March, 2013
9
Business
Local breeders earn top Holstein honours Grant Ullyot
West Coast Farmer
Mark Ricka and his Brooknook Farms in Chilliwack have earned Master Breeder. Rudy and Trudy Russenberger, of Alpina Dairy Farm Ltd. in Abbotsford, have been awarded Holstein Canada’s Master Breeders Award.
Holstein Canada phoned to advise the Russenbergers that they had been selected to be a Master Breeder a second time. Russenberger has a herd of about 150 cows, of which approximately 120 are milked twice a day using a Westfalia-Surge double-ten parallel parlour. He said at the time he installed his new parlour (7 years ago) he considered the idea of installing robots. However, they were pretty new in BC at the time, so he decided to install the parallel parlour. “It has served us well,” says
Russenberger. “We love it.” Russenberger’s herd in 1998 was smaller than the one he has today by about 30 cows. Russenberger has been involved in dairy farming for over 50 years. Born in Vancouver General hospital in 1960 Rudy lived on the family farm in Greendale for about six years before the family moved to their current farm on Lamson Road in Abbotsford. “So I basically grew up on this farm. In 1992 my wife Trudy and I bought my Mum and Dad out. So this is now a second generation
REPORT
Continued: Master/ p10
McCLARY
Sale Days: Monday - Slaughter, Feeder & Misc. Livestock 11:00 AM start. Wednesday: Dairy and Slaughter 1:00 PM start
S T O C K YA R D S LT D .
Choice Holstein Veal ....................................(600-700) ......................................................................... $80.00 -105.50 Holstein Feeder Veal ....................................(175-300) ........................................................................ $90.00 - 120.00 Good Beef Type Cows ..................................(Exportable) .................................................................... $62.00 - 71.00 Medium Beef Type Cows.............................(Over 10 Years Old) ........................................................ $50.00 - 65.00 Young Cows and Heiferettes.................................................................................................................. $70.00 - 81.00 Best Holstein Cows ................................................................................................................................. $64.00 - 71.75 Medium Holstein Cows ........................................................................................................................... $50.00 - 63.75 Poor Holstein Cows .................................................................................................................................. under $49.75 Holstein Heifers........................................................................................................................................ $70.00 - 80.00 Top Quality Slaughter Bulls .........................(1200-2400) ...................................................................... $72.00 - 85.00 Good Slaughter Lambs.................................(80-100) ........................................................................ $135.00 - 145.00 Good Slaughter Goats ..................................(54 - 164 LBS)................................................................None On Offer Good Slaughter Horses................................(800-1200) ........................................................................ $10.00 - 27.00
MACHINERY
SALE
FEEDER CATTLE
Bred Cows ...............................................................................................................................................None On Offer Cow Calf Pairs ........................................................................................................................................None On Offer Beef Type Calves ..........................................(200-399) ...................................................................... $135.00 - 160.00 Beef Type Steers...........................................(400-600) ...................................................................... $120.00 - 143.00 Beef Type Steers...........................................(600-800) ...................................................................... $105.00 - 120.00 Beef Type Steers...........................................(800-950) ...................................................................... $100.00 - 112.50 Beef Type Steers...........................................(1000-1250) .................................................................... $85.00 - 105.00 Beef Type Heifers .........................................(400-600) ...................................................................... $120.00 - 133.00 Beef Type Heifers .........................................(600-800) ...................................................................... $105.00 - 125.00 Beef Type Heifers .........................................(800-950) ...................................................................... $100.00 - 116.00 Beef Type Heifers .........................................(1000-1250) .................................................................... $80.00 - 100.00
Saturday, April 13th 10:00 am Start!
BABY CALVES (By The $)
Started Holstein Bulls (4 Weeks Old+) ............................................................................................. $100.00 - 180.00 Good Holstein Bulls (100 lbs+) ............................................................................................................... $50.00 - 90.00 Small Holstein Bulls................................................................................................................................$ 10.00 - 40.00
McClary Stockyards Ltd.
DAIRY REPLACEMENT - Wednesday (ALL COWS CMT TESTED - HEIFERS VET CHECKED)
34559 McClary Ave., Box 40 Abbotsford, B.C. V2S 4N7 Office (604) 864-2381 • Fax (604) 854-3038 www.mcclarystockyards.com 3-13 wcf
Good Fresh & 2nd Calvers.............................................................................................................. $1400.00 - 1700.00 Springing Holstein Heifers ............................................................................................................. $1300.00 - 1600.00 3rd & 4th Lactation Cows ................................................................................................................. $900.00 - 1300.00 Good Open Heifers .......................................(630 - 800) .................................................................... $600.00 - 800.00 Good Open Heifers .......................................(840 - 970) .................................................................. $800.00 - 1100.00
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Brooknook Farms in Chilliwack has been around for close to 100 years and can now boast about being named a Master Breeder. Owner Mark Ricka said he was
B.C.’s Best Cow Market For Over 40 Years
McCLARY STOCKYARDS LTD.
McCLARY STOCKYARDS LTD. • 34559 McClary Ave, Abbotsford • 604-864-2381
family farm. My Mum and Dad live on an acreage about a mile from our farm and we rent their land. My Dad helps out once in a while with field work. He turned 80 this year.” Russenberger also has two full time employees that have been a big part of winning a second Master Breeder shield. The Russenbergers have 5 children, that have all help out in some way over the past years and continue to do so.
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Alpina Dairy Farm Ltd, Rudy and Trudy Russenberger’s farm on Sumas Prairie, in Abbotsford BC has been awarded Holstein Canada’s Master Breeders Award for a second time. Russenberger was among 21 Master Breeder recipients this year, seven of which were repeat winners. Russenberger was also named a Master Breeder in 1998. Asked if winning for a second time was more rewarding than the first, Russenberger replied, “I think it is an affirmation of being able to do what we want to do and that is to breed the best cows possible. To qualify for a Master Breeder designation, Russenberger had to register his purebred herd with Holstein Canada which then tracked the results of his breeding program. “It is a whole combination of things that go into the decision that leads to a Master Breeder Shield being awarded. You must prove your ability to create the complete package, a herd of cows that combines high production, superior conformation and longevity” says Russenberger. “Holstein Canada keeps track of everything and it certainly makes it a lot easier for us.” It was January 12, 2013 when
hoping to be named a Master Breeder soon, but was surprised to learn that he had been selected this year. “I was hoping to get one soon,” he says. “I have taken care of breeding on the farm for the past 12 years.” The family has been on this farm since 1947. “My grandfather came to Canada from India in 1896. He started farming in 1915 with a herd of Guernsey on a farm that was located on land now occupied by Agropur’s dairy plant in Chilliwack. We switched to Holsteins in the nineteen-seventies and have been milking and raising Holsteins ever since. Being named a Master Breeder requires a lot of patience and perseverance,” says Ricka. “You have to register your herd, breed cows that have very good milk production – lots of high components like fat in their milk and good protein and they have to score well in confirmation – they have to look good. It really is a combination of production and confirmation in order to get this award. You also have to be on the DHI (Dairy Herd Improvement) program which gives the Holstein Association the information it needs to determine eligibility for an award.”
Monday Sales 1:00 p.m. Beef & Feeder Cattle
Dairy Dispersals & Machinery Sales
Wednesday Sales 12:30 p.m. Dairy & Beef Cattle