Michael and Cherie Berkers’ Holstein Friesian herd exemplifies how breeders can consistently develop successful cow families by seizing opportunities for improvement year after year.
Their Riverton sharemilking business, Moovin Aherd Ltd, has three heifers included in this year’s Discovery Project team, which features 24 heifers from 16 breeders across New Zealand.
The Discovery Project, a collaboration between Holstein Friesian NZ and LIC, focuses on identifying exceptional Holstein Friesian heifers with the potential to significantly impact the AI industry. Each heifer selected participates in a Trans-Vaginal Recovery (TVR) programme, utilising advanced breeding technologies to produce genetically superior offspring, driving the evolution and enhancement of the Holstein Friesian breed.
This year, the Berkers successfully nominated three heifers: MAH Freestyle Sambie S1F (454/46gBW), sired by Prattleys Lucid Free-Style S1F and out of MAH Samba-ET S2F; MAH Lucid Indie (442/55gBW), sired by Woodcote VHR Lucid-ET S1F and out of MAH Grand Imogin S1F; and MAH Lucid Storm S1F (507/56gBW), sired by Woodcote VHR Lucid-ET S1F and out of MAH Fury Storm-ET S2F.
Cherie said Woodcote VHR Lucid-ET S1F, a bull out of 2018 Discovery Project team member Woodcote FU Laura-ET S3F VG85, was a sexed semen sire that resulted in many daughters.
“They are really nice calves,” Cherie said. “We use sexed semen on our best animals, and the results have been excellent.”
The Berkers have been nominating heifers for the Discovery Project on and off over the years. One of their first pedigree animals, 2014-born MAH HDF Starstruck-ET S3F, participated in the 2015 Discovery Project. Embryos were collected in the spring of that year, and calves were born in 2016. All three of her daughters went through the Discovery Project.
One daughter, MAH SB Showdown-ET S2F, produced the bull MAH MG Speilberg-ET S3F, who was marketed by LIC last year. Another daughter, MAH SB Snowwhite-ET S2F, is the great granddam of Sambie, who is part of the 2024 Discovery Project team.
Storm, also part of the 2024 team, has a strong Discovery Project history with her dam, MAG Fury Storm-ET S2F, and granddam, MAH SB Starship-ET S2F, also graduates of the Discovery Project.
“The Discovery Project is a valuable programme,” Cherie says. “LIC provides support with sire recommendations for mating, as well as free semen, including from bulls that are not yet publicly available.”
Additional benefits of the programme include free genomic evaluation of heifers, plus all resulting bull progeny genomically screened through LIC; free parentage and defect testing; LIC CustomatePlus for breeders’ home herds; zero breeding restrictions on heifers screened or the resulting female progeny, and much more.
HFNZ also offers discounted classification to all Discovery Project heifers when they are classified as two-year-olds.
Of the 24 heifers in the 2024 team, 13 have travelled to the donor farm in Waikato for TVR work with Vytelle. Another four are undergoing TVR at their home farms with Vytelle, and the remaining seven are working with ABS at the Centre or at their home farms.
The Berkers’ Discovery Project heifers are currently at their grazing location, heading to Robert and Annemarie Bruin’s (Meander Holsteins) property every two weeks for TVR. Although this arrangement is preferable to transporting cows to the North Island for egg collection, Cherie hopes to see progress on establishing a Southland donor farm facility soon.
Holstein Friesian NZ encourages its members to nominate their high BW heifer calves for the 2025 Discovery Project through the HFNZ website. Nominations close on February 21, 2025.
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