A record-breaking top price of $620,000 for a young bull at the World Dairy Expo in the US earlier this month showed the sky is the limit for the world’s top dairy breeders, writes Stephen Cadogan.
The World Classic ’17 at the Expo $620,000 saw the top price being paid for a young bull, Mr Frazzled Aristocrat-ET, purchased by Diamond Genetics of The Netherlands.
The three-month-old animal comes with a genomic test pedigree of GTPI plus 2921, making him the highest GTPI bull to be sold at a public auction.
He is reckoned to be in the top 13 of the Holstein breed for GTPI.
The record-breaking sale confirms the takeover of gene testing at a very early age from the milk and show records which once determined the value of breeding animals.
The second-highest selling lot at the World Dairy Expo was Leaninghouse Mdsty 23039-ET, consigned by Rock Hill Dairy in Dexter, New Mexico, purchased by De Novo Genetics, Wisconsin, for $205,000.
Wa-Del Modesty Bobbi Jo-ET was bought for $105,000 by Sexing Technologies, Texas.
They were among the 51 lots in the World Classic ’17 Sale that averaged $41,469, paid by buyers representing 16 US states, three Canadian provinces, and four countries. The sale total of $2.1 million set a new World Classic record.
Many world-class cattle and embryos were sold during the sales at the five-day World Dairy Expo. The 37 Jersey lots averaged $2,886, with a sale total of $106,800.
The 20 Ayrshire lots totalled $68,580, with the live lots averaging $3,889.
The 31 Brown Swiss lots sold, half being calves six-months-old or younger, totalled $154,950, averaging $4,998 per lot.
The World Premier Milking Shorthorn Sale of 14 lots averaged $3,250 for a $42,250 total.
The 34 Guernsey lots sold totalled $122,775, with an average of $3,733 for the 26 live lots.
The near $2.6m in cattle sales somewhat upstaged the action in the cattle rings, where Rosiers Blexy Goldwyn-ET emerged as Supreme Champion of the 2017 World Dairy Expo.
This winning Holstein cow is owned by Budjon, Vail, Abbott, Van Exel and Woodmansee of Lomira, Wisconsin.
Also the winner of the Six-Year-Old Cow Class and Senior and Grand Champion Female in the International Holstein Show, she earned over $3,000 in cash prizes for her owners.
The Reserve Supreme Championship went to last year’s Supreme Champion, Musqie Iatola Martha-ET, exhibited by Milksource Genetics of Kaukauna, Wisconsin.
Source: Irish Examiner