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15.12.10

HolsteinStore's Winter Wonders Sale Has Started

Don't miss this one. Some sensational lots will be appearing, even two from the Queen of Europe, the Swiss Sensation, Castel James Jolie, including a FIRST CHOICE JASPER HEIFER. Visit HolsteinStore.

16.11.10

Jolie's Championship Photo

Post Cremona European Championship, the Grand Champion was photographed last week while still in quarantine.  It doesn't show-off her outstanding rear udder, but it still gives you an impression of this cow's incredible frame and strength.

31.10.10

13.10.10

Jolie, Cremona - It's On!

We're just weeks away from Cremona and the Holstein European Championships.  Lawrence Zubke has just seen Jolie and his words were: "First let me say she BLOWS ME AWAY... If she is not the best cow in the world I want to see the one better."  Have a look at these udder shots!  Along with Lawrence Zubke and Michel Castella, Semagen is joint owner of Castel James Jolie, the Swiss Sensation.
 
If you can read German, here's an article from the Swiss agriculture journal Schweizer Bauer talking about the team of Swiss Holsteins going to Cremona.

2.10.10

Coralina Sells Successfully

Semagen Goldwyn Coralina sold very successfully in the HFAA North-West Branch's Stars of the Future Sale in Rochester recently.  She presented so well on the day all credit must go to Brad Elliott for his breeding expertise and work in developing this family, the Dee family for their marvelous care of the heifer from birth, and to Glen Gordon and his team for presenting her so beautifully.  Coralina is our first sale of a female and we're extremely happy with her success in the sale.  Coralina is pictured above (courtesy of Laura Hughes) and below. Here is the sale results press release.

12.9.10

Jolie Calves In With a Heifer


Swiss Champion 2009
A heifer by Scooby-Duu arrived on 10 September and Jolie is looking good for the European Holstein Championship at Cremona 2010.

7.8.10

Goldwyn Heifer from Felicity Family to Sell

Semagen Goldwyn Coralina will sell at the North West Stars of the Future sale on October 1st in Rochester.  She has been one of my favourite heifers since her arrival in August last year. Nevertheless, I've decided that she is right for this sale and her future will be better served in the hands of other owners. What makes her special? A pedigree that goes back to Rockwood Park Warden Cretonne for starters.  A dam who scored VG86 on her second classification earlier this year, as well as a granddam with VG88 and the VG88 Cretonne.  The dam is nearing the end of her second lactation and her production record has been very impressive:
2 Lactations  18,870L  635P 3.36% 789F 4.18%

28.5.10

Shottle Daughter Shaping Up

Elm Banks Shottle Plum is well into her first lactation and pregnant to Planet.  Her May herd test:
+1.5    23.9 litres   0.94 kgP    3.9%    1.07 kgF    4.5%    167cc    PI 101
 263 days    6512 litres    216 kgP    3.3%    243 kgF    3.7%
Plum comes from the family of Strathaire Inspiration Charity, same as Winluke and Plumsair, out of a Jocko, out of a Raimon.  She only scored 81 on her first inspection, but the strength of this premier lactation is reassurance that the family's production values remain intact.  I bred her to Planet on advice that he's a very good genomic match with Shottle.  I'm looking to improve the fore attachment, maintain protein, and take advantage of some outcross vitality.  Plum's strongest area is feet and legs, so I wasn't overly concerned about Planet's weakness there.  I wouldn't mind a bull, but there would be good value in a daughter.  I'm looking forward to flushing Plum after she has calved.  She's proving her worth in the vat and I'm confident that she'll smarten up some for her next classification.

30.3.10

Power Up on Panda

Clydevale Informer Panda VG88 (pictured right) is the ultimate in milking machines on four legs. She's on her third lactation and at 538 DIM has produced 17,397 litres Milk, 599kg Protein (3.4%) and 674kg Fat (3.9%). Herd PI sits at 116. If you're wondering whether she's been noticed by an AB yet, the answer's "yes", we're just waiting for her to produce a bull.

27.3.10

Canadian Queen

It was a high risk strategy based on our 50% ET strike rate so far and only a half chance that we get a female, but the purchase of two embryos from Canadian breeders, Erbcrest, has returned us a heifer calf with a pretty special pedigree. Semagen Pronto Regina was born 3 January 09. She's out of the mating of Erbcrest Jolt Redrose (pictured left) and Windy-Knoll-View Pronto. Here's the pedigree: Pronto x VG 88 Jolt x Ex 90 Shark x VG 87 Storm x Ex 90 Raider x Ex 90 Inspiration x Ex 90 Telstar Ace.

James Jolie - Swiss Sensation at Semagen

In January 09 at the Swiss Expo in Lausanne, Castel James Jolie Ex94 was unbeaten across the board and was crowned as the new 'Queen of Lausanne'. But wait, there's more, Jolie more recently went on to win Bulle with another clean sweep. The May edition of Holstein International declares the Swiss Sensation as 'one of Europe's all-time greats' and a 'truly special' individual. Jolie is pictured at right. Other recent photos, here. Jolie is in calf to SANCHEZ, with interest from Swissgenetics.

Semagen Hosts World's Top Holstein Families

The April 09 edition of Holstein International presented a list of 250 'talented' cow families from around the world. It includes three families currently being developed at Semagen: the Clydevale Ps, descendants of Strathaire Inspiration Charity, and a branch of Whittier Farms Lead-Mae's family. The sons from these families include Lord Presto, Winluke, Plumsair, Quidditch and Chicago. Lord Presto also gets a mention in another article in HI where he's named as a leading Australian sire for fitness traits.  It is certainly hoped that Semagen will be able to supply top class progeny from these families in the future.

More Gold from the Felicitys

The darling of our little herd, Bradence Igniter Corrina VG86, delivered the goods on 17 August 2009 when she produced a Goldwyn heifer: Semagen Goldwyn Coralina. Corrina is grand-daughter to the iconic Cretonne. So, it's Australian great meets Canadian great, Felicitys meet the Gypsy Grands. After her outstanding first lactation, I would have been happy with either sex; but she seems to favour the heifer variety and I'm not complaining.  At 241 DIM her current record sits at 7,335 litres Milk, 242kg Protein(3.3%), 301kg Fat(4.1%), and PI 100. Corrina's granddam, Rockwood Park Warden Cretonne, is pictured left.

Daughters of Mae Fly High

Among the 24 nominations for Holstein International's Cow of the Year are two daughters of the Whittier-Farms Lead Mae familiy. There's Crockett-Acres Durham Mae and Crockett-Acres Mtoto Elly.  Between them they have seven notable sons in four countries' index lists. Our own Semagen Fortune Madonna-IMP-ET hails from the same impressive line, as well as two yearling bulls which are available for purchase. Madonna was recently flushed and will be joined in November.  The Ex95 foundation cow Lead Mae is pictured right.