August 25, 2010

Holstein breeders receiving the August 2010 Sire Summaries, commonly known as the "Red Book," will notice some improvements in the latest edition. The new features make the book easier to navigate and provide more information than ever. The Red Book is mailed to subscribers after each National Genetic Update, and contains the latest type and production information for over 1,000 Registered Holstein bulls. With extensive information about bulls' pedigrees, production and type PTAs (Predicted Transmitting Abilities) and linear STAs (Standardized Transmitting Abilities), the Sire Summaries are the unbiased, primary resource on Holstein bulls.

More Efficient Organization
One of the most obvious changes is the addition of clearly labeled, tabbed dividers between each section of the book, allowing users to quickly find the information they're looking for. The Red Book is now comprised of the following sections:
-Section 1: High Ranking Bull Lists
-Section 2: Available Proven Bulls
-Section 3: Daughter Proven Plus Bulls
-Section 4: Genomic Young Bulls
-Section 5: Reference Information

More Information for Your Consideration
The "Daughter Proven Plus" bulls section has been added for breeders who are most interested in bulls with a considerable amount of daughter information included in their proofs. All bulls in this section have a minimum of 75 daughters in 50 herds for both their production and type proofs. A list of the top 100 TPI bulls meeting this criteria is included, in addition to top 50 bull lists for Milk, Fat, Protein, Type, Udder Composite, Feet & Leg Composite, Productive Life and Net Merit Dollars. These bulls are all also included in the Available Proven Bulls section.

Genomic Young Bulls now also have their own section, with more information than in the past. Included in this section is a list of the top 100 TPI bulls with no daughters in their proofs, as well as an alphabetical listing with a great deal of information on all young bulls meeting the criteria.

Additionally, a Bull Registered Name/NAAB code reference has been added in the Reference Information section. This list complements the two previously existing cross references: NAAB Code/Registered Name and Short Name/Registered Name.

To order your Holstein bull guide, call Holstein Association USA Customer Service at 800.952.5200.

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