DUPLEX Report on Test Daughters, by Bryan Challenor

This is the report that Bryan Challenor (from Semen World Ltd. - U.K.) sent out to the reps after his trip to Spain with Peter Ridler and Paul Eggleston, inspecting Duplex daughters during the first week of March.

 

 

We arrived in Bilbao on Monday evening 28th February and by Thursday evening we had clocked up over 1,000 miles looking at 26 Duplex test daughters. After all the talk on this Durham x Emory sire, I was expecting great things and I was not disappointed!

Tuesday

1st stop at Gan. Sarabia

Turned out to be one of the best daughters of the entire trip (probably would have been better left to last!). She scored 86pts calving at 2yrs 1 month. Dam classified 3rd calf by

Hanoverhill Mirage at 79pts. We all thought she would be 88pts in the UK.

2nd stop S.A.T Casablanca - 3 Duplex's

One really good VG85 2 yr old calved at 1yr 9mths.

One not scored and been poorly with pneumonia and the only small heifer of them all.

The 3rd one on the farm was a really good type heifer, calved at 1yr 11mths. 81pts from a VG Integrity and it was the only one on the trip to look short on production.

Next Farm - Los Mameles

A very large commercial unit a little short on straw for bedding. Used a lot of test sires and good US proven bulls.

8 Duplex daughters calving in at 2yrs of age. All very consistent in Type, superb legs and feet and great udders. One heifer calved at 1yr 11mths with a dam at 75pts called Anni 181. She had just given 12,000kgs and scored 83pts. This farm also had 4 Forbiddens milking that were very good in the udder, but not as good in the frames as the Duplex daughters. However the farmer was very pleased with Forbidden and using both bulls very heavily. Forbidden on heifers and Duplex on cows.

Next stop Gijon - in the mountains with lots of snow and ice.

Casa Lucaria

Duplex Minetela a VG 85pt heifer calved at 1yr 11mths from a 75pt Townson Lindy Dam. Real dairy heifer with a great udder. This was the only Duplex daughter I saw that did not track perfectly and was a little open toed.

La Segada Farm

A really stylish beautiful heifer that has been pictured Mancha Duplex. This Duplex calved at a 2yr old, scored very early at 84pts (would be 87pts now) from a Mr Moon Dam scored 85pts. Show boys would love this one!

Wednesday

1st stop Ganaderia Badiola

Our only Pedigree breeder herd with a fantastic herd of cows. Some really good Leduc's, Integrity's and a great Blitz heifer on calving and lots of great old cows, 8 & 9 lactations. He has just started using Duplex, Potter and Titanic. The whole herd averages 85pts. What a great visit.

Next stop was 350 miles from Oviedo to the Avila area. We crossed the North Plains of Spain towards Madrid and it was a long way to our next two farms.

Granja San Cristobal

Large commercial farm with 6 robots, 6 in milk Duplex's, one in calf. Five heifers scored at least 4 points higher than the dams. All the heifers had good feet and udders with super frames. One heifer spoilt the visit by having too much nature in the udder and could go either way, but you always get one! One heifer not scored and calved at 2yrs 1mth was over 60 inches. Should go 85pts. Dam 76pts Black Bell.

La Reguera Farm

Two great Duplex daughters. Calved at 2yrs 2mths. Both VG 2yr olds from 86pt Etazon Laudia Hayward cow and 85pt H.Black Jack cow.

Weather very cold. Finished at 6.00pm and arrived back in Bilbao at midnight!

Thursday

Visit to Aberekin Stud. Saw Duplex Ex and we could see where the daughters get their fantastic frames and legs and feet from. Another bull to catch the eye was ALH Dandy. (Durham x Wisondale Leadman Tracy). Keep an eye on this one for the future!

1st Farm - Coop. Lagunak

Using Duplex. Also looked at 6 Passions which were very good in the udder and legs and feet, but did not have the frames of Duplex and Empire. Passion will be ideal for those customers looking for lots of fat and protein. (Remember that he is from the same cow family as Blitz). There were also 7 Empire daughters and I must say they were superb.

Next Farm - Coop-Behi-Alde

Over 1,000 head of Holsteins in three units:

Unit One

Duplex daughter (number 3731) calved at 2yrs, not scored from a Cubby Metro dam, but will be easy VG cow. Some very good Empires and Passions.

Unit Two

Outstanding Empire cows.

Unit Three

Duplex (number 3754) VG 2yr old from a 76pt Metro and 12 Empire daughters. Superb cows and heifers.

Summary on Duplex Daughters

After inspecting 26 Duplex daughters in all sorts of conditions and environments, I feel very privileged to be the first to see so many daughters from this truly great Durham son! This bull is for real!! They are tall, dairy, open ribbed heifers with lots of power and strength, on really good legs which track correctly. The feet are really outstanding with the most correct foot angle I have seen from any sire. The rumps are correct with a slope from hook to pins.

Reading the Holstein International for March, it states they are slightly high on the pins and this I believe to be incorrect - this may be parent average still coming through. Speaking to all the farmers they said that they were very quiet animals and fertility was excellent. My only protection on this sire would be kgs of fat and fat %.

After 22 years looking at progeny test daughters, I put Mesland Duplex up there with the greats like Starbuck, Blackstar and Integrity when they were test daughters. My advice - order semen soon!

 

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