The company’s top performing bull Aljo TEF Maelstrom broke the 300 mark on both Breeding Worth (BW) and New Zealand Merit Index (NZMI) indexes; a first for any CRV Ambreed bull since the company was established 45 years ago.
CRV Ambreed’s managing director Angus Haslett said the indexes were useful guides in developing a breeding programme.
“The indexes are nationally recognised; BW as an economic index and NZMI as a desired gains index.
With only the top five bulls of any breed in the country at or above the 300 mark, Maelstrom, the son of renowned bull Firenze and one of CRV Ambreed’s most productive Holstein-Friesian sires, is set to follow in his father’s cloven-hoofed footsteps.
By 12 years Firenze had produced more than 643,000 doses of semen sold in NZ, Australia, South Africa, Chile, Philippines, Mexico, the United States, Malaysia, Fiji, Ecuador, Uruguay, Argentina, Costa Rica and Thailand.
Haslett said in New Zealand alone Firenze was recorded as having 47,805 daughters in 3,683 herds.
“Of his sons, 67 have been enrolled on the Animal Evaluation database for herd improvement in New Zealand.
“Given Firenze’s great performance, we have high hopes for Maelstrom who, like his father, has continued to improve season by season.”
Like his dad, Maelstrom’s semen is being sold around the world.
“We have sold every dose of semen Maelstrom has produced. He has sold over 130,000 doses in his two years of being marketed,” Haslett said.
The young bull’s doses have so far been sold in NZ, the United States, South Africa, Australia, Ecuador and South America.
Maelstrom’s breeder, West Otago-based Alistair Megaw, was full of praise for the young stud.
“Maelstrom is a great all-round bull. I can’t say enough good things about him, really. He ticks many boxes that dairy farmers in NZ can use to improve their herds.”
Megaw spoke from experience, with a number of Maelstrom’s daughters in his herd.
“They have great production, temperament, fertility, and no mastitis. They’re also of good stature,” he said.
Haslett believed that like his father, Maelstrom would have a significant impact on the dairy industry both in NZ and overseas.
