Jersey sire bred for the future

ABS Australia sales representative Alan Blum said with a pedigree anchored by Pilgrim and Sturgis for strength and David for production, CSCKirky blends performance with longevity and health — a combination increasingly sought in modern Jersey breeding programs.

“Kirky is a total performance sire with the ideal blend of positive milk with positive deviations and amazing type, adding body depth, chest width and great udders — all while improving teat length,” he said.

“He’s high for daughter fertility, farmer likeability and survival — the health traits linked to profit and management ease.”

Health was front-of-mind for breeders Paul, Lynette and Adam Lenehan when planning the joining that produced Kirky.

The decision paired Murray Brook Kate 5024 — a Pilgrim daughter averaging more than 7000 litres per lactation and backed by 10 generations of Murray Brook breeding — with Sturgis, a sire recognised for balanced type and strong health credentials.

“We want cows to survive in the herd as long as they can, have low — or no — cases of mastitis and fertility is crucial to get extra lactations,” Paul said.

“These are all health traits that are important to us and the Jersey breed now.”

The Lenehans milk about 500 cows across two herds at Crossley in south-west Victoria.

CSCKirky is the ninth bull the family has sold into artificial insemination, with strong interest in the Murray Brook genetics stemming from a consistent focus on durability, production and pursuit of a well-balanced cow.

CSCKirky’s maternal line reflects that intent.

His granddam by David, averaged 7362 litres per lactation, 650 kilograms of milk solids, at 480 kilograms liveweight and calved annually.

His full sister calved for the first time this year and is projected to exceed 6000 litres in her first lactation while classifying 85 as a two-year-old.

With a sire pathway incorporating both Australian and United States bloodlines, CSCKirky also offers valuable genetic diversity, with Valentino appearing several generations back in the pedigree.

For Paul, this year marks 60 years of milking cows.

The Murray Brook stud was formally established in 2020 following the genetic recovery process — a milestone reflecting decades of disciplined breeding and long-term investment in quality cows.

“My father bred Jerseys and I started once I left school,” Paul said.

“I’ve pretty much always used the best bulls of the day for 60 years, and it’s really starting to show in the genomics of the cows now.”