Cows, calves and veterinary

A question for LIC and Ambreed

To both companies: Why are the 'average BVs for breed' published in your respective catalogues completely different?

An Ambreed bull is compared for stature against an average NZ Holstein Friesian with a stature BV of 1.58 - while the same cow in the LIC catalogue has a stature BV of 1 exactly.
An average Jersey udder overall BV of .11 (LIC) against .23 (Ambreed) - some of the trait BVs are similar, others markedly different.

I read the Ambreed catalogue with the impression that the bulls were scored on a different scale - the arrival of the LIC one simply confirms it. How can you compare apples with apples if an 'easy-calving' Ambreed bull has a calving difficulty BV less than 4 (Firenze, Dantre, Commander) while the equivalent LIC bulls are all under 2.6?

And to LIC:
No, you're right, I misread the bull you had as top recommendation for easy calving (my Idol calves haven't arrived yet).
However, Nighthawk is still sitting pretty at the back of the catalogue with a calving difficulty BV of -0.5.
I haven't forgotten what his calves did to 148. Or 66. Or the size of the monster heifer 110 produced. Or that huge red woolly bull (can't remember whose he was). When submitting calving details across MINDAlink, I noted against at least two Nighthawk calves that there had been calving problems.
At the time, I presumed you had a simple computer programme scanning such information and compiling data that would inform you if there was a consistent issue with any one bull - that's why I put it there, not for my own records. I've since learned that you have no such system, and problems must be reported directly.
Nighthawk was such a consistent problem crossed across my Jersey cows that I knew before half of them were born he wasn't going to be used again. Am I the only farmer who knows he's unsuitable for crossing over Jersey? Or am I simply one of many who hasn't yet contacted the DM to discuss bulls, since learning that you don't screen the MINDA information submitted?

Am tempted to see Meridian calves again (in spite of his lower BW), but on his last chance around 85% of his calves were bulls. Pretty calves. Easy calving. Wrong sorta udders.

BTW I haven't picked bulls yet. You've both still got time to convince me.

posted by nellta holdings @ 6:05 PM