ABS Real World Data®
Bull Fertility
November 2012
ABS Real World Data®
Real World Data (RWD™) Bull Fertility
is an accurate fertility evaluation
of ABS bulls, in our customers’herds
What is ABS Real World Data
Bull Fertility?
• RWD Bull Fertility is a tool:
– To best capture the genetic potential and
bull fertility of ABS sires in your herd
What is ABS Real World Data
Bull Fertility?
• Customer-driven:
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Accurate
Reliable
Trustworthy
Timely
ABS RWD Bull Fertility Advantages
• Accurate:
– Information and methodology properly account for regional
and herd size related factors that occur when data from
vastly different management systems are pooled
ABS RWD Bull Fertility Advantages
• Relevant and Reliable:
– Data comes from “herds like yours”
– Data acquired directly from a diverse group of collaborating
herds and from multiple sources
– Based on information from dairy producers, for dairy
producers
ABS RWD Bull Fertility Advantages
• Timely:
– Results reported real-time and constantly updated via ABS
research, technical service, ABS Cornerstone®, GMS®, and
sales teams
– Updated RWD Bull Fertility available monthly vs.
every 4 months for SCR
ABS RWD Bull Fertility Advantages
• Data without borders:
– U.S. data currently
– Will include U.K., Mexico,
Canada, Italy, Brazil, Chile,
Argentina and all other
countries or sources with
approved dairy records
software
ABS RWD Bull Fertility
Data Sources
• RWD acquired directly
from collaborating herds
– Collected via dairy herd
records software programs,
such as DairyComp 305 and
PCDART.
ABS RWD Bull Fertility
Data Sources
• By 2012, more than 12 million inseminations
representing 10,000 dairy sires included in
the ABS database
– Large data pool provides extremely accurate fertility
estimates on ABS sires and early detection of
ABS Pregnancy Kings
ABS RWD Bull Fertility
Data Sources
• Initial data compiled from U.S. sources.
– Additional data are being collected from U.S., Mexico, UK, Italy,
Chile, Brazil and Argentina, with plans to incorporate in the
future
– Data from all sources with dairy records software compatible
with the ABS database are being accepted
ABS RWD Bull Fertility Rankings
• A 1- to 5-star ranking scale is applied across active
ABS bulls
– ABS publishes data for bulls with more than 250
conventional inseminations, from at least 4 herds
• A typical benchmark of 90% reliability requires
2,100+ inseminations
• Holsteins and Jerseys rated separately: no crossbreeding
data used currently
ABS RWD Bull Fertility Rankings
• Star rankings:
– 10% 2-3% points above average fertility
– 20%
– 40% Average fertility
– 20%
– 10% 2-3% points below average fertility
•
ABS Pregnancy Kings: 4 or 5 star ranking based
on 1,000+ inseminations
ABS RWD Bull Fertility Analyses
• Analyses completed in-house using ABS proprietary
processes
– Evaluations include only confirmed pregnancy events
– RWD Bull Fertility model accounts for:
• Age of the cow, as lactation number
• Stage of lactation, as service number or times bred
• Management and environmental related differences, as herd-yearseason effects
– Only lactating cow breedings are accounted for in the
conventional evaluations
– ABS Sexation® evaluation includes heifer breedings only
Use RWD Bull Fertility to best capture
genetic potential and bull fertility of ABS Sires
Recommended Use
Female Fertility
Situation
Examples
High or Optimal
Female Fertility
Situations
• First or second service
• Natural heat
High and Average
Heifer Fertility
Situations
Average Cow Fertility
Situations
• First and second service heifers
Low Female Fertility
situations
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•
•
•
•
•
Special management
situations
• Second or greater service
• Synchronization program breeding
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•
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Summer heat and humidity
Timed Artificial Insemination (TAI)
Later services
Late lactation cows
Older cows
Large herds where pregnancy is the
over-riding breeding factor
Large number of open cows and herd
needs to get caught up
Seasonal grazing
Sustainability metrics imposed by
market channels
New, untested employees
NOTE: These are general guidelines, but specific situations and
recommendations may vary depending on other considerations.
Pregnancy
Kings
5-star
*****
4-star
****
3-star
***
2-star
**
1-star
*
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Use RWD Bull Fertility to best capture
the genetic potential of ABS Sires
Ranking
Description
Recommended Use
• Highest fertility bulls available from ABS
• Expected to provide higher than average
fertility when compared equally with bulls of
average fertility
• Capture these unique ABS genetics by using confidently across a
wide range of female fertility scenarios
• May also be used in Low Female Fertility situations
• May also be used in Special Management situations
5-star *****
• Top 10% of bulls for bull fertility
• Expected to provide higher than average
fertility when compared equally with bulls of
average fertility
• Capture these unique ABS genetics by using confidently across a
wide range of female fertility scenarios
• May also be used in Low Female Fertility situations
• May also be used in Special Management situations
4-star ****
• Bull fertility is higher than 70% of bulls
• Expected to provide higher than average
fertility when compared equally with bulls of
average fertility
• Capture these unique ABS genetics by using confidently across a
wide range of female fertility scenarios
• May also be used in Low Female Fertility situations
• May also be used in Special Management situations
• Bull fertility is on par with average fertility bulls
available across the industry
• Capture these unique ABS genetics by using confidently across a
wide range of average and higher female fertility scenarios
• Careful use recommended in lower female fertility situations
• Capture these unique ABS genetics by using in the highest
female fertility scenarios
• Caution recommended if used in the lowest female fertility
situations
ABS Pregnancy
Kings
3-star ***
2-star ** and
1-star *
• Unique ABS genetics for herd genetic
improvement
• Fertility must be protected
NOTE: These are general guidelines, but specific situations and recommendations may vary depending on other considerations.
In Summary
• ABS Real World Data Bull Fertility
offers an excellent tool to best capture the genetics
of ABS sires in your herd
• ABS Real World Data comes from herds like yours
• ABS Real World Data offers:
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Accuracy
Relevance and reliability
Timeliness
Data without borders
Thank you!
Questions and Discussion