pulsar is Semex’s #4 GTPI sire, our #3 GLPI sire (#10 GLPI overall) and the #3 Immunity+ sire in the world! Ask your Semex representative today about Pulsar or any of Semex’s sires in the Immunity+ lineup! For additional information on Semex, Genetics for Life, Immunity+, Genomax™ or any of Semex’s products or services visit www.semex.com
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Semex is pleased to announce that Brad Gilchrist will be joining Semex’s Beef team as a Beef Marketing & Product Specialist effective Monday, July 14.

In this role Brad will be responsible for the marketing and branding of the Beef program, as well as providing product support to all markets as Semex continues to grow globally.

“We’re extremely pleased to have Brad join our team,” says Myles Immerkar, Manager, Semex Global Beef Programs. “His experience both domestically and internationally working with beef clients makes him a perfect fit for our team. He understands our clients’ needs and brings real-world, hands-on experience to this position.”

Brad graduated from the University of Guelph with a B.Sc. Agriculture, Honors degree in 2008 and since then has worked as an AI Technician and Beef Representative at Eastgen. In this role he was responsible for creating beef marketing programs and sales strategies, while also consistently meeting and exceeding his own individual sales targets.

Additionally, Brad is the herd manager at his own Angus cow-calf herd specializing in show steers, Gilchrist Farms. Established in 2000, Brad has quickly built this herd into a well-recognized name in the seed stock industry handling all of the herd’s branding, marketing and development.

For additional information about Semex or Semex Beef please visit www.semex.com or www.semex.com/beef    
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