Manhatten

February AEU run pits ‘protein king’ father against up and coming sons

You can’t stay at the top forever…or can you? Top dairy sire, Okura Manhatten ET SJ3, has dominated Jersey bull rankings since he graduated in Spring 2003. But this dominance may be due to diminish as his first sons develop their proofs during this 2008/09 lactation.

In particular Manhatten has been an outstanding transmitter for protein with his breeding value for this economically-important character being consistently at least 6kg greater than the next Jersey bull: in turn this has resulted in Manhatten ranking at the top for both NZMI and BW indexes. Manhatten daughters are in demand both in New Zealand and overseas; as consistently strong producers that last, they continue to be dairy farmer favourites.

Protein is 3 to 4 times as valuable as fat, and 7 to 9 times as valuable as lactose leading CRV AmBreed to make efficient protein productin a key driver in its bull breeding program for the last decade. The emergence of Manhatten with his proven capability of passing on high-value traits, has been an outstanding result which will benefit NZ farmers for decades to come.

Bred in Bruce and Ngaire Cutforth’s famed Okura stud, Manhatten burst to prominence as his first daughters came into test nearly six years ago. His initial protein BV was 20kg (converted for the 2008 base change) and it has remained at 20 or 21 kg ever since: the increase in recorded daughters from 120 daughters in his initial proof to 15,000 today has seen this BV remain constant. Little wonder then that CRV AmBreed has long believed his genetic influence through sons and daughters will be immense.

Manhatten’s success is hard to miss. With more than 70 sons under test in NZ, the performance of the first has been eagerly awaited. No-one is surprised that this year’s brightest new graduates are dominated by Manhatten sons. Currently leading the charge for protein are two full brothers marketed by LIC: Lynbrook Trademark S3J and Lynbrook Tradesman S3J bred by Steve and Nina Ireland from their prolific brood cow Adonis Tess S3J. With 71 and 81 daughters respectively in their proofs, Trademark’s protein BV was 24kg as at the AEU run of 17 Jan while Tradesman’s was 23kg. This placed them above Manhatten (21kg) at this stage of their proof.

Despite his consistent reliability, it is inevitable that Manhatten will one day lose the title of protein king, and it looks as if it will be inherited by one of many candidate sons. No matter which one wrests supremacy, NZ dairy farmers owe Manhatten a pre-eminent place among the great sires of our breeding industry.