The Select Sires Podcast

Herby Lutz, jersey development manager, and Marc Bolen, dairy sire marketing coordinator, discuss some of the top ranking young sires of the Jersey breed from the April 2025 sire summaries. Listen as they highlight high-interest (GForce™)  sires and give a preview of new and exciting sires that will be added to the lineup in coming months.

Greta Snider Halahan has a unique experience as the herdsman at Singing Brook Farms. Join Ethan Haywood as he and Greta talk about technology and communication protocols that help connect her team and make important genetic decisions on the farm. With Greta working remotely, she utilizes various apps to communicate with farm team members and has been successful with communicating with Spanish speaking team members. Also through these apps her team is able to share data and information that empowers them to dig in and discover solutions. CowManager® has been a helpful tool to help Greta and her team leverage health traits and maximize management efforts to get the most out of their cows.

Holstein Sire Analysts Kevin Jorgensen and Rick VerBeek talk standout Holstein young sires from the April 2025 sire summaries, highlighting health traits, calf wellness specialists and pedigrees. Check back in for future episodes of The Select Sires Podcast that dive deep into other lineups including Jerseys and how to leverage these elite genetics to boost your bottom line. 

Select Sires graduated 11 Holstein and five Jersey sires to the daughter-proven lineups following the April sire summary. Holstein Sire Analysts Kevin Jorgensen and Rick VerBeek recap the Holstein graduates. Tune in as they talk about health traits, critical calf wellness traits, pedigrees and chart-topping Red & White sires. Herby Lutz, Jersey Development Manager and Marc Bolen, Dairy Sire Marketing Coordinator join the podcast to talk about Jersey graduates, including daughter fertility superstars, index leaders and more. Check back in for future episodes of The Select Sires Podcast that dive deep into the young sire lineups and how to leverage these elite genetics to boost your bottom line.  

Learn from Mark Johnson, director of beef and dairy supply chains for Low Carbon Technologies, as he discusses GeneNet and the basics of beef grid marketing. Ethan and Mark explore the sustainability branch of Select Sires during their conversation and discuss the benefits GeneNet has to offer producers. 

Join host Ethan Haywood and Chuck Sattler, vice president and manager of genetic programs at Select Sires Inc., as they discuss the changes happening with the base change in April 2025. Learn which traits will be affected and how to continue selecting sires. 

Tune in to this episode where host Ethan Haywood chats with Matt Hendel, owner of Hendel Farms, and Kevin Jorgensen, senior Holstein sire analyst for Select Sires Inc., about mastitis resistance. Learn about the importance of focusing on mastitis resistance in your breeding program and which bulls could help lower your somatic cell count. 

Tune in as host Ethan Haywood talks with Emily Middleton, regional consulting manager at CentralStar Cooperative, about the intuitive features built into the Optimal Genetic Pathways (OGP) Calculator. Learn how this calculator provides genetic data individualized to each farm and how it helps with managing heifer inventories. 

Tune into this episode to hear from Lyle Kruse, retired vice president  of U.S. market development for Select Sires, Inc., about the importance of managing your replacement heifers. Learn about the challenges facing heifer management and how this impacts the future of the dairy industry. 

Join our host Ethan Haywood as he discusses Zoetis Lameness evaluations with Mike Larson, Owner of Larson Acres and Brain Kelroy dairy production specialist at Zoetis. Tune in as they examine the methods used to assess and manage lameness in dairy herds and explore how data from these evaluations is being applied on progressive dairies to enhance herd health and operational efficiency.

Tune into this episode to hear a recap of the December 2024 Sire Summaries. Join some of our Holstein and Jersey experts as they recap the new trait and index leaders, and include updates regarding bull dams, cow families and insights from their travels.

Greg Andersen of WinStar Genetics joins Jordan Siemers, Holstein sire analyst, to talk about a Polled genetic strategy. Andersen shares his vision for the future of Polled genetics and how he's making slight adjustments to his management to add the Polled gene to his herd. Siemers compares today's Polled sires to their non-Polled counterparts as he talks about traits that are most important to progressive dairy herds. 

Kevin Souza, a managing partner at Victory Farms LLC, and Brad Barham, southern regional sales manager for Premier Select Sires join Ethan Haywood to discuss the Calf Wellness Index™. Tune in to learn the importance of calf wellness at Victory Farms and how Brad's sire selection helps Kevin meet his goals. 

Lauren Kimble, manager of ProfitSOURCE® supply chains at Select Sires Inc., joins Ethan Haywood to explore the topic of ProfitSOURCE. In this discussion, they cover key aspects including market flexibility, traceability of ProfitSOURCE calves, and the introduction of new ProfitSOURCE Semen Packs. Tune in where you listen to your podcasts to learn more.

Tim Abbott, co-owner of Showbox Sires, joins Ethan Haywood in Part 2 of the World Dairy Expo recap episodes. Bull dams and sisters of Showbox Sires' genetics hit the colored shavings and took home awards during the 2024 World Dairy Expo. Tim talks about new additions to the Showbox lineup as well as the continued success of their partnership with Select Sires. 

This year's World Dairy Expo truly defined the Golden Age of the dairy industry. Tune into Part 1 as Kevin Jorgensen, senior Holstein sire analyst, joins Ethan Haywood to recap show results from the 2024 World Dairy Expo. They talk about banner-winning pedigrees, the importance of maternal lines, Showcase sires and future opportunities for success on the colored shavings.

Ashton King from Michigan Farm Bureau Insurance emphasizes the importance of farm safety and how being proactive can influence insurance claims. Join Host Ethan Haywood as he engages Ashton in a discussion to establish safety protocols with farm employees. In the second segment, Melissa Nelson of Hungry Canyon will join Ethan to share how she advocates for child safety on the farm. Her product line, “Wait For Me,” includes hi-vis clothing and stickers that serve as reminders to farm workers to watch for children when using farm equipment. 

Ethan Haywood, host of The Select Sires Podcast and genetic specialist at Select Sires Inc, talks with Michigan dairy, Lew-Max LLC, about herd goals, longevity and the Herd Health Profit Dollars® (HHP$®) index. In this episode, Ethan is joined by Aaron Gasper, owner of Lew-Max LLC, and Malissa Reed, genetic consultant at CentralStar Cooperative, as they review the dairy's genetic strategy and sire selection to create the next generation of replacements. 

The George Miller Scholarship is a new initiative by Select Sires to pay tribute to a man who advanced the dairy industry by leaps and bounds in his lifetime, and called Select Sires home along the way. George Miller passed away in early 2021 at the age of 94, but his legacy lives on in the hearts of those who knew him. Jeff Ziegler, vice president of dairy cattle breeding at Select Sires Inc., and Eric Olstad of Zoetis, join hosts Leslie Maurice and Joel Penhorwood to discuss the scholarship, as well as the life and times of George Miller himself.

Select Sires Inc. Vice President of Genetic Programs Chuck Sattler joins hosts Leslie Maurice and Joel Penhorwood to discuss the complex topic of lameness in dairy cattle. While management plays a major role, more and more opportunities to make an impact on lameness are being made available through genetics. In this podcast, Chuck explains why attention should be given to new lameness traits available from Zoetis and discusses on-farm validation of those traits. That discussion and much more in this episode of The Select Sires Podcast, helping to Make Longevity Her Legacy.

Allison Ryan of MVP Dairy discusses her unique perspective as she helps educate consumers on production dairy through their Dairy Learning Center. Hosts Leslie Maurice and Joel Penhorwood talk with her about the growing gap between producer and consumer, how dairy farmers are meeting those conversations, and also how the hot topic of sustainability is being communicated. The group also discusses Select Sires' part in educating consumers about the impact of genetics in feeding the world.

We talk the global reach of Select Sires and get insight on the impact of genetics and cattle around the world with Rebekah Mast, genetic director of World Wide Sires, and Joel Mergler, director of global talent development for Select Sires Inc. Their experience highlights the different genetic needs from country to country, the quest to educate and feed our growing populations, the border-bridging power of the bovine and much more.

Join Select Sires' Leslie Maurice and Herby Lutz as they talk with Chris Terra, manager of Red Top Jerseys, a 5,700-cow dairy in California. Chris explains how genetics have played a constant role in the herd's growth and profit strategy. He covers management mindset and decisions, the evolution of genetic selection and trait emphasis, their recent focus on health traits, the expanding use of beef x dairy, cow comfort and a marked improvement in fertility among much more.

In this episode, listen as Chris Sigurdson and Brandon Thesing explore new strategies and diversification options. They provide an overview of Simplot SimVitro's HerdFlex beef embryos and share about market advantages of straight-bred beef calves. From conception rates to feed conversion and considerations for technician service, Chris and Brandon answer many common questions. They also describe what types of dairies will experience the most return on investment with a HerdFlex strategy. 

Listen firsthand as Arizona Dairy Company's Justin Stewart talks about the herd's genetic evolution and what metrics pushed them to emphasize sire selection. He also provides an overview of their genomic testing and IVF programs as well as their involvement in NxGEN®. Lyle Kruse, vice president of U.S. market development for Select Sires Inc., guides the conversation and provides another industry perspective for listeners.

How do dairy producers make sure they are focusing on the right traits and indexes to achieve healthier, longer-living cows? In this throwback to our Q&A series, host Dr. Bo Harstine, director of research at Select Sires Inc., is joined by Chuck Sattler, vice president of genetic programs, and Dr. Dan Weigel, director of outcomes research at Zoetis Inc.

At Select Sires, we pride ourselves not only on the elite genetics offered by our sires, but the elite care bulls receive throughout their lives. From calf wellness to production quality to veterinary health, we talk about all facets of sire care in this roundtable discussion with those behind the scenes at Select Sires facilities. Hosts Leslie Maurice and Joel Penhorwood are joined by Janeen Hartman, Joel Boysel and Dr. Liz Lahmers for this lively discussion.

The benefits of breeding for the healthier, longer-living dairy cow is difficult to argue from an individual cow perspective, but how does it help the dairy farm as a whole? In this podcast, we discuss how this focus on longevity can impact your legacy, with a conversation on its real-world influence at Mystic Valley Dairy in Wisconsin. The dairy's owner/operator, Mitch Breunig, joins Select Sires Director of Research Dr. Bo Harstine alongside Senior Sire Analyst Kevin Jorgensen for this talk. Whether its barn setup,  selection index use, added value or more, you can hear about it in this episode.

Here at Select Sires, we believe it's people who are truly the cornerstone of success, and the Select Sires federation is made up of a large force of professional technicians providing service and expertise to achieve reproductive success every single day. They are the boots on the ground, and in this episode, we'll be hearing from two large-herd technicians who are actively in the barns, focusing on meeting the goals of their customers.Jordan Pahl of Minnesota/Select Sires and Deanna Pleiman of CentralStar Cooperative join host Joel Penhorwood. Listen in as they discuss their day-to-day jobs, challenges they've helped dairies overcome, what they see on the horizon and much more from their unique perspective.

Tune in as we take an in-depth look at the world of beef x dairy and Select Sires' tailored options that can help gain more profitability through a refined replacement heifer strategy. Dr. Larry Corah, professor emeritus at Kansas State University and beef supply chain consultant with Select Sires Inc., details the state of today's beef x dairy phenomena, the importance of specific programs to a dairyman's success and answers commonly asked questions. All that and more in the third episode of the new Select Sires Podcast.

In this second episode of the new Select Sires Podcast, we continue the discussion of longevity on the dairy farm, specifically looking at how profitability through more lactations plays into the equation.Dr. Bo Harstine, director of research here at Select Sires Inc., helps to moderate the discussion between Julie Ainsworth, reproductive specialist and dairy production analyst coordinator with CentralStar Cooperative, plus Gary Sipiorski, private dairy consultant and a member of the board of directors of Citizen State Bank.

In this first episode of the new Select Sires Podcast, we're exploring the topic of longevity on the dairy farm - what it means, how genetics play a role now and into the future and much more.Guests Mark Kerndt and Rick VerBeek join host Joel Penhorwood as they discuss the big picture, as well as actionable tips on breeding for the healthier, longer-living dairy cow. Tune in with the audio player below or by subscribing through your favorite podcast platform.