Ohaupo Jersey bull showing its worth

Ohaupo bred Braedene PAS Triplestar is the number three breeding Jersey bull in New Zealand. Photo / Ross Easterbrook

They are big, strong and handsome and they're not only winning accolades, but fans across the country.

CRV Ambreed Jersey bulls Crescent Olm Lex (Lex) and Braedene PAS Triplestar (Triplestar) both feature in the top three of DairyNZ's Ranking of Active Sires (RAS) list following the May 2017 Animal Evaluation run.

For Jersey bulls Lex is ranked number one and Triplestar is at number three, according to their overall Breeding Worth (BW).

CRV Ambreed MD Angus Haslett says Lex and Triplestar's success is indicative of the great work going on behind the scenes to advance the herd improvement company's breeding programme.

"At CRV Ambreed we are committed to excellence and are very proud of talented team of staff working together to get the best possible results for dairy farmers," says Mr Haslett.
"We have some exceptional bulls on offer this year which puts us in a fantastic position to support dairy farmers across the country to breed the best herds possible."

Triplestar has also been named the JT Thwaites Sire of the Season by JerseyNZ.

The award goes to a registered, New Zealand-born, J16 breed bull which meets TOP (traits other than production) criteria including not less than +0.1 BV (Breeding Value) each of overall opinion, udder overall and dairy conformation, has TOP daughters spread over at least 10 herds and has a minimum of 20 TOP daughters in the evaluation.

Triplestar's win is great news for his breeder, Ohaupo's Brett Thompson, and the award adds to CRV's long history in breeding exceptional Jerseys.

In the past 10 years, five CRV Ambreed bulls have been awarded JT Thwaites Sire of the Season, including top-ranked bulls Manhatten, Murmur, Pioneer, Manzello and now Triplestar.

Triplestar is one of the top bulls for protein. His daughters are fertile, capacious and of good stature.

He offers great longevity, superb udder overall, positive conformation, and has a good body condition score. CRV Ambreed considers Triplestar one of the most complete bulls available and he has been a top seller this season.

Mr Haslett says the team at CRV is delighted Triplestar has been named the best in his field by JerseyNZ.

"Triplestar is also one of our LowN Sires bulls and is part of an innovative genetics programme undertaken by CRV Ambreed."

Mr Haslett says Triplestar is genetically superior for a new trait that is related to urea nitrogen in milk. His progeny will have reduced concentration of Milk Urea Nitrogen (MUN), which means that they are expected to excrete less nitrogen in their urine.

"This could have a major impact on the environment and potentially bulls such as our LowN Sires could save New Zealand 10 million kilograms in nitrogen leaching a year.

"Triplestar represents the smart future of dairying in New Zealand and internationally."
On the RAS list, Triplestar is ranked number three for Jersey bulls and ranked number 11 across all breeds, and Haslett says he's heading towards becoming one of CRV Ambreed's elite 'hall of fame' bulls.

Lex is the highest ranked Jersey bull on DairyNZ's RAS list for breeding worth and is number nine across all breeds.

He was bred by Mark Townshend, a former Fonterra director and one of New Zealand's leading and best-known dairy farmers.

Lex is an excellent sire, and has good breeding values for protein, somatic cell, fertility and longevity.

Mr Haslett says the company has made a significant impact on the progression of the Jersey breed in New Zealand. Because of CRV's work, the industry is now seeing high-impact Jersey bulls contributing positively to stronger, more robust, better-uddered cows that provide better profitability for farmers and add greater value to the dairy industry.

The high-ranking sires and awards are good news for New Zealand dairy farmers who partner with CRV Ambreed, who will not only have access to top genetics for their cows and breeding programmes, but also to a strong focus on customer service.

Mr Haslett says CRV's field consultants travel the length of the country, visiting New Zealand dairy farmers to discuss breeding direction and how genetics can help.

"The CRV team is passionate about helping farmers, and we believe strongly in the mantra of Better Cows Better Life."