BREEDER PROFILE
Rickert Bros. LLC – Rickland Holsteins Jim & Kelly Rickert, Greg & Laura Rickert, Andrew & Shannon Rickert, Andy & Jenna DeVries, and Don & Lila Rickert, Eldorado by Ashley Yager Jim & Kelly Rickert Family
ickland Holsteins is an operation built on years of passion for the Holstein breed and the dairy industry. The Rickert’s rich tradition of family, hard work and breeding Registered Holsteins has solidified their position in Holstein history, through both the genetics produced and their industry leadership. Jim and Greg Rickert have had a calling for farming and Registered Holsteins their entire lives. Don’s parent’s Eldor and Edna Rickert purchased the home farm in 1936. When Don graduated from the UWMadison Farm Short Course in 1952, the farm had 160 acres and 33 cows. The Rickert’s now farm 2,000 acres and have over 1,000 cows. The Rickerts currently milk in a double-12 parallel parlor that was installed in 2000, and a rolling herd average on 1051 cows and 3x of 27,537 pounds milk, with 3.8% 1044F and 3.1% 840P. They test milk the first week of every month to take a sample, but lactation totals are based on a 7-day average taken from daily weights on each cow. Rickland farms is owned by Donald and Lila, along with Greg and Jim. Jim’s son, Andrew, has also been transitioning into ownership, as well as Greg’s son-in-law, Andy DeVries. Jim and Greg work together to manage the genetics in the herd – Jim is more focused on cow families and Greg tends to keep track of the genomic sires and trends. Andrew takes care of all feeding, TMR for the herd, calf registrations and field work. Andy helps with crops, farm machinery, and equipment maintenance. Don is still involved by helping with fieldwork, payroll and farm finances. Jim and his wife Kelly manage calf feeding. Andrew’s wife Shannon also helps with calves when she can. There are an additional 12 non-family employees on the farm, in addition to full-time herdsman Rick Hartman. Rick does all hoof trimming for the herd. The Rickert family has always operated under a progressive mindset, so it’s no surprise the Rickland genetic program has shifted heavily to genomics the last ten years, with over half the mating to genomic sires. The Rickert’s work heavily with Select Sires as a cooperative herd, and genomic test many heifers and necessary bulls, with first choice given to Select. They have 12 cows contracted right now, and typically flush once or twice a week. They also have a few animals at Sunshine Genetics at a time for IVF work. The Rickland herd has a BAA that places them in the top ten for herds over 400 cows in the U.S. for 2014. Even more impressive might be the 50 or more cows on the locator list, or the 20 years they have been recognized as a Progressive Genetics Award herd.
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8–wisconsin HOLSTEIN news/March 2015
Most of the heifers are raised on site, with about 150 contracted at a different location. The Rickerts send about eight bulls a year to AI, with 25 additional sold as breeding bulls. The remaining bull calves are sold at birth. One of the most successful sires to come from the Rickert’s herd recently is Rickland Predestine-669-ET, the Shamrock son of Rabur Gold Pluck, EX-91 2E GMD DOM, at Select Sires. Pluck is a daughter of Rabur Outside Plethora, a full sister to Rabur Outside Pandora, EX-91. This family is known for its great udders, feet and legs, and most importantly, perhaps, longevity. The Rickerts have a number of descendants from Pluck that have been embryo donors, including two VG Planet daughters with records over 36,000 pounds milk that have sons in AI. Pluck is an outstanding production cow as well, with a 4-05 3x 365 record of 40,090M 4.4% 1798F and 3.3% 1336P. Pluck is the only cow to have earned her place on the Rickland farm sign, and calved in May at eight and a half years of age. Aside from selling bulls, the Rickerts try to consign two or three heifers to elite sales each year. One of their most recent consignments, a Montross with extreme protein from Wal-Del-DH Bookem Camara, VG-86 VG-88 MS, sold for five figures on the Destination Vegas Sale. Camara is one of the key females the Rickerts are working with now. She is +2378 GTPI and is the number two protein cow in the breed at +70. Her Salvatore heifer is the highest protein heifer in the world with +82 Protein and +87 Fat, with +2428 Milk. Another Salvatore from Camara is +67 Protein and +76 Fat, with +2590 GTPI. The Rickerts are also working with Rickland Chairman 3573-ET, VG-88. Her 2-00 record at 3x and 365 days produced 36,525M with 4.0% 1450F and 2.9% 1075P. She is the #17 type cow in the breed at +4.02
Rabur Gold Pluck EX-91 2E GMD DOM