Welcome to the Bullvine Podcast. I'm your host,
Bella, joined by my co -host, Douglas. Today,
we're diving into a fascinating story about one
of the most influential Holstein breeders you
might never have heard of. How did one Canadian
farmer's obsession with what he called breeding
warm create maternal lines so powerful they still
dominate Holstein genetics eight decades later?
That's right, Bella. We're exploring the legacy
of Douglas Dunton, a breeder whose methodical
approach to developing maternal lines revolutionized
Holstein genetics worldwide. His work connects
directly to legendary sires like Pawnee Farm
Arlinda Chief and Round Oak Rag Apple Elevation.
bulls whose genetics appear in virtually every
modern Holstein pedigree. This episode is packed
with valuable lessons for today's breeders navigating
the genomic era. We'll explore Dunton's journey,
his breeding philosophy, the remarkable foundation
females he developed, and how his principles
remain relevant today. So let's dig into the
story of a true maternal mastermind. Douglas
Dunton's Holstein journey began in 1920. when
he enrolled in a dairy short course offered by
the Ontario Department of Agriculture. Until
then, he and his father had been crossbreeding
with dual -purpose shorthorns on their family
farm in Brampton, Ontario, with limited success.
Their farm had been established in 1828, when
Dunton's grandfather James arrived in Canada
as a United Empire Loyalist. So what sparked
his transition to Holsteins? Was there a specific
moment that changed his direction? There absolutely
was. During that dairy course, Dunton visited
several impressive Holstein herds that inspired
him to purchase his first Holstein cow. When
that cow produced 80 pounds of milk daily, twice
what his shorthorns were giving, he was completely
convinced. That dramatic production difference
prompted him and his father to purchase four
more Holsteins, with three coming from Lorne
Davidson's Bruack farm at Meadowvale. Those initial
purchases must have been important to his program?
Incredibly important. Two of those cows, Bruac
Noel and Bruac Luella Acme, became the foundation
for what would become the legendary Glenview
herd. All four of Dunton's most influential foundation
females descended from those initial purchases.
Talk about maximizing your investment. You know,
we need to appreciate what breeding success meant
in that era. When Dunton began breeding Holsteins,
there was no classification system, no genomic
testing, no production indices, none of the tools
breeders rely on today. Without seeing an animal's
ancestors directly to evaluate type and transmission
patterns, breeders were essentially working blind.
Impressed. Yet despite these limitations, Dunton
developed a remarkably effective system for selecting
breeding stock through careful observation and
strategic matings. His early herd sires were
grandsons of King Toitila Acme, followed by Inca
Supreme Reflection, a spring farm Inca jewel
sun that became central to his breeding program.
Was this just a one -generation success story,
or did the family continue his legacy? The Dunton
family's commitment to Holstein breeding spanned
generations. When sons Ralph and Earl joined
as partners in the 1950s, they earned their second
Master Breeder's Shield in 1964 as D .S. Dunton
and Sons. Urban sprawl forced the dispersal of
the original herd in 1966, but Ralph and his
son Jim retained the Glenview prefix and relocated
to Inglewood, Ontario. And they kept the success
going even with a completely new herd. Absolutely.
Starting with an entirely new foundation, they
earned a third Master Breeder Shield in 1987,
a record matched only by the chivalries of Forest
Lee Farm. It's a testament to the strength of
their breeding philosophy rather than just the
specific animals they started with. Let's talk
about what made Dunton's approach to breeding
so unique. I've heard the term breeding warm.
What exactly did that mean in his program? At
the heart of Dunton's approach was his unwavering
belief in what he called breeding warm, which
was essentially strategic line breeding. This
stands in fascinating contrast to the outcross
mentality that often dominates commercial breeding
today. From the outset, he focused intensely
on the King Toitilla acme bloodline, methodically
combining it with rag apple genetics to create
intriguing genetic patterns throughout his herd.
That's interesting because today we use sophisticated
genomic mating programs with SNP markers to balance
genetic gain with managing inbreeding. Dunton
was doing something similar through observation
and pedigree analysis, wasn't he? Exactly. When
asked about outcrossing, Dunton famously stated
that he had tried an outcross bull only once,
and while he didn't do much harm, neither did
he do much good. That pragmatic assessment still
resonates with breeders evaluating complementary
matings today. What I find particularly interesting
is his approach to the balance between type and
production. In an era when many breeders were
chasing milk records above all else, Dutton took
a different path. He certainly did. His conviction
that it takes longer to breed type than production,
but once you get type, it is not so difficult
to get higher production. reveals his understanding
of the genetic architecture underlying these
traits. This philosophy anticipated today's balanced
breeding approach using comprehensive merit indices
by decades. It's striking how he prioritized
traits that we now consider essential for lifetime
profitability but weren't formally evaluated
back then. Absolutely. Beyond classification
traits, Dutton prioritized three practical factors
often overlooked in pedigrees of his era. Temperament,
milking ease, and longevity. These are precisely
the functional traits modern breeding programs
value for lifetime profitability. He was selecting
for cow comfort, milkability, and productive
life decades before these became formalized traits
in our evaluation systems. Let me spell out the
parallels between Dutton's approach and today's
methods. In terms of genetic selection, his breeding
warm strategy focused on King Toitilla Acme and
Rag Apple bloodlines, while today we use genomic
mating programs with SNP markers to optimize
genetic gain while controlling inbreeding at
the molecular level. For type versus production
balance, his insight that developing type first
would make production easier Parallels are modern
balanced breeding indexes like TPI, LPI, and
net merit dollars that weight both type and production
traits. And when it comes to selection timeline,
Dunton practiced patient development of females.
Two -year -olds weren't pushed. If they produced
1 ,000 pounds of milk monthly, that was considered
satisfactory. Today, we've accelerated generation
intervals with genomic selection of young animals.
but perhaps we could learn from his patients.
Finally, Dutton emphasized traits beyond the
pedigree, temperament, milking ease, and longevity.
Today we have comprehensive genomic evaluations
for health, fertility, and functional traits.
The tools have changed, but the goals remain
remarkably similar. Every great breeding program
starts with exceptional foundation females. Douglas,
tell our listeners about the remarkable cows
that form the cornerstones of Dunton's genetic
program. Dunton's program centered around four
extraordinary cows. ABC Inca May, Classified
Excellent. Glenview Nettie Jemima, Classified
Excellent, 13 Star. Glenview Noel Inca, Classified
Excellent, 4. And Glenview Gene Inca B, Classified
Very Good, 2. These weren't just show winners.
They were genetic powerhouses whose influence
continues to reverberate through Holstein breeding
today. ABC Inca May has an unusual prefix for
a Dunton -bred cow. What's the story there? It's
quite the dairy cattle soap opera. In March 1943,
Dunton purchased a pregnant cow named Temple
Farm May, classified Very Good Too, from R .S.
McKinnon. While Dunton was changing clothes,
Elgin Armstrong of ABC Farm stopped by Glenview
with his herdsmen Cliff Chant and Jack Fraser.
Fraser spotted the pregnant May in a box stall
and quickly purchased her from Dunton for $400,
selling her to Armstrong before the day ended.
Oh no! So he lost what would become one of his
most influential females before she even calved?
That's right. Dunton agreed to keep the cow through
her calving, and on March 10, 1943, she delivered
a heifer calf by Inca Supreme Reflection. Since
Armstrong now owned May, the calf was registered
as ABC Inca May under ABC Farms Prefix. This
one that got away became an all -Canadian four
-year -old in 1947 and produced 24 ,141 pounds
of milk with 1 ,128 pounds of fat that same year.
But even though he didn't own her, she still
had a tremendous impact on his breeding program.
Her most significant contribution was her son
ABC, Reflection Sovereign, classified Excellent
Extra by Montvick Rag Apple Sovereign. He became
one of the most influential sires of all time
for both type and production and had a major
impact on the ABC breeding program. It reminds
me of how sometimes our breeding program's most
significant impact comes through unexpected channels.
I've heard stories from producers who sold animals
that went on to greatness elsewhere. Now let's
talk about Glenview Nettie Jemima, who many consider
the ultimate brood cow of her era. If you're
looking for the ultimate brood cow, Glenview
Nettie Jemima, excellent 13 -star deserves her
own Hall of Fame wing. Tell us about her background.
She was a daughter of Strathaven Top Grade, classified
Very Good, from Glenview, Nancy Palmyra, classified
Very Good, too. tracing back to Bruick Noel.
She wasn't just good, she was spectacular. Nettie
became an all -Canadian -aged cow in 1954, but
her real legacy came through her offspring. And
what offspring they were. She produced six excellent
offspring, including perhaps the most illustrious
list of sons in Holstein history. and Roseph,
magic, excellent, superior type. That's not lucky
breeding. That's a cow that consistently stamped
her offspring with superior genetics. Through
her son, Roseph Centurion, Nettie's bloodline
reached round oak rag apple elevation. Centurion
sired Glen Afton Gaiety, who in turn sired the
maternal Grandam of elevation. This shows how
great maternal genetics can travel through multiple
generations without losing potency. A lesson
worth considering when evaluating female lines
in your herd today. Let's talk about the other
two foundation females that had such an impact.
Glenview Noel Inka, classified Excellent 4, another
Inka Supreme Reflection daughter from the Bruax
Noel family, achieved fame as Royal Winterfair
Grand Champion in 1947 and both All -Canadian
and All -American Age Cow the same year under
the ownership of Solano Rios from Uruguay. When
bred to Elmcroft herd sire Montvick Monogram,
she produced Elmcroft Voyager M, who was used
by both Dunton and Jack Fraser before being sold
to Oxford Unit. And at Glenview, Voyager produced
Glenview Colleen Monogram, who became the dam
of Glenview Clipper, who would later sire the
dam of Pawnee Farm Arlinda Chief. So we're seeing
how these foundation females created genetic
pathways to the breed's most influential sires.
Completing the quartet. Finally, Glenview Jean
Inca B., classified Very Good Too, was the Inca
Supreme Reflection daughter of Glenview Inca
Jewel, tracing to Bruac Luella Acme. She produced
ABC Bonnie Renown and Rose of Shamrock Rosamund,
further extending these influential maternal
lines. The most concrete testimony to Dunton's
breeding genius lies in his connection to two
transformational Holstein sires of the 20th century,
Pawnee Farm Arlinda Chief and Round Oak Rag Apple
Elevation. These iconic bulls, whose genetics
pervade virtually every modern Holstein pedigree,
both trace significant genetic influence through
Dunton's breeding program. Let's trace those
genetic pathways. For Pawnee Farm Arlinda Chief,
the connection runs through Glenview Clipper,
classified Very Good, bred by Dunton. The pathway
goes Glenview Clipper to Pawnee Farm, Glenview
Beauty, classified Excellent, to Pawnee Farm
Arlinda Chief, classified Excellent Gold Medal.
and then to influential sons like SWD Valiant
and Walkway Chief Mark. For Round Oak Rag Apple
Elevation, the connection is through Rose of
Centurion, classified Excellent Extra from Glenview
Nettie Gemama. The pathway goes Rose of Centurion
to Glen Afton Gaiety to the maternal Grand Dam
of Round Oak Rag Apple Elevation, classified
Excellent Gold Medal, and then to influential
sons like Hanover Hill Starbuck. The story of
how Clipper's genetics reached Chief is particularly
fascinating and illustrates the sometimes serendipitous
nature of genetic influence. Dunton bred Glenview
Clipper, a son of Rosoff Prefect and Glenview
Colleen Monogram, who would go on to sire Pawnee
Farm Glenview Beauty, who became the dam of Pawnee
Farm Arlinda Chief when bred to Pawnee Farm Reflection
Admiral. Yes, but Clipper's own story had some
twists and turns, didn't it? It certainly did.
Lester Fischler, a Nebraska breeder focused on
strictly rag apple genetics, purchased Clipper
from Dunton in 1956. Despite Clipper's impressive
physical stature, he eventually weighed a massive
2 ,880 pounds at slaughter, so tall that his
head touched the ground from the slaughterhouse
rail. Fischler eventually sent him to slaughter
because his daughters were low testers. Let's
look at the data on Clipper's daughters. The
eight measured daughters averaged 18 ,504 pounds
of milk with 3 .40 % butterfat, totaling 629
pounds of fat. Their dams averaged 15 ,403 pounds
of milk with 3 .66 % butterfat, totaling 565
pounds of fat. So his daughters showed a substantial
milk increase of 3 ,101 pounds, but their butterfat
percentage dropped by 0 .26%. In that era, when
component percentages were prioritized over yield,
this made him undesirable to AI organizations.
But today's more comprehensive economic indices
would likely have valued Clipper's milk volume
boost and the structural correctness he transmitted.
Despite Clipper's fate, his genetic legacy continued
through an exceptional daughter, Pawnee Farm
Glenview Beauty, classified Excellent, out of
Pawnee Farm Man O' War Betty. When Fishler dispersed
his herd in 1962, Beauty was pregnant to Pawnee
Farm Reflection Admiral and was purchased for
$4 ,300 by Wally Linskoog of Arlinda Farms in
California. The resulting calf, born May 9, 1962.
was Pawnee Farm Arlinda Chief, who would become
one of the most influential production sires
in Holstein history. His first summary showed
a remarkable plus 1 ,982 pounds of milk, plus
79 pounds of fat, and plus 0 .61 for type. Chief's
influence spread through sons such as Walkway
Chief Mark, SWD Valiant, Glendale Arlinda Chief,
and Milu Betty Ivanhoe Chief, creating a genetic
legacy that continues to influence modern bloodlines.
When discussing extraordinary maternal line builders
in Holstein history, a fascinating parallel emerges
between Douglas Dutton's mid -century achievements
and the more contemporary success of Marc Comtois
and Commestar Holsteins. Douglas, how do these
two Canadian breeders compare? Though separated
by decades, these two Canadian breeders share
a remarkably similar approach to developing influential
cow families. albeit with distinct applications
reflecting their respective eras. Like Dunton,
Mark Comtois built his program around exceptional
foundation females, most notably Commistar Lori
Sheik, classified Very Good 88, 27 Star. The
parallels between these two breeders' approaches
are striking. Both demonstrated an uncanny ability
to identify foundation females with extraordinary
transmitting power. Just as Dutton's quartet
of foundation cows revolutionized the breed through
their descendants, Laurie Sheik's influence has
been equally profound since her birth in 1986.
Mark and France Comtois have always been firmly
committed to a philosophy of logical, balanced
breeding. This echoes Dutton's balanced approach
to selection, with both breeders prioritizing
confirmation while maintaining production, though
their methodologies reflect their different eras.
But there's a key difference in their approaches
to genetic concentration, isn't there? Absolutely.
While Dunton was a staunch advocate of strategic
line breeding, his breeding warm philosophy,
Comtois has taken a different approach with the
Laurie Sheik family. Rather than intensifying
specific bloodlines, Comistar has excelled at
identifying complementary crosses that enhance
the family's strengths while introducing new
genetic diversity. Their golden cross moment
came when Comtois bred Laurie Sheik to Blackstar,
the number one bull in the United States at the
time. This produced multiple exceptional animals,
including Comistar Lore Black, dam of Outside,
Comistar Lore Black, dam of Lee and Leros, and
Comistar Lauzen Black, dam of Stormatic. This
approach of seeking complementary outcrosses
differs from Dunton's methodology, but achieves
similar results regarding influential progeny.
A trademark of these bulls was that they had
strong conformation and good vitality with leader,
lee, leros, and outside each producing over a
million doses of semen. Four millionaire sires
from the same family certainly distinguishes
the lorry sheiks. This parallels the impact of
Dunton's breeding program, which similarly produced
influential sires that reshaped the breed. The
most striking similarity between these breeders
is the remarkable staying power of their maternal
lines. Just as Glenview genetics continue to
bubble through elite Holstein pedigrees decades
after Dunton's original breeding work, the Laurie
Sheik family remains at the forefront of the
breed nearly four decades after her birth. Commistar
Llamadona Dorman, classified Excellent 94, named
Canada's Cow of the Year 2022. represents the
Laurie Schick family's continuing evolution and
influence. As one report notes, now the grandsons
and great -grandsons of La Madonna are creating
a new surge of excitement. Bulls like Commistar
La Magic, by Chief from an Impression Dam, exemplify
the family's continued relevance in today's genomic
era, 12 generations after Laurie Schick herself.
This generational persistence mirrors what we've
seen with Dunton's influence. However, Comistar
has had the advantage of modern breeding technologies,
marketing opportunities, and global embryo distribution
channels that weren't available during Dutton's
era. Indeed, the spread of lorishiek genetics
to leading herds worldwide, including developing
a European branch through the Poussimier family
in Belgium, showcases how modern reproductive
technologies have expanded the potential reach
of exceptional maternal lines. If Dutton were
breeding today, he might appreciate the Comistar
approach. Both breeders have shown a commitment
to long -term vision and balanced breeding goals.
Both recognize that chasing the latest trends
or highest numbers isn't sufficient for creating
lasting impact. Yet despite their differences
in methodology, both breeders share a fundamental
understanding that great maternal lines are the
cornerstone of breed improvement. Whether through
Dunton's strategic line breeding or Comtois'
complementary outcrossing, both have demonstrated
exceptional skill in developing cow families
that reliably transmit their superior qualities
across generations. Let's talk about how today's
breeders might apply Dunton's principles in the
genomic era. How might Douglas Dunton approach
breeding if he were active today? While the technological
landscape has transformed dramatically since
Dunton's time, The fundamental genetic principles
he intuitively understood remain unchanged. I
think he'd balance technical tools with breeder
intuition, valuing both. Connecting Dutton's
emphasis on line breeding, carefully concentrating
desirable genetics while managing inbreeding,
finds modern expression in genomic mating programs
that use SNP markers to optimize genetic gain
while controlling inbreeding at the molecular
level. The analytical tools have changed, but
the genetic principles remain remarkably similar.
Are you balancing the power of genomic data with
breeder observation in your herd? Consider how
Dunton would approach today's breeding landscape.
He'd likely embrace genomics while maintaining
his focus on seeing the whole animal and understanding
family patterns. I think one of the most valuable
lessons from Dunton is his patience in developing
young animals. His two -year -olds were never
pushed. If they produced 1 ,000 pounds of milk
monthly, that satisfied him. This patience in
developing his program, allowing slower -maturing
animals time to express their full genetic potential,
offers a valuable counterbalance to the acceleration
of generation intervals in the genomic era. Are
you giving promising young animals enough time
to develop, or are you making culling decisions
too quickly based on first lactation performance?
Dunton's success suggests there's value in patients
with genetically promising animals that may need
time to express their full potential. Perhaps
most relevant to your breeding strategy is Dunton's
focus on building extraordinary maternal lines
rather than chasing individual phenotypes. While
genomic evaluations can identify elite individuals
early in life, Developing consistently transmitting
maternal families still requires the same patient,
multi -generational approach that characterized
Dunton's program. His success challenges you
to look beyond individual genomic numbers to
consider how animals perform as part of genetic
lineages. Are you identifying and developing
your best cow families, or are you focused solely
on individual animal metrics? The Glenview legacy
suggests that building strong maternal lines
remains fundamental to sustainable genetic progress,
even in the genomic era. So what can you apply
from Dunton's approach today? First, develop
a clear breeding philosophy and stick with it.
Dunton's consistent application of line breeding
principles, emphasis on balanced traits, and
focus on maternal families created a coherent
genetic direction. Second, Look beyond genomic
numbers to evaluate family patterns. While genomics
provides unprecedented insights into genetic
potential, building sustainable genetic progress
still requires attention to how genetics express
themselves across generations. Third, balance
type and production in your selection decisions.
Dunton's insight that it takes longer to breed
type than production. but once you get type,
it is not so difficult to get higher production,
remains relevant in an era of comprehensive selection
indices. Fourth, value the practical traits that
drive profitability. Dunton stressed temperament,
milking ease, and longevity, factors directly
impacting your bottom line through reduced labor,
improved efficiency, and extended productive
life. And finally, be patient with promising
genetic lines. Dunton recognized that genetic
expression takes time and was willing to allow
promising animals to develop fully. In our rush
to accelerate genetic progress, this patience
may be the most countercultural yet valuable
lesson we can learn from him. As we wrap up our
discussion of Douglas Dunton's breeding legacy,
I'm struck by how his methodical, patient approach
to breeding offers a valuable framework for building
a sustainable, profitable herd even in today's
genomic era. The Glenview legacy, still evident
in Holstein pedigrees worldwide, is testimony
to the enduring power of thoughtful breeding
built on fundamental genetic principles. What
would Douglas Dutton think about today's dairy
breeding landscape? He'd likely appreciate our
technological advances while reminding us that
the foundation of excellent breeding remains
unchanged. Identify exceptional cow families.
concentrate their best genetics through strategic
matings, and select for balanced traits that
create profitable, functional dairy cows. Some
wisdom never goes out of style. Let's recap the
key takeaways from today's discussion. First,
line breeding with purpose works. Dunton's strategic
breeding warm approach concentrated desirable
genetics while managing inbreeding, showing that
thoughtful line breeding can be more effective
than indiscriminate outcrossing when building
consistent family traits. Second, maternal power
outweighs individual merit. The most enduring
genetic contributions come through families,
not individuals. Dunton's focus on developing
transmitting maternal lines created a multi -generational
impact that continues eight decades later, a
blueprint for sustainable breeding programs.
Third, balanced traits for lasting influence.
Dunton prioritized balanced trait selection,
believing it takes longer to breed type than
production, but once you get type, it is not
so difficult to get higher production, a philosophy
that anticipated today's comprehensive selection
indices. Fourth, patience yields greater rewards.
Dunton never pushed young animals, allowing two
-year -olds producing just 1 ,000 pounds monthly
to remain in his program. This patience with
promising genetics offers a valuable counterbalance
to the accelerated generation intervals of the
genomic era. And finally, a clear breeding philosophy
creates coherent results. Whether through Dunton's
line breeding or Commistar's complementary outcrossing,
successful breeders develop and consistently
apply a clear breeding philosophy rather than
chasing trends. Is your breeding program building
the maternal strength that will influence the
breed for generations to come? That's the true
measure of breeding success that Douglas Dunton's
legacy challenges us to achieve. For the Bullvine
Podcast, I'm Bella, along with Douglas. thanking
you for joining us. Until next time, happy breeding.
We'd love to hear your thoughts on maternal line
breeding in the genomic era. Visit our website
at www .thebullvine .com to leave a comment on
this episode or to find our complete article
on Douglas Dutton's breeding philosophy. Thanks
for listening.