Norwegian Red bulls superior for daughter fertility

Time to read: ca 2 min

US April 2021 proofs continue to show superiority of Norwegian Red bulls for daughter fertility.

Photo of Norwegian Red bull 12139 Aaland PP
Aland PP (252NR12139) is a new homozygous polled Norwegian Red bull, who is high for fertility Photo: Jan Arve Kristiansen

US April 2021 proofs continue to show the superiority of Norwegian Red bulls for daughter fertility.

Norwegian Red (NR) bulls continue their dominance in 2021 for the US measure of fertility, Daughter Pregnancy Rate (DPR). And by keeping a balanced breeding goal for more than 50 years, Geno has largely overcome the negative correlation between fertility, production, and health traits. With fertility remains a key strength, Norwegian Red is a top choice for crossbreeders worldwide.

DPR for "All Bulls" in CDCB Red breed bull list (released on the proof day):

  • Includes all key Active AI Red bulls (970) from all countries contributing to Interbull in the RDC/Ayrshire group.
  • Norwegian Red bulls occupy 95 out of the top 100 spots for DPR for recently proven Red bulls (born in the last eight years or have been marketed recently in the US).

The top 10 Norwegian Red bulls for DPR on the Holstein scale:

NR-bulls daughter pregnancy rate table-550.jpg

Top DPR bulls are profit-generators

  • Top 10 NR bulls for DPR average 8.3 DPR on the Holstein scale
  • 8.0 DPR = 32 less days open = savings of up to $128/cow/year

Plus, 3 of the top 10 fertility/DPR bulls are homozygous polled (PP):

  • Aland PP (252NR12139)
  • Oaland PP (252NR12093)
  • Brummunddal PP (252NR12062)

Introducing Aland PP (252NR12139) – homozygous polled, high fertility, and:

  • Unique, sought-after genotype: PP, A2A2, and BB for kappa casein
  • Excellent fat and protein percentages and is excellent for heifer matings
  • A very good all-around sire
  • 8.4 DPR on the Holstein scale =34 fewer days open = savings of up to $134/cow/year

Norwegian Red breed still outshines Holsteins in fertility levels

By using top NR bulls for fertility, crossbreeders can boost their DPR up to 8 points compared to Holstein, allowing up to 32 days less open or saving about $128/day/cow.

The average PTADPR for 687 available Holstein bulls is -0.3.

  • 14 out of 687 available Holstein bulls have a DPR>=3.0
  • 3 bulls share the highest score of 4.2

The average PTADPR for 3121 genomic tested young Holstein bulls being marketed is 0.0.

  • Only 44 out of 3121 have a DPR>=3.0
  • Only 8 out of 3121 have a DPR>=4.0

As Norwegian Red bulls maintain the top spots in 2021 for the US measure of fertility, Daughter Pregnancy Rate (DPR), it has also strengthened Norwegian Red's position as the world-leading dairy breed with excellent fertility, health, and component yields.

Check out Norwegian Red bulls online in the Norwegian Red sire catalogue. Contact your local rep for bull availability in your part of the world.