PGA™ Procedures and Benefits
The availability of great, accurately proven sires takes
active participation and commitment at all levels—from
Select Sires to you, the dairy producer. Everyone benefits
from the variety of young sires selected and the controlled
random sampling of each sire.
The
first step in sampling is to identify the best prospective
bull mothers through intensive pedigree selection and
screening of the U.S. Department of Agriculture cow
indexes. Using Select’s balanced genetic approach
to sire development, cows selected then are mated to
the best sires to achieve the highest parent averages
for type and production performance. The resulting bull
calves then enter the PGA system.
“The
objective of any successful young-sire program is to
identify the true genetic value of the bulls being sampled,”
says Chuck Sattler, Vice President, dairy progeny testing
and genetics research. To accomplish this, Select Sires
stresses random distribution and random usage of PGA
semen.
PGA
Herd Qualifications
The PGA is designed to efficiently test and evaluate
a large number of sires each year. Accurately evaluating
the early daughters of a sire is critical for future
satisfaction of the many dairy producers who will use
semen from program graduates. Thus, herds enrolling
in the PGA are expected to meet and maintain minimum
guidelines to achieve program goals, as follows:
-
Maintain herd size of 40 or more identified cows of
the breed enrolled to assure an adequate number of herdmates.
-
Have average or higher production for the breed in the
area in which the herd is located.
-
Use semen from PGA sires in a manner that maximizes
the number of PGA-sired calves.
-
Maintain a good identification program.
-
Be enrolled in a milk-recording program from which records
are used in the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)
genetic evaluations.
-
Periodic visits by Select Sires or member staff personnel.
PGA
Sampling Procedures
The key to accurate, early evaluation is to randomly
sample each sire throughout the population. Therefore,
semen from each PGA sire is distributed to 175 herds
across the nation to enable approximately equal usage
in all regions and at various production levels. In
addition, random usage within a herd is a key to accurate
genetic evaluation. PGA herds typically adopt one of
three common management approaches to ensure random
usage, including using semen to breed:
-
The next cows in heat after semen is received.
-
All first-repeat services or all first-calf heifers
(those that have calved once).
-
Milk Recording Requirements
Currently
there is an endless combination of testing plans that
qualify to be used in USDA genetic evaluations. The
requirement for participation in PGA is for herds to
maintain a Data Collection Rating (DCR) of at least
70 percent as calculated by USDA. Typically this means
that supervised herds need to test about every other
month. For herds using on-farm milk meters and uploading
weekly average milk weights to DHI, then quarterly supervised
testing with component sampling is acceptable. Owner-sampler
herds are required to have monthly recording of milk
weights and component testing. In addition, Owner-Sampler
herds need:
-
To maintain at least 40% of the herd with usable ID.
-
Record bulk tank weights on test day.
-
Use QCS approved meters.
PGA
Benefits
In recognition of the contribution PGA herds make to
the industry, Select Sires provides monetary benefits
to active PGA herds
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Signifies availability in Canada. 