TUNKHANNOCK, Pa.— Premier Select Sires proudly announces that they have partnered with Zoetis™, the largest global animal health company, to bring Premier members CLARIFIDE® and CLARIFIDE® Plus genetic testing. Premier representatives will educate and assist member-customers with proper sample collection, submission, and interpretation to help producers maximize the benefits of Zoetis genetic testing.
“Premier is very excited about the opportunities this partnership will bring,” said Mark Carpenter, CEO of Premier Select Sires. “Zoetis is a forward-thinking, highly respected name in the industry, and adding CLARIFIDE genetic testing to Premier’s offering will give member-customers another resource to make informed genetic decisions for the future. This service will complement the other value-added tools available to member-customers through Premier’s portfolio of services and products.”
The CLARIFIDE® genomic test delivers reliable predictions from the Council for Dairy Cattle Breeding (CDCB) of genetic merit in Holsteins, Jerseys, Brown Swiss, and Guernseys by utilizing DNA-marker technology. Providing a lifetime of information early in life, it enables producers to make confident selection decisions for a more valuable dairy herd.
CLARIFIDE genetic test results include data on more than 30 health and type traits, composite indexes, genetic conditions, and haplotypes. Where parent average provides 20 to 30 percent reliability (when parentage is correct), CLARIFIDE provides 60 to 70 percent reliability. Recognizing high-genetic females helps producers to make informed decisions on the use of sexed, conventional, or beef semen, and it helps them select the best sires for creating valuable replacements.
The CLARIFIDE® Plus genomic test takes genetic testing to the next level by adding Zoetis Wellness and Fertility traits. It helps identify Holstein and Jersey females with the greatest potential to reach herd health and profitability goals. The first commercially available dairy genetic evaluation of its kind, it uses the Dairy Wellness Profit Index® (DWP$®) to account for traits that affect health, fertility, performance, and lifetime profit of calves and cows. DWP$ differs from other economic indexes because it includes predictions for economically important diseases in cows and calves, as well as fertility performance.
DWP$ incorporates insights on common dairy health challenges including mastitis, lameness, metritis, retained placenta, displaced abomasum, ketosis, cow respiratory disease, and milk fever. By accounting for fertility traits (cow abortion, cystic ovaries, and twinning), it allows for more informed rankings to increase potential lifetime profitability. The Calf Wellness Index™ (CW$™) is also a key contributor to DWP$, and by including calf livability, calf respiratory disease, and calf scours, it estimates the difference in expected lifetime profit associated with risk of calfhood disease. Ultimately, DWP$ predictions help producers select genetics that can lead to healthier animals that produce more milk that can be successfully marketed.
Zoetis’ tools have been developed from millions of dairy cattle within U.S. commercial herds, using cutting edge genetic evaluation methodology. If you are interested in genomic testing, your local Premier representative is prepared to help you implement Zoetis’ unique technology with Premier’s high quality genetics, services, and products to take your operation to new heights.
Please contact your local Premier representative or the Premier Select Sires office at (800) 227-6417 for additional information. You can also learn more at www.premierselectsires.com/services/zoetis-genetic-testing.
Premier Select Sires is a farmer-owned cooperative that serves beef and dairy producers in its 23-state member area. Dedicated to providing its members with all they need to achieve success, Premier provides:
- Industry-leading genetics from the Select Sires, Accelerated Genetics, and GenerVations brands
- Effective herd health and management products, as well as artificial insemination supplies
- Reliable services and programs backed by years of success
- Knowledgeable industry experts who are easily accessed for consultation, advice, and on-farm assistance
Together with its five sister cooperatives across the United States, Premier owns and controls Select Sires Inc., the world’s most recognized name in bovine genetics.
®CLARIFIDE, CLARIFIDE Plus, Dairy Wellness Profit Index, DWP$, Wellness Trait Index, and WT$ are registered trademarks of Zoetis Services LLC or a related company or licensor.
™Zoetis, Calf Wellness Index, and CW$ are trademarks of Zoetis Services LLC or a related company or licensor.