Here is my review of the bull´s daughters that we inspected.

GQ EMIR

Emir is the # 2 ICO (total performance) bull in Spain.  He is a son of Emerson out of a Lord Lily. 

We saw a total of 10 daughters of Emir.  They are very black, like Emir himself.  All of the Emir daughters with one exception were first lactation cows.  The most impressive feature of the Emir daughters is the fact that they are like "peas of a pod."  They are so similar that you think that you have seen this cow before and find out that she is a different cow from the previous one.

I would describe the Emir daughters as being slightly taller than average for stature with very good angularity and good feet and legs.  Emir will lower the pins about the same as Emerson.  The Emir daughters do have more chest width and front-end stature than the Emerson daughters. 

Emir is an udder improver with the fore udders being firmly attached with a strong udder cleft.  The fore udders are similar to Emerson´s daughters.  The rear udders show very good width with average height.

The rear legs are somewhat straight with very good foot angle.  They track quite well and have good mobility/locomotion. 

Overall, I was very pleased with the Emir daughters that I saw on this trip.  In comparing them to the Emerson daughters I see very similar cows.  I do believe that the Emir daughters have an advantage over the Emerson daughters in front end width and strength.  I did notice that the Emir daughters have good daughter fertility themselves.  Many were due to calve for a second time very close to the first calving date.

ALH DANDY

Dandy is a Durham son from Wilsondale Leadman Tracy out of a Blackstar.  The Pedigree says "style" and that´s what you get in the Dandy daughters.

We saw 13 daughters of Dandy.  Many were late lactation with a few starting their second lactation.  The Dandy daughters are also like "cookie cutter" cows, very much alike.

Like many other sons of Durham, the Dandy daughters will need some time to develop and mature.  If you like first lactation cows that hit the ground running, Dandy is probably not the bull for you.  If you appreciate a very nice older cow that has few problems, Dandy is your bull! 

There is a noticeable difference between the first and second lactation daughters of Dandy.  The first lactation daughters are not deep bodied cows, their fore rib is shallow and the rear rib lacks sweep.  The first lactation Dandy daughters have long bodies that would indicate that they would grow and deepen as they mature.  The second lactation Dandy daughters have good depth of rib and have matured well. 

The Dandy daughters will average 6 on a 1-9 scale for stature.  Tall, but not overly tall with long bodies.  The rumps are "Durham like" with great length and width.  As young cows, they may lack strength and front end width.  They have a good foot and a steep heel. 

The legs are straight and remind me of the Leadman leg, very functional and trouble free.  They have good locomotion and track very well.

The udders on the Dandy daughters are extremely good!  Exceptional teat placement and strong udder cleft.  You would expect this from this pedigree.  The udders are very shallow.  The rear udders are average for height but have exceptional width.  The udder quality is exceptional, silky and wrung out when milked.  They reminded me of the Zenith daughters in this respect.

KOLDENHOVE BONUS

Bonus is a Aero Bond out of a Rudolph from the Leadman Doris cow family.  This is a component cow family and Bonus transmits very good fat and protein percent.  Bonus is a new release bull from Aberekin who warrants further consideration.

We saw a total of 12 daughters of Bonus on this trip.  They can be described as tall, big-bodied cows with exceptional feet and legs.  Most of the Bonus daughters we viewed were first lactation cows although there were 3-second lactation daughters in the group.

The Bonus daughters have excellent body width throughout.  Bonus should work very well on cows lacking strength, stature and body depth.  They are rugged cows that are able to muscle their way to the feed bunk.

The Bonus daughters have very functional feet and legs.  They have somewhat straight legs with average foot angle.  They track very well and have good locomotion.

There was some variation in the pin setting on the Bonus daughters.  Many had slightly high pins while some had a little bit of slope.  I believe that they will be slightly high in the pins.

The udders are very functional.  The rear udders are very impressive with good height and width.  The teats are a little long and correctly placed.   The udders are average for depth but do have a strong udder cleft.

I really appreciate all of the help that the Aberekin team provided for your short trip in their area.  Great cows, great people, great scenery and great food!  It doesn´t get any better than this!

Best regards,

Gary

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