“SLICK” is Golden! Content & Productive Cows in Heat

The picture tells the story, in our new brand image. The SLICK cows achieve top dairy & beef production under hot & tropical conditions, because they can maintain body temperature significantly lower than their non-SLICK herdmates. Hence they maintain feed intake at higher levels, with reduced heat stress. This boosts feed efficiency, growth rates, fertility and overall PROFITABLITY throughout their lifetime. The gene provides a Heat Shield worth GOLD!!

Go to the Website for top value packs! Dairy & Beef:

Question: Sexed or Conventional straws?
Answer: you can order either depending on budget and herd growth strategy.
Question: Homozygous or Heterozygous?
Answer: Both are available. Homozygous delivers maximum impact, i.e. all progeny get the SLICK “heat shield”. Heterozygous is useful for research scenarios and where animals may be sorted for farming in different climate zones.

Homozygous SLICK Beef sires

Tropical Resilience Genetics is your one stop shop for top performance genetics that include the SLICK Gene. The gene has been introgressed from superb Senepol sires into high profit Simmental and Angus, plus the Profitmaker hybrid breed. Red and Black sires are available, usually polled.

MARKET REPORT AUSTRALIA

SLICK Gene vs Intensive Indoors production system investment. It has recently been reported that; “by 2030 more than a third of Australia’s cows will be housed indoors as the sector responds to ever-pressing impacts of climate change.” Dr John Penry, Dairy Australia Principal Scientist. “Work by Dairy Australia has found the impact of climate change over the past decade and going forward amounts to a negative .4% to .6% a year. That is a pretty scary number and as a headwind it is already affecting us, while farmers are now having to think of ways they can adapt their farm systems to climate change.” “the ability to use the contained systems to control the negative impacts of a warming climate are a key driver, keeping animals cooler in summer”. This requires substantial investment; “$2500-4000 per cow”, more labour which is a scarce resource, and high energy and carbon inputs both in construction and maintenance. However, the SLICK gene offers a significantly lower cost option to achieve a similar result with the cows more comfortable in the heat, without expensive and energy intensive cooling systems. Family farms can continue to boost performance withouttaking on more scale and major new debt, with significantly less carbon footprint. It will be a more robust model if/when milkprices fall back towards international market levels. Consider carefully.

GO SLICK before Going BIG!

We look forward to developing strong relationships and reliable supply network with the Subtropical Dairy Network in northern NSW and Queensland. As climate change impacts we may find wider demand for our semen and embryos, further south.

ABOUT US HISTORY

Tropical Resilience Genetics Ltd (TrRG) is a reboot of the business that started as Thermo Regulatory Genetics Ltd. The founders noticed dairy cows in the Caribbean that were unaffected by hot conditions, and this prompted them to start a breeding program to lock the genetic trait into top quality dairy animals in their herd in Hamilton, New Zealand.

Around this time Livestock Improvement Inc. the dairy farmer owned cooperative in New Zealand identified that there was a single gene that was conferring Heat Tolerance (and a mutation that increased heat sensitivity). This gene became known as the “SLICK” gene, due to the short haircoat of animals carrying the gene, but less obvious is the increased density of sweat pores in the skin, and some degree of tick resistance. So these animals are proven to be more RESILIENT under Tropical conditions.

Hamilton, New Zealand, only experiences heat stress conditions for a few months in Summer, so the performance testing occurs in true tropical zones. New Zealand has an excellent health status and service options for production and export of semen and embryos to most markets, and to protect the genetic nucleus. Genetics are also sourced from top breeders in the USA and Australia. TrRG has the most comprehensive team of SLICK sires across the breeds; Holstein, Jersey and Kiwipole Crossbred

Under the Tropical Resilience brand we are also marketing outstanding beef genetics that carry the SLICK gene. The new management team has a real passion to boost livestock farming sustainability across the Tropical regions which will enhance both CLIMATE RESILIENCE and MITIGATION.

Dr David Hayman

Managing Director BVSc, MBA

With a broad experience in Breeding Program management, Embryo Transfer and livestock Export Projects, Dave will build the high quality genetics pipeline, the TrRG team, and provide valid advice to customers.

M Ph. +64 274 965 983
Email: Dave.Hayman@trgenetics.co.nz

Shubhendra Singh

Sales and Administration

Shubhendra has a degree in International Business and experience in Livestock management and admin for large scale export programs. He will manage orders and product despatch with expert assistance from the team at Animal Breeding Services, our primary repro-technology service provider, which operates approved and regularly audited semen and embryo production centres.

Office Ph: +64 7 843 7577
Email: office@trgenetics.co.nz

ABOUT BREEDING PROGRAM

The Tropical Resilience dairy SLICK Breeding program has a broad base including some of the top performing herds in New Zealand e.g. HSS, Waipiri and Kaipaki Dairy, plus embryos and animals selected from the most progressive SLICK program in the USA (Fit Dairy Genetics). We are now working to incorporate an Australian breeding pool. The program uses Genomic DNA analysis plus local and international production indexes to drive selection for the most profitable animals, but also taking into account welfare traits like the polled gene. Profit is driven by:

• Early and regular calving for longevity and herd growth
• High milk value relative to body weight (can be with higher milk solids)
• Robust cattle able to process large amounts of roughage feed
• Easy care with Resistance to disease—mastitis, lameness

In each new market we can adapt our Profit Index for local factors, but usually it selects a medium size, easy care and fertile productive cow.

The beef genetics that carry the SLICK gene have been developed in partnership with Rissington Farms, a long established breed leader in Simmental, Angus and the innovative hybrid Profitmaker cattle. Rissington P101(front page) is the ultimate Profitmaker with easy calving, but superb growth and maternal indexes, i.e. similar principles as the dairy selection program. We will diversify the breed base as customers require.

The selection and sire development is guided by Dr Hayman with input from well respected breeders such as; Henk Smit, Dave Fullerton, Dr Jeffrey Bewley (US), and the Rissington principals; Daniel and Jeremy Absolom.

Tropical Zone Focus

Tropical Resilience Genetics is fully focused on making impact in the true tropical and semi-tropical zones where the SLICK gene adds major health and production impact. The result is high merit bos taurus genetics delivering efficiency under tropical conditions much more successfully than previous genetic importations that did not carry the SLICK gene.

In each region we seek to establish:

• Productive collaboration with local research and extension teams that can validate and report the impact of the gene
• Connect to distributors that are genuine in using the technology and genetics to get the best value herd improvement for their customers

CURRENT REGIONS OF FOCUS:

• Australia & Pacific
• S E Asia; Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam
• East Africa; Ethiopia & Tanzania
• Central America; Ecuador, Mexico, Colombia