Company News

Semex's Walk of Fame at World Dairy Expo will once again be "The place to be" at World Dairy Expo as thousands of visitors will be on hand to see real live examples of Semex's daughters that work on real dairies.

Visitors will see daughters multiple daughters of 0200HO04779 R-E-W Buckeye, 0200HO03280 Gillette Final Cut, 0200HO07317 Magor Allen Bolivia and 0200HO07030 Ladino Park Talent *RC.

If your travel plans are bringing you to the World Dairy Expo, make sure that the Semex tent and booths EH 2705-2709 are on your list of things to do while at the show!

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The value of a cow, heifer or calf can be measured in multiple ways. Many breeders utilize tools designed to measure genetic value and profit potential including TPI, LPI, Net Merit or even the individual traits they’re focusing their breeding program on to determine value.
Others simply look at what it would cost to replace a cow that has left the herd. In 2007, University of Wisconsin Extension (UWEX) Agents collected data from 49 dairy farms, custom calf and heifer growers from across Wisconsin. This study estimates, under given assumptions including calf value and labor costs, that the average total cost of raising a heifer from birth to freshening ranged from $1595 to $2935, or an average of $2149 (including a given value of $500 for the calf she is carrying). Therefore, a replacement will cost approximately $2100.
Many dairymen rely on additional income from selling their excess heifers and cows, allowing the free market to determine the value of their stock, while some seek elite genetics to develop marketable seed stock sold at a premium.
2008 was undoubtedly a phenomenal sale year, supported by high milk prices and an enthusiastic following who marveled each time another record was shattered. Semex sired daughters led the pack, reaching new heights and topping sales in multiple countries including Canada, France, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the USA.
Semex daughters are always the favorites at these sales, with code 200HO having topped many high profile and local sales from coast to coast and around the world.
“Semex daughters always stand out in the sale ring,” says Julien Chabot, Semex Sire Analyst. “In the sale ring the solid, square animals always sell the best. It doesn’t matter whether it’s for replacement cattle or for more elite and show cattle. Dairies want to milk cows that look correct and sound. Semex sires are known for these kind of daughters.”
Each year Holstein World, Holstein International and the Holstein Journal analyze ... Read More...

Semex is pleased to announce Michael Hurst has been appointed the Northeast Region Manager effective October 12, 2009. In this role Hurst will be responsible for sales management in the northeastern USA. Hurst has over 15 years of business-to-business experience in the agricultural industry. After graduating from The Ohio State University with a master of science degree in animal breeding and management, Hurst worked for the American Jersey Cattle Association (AJCA) as an Assistant Manager of Jersey Marketing Service and Director of Appraisal. In this role Hurst managed seven area representatives, two office staff and five appraisers who evaluated 50,000 Jersey cows annually. During his tenure at AJCA, Hurst grew total sales, helped launch an internet auction service, streamlined data and workflows, and grew Jersey member program participation. Additionally, he coordinated and enhanced the All-American Jersey Show, assisting with the implementation of the Premier Performance Class, as well as the new show ring Exhibition Code, and was a field representative to the Mid-Atlantic states. Most recently Hurst was a Financial Service Officer for Farmer Credit Services of Mid-American in Springfield, Ohio. While at Farm Credit Services, Hurst’s full time producer portfolio consisted of operating, IT and mortgage loans. Hurst’s accomplishments include being named Rookie of the Year in 2006, as well as ranking in the top 10 year to date sales for the entire Farm Credit Services organization for 2009, and top 10 sales in 2008 after closing $31 million in new business. “Michael brings crucial industry and Jersey breed knowledge, as well financial expertise to Semex and the Northeast Region,” says Paul Krueger, Sales & Business Development Manager, USA. “His experience working with dairymen at all levels of their business operations will be valuable as Semex continues to work with dairymen to reduce costs and increase profitability.” Working as the Northeast Region ... Read More...

Dairy Agenda Today's Niles Wendorf is conducting a series of video interviews with Semex's own Lowell Lindsay.



Lowell is an icon in the Holstein fraternity having spent over 50 years in the AI business. Beginning as an AI technician as a teenager, Lowell truly worked his way up through the business and has been a Regional Sire Analyst for the Semex Alliance for 38 years, working with the breed's greatest cow families and buying some of the world's most famous sires of all time.



These interviews showcase Lowell's talent for identifying and working with good cattle and are true evidence of his wonderful story telling ability.



Parts I and II are available by clicking here. Or go to www.dairyagendatoday.com and click on "Videos".

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The August proof release ushered in Semex sires designed to deliver what real dairymen on real dairies are looking for... Durability, Productive Life, Calving Ease, high fat, speciality red sires and more, all with the added bonus of reliability.

Semex is positioned to deliver the best sires available through our growing suite of product lines including our high fertility Repromax™ sires, high-tested genomic young sires with Genomax™ sires and now our Healthsmart™ sires, being those identified as siring the most valuable and profitable cows on the dairy.

For more information on Semex's new release sires in PDF click here or view each bull below.

Holstein:

0200HO00402 Mainstream Manifold (Oman x BW Marshall)
0200HO05378 Klover-Hill Java (Reggie x Aaron)
0200HO05379 Kerndt Stallion (September Storm x Mtoto)
0200HO05337 La Presentation Picolo Red (September Storm x Lentini)
0200HO05398 Langs-Twin-B Finley (Reggie x Aaron)
0200HO09812 Moon-Line Cranky (Champion x Storm)
0200HO05428 My-John Karik (Boliver x BW Marshall)
0200HOO3427 Springway Cleveland (Titanic x Addison)
0200HO09448 Monument Keneth (Morty x Durham)

Jersey:

0200JE00430 Lencrest On Time (Sultan x Declo Belle)
0200JE00018 BW Bombardier (WF Brook Bomber x Montana Nicole)
0200JE00946 Sunset Canyon Dice (Jace x Lemvig Tonopah)

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In the August 2009 Holstein International Semex's Repromax™ product was featured as a reproductive solution for dairymen around the world.

Magazine editor Stephan Schneider writes, "The fact that the basic concept behind the product Repromax™, developed by Semex, differs from those of many other suppliers results from its international alignment and the mix of information sources."

"In total, fertility information on over 3,000 bulls (including Jersey bulls) is hidden behind the Repromax values calculated by Semex scientists. Repromax is a fertility index combining the non-return rates (NRR) from Canada, Agri-Tech analyses (ATA) from 12 western US states, and the SCR proofs (sire conception rate) calculated by the US data center within one value from August 2008 on."

Click here to download the entire article.

At Semex, Repromax™ if offered to our clients as a reproductive solution, reducing days open and increasing profitability. Semex scientists have gathered SCR, ATA and Non-Return data to develop the world's first international fertility evaluation. Known as Repromax sires,these sires are Semex's highest-ranked fertility sires. Listed below, Repromax sires are highly reliable bulls proven to be high fertility sires, with no genetic sacrifices. These bulls improve the fertility performance of cows and increase your profitability, representing the best of the best, with no genetic sacrifices.

To learn more about Repromax™ click here.
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Mark E. Carson BSc. (Agr). MSc., Gencor Herd Reproduction Analyst



Achieving excellent reproductive performance is hard work. Here is a quick reminder about the benefits of working hard and delivering excellent reproductive performance in your herd.



1) Higher reproductive performance equals more milk. The average cow in your herd will spend a great portion of lactation near peak performance. Remember, every day open past 100 days in milk cost you approximately $4.50 US per day per cow.



2) Reduce reproductive culls of profitable cows. With more pregnancies occurring, you will have less forced culls due to reproductive failure, giving your herd more culling options. More culling options provides you the opportunity to cull less profitable cows, such as ones with low milk production.



3) Increase the number calves being born each year. With an increase in the number of pregnancies, your herd will have more heifers. These extra heifers can replace less profitable cows, be sold for more revenue or expand your herd from within.



4) More calves being born equals faster genetic improvement. Top daughters will enter your herd sooner, giving your herd a genetic edge.



5) Decrease transition cow problems. Cows that have long lactations and dry periods are at higher risk of developing health problems during their next transition period. Strong reproductive performances can reduce the number of cows that have extended lactations, providing you with less future transition problems.



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The August 2009 proof release has confirmed Semex's Balanced Breeding philosophy as one that delivers the reliability, value and diversity that dairymen from coast to coast appreciate. As dairymen look to AI to deliver functional type, Productive Life, Calving Ease, high fat, speciality red sires and more with unquestioned reliability, Semex is positioned to deliver through its time tested Balanced Breeding philosophy. Now it's even easier for dairymen to choose Semex sires. We've worked with dairymen from coast to coast, and devloped a growing suite of product lines that assist in dairying decisions. For high fertility sires, Semex's Repromax™ sires are an industry leading choice and now in August, we've worked with our geneticists to identify Health$mart™ sires. These sires are those that sire the most valuable and profitable cows on the dairy, excelling for qualities that can easily be quantified in the ledgers.

Semex has added sires that are well-positioned to make a positive impact to the dairy’s bottom line and add value to your herd, including one of the hottest new Oman sons, debuting at #20 TPI, 0200HO00402 Mainstream Manifold. Built to deliver results to Semex customers at +1431 PTAM, Manifold offers over 100 lbs combined fat and protein, +628 NM$ and desirable production. All this with pleasing, functional type that’s built to last at +1.74 PTAT, +1.80 UDC and +1.18 FLC with low 2.84 SCS, +3.70 PL and easy calving at 5% CE make Manifold a bull for dairymen everywhere.

With multiple Oman sons peppering the Top TPI listings, Manifold offers Semex customers an extremely balanced proof, backed by a deep pedigree and solid field approval. Manifold’s dam is VG-88-3YR-USA BW Marshall with over 141,000 lbs lifetime, then an EX-90-USA GMD with over 240,000 lbs lifetime and six more VG and EX dams.

“The Manifold daughters are really good commercial cows,” says Michelle Nelson, Semex West ... Read More...

Jersey breeders talk a lot about outcross in the Jersey breed, and have incorporated bloodlines from around the world including the Danish bloodlines that now dominate the top of the JPI listing. Considering the impact of Jace, one is left wondering where to find the new outcross sires.

Semex is thrilled to release two bulls that will outcross on most of the top 100 JPI bulls available today. The first is a bull that is now ranked #1 LPI by quite a distance, 0200JE00430 Lencrest On Time and second is 0200JE00018 BW Bombardier.

On Time is a Sultan son out of the well-known Declo Belle, and elite brood cow that has already given us the impact sire 0200JE00423 Lencrest Blackstone. With On Time you will be using a sire that not only will produce the show winners, but he will also make you money at home with 815 pounds of milk after the MACE conversion, plus for both component percentages and Productive Life, proving that these cows will last.

On Time is not only the perfect mating for Jace and Danish bloodlines, but will work on the Action daughters without taking away what you love about them. Semex has been using On Time extensively as a mating sire, showing confidence and belief that he just may be the most balanced bull on the market today.

BW Bombardier is a WF Brook Bomber x BW Montana Nicole x BW Berretta Prize, the same cow family that has brought to the Jersey breed high profile, impact sires such as Country, Blaise and Carrier. Bombardier could arguably be the best JUI bull the Jersey breed has ever had coming in at an amazing 10.47 for JUI. He sires udders that are snug in the fore udder at +2.9, wide +2.4, and high +3.3 in the rear. He also sires the deep bodies and the dairy strength that the Berretta Prize family is known to deliver. With almost 600 for milk, coupled with great health and fertility traits, Bombardier will cross well on many of the bloodlines ... Read More...

Working with dairymen around the world, Semex knows that today’s tight dairy economy has left dairymen searching for answers to reduce their expenditures and increase profitability. Looking at herd expenses one can quickly determine that health issues have a detrimental effect on a dairy’s ledgers. 



Removal of animals from the herd, whether voluntary or involuntary, is an expense most dairymen are looking to reduce. Replacing that animal and filling her stall is a costly venture. In 2008 De Vries and Olson obtained DHIA lactation records from 38 states from Dairy Records Management Systems and estimated that the national average cull rate was approximately 33%. Meaning, roughly 1/3 of all cows on these farms studied left the herd each year.



Increasing the herd’s survivability and decreasing the involuntary cull rate, therefore, is key to increasing profitability.



“At Semex, we’re working to help the dairyman increase his profitability,” says Nicolas Caron, Semex Alliance Geneticist. “One of the quickest ways to reduce costs and drive up profits is by reducing cows leaving the herd.  In today’s economic market, losing heifers in their first lactation before they’ve returned on your investment is not an option.  We’re working to deliver the very best genetic solutions, and Health$mart sires are selected to give dairymen an excellent option to help reduce costs at the ground level.  Simply put, healthy cows cost less.”



Semex has identified Health$mart™ sires as those that sire the most valuable and profitable cows on the dairy. These sires excel for qualities that dairies can easily quantify in their ledgers.  Dairymen can trust that a Semex Health$mart™ sire will have a positive financial impact, saving on vet bills, ... Read More...