February 2019
AI companies like Inseme, Intermizoo, ABS and Semex keep a close eye on this Italian farm: Cristella, owned by the Marchi-Balestreri family. That is not surprising, because for a number of years already, Cristella has been making steady progress, with high DNA indexes achieved with their own cow families. In the meantime, they have eight females >2700 gTPI and eleven >4000 gPFT. The foundation for this was laid more than 50 years ago, when grandfather Franco brought the imposing bull Hanoverhill Rocky to this impressive herd. This is the Cristella story.
February 2019
The achievements of the thirteen-year-old Feizor Shottle Delia speak volumes. Just starting her 11th lactation and well on her way to 140,000 kg lifetime production, in December she received the score of EX-96-9E from the classifier. ‘She is a cow that you only breed once in a lifetime. Recently she gave birth to a Unix heifer calf; we are really t...
February 2019
Bulls such as Atwood, Atlantic, Aftershock, Golden Dreams and Archrival rank among the great type transmitters of the past decade, and all trace back through their maternal line to Adeen. However, on the female side Adeen has been a great transmitter too, now with 51 daughters classified EX worldwide, ranking her second only to Ashlyn when it comes to the most EX daughters all-time.
February 2019
The career of the Diablesse family is quite unusual. This bloodline was completely unknown some years ago, but now it is a popular source for bull dams and young AI bulls. How that could happen? Find the answer in the following lines of this article!
February 2019
For many years the international icon for the Ri-Val-Re herd in Michigan has been the bull Ri-Val-Re Niagra. Now he is being superseded by the highly popular Ri-Val-Re Rager-Red. After more than a decade of prominence on red female index lists, the Jorgensen’s Redwing family is now excelling on the male side too producing such stars as Rager-Red and Zimmerview Lucky PP-Red.
February 2019
‘Her older offspring in our herd are not quitting and in the meantime, new and talented young generations are emerging.’ Cindy Wikkerink identifies the source of this luxury problem: Willswikk Outside Della EX-95, the first British Columbian-bred finalist for Holstein Canada’s Cow of the Year competition.
February 2019
In HI, we seldom or never write an article about the beef breeds. Nevertheless, there is a good reason to do that now, because the use of beef bulls on Holstein cows is becoming commonplace. In most Holstein countries, the number of inseminations with so-called “beef on dairy” sires has increased tremendously in recent years, in some cases even to nearly 50%. HI spoke with specialists about the phenomenon “Beef on Dairy”. Which breeds are being used for this? And: what is the emphasis in sire selection?
February 2019
In December 2017, he debuted in the top position of the prestigious top-200 for DNA bulls in the US. In the meantime, he has remained stable in the top-3. We are talking about Hurtgenlea Richard Charl, who combines 2920 gTPI with 1075 gNM$. He is a son of DG Charley from the powerful 4-year-old Hurtgenlea Yoder Modesto VG-86, who became a “Dam of Merit” at a young age. Yes, with Charl and Modesto, we are considering two jewels from the modern Hurtgenlea herd owned by the Hurtgen family from Elkhorn, Wisconsin. Are they surprising, Charl and Modesto? Absolutely not, so read along to discover the quality demonstrated by both Hurtgenlea and the Marissa family for generations already.
February 2019
Use of genomics in official genetic evaluations has transformed the dairy cattle breeding industry over the past decade. Now genomics is being used to offer breeders new options when it comes to selecting healthier animals: the wellness traits.
February 2019
The cows at Lisduff Farms in Ireland live entirely off of grass for eight months of the year, walking a significant distance daily to and from the parlour, have a seasonal calving pattern, and produce primarily for the export market: Unique circumstances that require specific breeding choices. Protein component and especially fertility always receive full attention, but type is certainly not forgotten – the current herd has 74 EX cows.
February 2019
With eleven sons in the TPI top-50, the consistent breeding qualities of Miss OCD Delicious are being clearly underscored. This consistency turns out to be epitomized by Delicious’ Mogul son Delta, who stands out with nearly 4,000 daughters in America’s top-5, and appeals to both breeders and commercial dairy farmers with his modern breeding pattern.
February 2019
It was the first 24 daughters with production data and 46 daughters with classification data that lifted the Balisto son Barcley to Nr.2 on the German top-list. The December debut for the former Nr.1 genomic young sire in Germany had been announced by already having sold over 50,000 doses. He has been among the top-sellers for his owner Qnetics for...
February 2019
Anyone who breeds Holsteins will always have the traits milk production and fertility integrated in his philosophy in some way. And this exactly is a matter of two of the biggest contrasts the breed has to offer. If you breed intensely on production, then you make a compromise when it comes to fertility. That’s at least what history has been teachi...
February 2019
We gave you a tip about him earlier already, the successful sire of sons for Red Holsteins: Mr Salvatore. In Canada, Germany and the US, we find numerous attractive sons. But: also in the Czech Republic. There the red & white Salvatore son Agras Zuma-Red (2614 gTPI; 8/2018) is flourishing with nearly faultless type, lots of milk and favourable figu...
February 2019
‘We do not have the best land, or the best buildings, or the best cows, and yet, in one way or another, it works.’ He would never admit it himself, but his wife Gea de Vries nods in agreement: the high average production at Hemrik Holsteins, located in the similarly named town in the northern Dutch province of Friesland, is in no small measure due to Brand Jan de Haan. Breeding, nutrition, management; in every possible area, year after year, De Haan puts a lot of energy into the production potential of his herd.
February 2019
The three main rules of marketing are location, location, location... and in that regard, Luck-E Holsteins fulfills them all. Located just 10 minutes off the main interstate highway that runs between the O’Hara International Airport in Chicago and the World Dairy Expo in Madison, Luck-E recieves hundreds of international visitors each year, especially at Expo time. And what a tremendous herd of cows waits to greet them!
January 2019
A rare double dominated the show results from the year 2001: Grand Champion at both the World Dairy Expo and the Royal went to the 4-year-old Encore daughter Tri-Day Ashlyn. She also became World Champion that year too, though her greatest achievement would not really emerge till almost two decades later. Ashlyn currently has 72 daughters classified EX... and that number will continue to grow!
January 2019
The purchase of a lifetime. Jeff Hendrickson made it in 1982, when he bought Inwood Taffy Apollo. ‘I had been a herdsman at Inwood for three years. When he held a sale a few years later, I decided to purchase Taffy, who was in her 2nd lactation at the time,’ explains Jeff about his purchase of this remarkable foundation cow. Taffy – a daughter of t...
January 2019
He is now more than 6 years old but continues to work hard. ‘He is still the most sold bull at Select,’ says Jeff Ziegler from owner Select Sires. ‘Bacon-Hill Montross is an outstanding semen producer and all of the semen that he produces is still being sold. He continues to be a hit for top production, without sacrificing fertility. His lifetime t...
January 2019
Have you ever tried to find a sire of sons that has a high overall breeding value with below average inheritance for frame size? We admit that the search is tedious. While dairy farmers and breeders or sire analysts agree that the breed does not need more frame, sires with below average frame size in the important group of sires of sons are the exc...
January 2019
During the mid-1980s, David Peterson from Majestic-Manor Dairy in Iowa had an internationally popular embryo donor in the form of Oak-Krest Bretta EX-90. It was the interest in this Arlinda Chief daughter that gave way to a unique breeding strategy that Peterson has used consistently for 30 years. A current result of this breeding program is the yo...
January 2019
Impressive! Our visit to Warnelview Holsteins in the far northwest of England can be summarized with just one word. Impressive, due to top-notch management and the well-kept appearance of the farm: Impressive, due to the uniformity of the herd and the high level of production and type: And impressive due to the tremendous individual quality. With 123 EX cows, Warnelview is among the top-5 in the world, and with the exemplary Warnelview Cut Nita, they have one of two still living British EX-97 Holsteins in their barn.
January 2019
The breeding of tall, impressive looking cows has been the goal for many a breeder down through the years. Now, slowly the tide of opinion is changing and many believe the stature of Holsteins is already tall enough. However, the selection for increased stature appears to be built into our breeding systems at various levels. How do we slow the rate of increase in stature of our cows?
January 2019
Bingo! That may certainly be said about the young bull Eildon-Tweed Sam British, as he now scores 2961 gTPI. His arrival is a new highlight in the rich career of David Wood, on whose enterprise, Eildon Tweed Farm in the American state of New York, business economics is the standard and where the high-protein Chapter family is flourishing.
January 2019
The likelihood is great that she is the world’s most influential Holstein cow of all time: Wesswood-HC Rudy Missy. In 2014, she was selected as the Global Cow in HI, after ending up in second place in 2012 and 2013. In their evaluation as judges, Ryan Starkenburg (ABS) and Hartwig Meinikmann (RUW) were very impressed with Missy. We will name just four of the numerous bulls that were mentioned at the time in praise of Missy’s influence: Mogul, Supersire, Silver and Balisto. In the meantime, of course, that group has grown exponentially, which justifies the following question: has any other cow family provided more influential bulls? Rudy Missy may then be called the most powerful cow of the Holstein breed. And while we have had regular contact with her owners, the Steiner family from Pine-Tree, Missy’s breeders never came on the radar. Now we are changing that. After all, their contribution to the Holstein breed in the year 2019 is immense!
January 2019
With US Holstein genetics playing a major role on the international scene, the TPI is widely recognized and has become a common language understood in many different countries around the world. However, do you know exactly what traits are included in the TPI? Here you can learn in 2 pages about the many valuable traits included!
January 2019
Admittedly, we could write this article more critically, as the summit of polled breeding, which is by now much more than just a niche, is dominated by so few bull mothers. One would wish for more variance among the most influential donors, but on the other hand one could and has to see it above all as a positive. The quality of the polled sires worldwide is developing with such a brisk tempo precisely because of these outstanding bull mothers. The reality is that the work horses of polled breeding are real superstars, and we are presenting them here.
January 2019
The primarily red & white herd of Jacob Werler in the Netherlands, with 11 AI sires launched, is not among the most dominant. Nevertheless, results are impressive. For the past three years, Julandy has ranked high on the German progeny-proven list. In the Netherlands, during the past year, Jotani and Red Cliff have profiled themselves as the most sold progeny-proven Red Holstein bulls. The secret to their success? The splendidly breeding Julia family!
January 2019
Davide Errera has two big hobbies: soccer – FC Internationale Milano (Inter) – and show cows. With the latter, he experienced a splendid highlight this past October: Jamagro Goldwyn Jasmin was victorious at Italy’s National Championship. But those who think that all of Errera’s attention is focused on show animals, is mistaken. With consistent breeding, strict management and balanced nutrition, the 120 commercial dairy cows in his herd average 12,500 kg with 3.47% protein. This high quality milk provides the foundation for the regional cheese specialty Grana Padano.
January 2019
Martintown is a quiet village in the very east of Ontario halfway between Ottawa and Montreal. It is here amongst gently rolling farmland at the end of a long lane that we find Cherry Crest. Over the years a number of big-name cows have been at home in this barn and members of some impressive cow families are now on display.
December 2018
Bomaz, the farm owned by the Zwald and Schalla families in Wisconsin, with Skywalker and AltaDelson-P, bred two young sires that are remarkable right now. Both descend from the family of Dalse Bomaz 1551, who was featured earlier in HI. This year, as a successful sire of sons, AltaRobson focused attention on another foundation dam: Bomaz Elevation Dawn. Her achievements are defining the success of Bomaz’s progressive breeding program.
December 2018
Our-Favorite Undenied is on the sire list of many type enthusiasts world-wide. The American Solomon son scores no less than 4.16 gPTAT, and with that, is certainly not an exception in the large brood of his dam Unlimited. The splendid result of an intentional change of course in the Stanek family’s breeding strategy.
December 2018
The Trio Group of Companies was working with Simmentals but shifted to Holstein cows shortly after it got acquainted with this breed. Today Trio is increasing its business, working hard to achieve milk yields that can be groundbreaking for the Russian dairy industry. Russian reporter Vladislav Vorotnikov talked to Evgenia Uvarkina, chairman of the board at Trio, and wrote this Russian herd report for HI.
December 2018
Those who thought that genomics would eliminate them… are mistaken! They still exist, the tenacious super-millionaires. In October, we reported that the 15-year-old Planet passed the milestone of 1.5 million doses. A sire that had already done so in 2016 was Mainstream Manifold. And you know what? This 14-year-old O-Man son is still producing and h...
December 2018
At 13,951kg, the 50-cow herd that Christoph and Wilhelm Eberhard milk at their meticulously cared for farm in the west German municipality of Kalkar had the highest milk production of all herds in Germany for 2017. This year their average has increased to over 14,000kg which will make it hard to push the Eberhards out of top spot. More interesting than the production of the powerful herd are the reasons for its performance. The vision and viewpoints that Christoph Eberhard represents are as simple as they are logical. And they are relatively successful. It is something worth reading about.
December 2018
France has two large breeding companies: Evolution and Gènes Diffusion. At the latter, Frédéric Lepoint has already been employed for 28 years and thus is both a genetic manager and an ambassador. HI spoke with Lepoint about developments at Gènes Diffusion, cooperative efforts and the potential of genomics. Lepoint calls himself “pro-genomics” but places significant conditions on that. Something needs to change, according to this expert.
December 2018
Since his start a good year ago, Stone-Front Artist has been one of the best-liked sires in the program of St Jacobs ABC. And now, with his first calves impressing at their farms, the run on Artist semen has continued unabated. ‘Yes, he is just keeping up with the high demand,’ says Brian Behnke. The business director of St Jacobs is starting to ge...
December 2018
Classified EX-96, this sublime transmitter has 13 EX daughters! Hendercroft Lheros Gumball was also Grand Champion at the East Ontario Championship Show 2008, while her 96-point daughter Bazooka was Champion at the same show in 2017 as well as being Reserve in 2016 and 2018! Time for a closer look at the stellar career of Gumball.
December 2018
On the cover of this HI edition, you already became acquainted with this farm: Kiko Holsteins from the American state of Ohio. On the cover picture is Elisabeth Kiko with herd favourite Kiko Gold Chip Maddie, who is also featured on the accompanying main picture. With them, we come across a true family enterprise, because the Kikos not only have a large family, but at the same time display an extensive, shared passion for their Holsteins. They know how to perform well on every front – read all about it in this report.
December 2018
At the end of this month, on December 28, 2018, he will turn 8 years old – and by then will have substantially exceeded one million doses produced. In early November, the millionth dose of Supersire semen was namely sold by World-Wide Sires, as reported Scott Ruby from WWS. This makes Seagull-Bay Supersire the 55th bull in the world to pass this ph...
December 2018
Improved cow comfort is often listed as a major contributor to increased milk production. Improved barn design, increased air flow and ventilation, better access to the feed bunk, and more spacious stalls all help to make for a more efficient operation. This month we discuss the various choices when it comes to another significant contributor to cow comfort, bedding material.
December 2018
‘We use bulls that tick every box.’ With this statement, Chris Durrer gives a clear indication of the goal he has in mind. For years already, Lorita Holsteins has pursued type, but traits like production, fitness and fertility are certainly not being forgotten. With the result that cows last longer and produce more. In the meantime, the type level is reaching great heights. At least 120 animals score above 3.00 gPTAT and the highest, Lorita Doc Leah, is even at 4.36 gPTAT.
December 2018
The opportunistic purchase of a 10-year-old dry cow resulted in an abundantly successful cow family at the world-famous Gillette herd in Canada. Read on to discover how this spontaneous acquisition created a solid foundation at Gillette.
December 2018
In contrast to beta casein, whose ideal form is A2A2, the kappa casein variant has real economic meaning. Milk from cows with the ideal genotype of BB can give a 1.5% increase in cheese yield at the same protein concentration compared to the AA or AE genotypes. Especially in regions with strong concentration on cheese production, sires with the BB variant play an important role. Today we are presenting 4 special talents.
December 2018
‘Udder quality is certainly a family strength, as are the high productions.’ Lysanne Pelletier legitimately speaks about the qualities of the La Presentation Daurel dynasty. No less than 131 of the 410 milking Holsteins at Ferme Pellerat (Quebec) have Daurel, who is crowned with 64 breeding stars, as their foundation dam. A blessing in disguise. Sh...
November 2018
Nestled in the foothills of the Adirondack Mountains at Hudson Falls, New York, is Ideal Dairy Farms. Ideal has been operated by the same family since 1908 and today milks 2,400 cows with an impressive average of over 30,000lb. (13,600kg) of milk. If you have not heard of Ideal Dairy Farms then perhaps you would be more familiar with name they use when registering their cattle... Cookiecutter!
November 2018
We are notably impressed in the beautiful new barn of Ve-Tech Holsteins in the Scottish county of Ayrshire, which makes use of all available automation, and where our very special picture cow hides among the herd of more than 200-head. Herdsman Tom Struthers lovingly brushes her deep flanks one more time, before we head outside. Forte CS Elegance....
November 2018
At Mosnang Holsteins in the Canadian province of Alberta, 95 cows are being milked, and the highest producing cow family (L family) also provided the Grand Champion at the Alberta Dairy Congress. She is Mosnang Saloon Liquor, who half a year after her 3rd calving is still producing 60 kg per day. The EX-93 Saloon daughter is joined in her home herd...
November 2018
Since April, Neutron has been in the Italian top-3 and is thus the most significant new name behind the reigning leader, Sound System. ‘Neutron is not only our second highest tested genomic bull behind the phenomenal Sound System, but is also in the top-10 IES, an index which compared to the PFT is even more geared to the economic traits and has re...
November 2018
Numerous northern Italian Holstein farms – located at the base of the powerful Alps – have a background as Brown Swiss herds: Or the “bruna”, the original brown cattle from the Alps. Many of them later transitioned to Holsteins. That is also true for the Ceresio herd owned by the Martinellis. Their transition worked out splendidly because the Ceresio prefix is now widely known within and beyond Italy, thanks to a continual stream of elite genetics. Join HI as we travel to this attractive breeder’s herd close to Varese.
November 2018
The modern, picturesque farmstead overlooks the Trent River near Hastings, Ontario, an hour east of Toronto. Inside the state-of-the-art barns a high-type herd including numerous show winners help to make Crovalley a true showcase for Canadian Holsteins.
November 2018
He is one of the top-5 highest gTPI Red Holstein bulls and is widely available: Rhala-Re Blues-Red. Good for 2664 gTPI, owned by AI Total, a son of Salvatore (see elsewhere on this page) and good for all-round type. All-round actually describes the entire profile of Blues-Red, because there are no faults to be found. Sure, the components are neutra...
November 2018
With an increase of 5 points for his overall breeding value to 135 RZG and an impressive 8-point gain for conformation to a strong value of 134 RZE, Garant was one of the most conspicuous newcomers in Germany following the August evaluations. With that, the OHG sire, who is no longer alive but from whom there is a sufficient reserve of semen, the N...
November 2018
For commercial dairy farmers, it likely does not make a difference if a sire was born via ET/IVF or via more natural means. But for organic farms it does matter. The selection of naturally bred sires among the best bulls in the breed is extremely small and is well below 10%. We will present a few here that belong among the best of the breed even wi...
November 2018
Last year she completed her lactation with the highest milk figures ever recorded: Selz-Pralle Aftershock 3918 VG-88 produced 5.11 3x 365 78,170lb (35,457kg) 4.0% fat 3.3% protein. We visited the Wisconsin home of this world record holder to discover all that goes into developing a production champion.
November 2018
In early October, at Character Holsteins in Canada, the Marius daughter Peaches was celebrated as the first female Holstein above 3000 gTPI for the Progenesis breeding program. A special detail: Peaches’ maternal grandsire Progenesis Fortune was selected by HI in the same month as Outcross Sire 2018. Thanks to granddaughter Peaches and especially numerous high-testing sons, Fortune stands out as an outcross bull with enormous potential.
November 2018
Partly because of the success of the German Bookem son Big Point, in January 2017 HI wrote about the comeback of the Tidy-Brook Elton Steph family. The final stop on the extensive tour along various remarkable European Elton Steph descendants was Kærgaarden Holsteins in Denmark. Two years later, the equally milky and type-rich offspring of the Steph descendant CAS Mascol Jelli, owned by the Hammershøj family, are solidly positioned in the European index top.
November 2018
Timely pregnancy of heifers and cows is critical to the economics of dairy farms. That is the reason why during the past number of years, fertility has received increased attention within breeding programs. It is no longer possible to imagine indexes for daughter fertility being omitted in the sire selection process. But also bull fertility – no matter how small the contribution may be in the total spectrum – is also carefully considered by many farmers. The figure can even be crucial for the career of a bull.
November 2018
The powerful, spotted Shottle daughter Larcrest Cosmopolitan captured worldwide attention when she became the Nr.1 GTPI cow of the US. Today the very vital 13-year-old continues to watch over the global dynasty she founded from her home at Larcrest in Minnesota.
November 2018
Brandon and Lisa Weaver from Misty-Moor Holsteins in Pennsylvania had it right. During their visit to the dispersal of All-Riehl Holsteins in 2010, they purchased the favourably priced and uniquely bred All-Riehl Perfume (Massey-Throne), a granddaughter of Brookburn Rudolph Pansy EX-93. The very milky Perfume classified VG-86, and thanks to ET, pro...
November 2018
At the start of this career he was the German Nr.1 among the red young sires. Then came his sons and Schreur Apoll, the Aikman son of the famous Verhages Bos Candlelight-Red-P, dominated Germany’s toplists for reds on a genomic basis, particularly the list for polled sires. His talent as a sire of sons also produced some noteworthy sons internationally. Now, three and a half years after his debut, the first daughters of the German production machine are milking. And as was expected, Apoll takes the pole position on a daughter basis. Apoll-P-Red is certainly not a sire without flaws but nonetheless is one of the most influential red polled sires ever. <br>
October 2018
Holstein International regularly receives tips from readers, from all over the world. We are always pleased because the tips are frequently valuable. And so at the beginning of this year, we received an almost secretive tip from Switzerland. ‘Our brother will stop milking at the end of the year. You will certainly find it special to visit him while the cows are still in the barn, before he sells,’ is a summary of the text. Today, we say: Irene and Markus Schmid, thank you so much for that tip because it allowed us to arrive in time at what turned out to be Switzerland’s highest production herd: Emil’s Ranch, managed by Emil Schmid in the municipality of Baar.
October 2018
In 2012, Muri Popsy created a stir as the nr.1 gTPI cow of Europe. Now, six years later, the Planet daughter from the deep Italian cow family is in the limelights again. Her Doorman son Poison – never in the top as a DNA bull – is the highest progeny proven bull in the country and is praised for his uniform and balanced offspring.
October 2018
Mogul sons abound among the top ranks on daughter-proven sire lists around the globe. Which one is the best? A strong contender for that title now would be the bull that currently sits at Nr.1 on the TPI charts, EDG Rubicon. Here is a glimpse at the life of Rubicon and his growing impact on the breed.
October 2018
From time to time a generational sire appears that is a cut above the rest. In the world of red & whites, Westcoast Swingman appears to be such a bull. He is currently being heavily used as a sire of sons by owners Semex, and will have semen widely available in the coming months. Here is the background on the latest “hot thing” in Canadian red & whites.
October 2018
‘We do not breed a cow like her every day!’ These are the opening words of Sylvain Pioud from Ferme du Moulin Gallet in eastern France, about Laitwis Dorothee. This strong EX-92 Roumare daughter is no longer on the farm, but left an impressive legacy. There are eight daughters in production, by Millennium, Silver, Benjamin, Wild Beast, Eraser and F...
October 2018
Roylane Robust: Roylane Jordan: Roylane Mindy: Three giants in Holstein breeding. And in their wake are strong transmitters like Roylane Bob and Roylane Punch, all originating from the Roylane herd. However, you hardly read about this successful herd. The reason for that is two-fold. First of all, the farm is situated in a remote part of the American state of Washington, which is already remote. And secondly, the Roylane breeders are modest and prefer to remain in the shadows. But: thanks to the assistance of Dan Reynolds (from Monument Holsteins), the farm manager at Roylane for years, HI received the opportunity to get an impression of Roylane. Here is the Roylane story!
October 2018
‘Stress reduces the resistance of cows, causing the likelihood of infections to increase. And the number of stress moments is quite high actually; cows are like people with autism, they do not handle changes well.’ Speaking is Arnout Dekker, a practicing veterinarian with years of experience who now works at Phibro, the supplier of OmniGen, the product that offers proven support to the immune system of, among others, dairy cows, and thus maintains a high resistance level. In turn this results in fewer cases of disease and reduced use of antibiotics.
October 2018
40 minutes west of Quebec City and within 20 km of the south shore of the St. Lawrence River is one of Quebec’s largest dairy operations, Ferme Drapeau. The farm is run by Dominic Drapeau and his wife Celia Neault, together with Dominic’s parents Michel Drapeau and Sylvie Belanger. They milk 750 cows and crop 4,500 acres (1822 ha) of land.
October 2018
Two years ago, his debut created quite the stir. Westcoast Styx-Red broke through with strong DNA total indexes in various countries; in his homeland of Canada, he was nr.1. That led to immediate action, especially in Germany, where he provided a flood of red & white sons in the recent August release. No less than four sons in the top list, of whic...
October 2018
‘Even though it is still early in his career, Luster has rapidly risen to become one of the most popular polled sires in our program,’ says Rick VerBeek from Select Sires, who indicates that the nearly two-year-old son of OCD Eraser Zipit out of Kingboy daughter Cherry-Lor Loma (from the family of Tiger-Lilly Lawnboy Lulu) is being heavily sold in...
October 2018
Despite his age of three years, he still possesses outstanding numbers with 3315 gLPI and 2734 gTPI. His owner Semex alone has 12 sons with over 2850 gTPI and 17 sons with over 3500 gLPI in their lineup. His influence will certainly be felt worldwide. The fact that Progenesis Fortune become the new titleholder for Outcross Sire of the Year has a different reason, being the combination of his genetic potential with an out of the ordinary pedigree. While he doesn’t get away from Shottle, Goldwyn, or O-Man, with Octoberfest-Tango-Epic he has an unusual background behind his sire. As such, there are enough strengths for Fortune, the Outcross Sire of the Year 2018.
October 2018
It has happened! Eight giants have preceded him. One of these weeks, Ensenada Taboo Planet, more than 15 years old, will become the world’s ninth bull to reach the gigantic milestone of 1.5 million doses of semen sold. And it must be said: in the DNA era, this is an even more remarkable feat. After all, the first seven bulls to surpass 1.5 million...
October 2018
For anybody studying the current bull catalogues will notice a severe lack of sires that inherit a high overall genetic level while also correcting for the increasingly short teat length in the Holstein population. Here are four examples of young sires that are exceptions to the trend and have high overall breeding values along with significantly p...
October 2018
Progress for longevity in the Holstein world is clearly visible. So much so, that it is sometimes invisible. That may sound contradictory, but this is what we mean: in HI’s August edition, we featured Heinz Meyer’s Buckeye daughter Editha (pages 44-45), and indicated that we could hardly believe that she was 11 years old. The accompanying picture i...
October 2018
In the Netherlands and Flanders, Etazon Renate is a household name. Thanks to the combination of a superior NVI and abundant embryo production, the O-Man daughter with French roots has become the most influential foundation dam in the Low Countries by way of CRV’s Delta nucleus breeding program.
October 2018
The ultimate goal for many high-ranking index families is the breeding of numerous popular sires. This task can be confidently entrusted to the family of Freurehaven Shottle Lautella. Her descendant Peak AltaLawson, good for the American top-3 with 2929 gTPI, is just the tip of the iceberg. Read all about the rapidly growing empire of the fascinating Lautella line from the Laurie Sheik family.
October 2018
The Kings-Ransom herd at Schuylerville, New York, is especially dazzling at present, home to the EX-95 full sisters Cleavage and Cleo, and also the 94-point dam-daughter pair of Dextra and Diva. It is the family of this latter pair that we focus on here, a cow family noted for exceptional udders and outstanding functional traits.
September 2018
In January 2008, DT Spottie adorned the cover of HI’s “Excellency Issue”. More than ten years later, the EX-93 Derry from the Prelude Spottie family is still alive and well on the Hahn/Radke farm, where she provided four EX daughters. The powerful quartet includes the 12-year-old Shottle daughter Fux Spotlight EX-95 and Fux Seattle EX-92 – a daughter of Hahn/Radke’s favourite bull Gold Chip and the picture cow for this report. It is precisely the Spottie family that forms the heart of this downright impressive herd – both for type and production – in the southern part of the German state of Saxony.
September 2018
‘Our breeding goal? True type, preferably with the red colour. True type, because in terms of type, the most correct cow lasts the longest. And then I am not talking about the modern true type, no, the classic. With deep ribs, wide front ends and strength. Then we get the cows that we want, cows that provide us every day with the special spark to e...
September 2018
The “Legend Dairy” prefix has been a household name for decades in American Holstein breeding. The Californian herd of Ron Pietersma has turned out to be an unprecedented breeding pond of numerous strong cow families who stand out for production, longevity and type. In terms of excellent cows, Legend Dairy is currently even in the American top-5. HI travelled to Chino and spoke with one of the seniors in Holstein breeding, who deems the “magic cross” to be a significant key to success.
September 2018
A short 3-mile, north-easterly drive out of Portadown town in Northern Ireland lies an industrious Holstein hub. Breed-leading type is what you will find in this impressive herd, which has collected a number of the world’s greatest type pedigrees. Join us as we investigate Glasson Holsteins!
September 2018
It is a secret of the trade why the Pledge family, developed at Windy-Knoll-View in the USA and with many successful individuals around the world, is suddenly able to translate its high conformation potential into outstanding gPTAT values in Australia of all places. The Pledges have produced great cows and time and again impressive conformation sir...
September 2018
She is world famous: Krull Broker Elegance, the formidable brood cow from Wisconsin. But in the meantime, her reputation is receiving competition, because since her granddaughter Cradenhill Elegance made the move from Ireland to France in 2006, she has provided an avalanche of top genetics, in the heart of Europe. Read about the rise of the European Elegances.
September 2018
Morningview Converse Judy EX-93 contributed a lot to putting the Morningview herd from Iowa on the international Holstein map. Key bulls from this family around the globe include the Canadian bull Morningview Ashlar, the German red sire Dertour-Red, and the top Italian transmitter All.Nure Secretariat. Here is an outline of the various branches of the Converse Judy family that produced these impact sires.
September 2018
It had never been achieved before: Five full sisters all made the CTPI top-100 list at thesame time! That magical moment belonged to 5 young Goldwyn daughters, all scored VG-87 or 88, and bred in the Nova herd belonging to brothers Lance and Ryan Kamm. Here is the background story on the Nova herd based in north-west Wisconsin.
September 2018
Pierre Oberson is a familiar face in Switzerland. Those who have visited the large shows in the land of the Alps, will certainly have seen this extremely focused French-speaking Swiss in the ring – he understands his profession there splendidly. But… also as a breeder, Pierre understands his line of business well. The national champions Lotanie and Lavande are eminent examples of that. Those taking a look in the new barn back home in Maules will only become more convinced.
September 2018
‘Right now, we have 850 ET pregnancies.’ Not only is the size of Leaninghouse Holsteins, as described by manager Les Terpstra, impressive. The relatively new elite breeding program at Rock Hill Dairy in New Mexico especially stands out for its achievements, evident recently with DNA tested top bulls like Big Bubba and House. Behind the quickly moving success is a modern and methodically executed breeding program and rock-solid confidence in the strength of cow families and proven pedigrees.
September 2018
As a young DNA bull, Weigeline Tabasco expressly remained off the gTPI radar. With an average of 2515 gTPI, he did not stand out in 2014 and 2015; at the time, Rubicon and Delta reigned with about 2710 gTPI. But today, with 630 daughters in production, Tabasco has made a tremendous move and scores 2731 TPI – good for the Nr.5 TPI position! An enorm...
September 2018
‘If polled, then homozygous polled!’ – This is the declaration of many dairy farmer that are playing with the thought of breeding their herd to polled bulls. However, the selection of highly-desired PP sires is still limited. In “focus on…” we will present 5 sires who inherit both PP as well as RC and all count among the best in the world for these...
September 2018
He’s the Nr.1 RZG bull in Germany at 165 and he is also a red carrier! Gywer is sired by the Doorsopen son Boldi Gymnast and backed by a Lobach (<Lexor) and then a Snow, the source of the red factor. Gywer was bred by Heino Ahrens, of Walsrode. ‘At over 2200kg he is one of the top milk bulls in Germany and combines it with 73kg of protein,’ comment...
August 2018
Durham daughter Scientific Debutante Rae gave owners Matt and Mandy Nunes the Reserve Grand Champion title at the 2005 World Dairy Expo. A 7th generation EX from the great Roxy family, she became the cornerstone of their Scientific herd at Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, producing 20 EX daughters including the Goldwyn, Scientific Gold Dana Rae EX-95, Shottle daughter Scientific Darla Rae EX-94 and Stormatic daughter Scientific Alexas Rae EX-94. Her sons included the red-carrier Goldwyn, Scientific Destry, whose legacy to the red breed includes such sons as Ladd-P, Alchemy and Heztry. Here is an update on some of the modern branches of this extensive family.
August 2018
It is now almost 10 years since the arrival of the genomics. In that time it has evolved into the biggest revolution the cattle breeding industry has seen. To look at some of the developments as genomics has been implemented over those 10 years we spoke to Dr Paul VanRaden, a research geneticist with the USDA Agriculture Research Service Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory in Maryland.
August 2018
A common sight on many farms around the world is the arrivial of the AI technician to breed cows. Now the number of farmers with their own tanks and doing their own inseminations is steadily climbing.
August 2018
Located right in the heart of Wisconsin, L-L-M Dairy has been increasingly gaining attention over recent years with sale-topping consignments and bulls in AI. This month we put the focus on a herd that has consistently ranked among the top progressive genetics herds in the nation.
August 2018
It achieved all of its goals and more – and realising the Lesperron herd’s breed-leading accomplishments was no easy feat. Read about how Lesperron shot to fame with the intelligent purchase of some special embryos… and how at the end of the year its story will take a new path.
August 2018
A note from the outset: this is not a Holstein bull! But: he is black & white and so special that he deserves his own place as a British-Friesian. Catlane Chad was the most used bull at Genus/ABS in Great Britain in 2016 and 2017. As such, Chad is probably the most used British black & white bull for all breeds – also for Holsteins. That means that...
August 2018
In June, HI published part II of a unique overview of farms with the most living excellent cows. Appearing in fourth place on the Irish list was Lisnalty Holsteins with 52 excellents. A special number, especially considering the additional data that the Hannan family in the Irish county of Limerick milks 150 Holsteins. A cow family that has perform...
August 2018
‘We are pleased to see several of her granddaughters coming up with impressive numbers – several of them have tested nearly 4 points on type. We really believe she will have a huge impact before she is done!’ Strong words from the well-respected Tim Abbott about the All-American, All-Canadian Dubeau Dundee Hezbollah. Find out more about this unique individual here!
August 2018
What do you know about Barbie’s older full-sister Rgncrst-Rh Durham Bianca EX-92? Perhaps you didn’t even know she existed? To us, this line of this world-renowned family has been in the shadows for too long. So here we take the opportunity to highlight Bianca’s Outside-daughter Nors Bianca Brita EX-90. Whilst Brita had bulls leave for AI and bred...
August 2018
Bulls with a profile that offers more strength than size are few and far between. While hardly any breeder or sire analyst wants to bring more size into their herd of the population at large, there are few bulls that inherit such a profile. This month in our “Focus On…” segment we will present four sires who do fit the bill. They are a rare species...
August 2018
From the outset, a question for all HI readers world-wide: do you know a cow with at least eight daughters that all score 93 points or more? A question that is difficult to answer as editors – but at any rate, the British cow Stannock Formation Ricki, accomplished this feat: among her 28 beautiful daughters are eight with EX-93 or higher. Here is her story!
August 2018
The name Cosmopolitan brings instant name recognition throughout the Holstein world. This month we take you for a visit to her home in Minnesota, Larcrest, owned by Jon and Ann Larson and their son Tyler.
July 2018
A daily production of 40 kg/cow; Pieter Karst Bouma wants to reach this goal within two years. ‘After raising the roof on the old barn, that is certainly realistic,’ says the farmer from the Dutch province of Friesland. Bouma is in tune with all aspects of his farm and is trying to get the most out of his herd: With the assistance of information from the milking robots and surrounded by the right specialists.
July 2018
A much talked about article was HI’s recent worldwide investigation to find the herds with the highest number of EX cows worldwide. The results showed a clear winner: The 1,600-cow Brynhyfryd herd with a massive 233 EXs. HI travelled to the UK to investigate this Welsh herd that had been forcibly kept under the radar for over a decade.
July 2018
Selecting consistently for type, balanced nutrition and a French American cow family. Those are the three most prominent ingredients that make the Riedill herd in eastern France more than noteworthy. And popular with many. With the name of one cow clearly standing out: Tempête. Read her tempestuous story.
July 2018
During a 5-day trip around the Maryland area in the US, an outstanding stop was with the Schwartzbeck family. Aggressive, strong, high-type cows with liveability are what you will see in their Peace & Plenty herd. Find out more – here!
July 2018
Owen Sound, a city in the northern area of southwestern Ontario, Canada, is located at the mouths of the Pottawatomi and Sydenham rivers. Dairy farming in this area is particularly challenging due to rocky land and a limited amount of workable acres. However a herd not deterred by this difficult environment is Loyalyn Holsteins where its “Royal” family is going from strength to strength.
July 2018
With maximum votes from judges, the American KHW Super Aderyn RC EX-90 from Nova Holsteins was selected in HI 06/2018 as Red Impact Cow 2018. Her dam KHW Goldwyn Aiko RC EX-91 won in 2015 and her grand-dam Kamps-Hollow Altitude RC EX-95 in 2009. That a fourth generation winner is certainly a possibility becomes evident during a conversation with Bi...
July 2018
In the aAa system used by many dairy farmers, the “6” is the for the base type “style.” It describes a centrally placed thurl, durable bones, a long rump and is associated with fewer feet problems and longevity. However, the number “6” in the codes for the global Holstein breed is dramatically decreasing. It is ever harder to find a sire with a “6” in one of the first three positions of the code. As such, today we are presenting four young sires in our new section “Focus On…” who have a “6” in one of the first two positions of their aAa code.
July 2018
Fradon Rudolph Jodie EX 22*: The global success of this family needs no introduction. Numerous intriguing lines can be found in many different countries worldwide, however today we investigate the legacy of her British descendent Sterndale Sterling Jodie-Red VG-87-2yr. A great-grand-daughter of Rudolph Jodie via an EX-93 Talent and VG-88 Redman, St...
July 2018
Bluebill has become the leading contender in the race to catch the long-time Italian Nr.1, Sound System... and he’s a rare Gatedancer (Alta1stClass-Supersire) son in the top ranks. Bred by Schulz GbR in Germany, Bluebill is out of a Commander from a Bookem and then a Man-O-Man that was imported to Germany as an embryo from the long-time Nr.1 index...
July 2018
In all of the breeding evaluations he has gone through in his young career he has placed in the German top-10, although he had never reached Nr.1...until April 2018 anyway. The latest evaluation, which used a new formula for longevity and with the yearly base adjustment thoroughly changed the German toplists, and it was the catapult to Nr.1 for the...
July 2018
With 3293 gLPI, he is the highest Red Holstein bull in Canada. With 2676 gTPI, he is the highest Red Holstein bull in the US. And with 154 gRZG he is one of the top-5 Red Holsteins in Germany! And hence, a genuine red & white globetrotter and a popular sire of sons. ‘Westcoast Swingman-Red is a very nice young bull and fortunately Semex has already...
June 2018
The US cow Seagull-Bay Oman Mirror is one of the legendary brood cows of the breed: Dam of Robust and foundation behind such bulls as Jedi and Biggie. A more distant German branch of this same family produced the bull AltaSpring. However, Mirror had a litter-mate, Oman Mirna, who spent much of her life lost in the shadows of her famous sister... though it didn’t start out that way!
June 2018
This chapter plays out in the splendid landscape around West Charlton, a very small town in the far eastern part of the American state of New York. It is a gorgeous, warm summer morning, when via a long driveway, we arrive at the farm on the hill that we are seeking: Eildon-Tweed Farms. Owner David Wood is quickly found, he is working in a warm off...
June 2018
Elevated somatic cell counts not only cause production losses, but also increase the likelihood of mastitis, with all the associated problems and costs. To prevent financial damage and animal losses, it is important to decrease, or maintain the somatic cell count on the farm at a low level. Easily said, but what does this look like in practice? Which factors play a big role in this? HI spoke with an independent milking expert and two dairy farmers that have an average somatic cell count of 100,000 or lower.
June 2018
June 2015 HI wrote about an up and coming brood cow. Exactly 3 years later we revisit this interesting individual, who is no longer an emerging talent but an outright breeding phenomenon. The family has developed so much in such a short space of time – yes: we’re talking about Misty Springs Lavanguard Sue VG-89.
June 2018
Apart from his sky-high genomic values and the fact that he is the Nr.2 gTPI and Nr.1 NM$ sire ($1074), what else do you know about the bull whose name index-fans have been following – Hurtgenlea Richard Charl? At Hurtgenlea in Wisconsin the Hurtgen family milk 150 cows at an average of 27,000lb (12,246kg), 4.1%, 3.2%. Charl’s family is the stronge...
June 2018
US Route 20 is one of the longest highways in the entire US, which stretches from Oregon at the Pacific Ocean to Massachusetts at the Atlantic. We find ourselves on Route 20 in the state of New York, which leads us through significant mountains. And since we are looking for Mountfield Holsteins, we expect to find the farm on the next top. We are excited and curious at the same time, because we know we will get to meet the Marshfield family and… Maxine, the dam of Mogul, 12 years old. Upon arrival, all expectations are met. And we hear the miraculous story of Maxine.
June 2018
“The Program for Healthy Cows”: That is how the ProFitPlus program is described on the websites of the German AIs RinderAllianz (RA) and Rinderzucht Berlin Brandenburg (RBB). For more specific background, experiences and results on this unique project, HI spoke with Jan Körte, Head of Breeding at RA. In his working region, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, in the far northeastern part of Germany, already since 2005, standardized field data from thousands of cows has been compiled in the areas of mastitis, hoof health and calving, among others. This resulted three years ago in indexes that are much appreciated in the field.
June 2018
Cows in their 7th, 8th, 10th and even 15th lactation. Protein figures of close to 4%, and even above. Impossible? Certainly not! Within the 90-head Radney dairy herd of Henry and Liam O’Keeffe, the proof is clearly provided. And it is especially one cow family that is responsible: the Odettas. This past April, O’Keeffe was recognized in Dublin with the “RDS Champion of Champions Award” for his successful Odetta family. HI travelled to Radney Holsteins to get better acquainted.
June 2018
There are not many barns in Germany that enjoy a comparable international reputation. Martin Ruebesam, the breeder behind the Wiesenfeld prefix, was possessed by breeding. His first imports from the USA and the branches that developed from them revolutionized the type of cow as it was known in Germany. The Wiesenfeld prefix dominated Europe’s show scene around the turn of the millennium like hardly anybody else. Then things calmed some, but Ruebesam remained a possessed breeder: And one who tackled the present, with the same families as earlier but also several new additions. And of course, his unique style and philosophy, which has already brought so much success is still quite special.
June 2018
DG Charley, the production and somatic cell specialist from the esteemed Crimson family, is distinguishing himself with high sons in Germany, Italy and the US. There he provided Charl, who has been sky high on the gTPI list since December. With sons in so many countries, Charley differs from many current sires of sons, who normally speaking receive more limited use.
June 2018
In terms of milk production, California is still America’s nr.1 state, and within California the most milk is produced in Tulare county. HI’s destination in the walhalla of American dairy farming is Terra Linda Dairy, where besides an annual milk volume of about 50 million lb. (22.7 million kg), there is also a commitment to elite breeding. Since 2014, they have DNA tested all of their female Holsteins and every two weeks, 20 IVF sessions and 4-8 ETs are conducted. With the primary goal of increasing herd production and profitability still further.
June 2018
In Stuhr, close to the northern German city of Bremen, GHH Talent Marie owned by Frank and Frederike Kastens recently became the first German Red Holstein to score EX-95. It was another milestone for the nine-year-old, who in 2013 became Junior Champion during the German National Show in Oldenburg, and two years later won the national title in the...
June 2018
Owner RUW is very clear about their Epochal: ‘A type transmitter with superior quality.’ The German breeding company does not say this easily. The linear profile of this Epic son is truly remarkable: 1894 classified daughters provide him with a splendid type index of 131, complete with a sloped rump and slightly longer teats; nowhere does Epochal s...
May 2018
Nestled alongside the River Torrent in the south-east of County Tyrone in Northern Ireland, 5km (3 miles) northwest of Dungannon, lies Donaghmore. With a population of just over 1,000, this small, quiet village is quite inconspicuous – but in UK Holstein breeding it is a place of excellence, thanks to the McLean family’s Relough herd.
May 2018
Ralma Juror Faith – the name certainly has a magical ring. Faith is undoubtedly one of the most famous brood cows in the Holstein breed. Her genes are spread all over the world and in numerous countries account for high sale prices, high indexing cows and bulls, and especially, tremendous type. HI visited the source of this powerful cow family, situated in the heart of the American state of Minnesota. Ralma Farm, owned by the Schmitt family, where the impressive 250-head herd descends entirely from this one special Juror daughter.
May 2018
Washington State on the the US Pacific coast is the Nr.10 dairy state of the US and the Nr.4 for average cow production. It’s a state of contrasts with the lush green pastures of the coastal strip quickly giving way to the rugged mountain ranges that rise up forming a barrier to the much dryer inland regions. Feedlot style dairy operations have turned such dryer areas as the Yakima Valley into one of the most productive dairy regions in the country. However, it is on the coastal belt that we find Portmann Dairy and their impressive Hol-Star herd.
May 2018
First Valsie, then Vedette and the great Valana… Ferme Jacobs’ “V” family has produced many show-ring headliners. But do you know about the family’s deep history? All the details here!
May 2018
This story could have gone differently. And maybe we would not have heard about it if Kirsten and Heike Kemmerling had actually given up their dairy operation completely 5 years ago. But the breeding enthused sisters, who earn their money outside agriculture, decided differently. They kept several of their older cows and kept the farm taken over by their father going. Among the older cows was SBH Indian Snowred, the first 6th generation EX in Germany and the starting point for a story that is long from over.
May 2018
With 32,937 first services, WEH Beatstick was Germany’s most used sire in 2017. In December, the equally intensively used Acapulco led the list of Atwood sons for conformation. At the same evaluation, HFP Finder Quimera and HFP Finder Quintsia were in the German female top-10 and three daughters of the current Nr.1 index cow in Switzerland, HFP 1st Class Quella, had the complete top-3 in Switzerland. And that is certainly not all. High offspring from this family can also be found in the Netherlands and Denmark. Behind all these results hides and Italian, whose star rose in Germany and shines brightly today: Bersaglio Oman Qualsiasi.
May 2018
Average daily milk production per robot for all Lely milking robots world-wide reaches 1628 kg, while the top farm is now above 3000 kg! ‘The robots are the same everywhere, the difference lies in management,’ state Lely representatives Frank van der Staak and Rutger van de Streek, who present lots of remarkable data and share engaging stories about the developments of the automatic milking systems, and especially about the growing stream of information from numerous sensors that offer farmers management support. They provide insight about goals, and how to realize those goals with the proper application of modern technology.
May 2018
In August 2011, the Nordic Total Merit (NTM) index – used in Denmark, Sweden and Finland – became the first total index worldwide to include the trait Hoof Health as one its components. ‘Now farmers can see the result for themselves through better longevity and fewer cases of lameness,’ comments Lars Nielsen from Viking Genetics. ‘Hoof health has a correlation of .40 with longevity, while feet & legs have a correlation of just .15/.20 with longevity. Our best bull for Hoof Health reduces the cases of lameness by 50%.’
May 2018
Sunnyside has been a prominent name in Holstein breeding in Wisconsin for almost 100 years. Their deep, home-bred cow families have contributed a solid foundation to many a herd down through the years. Well over 100 Sunnyside bulls have gone to AI, with Sunnyside Standout being one of the iconic sires that has left his mark on the breed. This month we put the focus on the management practices of this highly regarded Holstein breeding operation.
May 2018
In 2011, HI started its annual publication of notable outcross bulls. In October 2011, Va-Early-Dawn Sudan became HI’s first “Outcross Sire of the Year”. Today Sudan is celebrating some nice triumphs: in Canada, his son Comestar Lautrust is the nr.1 progeny proven bull, in France, his son Hurion Isy is the nr.1 progeny proven sire. Two nr.1 sires o...
May 2018
Every Canadian Holstein with 20 stars to her name has attained a formidable breeding achievement. That is certainly the case for Hendercroft Lheros Gumball EX-96. So far, she has earned 22 stars via solely female descendants, nearly all of them among the 55 milking cows at Hendercroft Holsteins in Ashton, Ontario. In seven lactations, the All-Canad...
April 2018
High production, sale topping prices and a long list of breed leading AI sires… The accomplishments of Unique-Style Bolton Money make extremely impressive reading. Read all about how this money-maker with a different pedigree took the industry by storm.
April 2018
Located around 120 miles (200km) north of Halifax in Nova Scotia and 370 miles (600km) east of Quebec City lies the Canadian province, Prince Edward Island. Often noted as a top holiday destination, underneath its tranquil mask is a Holstein industry bursting with talent. Here we bring you the story of one of the island’s headline herds, Weeksdale Holsteins.
April 2018
She was four years old, the white Tommily du Tombuy, when we paid a visit 11 years ago to the French Tombuy herd. Not only was she a beautiful and solid cow to behold, but also a strong producer: And even then she was already the dam of a Swiss Expo champion. (With a very special story, which will follow shortly.) Who would have thought at the time that Tommily would continue unabated until her current age of 15 years? And she is adorned with two national French titles, a score of EX-95, a splendid lifetime production of 107,285 kg (236,027 lb) 4.20% 3.51% and numerous descendants. ‘But above all else, Tommily has always been a real work cow – she is the cow that every dairy farmer would like to have,’ says breeder Jean-Baptise Decheppe: The career of an exceptional French cow.
April 2018
And who do we find here at the top? At the peak of this Swiss mountain, between Neuchatel and the border with France? Here we see the dam of Basist, TGD-Holstein Seven Basilea-Red, nearly six years old and owned by Denis and his son Jeremy Huguenin in La Brévine. Note: neither Basilea nor her son Basist were bred by the Huguenins; their breeder is...
April 2018
Cees de Jong, the breeder at VOF Jongsteins in the Netherlands, has a passion for Holsteins. He likes to praise the progress made by the breed in recent decades. The same is no less true for representatives in his herd. Together with the unique contributions of partner Barbara, a veterinarian by trade, employee Johan Zwijnenburg and father Goof, he is directing his stylish herd to marvellous achievements. After 13,268 kg in 2017, average production is higher again this year.
April 2018
It was the largest investment that Florian Grosse Honebrink ever made in a calf. It was not an easy decision for the young breeder, but the purchase turned out to be a stroke of good luck. Mabelle developed into a VG-88 cow and an unforeseen breeding well. The Snowflake calf became the dam of the widely used Milton, the Nr.6 of all Missouri sons in Germany. Even better were the grandsons. Three of them, Royce, First, and Kent, occupied spots 3, 10, and 30 in Germany for March. They are currently the highest three bulls on offer from the German OHG. What a story.
April 2018
Rarely do cow families compete at the top level in the show ring for more than a generation or two. However, this past show season four generations of the Knonaudale Jasmine family made their mark at the big-time shows. Here is a look at one of the hottest cow families of the Canadian show scene at present.
April 2018
Several months ago, when the Swiss herdbook held its SwissCow Convention at the farm of Alex Gobeli, it was a sign. The event, at which the best breeders in the country are recognized, is a real family affair. And Alex Gobeli, who is a successful building contractor and does not necessarily need to earn his living from his cows, is a part of this large, enthusiastic breeding family. And by now, he is much more. The passion and excitement of Alex and his whole family for pretty cows shows itself in names like Pagewire Delicieuse, Goldywn Ronja, Incas Flavia, or Doorman Jolie. They are names known around the world: Perfect representatives of a herd that by now is known by almost everyone worldwide.
April 2018
Grand Champion at the Royal last fall and Intermediate Champion in 2015, Co-Vale Dempsy Dina is one of the superstars of the show scene in North America. Dina spent her formative years as a young cow at Ransom-Rail, an 1100-cow operation in north-western New York, and they contine to be part owners. Here is a look at Ransom-Rail Farm, owned by the Dueppengiesser family.
April 2018
‘I saw a photo of Crescentmead Shottle Empress VG-86 in a herd dispersal advert. She was my kind of cow: tall, wide, long from end to end, and she milked hard. As soon as I saw the photo I made up my mind to own something out of her. I bought embryos from the herd dispersal which resulted in 1 bull and 2 heifers, including Alexander Queen EX-92,’ e...
April 2018
In the long list of Monterey sons, Vogue Leap Year stands out for type: +3.35 on the American base, +11 on the Canadian base. Not surprisingly, as his dam is the splendid Doorman daughter Belfast Doorman Lovestruck VG-88-3yr. That back has a streak of excellent dams: EX-93 Goldwyn, EX-92 Durham, EX-91 Cousteau and then the legendary Thiersant Lili...
March 2018
Leading Canadian herds host many visitors, especially international tour groups attending the Royal each fall. One stop that creates a sparkling impression is the brand new facilities at Markvale Holsteins, close to the main highway just west of Woodstock in western Ontario and owned by Clarence and Wendy Markus.
March 2018
There are a large number of farms in Germany that could be put into the same category as Grunewald-Olbing GbR. High-value herds that don’t enjoy any time in the spotlight but still shine through top production from excellent animals: Breeders who have clear philosophies and have a lot to say. Hermann Olbing, who leads Grunewald-Olbing GbR with his wife Anne, is one such breeder. His 115 cows are the highest-producing herd in the category for farms with 100-200 cows in Germany. And they are remarkably pretty and long-lasting.
March 2018
Against recommendations, the new dairy barn at Alfalawn Farm is furnished with large fans on the south side and is fully open on the north end (road side), giving commuters on Wisconsin Highway 72 a clear view inside. This describes the situation at the dairy enterprise of the Styer family, where they do everything in their power to make cows as comfortable as possible, and with outstanding results. And these results are allowed to be shared, is the conviction. The spacious visitors’ area, with a clear view of the 60-stall rotary parlour, is then also filled regularly.
March 2018
The huge French Gold Chip daughter Hermine Tual is not only well-known for being a show cow, she also comes from a strong family with high proofs for French index and gTPI. The strength of this bloodline is making it an emerging source for bulls, while females are in high demand.
March 2018
From 2003 to 2007, Regancrest Elton Durham was Premier Sire at the World Dairy Expo for five successive years. One of his daughters that successfully entered the Madison show ring at the time was Stone-Rise Durham Lizzy from New York. A Holstein with show allure and breeding power. Her descendants draw attention at shows, but also from commercial dairy farmers and from the highest gTPI realms.
March 2018
It is not surprising that the influence of the milky Bacon-Hill Montross continues to increase. Elsewhere on this page we highlight his Italian son VanHalen, but his American son Cookiecutter Hang-Time (2754 gTPI) also deserves full attention. Of course, he also stood in the shadow of their powerful half-brother Jedi, but Hang-Time (just 56 GTPI po...
March 2018
If you haven’t heard of the 3-time Global Cow of the Year nominee, Miss OCD Rbst Delicious… Frankly, where have you been? A cow that could potentially go down in the history books as a game-changer of the modern-day genomic era. Here we bring you her story so far.
March 2018
For more than 25 years the Southwind Saturday family has been sending bulls to AI. Even today, a Canadian branch of the family, head-quartered at Stantons in Ontario, continues to supply elite genetic-merit animals and high-indexing young sires. This branch is built around the maternal sisters Sher-Est Rudolph Stress and Sher-Est Mtoto Sharon: Here is their story.
March 2018
$1.15 million… Sure, Lylehaven Lila Z was a huge investment. But as our global overview highlights here, her impact on the breed is as big as her price tag. Learn all about Lila Z’s influence here!
March 2018
The Northern Irish Hilltara herd first became famous thanks to Medway Supreme Maude EX-97. The herd owned by the McCormick family contains more remarkable families though, including the Echos, who were put on the map in 2017 by Hilltara Lauthory Echo 2 EX-93 as Diageo Baileys Irish Champion and winner of the Winter Fair in Ulster. ‘The Echos are ou...
March 2018
There are currently four heifer calves dominating the top-list in the USA with official breeding values of more than 3000 gTPI. In order, they are Rosylane-LLC Frzzle11270 (3017 gTPI), Peak Elevate (3014 gTPI), Sandy-Valley Highlight (3013 gTPI), and Pine-Tree 5976 Prop 7829 (3003 gTPI), who made it to the top in February. With the exception of Ele...
February 2018
When the December HI was sent to thousands of breeders around the world two months ago with the World Champion Poster 2017, there were likely more than a few readers who were disappointed. After all, one special Holstein was not represented. We were also unhappy that a top show-cow like Wiesenfeld Artes Regale would not fit on the poster for lack of space. Austria’s current National Champion would surely have shown several more qualities. Nonetheless, we do not want to withhold Regale from you. So, here is the story behind this exceptional cow, her many outstanding barn mates and the enthusiastic breeders responsible for her.
February 2018
When the Holstein Association recently announced the winners of its Progressive Genetics Herd awards for 2017, the herd with the highest average TPI in the US (at 2450) was Sandy-Valley. Over the last 3 decades, numerous breed-improving sires have been products of the Bauer family’s 450-cow herd based at Scandinavia, Wisconsin. In this article we focus on some of the key management practices of the highest indexing herd in the US.
February 2018
Over the last 30 years, 10 generations of the Ladys-Manor Jem family have sent bulls to AI. Such family products as Winchester, Wildman, Marbach, Shamrock, Grafeeti, Olympian and Octoberfest have become prominent names throughout the industry. Along with this review of the highly influential Jem family we introduce some of the leading sires it has produced.
February 2018
Whether or not to use dry cow treatment, housing in one or two groups, a dry period of six weeks or is eight weeks better? Experts think differently about the ideal dry period. What all experts do agree on, though, is that without a good dry period, milking cows will not get old. HI spoke with Boclair Holsteins in Scotland, the Dijk-de Bruin partnership in the Netherlands and Hendel Farms in the US; three enterprises with high-producing and long-lasting herds that have proven to have good dry cow management.
February 2018
At the beginning of the decade, GBM Annabell, a granddaughter of GBM Blackstar Jean, made headlines in North America with unbelievable results from flushing and several well-placed offspring. Then it was quieter for the Durham daughter, but that changed in the fall of 2017. The World Classic record of Mr Aristrocrat, the Frazzled son from the hih-index branch of Annabells’s Shottle daughter GBM America, was a thunderbolt. As such, it is quickly forgotten that a very special branch of the Jean family has also bloomed in Europe over the last few years, with partly eye-watering genomic results.
February 2018
Just less than two years ago, full brothers Gandy Valverde and Warren broke through on the Italian progeny proven top list. Sons of Goldday out of a Jardin dam. From a global perspective, they carry “alternative” blood and as such, Valverde ended up high in HI’s 2016 Outcross Sire Competition. Today, Valverde stands unchanged in Italy’s top-10. HI travelled to his birth barn close to the Italian city of Mantova and spoke with breeders Luciano and Claudio Gandolfi about their special cow families, their farm and their philosophy.
February 2018
‘The changes adopted by Holstein USA to reduce the prejudice against small cows has been received by us with applause.’ Dan Weigel, who together with partner Ron Franck determines the direction of Weigeline Holsteins, is crystal clear about his vision. The breeding partners from Iowa have been committed for years to average sized, healthy commercial dairy cows. And, from three carefully constructed cow families they regularly provide sires for AI.
February 2018
Just any three cows on pasture in the north German region of Oost-Friesland? Thrice no! These three cows are clearly super-producers, all three are members of the extensive D family from the Grünefeld herd and… together good for more than 477,000 kg (1,049,500 lb)! From left to right, you see the 16-year-old Dosta (147,000 kg), the 19-year-old Dori...
February 2018
He is Nr.2 among the highest available black & white Dutch sires for type (see table): Lowlands Debark, owned by CRV. The DNA tested Danno son combines his 114 type with a total index of 334 gNVI, along with nice scores for the majority of fitness traits. Particularly special about Debark’s pedigree is that Etazon Renate is a double great grand-dam...
February 2018
Several of his daughters and granddaughters are among the most distinguished brood cows in Canada. In addition, his name shines in the pedigrees of world champion Toc-Farm Allen Amyly and the world record holder for kg milk, Gillette Smurf. Over the years Kingstead Valiant Tab has emerged as a remarkable transmitter. HI looks back on his career and returns via owner CIAQ in Quebec to his special birth barn, Kingstead Farms in Maryland.
February 2018
No, the Nr.1 female in Australia is not a young calf by a hot genomic sire. It is 3rd lactation Glomar Lucky 4319 VG-87 (394 BPI; photo) who is sired by the 99% reliable Goldwyn. Lucky, who has held the Nr.1 BPI position for the last 3 years, is not the only Glomar animal in the top rankings – she is joined by 5 other family members in the top-10!...
February 2018
One can still find them, those genomic outliers from unfamiliar herds, unfamiliar families and unusual sire stacks. Eleven-month-old Bertoni Holsteins Grana is exactly such an individual. Bred in the commercial Bertoni herd in Italy, Grana is at 2837 gTPI the Nr.2 Montross worldwide, while her 1005 points for gNM make her the Nr.1 in Europe. Howeve...
February 2018
Usually in today’s genomic world, as a female ages the attention of her breeding potential is refocussed to the next generation. Luckily for Canada’s new Nr.1 Biggie, the attention on his breed-leading transmitting dam S-S-I Suprsire Miri VG-89 (photo) was not wavered as she progressed into her milking career. Biggie was born nearly 2 years after M...
January 2018
Strong cow families are the basis behind the success of many top breeders around the world. Working with maternal lines that transmit with a high degree of consistency and predictability makes for success in breeding. And this isn’t limited to top indexing families either. Here we highlight a high type family that is part of the Beckridge herd in Canada, the Liza family.
January 2018
Clear-Echo Ramo 1200 EX-94 has been a finalist in the Global Cow competition, and she is the icon of a family that is making its presence felt around the globe. The Clear-Echo prefix also continues to appear on young bulls entering AI programs every year. This month we take you to an influential New York herd, Clear-Echo, owned by the Peck family.
January 2018
In late 2017, the German RBB Show was won by Manchester, a Holstein cow in her 10th lactation with 100,000 kg to her credit. In itself, that is already quite remarkable. But Manchester’s story becomes even more special due to her home base, Fehrower Agrar in the Spreewald. On this dairy farm with 400 head, farming is done very unconventionally; following strict organic methods, with the assistance of homebred bulls and an internally developed 3-way cross.
January 2018
After her unexpected victory at Madison 2016 she became the Holstein talk of the day, world-wide: Sheeknoll Durham Arrow, alias “Thomas”. But the EX-96 Durham and her descendants are not the only eye-catchers in the herd of Robert and Jeannette Sheehan. The family of Sheeknoll Bolton Ariana includes various beautiful milking cows and on top of that provided the Jacoby son Blondin Thunder Storm, at 4.46 gPTAT.
January 2018
ZAO Niva is taking advantage of the highly-productive Holstein cows at its farm in Samara Oblast, Russia. Now there are plans for a major business expansion in the future to come. Russian reporter Vladislav Vorotnikov talked to Inna Uskova, the company’s manager, and wrote this Russian herd report for HI.
January 2018
Maryland, USA: Since the 1950s it’s been home to the Savage-Leigh herd’s “Licorice” family. First making major headlines in the 1990s with the Gold Medal Dam and Dam of Merit Savage-Leigh Bellwood Linda EX-92 – here we provide an update on this world-famous female line.
January 2018
The Dutch Froukje family – synonymous with high components and type – is recognised worldwide. Whilst it is still an integral part of the Essen family’s Mars herd in the Netherlands, who have developed the family for over 40 years, it is also making headlines in other parts of the world – like Northern Ireland.
January 2018
‘During daily tasks, she never stands out, then you don’t notice her. But if you walk through the barn, or look through the list of production figures, then she really stands out! Evelin is a very powerful cow with a tremendous amount of milk,’ explains Dieter Schlunke from the German Diera dairy enterprise as he talks about the special Headliner daughter Evelin EX-90. And that is not all: Evelin is the dam of one of Europe’s highest gTPI sires plus a series of very attractive daughters. Meet one of Europe’s most extraordinary young brood cows out of a remarkable American family.
January 2018
Are you looking for outcross? Sires from deep cow families with several lactations, longevity and proven type? And DNA figures are less important to you? Then 2-year-old Spell It is an interesting choice. He is a son of Big Spell out of a VG-87 fourth lactation daughter of the appreciated Italian longevity specialist Prince. The grand-dam is a VG-8...
January 2018
When he was just starting out as a dairy farmer, Marcel Heylen, in Geel, Belgium, had a number of wishes. One of them was breeding an excellent cow. This long-held desire was realized in October 2017 with Keur Quase RC. Shortly before that, the 12-year-old Talent daughter passed the milestone of 10,000 kg fat and protein. Heylen showed his excellen...
December 2017
Finley was the biggest name to come from the Fiona family – he was the bull that put the Opsal herd on the international Holstein map more than a decade ago. Later the cow Opsal Planet Fame spent three years ranked as the Nr.1 female for protein in the breed. Here we trace the history of the Fiona family, possibly the most successful of the lines descending from the famous Rotate daughter Ebony.
December 2017
Breeders regularly combine their best Holsteins with RC and Red Holstein sires in the hope of creating attractive breeding material for red & whites. However, the start of the red Coba line at Oelhorst Holsteins in Ambt Delden, the Netherlands, transpired very differently. Unplanned, the Red Holstein millionaire Kian introduced the red gene. Four generations later, the Coba family provides one of the most popular young Red Holstein donors.
December 2017
You’ve probably already heard the name of this Meridian daughter. She is famous for her show results and her fantastic udder. But do you know that she is also a wonderful bull dam and an incredible production cow? Yes, in this story you will discover a very surprising cow!
December 2017
The Debutante Raes, Lana Raes, Perk Raes and Cinderellas; all these successful breeding lines have proceeded from Hanoverhill Tony Rae EX-96. Right now, a prominent new Rae line is emerging in the US, this time based on Golden-Oaks Champ Rae EX-93. After a difficult start, she too is now developing into a sensational brood cow. The harvest thus far: an impressive list of daughters and granddaughters. And partly due to two promising bulls, the Champ Rae line is now spreading internationally.
December 2017
In France, hardly any prefixes are used. That is unfortunate, because while in North America successful breeders can be identified via their prefixes, in France you have to dig much deeper for the breeder’s name. This is true for example of the French breeding herd, Bodier. For years they have successfully provided bulls for AIs. However, in the absence of a prefix, the name “Bodier” is certainly not known world-wide. Lots of reason then for this report in which we place the limelights on Gaec Bodier.
December 2017
Last April, HI published an article about the deep F family at Melarry, and now – eight months later – the breeding enterprise from Minnesota has its own report. Rightfully so, because besides the F branch, the milking herd of 175 head also has 2 other strong breeding families. In addition, last year the Hacketts sold no less than 17 sires to AIs. And 13 the previous year, including the popular sire of sons Melarry Josuper Frazzled.
December 2017
We apologise! 11 generations of family farming, a large herd, breed-leading genomics and top type animals… There’s simply too much to write about Oakfield Corners Dairy in 2 pages – but we will give it our best shot! Here is the story of this dominating herd.
December 2017
Whether you are thinking about enhancing your existing barn or building a new one –integrating milk-boosting tools will most likely be an advantageous goal. Here we investigate some possibilities.
December 2017
There are 17 star-brood cows from the Dolly family in the British Kirkblythe herd. Born in 1991, the greatest is its founding member Kirkblythe Leadman Dolly EX-90 31*. Here we report on today’s impact left by this top UK star-brood cow.
December 2017
Do you know who is among the most sold sires at World-Wide Sires? Mapel Wood Brewmaster! The now 7-year-old Canadian is very popular world-wide, explains Scott Ruby from WWS. As a young sire, Garrett son Brewmaster was certainly not in the top DNA lists, but now, progeny proven, the Genervations graduate is among the toppers in both Canada (Nr.4, 3...
December 2017
With Montross, the American brood cow Unique-Style Bolton Money EX-93 provided the most influential Mogul son. In combination with Mogul, Money also provided a second successful transmitter: Monty, whose semen is being sold by Accelerated Genetics, the company that was taken over by Select Sires on July 1. Monty currently has 116 daughters in his p...
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