Hanoverhill Starbuck
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Port Perry, Ontario
Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec
| Breed | Holstein |
|---|---|
| Born | April 26, 1979 Port Perry, Ontario |
| Died | September 17, 1998 (aged 19) Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec |
| Nationality | Canada |
| Occupation | Breeding bull |
| Years active | 1985–1995 |
| Owner | CIAQ |
Hanoverhill Starbuck was a Canadian Holstein breeding bull. Calved in 1979, Starbuck was sired by RORA Elevation and purchased from Hanover Hills Holsteins by the Artificial Insemination Centre of Quebec (Centre d'insémination artificielle du Québec, CIAQ). Considered exceptional for conformation and genetics, Starbuck won numerous prizes at Holstein shows and through artificial insemination sired over 200,000 cows in dozens of countries, earning CIAQ $25 million. By 2000 it was estimated that most of the world's dairy cows were related to Starbuck, contributing significantly to inbreeding. Following its death in 1998, Starbuck was one of the first animals cloned for commercial purposes, though the clone's semen was never approved for sale.
Starbuck was bred by master breeders Hanover Hill Holsteins of Port Perry, Ontario.[a] A purebred Holstein, he was calved on 26 April 1979. His sire was RORA Elevation and his dam was Anacres Astronaut Ivanhoe.[3] In May, Starbuck was purchased by CIAQ.[4] Starbuck was known for its "sturdy frame, feet and legs",[5] won at several Holstein shows around the world and was an agricultural celebrity.[6] The British Holstein Society Journal described Starbuck as "the sire that attracts endless superlatives – one of a kind, the greatest, phenomenal, the king, Mr. Excitement, or ... 'Simply the Best'."[7]
Through artificial insemination, Starbuck proved itself able to reliably sire high-quality milking cows: large, with consistent frames and body types, and high milk production[8] with elevated protein levels,[1] which met a trend in the dairy market for milk with higher protein and less fat.[9] Between 1985 and 1995, Starbuck sired over 200,000 female offspring (over 62,000 of these in Canada[10]: 5171 ) and 209 proven male offspring.[11] Several of his sons also became prominent breeding bulls, including Madawaska Aerostar,[9] Hanoverhill Raider, Hanoverhill Lieutenant and Hanover Hill Lincoln, each rated Class Extra Sire.[1] The CIAQ earned almost $25 million from the sale of 685,000 doses of Starbuck's semen in 45 countries.[12] By 2011, Starbuck had over 3.5 million descendants.[10]: 5171
Effect on inbreeding
The widespread use of Starbuck as a sire in the 1990s resulted in the effective population size of the Canadian Holstein herd dropping to a record low of 33 (an effective population of 50 is considered critical).[11] By 2000, it was estimated that most of the world's dairy cows were related to Starbuck.[13] Pedigree analysis revealed that 93% of Holsteins born in Canada between 2003 and 2005 were descendants of Starbuck,[10]: 5161 and 11% of total inbreeding was traced to Starbuck.[10]: 5169 Starbuck was also a significant contributor to inbreeding in the Holstein herds of the United States, Denmark, Germany, Luxemburg and Tunisia.[10]: 5174 Through diversification, the effective population of the Canadian Holstein herd had grown to 114 by 2007.[11]