What the Breed Needs Now-Guest Blogger Joe Engel, Luck-E Holsteins
Holstein World: You”re young and obviously committed to making a living in the dairy and purebred Holstein industry. What does the breed need to do to maintain its success and ensure the livelihood of fellow Holstein breeders?
Joe Engel: I think we need to strive to breed cows that are efficient for the facilities we use today. I think it is important that we try to breed cows with extreme balance so they can be profitable in the many types of facilities and management styles out there. Cows need to be strong enough to compete in large groups and still have the dairyness to produce large volumes milk year after year. It is more important than ever for cows to have correct legs so they can last no matter what kind of housing. They also need to be wide from end to end so they have a big muzzle, udders that can hold a lot of milk without being deep and rumps that are wide and properly sloped so they can calve with ease and breed back fast. I think it’s also important that cows have quality udders that are low maintenance. Low scc premiums make a big difference, especially when milk price is down.
We have noticed two big differences since we moved into freestalls 11 years ago. The first is it takes a stronger cow than it used to in tiestalls since the cows have to compete more being in large groups. At the same time it is very important not to sacrifice dairyness to get this strength. That’s why I think Holstein Association made a smart decision making dairy strength a breakdown in the classification program. It also takes a more massive cow, at least for us, than it used. The more pounds of forage a cow can eat, the cheaper we can get milk from her. The other thing we have noticed is cows with a little straighter leg tend to last longer walking on cement over the years for us.