Established relationship creates trust and self-sufficient cows

Family farm with a future

Roelof Jan and his brother Jan Henk run a modern dairy farm in Beerzerveld in the Dutch province of Overijssel. Roelof Jan’s daughter Manon also lends a hand and plans to join the partnership next year. They have used the Triple A system as the basis for their mating selections since 1995. “After four to five years we noticed an improvement in the build of our cows,” says Roelof Jan. “It’s exactly the result we were aiming for: well-balanced cows with an average stature that are perfect for our barn.”

Self-sufficient , durable dairy cows

“Our aim is to breed self-sufficient dairy cows with a long productive life”, continues Roelof Jan. “We have a number of older cows in the herd that are still going strong. Large, showy cows are not our style. Our herd is made up of compact cows with healthy udders and the average somatic cell count is 100 all year round.” “We don’t go to classifications and shows”, Manon adds, “Our cows must stand out by fitting in. Cows that attract attention often need extra attention.”

Future bulls and Belgian Blue

Roelof Jan stresses that the index run is not an important factor in decision making: “We tend to choose future bulls from proven cow families.” The family also regularly uses Belgian Blue sires, such as Beer van de Graashook, because of the high calving ease and very short gestation times. The cows calve easily and have a smooth start of the following lactation. Although the calves are light weight at birth, they drink well and grow quickly. Getting a good price for the calves is what it’s all about.”

The influence of Big Malki

Malki has also been regularly used as a sire at the farm and has left a visible impact on the herd. His daughter, Maxima 2, has produced more than 71,000 kg of milk over five lactations. Her three daughters are also showing an outstanding performance on the dairy farm and her half sister has already clocked up 51,000 litres of milk in three lactations. The Malkis are living proof of problem-free, healthy cows that need little attention.

“Our cows must stand out by fitting in.”

Selection criteria for bulls

When selecting a bull, the Waterinks pay close attention to claw health, somatic cell count and udder health. “And because we use a miking robot, we also consider the teat position”, Roelof Jan continues. “We also focus on how the cow is built. Malki, Borg and Tobor produce compact cows with plenty of chest width and sufficient general width.” He proudly shows a certificate of one of their success stories using other bulls from K.I Samen in the past: “Alie 64 (s. Ponsstar Superman) had lifetime production of 148,000 litres in 10 lactations over 15.2 years. She reached the age of 18! You can also see the positive traits contributed by Climax and Maikman in the herd.”

Healthy claws are the foundation of durability

Healthy claws are the basis for a long and productive life. “Good legs and strong claws are important on our farm, because our cubicles are quite compact,” explains Roelof Jan. Jan Henk adds: “We take very good care of the claws. Our cows are trimmed every five months and the hoofs are sprayed every 14 days, including the pregnant heifers. Hygiene is also good protection against claw problems. Our barns are equipped with a floor scraper and we clean the cubicles daily. In addition, good nutrition, especially high quality forage, is essential for claw health.”

Passion for cows

The Waterink family is passionate about their cows. “I just adore cows,” laughs Manon. “Animal welfare is our priority.” Roelof Jan continues: “We notice if something is wrong with a cow immediately. We use a health app that alerts us, but we’ve often already noticed the signals. The app simply confirms what we’ve already detected. But we still observe our cows ourselves on a daily basis.”

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