Photo : Jean-Philippe Proulx

October 2014

www.holsteinquebec.com

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Photo : Jean-Philippe Proulx

Judges from other countries Their views on Quebec Holsteins

Ferme Sicard Home of three passions

Although he spent 11 years working as acheese maker for Saputo, in Maskinongé,young Yvon Sicard was no less interested inthe farm and its good-looking animals. At thetime, he owned a few hectares of land and aherd of Hereford beef cattle that he exhibitedat shows. His father, Réal Sicard, was moreinterested in field work than animals, but hekept a herd of crossbred cows just the same.“They were fine cows,” recalls Yvon. Mr. Sicardcould always count on Yvon’s support on thefarm, and it was his son’s involvement thatprompted him to hold on to his quota.

Celebrating his 30th birthday in 1990, when hisfather was 65, Yvon changed the course of hiscareer, leaving his job to take over the farm.After concentrating on improving the family’sherd, Yvon’s love of purebred animals quicklycame to the fore. Putting the invaluableadvice of his neighbour, Yves Lefebvre, togood use, and often bringing him along, YvonSicard attended a good many auctions andvisited numerous herds, including thosebelonging to Bertrand Boisclair (Clairbois)and Ferme Jaton et Gremion (Provetaz). Littleby little, the Sicy herd took shape.

Attractive show cows

At Ferme Sicard, the passion for fine animalsis the primary focus, and they take part in atleast 10 shows per year. In 2001, after someof the land was sold and the acreage devotedto field crops was reduced, Yvon had moretime and decided to transfer his interest inshows, first developed with his Herefords, tohis Holsteins. In 2008, the Sicard familydecided to give it their all, a course madepossible by, among other factors, the helpthey got from friends Laurent Lambert, SimonLalande and Martin Roberge.

Since then, the herd has met with success,winning a number of big titles at the SpringShow over the past few years, includingseveral Intermediate Championship wins: in2010, with Idee Goldwyn Lynley, EX-93, a cowsold to Ferme Blondin just prior to the show;in 2011, with Donnanview Damion Lyza, VG-88-3yr, then co-owned with Ghyslain Demers;in 2012, with Cookview Goldwyn Monique,VG-89-3yr, then co-owned with Ferme Blondinand Jeff Butler; and, in 2013, with Desnette

Alexia Roseplex, VG-89-3yr, co-owned withFerme Desnette.

Another animal that has done well in theshowring is Roggua Dundee Evelyne, EX-93,a cow that earned two Superior Lactationcertificates, one for a yield of 13 393 kg ofmilk, at 2 years and 5 months, for BCAs of 340-303-326. From her first-place wins in the calfclasses in Stanstead, through to her All-Canadian and Tout-Québec Senior Two-Year-Old nominations in 2010, her title as ReserveGrand Champion at the Ontario SummerShow and Grand Champion at ExpositionRive-Nord in 2012, and then her triumph, in2014, in the Mature Cow Class in Trois-Rivières, the Grand Championship in Maxville,and the Lifetime Production Over 50 000 kgClass at the provincial finals in Montmagny,Evelyne continues to be a great source ofpride.

Petitclerc Sid Sunkiss, VG-88-2yr, co-ownedwith Ferme Blondin, is also turning heads,having finished the 2013 show season withthe titles of Reserve All-Canadian andReserve All-American Junior Two-Year-Old.

Ferme SicardThree areas of passion that explain it all

he ingredients of Yvon Sicard’s success are without doubt his love for good-looking animals, the pleasure he getsfrom taking good care of them, and his enjoyment in the business of buying and selling them. Representing thefourth generation on this family farm in Saint-Justin, near Maskinongé, Yvon and his family operate the Sicy herd.

ByMichel Dostie

Editor

Translation byNicole De Rouin

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The success of the Sicard farmis attributable as much to a lovefor attractive animals as to apassion for trading.

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For both showing and breeding purposes, Ferme Sicard can alsocount on Cityview Shottle Ace, EX-93, a cow they co-own withGhyslain Demers. With a Superior Lactation for 12 460 kg of milk, at 2 years and 1 month, and BCAs of 320-295-337, Ace snapped up a firstin the Junior Two-Year-Old Class in Trois-Rivières, As for herreproductive performance, she is already dam to 10 heifers, including8 by Goldwyn, 4 of which have already been sold.

The farm also breeds with Cobequid Goldwyn Leno, EX-94, an animalco-owned with Pierre Boulet, Ghyslain Demers and Butz-HillHolsteins. With a Superior Lactation for a production of 15 115 kg ofmilk, with 4.2% fat and 3.2% protein (313-350-313), at the age of 4 yearsand 5 months, Leno, in 2012, was Reserve Intermediate Champion atExpo Québec, Reserve Intermediate Champion and HonourableMention Grand Champion at the Ontario Summer Show, and ReserveGrand Champion in Maxville. Moreover, she ended the 2013 showseason with an All-Canadian Four-Year-Old nomination. She continuedin that fashion in 2014, winning first Five-Year-Old and the title of GrandChampion in Trois-Rivières, in addition to a second place at the Spring

For the Sicard family, whether they’re going to a show or operatingthe farm, it’s a team effort. As much as Yvon Sicard enjoys goingto shows, it’s with his exhibit and outside the show ring that he ismost comfortable. Preparing his animals is what he likes to dobest, so don’t count on him to present the animals before thejudge. He doesn’t even watch, he admits. But he’s not alone to dothe work. Since he began competing with his animals, he hasalways been able to count on Jacques Lacoursière, MathieuChartrand, Kelly Hardy and Audrey Lafortune, his constant allieswho follow him everywhere, not to mention his two sons and hisspouse, Christine Desrosiers. But you won’t see Christine near theanimals during the show. Instead, she follows the action from thebleachers, listening and taking note of the judges’ comments.

On the farm, Yvon Sicard relies on his eldest son, Charles-Antoine,who works full time for the family operation, and his employee, JimTrudel, in addition to Christine, who has been taking part in themilking for the past fifteen years as well as doing the bookkeeping.For her, this was quite a change in vocation. The daughter of aveterinarian, she began her career as a figure-skating coach. Atthe time, she was leaving the house morning and evening to trainher skaters, a schedule hardly compatible with farm work. But asYvon’s father began to withdraw from the business, she took herplace discreetly, making the most of her father-in-law’sexperience. The couple’s younger son, Julien, an electrician bytrade, also helps the farm work.

Together, this team takes care of the herd’s 50 milking cows, whichinclude 7 EX, 35 VG and 10 GP. The Holsteins produce an averageof 9100 kg of milk, with 4.3%fat and 3.31% protein, for BCAs of 221-247-224. Taking into account the ups and downs of the business,the herd generally comprises between 100 and 150 head. Theanimals are housed in a tie-stall barn, except for the show cows,which are kept in large box stalls. The herd is fed hay andcommercial feed. According to Yvon Sicard, this type of feeding

is ideal for animals that are likely to be sold and will then have toadapt to a new ration. According to the breeder, a cow fed thisway “develops a great capacity to eat anything.” Moreover, headds that using a complete feed means that each cow getspersonal treatment, which is advantageous, even if, as he says,“it takes more time.”

Hay is produced on half of the 162 ha cultivated by the Sicardfamily and is harvested in small bales or large wrapped bales. Therest of the acreage is seeded equally to small grain, soybeans andcorn.

A team effortPh

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Yvon Sicard, Christine Desrosiers and their family all take part in the work involved in the Sicy operation. Charles-Antoine,

on the right, works full time on the farm, and Julien, an electrician,helps out as his schedule permits.

In 2014, Cobequid Goldwyn Leno won both the Five-Year-Old Class and the title of Grand Champion in Trois-Rivières. She is the dam of

Sicy Aftershock Lemone, Junior Honourable Mention at Expo Rive-Nord and Reserve Junior Champion in Trois-Rivières.

Show and in Maxville. She is the dam of SicyAftershock Lemone, a heifer born in December2013 that Yvon Sicard co-owns with his sonJulien. In 2014, Lemone won first place in theIntermediate Calf Class at both the Rive-Nordand Trois-Rivières shows, as well as JuniorHonourable Mention at Expo Rive-Nord andReserve Junior Champion in Trois-Rivières.

The animals bearing the Sicy prefix are alsomaking a name for themselves on the showcircuit. The cows that stood out this year areSicy Sydney Goldwyn, VG-89, first SeniorThree-Year-Old and Grand Champion at ExpoRive-Nord, Sicy Ballet Atwood, first JuniorYearling and Junior Champion in Trois-Rivières and Reserve Junior Champion inMaxville, and Sicy Alisson Goldwyn, firstSenior Yearling at both the Rive-Nord andTrois-Rivières shows.

Yvon Sicard also bred Sicy Knowledge, VG-87 Extra, a bull now owned by Semex, andwhose dam is Ferre James Kelly, VG-88 3*.

It goes without saying that good managementis essential to Yvon Sicard, who maintainsthat for an animal to win at a show, “whoeverkeeps the cow does more than half the job.”Hence, it’s not without reason that he likes tospend his days in the barn. For that matter, atFerme Sicard, there is always someone in thebarn taking care of the animals, washingthem, and seeing to all the little details thatcan make a difference in the show ring. YvonSicard acknowledges, for example, that hepays particular attention if a cow always lieson the same side, because it can lead to anunbalanced udder. Because of that, he won’thesitate to make her get up and then

persuade her to lie down on herother side.

An eye for selection

Although he does consider cowfamilies, Yvon Sicard alwaysfocuses on conformation for hissire selection. That means thatbefore choosing a bull, he paysclose attention to the animal’sdaughters as well as its familyorigins. And when it comes toevaluating a young bull, helooks first at the dam’sconformation traits to make hischoice. While his approachleaves little room for genomics,Yvon Sicard prefers his more“down-to-earth” method.

Trading is also a must

The business of buying and selling alsofeatures high on the agenda for Yvon Sicard,and that applies to both good show cows andcommercial milk-producing cows. Financiallyspeaking, year after year, trading accountsfor at least 60 per cent of the farm’s revenue.And there’s a strong connection between thatbusiness and the herd’s presence at shows,which draws many visitors to the farm.

When he spots a good one, says ChristineDesrosiers, his spouse, Yvon Sicard’sreaction is instant: “He wants to have her.”But she hastens to explain that “he has soundjudgement, he’s a visionary.” As Yvon Sicardpoints out, “Everyone can point out a cow’s

weakness, but a comment madeby Jocelyn Côté stands out forme. He said: ‘It’s important tolook for the qualities and thenmake do with the faults.’” Andbecause Yvon likes good herdmanagement and attending todetails, that is just what hespends a good part of his timedoing when he’s in the barn. It’salso the reason he attaches agreat deal of importance to thewell-being of his animals.

Because trading keeps him on the road agood part of the time, however, Yvon isfortunate to be able to rely on the presenceof his son Charles-Antoine and Jim Trudel, apermanent employee, in the barn. That way,he explains, both the animals and the barnare kept clean at all times.

And when he sells good animals, it’s likelythat the buyers will also get good results inthe show ring. That’s fine by Yvon Sicard, whoexplains that “it’s important to enjoy thesuccesses of others.”

A little bit of room for the Jerseys

When Charles-Antoine was 12, he fell in lovewith a Jersey cow, so his parents decided tobuy one. And then they did a little breeding.As Yvon Sicard explains, there was noquestion of trading with this breed, but doinga few shows? Why not! And the family is veryproud of the performance of this little dozen-head herd, in particular, that of L'OrmièreFusion Christine, who, in 2011, was crownedGrand Champion at the Royal AgriculturalWinter Fair, in Toronto, as well as at ExpoQuébec, a first for their prefix. Christine isnow owned by River Valley Farm. The familyis also delighted with the success of HawkPond Midnight Maestro, EX-93, who won thetitle of Grand Champion in Trois-Rivières, in2014. �

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This year, Roggua Dundee Evelyne, EX-93, won first in the Mature Cow Class in Trois-Rivières, was crownedGrand Champion in Maxville, and won first in the LifetimeProduction Over 50 000 kg Class at the provincial finals

in Montmagny.

Under the guardianship of Yvon Sicard, Ferme Blondin and Jeff Butler, Cookview Goldwyn Monique won both theIntermediate Championship and the Grand Championship

at the Spring Show in 2012.

How would you define QuebecHolstein breeding?

Claudio Aragon (Brazil) I have had theopportunity to visit Quebec Holstein breederssince1987. At that time, Brazil was importingnumerous cattle from Canada and I was incharge of selection for many breeders inBrazil. It is absolutely amazing the hugeprogress that Quebec breeders have madesince my first trip in 1987. I would say that agreat deal of focused breeding has putQuebec amongst the top places for highquality Holsteins. The majority of Quebecbreeders have a well defined objective andphilosophy in mind and persist in achievingtheir goals. The constant use of top qualitybulls, along with aggressive female selection,has transformed the Quebec Holstein into oneof the best in the world. It is not a surprise thatwe find world prominent herds such asJacobs, Comestar, Blondin, Lehoux, Rotaly,Delaberge, Provetaz, amongst many others.The concept of fine functional, high producingcows is very strong in the minds of theQuebec breeder. The will to breed cows thatwill produce large amounts of quality milk andlast several lactations is visible in thebreeding philosophy of the Quebec breeder.This has enabled them to use the best qualitygenetics and, along with top management,produce the kind of cow that I very muchappreciate.

Tommy Araki (Japan) I know Quebec is themost prosperous dairy area in Canada. Iconsider that Quebec stands in the core of

the industry in Canada. Quebec has a climatesimilar to that of Hokkaido, which is the mostactive dairy area in Japan, and also it seemsto be a common point that there are so manyfamily farms in both areas.

Alain Hogge (Belgium) “Balanced breeding”is the right term, an outstanding combinationof production and type.

Brian Leslie (Australia) Wonderful balanceof production and type.

Giuseppe Quaini (Italy) Selection is extremelybalanced.

Mark Rueth (United-States) Quebec is astandard for breeding type. If someone fromthe US travels to Quebec and buys a cow, youknow she will be a good one. Eastern Canadais a hotbed for good cows and I would haveto say that is a testament to its breeders.

Judges from other countries talk about Quebec

n this issue, La Revue Holstein Québec presents the views and comments of different judges from other countrieswho are well acquainted with Quebec Holstein breeding and have judged shows here. These experts share theirappreciation of our dairy breeding and explain some of the differences between the way things are done in Quebec

and the Holstein breeding practices in their respective countries. As well, through their analysis, they explain how Quebecbreeders can make themselves better known in other countries. Overall, these judges represent a good part of the internationalmarket. For the purpose of this report, we linked up with Claudio Aragon, in Brazil, Toshihiko “Tommy” Araki, in Japan, AlainHogge, in Belgium, Brian Leslie, in Australia, Giuseppe Quaini, in Italy, and Mark Rueth, in the United States.

ByMichel Dostie

Editor

FEATUREF

IMr Alain Hogge's answers have been translated by Nicole De Rouin

Claudio Aragon (Brazil)Claudio Aragon developed his passion for dairy genetics onhis grandfather’s farm, where he worked for 12 years. Heembarked on his professional career in 1985, after completinga degree in veterinary medicine in Brazil, where he focusedhis studies on animal genetics. He then worked for variousartificial insemination centres in his country, and is currentlya technical director for Semex Brasil.

Mr. Aragon has been judging Holstein, Jersey and BrownSwiss animals since 1991, and has officiated at the four major dairy events in hiscountry, among many others. His international judging career has taken him toAustralia, Uruguay, Ecuador and Canada. In 2013, he judged the Jerseys at the OntarioSummer Show and the Jersey Futurity Class at the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair. InQuebec, he judged the Holstein Show in Trois-Rivières, in 2011, and the Jerseys at theInternational Dairy Showcase, in 2012.

Which aspect of Quebec breedingmost attracted your attention?

Claudio Aragon (Brazil) The importance thatthe Quebec breeders give to the developmentof cow families in the herds. Invariably thebreeders have two to four major cow familiesin their herds from which they develop theirbreeding program. It is clear that theimportance of these cow families is the basisfor the breeding program of the Quebecbreeders.

Tommy Araki (Japan) Holstein selection inQuebec is correct and precise. There are somany good cows which have good type,superior mammary systems and high milkproducing ability. I am greatly attracted tosuch elements of the Quebec Holstein.

Alain Hogge (Belgium) Definitely theconformation of the animals.

Brian Leslie (Australia) My first visit toQuebec was back in 1985 to look at thedaughters of Tempo, Mark Anthony andEnhancer. It was obvious to me back then thatQuebec had very milky cows but not the typeof those from Ontario. Wow! Hasn’t therebeen great progress with type now leadingthe world.

Giuseppe Quaini (Italy) Over the past 10years, the breed has improved in terms of

femininity while maintaining great strength, asuper combination for production potential.

Mark Rueth (United-States) The puredomination by Quebec cattle at the WorldDairy Expo for many years really gets yourattention. Probably the best thing for the USis that Quebec is so far away because manyreally good cattle do not get to come becauseof the distance. When you look at a herd likeJacobs and what they have done over the lastfew years, it’s incredible. There are greatshow strings around the country and manybreeders buy the nice cattle to make thestring. Then they just have to breed them andthey’re good.

What element of Quebec Holsteinshows stands out the most for you?

Claudio Aragon (Brazil) The environment!Aggressive competition in the show ring butextreme friendship amongst the breeders.The environment is contagious! Friendlypeople, always willing to help and shareinformation, great knowledge of their cattleand very proud of what they have. At thesame time these breeders are extremelycompetitive and go as far as possible to getthe animals in their best shape in the ring.What also stands out for me is the attentionand care dedicated to the youth. I always seethe dedication that the breeders and show

organizers put into having a good program forthe youth at the shows. This is veryimpressive and without doubt a great way totune in to the interest and expertise of theyoung people.

Tommy Araki (Japan) It is obvious thatQuebec Holstein shows stand out as being ofthe highest level in the world. Both heifersand cows are great, and cows especiallyshow impressive size and powerful bodyshape. They have fine ribs and abdomens,with overwhelmingly superb dairy strengthand mammary systems as well. The showcows’ body conditions are undoubtedly of thebest quality in the world. We must learn fromtheir expertise.

Alain Hogge (Belgium) I’ve drawn a greatdeal of inspiration from the Quebec judgeswith whom I’ve had the opportunity to work.The element that stands out the most for meis of course their knowledge of dairy cattle,but also the positive way in which theyalways give their feedback.

Brian Leslie (Australia) Without doubt, theelement that stands out most for me, apartfrom the outstanding quality of the animals, isthe amazing crowds you draw to watch [your]shows and the real interest shown in thejudging.

Giuseppe Quaini (Italy) The elements thatcharacterize Quebec shows are: organization,conformation level, professionalism andmarketing capabilities.

Mark Rueth (United-States) Quebec hasdominated heifer shows for years but latelyQuebec has been dominating the cow showstoo. When you look at the young cows thedepth is unreal. Nice cows down toward thebottom and the kind of cows I like, youthfuland great udders.

What are the major differencesbetween Quebec dairy productionand production in your country?

Claudio Aragon (Brazil) Brazil has no quotasystem in place. That makes a hugedifference in almost all aspects of dairyproduction between Quebec and my country.Milk prices fluctuate more and at the sametime we see more and more herds expanding

Tommy T. Araki (Japan)Tommy Araki studied veterinary medicine at Rakuno GakuenUniversity, in Japan, and graduated in 1977. He then beganhis professional career with Japan Holstein BreedingService Co. (which later merged to become GeneticsHokkaido Association), where he worked until 2013. He nowworks for Tommy Hill International Ltd. and Animal GeneticsJapan Co., Ltd.

Since 1980, Mr. Araki has judged over 400 shows in Japan, including the Hokkaido Blackand White Show (2013) and the country’s most important event, the Hokkaido HolsteinNational Show (1999). He has also had judging assignments in Australia, Korea, andNorth America. In the United States, he has judged in the states of Maine, Iowa andVermont. In Canada, his services were retained by the Rockton Holstein Show in 1996,the Maxville Holstein Show and the Atlantic Summer Classic Show in 2011, and theTrois-Rivières Show in 2013.

and becoming larger. It is not uncommon tosee many 300 to 500 cow herds in Brazil. Witha very important agriculture base, forageproduction is efficient and the base ofnutrition in most dairies. Brazil has severaldifferent dairy production systems, withplenty of pasture-based cows in large areas.But we have a large number of producerswith free stalls and high production cows.Efficient corn production makes for themajority of our farms being on a corn silagediet, with more and more producers using ryegrass or oat haylage, plus cotton seed,soybean meal, and on occasions some citruspulp. Hay is not as common as what we seebeing used amongst Quebec producers.What makes another big difference is that wepay much higher interest rates for financingequipment, facilities, cows, etc. This is alimitation to expansions and efficiency for ourdairy producers. Another importantcharacteristic of the dairy production in thecentral to northern parts of Brazil is the useof the crossbred animals (Holstein x Zebucross). These animals are a big part of thedairy herds in these areas. We have greatchallenges with our tropical climate, wherein some months the heat and humidity arevery limiting to the efficiencies ofreproduction. Extra care has to beimplemented to control (minimize) heatstress.

Tommy Araki (Japan) There is no bigdifference between Quebec and Japan. Thebreeders’ methods, the breeding approach,and the size of the breeding facilities are verysimilar, but I feel the strong commitment toHolstein improvement in Quebec is moreaggressive than in Japan.

Alain Hogge (Belgium) First, the price of milkis much more stable in Quebec. Next, thedifference in housing facilities, with a muchgreater proportion of tie-stall barns.

Brian Leslie (Australia) Well clearly thehousing of the cows; we are on pasture andoutdoors all year.

Giuseppe Quaini (Italy) In Italy, over the last10 years, breeders haven’t followed aconsistent pattern in selecting forconformation.

Mark Rueth (United-States) I think thedifference is that in the US, they want a lot ofmilk right now and what you see is our young

cows really milk but don’t last. I would say inQuebec that the cows milk consistently andlast longer. More lactations and more calvesmean more profit.

How do Quebec dairy shows differfrom those held in your country?

Claudio Aragon (Brazil) There are not manydifferences. Our regional and major showsare run very similar to the ones in Quebec.Numbers may not be so high, but quality isvery solid. We have been using geneticssimilar to what Quebec breeders use and wehave very knowledgeable cow people in thecountry. One big difference is that we do nothave a youth program similar to the one inQuebec. Only specific areas of the countrypromote a solid youth program, but is limitedto a few areas. This is something we coulddefinitely learn from the Quebec system.

Tommy Araki (Japan) Japanese dairyproducers love shows. They hold lots ofshows in Japan. Recently, however, the totalnumber of exhibitors has decreased, so thenumber of head must be dropped as well. Iam not so familiar with the Holstein showsheld in Quebec, but there seems to be a

variety of events during the shows and so notonly the breeders but also the general publiccan join in and enjoy them.

Alain Hogge (Belgium) The differences interms of show organization are less evidenttoday than they were 20 years ago. Notsurprising, since we used Quebec shows asa model to organize our own. Nowadays, thedifferences are in the quality of the animals’conformation, and this is true for all thesections.

Brian Leslie (Australia) Classes are much thesame.

Giuseppe Quaini (Italy) All of the aspectsmentioned in the third question above aremore advanced and better developed inQuebec, but Quebec dairy shows don’t differmuch in terms of production.

Mark Rueth (United-States)Where you reallynotice the difference in the shows is in thedepth of the classes. The year I judged theWorld Dairy Expo, I judged St-Hyacinthe too[QIHS]. At the World Dairy Expo, there werelike two fall calves from Quebec. In St-Hyacinthe, the class was full of beautiful fallcalves that could have done well at Expo

FEATUREF

Alain Hogge (Belgium)Alain Hogge grew up on his family’s farm near Herve, inBelgium. He studied agricultural informatics, andsubsequently worked at developing dairy herd managementsoftware. He later completed training in classification andtook part in Canada’s National Judging Conference. Heworked for 10 years with Holstein Belgium, where he appliedthe Canadian classification system, and then for 5 years forthe Walloon Breeding Association (AWÉ), with theclassification and breeding programs. He later became headof the Milk Marketing Department for the AWE. Today, hedivides his time equally between his position as marketingmanager for the AWE and that of director of the Belgian Blue Group (BBG), anorganization that manages the export of Blanc Bleu Belge animals. His passion forbreeding prompted him to become involved in setting up the European Young BreedersSchool, in Battice, and in training Belgian judges.

Over the course of his career, Mr. Hogge has judged more than 40 shows in variouscountries, including Germany, France, Italy, Luxembourg, Morocco, Switzerland andTunisia. He also travelled to Quebec in 2010, to judge the Trois-Rivières Show, and in2011, to officiate at Expo Québec.

[WDE]. I think that in the US, the better showswill have one to three real nice animals ineach class, but then the quality will go down.Quebec will have more depth of good cattleand that would be the result of good breedingand breeder care. Just more emphasis onshowing and breeding for type.

Is genomics stirring up as muchinterest in your country as it is here in Quebec?

Claudio Aragon (Brazil) For sure! Genomicsis becoming more and more used on our dairyfarms. Producers are very much interested inusing the high end genomic bulls withphilosophies that run from high TPI/LPI bullsor high type bulls or high health trait bulls.Many producers are now genotyping theircalves and the selection process is gainingvery rapidly. It is safe to say that in the past18 months, there has been more semen soldfrom genomic bulls then from proven bulls.When we consider that Brazil could onlyimport semen from plus proven bulls in arecent past, this is huge progress. We havefarms that vary from 20% to 100% usage ofgenomic bulls. It is very rare to find a herdthat will not use genomics nowadays.

Tommy Araki (Japan) I understand thatgenomics has already led to improvements inthe breed in Canada and the United Statesand plays a leading role in breedingtechnology, but unfortunately it is not yetgeneralized in Japan. Progressive-mindedJapanese breeders are however mostinterested in the field of improvement withgenomics. Many of them have already startedto use high genomics semen and embryosimported from Canada and/or the U.S.

Alain Hogge (Belgium) It’s hard to say. I don’tknow the percentage of genomic sires usedin the Quebec population, but, in Belgium, it’sincreasing constantly. Genomic sire use is atabout 50 per cent in the red and whiteHolstein population, and about 40 per centwith the black and whites.

Brian Leslie (Australia) Not anywhere to theextent it is in your part of the world with thefemales, however I’m sure the semen side israther big now.

Giuseppe Quaini (Italy) Yes, but perhapsthere is a little too much interest in genomics.

Mark Rueth (United-States) Yes, genomics isstirring up interest. It is what it is; it’ssomething that is here to stay but nothing Iget too involved with. The AI industry gotgenomics started and they are the pushers ofgenomics. They also have the most money toplay the game. Once you have a high numberof animals, you have to mass produce throughIVF to find one good one that is worth somemoney, but the others are worth nothing. Also

the bull studs [AI centers] control the young[bull] semen. It’s funny how some bull studs[AI centers] are coop, and some members getearly semen but you can only get it after theyhave what they want; it’s a race with time.Calves are worth a lot of money but by thetime they are cows, they are old news. Theytalk longevity, but older cows are a waste oftime. You will not see breeding herds likeJacobs using genomics.

Brian Leslie (Australia)Brian Leslie grew up on the dairy farm that is home to Pooley Bridge Holsteins. Theherd includes 400 milking cows and has won 15 Breeder and Exhibitor banners inaddition to the title of Grand Champion at the International Dairy Week (IDW) show, themost important of its kind in Australia. Brian Leslie has devoted his entire career toAustralia’s dairy industry. As a shareholder in Dairy Livestock Services, he now travelsthroughout the country selling dairy cattle. His responsibilities in the business havegiven him numerous opportunities to visit Quebec since 1985.

In his capacity as a judge, Brian Leslie has judged all the dairy breeds at the nationalshows in Australia and the Holsteins at the IDW. He has also judged in Argentina,Ireland, Jersey Island and New Zealand. In Canada, he has officiated at a dozen shows,mainly in Ontario, British Columbia and Prince Edward Island, where he judged at theNational Holstein Convention in 2007.

Brian Leslie (left), at Australia’s International Dairy Week, in 2011. Beside him are Carl Saucier, from CIAQ, and Matt Templeton, owner of the IDW Grand Champion, Fairvale Morty Lady 51.

FEATUREFHow can Quebec genetics servebreeders in your country?

Claudio Aragon (Brazil) In the past, weimported numerous live cattle from Quebec.This gave our breeders a tremendousadvance in their breeding program. Since theborders were closed we have been importingembryos from Quebec breeders. In a veryrecent event, Semex Brasil promoted anauction sale with calves born from embryosbrought down from Quebec breeders. Thesale was a huge success and many of thesecalves are now donor animals on the farmsthat purchased them. It is a fact that we havemuch to gain from the good breedingprograms in Quebec. The last few years sawmany embryos coming from the prominentcow families in Quebec moving to Brazil. I seethis embryo movement being even stronger ifwe can regulate the possibility of importingfrozen IVF embryos. This is still a barrier thatcould be overcome with the assistance of theQuebec breeders pushing the CanadianMinistry of Agriculture to develop moredynamic relationship with the BrazilianAgriculture Department.

Tommy Araki (Japan) I am sure Quebecgenetics greatly serve breeders in Japan. Forexample, the embryos produced by cowsactive in Quebec shows or by the famous cowfamilies or by high genomics donor cows are

very popular in Japan. Moreover, Japanesebreeders are fond of using semen producedby sires that have had good results inQuebec.

Alain Hogge (Belgium) Through inseminationand embryos, of course, but more and moreBelgian breeders are turning to genetics,where functional trait indexes will play asignificant role in sire selection. I think thatthose criteria, which they’ll be able to find inQuebec, will be the most important ones fordeveloping the genetics of tomorrow inBelgium.

Brian Leslie (Australia) Quebec geneticshave served our country very well for severaldecades now and as long as you continue tobreed the balanced kind I’m sure this willcontinue.

Giuseppe Quaini (Italy) Quebec genetics canserve our breeders by providing good bullsemen and embryos.

Mark Rueth (United-States) There is alwaysa need for good type cattle. Good lookingcattle will always have value. The really goodones bring top money. It seems that since [theadvent of] genomics, we have more peoplelooking for nice young cows and a lot ofpeople looking for breeding bulls from thosegood cows.

How can Quebec breeders establishor improve their business relationswith breeders in your country when itcomes to genetics, genomics anddairy shows?

Claudio Aragon (Brazil) We have a largegroup of breeders that travel to the RoyalWinter Fair every year. This group starts thetrip in Quebec, with the Quebec InternationalShow. After the show we travel with them tovisit farms in the area. This has created a verygood relationship amongst the breeders fromboth countries. Lots of interest is generatedfor embryos and flushes. These kind of tripsare very beneficial and I believe that the otherway around would also be important. That is,Quebec breeders being able to visit breedersin Brazil to get a better feeling of the dairybusiness in the country, the needs andinterests of our breeders. Another importantfactor is the possibility to have Braziliantrainees on Quebec farms. Creating easieraccess to Quebec farms for these traineeswould allow more and more interested peopleto see what can be gained with Quebecgenetics. As for shows, we have beenbringing Quebec judges to our main showsand this has allowed a good exchangebetween our breeders and those fromQuebec.

Tommy Araki (Japan) I am sure that Quebec-Japan business relations are well establishedand improving. Japanese breeders and all theparties concerned are always focusing onQuebec shows. At the same time people arevisiting shows held in Quebec whenever theopportunity arises. Furthermore, lots ofjudges are invited from Quebec to attend theshows held in Japan to deepen therelationship between the two countries.Japanese breeders support the opinions ofthe judges from Quebec. I firmly believe thatthe embryos and semen originating from Quebecwill contribute greatly to future Holsteinimprovement in Japan. Young Japanese farmsuccessors get long-term training on theexcellent farms in Quebec every year.

Alain Hogge (Belgium) In this regard, I thinkthat the diffusion of Quebec’s know-how inthe various sectors is excellent. We just haveto keep doing what we’ve been doing in thepast. Actually, I think it’s in the other directionthat improvements need to be made, and that,once again, we need to draw inspiration from

Mark Rueth (United States)In the town of Oxford, Wisconsin, Mark Rueth and his spouseNicky Reape have been managing Rosedale Genetics since2001. Despite the farm’s short history, their animals havealready brought home nine Grand Champion, three SupremeChampion and two Reserve Supreme Champion titles fromthe World Dairy Expo, in Madison, Wisconsin. The Rosedaleherd has also distinguished itself with a number of All-American titles.

In addition to America, where he has judged both Holsteins and Jerseys at the WorldDairy Expo, in Madison, and at the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair, in Toronto, Mr. Rueth’scareer has taken him to many other countries, including Germany, Australia, Brazil,France, the Netherlands, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Sweden and Switzerland. In Quebec,breeders had the opportunity to appreciate his judging skills at the Quebec InternationalHolstein Show (QIHS), in November 2009.

your expertise to promote the geneticsdeveloped in Belgium.

Brian Leslie (Australia) I always found whenbuying embryos that the breeder who waskind enough to follow up when asked forpictures etc. were the ones I was happy tocontinue dealing with later on down the road.It’s good to make a sale but I feel follow-upkeeps the relationship strong.

Giuseppe Quaini (Italy) I think there shouldbe increased relations and cooperationbetween the two associations.

Mark Rueth (United-States) Through theInternet, it is nice to see Quebec shows,farms and members online. The farmers inQuebec are good breeders of cattle, but alsogreat managers of the crops and newtechnology. The US has a big push on forlarge farms and they are pushing a lot ofsmaller farms out. I like Quebec because thefarms are a part of the country and it is niceto see how they are successful. It’s gettingharder to find good young cows nowadaysand type will be an asset in the future. Smallerfarms have to be specialized to be successful.If you can produce milk and sell genetics, it’sa plus.

Can Quebec breeders answer theneeds of dairy producers in yourcountry who are not interested inhigh calibre genetics but who wouldstill like to attain high levels ofproduction and profitability? If so, in what way?

Claudio Aragon (Brazil) I am sure thatQuebec breeders can fulfill these needs.What I do see however is that most of ourdairy producers that are focused onproduction have more confidence in USgenetics when it comes to high levels of milk.This is obviously due to the exceptionalmarketing that is done by US breeders ingeneral. I would very much like to seefocused marketing from Quebec breeders toshow that they have very high productionherds, with different management systemsand cows that produce high levels of qualitymilk, and demonstrate the profitability of theQuebec Holstein cow. Our producers do notsee this as a trait coming from the Quebec

dairy producer. I have had the opportunity tovisit numerous Quebec herds with extremelyhigh production and high quality manage -ment. I am sure that these herds have every -thing required to answer the needs of ourcommercial dairy producers in Brazil.

Tommy Araki (Japan) I believe that Quebecbreeders do have an influence on Japanesedairy producers who are less interested inhigh caliber genetics. Every breeder in Japancan use the inexpensive semen originatingfrom Quebec that is imported to Japan. Usingthe genetics of the semen first introducedfrom Quebec to Japan, Japanese breedershave produced sires from the top cowfamilies in Japan. Such semen is widely usedin Japan now. It is common to see Holsteindaughters or granddaughters with pedigreesoriginating from Quebec born on the moreadvanced farms in Japan.

Alain Hogge (Belgium) Obviously yes. I thinkthat Quebec breeders, like breedersthroughout the world, all have something tocontribute that will help our breedersprogress. The reverse is true as well, ofcourse. Dialogue on the subject is alwaysvaluable, be it through magazines or forums,for example, but it’s even better to

communicate directly, through shows,symposia or other activities that provideopportunities to meet and talk with people.

Brian Leslie (Australia) Well yes, there aremany great maternal lines that may not be thehighest genomics etc., but are still thebalanced Canadian kind that made yourHolsteins so popular. I’m sure if the price isright there will be demand.

Giuseppe Quaini (Italy) Here again, Quebecbreeders can answer our needs by providinggood bull semen and embryos.

Mark Rueth (United-States) Keep breedingreal nice cows and people will come and buythem. Today, a lot of the shows are televisedor online. We get to see the cows you showand with advertising you build a network ofpeople looking for your genetics. Goldwynhas been a great bull and what the industryneeds is something to breed Goldwyndaughters to or the next great type bull for theGoldwyn daughters. �

Giuseppe Quaini (Italy)Giuseppe Quaini breeds Holsteins in the Cremona region, inItaly, where he has a herd of 500 Holstein cows. With over 40years of breeding experience, Mr. Quaini has long focusedon improving productivity, conformation and longevity in hisanimals. Animal and embryo sales make up a significantportion of the farm’s revenue. The herd has won many GrandChampionships, including the one in Europe, as well asnumerous Exhibitor and Breeder banners.

Since he began judging in 1978, Giuseppe Quaini hasofficiated at all the major shows in Europe, including fiveassignments at the Italian National Show. In addition tojudging in Argentina and Brazil, Mr. Quaini has visitedAmerica eight times, with six visits to Canada. In the United States, he officiated asassistant judge at the World Dairy Expo, among others. In Quebec, he has judged showsin Coaticook, Trois-Rivières and Victoriaville, as well as at the Quebec InternationalHolstein Show (QIHS), in Saint-Hyacinthe.