22 June 2010

2 minute read

Europe

All four winners will also be taught about the dairy sire selection process, visit UK farms to see potential bull mothers and be given a choice of world-class embryos with bull contracts. Any resulting heifer will be theirs to keep, but a bull calf – bearing their own herd prefix – will enter the Cogent progeny test programme.

Forming what’s become known as the ‘Futures Committee’, the four will be encouraged to become involved in the company’s dairy bull selection process, and help propose matings which will go on to be sold as Cogent young sires. In the past, these bulls have been snapped up by British dairy farmers in a clear endorsement of the previous winners’ choices.

Henry Sanderson, who was one of the four winners in 2009, said the experience opened his eyes to a new way of thinking.

“The experience of seeing a wide range of potential bull mothers in the flesh was very different from selecting them on paper,” he said. “We’d look at all family members as well as the cow herself, and assess how progeny were performing – sometimes for as many as four generations.

“It was those that were breeding consistently and true, generation after generation, that were of the greatest interest. But even after they’d been selected there were many more hurdles to jump – particularly involving health status.”

The Futures scheme, which has been run by Cogent for the past three years, is open to all young people, aged 16 to 26*. As part of their entry, applicants will need to describe their involvement with the dairy farming industry to date, and explain how they, personally, and the Holstein breed in general, will benefit if they win.

For an application form, contact 01244 622038. Completed applications to be received by Cogent by 1 July 2010.

TheCattleSite News Desk