HERDS TO WATCH
Hilltop Dairy LLC Markesan, WI by Ashley Yager
Left to right: Rich, Cal & Loren Greenfield Braxton and Guthrie daughters, while sires in the breeding tank include Atwood, Brawler, Chelios, Impression, Aftershock and Jett Air. The herd has over 90 Shottle daughters, which have proven to be trouble-free cows with great demeanors that the family is excited to breed from. Kevin Greenfield is the herdsman at Hilltop and focuses on reproduction and mating. He has done a phenomenal job at getting cows on the dairy pregnant and mating them with desirable sires. The Hilltop breeding program utilizes the Semex AI-24 system, which monitors the herd for heats. Now on the program for over 20 months, Kevin uses an app on his phone illtop Dairy was founded in 2002 by the Greenfield family, and Rich, for heat detection. He enjoys the convenience provided by the system. Cal and Loren Greenfield. Rich and his brother Cal farmed Hilltop Dairy is home to a double-12 parlor, and the herd maintains separately in stanchion barns before coming together to run 450 cows. a RHA with 1033 cows of 30,749 milk, with 3.52% 1073 fat and 3.14% With some gentle nudging from Rich’s son Loren, a teacher at the time, 953 protein. With an outstanding SCC at 144,000, it’s no wonder why the three decided to combine efforts and Hilltop Dairy was born. Hilltop has earned numerous milk quality awards. The dairy has grown from its original 450 cows to a present total of In a technology-filled world, the Greenfield crew is doing their part 1,000. The Greenfields grew from within, and only purchased high-profile to engage the community through social media. Their Facebook page has genetic animals. A passionate group that takes tremendous pride in their garnered over 450 likes, and is utilized for community awareness. Loren breeding program, parlor procedures and calving program, the trio thrives says it provides the opportunity for people to see what’s going on, and gives on the motto “take care of the cows and the cows take care of you.” exposure for developing cows and families for marketing opportunities. While the Greenfields were not new to the business in 2002, they were One of the cows headlining the Hilltop herd this fall is Hilltop-LLC somewhat new to the Registered Holstein game. With the help of Holstein Jett-Air 4459, VG-88 as a three-year-old. Her two-year-old record at 2-00 USA Representative Mike Snyder, they were able to put registration papers 3x 352 days yielded 30,060 milk, with 3.8% 1146 fat and 3.2% 949 protein. on nearly every animal in the herd. Now, 85% of the herd is registered, This featured Semex daughter is bred to Golden Dreams for spring 2014, and all animals under two years old are registered. Snyder has been an and is on track to make another outstanding record with over 16,000 excellent mentor to the Greenfield family and still makes routine visits to pounds milk at 153 days into her lactation. the dairy. This spring, Hilltop Dairy invested in Wilstar Mich 2312-ET, EX-90, The Hilltop crew classified cows for the first time in September 2008. a daughter of 2nd-Look Durham Juba 3433-ET, EX-95 2E GMD. This Since then, the Greenfields have five-year-old produced over 43,000 bred 42 Excellent cows and two pounds of milk in her four-yearGold Medal Dams. Their BAA old lactation, and had an Atwood from September 2013 reached heifer calf in September this year. 105.4% on 782 cows, with 25 Her lifetime credits yield over Excellent, 257 Very Good and 436 120,000 pounds of milk and 4800 Good Plus. They look forward to pounds of fat, and the Greenfields continuing the merchandising of are excited to work with this cow their herd, especially as they family in the future. continue to build on good Another individual that will pedigrees. They sell approximately be utilized in the genetic program 30 replacement females each year. at Hilltop is Mil-R-Mor Shottle Some of the Greenfields’ Rhona-ET, VG-85. Rhona favorite milking animals are sired completed her first lactation at by Blitz, Bolton, Baxter, Buckeye, 1-11 3x and 325 days with 26,020 Lou, Talent, Toystory, Alexander, milk, 4.3% 1128 fat and 3.4% 892 Sanchez and Shottle. The calving protein. This fourth generation pens include daughters by Fever, Roxy has daughters by Atwood Seaver, Jerrick, Jordan, Braxton, and Goldsun, and freshened for Sid, Shottle and Baltimor. Heifer the second time in June. pens are filled with Jerrick, Jordan, Other individuals with inFever, Shout, Atwood, Windbrook, triguing pedigrees include Mil-RHilltop-LLC Jett-Air 4459 VG-88 3Y
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8–wisconsin HOLSTEIN news/October 2013