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Jamberoo, at home in his stall in Hermanstown, Minnesota
MEMBERS'S QUESTIONS
At 22 months, Ardrossan Jamberoo, the first Australian born Lowline to pass the Reprotec test for fertility, in the snow at the collection centre in Iowa. Jamberoo is also believed to be the bull with the highest GeneStar tests for marbling. NOTE: If you have a bull with similar or better marbling results, please let us know.
Fertility-Associated Antigen, a heparin binding test,is an important key to the US market
Jeanette and Peter Stebbins, ALCA foundation members and frequent exporters to the US, have learnt of a new scientific principle that combines with GeneStar ratings to add to the export value of both stock and semen. The Fertility-Associated Antigen test from Reprotec examines fresh semen to identify whether it contains the Heparin Binding protein, which relates to fertility in frozen semen as well as providing added fertility to the bulls female offspring (more fertile and cycling earlier.)
Bulls with FAA in their semen, are from 16% to 19% more fertile than bulls without it. Ardrossan Jamberoo appears to be the first Australian born Lowline to undertake the test. He passed it with flying colours.
Jamberoo resulted from Ardrossan's elite breeding programme which was set up to meet the demands of the US market and also to optimise the breed. Says Jeanette: "Our American clients are interested in selecting stock with high GeneStar ratings, especially marbling. A lot of US Lowline breeders have realized that with the high cost of grain, especially corn, they need to breed feed-efficient cattle that will finish on grass."
"We studied our stock and selected an elite group of proven cows that conform to expected conformation, fertility, temperament, early growth and maturity traits as well as having high GeneStar ratings. We then selected bulls using the same criteria. Embryo collection was carried out and the progeny are now on the ground."
When Jamberoo was GeneStar tested, he was found to have a rating of Tenderness 3, Marbling 5, and Feed Efficiency 8. The Stebbins believe he has the highest ever results for Marbling of any Australian Lowline bull, noting that no Lowline has the M3 (Marbling Marker 3, equal to 2 markers) in their DNA, so he has actually 5 out of 6 for Marbling.
In June 2007, at the age of 15 months, Jamberoo was exported to the US arriving on farm in early October, 2007. The Stebbins had previously sent a young heifer (GeneStar T3, M5, FE 6) to the US and in late October, Jamberoo joined Jennavieve. Their calf is due in August. Jamberoo was then sent to Hawkeye collection centre in Iowa and again proved his fertility by producing 275 straws in one jump in January in the snow.
News of his GeneStar traits soon got around and a Nebraskan cattleman said he wanted to use Jamberoo semen to increase the Marbling traits in his Shorthorn cattle. The only condition on the sale of straws was that Jamberoo pass the FAA test, which he did with flying colours.
"We are thrilled that Lowline genetics are contributing to an improvement in Marbling traits in this commercial way in the US," says Jeanette. "We now eagerly await the arrival of Jennavieve's calf to check its GeneStar ratings."
STOP PRESS: Since writing this story, Jennavieve's calf has arrived. It seems that a coyote family was howling one night and so next morning she was put in a stall in the barn to safely await the new arrival which was due a week later.
Jennavieve decided she liked the 5 Star accommodation and delivered the calf that afternoon, a bull (49lb/22kg).
