Jersey Production Achievements Honored
Four Registered Jersey cows were honored for outstanding production in conjunction with the virtual Annual Meetings of the American Jersey Cattle Association (AJCA) on June 27, 2020.
A pair of New York bred-and-owned cows were recognized for achievements in the 2019 AJCA Leading Living Lifetime Production Contest. Lawtons Rescue Finess, bred and owned by Timothy Lawton of Newark Valley received the Ogston Trophy for lifetime milk production. Dutch Hollow Revel Diva-P, bred and owned by Karin Chittenden Couch of Dutch Hollow Farm, Schodack Landing, will earned the High Lawn Trophy for lifetime fat production and the Edyvean Farm Trophy for lifetime protein production.
“Finess” and “Diva-P” earned top status for the first time, succeeding the breed’s historical lifetime production leader, Mainstream Jace Shelly, who topped all divisions of the contest the past five years and passed away in 2019. “Finess” has lifetime totals of 296,981 lbs. milk, 11,693 lbs. fat and 9,523 lbs. protein in 3,720 days. “Diva-P” has lifetime totals of 282,449 lbs. milk, 15,838 lbs. fat and 10,626 lbs. protein in 4,414 days.
Two cows bred and owned by State Line Jerseys of Seneca, Mo., were presented with the other two other production awards. SLJ Country Majerle, owned by Treasure Clark, earned the Hilmar Cheese Yield Trophy for actual cheese yield. SLJ AJ Weijah, owned by Maelee Clark, received the President’s Trophy for mature equivalent protein yield.
Leading Living Lifetime Production Contest
The 2019 Leading Living Lifetime Production Contest distinguishes cows alive as of December 31, 2019, who produced a minimum of 225,000 lbs. milk, 10,000 lbs. fat or 8,000 lbs. protein. Twenty-seven cows met the minimum nomination requirements for the contest.
As a group, the top 10 in each category produced 286,836 lbs. milk, 13,315 lbs. fat and 9,843 lbs. protein on average. Average daily production on these totals is 69.8 lbs. milk, 3.48 lbs. fat and 2.43 lbs. protein. A genetically diverse group, no two of the cows ranked in the top 10 of this year’s contest are sired by the same bull. All but one are appraised Excellent-90% or higher, proving longevity and functional type go hand-in-hand. Three are appraised Excellent-94% and one is Excellent-95%.
The milk leader in this year’s contest, Lawtons Rescue Finess, is an Excellent-91% daughter of Schultz Declo Rescue, GJPI -70, who made her debut among the top ranked cows in 2017. She ranked second to “Shelly” last year and rose in the rankings this year, not just by default, but because she produced another 17,089 lbs. milk, 782 lbs. fat and 646 lbs. protein during 2019 as well. Daily production on her lifetime totals is 79.8 lbs. milk, 3.1 lbs. fat and 2.6 lbs. protein.
This remarkable 15-year-old matriarch continues to earn her keep at Lawton Jersey Farm, giving more than 40 lbs. milk for the tester in January 2020 at 900-plus days in milk. Eight of her nine 305-day records exceed 20,000 lbs. milk; three of them are over 29,000 lbs. milk. Her 10-6 record of 29,020 lbs. milk, 1,075 lbs. fat and 887 lbs. protein ranks on the current National Class Leader list for milk.
“Finess” has five registered daughters and hails from the “F” cow family, a foundation family at Lawton Jersey Farm. The 80-cow Registered Jersey herd managed by three generations of the Lawton family includes another pair of cows that qualified for the competition as well.
Another lady to return to the top-10 rankings of this year’s contest is Bolle-Acres Sambo Belle. The Excellent-90% daughter of Lester Sambo, GJPI -88, is owned by Max Bollenbacher and Family of Argos, Ind. She ranks second for milk, fourth for fat and third for protein with lifetime totals of 291,788 lbs. milk, 13,195 lbs. fat and 10,129 lbs. protein in 3,251 days.
“Belle” secured a spot among the lifetime production leaders for the third time with the highest daily milk and protein production―90 lbs. milk, 4.1 lbs. fat and 3.1 lbs. protein. One of 41 Excellent cows milked by the Bollenbachers, she is not just fancy, but puts her heart in her work too with 11 lactations―all over 20,000 lbs. milk. She has a top milk record of 7-7 305 3x 26,320 4.4% 1,151 3.4% 892 90DCR. She last calved in late March 2019. She peaked with 113 lbs. milk on her September test and has an extended record of 23,671 lbs. milk, 939 lbs. fat and 804 lbs. protein in 320 days. The 14-year-old has four registered progeny―three daughters and a son. A granddaughter is following in her footsteps too, with lifetime production credits of more than 100,000 lbs. milk to date.
Yosemite Keeper Moon E16351 ranks third for milk and fifth for protein again this year with lifetime totals of 289,170 lbs. milk, 11,261 lbs. fat and 10,024 lbs. protein in 4,162 days. One of four cows owned by Yosemite Jersey Dairy of Hilmar, Calif., to be ranked among the top lifetime producers, she has daily totals of 69.5 lbs. milk, 2.7 lbs. fat and 2.4 lbs. protein. This is the fourth consecutive year she has ranked among the top 10 for milk and the third time she has ranked for protein.
The Excellent-92% daughter of Poseidon Gate Keeper of D&E, GJPI -105, is a dairy producer’s dream. Over her 15-year life, she completed 11 lactations―nine of them over 20,000 lbs. milk―and freshened with her 12th calf in March 2019. She gave 64 lbs. milk for the tester in January 2020 and is projected to 15,947 lbs. milk, 714 lbs. fat and 560 lbs. protein actual at 14-4. She has a top record of 9-3 293 3x 23,380 4.1% 959 3.5% 819 94DCR.
4W Pusher Lizzie, a matriarch owned by Brittany Core and managed with the herd at the family dairy, Keightley-Core Jersey Farm in Salvisa, Ky., ranks fourth for milk, sixth for fat and second for protein with lifetime totals of 288,996 lbs. milk, 12,655 lbs. fat and 10,282 lbs. protein in 3,730 days.
The Excellent-94% daughter of 4W Golden Pusher, JPI -79, ranked in the competition for the very first time last year and moved up significantly in the rankings with an additional 25,998 lbs. milk, 1,223 lbs. fat and 927 lbs. protein to her lifetime totals during 2019. The 14-year-old has 11 complete lactations―eight over 20,000 lbs. milk. She made her best record of 28,820 lbs. milk, 1,316 lbs. fat and 999 lbs. protein at 11-11 and followed that up with her most recent 305-day record of 24,460 lbs. milk, 1,059 lbs. fat and 856 lbs. protein at 13-2. The 11-11 record of 3,452 lbs. cheese yield ranks on the current National Class Leader list.
“Lizzie’s” lifetime daily production is 77.5 lbs. milk, 3.4 lbs. fat and 2.8 lbs. protein. She was bred by fellow Kentucky Jersey breeder, James N. Wright Jr. of Russellville.
The previously mentioned component leader in the contest, Dutch Hollow Rebel Diva-P, ranks fifth for milk. The Excellent-92% daughter of O.F. Mannix Rebel-ET, GJPI -20, made her debut in the lifetime contest in 2016 ranked fourth for fat. She has moved up in the rankings every year since, ranking for protein as well in 2017 and for all measures of production in 2018.
“Diva-P” is in the donor dam program at Dutch Hollow Farm and has 23 registered progeny to date, many ranked among the breed’s best for genetic merit. A son, Dutch Hollow Lexicon-P, GJPI +26, is at Genex. She has six complete lactations and a top record of 8-6 305 3x 28,250 5.4% 1,529 3.2% 906 102DCR. She last calved in December 2015 and added 18,736 lbs. milk, 1,264 lbs. fat and 842 lbs. protein to her lifetime totals in 2019. “Diva-P” has daily production of 64 lbs. milk, 3.6 lbs. fat and 2.4 lbs. protein.
Her dam, Dutch Hollow Klassic Deva-P-ET, Very Good-88%, also placed in the lifetime production contest in 2014 with 254,125 lbs. milk, 12,900 lbs. fat and 9,051 lbs. protein in 3,456 days.
Ranking second to “Diva-P” in the fat division of the 2019 Leading Living Lifetime Production Contest is another “Diva,” GB Jade Diva of Woodmohr. She is owned by Woodmohr Jerseys, Bloomer, Wis., and was bred by Jeffrey B. Mallery, Shafer, Minn. She has lifetime totals of 235,540 lbs. milk, 14,800 lbs. fat and 8,691 lbs. protein in 3,989 days. Her daily production is 59.1 lbs. milk, 3.7 lbs. fat and 2.2 lbs. protein.
The Excellent-95% “Jade Diva” is sired by Giprat Belles Jade-ET, JPI -57, and has 10 complete lactations. She made her top milk record of 23,100 lbs. milk, 1,426 lbs. fat and 821 lbs. protein at 7-7 and followed that up with her top fat record of 22,890 lbs. milk, 1,430 lbs. fat and 853 lbs. protein at 8-9. She last calved in March 2018 and gave 39 lbs. milk for the tester in May 2020 at 800-plus days in milk.
“Jade Diva” hails from a remarkably productive, long-lived cow family. Four of her maternal sisters also qualified for this year’s lifetime production contest. Her full sister, Woodmohr Jade Lady Diva-ET, Excellent-94%, ranks 10th for fat with 198,564 lbs. milk, 11,799 lbs. fat and 7,521 lbs. protein in 3,190 days. The three other maternal sisters are Woodmohr Godivas Delight, Excellent-94%, Woodmohr Jade La Diva-ET, Excellent-94%, and Woodmohr Marlos Ultra Divine-ET, Excellent-95%. Their dam, MJ Candy DC Godiva, Excellent-95%, earned top prizes in lifetime production contests sponsored by the Wisconsin Jersey Breeders Association as well.
Rounding out the top five placings in the lifetime production contest are a pair of cows in the milking string at the nation’s leading fat producer, Cold Run Jerseys LLC of Salem, Ohio. Welcome View Morgan Vesta ranks ninth for milk, third for fat and fourth for protein with lifetime totals of 255,576 lbs. milk, 14,738 lbs. fat and 10,124 lbs. fat in 3,815 days.
The Excellent-91% daughter of Wilsonview Khan Morgan-ET, GJPI -50, has nine complete lactations and daily production of 67 lbs. milk, 3.9 lbs. fat and 2.7 lbs. protein. She bettered milk yield with each calving, making her top record of 25,090 lbs. milk, 1,585 lbs. fat and 962 lbs. protein at 11-4.
“Vesta” last calved in October 2015 and retired from her milking career in 2017 to graze the pastures at Cold Run Jerseys. Though she left the herd in March 2020, herdmates like Cold Run Tex Vex will continue the longevity legacy. “Vex” ranks fifth for fat in this year’s contest with lifetime totals of 196,590 lbs. milk, 12,990 lbs. fat and 7,487 lbs. protein in 2,492 days.
The Excellent-91% daughter of Cold Run Monroe Tex, JPI -30, is the youngest of the high-ranking cows, on track to celebrate her 10th birthday in mid-July. With daily production of 78.9 lbs. milk, 4.9 lbs. fat and 3.0 lbs. protein, she leads the pack for daily fat yield. A model of Jersey efficiency, she has seven complete lactations―six of them completed in 305 or fewer days and six over 24,000 lbs. milk, with component tests over 6.5% fat and 3.4% protein. “Vex” made 28,080 lbs. fat, 1,966 lbs. fat (7.0%) and 1,061 lbs. protein (3.8%) at 5-5 and followed that with 29,420 lbs. milk, 1,965 lbs. fat (6.7%) and 1,082 lbs. protein (3.7%) at 6-5.
Four other members of the Cold Run Jerseys herd qualified for this year’s lifetime production contest.
To see lifetime totals for all cows ranked in the contest, read the July 2020 issue of the Jersey Journal, now available for free viewing on Issuu.
Hilmar Cheese Yield and President’s Trophy
The Hilmar Cheese Yield Trophy is presented to the cow with the highest yield of 38% moisture Cheddar cheese, calculated from actual production of no more than 305 days and completed during the calendar year. The award was first given in 1992. The President’s Trophy is awarded annually to the Jersey cow with the highest m.e. protein yield during the test year and has been presented since 1923.
As previously mentioned, the winner of the Hilmar Cheese Yield Trophy is SLJ Country Majerle. The Excellent-94% daughter of BW Country-ET, GJPI -33, produced an actual record of 33,010 lbs. milk, 1,811 lbs. fat (5.5%) and 1,363 lbs. protein (4.1%), with a cheese yield of 4,721 lbs. to win the award. The 9-11 record also ranks on the current National Class Leader list for cheese yield production among cows 5-9 years-of-age.
“Majerle” has also made headlines in the Jersey world for winning the 2016 National Jersey Youth Production Contest for Treasure. She has seven lactations in all―four of them over 30,000 lbs. milk. Her top record is 5-7 305 34,020 5.4% 1,852 3.9% 1,333 96DCR.
SLJ AJ Weijah won the President’s Trophy with a first lactation with an m.e. of 33,286―1,830―1,401 at 2-1. Actual production is 24,660 lbs. milk, 1,393 lbs. fat (5.6%) and 1,045 lbs. protein (4.2%). Sired by Steinhauers Iatola Applejack, GJPI -58, she is appraised Excellent-90%.
“Weijah” is continuing a legacy established by a former member of the milking string at State Line Jerseys―SLJ Faithful Mary Francis―who won the President’s Trophy in 1984 and 1986.
2020 Lifetime Production Contest
Entries for the 2020 Leading Living Lifetime Production Contest are due March 1, 2021. Cows alive as of December 31, 2020, are eligible. Minimum DHIR production levels for nominating are 225,000 lbs. milk, 10,000 lbs. fat and 8,000 lbs. protein.
