WALNUT CREEK, Ohio — Cows in Holmes County make milk. And they make a lot of it, for a long time.
This was evidenced by the number of cows on the list of high lifetime production cows at the annual meeting of the Holmes County Dairy Service Unit. The list was four pages long with cows ranging from three lactations totaling 156,575 pounds of milk, to 10 lactations with 255,142 pounds of milk.
Mike Hochstetler, a member of the board of the Holmes County Dairy Herd Improvement Committee, said the list could have been longer had the committee not set a minimum level of energy corrected milk.
Top dairies
Doughty Valley Farm and R N R Swiss & Lake Point Dairy Swiss topped the list of high lifetime production cows in the county. Doughty Valley Farm had the top cows for milk with 284,213 pounds of milk, and fat and energy corrected milk with 11,267 pounds of fat and 299,071 pounds of energy corrected milk, while R N R Swiss & Lake Point Dairy had the top cow for protein with 8,995 pounds of protein.
Hal and Rod Hunsberger had the high Holstein herd in the county for milk and protein among herds over 100 cows with 28,556 pounds of milk and 895 pounds of protein. They also had the top Holstein Aged cow for milk and protein with 45,172 pounds of milk and 1,200 pounds of protein.
Springwalk Farm Holsteins had the high herds over 100 cows for butterfat with 1,199 pounds of fat, and energy corrected milk with 30,728 pounds. They were also the Most Improved Herd for milk with an increase of 1,964 pounds of milk.
Spring Hill Farm had the low somatic cell count for Holstein herds over 100 cows with 71,000. They were also the most improved herd over 100 cows for fat, protein and energy corrected milk. The dairy had an increase of 2,128 pounds of energy corrected milk, 77 pounds of protein, and 75 pounds of fat.
Doughty Valley Farm had the top first lactation Holsteins for milk with 33,867 pounds of milk and 34,349 pounds of energy corrected milk. They were also top in protein with 926 pounds of protein.
R N R Swiss & Lake Point Dairy was recognized as the top Holstein herd under 100 cows for milk, fat, protein and energy corrected milk with 27,341 pounds of milk, 1,289 pounds of fat, 856 pounds of protein, and 32,180 pounds energy corrected milk. They also had the top Holstein aged cow for fat and energy corrected milk with 2,301 pounds of fat and 51,203 pounds of energy corrected milk.
John Mark Weaver had the low somatic cell count for herds under 100 cows with 53,000.
R N R Swiss & Lake Point Dairy, with their Brown Swiss, had the high herd in the colored breeds over 100 cows for energy corrected milk and fat, with 28,368 pounds of energy corrected milk, and 1,171 pounds of fat. They also had the high herd in the colored breeds under 100 cows with their Jersey herd for fat, protein and energy corrected milk with 27,092 pounds of energy corrected milk, 872 pounds of protein and 1,238 pounds of fat.
The dairy also had the top first lactation cow for fat, protein and energy corrected milk with 37,021 pounds of energy corrected milk, 1,694 pounds of fat, and 872 pounds of protein. The dairy took top aged cow honors for protein and energy corrected milk with 49,257 pounds of energy corrected milk and 2,343 pounds of fat.
Open Road Swiss was the county’s top high herd in the colored breeds for milk with 24,435 pounds of milk and the high first lactation cow for milk with 27,198 pounds of milk. The dairy also won top honors among aged cows for milk and protein with 35,488 pounds of milk and 1,193 pounds of protein.
Dar-Re Jerseys had the high herd for protein among the county’s colored breed herds under 100 cows with 807 pounds of protein. They were also the most improved herd for somatic cell count in herds over 100 cows with a drop of 141,000 in the somatic cell count score.
Other winners
Hyland Acres Jerseys, Ltd. was recognized for the lowest somatic cell count for herds over 100 cows in the colored breeds.
Spring Walk Farm Guernseys had the top herd for milk in the colored breeds for herds under 100 cows with 18,683 pounds of milk.
Michael and Cheryl Raber had the low SCC for colored breed herds under 100 cows with 54,000.
Narrow Valley Farm was recognized as the most improved herd under 100 cows for reducing their SCC score by 107,000, while Dean Wolbolt was recognized as the most improved herd under 100 cows for protein and energy corrected milk with an increase of 1,800 pounds of energy corrected milk and 74 pounds of protein.
Robert Schlabach was recognized as the most improved herd under 100 cows for an increase of 2,217 pounds of milk, while Spring Hill Farm Guernseys was recognized for an increase and 50 pounds of protein.
Firman Yoder had the most improved herd on unofficial test for dropping his by 124,000.
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