2011 has been recorded in the books as the best year in Select Sires' history for sales to their patrons. Along with the record-breaking sales, the Select Mating Service (SMS) program achieved new heights with new records. In 2011, more than 5.48 million corrective matings were generated with the world's most widely recognized mating program, SMS. The program continued to show its persistent growth with more than one million cow-side evaluations, over 875,000 pedigree matings, and more than 1.9 million new animals mated with SMS.

For more than thirty-five years, SMS has been building better cows throughout the world with 80 committed genetic consultants, whose dedication and passion are to improve the herds of Select Sires' customer-owners.

"There are many factors that contributed to the growth of the SMS program throughout 2011," stated Lon Peters, vice president of dairy sire product services and international for Select Sires. "New genetic consultants were added in key dairy areas to meet the needs of our growing number of participating herds. In addition, the SMS team continued to provide outstanding service to their customer-owners who demand an organized genetic program. These consultants offer experience, genetic knowledge, and cow-sense, and their professional lives are dedicated to improving the success of their customers' herds."

"The value of inbreeding management, recessive gene management, corrective matings for added longevity and the selection of the right sires to meet herd goals are the key elements to our service," continued Peters. "With accurate pedigree information, SMS is an insurance plan for a herd's future."

The professional consultants use research, computerized analysis, cow knowledge, experience and good relationships with dairy producers to make the correct selection of sires to meet breeding goals, one corrective mating at a time. With a watchful eye on industry trends and customer-owners' needs, Select Sires continues to adapt SMS to fit with the improved genetic research and changing industry.

To learn more about SMS, contact your local Select Sires cooperative or visit the Select Sires web site www.selectsires.com today.

Based in Plain City, Ohio, Select Sires Inc. is North America's largest A.I. organization and is comprised of nine farmer-owned and -controlled cooperatives. As the industry leader, it provides highly fertile semen as well as excellence in service and programs to achieve its basic objective of supplying dairy and beef producers with North America's best genetics at a reasonable price.

02.21.2012