Despite some challenging drought conditions, once again the Jersey cows were top notch. The efficiency of the Jersey breed is hard to match, and this breed will continue to play a vital role in the dairy sector.
I am very pleased with the bull calves we purchased last season, which will go into SPS herds in 2025. The potential SPS team increases include, 48 gBV for Fat, 22 gBV for Protein and 0.72 for Udder Overall.
Our joint programme with Jersey NZ has been highly successful, with a good number of Jersey Future bulls featuring in the LIC catalogue and Premier Sires® teams. The cherry on the cake? That would have to be, our bull ‘Montage’ who is currently holding the top spot on the RAS list, as per the May AE run.
On the international front, I am pleased to advise that we are again collaborating with Danish farming co-operative Viking Genetics for the 2025 season. This collaboration drives greater diversity and outcross opportunities in the Jersey breed for New Zealand farmers.
For many years now inbreeding has been a challenge for the Jersey breed in New Zealand. This collaboration with Viking Genetics will enable us to import sexed semen from young genomic sires to use over high-BW Jersey cows here in New Zealand. We see this as a great opportunity to generate outcross females that could be selected as bull dams in the future.
To celebrate the great achievements of some of our breeders, I’m thrilled to profile the following genomic bulls who also feature in our latest Genetics Catalogue.
324018 BENWORTH TM GRIFFINPOLL-P
Griffinpoll-P was bred by Nigel Brinkworth and Kristal Bennett, and his dam is an exceptional high production cow out of Horopito F Gym JC15PP.
This boy is the highest gBW polled bull in the history of LIC bulls and is sired by Montage who, as I mentioned, is currently the number one bull on the RAS list (May 2025). Griffinpoll-P himself boasts a high Fat gBV of 57kg, a Protein gBV of 39kg and a great Liveweight gBV of -12kg. His special polled pedigree will also help with inbreeding challenges on some cows.
324012 GRALYN BURNLEY DURANGO
From the large high-production herd of Graham and Vanda Robinson, this bull’s maternal line is stacked with great production. Durango is sired by Glanton KFP Burnley, from the well-proven B-family at Glanton, which certainly makes him an exciting prospect. Durango falls under the “good all-rounder” category, with high gBW, milk solids, fertility and UdderOverall gBV’s.
324033 MONKS NOVAK SPITFIRE
Spitfire is the first bull I have profiled from Josh Monks and Victoria Bradshaw of Taupiri. He is sired by the high-ranking young bull Thornwood Profit Novak. Spitfire is a bull who is ticking a lot of boxes, with high Protein and Fat gBV’s, great Fertility, good Liveweight and a great Capacity gBV of 0.72. His high-index dam was a great production cow, with good overall TOP scores.
324205 BUSYBROOK LAMAR BUSHWACKER
The Busybrook stud of Nathan and Amanda Bayne is renowned for breeding exceptional bulls for the New Zealand dairy sector. Bushwacker is out of the highproduction VG 85 cow Upland Park Hoss Bloom and is sired by the great proven bull Glenui Super Lamar. Bushwacker is a Jersey Future bull, and part of the joint programme with Jersey NZ. Great attributes of this bull include high Protein, Fat, milk volume, and an Udder Overall gBV of 0.72.
