LEFT Denmire Goldwyn Marie 58 VG87-2yr has a GLPI of +2527. She produced 13,282 kg as a heifer.
BELOW LEFT Denmire Shottle Ma- rie 57 VG87-2yr was genomically tested in April and ranked as the first animal for milk in the UK, and seventh in Europe.
RIGHT Denmire Shottle Marie 57 VG87-2yr is surrounded by (from left) Margaret, John, Andrew and Stephen Dennison. Her younger full sister recently sold in Italy with a GLPI of +2368.
‘I
t’s all about trusting the system – it will take a few years for us all to have confidence in Genomics, but it’s something we all need to take notice of, if we don’t then we are going to lose out”, says John Dennison of the well known Denmire herd in Cumbria. The Dennison family are one of the first to test a number of their herd, and fare well with the results, so it is interesting they have allowed an insight into their experiences with genom- ics.
John’s son Stephen goes on to say that the Marie family, which many breeders will identify as the mainstay of the Denmire herd, has now gained a new dimension. On the back of lines that include multiple generations of EX, high production and show winning type as well as high index, this UK-bred family, which has been widely praised and featured for its three generations of EX94 LP100 cows, is now at the next level; females from the family are also testing well genomically – exceeding expectations and breaking the 2000 GLPI barrier.
Denmire Shottle Marie 132 is a December 2009 born Picston Shottle from the now EX90 third calf LP60 Denmire Morty Marie 33, who has completed three massive yields including a third 305 day lactation of 13,921 kg at 4.85% fat and 3.31% protein and is still on flush. Marie 132 was the sole live UK animal to travel to Cremona in Italy recently for the European Classic Sale. A UK family, well proven but basically unknown outside British soil, has now entered Europe from a standing start but has been helped along by genomic testing alerting breeders to her worth. As it is, she
returned with a GLPI of +2368 in the September 2010 run, which meant that the first animal the Dennison’s have sold into Europe was a total package with good genomics and was
purchased by Matteo Zilocchi from the Zial herd in Italy for €8000. Matteo had been part of the Italian team
34 THE JOURNAL DECEMBER 2010
of young breeders who visited Denmire during the 2008 HYB Weekend Rally so he benefited from seeing the Marie family firsthand.
The Dennison’s have obviously considered at length the potential implications of genomic testing both within their own herd and within breeding programmes at large. They appreciate it will make some families while it may hinder others. They feel that the box system of rearing and testing bull mothers has gone with genomics and, from their own perspective, they realise that AI companies will now routinely test bulls. A good genomic score is yet another hoop to jump through before an AI company will take on a young bull, and Stephen says they can see a time in the not too distant future when the dams of bulls will also be genomically tested as routine, with the son not only needing to be high but also to exceed his dam’s figures. Logically the Denmire breeding programme will now consider genomics on both the maternal and paternal side of the pedigree. While proven sires are still the focus of Denmire breeding, female lines such as Denmire Shottle Marie 57 VG87- 2yr will be mated to sires that fare well for genomics. Marie 57 is an older Shottle full sister to Marie 132 who gave 12,318 kg in 305 days at 5.42% and 3.77% protein in her first lactation. In the April 2010 Canadian genomic testing, she ranked as first
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