01/11/07
           
            Four bulls in the first six places of Dairy Farmer magazine’s
              latest “Best Buy” rankings make Bullsemen.com the undisputed
            best value-for-money semen supplier in the UK. 
            
              
          
             A daughter of the Jocko Besne son Jackpot, who maintains a strong
             position in the Best Buy sire rankings. 
              
          
                
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              Bullsemen.com is also celebrating a “hatrick” of
                first places in the list, with Jesfa taking top spot in the latest
                calculations, following on from Jurus and Manager. 
                 
                The list uses the Holstein UK and MDC Breeding + website search
                facilities to compile a ranking, using £20/straw as the
                maximum price and setting minimum values for key criteria such
                as PLI, milk yield, type merit, udder and feet & legs composites,
                and lifespan scores. 
                 
                According to Bullsemen.com managing director Nick Kirby, the
                rankings show clearly how high value bulls are now available
                at very affordable prices and underline the impact being made
                by online suppliers. 
                 
                “This is an independently compiled ranking system based
                on fully verified information, and as such is a very useful tool
                for dairy farmers planning their breeding strategies,” he
                says. “The minimum criteria for this list are quite stringent
                and allow no room for anything other than outstanding all round
                figures, and five of the top eight are supplied by Bullsemen.com. 
                 
                “Success in the value for money rankings mirrors the current
                dominance of Bullsemen.com sires in the overall proof listings,
                where we have 8 of the top thirty ranked for £PLI, which
                is twice as many as our nearest competitor.” 
                 
                In order to qualify for the list, bulls must be more than +1.00
                type merit, over 300kg milk, and have positive scores for udder
                and feet & legs composites and lifespan; they must also have
                CVM negative status. 
                 
                Topping the list is German Jesther son Wylannas Jesfa, with production
                at almost 1000kg and over +2.00 on udders, feet & legs and
                overall type merit. Only one star ranking point behind is Bobas,
                a new bull from Germany by the American sire Sildahl BW Dutch
                Boy and out of a Delta Novalis dam. Bobas was the highest new
                sire on the revamped PLI rankings in August with an index of £209
                PLI. 
                 
                Keeping his place in the top five value-for-money list from May
                is Jocko Besne son Jackpot. He is a good all-rounder offering
                above average levels of production at 600kg milk and just over
                40kg CFP, as well as +2.75 for udders and +2.11 for feet and
                legs. At number six, Juwel is the second Jesther son in the rankings,
                bred this time from a Mandel dam. He is a high milk bull at over
                850kg, scores well on udders, and is the best widely available
                bull when it comes to improving feet and legs. 
                 
                Bullsemen.com’s fifth bull in the list is another Jesther
                son, Jurus, who topped the previous list. He is exceptional on
                components and is also the best bull on the value-for-money list
              for cell count improvement with an SCC PTA of –22%. 
              
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