Val-Bisson Doorman is the quintessential new-age sire who shows how our new method of sire selection, while riskier, still has the checks and balances needed to provide protection. Today we stand a month away from Doorman delivering his first Canadian official proof, and we can say with relative certainty that type-oriented Canadian producers will be more than pleased for having gotten an early jump on this great bull.
Doorman arrived on the scene in the fall of 2012 and his extremely attractive combination for LPI and Conformation made him an instant hit with producers, despite that little was known about his sire Bookem or that Bookem’s sire, Planet, wasn’t really noted for delivering extreme Type. A few months later, he was designated an Immunity+™ sire which added another intriguing element to his profile. Later came a reputation for high fertility and, while many Genomax bulls that join the WestGen marketing list enjoy 2 to 3 tours of duty (otherwise known as proof rounds), Doorman managed to stay on the list longer. Then, just when he would have given way to a new recruit, his calves in pens across the country began generating a second wave of interest that gave him another reprieve. All the while, Doorman’s numbers remained remarkably steady as well- he didn’t look out of place. In fact, high ranking sons started joining him and instead, his aura continued to grow.
Today, it’s doubtful many people breeding cows to Doorman refer much to his proof information. That’s quite ironic, because despite that we know so much about Doorman’s breeding pattern, he is yet to receive his first official Canadian daughter proof! Meanwhile we have already marketed a number of Doorman sons and will soon see sons from his first daughters join the list. We are also less than 6 months away from seeing the earliest sons from his sons hit the market (like the first sons from Doorsopen). By comparison, a few short years ago we would just now be starting to flush top cows to Doorman to make his first sons… What a dramatic change!
It is clear that Doorman is a Type bull. In particular, to those who appreciate the Canadian definition of Dairy Strength, there will be few bulls that can match Doorman on delivering improvement here. They are wide chested without being coarse. However, this Immunity+ sire does so much more than add frame. They are high component cattle carrying exceptional mammary systems, with especially well attached fore udders and slightly longer teats. Feet & legs display excellent foot structure, good tracking, as well as good bone quality. On rumps, while impressive in their width, pins can be on the higher side of average with thurls set back a bit.
Doorman will certainly be more of a Type bull than a Health trait bull. That said, he does deliver extremely low somatic cell score and good mastitis resistance as many Immunity+ bulls do. There is no denying that he makes some slower milking cows. That’s probably the area to protect him on and to that point, logical mates include Numero Uno and Meridian daughters who are typically extremely fast for milk out, and who could use the added length of rib and width of chest Doorman can offer. Another excellent cross would be Brawler daughters, again for the reasons of supporting Dairy Strength. Although they are both Bookem sons, Doorman also matches well on McCutchen daughters, who could use Doorman’s added width and depth. If concerned about the inbreeding level, skip a generation and use him on daughters of McCutchen sons instead. Finally, Doorman is an excellent cross for Mogul daughters and daughters of many of his sons. They are more moderate in frame and benefit from the low cell counts that Doorman delivers, while helping to keep the pins down. There are certainly lots of places for Doorman to make a contribution to breeding programs across Western Canada.
In today’s world of genetics, where a good proof validates usage of sons and grandsons more than the individual getting the daughter proof, it’s true that Doorman (who receives a proof in April) is a solid endorsement as well for his best sons. Still, in Doorman’s case, he may be that rare individual that merits continued usage himself, too. It’s clear that he’s an outlier whose influence will be felt for generations. Particularly for those wanting the certainty of stellar Type, he is bankable for delivering precisely that. With 300 daughters classified, he maintains an 87% GP and better rating, and so far, with already 60 VG-2-yr-olds to his credit, that’s 20% of his young daughter group and an unheard of ratio for an emerging bull. Doorman opens the door to possibility – he invites dreamers to dream and better yet, he delivers!
Comestar Lamadona Doorman VG-89-2YR-CAN Photo: Patty Jones
Leave A Comment
You must be logged in to post a comment.