1HO07235 TOYSTORY, a Genex Cooperative, Inc. bull recognized by dairy producers around the globe, has reached a level of semen production never before seen in the cattle artificial insemination (A.I.) industry. Today, TOYSTORY has produced his 2 millionth unit of semen.

"When you think about the 1000s upon 1000s of bulls that have entered the A.I. industry and the popularity of many of those bulls, you know TOYSTORY has achieved an incredible feat by producing more units than any bull in A.I.'s 70-year history," explains Doug Wilson, Genex Chief Operating Officer.


TOYSTORY, a Holstein bull born at Mystic Valley Dairy near Sauk City, Wis., in May 2001, first entered record books in April 2009. At that time, the Genex-owned TOYSTORY joined an elite group of bulls throughout the industry that have produced 1 million units of semen. In May 2011, he became the industry's semen production leader by surpassing the previous world record of 1.767 million units held by the Dutch bull Sunny Boy. Now he has furthered the world record to a remarkable 2 million units.

"This is an event that might never occur again in history," Wilson notes. "With the genetic progress possible in the dairy cattle industry today, through new technologies such as bull evaluations based on genomics, it is very possible that no other bull will ever reach the 2 million unit mark."

Several factors contributed to TOYSTORY's production success. TOYSTORY has possessed a genetic package desired by dairy producers around the globe. His genetics were first released globally in November 2005. Today, 2 million units later, he remains a sellout bull with semen sold across nearly 50 countries.

TOYSTORY's genetics and the high-quality care provided by Genex production division staff have also enabled the 11-year-old bull to remain healthy and agile for optimal semen collection.

"TOYSTORY has produced 2 million units, has always been above average in sire fertility and basically remains a sellout bull – even now, six and a half years after his initial debut. He is an incredible story," remarks Wilson.

Genex is a subsidiary of Cooperative Resources International (CRI), a member-owned holding cooperative. The mission statement summarizes the goal of CRI: "To provide products and services as effectively as possible to maximize the profitability of members and customers worldwide while maintaining a strong cooperative."

5.04.2012