We’re Breeding Jersey Champions

In LIC’s breeding team, the first four months of the year are a highlight as we inspect potential bull dams across New Zealand and visit many breeders.

I’ve mentioned before that I’m constantly impressed with the Jersey cow quality, and this year my opinion is more solid than ever, writes LIC Bull Acquisition Manager Danie Swart.

In days gone by, the occasional small, frail Jersey cow was heralded, unfairly, as a reflection of the entire breed. That criticism of the past is simply no longer the case on the New Zealand landscape.

Overall conformation of Jersey cows has come a long way, and udder overall has improved considerably.

Protein and fat breeding values have increased significantly over the past few years, exemplified by the young Jersey bulls that LIC has purchased in 2023, and that will enter the Sire Proving Scheme in 2024: these young bulls average 43kgs of fat and 20kg of protein. With these kind of production figures relative to liveweight, the Jersey cow is, to my way of thinking, the ultimate efficiency champion.

It’s a privilege to highlight a handful of the outstanding genomic bulls featured in the Alpha (nominated) section of LIC’s 2024 Genetics Catalogue (incidentally, they’re all available in Premier Sires teams as well).

Here are five genomic bulls to keep an eye on:

323008 Tironui Buzz Zazu

Dam of 323008 Tironui Buzz Zazu

This exciting bull from Murray and Janet Gibb excels in production and type.

With more than 73kg of combined protein and fat, and with an udder overall gBV of 0.92 and capacity of 0.69, Zazu is bound to produce high-production daughters with great udders. His dam is a tremendous high-production Banff daughter with good size and a good udder.

Zazu is available in both Alpha and the Premier Sires Forward Pack team.

323033 Glenhaven Brisbane Lonic

Dam of 323201 Williams Brisbane Frenzy

From the Glenhaven Stud, Lonic is a good all-rounder with excellent fertility, backed by solid gBVs for liveweight, udder overall, and dairy conformation. His dam is a capacious Misty cow with excellent production, achieving a PW of more than 500, and an LW of more than 600.

Sired by Glanton Flynn Brisbane, Lonic is available in Alpha and the Premier Sires Sexed team.

323028 Hawthrown Grove Zoltin

323028 Hawthorn Grove L Zoltin-ET

Ron and Jackie Monk bred this great production Lotto son, who possesses good fertility and an excellent udder overall gBV of 0.8. Zoltin has a tremendous cow family behind him with longevity, high production, and good udders all featuring. His dam’s gBW is currently 596, backed by an impressive PW of 705 and an LW of 722.

Zoltin is available in both Alpha and the Premier Sires Forward Pack team.

323014 Glanton Berkly Parkes

323014 Glanton Berkly Parkes

Parkes is one of the most exciting young bulls in the LIC stable and was bred by the great Glanton stud of Rob and Alison Thwaites. He’s a super all-rounder with excellent production, size, and fertility gBVs, and an udder overall gBV of 1.08. His sire Berkly is one of the highestranked proven bulls at LIC. Meanwhile, Parkes’ dam is a high producing Conrad with an EX-classification score.

Parkes is available in both Alpha and the Premier Sires Forward Pack team.

Article and Photos courtesy of LIC