Breeder Profile: Just-R-Mess Dairy

By Ana McCourt, 2022 WHA Summer Intern

Though Just-R-Mess may seem like it means something else, it is solely a play on the Mess family’s last name. Deb and Austin Mess’s passion for dairy cattle began on their home farms where they grew up. Deb grew up with Red and White Holsteins, both egistered and grade, while Austin was raised on a Registered Holstein farm. Since meeting while attending the University of Wisconsin-Madison, the pair have started their own herd, now working alongside their children Kaylee, Sam, and Leah in Rosendale.

The Mess family started their herd in 2005. It began with a mix of cows from both Deb and Austin’s parents’ farms; 40 were brought from Austin’s parents and a couple came in those first few years from Deb’s parents. Today, the 125-head herd consists of mostly Holsteins and Red and Whites, with a few Brown Swiss, Jerseys, and Linebacks in the mix. For the last 12 years, everything on the farm has been completely homebred. Kaylee, Sam, and Leah all own a cow family in the herd as well, being gifted a few calves when they started showing.

Building their registered herd has been a goal for the Messes since the beginning. The first animals they started with were grade, since Austin’s family moved away from registering their animals years prior to their departure. Since then, they have been working towards registering the entire herd and they plan to begin classifying in the near future.

Using higher type bulls first started when Kaylee and Sam began showing. The kids have been showing at the Fond du Lac County Fair and the Wisconsin State Fair for a number of years. Some of the family’s favorite cows have seen their fair share of county fairs.

Many of the cows in their current herd all go back to Short-Fuse Moe Cracker RC. Cracker came from Deb’s parents’ herd in 2007.

The Mess Family at the Fond du Lac County Holstein Futurity. Left to right: Austin, Kaylee, Leah with Just-R-Mess Usp Cobalt-Red, Sam with Just-R-Mess Jim Snowy, and Deb Mess. Photo by Ana McCourt. Though they didn’t start testing milk until 2009, Cracker made 118,000 pounds in her last three and a half years with the Messes. One descendant of Cracker is Just-R-Mess Diamondback CupidET, who was Reserve Grand Champion this year at the Fond du Lac County Fair. Cupid is currently in her third lactation, having produced over 80,000 pounds of milk lifetime so far. Another descendant of Cracker is Just-R-Mess Usp Cobalt-Red, who also made an appearance at the fair. Cracker has made an impact on the herd, having produced daughters who milk well, have success in the show ring and last in the herd. One of the family’s favorite cows is Licorice, a Maximus daughter, who has stood the test of time. At eight years old, she is an absolute powerhouse while still maintaining a sweet temperament. Some of Licorice’s highlights include being named Supreme Champion at the 2020 Fond du Lac County Fair and her 185,000 pound lifetime

record.

Harley is another favorite that can be found on the farm. Harley gets her name from a close encounter with a motorcycle as a calf after escaping from her calf hutch. She will be 13 years old this September and is the family’s first cow to produce over 300,000 pounds of milk lifetime. She has faced many challenges, but her notoriety within the herd is well deserved.

The family’s breeding philosophy is much the same as many other dairy farms. Their goal is to breed for great feet and legs, high milk, and longevity. To do this, they use CentralStar’s mating program. They also purchase bulls from other stud companies. Some of the current bulls being used include AltitudeRed, Cheerful-Red, Ronald, and Moonraker.

Along with working hard on building their genetics, the Mess family works hard to keep their cows comfortable. In 2009, they switched their stall mattresses out for deep sand bedding and a slightly longer stall, which has not only increased cow comfort, but improved their SCC, staying consistently under 100,000.

Future plans of Just-R-Mess include Sam, who will be attending Fox Valley Technical College this fall in the Agribusiness Science and Technology-Animal Science programs. He hopes to return home and gain ownership of the cows. With that, the family also hopes to relocate in order to purchase more land and find a more sustainable facility. At the moment, they only own 10 acres and are

purchasing all of their feed. Though Kaylee and Leah don’t see a future in returning to the farm, they are extremely active in all things agriculture. Kaylee is going to be a junior at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, pursuing a bachelors in Agriculture Education. She hopes to become an agriculture teacher and an FFA advisor. Kaylee stays active in showing by being the dairy and swine project leader for Busy Bees 4-H. She is also the 2022 Fond du Lac County Fairest of the Fair. Sam hopes to take over the family farm. Here, he is showing Just-R- Leah is going to be in eighth grade at Mess Diamondback Cupid-ET at the Fond du Lac County Fair. Photo Rosendale Intermediate School. She is by Ana McCourt involved in Busy Bees 4-H, dairy judging, and is a board member of the Fond du Lac County Junior Holsteins. All of the kids participated in quiz bowl and both the Fond du Lac County junior and senior teams took third this year at Wisconsin Junior Holstein Convention. Not only are the kids extremely active, but Deb and Austin are too. Deb is the leader of Busy Bees 4-H and is also on the Fond du Lac County Dairy Committee. Austin is president of the Laconia FFA Alumni, where he helps organize the tractor pull that is held each September. There is no doubt that the Mess family cares not only about their dairy, but their community. Their key roles in numerous different clubs shows their dedication to the industry and their passion for helping kids succeed.

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