This accolade is made to the breeder of the Holstein bull that will have the biggest genetic impact on the South African Holstein population in the coming year. This year the prestigious award goes to the Puttergills of the Eastern Cape for breeding Justice.

Justice is a Wizard from the 2003 National Champion, Justine. Wizard excels in modern breeding needs by being the top management trait sire in the world. His latest proof explains this statement:

• Productive life: + 5,8 months
• Daughter pregnancy rate: + 3,6%
• Calving ease: 6%
• Somatic cell score: 2,58
• Smaller stature: – 1,5

Cow family

Behind every great sire is a solid cow family. We will start this family at the Darkmaster daughter, Puttergill Inka, born in 1984, and great great grandam of Justice. Her daughter Thornwood Ivy 89.12 produced 70 361 kg milk in 8 lactations, scored 5 for udder and 5 for general and has 8 female calves, one of which was Camaro Ida 91.55. Her daughter, Imprint Izzie 96.67, is seen as the rock of this family. She reached an age of 12 years, scored 92 udder and 92 final, and produced 82 445 kg of milk in 7 lactations. She gave the Puttergills 10 females and 4 bulls. Our next step in the success story is that of her first calf, Juror Justine 97.34. Justine scored Ex 94 and was the 2003 National Grand Champion (photographed at 11 years of age), but will in future best be remembered as the dam of the Taurus bull, Justice.

Justine 97.34 also produced the Morty daughter Julia 03.29, the dam of the Taurus test bull, Talent Jumbo by Tatent and Joost Judith 05.7. Judith is the grandam of a genomically proven sire Taurus recently acquired, Juno. Juno is a Million out of a Buckeye and came through with a sky-high genomic proof. Semen should be available in 2011.

To summarize, we looked at 22 female members of this cow family, some still alive and the family always puts a stamp of high producing, fancy cows that last, exactly what modern dairy farmers demand.

Progeny test proof

Justice test semen became available in June 2006 and, with his sire Wizard promising management traits and his dams’ power, he appealed to both pasture and TMR farmers. When his test calves were born, it became clear that his sire stack that predicted calving ease was carried through and that his calves were also smaller. His first test daughters came into milk in the second half of 2009, and immediately caught the eye and lead to increased demand for the then still unproven sire.

His first official proof was November 2009 and he started with a solid BVI of 112 even though it was still lowly reliable. In his second proof in May 2010, he improved to a BVI of 114, claiming the second place after Nokia.

To summarize this tremendous promise he is + 494 kg on milk, with extreme udder health (+3, 07 and SCC – 31, 8). His reproduction and health index (RHI) of 115 was promised by his sire and cow family who themselves excelled in management traits.

The type (+1, 39) proof is balanced without any faults with heel depth, udder depth and teat placement his strongest type traits and the daughter photographs will be a great advertisement. He definitely produces the more roundboned type of Holsteins associated with cows that last and sought after by many dairy farmers.

Conclusion

Justice’s proof and pedigree makes him easy to use, especially with all the BW Marshall blood in the breed. He already has two daughters in the South African top cow BVI list, namely Van Zyls’ damme Gustine 737 and Riebeek v Everview 7066. Congratulations to Clive, Brett and Grant for breeding Justice, with the foresight to produce the right bull for difficult current dairy industry times.

Photos

1. Justice
2. Justine, dam of Justice photographed at 11 years of age
3. Julia, sister of Justice and dam of Talent Jumbo
4. Justice daughters:

Riebeek v Hunter 7067
Puttergill Justice Rosy 0725
Puttergill Justice Helga 0716

Wizard
?1 for management traits, ie:

• Productive life +5,8
• Daughter pregnancy rate 3,6%
• Calving ease 6%
• Somatic cell score 2,58
• Smaller stature – 1,5

Juror

• Great type
• Powerful cows
• Calving ease

Print Izzie
EX 92
Became 12 years old

Puttergill Juror Justine
EX 94 – Previous National Champion
Became 11 years old

Puttergill Justice Helga 0716 Justice dogter van die Puttergill’s

Puttergill Juror Justine 9734 Dam of Justice

Puttergill Justice Rosy 0725 Justice dogter van die Puttergill’s

Puttergill Wizard Justice 0508

Riebeek V Hunter 7069 Justice dogter by Nicky Serdyn