The Pulsator - Winter 2021

the Winter 2021

Success

IS USUALLY ON ON THE OTHER SIDE OF HARD.

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Vol. 53, No 1- 2021 Missouri Holstein Association President Ryan Bilyeu Vice President Scott Wilson Secretary/Treasurer Jodi Wright Director at Large John Schoen Junior Advisors Shannon Kleiboeker Katie Wantland 417-743-2921 • jwright@missouriholstein.com missouriholstein.com Missouri Jersey Association President Doug Thomas Vice President Ryan Gettle Secretary/ Treasurer Diane Gettle 417-880-8999 • dmgettle@yahoo.com Missouri Guernsey Association President Kenlee Calvin Secretary/Treasurer Cindy Wilson 417-388-0185 Missouri Brown Swiss Association President Adrian Buff Vice president Stephanie Bos Secretary/treasurer Karla Grimm 417-543-6809 Missouri Ayrshire Association President Karen Coleman Vice President Brent Unnasch Secretary Chuck Scoon Treasurer Jeff Jensen 319-230-6002 • karayrayrshires@gmail.com

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MO Dairy MO Holstein State Convention Holstein USA Awards Increase of Fertilizer Cost NAILE Results CBeef On Dairy Antibiotic Changes for 2023 National FFA Results John Denbigh Retires MIZZOU:Foremost Dairy Highlight The Guernsey Named Iceberg

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Missouri Shorthorn Association President Sam Crawford Vice President Scott Gardner Secretary/Treasurer Sally Burd 417-839-7002 • sallyburd@yahoo.com Missouri Dairy Chairman Tom Oelrichs Vice Chairman Alfred Brandt Secretary Sean Cornelius Treasurer Mark Fellwock MO Dairy Education Director Reagan Bluel Board Members Norris Sloan, SE District Scott Maples, SW District

Bernie Van Dalfsen, SW District Rick Scheer, Central District Sally Burd, Associate (417) 772-4231 • reagan@modairy.org modairy.org

Winter Wonderland on a Dairy- submitted by Jodi Wright, a picture of their farm located in Verona, MO. The content of this magazine has been produced with utmost integrity. However, we do not assume responsibility for errors or ommissions.

No reproduction of material is allowed in any form without the permissions of the Pulsator Magazine.

Next Ad Deadline: February 20

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We Welcome Subscribers and Advertisers From All States

BREEDER RATE

Ad Size Color Black/White Full 275 190 Half 170 100 Quarter 110 65 Business Card 65 35

COMMERICAL RATE

Ad Size Color Black/White Full 425 325 Half 260 185 Quarter 140 95 Business Card 80 45 10% DISCOUNT ON YEARLY ADVERTISING

SUBSCRIPTION RATE $25/YEAR 4 ISSUES A YEAR Shannon Kleiboeker 417-737-2876 mopulsator@gmail.com

Jodi Wright 417-840-3203 jwright@missouriholstein.com

Jenna Wilson 417-459-8794 mopulsator2@gmail.com

As the holiday season approaches, we hope that everyone can reflect upon the year and find all the moments of happiness that ensued. 2021, like most years, included struggles and obstacles that we each had to overcome. As we faced our own struggles, it showed us the good and the bad that humanity possesses. We look forward to the holiday season and counting our numerous blessings.

We continue to thank everyone for their support and feedback. It makes us happy to hear that our publication is enjoyed and appreciated. We look forward to the issues to come this upcoming year, and always welcome suggestions or story ideas.

We hope everyone has a wonderful holiday season and wish you all health and happiness for the new year!

CALENDAR 2022

JANUARY

Classification for Missouri 6-Ted Probert Retirement, 1-4pm.

Wright County Extension Office,Mountain Grove 21-22-Missouri Dairy Expo & State Convention, Oasis Hotel, Springfield

FEBRUARY

1-MO Holstein 2024 Futurity Entries Due

APRIL

1-Junior Essay Contest-application due 4-9-Southern National Holstein & Jersey Show, Stillwater, Ok

6- Youth Judging Contest (tentative)

7- Junior Show

8-Sale

9-Open Holstein Show 7-National Holstein USA Judging Conference, Stillwater, Ok (date tentative)

MAY

the end of may-MO Heifer Tag Sale & MO 4-H Dairy Cow Camp

NOW IS THE TIME TO BUY UP TO

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Offer ends 12/31/2021.

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Holstein Association

S TAT E

C O N V E N T I O N

JANUARY 21-22

Oasis Hotel & Convention Center

2546 North Glenstone Ave. Springfield, MO 65803 (419) 866-5253 • (888) 532-4338

Block Room rates are $99 until Jan 7, 2022

2022 District Officers Northeast Central:

James Penn, president; John Denbigh, vice-pres.; Judy Borman, sec./treas.; Alfred Brandt, director.

Northwest:

Dallas Cornelius, president; Misty Langford, sec./treas / director.

Southwest:

Schedule

Nelson Hostetler, president; Janice Perry, vice-pres.; Shannon Kleiboeker, sec./treas.; Larry Wright, director.

South Central:

FRIDAY, JAN. 21

5:00 PM: MHA Commitee Meetings 6:00 PM: Hors d’oeuvres and cash bar 6:00-9:00PM: Silent Auction of donated items.

Donate items to your breed of choice or youth.

6:30 PM: Missouri Dairy-All Breeds Award Banquet MHA Awards Presentations: All-MO Awards, Junior All-MO Awards, Futurity, Cow of the Year, Spring Classic Scholarship and Distinguished Juniors

7:00PM: Cornhole Tournament:teams can pre-enter for a reduced rate. Categories and prizes for adults, family (adults/youth), youth (2 youth) Registeration on following page

SATURDAY, JAN 22

9:00 AM: MHA Board Meeting 9:00 AM: Missouri Holstein Princess/Miss Interviews 10:00 AM: MHA Annual Meeting Crowning of Princess/Miss 10:00 AM: Jr Holstein Annual Meeting Junior Speech Contest-To Be Scheduled by Advisors

Tommy Scrivner, president; Sandra Buff, vice-pres.; Andrea Scrivner, sec./treas.; Becky Durst, director.

Southeast:

John Schoen, president; Melinda (Schoen) Morrison, vice-pres.; Cliff Strieker, sec./treas.; Corvin Schoen, director.

West Central:

Mark Chamberlin, president; Michael Leinbach, vice-pres.; Marilyn Moreland, sec./treas.; Jay Moreland, director.

State At Large Directors (term expires): Ed Wittorff (2021) & Jason Ewing (2022)

2022 Committees Juniors:

Katie Wantland & Shannon Kleiboeker, co-chm; Janice Perry, Monica Ling, Susan Brooks, Kate Geppert, Melody Moreland

Sale:

Jason Ewing, chm; Nelson Hostetler, Mike Wilson, Brad Groves, Larry & Jodi Wright, Tim Ewing, Michael Leinbach, Brittany Groves

Show & Futurity:

Crissy Durst, chm; Janice Ling, Mike Hackman, Eric Ling, Crystal Chamberlin, Grant Groves, Leslie Parrigon, Ellie Wantland

Finance:

Alfred Brandt, chm; Rick King, Jay Moreland

Nominating:

Becky Durst, chm; Brad Groves, Mike Wilson, Kate Geppert

Resolutions:

Ed Wittorff, chm; Barry Steevens, John Underwood, Ted Probert, James Penn

Awards Committee:

Juniors

Roy Parsons, chmn; John Underwood, Cliff Strieker

Can’t wait to see you at the State Convention!

Public Speaking Contest

Juniors interested in the Public Speaking contest at National Convention need to pre-qualify this year!

Qualifying contest will be held Saturday at State Convention.

Sign-up with Katie or Shannon by Jan 2, 2022.

Auction Items Needed

NEEDING DONATIONS: Anyone interested in donating or contributing items to our annual silent auction held during the state convention would be greatly appreciated. The auction will run Friday evening. Please deliver your items to Jodi, Shannon, or Katie on Friday, January 21st by 3 pm. Thank You!

Annual Meeting

Please make plans to attend our Junior Meeting Sat. morning at 10:00am during the state convention. This is where a lot of decisions are made regarding the junior association's actions throughout the year. There are numerous items to discuss and we need everyone's thoughts and ideas to help make it a wonderful year.

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Junior Advisors: the Pulsator

Katie Wantland 417-872-5543

Shannon Kleiboeker 417-737-2876

visit missouriholstein.com/juniors.htm for scholarship and internship deadlines

MISSOURI HOLSTEIN ASSOCIATION - ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP FORM

Name: ________________________________________ HFA# ____________________ Phone (____) ____________________ Address _______________________________ County _______________ City ___________________ State ______ Zip ______ Prefix: ___________________________

Email: (I send website update info): ________________________________

Mid-States Holstein News NOT included in Membership fee / Pulsator included in Adult Membership fee

ADULT Dues - Flat Fee Additional Member Associate Member

$50.00 / Herd Prefix per Prefix = $25.00 $25.00 = 0 cattle ownership Junior membership, $5.00 per junior per year (those under age 21). Please list names & birthdates of Jr. Members:________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________________ RETURN TO:

Missouri Holstein Assoc.

Jodi Wright

11449 Lawrence 2220 Verona, MO 65769

417-743-2921

Membership Dues per Prefix @ $50: Additional Member/herd OR Associate OR Pulsator ONLY Subscription @ $25: Junior Member Dues @ $5/junior: Mid-States Holstein News @ $5 : $10 LATE FEE / ADULT if paid April 15 or Later: - Please answer questions on reverse side - Total Enclosed:

__________________ __________________ __________________ __________________ __________________ _________________

FOLD & MAIL DUES and BALLOT

Hey Dairy Enthusiasts! I wanted to help you with this front and back form.

Please fill out only the forms that are relevant to you. Only want to vote for Cow of Year? Awesome, just fill out the form below.

Have an awesome team for the Cornhole tournament? You only have to fill out the form on the back of this page. Make sure to come up with a spectacular name. FEEL FREE TO TEAR OUT THIS PAGE AND MAIL

VOTE FOR COW OF THE YEAR - MAIL IN YOUR BALLOT BELOW!

2021 MISSOURI COW OF THE YEAR CONTEST OFFICIAL VOTING BALLOT

Voting Deadline: Saturday, January 7, 2022 The MO Cow of the Year will recognize an animal which is bred & owned, at least 87%RHA, and was alive on January 1, 2021. Each cow had to be nominated through an ad in the Mid-States Holstein News or Pulsator. The award recognizes the animal you consider to be most worthy based on their overall performance. The winner will be awarded at the State Convention.

Voting Rules:

Vote by Mail:

Each paid 2021 MO Holstein membership receives ONE vote.

Each paid junior member (age 9 by Jan. 1, 2021) also receives ONE vote.

Make copies of this ballot if needed. Mail to address on reverse. Postmark by Jan. 7

Vote Online at: https://forms.gle/y4BK59NBrrtTxswW9 (only allowed to vote once per e-mail address)

NOMINEES FOUND IN MID-STATES HOLSTEIN NEWS OR PULSATOR (Indicates issue nominated) Vote for only one

C-OF-O MOGUL FRANNIE-ANNIE, College of the Ozarks (Dec. Pulsator)

GROVES-VU ADVENT LATONA-ET, Groves-View Dairy (Dec. Pulsator) __________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

Print Name Legibly & Birthday (Jr. Member only) Signature

Any unsigned or unlegible ballots will not be counted.

You may make copies of this ballot.

VOTE ONLINE OR MAIL BY JAN. 7 Missouri Holstein Association, 11449 Lawrence 2220, Verona, MO 65769

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___________________ I would like to be contacted regarding consigning to the Missouri Convention Sale ___________________ I would like to sell some Holsteins privately through the Missouri Association ___________________ I would like more information on advertising in the Mid-States Holstein News or the Pulsator ___________________ JUNIORS: Would you like to compete at the National Holstein Convention? ____________ Yes __________ No Would you like to serve on a committee of the Missouri Holstein Association?

March 15: Name in Membership Directory April 15: $10 Late Fee/Adult June 1: No Longer qualify for state awards Dues are delinquent after March 15 and your name will be removed at the National Holstein office, therefore

INCREASING your registration rates. Please make sure your address is complete.

What suggestions do you have to improve your Missouri Holstein Association?: __________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________

You can also pay online @ missouriholstein.com or Venmo: @Missouri-Holstein FOLD & MAIL DUES and BALLOT

All-Breeds CORNHOLE Tournament PRE-REGISTRATION FORM Complete and return by January 10, 2022 and enclose payment. $40 / Team if register by January 10. Or $60/team at the door.

Youth = age 16 and under.

Team Name: _______________________ Names of Team Members (2):__________________________________________ Division Entering-check one: Donate my team’s proceeds to:

☐ Adult (2 adults)

☐Ayrshire

☐Brown Swiss

☐ Family (adult/youth)

☐ Guernsey

☐Holstein

☐Jersey

☐ Youth (2 youth) ☐ Milking Shorthorn

Phone: _____________________ Cell: __________________ Email: _____________________________ Entry fee per team by January 3 = $40 _______ check or cash Entry fee at tournament time $60/team

(if you would like to pay by credit card contact Jodi at 417-840-3203)

How many cornhole board(s) are you able to bring (borrow) to the tournament? _____________

Help Your Breed!

During the evening of fun we will also be having a Silent Auction to benefit your breed of choice or the youth.

Silent auction starts at 6pm Friday, Jan. 21, 2022. Please have your items ready to go by 3PM, JAN 21.

Please Return form to:

Missouri Holstein Association 11449 Lawrence 2220, Verona, MO 65769 12

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ATTENTION MISSOURI HOLSTEIN JUNIORS Consignors be sure to start looking at your September and December calves for quality consignments for the

Would you like money towards purchasing a new calf?

May, 2022 Heifer Tag Sale.

ENTER OUR ESSAY CONTEST! Juniors will be asked to fill out an application and write an essay to earn a grant to use towards the purchase of a new calf.

Thank you for making the First Tag Sale a Success

Deadline for application will be April 15, 2022.

LET’S MAKE IT BETTER AND BRIGHTER!

Please watch the Missouri Holstein Website for updates as well as complete details and rules.

Nine head exhibited at the the Pulsator Missouri State Fair from 2021 13 sale!

Dream

Rebuilding a

I recently had the honor of being a guest at Lin-Crest Farm at Linwood, Kansas. In fact, I was there for Thanksgiving dinner with the Leach family.

A thankful day it was as we reminisced about the last two and a half years since the massive tornado ripped through that area and changed many lives forever.

Rob and Lisa told me they are thankful to rebuild their dream with the help of donations and enough insurance to get where they are today.

After a great meal, we toured the new buildings, including a pack barn for the 29 cows in milk. That day, it was very comfortable inside in spite of the cold wind. It was cozy inside and the southern sun felt good.

The replacement dairy parlor is a short walk away for the cows, and a feed storage building is also nearby.

Solar panels are an important feature of the new farm and have cut costs tremendously.

It was always the dream of this family to milk a small herd of show cattle after Rob’s retirement from the Lawrence, Kansas Fire Dept. That is the situation today.

Still Breeding the right kind of Jersey and Holstein cows and still winning national awards.

Now a senior in high school, the youngest daughter Sophie still has time to add to the accolades of recent years.

What a great day to look back at the past, and look forward to an even greater future.

Paul Kruse “Dairy Cattle Enthusiast”

HOLSTEIN USA AWARDS

2021 progressive genetics herd winners

Herd Name Yrs Qualified Avg. CTPI Alfred J. Brandt, Linn 1 2211 James L. & Novalee Coats, Mountain Grove 15 2277 Oberholtzer Dairy, Rutledge 1 2285 Purina Animal Nutrition Center, Gray Summit 8 2284 University of Missouri, Columbia 3 2194

2021 progressive breeders registry winners

Herd Name Alfred J . Brandt, Linn James L. & Novalee Coats, Mtn. Grove The College of The Ozarks, Pt. Lookout Todd & Brad Groves, Billings Toecky Farm, Huggins University of Missouri, Columbia

Yrs Qualified 8 6 6 12 6 3

Hombred % Avg Baa Avg. Milk 87.6 106.4 27645 100 105 27237 90.5 108.5 26620 89.9 109.2 31442 100 106.7 28207 100 106 28735

Avg. Fat 1094 1112 1038 1195 974 1072

2024 Missouri Holstein Futurity:

Avg. Protein 851 846 828 981 853 879

Do you have a nice young calf that is out of one of your good cow families? Do you think she might turn out to be a good cow someday? The Sho-Me Holstein Futurity is for YOU! The Missouri Holstein Futurity consists of a one-time entry fee of $25 when calves are nominated and the cattle will be shown as Three-Year-Olds.

Heifers that were born between September 1, 2020 and August 31, 2021, then go to www.missouriholstein.com to print off the form or contact Jodi Wright to request a paper entry form.

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Print form and submit all entries and monies by February 1, 2022.

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Don’t miss out on this great opportunity!

“Profitability. This is an investment.

This is future labor. This is future happiness. This is future health.”

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Can We Weather this Storm?

As the fertilizer price increases

by Tim Schnakenberg

Farm producers world-wide are feeling the effects of price hikes in fertilizer prices. It is affecting most fertilizer sources including nitrogen, phosphate and potash sources. We can only speculate how long this issue may last, but while it persists, maintaining crop, pasture and hay ground is becoming very challenging. Dairy farmers around Missouri are grappling with how to weather this storm.

The last major fertilizer price hike occurred in 2008, just before milk prices began to tank in 2009. We’ve been here before. Many forecasters predict that prices may continue to rise as we go into 2022. There are several factors that may be causing this hike.

Some point to supply shortages, others to supply chain disruptions and others factor in higher producer demand with strong grain prices. There is a lot of global trade volatility going on these days and increased crop production in other countries is affecting availability of fertilizer for American farmers. With a rise in natural gas prices, there is a correlation to the price of many nitrogen sources since natural gas is commonly used in the production of these sources.

Regarding phosphate, China has banned exports of phosphate fertilizer through 2022. This is a concern since they supply around one-third of the world phosphate supply. In many ways a perfect storm has been brewing for high prices of fertilizer world-wide.

Every few years we get reminders that our management systems need to be built for times like these. Price hikes remind us that a plan should continuously be in place to carefully monitor nutrient levels on fields and keep fertility maintained. It becomes economically unfeasible to fix problems that have developed over the last decade, leaving us suffering production losses that aren’t easily remedied.

We have seen high fertilizer prices before and the natural tendency is to forgo or limit fertilizer applications by just applying nitrogen and no other nutrient. The plant structure of roots, stems and leaves must be built first by nutrients like phosphorus and potassium, before nitrogen can effectively spur growth on. Many crop and hay fields have never fully recovered from this type of management that came out of the 2008 hike.

What are some management tools that we should incorporate to address this problem? First, if there was ever a time to have current soil tests taken from fields, now is the time! Fertilizer is way too expensive to be guessing how to apply nutrients. We need to know where the greatest needs are and where we can forgo unnecessary fertilizer inputs. The only way to do this is to have well-taken soil testing done and set up a prescribed fertility plan. These tests can be done every three to four years.

Once soil test recommendations are in hand, we could foreseeably trim off some of the build-up applications and focus on crop removal. If soil tests levels are in the medium or optimum range, there may be less economic impact from an application. At that point, refer to crop nutrient removal charts to tailor applications decisions (Table 1).

During high fertility prices, prioritize liming over fertilizer if the pH is low. Lime applications can improve nutrient availability in the soil, leading to more fertility from resources already waiting to be tapped.

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Manure sources from dairy or poultry operations may also be a good option depending on availability. Demand and trucking costs are also driving the litter market. Methods to better collect and apply your own supply of dairy manure should be investigated, whether it comes from mechanized methods or better distribution using grazing as a tool. I have always contended that the manure generated by your own cows is always the most cost-effective fertilizer source. If your fields already have high nutrient loads, perhaps this is the time to begin selling manure and using those dollars to buy nitrogen where it is needed the most.

Keeping nutrient losses to a minimum is another important strategy.

Nitrogen losses can be minimized if manure and some commercial sources are injected instead of spread on top of the ground.

Using nitrogen stabilizers with commercial sources are nearly always justified unless applications are made in cooler weather. Split applications are sometimes a more efficient way of lowering losses. However, it is not always recommended, so check with university research results for the most precise method of nitrogen applications on specific crops and forages.

If you are feeding grass hay solely in a bunk at the barns and also are set up for grazing, there may be opportunities missed to better distribute manure around the farm. Hay fed at various places around the farm where cattle may be grazing make significant impacts on nutrient distribution.

We should not discount the ability of legumes like clovers and alfalfa to fix nitrogen and provide for grass hay crop nitrogen needs during the growing season. Incorporating crops like clover into grass fields could potentially eliminate the need for high-priced nitrogen fertilizer.

Legumes have capacity to produce between 50 and 300 pounds of nitrogen per acre and we estimate that up to twenty percent of that can be utilized over time for surrounding grass. One issue is that it takes some time for the legume to reach full fixation potential, especially if broadcasted over the winter or sowed in the spring.

Lastly, assuming that phosphate and potash costs will continue to climb, it may make sense to make those applications in the fall or early winter before an even bigger price hike. There will be little to no loss of these nutrients by spring. In fact, if applied on the surface to forages or on notill ground, it may be better to apply them early to insure there is some time to work into the upper soil profile where the roots will fully access them when needed next year.

We can weather this storm of high fertilizer prices as long as we pay attention to the details of nutrient management and learn how to be more efficient. Seek advice from your local Missouri field specialist in agronomy for tips on fine-tuning your nutrient management skills.

table 1.

Yield Unit

Nitrogen Removal

Phosphate Removal

Potash Removal

Alfalfa-Grass Hay

lbs/ton

54

11

53

Bermuda Grass Hay

lbs/ton

30

11

40

Cool Season Grass Hay

lbs/ton

38

12

47

Clover-Grass Hay

lbs/ton

55

13

57

Native Warm Season Grass Hay

lbs/ton

22

2

15

Sudangrass Hay

lbs/ton

27

8

52

Corn Silage

lbs/ton

9

3.6

9.7

Corn

lbs/bu

0.9

0.45

0.30

Soybean

lbs/bu

0

0.84

1.44

Wheat

lbs/bu

1.26

0.60

0.30

Tim Schnakenberg serves as University of Missouri Extension field specialist in agronomy.

He is based in Stone County. He is one of three field specialists in agronomy serving the southwest region of Missouri. He has worked as a field specialist in agronomy since 1991 and currently focuses on pasture and hay management, forage development and improvement, crop production, pest management, pesticide training, soil fertility and health, and soil conservation. Ongoing educational efforts include Livestock and Forage Conferences, regional hay production schools, regional grazing schools, farm tours, on-farm demonstrations and pesticide applicator training.

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Guernsey

Valley Gem Lindor Lottie Da Winter Heifer Calf, 4th Junior Show, 4th Open Colton Kleiboeker Dix-Lee Latimer Jokes on You Senior Two-Year-Old Cow, 2nd Junior, 3rd Open Whitney Yerina

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Clover-Knoll Jayman Precious

Ayrshire

Mueller’s Kingsire Rosey Junior Heifer Calf, 5th Junior Show, 14th Open Emma Coleman Bruffey-Ayr Parker Mystique Junior Heifer Calf, 11th Open Bobby Bruffey Ridge View Champ Dixie Intermediate Heifer Calf, 11th Junior Show, 5th Open Tyson, Clayton Droste and Shaelyn Scoon Stil-Dreamn Freebeerbe Senior Heifer Calf, 15th Junior Show, 18th Open Teagan Hardy

Dix-Lee Method Journey Junior Three-Year-Old, 1st Junior Show, 1st Open, 1st Guernsey Gold Futurity Whitney Yerina

Grand Champion, Senior Champion, Junior Show Res Grand Champion, Intermediate Champion, Open Show

Jersey

Kar-Ayr Roush Chocolate Chip Summer Yearling Heifer, 5th Junior Show, 9th Open Emma Coleman

Woodruffs Mr Swagger Fall Heifer Calf, 21st Junior Show, 28th Open Harper, Hadley, VanZyverden and Lila Wantland Esperanza Vihanna Fall Heifer Calf, 12th Junior Show, 21st Open Maelee and Treasure Clark

Ridge View HS Lynzi Senior Yearling Heifer, 1st Junior Show, 3rd Open Tyson, Clayton Droste and Shaelyn Scoon

Hawk Pond Andreas Dime A Doz Milking Yearling, 25th Open Rich and Teresa Townsend JX By-Jenn Tequila Fancy Summer Junior Two-Year-Old Cow, 7th Open Caleb Peterson

Mowry’s Vicking Caliente Junior Three-Year-Old Cow, 3rd Junior Show, 4th Open Emma Coleman Stil-Dreamn Vicking Jazza Senior Three-Year-Old, 2nd Open Jessica Gatton-Dixon and Brett Dixon Clover-Knoll Jayman Precious Five-Year-Old Cow, 3rd Open Bobby Bruffey

Holstein

Oak-Ridge-K Calva Sunshine Summer Yearling Heifer, 8th Junior Show, 9th Open Lila Wantland Wrightvale Defiant Edith Senior Three-Year-Old Cow, 4th Junior Show, 12th Open Roper Voskamp

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Kilgus Fireman Aria Junior Two-Year-Old Cow, 7th Junior Show, 11th Open Treasure and Maelee Clark and Peterson Dairy Moon Valley Gentry Gina Junior Three Year Old Cow, 23rd Open Rich and Teresa Townsend

Red and White Holstein

Mi-Wil Cheers to Cherry-Red Fall Yearling Heifer, 1st Junior Sho, Colton Kleiboeker Miss Aristocrat Kandi-Red Spring Heifer Calf, 14th Junior, 13th Open Derby Aries photos provided by Dairy Agenda Today and Cowsmopolitan

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Profitable Returns Found in Dairy on Beef Crossbreeding As the value of dairy cattle in beef markets decrease country-wide, and milk prices become more volatile than ever, dairy farmers are finding ways to keep up with consumer demands and industry trends, even if that means considerably shifting the direction of their operation.

Using beef semen on dairy herds is not a new concept, although it has become especially popular in recent years due to a decrease in dairy cattle values, especially among the beef sector. The upward spiral has been an ongoing trend for the past five years.

According to the National Association of Animal Breeders, beef semen sales in 2017 totaled to 2.5 million units. Just three years later in 2020, sales have skyrocketed to 7.2 million units. Ironically, dairy semen sales have significantly decreased to 18.3 million 2020, one of the lowest numbers since 2006. This dramatic difference isn’t because there are more beef producers in the United States, but instead, has a direct correlation to dairy producers shifting their efforts to utilize more beef.

Across the nation, dairy farmers have seen the potential for this developing market, including Bernie Van Dalfsen, a dairy farmer from Southwest Missouri.

“The transition to using beef semen on the cows was largely because of sexed semen,” Van Dalfsen explained. “The value of heifers is not what it was 15 years ago.”

Six years ago, Van Dalfsen started moderately using beef semen on his herd, but in more recent years, has significantly pushed using sexed semen among his heifers and positive index dairy cows, while breeding the lower end of his herd to beef, ultimately maximizing profits in both areas.

“Cows that have a positive index for butterfat and protein are bred using sexed Jersey semen,” he said. “After six weeks, we clean up with a beef bull, which is currently Charolais, and the negative index cows are bred directly to beef.”

Van Dalfsen is following a system familiar to many dairy farmers by now. Farmers who are using this same concept will breed a portion of their bottom-end cows to beef. The percentage of “bottom-end” cows is dependent on the farmer and operation size.

The key component when making the switch, Van Dalfsen explained, is deciding how many replacement heifers you need to keep your herd consistent, calculate your expected conception rate, and use sexed semen on those animals. For Van Dalfsen, his 600 acres allows him to intensively graze 500 cows with a seasonal spring calving system.

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by Adriana Toste, Freelance Writer

“Crossbreeding made dealing with bull calves easier and more profitable, and using sexed semen on the top end of the herd has benefitted genetic improvement,” Van Dalfsen said.

While Van Dalfsen’s experience has been almost completely positive, he understands the uncertainty a farmer can face when choosing to use beef semen and recognizes that it may take some trial and error.

From Van Dalfsen’s experience, figuring out what works best for your herd, especially in terms of beef breed, is one of the primary hurdles dairy farmers can face. The learning curve lies in finding a balance between beef quality to accommodate the beef market, while also taking into consideration the practicality and mating to your dairy cows.

“First we tried Black Angus, but now we’re using Charolais because it gives our cows a little more frame, which is what Jerseys need when they’re crossbred,” Van Dalfsen said.

It’s no secret that Black Angus has been the largest, most utilized beef breed across all sectors. In 2020, Black Angus semen sales vastly topped others, at 3.6 million, according to the National Association of Annual Breeders. Their breed quality has been proven through data, not just in the beef industry, but also in the dairy industry, and statistics are reflective of that.

The newfound interest of dairy farmers using beef on dairy has grown the possibility for other beef breeds to become more versatile and accommodating beyond the beef industry, such as breeding for smaller offspring and nontraditional beef

traits. Some beef breed associations have even created indices tailored specifically to mating their bulls with dairy cows based on certain economic traits.

Van Dalfsen explained that while some dairymen may experience calving difficulties with crossbreeding, he hasn’t seen much of an issue, primarily because he focuses on calving ease when selecting a bull.

This is a dairy industry standard that must be utilized if dairy cows are expected to calve out beef offspring.

Throughout his years in business, Van Dalfsen learned selling crossbred cattle that do not have the right color markings can also be a challenge.

Sometimes buyers prefer cattle that closely resemble full-blooded beef, so Van Dalfsen has also considered that when choosing sires.

In today’s market, using beef on dairy is something Van Dalfsen believes to be a necessity for most dairy farmers. While he doesn’t see switching over to a full beef operation in his future, he does see the value of implementing beef in some form for most dairy herds.

“I can sell these beef-crossed calves for $200 apiece, opposed to $25 for a Jersey steer,” he said. “It’s as simple as dollars and cents on one end, and steady progress on the other; I don’t think you can afford to not breed beef.”

On the other hand, Mike Meier, a fourth-generation dairy farmer from Southwest Missouri, decided to completely phase out his Holstein herd and transition to a beef operation.

Five years ago, Meier made the decision to follow a five-year plan and began breeding his Holsteins to Angus. Quickly thereafter, he learned the rotational grazing system used on his dairy farm could also work well in a beef operation.

“Based on what we learned we could do with dairy cows on grass, I knew I could do it with beef,” Meier said.

With this rotational grazing system used on Meier’s operation, cool season grasses such as BarOtimpa and Texoma Fescue are grown 60% of the year, while the remaining 40% is grown with Red River Crabgrass double cropped with a wheat/barley variety.

“If you look at the grazing platform, we’re getting the most we can in that spring, and we stock accordingly to that,” Meier said. “Our goal is to not feed any hay until December 1, and we budget to feed hay from December to March,” he said.

This system proves to be most efficient and cost-effective on Meier’s operation, while also being least-labor intensive - all huge perks he considered when making the switch, he said.

For Meier, the biggest challenge has simply been becoming accustomed to receiving payment once a year, rather than a biweekly milk check like he was used to for 40 years of his career in the dairy industry, he recalled.

In total, however, the process has been self-sufficient, and Meier plans to continue to grow his beef operation. Currently, his herd consists of 150 head of Angus, though he looks forward to growing to 200, and even 300, depending on land availability.

He has also seen a large premium with Wagyu cattle and is in the process of working more Wagyu into his herd, with hopes it becomes the dominant breed in his operation. Cattle that have dairy blood, like Meier’s, need specific traits to make them economically competitive in the beef market, such as yield grade/ fat thickness, ribeye area (REA), and marbling. Wagyu has proven to be superior in this area and demand has increased because of it.

What was once used as a last resort on low production cows, has since become a significant movement in the dairy industry. After seeing benefits with this more targeted genetic plan, many dairy farmers, like Van Dalfsen and Meier, are headed in the same direction of using beef on dairy.

In an article by FarmProgress, Kevin Good, vice president of industry relations and analysis at CattleFax said, this year, there are 2 million head of dairy/beef crossbred cattle. That number is likely expected to increase to 3 million head come 2022.

Van Dalfsen and Meier are two of many farmers that have witnessed success with using beef on dairy. While it’s a valuable trend, more importantly, the process can be customized to best fit the needs of each individual operation, which were large factors taken into account for these two farmers.

“There is life after dairy farming; I can tell you that,” Meier said.

Adriana is a native of Gustine, California.

She was raised on her family’s dairy farm.

She has shown and judged dairy cattle all of her life. Adriana attended Modesto Junior College, where she judged at the collegiate level and earned the title of All American.

She is a 2021 agricultural communications graduate of Oklahoma State University.

Adriana now resides in California and works as the Communications Associate at California Farmland Trust. She has written freelance for many publications including, Cowpoke News Magazine, Progressive Dairy, Pacific Nut Producer, and California Dairy Magazine.

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23

What’s Coming in 2023

by John Schoen

The future of any kind of livestock production is changing fast and is out of our control. Federal rules that will be put in place as soon as January 1, 2023 will be a challenge for producers and large animal veterinarians.

We already have shortages of many of the common place products used forever. The regular bottle of penicillin is in very short supply.

Reasons vary from ingredient importing issues to the use of Amoxicillin for human treatment. Ingredients for Amoxicillin are also used in livestock penicillin. Drug companies are also having problems getting the ingredients for dry cow treatment tubes and resin for the plastic tubes it is administered with.

The new rules for 2023 are that all antibiotics sold will have to be prescribed by a licensed vet. So, you will have to have a valid veterinarian-client-patient relationship (VCPR). This is due to the FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine publishing Guidance for Industry Number 263 in the federal register.

In my opinion, this is another overreach that is in line with the 2017 rule that all antibiotics in any feed manufactured by a feed mill or water added medication must have prescription by vet. The new rule will be the end of any farm supply having any over the counter drugs.

Problems I see with GFI #263: 1. The number of large animal vets is very slim in a lot of counties.

In my county, there are 50 small animal vets. These vets will not work with large animals at all. Across the U.S. only 6.5% of vets practice large animal and livestock care according to the American Veterinary Medical Association. We must find out what is causing this shortage. Is it our school’s not taking the time to teach large animal skills, vet school admittance issues, or something else entirely?

2. Producers may skip treatment of an animal and cull instead. This could cause more problems with viruses spreading through the sale barn.

3. The vets, who really do try to help large animal producers, will be overworked because of more paperwork and records of scripts.

4. Additional room for both dry and refrigerated antibiotics will be needed.

5. This could possibly increase the price of antibiotics to the producer.

The prices that producers receive for milk, meat, and other livestock products have got to go up, which may happen short term. The after effects of these new guidelines will be larger producers filling in the gap and forcing out even smaller ones.

I really think a lot of these new regulations are put in place by people that have an agenda. They aim to have complete control of food producers. The intended outcome of reducing antibiotics in our food supply is very farfetched, in my opinion. We have a very extensive testing program in place to keep antibiotics out of our food supply chain and it works.

In the meantime, the pet owners demand a cured pet and parents want a child treated immediately so they can go back to school instead of letting a simple bug run its course without administering major medications. Where it ends who knows? Maybe the cows will be regulated and penalized for too much emissions? Merely, my thoughts and opinions.

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Antibiotics Affected by GFI #263 GFI #263 will expand the antibiotic rules set in 2017 to include any additional over the counter antibiotics such as injectables and intramammary tubes and boluses. In 2023, these antibiotics must be labeled, “Caution: federal law restricts this drug to use by or on the order of a licensed veterinarian.” This will end over-the-counter sales of antibiotics. A prescription from a veterinarian will be required to obtain any of these products.

You may view GFI #263 at www.fda.gov/media/130610/download Examples of affected products: Cephapirin, cephapirin benzathine •Intramammary tubes: ToDAY and ToMORROW Gentamicin •Injectables: Garasol, Gentamicin Piglet Injection Lincomycin •Injectables: Lincomix 100, Lincomix 300, LincoMed 100, LincoMed 300 Oxytetracycline •Injectables: Liquamycin LA-200, Noromycin 300 LA, Bio-Mycin 200, Agrimycin 200, etc.

•Boluses: Terramycin Scours Tablets, OXY 500 Calf Boluses Penicillin G procaine, penicillin G benzathine •Injectables: Penicillin Injectable, Dura-Pen, Pro-Pen-G, Combi-Pen 48, etc.

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John Denbigh

by Shannon Kleiboeker

We would all like to sincerely congratulate John Denbigh on his retirement. In October, family, friends, colleagues and student alums from even the early 90s gathered together to celebrate John Denbigh and his time at Foremost Dairy.

John Denbigh has worked with dairy cows his whole life. A native to central New Jersey, John grew up on a family farm with 30 Holstein cows. He attended College of the Ozarks in Point Lookout, Missouri and graduated with a degree in agriculture business in 1985.

John has played a large role at Foremost Dairy at the University of Missouri for about 35 years. He began as herdsman in 1986, then later took on the role of manager and herdsman in 1992, before formally being given the title Farm Manager in 2006.

His responsibilities on the farm included, breeding, milking and feeding of the cows as well as numerous teaching and research projects.

The dairy was used for much more than just milking cows, it plays a key role in research and education. John would manage fulltime employees as well as 8-12 student workers throughout each year. The dairy was used by repo classes from the animal science department and veterinary students. All vet students learned pregnancy checking, dehorning calves, vaccination and other various treatments at the dairy.

Barry Steevens, retired dairy extension specialist and professor states, “John was always supportive of helping research projects along with weekly teaching requests.” He would also go above and beyond, making sure students had experience with many things that can only be learned through hands-on experience. Steevens expands, “he would show them the skills of helping to deliver a baby calf, how to tickle the nostrils with a spear of straw, and how to get the first colostrum into the calf.”

Not only did John cater to the research and teaching, but he was always open to expand the farms availability for other learning opportunities. He would host several schools around Columbia for

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field trips. Steevens says, “about 3,000-3,500 youngsters would visit each Spring and Fall. John would find a very calm cow that was easy to milk, and first graders would be amazed to discover where milk came from.” John also always made sure to have cattle ready for 4-H and FFA dairy judging contests, including showing students herdsmanship and breaking animals to lead.

Under John’s guidance, many MU students graced the showring with Foremost Cattle. This was another avenue John used to showcase the herd that has been built over the years. During time in the ring, Foremost Dairy has received numerous All-Missouri and Reserve All-Missouri Awards as well as an All-American Nomination.

John welcomed many new technologies to the dairy during his tenure. Some of the advancements include auto take-offs, computerized cow ID, timed AI, ultra-sound, TMR’s, sand based free stalls, pre-dipping, and dry cow treatment.

In 2017 John was recognized by the Missouri Dairy Hall of Honors with the Distinguished Dairy Cattle Breeder Award. This award, first presented in 1978, honors living active Missouri dairy cattle breeders who have attained state and national recognition for achievements in breeding and developing outstanding cattle. He was given this award, and recognized how the herd has progressed genetically through his leadership and genetic decisions. During his time at Foremost they began genomic testing, which they used as a tool to improve the herd. This helped to earn Foremost the Progressive Genetic Award from Holstein USA in 2015 and 2016. Steevens recognizes Johns ability, “he always tried to breed with focus on functional type. He was able to breed a number of excellent Holsteins and one special Red Holstein.”

He was also an active member of the Missouri Holstein Association and the Missouri Guernsey Association. His wife, Beverly tells us, “John is very grateful for the friends he has made through the Holstein and Guernsey Associations through the years and the support of everyone in the dairy field.”

John is a little unsure of what the next page of his book will show, but for now he is taking some time for himself and enjoying time with his grandkids. We wish him the best of luck and happiness for the years to come.

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Mizzou Foremost Dairy

The University of Missouri pride runs deep through this state, whether it be a constant dawning of the bold black and gold colors or a continuous craving of the well-known Tiger Striped Ice Cream. The MU fan base is heavy with pride and commitment for the college. Many students find themselves continuing a family tradition by attending MU. These longstanding traditions as well as the welcoming of new students is why MU has stood as a historic and iconic college for the state.

When it comes to the agriculture aspect of the college, the commitment continues. One of the iconic aspects that MU offers is their Animal Science program and Foremost Dairy. Scott Poock, DVM, DABVP, Associate Extension Professor is currently serving as interim manager of the farm after the recent retirement of long-time manager, John Denbigh. Poock explains, “The animal science department and college of veterinary medicine have excellent leadership that value Foremost Dairy.”

The agriculture program as a whole benefits greatly from the dairy.”

Like many college farms, students play a hands-on role on the dairy doing everything from feeding to breeding cattle.

There currently 3 full time employees at the dairy and 10 30 are the Pulsator

student workers. This hands-on plays a crucial role in learning and developing skills. Poock says, “Working at Foremost will expose you to a slice of the dairy industry. For those seeking to become large animal veterinarians, it gives them opportunities to hone skills they will need. Personally, I ask a lot of questions to the students. It is my goal to help them learn to think about what and why we do things. I have been in the industry a long time and worked with a large variety of operations, a desire to share that with the students motivates me.”

The dairy benefits more than just the student workers. Each week, vet students visit and work on the skills they will need for their practice later on. Also, the animal science classes Animal Production, Calf Management, Dairy Production and Reproduction Management, visit the farm several times a week.

This gives students first-hand experience with large animals to help prepare them for their future. Poock says, “I have been at the university for 16 years. During that time, I have seen many students go onto veterinary school or the livestock industry.

These students received their first experience with cattle at Foremost.” He credits retired manager Denbigh’s commitment to giving student’s opportunities to learn and plans to lead by his example.

The dairy was founded in 1902 with four registered Holsteins. Over the years, many things have shifted and changed but through donations and purchases they have grown and molded the herd to fit the dairies’ needs. The dairy gained the farm name “Foremost” in 1979. Currently, their milking herd consists of 139 lactating Holsteins (plus 37 dry) and 27 lactating Holstein-Jersey crossbreds (plus 2 dry).

There are approx. 800-900 acres between two properties the dairy operates on. The Holstein cattle are housed in a free stall barn. They are fed a TMR of corn silage, alfalfa haylage, wheat silage, alfalfa hay, corn grain, soybean mean, soy hulls, and brewers grain. The crossbreds are out on pasture for 9 months of their lactation and fed a TMR outside during the other months.

They graze on a mix of pastures that include alfalfa, perennial ryegrass, endophyte friendly fescue, orchard grass, clover and chicory.

This set up makes the University of Missouri unique. They have both a grazing dairy and confinement on the same property.

Poock explains, “I believe it is the only university dairy with both systems at one site. Since Missouri has a long history of dairy within the state and it is one of the leading grazing dairy states, I believe Foremost can be a farm that can serve to educate the state’s producers.”

While one goal for the dairy is teaching students, another main aspect it encompasses is research. Over the last five years there have been 14 research projects at the farm. They are currently working on reproduction, beef-on-dairy and calf feeding projects.

The beef-on-dairy project will take calves all the way to slaughter. They are currently breeding 25% of the cows and heifers to SimAngus bulls. One notable past research project was a paper published in 2016. This looked at the microbiome of the uterus and Poock says, “it is one of the top 100 cited articles in the Journal of Dairy Science.”

After recently having an article published in Hoard’s Dairyman about colostrum management and passive transfer in calves, Poock exclaims, “Foremost dairy is one of the best farms for this that I have worked with. Over the nearly 16 years I have worked for the university, it has exceeded industry standards for calf management.” These research projects have helped to optimize efficiency and educate farmers around the country.

The dairy at MU has had many shifts over the years. It has changed and adapted to meet needs for itself and for the education of farmers and students. Currently, Poock explains the programs is, “focused on breeding the Holsteins to moderate sized, A2A2, positive components, production, and positive health/reproduction type bulls.” He feels the herd has an advantage in structural correctness thanks to Denbigh’s breeding selections.

This shift in breeding comes for two reasons. The freestall barn was built in 1991, and was built for a more moderate sized cow.

Next, they are choosing bulls similar to sires that progressive dairy farmers use, with the goal of having profitable cows.

Poock explains, “we have been working with farms that have RHA’s greater than 30,000lbs of milk, high components, low SCC, fantastic reproduction, and healthy cows and it has given us a vision of where Foremost would like to go.”

When it comes to the grazing herd, they are bred to A2A2 bulls, and are already nearly 70 percent A2A2. They primarily use New Zealand genetics as they have been bred for grass, fertility, and high components. “This herd has proven to be very fertile, as the last two years the first service conception rate was over 70%,” Poock describes.

Conception rate for the whole herd is something that Poock considers quite an achievement. “At one point this summer, the herd was at a 30% annualized pregnancy rate and the two experienced AI techs had nearly 50% on conception rate. That is pretty impressive, given we take a break from breeding in November.”

Another goal the farm is looking towards is how they market their milk. It is currently being sold to DFA. They are looking at the possibility of marketing the milk through Buck’s Ice Cream, which would benefit Buck’s as well as provide more profit for the dairy.

Over the years, Foremost has had numerous achievements. One recent notable achievement is in 2014, the University sold a Mogul daughter for $25,500 as a calf in the Missouri State Holstein Sale. She was part of the first group of heifers on the farm to be genetically tested.

As a red carrier and +2,561 on the Holstein USA’s Genetic Total Performance Index, she was one of the highest GTPI RC heifers of the breed. Several sisters and their daughters remain on the farm.

Foremost has also been active in the showring, gaining several All-Missouri Awards and Reserve All-Missouri Awards, and an All-American Our only red, Polled Holstein in the herd at this time Nomination.

With all it’s notable achievements, the opportunities it gives to students and the community along with the research and education it provides to farmers across the state, it is easy to see why MU has landed such an iconic spot in the state’s agriculture and dairy community.

by Shannon Kleiboeker

Mogul X 2951 --- the $25,500 heifer Foremost sold in 2015

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Explorer Admiral Richard Byrd was one of the respected leaders of the time. He was preparing for his second expedition to the Antarctic.

It was an adventure that a depressed nation would rally around.

Admiral Byrd asked for 3 Guernsey cows to take on the voyage to provide milk for his crew. He chose Guernsey’s because their milk was known to have more nutrients. He and his crew needed the extra calories and protein on the expedition. These Guernsey cows would be the first to ever travel that far south. The American Guernsey Cattle Club helped source the cows for the voyage.

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JC Penney volunteered one of his Guernsey cows, Foremost Southern Girl, from his award winning herd at Emmadine Farm in Hopewell Junction New York. You probably know JC Penney from the famous line of retail stores that bear his name. Mr Penney, who was born on a farm near Hamilton Missouri, also had a passion for farming. He spent much of the last 60 years of his life promoting breed improvements through his Guernsey and Angus herds. The Foremost name came from Penney’s beloved bull Langwater Foremost he purchased in the 1920s. He paid a then record price of $20,000. That bull sired many top cows and bulls. The Foremost name lives on today at one of the University of Missouri farms; Foremost Dairy Center that was started with a large donation of land and Guernsey cattle from JC Penney. The Foremost Farms brand name is still found on consumer dairy products.

A second Guernsey cow, Deerfoot Farms Maid, came from Deerfoot Farms, Southborough Massachusetts. She was milked at home with the Pine Tree Surge Bucket milker. Deerfoot Farms were featured in Surge Milker advertisements.

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Foremost Southern Girl and Deerfoot Farms Maid boarded Admiral Byrd’s ship, the Jacob Ruppert, on October 7, 1933 in Boston.

The third Guernsey, Klondike Gay Nira Pola, came from Klondike Farms in Elkin, North Carolina. Klondike boarded the ship in Norfolk Virginia. She was bred and expected to calve when they arrived in the Antarctic. Admiral Byrd planned to have the first calf born in Antarctica to get news coverage for his expedition.

Edward F Cox of Buffalo New York was the herdsman for the trip. While in Virginia, he loaded the feed and bedding supplies for the cattle’s journey. 10 tons of Larro Feed was supplied for the cows and Larro made great use of this in their advertising once the ship returned to America in 1935. Additional bulk feeds were twenty tons of hay, beet pulp, and bran. Cox also included a 2 year supply of straw and sand for bedding.

Cox built a 14x16 mini barn inside the ship.

The walls were heavily insulated to protect the cows from the extreme high temperatures at the equator and the extreme cold in the Antarctic. A coal fired stove and sun lamp were included to make the cows more comfortable. Cox outfitted the little barn with Jamesway stanchions and Surge Bucket Milkers. The Surge Milker was chosen because it was easy to clean in the challenging conditions on the boat and at Antarctic.

On October 22, 1933, The little Guernsey herd sailed south from Norfolk Virginia - 81 years ago. The beginning of an 11,000 mile voyage to the Antarctic.

The journey south was without any problems or surprises until they were approximately 275 miles from the Antarctic.

Sailor Lindsey describes the scene “seeing on the horizon the dim outline of my first iceberg, a beautiful tall spire crowning its massive cathedral-like form” and “soon they were very numerous…the ship had to weave about to avoid the ice-cakes…the products of the breaking up of ice bergs, and in melting they assume varied and fantastic shapes. Bobbing up and down in the waves they seem like the funny creatures of a huge merry-go-round” “Admiral Byrd said he saw more icebergs today than all those seen on the last expedition put together” (AAL, December 19). Sailor Paine comments: “We ran into ice at 1:30 this morning…The icebergs have been magnificent and truly one of the scenic wonders of the world” Sailor and diver Bob Young continues the story; “On December 19 we saw our first icebergs – and incidentally one of the cows gave birth to a calf, which was promptly named ‘Iceberg’. We are now in 65 degrees South Latitude and 163 degrees East Longitude – unexplored waters, as Captain Cook only came to 62 degree South Latitude in this longitude. We passed close to a big iceberg. It looked anchored, so we steamed around it and took soundings – but got no bottom. Byrd thought he might discover some islands or land in the Pacific Quadrant we were now in.”

Klondike blessed the crew with a baby bull calf. Herdsman Cox had suggested naming a female calf ‘Lucille’ for all the loose seals at Little America – their destination in the Antarctic. But the calf was a bull and so it was named Iceberg. Political style buttons soon were for sale honoring Iceberg From the back of the button; “Born December 19, 1933 on the Byrd Antarctic Expedition II The Farthest South of any Dairy Animal.”

The Jacob Ruppert arrived at the southern destination on January 17,1934. The cows were all being milked twice a day. Iceberg was thriving and healthy. The cows were moved on shore to a temporary tent while an ice block barn was built for them. The cows walked 3 miles on the ice to get to the temporary shelter.

The cow’s warmth and weight caused them to sink in the ice. They crew had to help the cows up when they would get stuck in the melting ice / snow mess inside the tent. Sadly, Iceberg’s mother developed frostbite and had to be put down. Herdsman Cox is quoted in Admiral Byrd’s book, The Discovery, “I’ve put away a lot of ‘em, Admiral, but it never got me before.

I guess I got pretty fond of that cow”.

The Ice block barn had a coal stove, Jamesway stanchions and Surge Milking machines just like on the ship. The vacuum pump for the milkers was powered by electricity. Admiral Byrd took a wind generator to provide electricity. The crew was served milk in Golden Guernsey glass bottles. The paper caps were printed; “Byrd Antarctic Expedition, Golden Guernsey Milk Produced on Board the Jacob Ruppert.”

Electricity greatly enhanced the expedition ability to do research and survive in the harsh climate. The first human voices were transmitted from “Little America” Antarctic on February 1, 1934 and later a weekly broadcast was carried over the Columbia Broadcasting System in the United States The weekly radio show was both newsworthy and kept the world interested because the expedition was mostly funded by private donations. Only $150,000 in cash plus donations of supplies had been raised for the expedition. Not a lot of money for this endeavor, but on the other hand a significant amount considering the state of the 1933 economy.

In 1935, the 3 Guernsey’s, Iceberg, Foremost Southern Girl and Deerfoot Farms Maid returned to America completing their 22,000 mile adventure. They returned to their original owners and farms. Iceberg became an American folk hero. He had a medallion made in his honor and helped Admiral Byrd raise more money.

Deerfoot Farms Maid grew a thick winter coat while at the South Pole. She never lost it once back home. She lived until 1942.

The Surge Milker used on the expedition was made of Monel Metal an alloy that would not rust. Stainless Steel was not yet in use for dairy and food processing. This model was made from approximately 1926 to 1935. You can see this version of the Surge Bucket Milker and 11 other models now on display at Hamby Dairy Supply in Maysville Missouri.

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