Accolades for the Waikato’s most eligible bovine bachelors
Two of the Waikato’s most eligible bovine bachelors have been recognised for their services after fathering more than 43,000 daughters between them across the country.
Jersey bull Degree and Friesian bull Macca have been inducted into CRV Ambreed’s Hall of Fame for their services to the New Zealand dairy industry. The accolade comes as part of the breeding company’s 50th birthday celebrations.
“For a bull to be inducted into the Hall of Fame he needs to have made a significant contribution to the dairy industry,” says CRV product manager Peter van Elzakker.
“This means producing a large number of dairy cows proven to produce high quality milk and live long and healthy lives, as well as producing sons that are sought after as future breeding sires.”
Arrieta NN Degree ET was bred in Te Awamutu by John and Thelma Bailey. Since 2012, Degree’s semen has been used by over 2,100 dairy farmers in New Zealand and abroad to breed nearly 20,000 dairy cows, which produce high quality milk and live long healthy lives.
“Degree has not only produced great milking cows, but also has sired many sons, which have joined the CRV Ambreed breeding team. I don’t think we’ve seen the last of Degree in pedigrees of new graduate sires,” says Mr van Elzakker.
Marchel Fire Macca OC S2F was bred by Michael and Margaret Kane in Ngatea. Born in 2007, Macca is from truly royal CRV bloodlines, with both his sire and maternal grandsire earning their places in the Hall of Fame before him.
Through Liberty Genetics, Macca joined the 2013 CRV Ambreed proven sires catalogue team as a high indexing bull, with daughters showing excellent milk production, good health and superior udders.
Macca now boasts over 25,000 daughters sired in 2,600 herds throughout the country. His genetics have also been exported to multiple countries.
He can also claim bragging rights for producing seven sons that have progressed to be marketed as proven bulls in New Zealand.
“The CRV breeding team still sees numerous pedigrees featuring Macca in our contract mating programme today, either as sons or grandsons being used as mating sires, or in the elite females being contracted,” says Mr van Elzakker.
“Macca’s contribution to the dairy industry is without question. It is these results that have earned him the honour of being inducted into the Hall of Fame.”
Degree and Macca are two of hundreds of success stories from CRV’s 50-year relationship with breeding partners, and breeding societies, Holstein Friesian and Jersey New Zealand.
“The success of our breeding programme relies on the consistent annual flow of elite and relevant bulls from our breeders,” says Mr van Elzakker. “The best of these are immortalised in the CRV Hall of Fame.
“Our Hall of Fame is reserved for legends like Degree and Macca that not only contribute to our industry through superior dairy cows, but also sons that continue their fathers’ legacy.
“We are proud to partner with breeders to offer farmers the very best genetic solutions for their herd. We work hard to ensure our breeders can be proud of their CRV marketed sires.
“Our sincere congratulations to the Bailey’s and the Kane’s on Degree and Macca’s success and our thanks for the contribution these sires have made to not only CRV, but to the wider industry.”
Degree has now retired from service and spends his days relaxing at home with John and Thelma on their dry stock block.
