Herd reports
Herds Worldwide - January 2025
‘My breeding goal has not changed much throughout my career. I still appreciate functional cows that can last a long time and look good. Every morning I need to get...
Lambrecht Dairy in Wisconsin: Top Quality Forages Lead to Exceptional Components
The 320-cow herd at Lambrecht Dairy is currently averaging 92lb/42kg at 4.8% fat and 3.4% protein on twice daily milking. Located at Kewaunee, about 2½ hours north-east of Madison, the...
Cavanaleck in Canada: We now Put More Emphasis on Front Legs than any of the Rear Leg Traits
The Thompson family’s Cavanaleck Holsteins have long been a fixture on the Holstein scene in Western Ontario. The three-time Master Breeder herd continues to be a force in modern Holstein...
VDR Holsteins: Home of the Especially Complete and Popular Sandra Family
It is likely that precisely this month she will pass the milestone of 10,000 kg/22,000 lb fat & protein. The ten-year-old VDR Sandra 2 EX-92 (<Malki) thus provides ultimate proof...
Otto van Zuilen, the highest ISU herd in France: A story of Maradona, Pelé, Cruyff and Oumea Prin!
Endurance: the ability to maintain a given production over the longest time possible. There is no better description for Otto van Zuilen, the protagonist of this herd report. In his...
The Global Influence of Farnear Holsteins is Growing Quickly… Especially Via Their “Secret Agent”
It was an historic milestone, when during the recent World Dairy Expo the “Premier Sire” titles were captured by two bulls from one breeding enterprise: Farnear Holsteins in the American...
Bernd Sommer, For More Than 30 Years the Familiar Face of Holstein Forum: ‘Deep Cow Families and Personal Contacts Form the Foundation’
‘We want to do much more than just organize a sale; we want to know who we are working with, and together build a long-term relationship and create something successful,’...
Herds Worldwide - November 2024
Farming in southern Wisconsin has its challenges – land prices are high and the weather is sometimes extreme, from -28°C in the winter to 43°C in the summer. ‘Sometimes the...
Character Dairy Genetics in Canada: Homebase for Progenesis
Enthusiasts throughout the Holstein world would be familiar with the name Progenesis, the prefix of the Semex internal bull development program. Character Holsteins at Mildmay, Ontario, is where it all...
Heritage-Pride, California: Impressive Dutch Belted Herd, Acquired Via Two-Pronged Approach
In the 1990s, the number of representatives of the Dutch Belted breed world-wide turned out to have dropped below 500. For Ronald (Ron) Pietersma – an American with Dutch roots...
Milchhof Diera: German Exemplar for Management, Breeding, and Productivity
Managing a large dairy (30 employees) with leading results year in, year out, requires, knowledge, organizational skills, and craftsmanship. The owners of Milchhof Diera have been very successful in this...
Level-Plain Holsteins: Lots of AI Sires, All from One Homebred Cow Family
Breeders who want to breed animals with competing or even higher genomics than those from large nucleus programs, give themselves a huge task. Keith Nettekoven does not shy away from...