Although I had not remembered hearing it, I think this quote has been around for a long time according to the answers (I””m sure all correct) that I received.  I””ll tell you, however, where I saw it……in Wisconsin last summer at Craig and Marlene Krohlow”’’s beautiful barn full of cows in Black Creek.  That area of the state is truly a breed type enthusiast tourist destination as the rule rather than the exception seems to be a BAA of over 110 percent and every barn seems to have more Excellent cows standing in it than the last!  Another pair of tremendous herds that stay on your mind well after you leave is the Voight Acres herd of Sue and Steve Voight and sons at Shiocton and the Ryan-Vue herd of Mary, Mark, Amy and Chad Ryan at Fond du Lac. 

Last year while traveling I saw a simple but lovely sentiment posted in a barn. I was in an absolutely breathtaking herd of beautiful type cows with high production and great pedigrees.  A sign that hung over the entry to the parlor said,”Always speak to a cow as you would speak to a lady.”

Can you tell me a) where it was? and b)where else a sign just like that was prominently posted many years ago?

If you go to the Red & White Convention and surrounding events at Beaver Dam,WI, you won””t want to miss an opportunity to get to Oshkosh and stop in at Dynamic Holsteins at Halcyon Haven, the farm of Dr. Paul & Carol Knier.  Last year I saw some Advent daughters there that will widen your eyes-big, tall, straight and dairy.  I got a status update this morning from Dr. Paul and he says the two full sisters in the older group that I particularly liked, one Red, and one *RC, are both looking tremendous and due the first of September to Rampage.  The Red one is super in udder potential and now over 61″ tall!  You will also find a fresh Advent that looks like a potential VG-1st lactation and some outstanding fresh Red Jr. 2-Year-Olds.  Carrousel RM Rolanda was just acquired at the Carrousel sale in Illinois and, according to Dr. Paul, “looks phenomenal!”  Look in on them if you get the chance while in Wisconsin!

The August issue of Holstein World is now online and it is packed with photos and information from the National Holstein Convention that was held in Sioux Falls last month.  Looking ahead to next year, the convention will be held in Nashville, Tennessee!  To help us become more familiar with the sweet Holsteins and congenial breeders of the south, take a look at August’’s Website of the Month: www.holsteinworld.com/majordairy

Major Dairy, home of Pop-A-Top Holsetins, is located in Lebanon, TN.  Seth Major and family are currently working with several unique individuals from many of the top cow families nationwide.

Leading off their website is Carrousel Blizzard (VG-86), the BW Marshal daughter of Dixie-Lee Luke Blizzard (EX-90 GMD DOM).  In her second lactation, she is projected at 32,433M 1210F 962P.  Blizzard currently has daughters in the herd sired by Kilo Alan and Canyon-Breeze Allen, with Drake pregnancies on the way.  Ked Juror’’s maternal sister, Ked Emory Juleppa (2E-91 DOM), is leaving her impact in the herd in the form of three recently fresh Stormatic daughters.  They are scored VG-86, VG-85 and GP-83 VG-85 MS and all have a ME right at 29,000M for their first lactation.  New additions to the website include a VG-87 Durham from an EX Leader, a VG-86 2yr Stormatic backed by 11 generations of VG and EX, and a VG-86 2yr Morty from the SFL Bootpeg Bethany Fmaily.  An exciting heifer to look for on the website in the future will be an Allen daughter from Ocean-View Outside Sheen (EX-91).

Get a jump on learning about the Holsteins of Tennessee by visiting the website of Major Dairy today!  They are just 35 miles from Nashville, TN.

If you haven”t been following this discussion, take a look at the blogs posted on  July 21st and July 24th.  Here is Greg’’s response to the messages posted on the 24th:

“Keeping the shows relevant to the industry is very important.  Overgrown heifers that are not due to freshen until they hit 30 months of age do not reflect the industry.  I am not suggesting that you shouldn”t have the right to breed your heifer to freshen whenever, because you certainly do.  As for the ‘’standard changing for many”, it is not increasing from 24 months, it is dropping to 22-23 months of age for the vast majority of dairymen, and accelerated calf feeding programs are seeing that they adequately meet those goals.  The goal of a show is to promote the industries best and brightest stars, individual cows and cow managers.  Lets focus on those that are meeting and exceeding the industry standard of 24 months.  I applaud those who get their heifers into the Milking Senior Yearling classes. 

As for having less and less classes, I would suggest that at the spring shows only, a Sr. Summer Yearling Class should be added.  Those heifers have just as much of a right to win in the spring as any other heifer.  They have not hit 24 months so why do we penalize them?  Lets give them a chance in the spring.”

-Greg Borchers

You heard it here first – the Crackholm Iconic daughters are just freshening and my oh my, they are impressive.  The first three that calved in all scored VG, two of which are at Crackholm Holsteins in Richmond, QC.  Tall, great open rib, and beautiful, beautiful well-attached udders.  Isotonic is a Lee son from the show cow Astre Inksou and is a Designer Series bull at Semex.  Watch on depth of heel, but other than that, there”’’s not much at all you””d want to change.  Crackholm also has two super young TCET Lyster daughters and a nice young, dairy Leduc from a Broker dam. 

Last week the question was posed by a reader in regards to dropping the Fall Senior Yearling class from the fall shows because it goes against the industry standard of freshing at 24 months.  Here are a couple of opinions that feel otherwise!

“After reading the comment about dropping Fall Senior Yearlings from the fall shows, I cant belive that anyone would want that.  The standard is 24 months for freshening for many but for many other people the standards are changing.  We also have the Fall Senior Yearling in Milk class at many of the fall shows.  So if a Fall Yearling freshens, she can join that class.  If people want to extend their freshing standard for their heifers, they have that right.  It is hard to find people who don”t anymore, especially if they are someone’’s show animal and would like to have them be fresh for the next show season.  Therefore we should have Fall Senior Yearling classes at the fall shows!!!  As we also talk about dry cow and bull classes, we shouldn”t have either of them.  Many times people don”t take dry cows to shows, the same with bulls, but we do find that they have them available.  I don”t think it is up to those of use who are not Chairs, Managers or even Board Members.  It is up to the Show Managers and the board.”

Nate Oleniacz

“I think that dry cows, bulls and fall senior yearling classes need to stay!  Some cows look the best in their dry period and most fall senior yearlings that are out on the tanbark during the fall are not due until early winter.  If a senior yearling is due in the fall then she can be shown as a milking senior yearling…I think thats why the class was added.  I dont think its a big deal if they freshen over the “industry standard” of 24 months.  Personally, all of my senior yearlings are due in December.  It keeps them dairy for the shows since a lot of times senior yearlings are heavy with calf.  If the idea of dropping classes keeps being thought of, there won”t be any classes left!  And I think the Produce of Dam needs to stay as well.”

Josh

Here’s some more comments on our blog discussion about naming… 

“We had a couple weird ones.  The best we had was Wack-E-View Brett Favrae.  Favre was spelled incorrectly, but it was keeping with the family series of all the animals name with Rae in the name.  One of the best names that I have enjoyed from a few years back was Dodgeviews Kite.”

Jenny Wackershauser of Wack-E-View Farms

“Some of the most common names I’ve seen include Star, Blacky, Whitey, Dolly, Blaze and Glory.  The more uncommon ones I’ve heard are Serendipity, Aphrodite, Rotundra, Anastasia Beaverhousen (Will & Grace reference), MooLee, Sarcasm and Blasphemy.  I’ve also seen some more masculine names – Pete, Sam, Charley, Fonzy, Duke and Toddy.”

Jeffy Higby of Virginia (Formerly of Kansas)

“We go through a basic system of naming calves on our farm.  The calf’s name will start with the first letter of the mother’s name – a very common method.  I have a “wine” family now with all the names starting with ‘c’…Chardonnay, Champaign, etc.  We had some friends who made their own page in the naming book.  Eileen was most noticeable for her twin heifer names – Frick & Frack, Solomi & Salami, etc.  Some other friends use car names – FrohnRivers Garder Dodge, Chevelle & Corvette.  But one of the more clever ones I’ve seen came from some folks north of us – VanDyk-S Outside Missing.”

Ann Marie Magnochi of Washington

“Here at Penn-Gate we only get frustrated when we look at an ad or website and there is a photo of a beautiful cow and her name underneath it and it doesnt contain the sire’s name!  And it can even be hard to find it in the rest of the ad.  This doesn’t help the cow, the ad or the breeder and his breeding program.  If you have too many letters for registry, shorten the name or use an abbreviation – but dont cut out the sire name!”

Penn-Gate Farm of Pennsylvania

With this month’’s online poll we address the question of dropping dry cows and bulls from the shows.  Here’’s a new perspective from a blog reader that I”d like to share:

If thought is being given to dropping dry cows and bulls, how about dropping Senior Yearling Heifers from the fall shows?  They are falling short of the industry standard of being fresh at 24 months.

Greg Borchers

Thoughts anyone?

So far I have gotten just a few responses to my question regarding the most unusual, unique or common names people have heard.  And if anyone has any interesting ways of naming. 

Barb Ziemba of Ziems Farm shared with me one breeder who has had some of the most unusual names she’’s ever heard.  And boy was she right!  Stan Zabrinskie of East-Cupcake Holsteins in New York has really had some unique names in the past for some truly exceptional cows.  To list just a few…East-Cupcake Kubla Cat (EX-95), East-Cupcake Muddy Water (3E-95), East-Cupcake Santa Ana (EX-93), East-Cupcake So And So (EX-90), East-Cupcake Beau Sephus (EX-93) and East-Cupcake Court Case (EX-90). 

Thanks for sharing, Barb!  Think you can top some of these names?  Send my way and we”ll see what others think!