Accelerated Genetics

   

Written by Dave Erf, Sire Analyst
The story of 014HO04026 AIRRAID did not begin with a farm trip to find an elite cow for contracting. It did not involve identifying a high index cow with super type potential. No, the beginning of the story of Airraid coming to Accelerated Genetics started with a phone call from Cesar Silveira, the AG rep for the state of Washington. Cesar called me with information on a young Manfred daughter that had recently calved at Sildahl Farm. The exact words of the conversation I cannot remember, but I did pick up the excitement Cesar had from seeing this young cow. He relayed to me that she had a BW Marshall son and looked great and he thought it was something worth following.

Now Cesar Silveira is a hard working, soft spoken salesman and he has not often called me about cows or bull calves. As he has told me on several occasions, contracting and bull buying are the genetics departments concern, taking care of my customers and helping them reach their goals are mine. So, the phone call from Cesar told me that this indeed was a bull that needed more investigation.

Sildahl Farm is owned by Fred Schoenbachler and his family. They had just enjoyed success with another bull at Accelerated, 014HO02958 DUTCH BOY. I called Fred and asked him about the young Manfred daughter named Air Attack. As he always is, Fred was straight forward and honest. Fred told me that Air Attack was perhaps the most correct cow he had calved in, but that she was only medium sized.

With a son by BW Marshall, a bull known for size and stretch, it made sense that this was probably a good cross. I came to an agreement with Fred on the phone for a purchase price pending my inspection of the cow on my next trip to Washington, which was due to be the next month.

Upon arriving at Sildahl, Fred took me to the cow yard and there was Air Attack just like Fred had described her to me. She was a medium sized cow but there were no faults to be found. What even impressed me more was the tenacity this cow showed for eating. She was devouring the ration at the bunk and acted like she needed to eat her share as well as those of her neighbors on either side. In fact I was so impressed by this Manfred daughter that I contracted her for an additional son. 014HO04750 Sildahl Airbase is a sire in waiting in the PACE program. He is a Finley out of Air Attack.

So, in December 2001 Airraid was health tested and brought to Wisconsin. He entered the PACE program in the fall of 2002 and the results speak for themselves.

Airraid matured nicely, as he definitely received his mothers balance and the size and stretch of his sire. His most recent classification is Excellent 92 points. He seems to transmit this superior type as his high PTAT shows. The Airraid daughters are above average for stature, have adequate strength and width and are quite dairy. They have very correct leg set, steep foot angle and track extremely well when viewed from the rear. They have tremendous rear udders, long smooth fore udders and close front teat placement. If there is a place to watch when using Airraid it is making sure not to use him on a cow that is high in the pins or perhaps long in the teat.

The amazing thing about Airraid is his ability to transmit high production with that outstanding type. Few bulls in the breed can boast the high production and type that Airraid combines. Add to top production and outstanding type, the fact that Airraid is a calving ease sire that can be used on heifers and this completes the fact that he is a bull that can be used in many places.

The story of Airraid will continue to be told by his daughters that will enter herds around the world and by his sons that will be sampled through the PACE program and other sampling programs across the globe over the next few years.