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celebratingLongevity
Holstein Canada - promoting Longevity, Profitability & Efficiency!
The Huizing Family has high hopes for these daughters of ‘59’. An ‘outlier’ with no heifers, 59 was flushed a number of 59 (left) together in the parlor with her (L-R) BUNDLE 1027 – GP83, DELTA 9093 – GP80, DELTA 31 – VG85. times to ensure her genes would continue in the herd. daughter Delta 31 earlier this year.
CHRISTMAS 2023  WC DAIRY NEWS 13
HOLS
Queen of Persistency - HUSO HAYDEN 59
Tars Cheema
Huso Hayden 59 - VG88, left an exceptional legacy in the Huizing’s herd at Country Charm Farms in Abbotsford, BC. Born in May 2010, she produced an astounding 180,437 kg milk, 6918 kg fat (3.8%) and 5538 kg protein (3.1%) over her eight lactation lifetime. As is often the risk when profiling cows with excellent longevity, we discover these gems a little too late. Hayden 59 was lost earlier this summer.
Her extraordinary productive life earned her five Superior Lactations, 1 Super Four award and a rare 180,000 Kg Milk Certificate from Holstein Canada. She also turned out 48 kg milk per day over her milking career – a very high bar to reach!
59’s fertility record wasn’t perfect, but it was the combination of her extreme production and persistency that made her deserving of extra breedings when needed. She had several pregnancies resulting from 1-3 breedings, but one took seven and another took more. “59 milked so hard, that we didn’t rush to breed her back – her voluntary wait period was 100-160 days. She had some really long lactations, but she just kept working,” marvels Joel. She started her second lactation at 2-11 with mixed twins – a high risk event – making her 305 day lactation with BCAs of 364-352-334 and deviations of +118, +87, +91 all the more remarkable. Her lactation carried on 392 days completing a total of 20,145 kg milk. That’s an average of 51 kg over her entire second lactation! PERSISTENCY.
She conceived first service next year and took only two services for her final calving. Good fertility with a couple hiccups.
She was average for milking speed, with “really good SCC”, averaging well under 100,000 over most of her life. “She had a flare-up in 3rd, spiked in her 4th and 6th, and had some high tests (~200k) in her 7th,” Joel reads off her DHI SCC history. “But she always came back down.”
Calvings can be another trigger for problems, but 59 seemed to calve easily and avoided milk fever and ketosis according to her health records. “We drenched her after she had twins. She always managed to keep some flesh on even at peak production, and she never got fat,” Joel explains.
CSI – Cow Sire Insights
59’s sire was Wa-Del Hayden – an Oman son from an Mtoto dam. Right away, I see Oman’s influence in 59’s persistency and body condition. I also see Mtoto’s influence – they were tough barn cows that didn’t want babying and could tend to slow milking speed. Interestingly, Hayden’s proof aligned nicely with this story – 105 Lactation Persistency, 109 Body Condition, 107 Mastitis Resistance, 104 Herd Life.
Behind the Mtoto was a Rudolph dam – another super-sire when it comes to longevity traits!
Lastly, I credit Prelude with passing longevity traits to numerous sons – notably Mtoto and Comestar Outside – who also tended to hold onto condition.
Carrying on with Progeny
“I realized by her 4th calf, that I wasn’t getting any heifers from 59 and she was becoming an outstanding production cow, so we considered using sexed semen. But that wasn’t going to be enough, so even though we aren’t a herd that normally flushes, this was a cow we wanted more heifers from!” Joel rationalized. After her fifth calf, they started flushing this “outlier” cow, resulting in
seven heifers over 3 years by Delta, Mogul and Morris. Currently, two are VG and five are GP. An eighth daughter – from a sexed Kingston breeding – provided an 82 point result. So far, all the milking daughters are high production cows and are calving young.
“59 spent her life in the freestalls, except her final lactation, she was on the pack. We are super excited to see if any of her daughters can match her.”
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TOBY KLEINSASSER FSBP, Western Provinces tkleinsasser@holstein.ca 519-865-4367
Country Charm
Background
The ‘Huso’ prefix was established with Holstein Canada in 1985, and is 100% registered today.
The Huizing family milks 260 cows 3X (since 2008), split into freestall groups of 2 yr old, mature, fresh, and a mid-low group on 2X. The farm runs on six full-time and a few part-time staff. Brothers Joel, Daniel and father Chris handle herd management, feeding, breeding and crops. Cousin Luke is the main mechanic and also feeds. Cousin Nick milks and helps with calves, while his wife Lauren also milks and feeds/ manages calves. Matt Warkentin rounds out the team, with milking, herdsman duties, hoof care and fresh cow checks.
Super-Functional
They don’t breed for awards or shows – but this progressive purebred dairy respects hard-working and super-functional cows, says Joel. They continue participating in breed improvement programs for the herd management information they provide.
“59 was there to work. She wasn’t a pet or a friendly cow – but she had no temperament issues,” explains Joel. “She had a consistent behaviour – you could always find her up eating at the bunk.” Ironically, it turns out 59’s dam was sold a couple months into her first lactation due to temperament! Behind her was an 81 pt cow that made five lactations totaling almost 75,000 kg lifetime. Locklee 305 averaged +32, +33, +34 deviations with average BCAs of 279M, 272F, 277P. Her best record was 5-04 365D 17,074 kg M. “305 was a solid cow and she stood out for her production,” Joel recalls 59’s grand dam.
Western Field Rep – Toby Kleinsasser tkleinsasser@holstein.ca • 519-865-4367
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