The Taurus Story
"Profitable Genetics"
36
Years Providing Profitable
Genetics |
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Taurus Service Inc., headquartered in northeastern Pennsylvania, (Wyoming County) is now in their 36th year of successful business. Taurus' slogan is "Profitable Genetics". To a worldwide clientele, Taurus Service markets and distributes frozen Bovine semen from over two hundred Taurus Code 76 bulls. The active proven sire line-up of Taurus Code 76 sires numbers fifty bulls. In addition to sires controlled by the company, semen is marketed from other A.I. companies. A large group of bulls await official genetic evaluation. Only the best sires in this group will enter the active proven line-up in the future. In the US semen is available from Taurus Sires, Browndale Specialty Sires, Foundation Sires, New Zealand Genetics and many specialty sires. A PROUD TRADITION AND A BRIGHT FUTURE - Taurus Service Inc. has remained a strong, growing, independent A.I. company. Dick Witter states, "people do business with people," and feels the strongest asset Taurus has is the "Taurus family." In this day of A.I. mergers, Witter says there is a need for their company. From the beginning, Taurus has been the stud that stuck with the cow-sense philosophy. Taurus' proof is in the performance of their bulls. It's real proof, not just paper proof. This cow-sense philosophy begins with the understanding that there is no perfect bull. Witter states, "Taurus is proud of our accomplishments in these first thirty years, and we look forward to providing dairymen around the world with profitable genetics into the future." |
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| COMPANY
BACKGROUND - Taurus Service Inc. was founded by Dick Witter early in
1971. Paul Dann and Herb Steele became stockholders and directors along with Dick Witter
when the company was formally incorporated. Dick Witter, President of Taurus, began
marketing semen as Taurus Service Inc. on June 15, 1971. Taurus originally started as a
semen distributor in northeast Pennsylvania and New Jersey. In 1973, Paul Dann joined the company as a Representative, at which time Taurus expanded its marketing area to include all of Pennsylvania, Delaware and Maryland. At this time, Taurus included distribution from other A.I. companies. Taurus also started importing semen from Canada. Taurus Service was the first U.S. semen marketing organization to develop distributorship agreements with individual Canadian A.I. companies. Herb Steele started working for Taurus Service in 1978. By the mid 1980's, Taurus was importing semen from every stud in Canada. Starting in the 70's, Taurus offered A.I. training schools and trained hundreds of dairymen to inseminate their own cows. Taurus started progeny testing Holstein bulls in 1973 and now samples 25 Holstein bulls, 4 Red & White Holstein bulls, 3 Ayrshire bulls, 1 Brown Swiss bull, 1 Guernsey bull and is currently expanding a Taurus Jersey Sire program. A cooperator P.T. program named TAP (Taurus Affiliated Progeny Herd) was started in 1990for Holstein herds. U.S. dairymen can qualify for semen at 1/2 price or free semen and earn credits and discounts, plus Taurus pays for SET (Sire Evaluation Type) for daughters of Holstein bulls classified in the U.S. Truck routes with sales representatives cover most areas in the northeast United States. Taurus Service has always maintained a team of independent dealer / technicians. There are a concentrated number of dealers and technicians in the east with dealers located in most major dairy areas of the United States. Several major key distributors market Taurus semen in specific geographic areas of the country. |
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QUALITY TO ENSURE PROFIT - The Taurus
Sire Program emphasizes total profits. Sires are selected from cow families known to
transmit well. Taurus President, Dick Witter states, "Taurus' primary concern is the
dairymen's satisfaction with offspring of our sires. Our company feels that good
profitable cows aren't necessarily sired by the highest plus proven production bulls.
Experience has shown us that the most profitable cows in individual herds are the good
producing cows that are trouble free, with the confirmation to last for several
lactations." Witter further states that many dairymen have been using Taurus Sires
for nearly thirty years now and know they can produce the kind of cows they desire
using Taurus Code 76 semen.
Currently Taurus has some of the Best Proven sires in North America. Sires like 76HO0441 Promote, 76HO0279 Mr Level, 76HO0330 Redwood *RC and 76HO0439 Orbit have been popular recently. Check out the complete Taurus line-up. Taurus has a line-up of outstanding proven and young sire polled bulls in the Holstein, Ayrshire, Jersey, Milking Shorthorn and American Lineback breeds. Taurus has a leading line-up of protein breed sires including two breed elite Brown Swiss brothers, 76BS9016 Emory 'E' and 76BS0900 Even 'E' and possibly the best Ayrshire sire line up in the United States, including 76AY0710 Trident, EX-95 and 76AY0721 Lot. In addition to the traditional dairy breeds, Taurus also has a good selection of semen available from American Lineback, Milking Shorthorn, Dutch Belted and Normande. In the U.S. Taurus Service distributes semen for Browndale Specialty Sires & Foundation Sires (Canada) and several private controlled proven bulls from the Holstein, Ayrshire and Jersey breeds. |
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EXPORT EMPHASIS
Taurus Service exports semen to most countries of the world with major dairy cow populations. Taurus has affiliated companies in some countries marketing Taurus sires. In the United Kingdom, Red Rose Genetics, LTD was founded in 1989 to serve as a distributor. In 1995, Taurus Service of Central Asia was started in Kazakhstan (a former Soviet republic). Ag-Link International www.ag-link.com phone #: 570-836-6593 markets Taurus semen in Latin and South America and some other countries around the World. In Canada, Foundation Sires www.foundationsires.com phone #: 519-291-9916 serves Canadian Breeders. Various other export agents work in specific countries. Taurus is currently expanding direct export sales to major dairy countries through out the world. |
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| FACILITIES
- In 1995 a building addition was completed, allowing the corporate office to be moved to
the same location as the Stud and Laboratory facilities. The main bull barn at Taurus built in 1982, can house forty-six bulls. There is a separate isolation barn for incoming bulls. Bulls are brought into the isolation barn for initial health testing before they can be admitted to the main barn. Taurus Service is a federally accredited tuberculosis and brucellosis free stud facility. The stud is qualified to process semen for all European Community Countries, as well as Australia and New Zealand. Passing the rigid health testing standards imposed by the EC qualifies Taurus to export semen to every country in the world. A third barn at Taurus can house up to twelve additional bulls. Each year, after sires are progeny tested, some are returned to farms or other locations for housing, pending outcome of official genetic evaluations. Normally about seventy five Taurus bulls are housed at locations other than the Mehoopany stud. |
| Dear Dairyman, Yes, we are different. We hope you will recognize this as you are reviewing our web site, the sires we offer and our bull stud -- Taurus has your profits in mind. Our cow sense, common sense philosophy has dictated the kind of sires we have, programs we offer and our practical business sense. It is our goal to help you breed a better herd of cows. Dairymen around the corner or around the world may have different ideas about how or what sires may fulfill their dreams and help them maintain a solid business producing milk and breeding cattle. You will find a wide selection of great genetics at Taurus to fit your program and breed better, more profitable cows with the ability to last additional lactations! Taurus offers sires for real PROFITS! We select from the best, true breeding cow families for sires that can breed balanced cattle that are efficient feed converters and have the strength and stamina to be more profitable. You will find more excellent, high production cows that are Gold Medal Dams (GMD) and Dams of Merit (DOM) in the pedigrees of Taurus sires. As we enter our 36th year, Taurus has a great line-up of "Profitable Gernetics". Taurus Semen is available around the world. There are continual opportunities for representatives and dealers in the US and agents or distributors in other countries. Please contact Taurus if you have interest. Please study the offering included herein, select the kind of sire you wish and contact your Taurus representative for semen that is at the best value and highest quality available. U.S. Dairymen may order by calling Toll Free 1-800-836-5123 or EMAIL: taurus@epix.net. Be sure to consider our very reasonable semen prices. Specials are often available and volume discounts may be negotiated. Taurus can ship direct to your farm via UPS or Fed-Ex. Free shipping is available on qualified orders. |