Farmprofile

Cooperation

During the Dutch FMD crisis in 2001, there was a national ban on the transport of semen. Rob’s father Jan had no other choice than to manage the insemination of the cows himself. K.I. Samen supplied a nitrogen tank and this triggered the start of a long-term cooperation.

From out of proportion to balanced

“At the time, we noticed that if we continued breeding in that way, the herd would develop in the wrong direction: out of proportion cows that were too narrow and tall. This one-dimensional breeding approach and the digital breeding system took us further and further away from our breeding goal. So we decided to switch to the Triple A system. The result was strong, balanced dairy cows, that produce and age easily. And there is no way you can achieve that with a herd that is out of balance, ” is Rob’s firm conviction.

Bulls proven in practice

“I don’t just focus on the highest scoring index bulls. They often have an extreme build and are not always the best combination to breed a balanced cow that can deliver an optimal performance, “says Rob. “When making the selections, I look at the bull’s body conformation, because if a bull has a lot of balance and quality, he can also pass it on to the next generation. I prefer to use bulls with a proven performance in practice and with good transmission traits. Other important factors I consider when choosing a bull are the pedigree and component percentages, but also persistency, late maturity and longevity.”

Top bulls that transmit

Valor Tobor is typically a sire with good transmission traits. “We now milk eleven of his daughters in the second and third lactation. They have an average lactation value of 108. Tobor is reliable and we use his semen as much as we can. Another winner was Ponsstar Shogun. “We used him to full satisfaction. We now have four of his daughters who have smashed the barrier of 100,000 kg of milk, including Hennie 49 with more than 131,000 kg of milk with 4.90% fat and 3.79% protein.” Rob laughs proudly.

Longevity firmly anchored in the Hennie line

The Hennies are the dominant line in the herd. What typifies the strength and quality of the cow family? “These characterful cows are extremely persistent and mature late, with incredibly good udder health and a huge will to do well and survive,” says Rob. Hennie 63 is in the top 10 of the fastest cows to yield 100,000 kg of milk in the Netherlands. She produced 10,000 kg of fat and protein in a record time of 2679 days. “And that with high component percentages of 4.63% fat and 3.70% protein,” adds Rob. “Even at the age of 11, she still looks youthful.”

Future bull Skymaster

Hennie 63 is the dam of Skymaster (Summerlake x Ricol x Shogun), a promising K.I. Samen future bull. He was bred by the Roelofs family and can depend on solid roots in the shape of his grand sire Ricol (aAa 561), who is also home bred. His grand dam, the 100-tonner and 10-tonner Hennie 49 (s. Shogun) is of the same high calibre as her daughter. “Both cows are still in full production and have very impressive lifetime production,” says Rob. Black Royal, the half-brother of Skymaster, is also set to become a new future bull at K.I. Samen this summer.

Ricol x Shogun: a perfect match

The black-and-white Ricol (Mascol x Olympic x Ronald) forms the starting point of the Roelofs herd. “You can find Ricol blood in 95% of our cows,” explains Rob. “The Ricols are well-balanced, wide cows with good chest width and plenty of capacity. They produce and age without any problems at all. We frequently combine Ricol x Shogun and it’s a winning formula that never fails.”

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TOP PERFORMERS AT THE FARM

Breeding consultant Natasja Schenning: “The Roelofs dairy farm is characterised by a consistent management strategy and very good care for the herd. Bulls like VDR Slash and Valor Tobor do well at the Roelofs farm. Slash daughters are solid working cows and Tobor contributes refinement and excellent claw health. To get a good impression of a bull, Rob watches bull videos and also closely considers the cow family and pedigree. VDR Styles (aAa 153) and Skymaster (aAa 351) are now regularly used. Thirty percent of the herd is inseminated with Belgian Blue, especially Beer van de Graashook and Bruno van de Plashoeve. Both bulls score well for ease of calving and the calves grow fast. Getting a good price for the calves is what it’s all about.”

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