Announcement from Board of Directors

The Board of Directors of Jersey Canada announces that Russell Gammon will be leaving Jersey Canada on May 31st after 30 years of service to the association. The Board and staff of Jersey Canada would like to extend their thanks, congratulations and best wishes to Russell on his new role as Jersey Program Manager with the Semex Alliance.

The board is currently researching and assessing the structure of the Jersey office and will be updating the membership as they move forward. In the interim, Phyllis Harrington will serve as Office Manager and policy questions should be directed to your regional director.

In appreciation of his 30 years of outstanding service, Jersey Canada will be making a donation to Russell’s favorite charity, Partners for Purpose, which supports literacy education and other development projects in Haiti. Anyone wishing to donate in honour of Russell can do so at the office or online at www.partnerswithpurpose.com

Adrian Haeni
President, Jersey Canada

Bridon Farms website updated!

Be sure to visit www.jerseycanada.com/bridon to see the newly updated Bridon Farms website! Bridon Farms are the 2011 Jersey Canada Master Breeders!

revised website for Hometown Jerseys

Hometown Jerseys (Neil and Melanie Hunter) have recently revised their website!  

The entire site is now available in both English and French and there is additional information on some of their top genomic stars, such as Aruba, Ambrosia and Action Baby.  Check them out at www.jerseycanada.com/hometown!

Thinking Productivity in Jerseyland

NATIONAL JERSEY PRODUCTION AVERAGE

The latest national average production figures for Jersey were released recently. The 2010 national average is as follows: (based on publishable lactations only)

• 9,884 lactations:   
• 6,559 kgs of milk, 
• 317 kgs of fat (4.86%), 
• 248 kgs of protein (3.80%) 
• average BCAs of 218-195-217

This average represents the highest totals ever for milk, fat and protein yield and BCAs for all three yield items.

In pounds these totals are: 14,463 milk, 699 fat and 547 protein. (305 day actual production)

Previous records for milk were set in 2008 (6,435), fat in 2002 (310), and protein in 2002 (245).

The increases from 2009 were: 188 kgs of milk (3.0%); 8 kgs of fat (2.6%); 6 kilos of protein (2.5%).

Our strategic plan (Jersey Impact) calls for annual increases of 5% for each of fat and protein yield. The 2010 increases (achieved prior to the formulation of the plan) are at about exactly half that targeted increase.

In relation to the other six dairy breeds, Jerseys rank:

• 6^th for milk yield
• 3^rd for fat yield
• 1^st for fat percent
• 4^th for protein yield
• 1^st for protein percent
• 2^nd for milk BCA
• 6^th for fat BCA
• 3^rd for protein BCA

For combined kilos of fat plus protein, the Jersey breed ranks third at 565 kgs. Holstein at 686 and Brown Swiss at 626 are superior at the moment.

The number of publishable lactations for the Jersey breed has risen every year since 2006, which is understandable with lower live exports in this period. The 2010 total is the highest since 1997.

Had the Jersey breed been ticking along at 5.0% annual increases for fat and protein yields as targeted in our strategic plan for later years the increases for fat and protein would have been 16 kgs fat and 12 kgs for protein. This is compared to our 2010 noted increases of 8 kgs of fat and 6 kgs of protein.

We have been reminded repeatedly that if the Jersey cow were to have a higher average productivity for both fat and protein yield and some modest improvement in fat and protein percents demand for the breed would be at even higher levels. Generally people are not suggesting that the breed needs extreme or unrealistic gains in per cow productivity. Rather more progress than we are making today.

Let’s project where the breed could be in three years if the annual increases in fat and protein yield were at 5.0%.

- Starting points as of 2010:  317 kgs of fat and 248 kgs of protein. 565 kgs of fat plus protein.

- With 5% increases every year 2010, 2012, 2013 the breed would be at levels of 368 kgs of fat and 288 kgs of protein.

- In an interesting twist of events, this would put us almost at the 2010 industry-leading level for fat production for Holstein and at the 2010 second-place level for Brown Swiss protein production.

In this instance the combined kgs of fat plus protein would be 656. This would be right between the 2010 Holstein and Brown Swiss totals of 686 and 626 respectively.

Defining Jersey as the solids cow requires a balance of percentages of components and yield of fat and protein.

All things are possible; it is simply a matter of will within the breed to see the Jersey cow capture and seize a even more competitive place within the Canadian dairy industry. Improved kgs of fat plus protein production while maintaining good percentages would do that job!

Are we up to and ready for the challenge?

Canadian Jersey genetics shine in New Zealand!

The membership and leaders of Jersey New Zealand hosted an extraordinarily successful International Conference of the World Jersey Cattle Bureau during February. One of the highlights of post-conference tours in both the North and South Islands was the New Zealand Dairy Event held at Feilding on the North Island from February 16 to 18.

A special Jersey show was held at the Dairy Event this year as a large        crowd of delegates took part in a series of enticing post-conference tours. Pat Nicholson of the well-known Jugiong herd in Northern Victoria in Australia served as a very capable judge. At the superb show stadium at Feilding, international Jersey visitors and New Zealand dairy producers were once again forcefully reminded of the ongoing excellence of Canadian Jersey genetics. A bevy of top-placing animals carried Canadian genetics close up in their pedigrees.

The highly appealing Supreme All New Zealand Show Jersey Champion and Best Uddered Jersey was Carrondale ES Lindy, exhibited by Bradley Parkes and bred by Jack and Jo Davies, long-term Jersey supporters and breeders who farm near Hamilton. Lindy is a maternal grand-daughter of Canadian-bred Rock Ella Paramount, marketed by Select Sires.

Following Lindy into the winners circle was Ferdon Comerica Viyella, a top-notch Two Year Old leading the stunning exhibit of her breeders and exhibitors, the Ferguson Family of Ferdon Genetics. This heifer was the All-Breeds Junior Champion at the Dairy Event in 2010. She came roaring back in milking form this year to take the following top honours:

• Jersey and All Breeds Intermediate Champion after topping both Two Year Old classes;

• fourth best uddered cow in Jersey and All Breeds classes; and

• Reserve Grand Champion in the Jersey show.

Comerica Viyella is a daughter of Canadian sire Bridon Remake Comerica, marketed by the Semex Alliance. Her dam, Ferdon Folly’s Viyella, is sired by a son of Canadian sire Giprat Belles Jade from Rapid Bay Sires. Folly’s Viyella was herself very successful in the show as she was first in the Jersey and All Breeds Six and Seven Year Old in-milk classes, second in the best uddered Jersey class and was named Reserve Senior Champion in the Jersey show.

Other daughters of Semex Alliance sires Bridon Remake Comerica, Pine Haven Senior and Rock Ella Perimiter featured in the top five places in strong in-milk Jersey classes.

Canadian Jersey genetics were also a strong feature of heifer classes at the Dairy Event, with Ferdon Bstone Lola, the Junior Champion of the Jersey show, being one of three daughters of Semex sire Lencrest Blackstone in the top five in the Junior Yearling Class. Lola was also second in the All Breeds Junior Yearling class. Her dam is by a son of renowned Canadian sire Hollylane Renaissance (from Hollylane Jerseys). Lola is again owned and bred by the Ferguson family of Ferdon Genetics.

More Canadian connections could be found across the heifer classes, with numerous top five placings by Canadian sires Bridon Remake Comerica, Rock Ella Perimiter, Lencrest On Time, Vindication and Rapid Bay Ressurection.

Canada is pleased and always ready to help sister Jersey populations breed the kind of Jerseys that are making the breed more popular around the globe on a daily basis!

Jersey Canada's growth ramps up with 1000 new herd prefixes registered!

Dairy industry participants in North America know that great and revolutionary happenings are taking place with the Jersey breed with stunning rapidity! Further proof of roaring Jersey progress can be found in some new information just announced by Jersey Canada.

After reviewing 2011 activity statistics to the end of February, Jersey Canada is thrilled to announce that a grand total of 1,002 new herd prefixes have been registered since January 2004!!

Digging into the story behind the story reveals that over 825 (82%) of these new herd prefixes have been registered since January 2006. This statistic provides strong evidence that Jersey Canada's National Extension Program (born in 2006) is working very well!   

Jersey Canada regards registration of a herd prefix as evidence that a new Jersey owner intends to begin registering Jersey animals. Herd prefix registration stats are therefore used as a key indicator of more sustained growth in the ranks of Jersey owners in Canada.

The association has celebrated other recent milestones, including the highest number of registrations since 1968 in 2010 and the best two years for memberships since 1966/1967 in 2009/2010. Jersey Canada is now poised for further exciting growth as expanding numbers of dairy producers move to invest in Jerseys for their dairying future!

Russell receives a Distinguished Service Award from the WJCB!

A full press release will follow, but check out the coverage on Dairy Agenda Today!