State Picnic 2010
Thank you to the Brey Family of Cycle Farm in Sturgeon Bay, WI for opening your barn doors. The 2010 Picnic will be held Saturday, September 11, 2010. Check this page for more details as they are available - we hope you'll join us in scenic Door County this fall!
View Cycle Farm's latest ad by clicking here.
| Schedule of Events | ||
| 11:00 a.m.-1:30 p.m. | Open barn, judging contest, kids’ games | |
| 12:00-1:30 p.m. | Lunch served | |
| 1:30 p.m. | Panel: “The Bottom Line of Registered Holsteins Across America” | |
| *Following the program socialization will continue at Cycle Farm with dinner, drinks and music. All are welcome!! | ||
The Bottom Line of Registered Holsteins Across America
These Registered Holstein breeders from across the country will
share the management strategies that have allowed them to
not only survive, but thrive, in our current economy while
maintaining focus and pride in their Registered Holsteins.
• Jonathan Lamb - Oakfield Corners Dairy, Oakfield, New York
Jonathan has heavily merchandised his registered Holstein herd
at Oakfield Corners Dairy in recent years. The current list of ET
calves available from Oakfield Corners numbers more than 400.
Jonathan is also a co-owner in his family’s 4,200-cow commercial
dairy herd at Lamb Farms, Inc. and serves as a Holstein USA
National Director.
• Steve & Cory Gillins - Canyon Breeze, Minersville, Utah
Father and son Steve and Cory Gillins own and operate their 500
cow farm at Canyon Breeze Holsteins and were recently named
Premier Breeder at the 2010 Western National Spring Show.
Canyon Breeze has its own flushing program and has had over a
dozen sires make the active AI lineup in recent years.
• Lance Kamm – Nova Holsteins, New Richmond, Wisconsin
Lance Kamm is a partner in Nova Holsteins with his father, Thomas,
and brother, Ryan. The farm is home to 120 cows and an extensive
ET program. Nova is a partner in and developer of the extremely popular UFM-Dubs Eroy and her descendants.
Accommodations
AmericInn, 622 S Ashland Ave, Sturgeon Bay, Ph: 920-743-5898
- 4 miles from farm. Block reserved until August 10 under
“Wisconsin Holstein Association.”
Visit www.doorcounty.com for other accommodations and tourism information.
Directions to Cycle Farm
From Green Bay at I-43: At exit 185, take WI-57N northeast towards Sturgeon Bay
for 30 miles. Just before reaching Sturgeon Bay, turn south (right) on County Rd. O
two miles to farm.
From SE Wisconsin: Take I-43N north to Green Bay and follow above.
From South-Central Wisconsin: Take US-151N northeast to WI-26 (Exit 148). Take
WI-26 for 25 miles northeast to Oshkosh. Then US-41N north 55 miles to Green Bay.
In Green Bay take I-43S (Exit 171) south 5 miles to Exit 185, and follow above.
From Western Wisconsin: Take WI-29E east to Green Bay, then US-41N north for 2
miles, then I-43S (Exit 171) south 5 miles to Exit 185, and follow above.
To be auctioned off at this year's picnic - *2* tickets to a University of Wisconsin-Madison football game vs. University of Minnesota for October 9, 2010. Be the last one to bid on September 11! These great tickets have been donated by Matthew and Molly Dorshorst.
A Look at Cycle Farm
Door County Wisconsin may be considered a tourist destination for many, but those in the dairy industry know it’s home to century Holstein farms built on years of family breeding and passionate dairymen. Cycle Farm–owned and operated by the Brey Family is an example of a multiple generation dairy farm that has done extraordinarily well in developing every aspect of their operation with each passing generation.
The Brey family’s Cycle Farm originated in 1904, and has come a long way since to become an operating Registered Holstein farm. Their “Cycle” prefix was created to represent the ever-changing life on the farm, including changing seasons and business “cycles”, which have been evident the past few years.
Bill’s father, George Brey, Jr., owned Registered Guernseys in the 1940s before switching to Holsteins in 1948. When Bill and Clarice took over the farm in 1974, the farm consisted of 24 grade cattle and a cherry orchard. That same year, they began building their herd of Registered Holsteins with a purchase at the Gray View dispersal. Their purchase was the dam of Cycle Farm’s first Gold Medal Dam, Cycle Major Sherry. Sherry was also the dam of Brey’s first Excellent cow, Cycle Sexation Sarah.
Bill and Clarice were both born and raised on Door County dairy farms. Bill attended college at UW-River Falls and earned his Animal Science degree before returning to the home farm. He worked for DHIA while in school and tested Registered Holstein herds. It was his exposure through this job that allowed him to see the dual-purpose opportunity with Registered Holsteins. Clarice’s home farm, Church-Site Registered Holsteins, is still run by her brothers, Jim and Joe Wautier.
Bill and Clarice married in 1973, and began purchasing Registered Holsteins to add to their herd soon after. After their Gray View purchase, the Breys looked to different sales and neighboring Registered Holstein farms to acquire additional animals for their herd. Bill and Clarice started with 24 animals and the intention to have a 50-cow herd, but that changed quickly with ups and downs of the dairy economy. Their herd of 24 quickly grew to 43, and through purchases and internal growth, numbers slowly climbed to 120 milking cows by 2003.
In 2003, the Brey’s herd had reached maximum capacity in their tie-stall barn, and the decision was made to retrofit part of their stall barn to a swing-8 parallel parlor and holding area, and build a free stall. In 2006, additional free stalls were constructed, along with manure storage for the farm’s growing population.
Cylce Farm now consists of Bill and Clarice, their sons Jacob and Tony, and Tony’s wife Moriah. After completing his degree in Dairy Science at UW-Madison, Tony returned home in 2007 and began farming in a 50/50 partnership with Bill and Clarice. He, Bill and Clarice work full time on the farm. Jacob is a freshman at UW-Madison studying Dairy Science. Moriah is also a UW-Madison graduate and is now a credit analyst with Greenstone Farm Credit Services and helps out with special projects on the farm and as needed.
While Bill and Clarice’s children may not all live on farms today, all five of them have spent time on the dairy and participating in shows and World Dairy Expo. Their oldest daughter, Christy Vogel, resides in Appleton with her husband Nathan and two children where she works as a pharmacist. Katie is an attorney and lives in the Netherlands with her husband, Menno Huiser. Angie is married to Mark Ulness, and together they operate Ragnar Holsteins in Valders with their three children.
Since 2007 and Tony’s return to the farm, the Breys have doubled their herd size to 240 milking animals. Their RHA is 23,000 with 3.7% fat and 3.0% protein on twice a day milking. The Brey’s herd boasts a 107.6 BAA, which was first in the nation in 2009 for its herd size (150-200 cows). Cycle Farm is home to an additional 200 head of young stock.
The milking herd is housed in sand-bedded freestalls, which the Breys feel increases cow comfort and keeps their SCC consistently below 150,000. A select few cows that are being flushed or prepared for the show season are still housed and milked in the tie stall barn. In 2008, a 30-stall free stall was built for transition animals. This has helped the Breys tremendously and allows the cows to be milked in the parlor, rather than transitioning them back and forth between tie stall and free stall as done in the past.
Tony has stepped into the herdsperson role on the farm and manages the day-to-day operations with cattle, along with extensive help from Jacob when he is home from college. Tony is also responsible for the farm’s A.I. work and breeds much of the herd using ovsynch. Heifers are bred with embryos or sexed semen, and sexed semen has been used with success on the farm. The Breys choose to use this semen technology because the extra value in heifer calves more than covers the additional cost of semen. They would like to sell their surplus animals or grow the herd from within if Jacob decides to join the operation after college.
Bill is responsible for the cropping portion of the farm. Along with Clarice and Jacob, they oversee the tilling, planting, and harvesting of approximately 700 acres. Haylage and corn silage are stored in bunker silos, and dry hay is made for heifers and dry cows. In addition to family labor, the Breys employ two full-time and two part-time employees.
All calves are housed in hutches. In the fall of 2009, the Breys purchased a pasteurizer. Since the transition to feeding this milk, the Breys have noticed better calf health and increased weaning weights. Calves are weaned at two months, and rotated through group pens that are attached to the original tie stall barn.
The Breys are very excited to work with up-and-coming cows in their herd. A second generation homebred Excellent, Cycle Durham Vienna, EX-94, is the matriarch of the cow family they are most eager to develop. She traces back to a Wisconsin State Sale purchase many years ago. Her record at 6-09 2x 365d was 30,700M 4.2 1295F 3.1 945P lbs. One of Vienna’s oldest daughters, Cycle Aspen Victoria Secret, was 6th junior two year old at the International Junior Holstein Show in 2009. Vienna’s image continues to show through her young daughters by Talent, Laurin, and Shottle. She is still being flushed with embryos and pregnancies by Sanchez, Goldwyn, and Alexander.
Another developing family at Cycle Farm descends from the Debutante Rae cow family from Matt and Mandy Nunes. Tony purchased two, 7th generation Excellent Durham granddaughters of Tony Rae as embryos from the Nunes’. Scientific Durham Roxie-ET, EX-90, and Scientific Durham Rose-ET, EX-91, now have several daughters in the herd. Both are fresh and being flushed. Roxie had a 4-04 2x 365d record of 31,430M 4.7 1474F 2.9 918P lbs. Rose was right behind her, with an outstanding three-year-old record at 3-09 2x 365d of 31,070M 4.1 1280F 3.2 994P lbs. A Shottle daughter from Roxie will be offered in the 2010 WHA Great Holstein Treasure Quest at the Midwest National Spring Show.
On the show side, Jacob’s cow Cycle Linjet Katherine, EX-92, has put quality daughters into the Cycle herd as well. Katherine was 5th five year old at the International Junior Holstein Show in 2008, and completed her five year old record at 5-05 2x 365d 27,290M 4.3 1168F 3.1 838P lbs. Her daughter by Champion is Very Good, and her young heifer by Durham looks promising.
Another of Jacob’s show cows that has done well in the Brey herd is Railane Durham Calamazoo, EX-92 at four years of age. Calamazoo was purchased at the Wogsland family’s 2006 sale, and is backed by an EX-92 3E Encore that also has a great show record. Calamazoo was named Grand Champion of the District 7 Junior Holstein Show in 2009, and was second at the WI Junior State Fair. Calamazoo has a Jasper heifer and is due in April with a Sanchez heifer calf. Calamazoo’s last completed record at 4-03 2x 305d yielded 28,150 3.8 1062F 3.1 869P lbs.
In addition to these cows, the Breys are currently working with members of the Adeen, Elegance, Blackrose, Prudence and Hanoverhill Lulu cow families. Jacob and Tony both enjoy the genetics and showing aspect of the Registered Holstein industry. Their family can be found exhibiting at the District 7 Holstein Show, Wisconsin Championship Show, Wisconsin Junior State Fair, Door County Fair, and World Dairy Expo. The Breys feel the show ring is a great method of comparison to evaluate their genetic progress and view first hand the sires that are making the best daughters.
Regancrest Elton Durham has by far had the most impact on the Brey’s herd. Durham has been used with approximately 15 other Dellia descendants who have had an immense impact on the herd. Daughters of these bulls have consistently had great udders, open ribs and sound feet and legs. The Breys are using several Shottle sons because they feel he will add production and substance of bone. They are also using Bolton and sexed Alexander and Graybil.
The entire Brey family is very involved in their county, state and national Holstein associations. Bill and Clarice have been county advisors for many years, and Clarice has coached the Door County Dairy Bowl team for more than 15 years. Jacob is currently a member of the JAC and will represent Wisconsin this year as a Distinguished Junior Member representative and captain of his winning senior dairy bowl team. Tony and Moriah remain active as well, and Moriah served as an event chairperson for the 2008 National Holstein Convention. Tony is serving on the Door County Holstein Board and is looking forward to being a delegate for the first time at this year’s National Holstein Convention. The Breys also enjoy spending time with their Holstein friends, and have graciously donated this year’s Wisconsin Junior Holstein Raffle calf.
The crew at Cycle Farm holds the future goal of continued growth and change over time. The Breys would like to breed an All-American, and someday host a sale similar to the Vacationland Invitational that Bill and Clarice hosted in 1988. Their sale was one of the top ten consignment sales in the nation that year, included 15 consignments from Cycle Farm, and had a $25,000 top seller.
The Breys feel that working with Registered Holsteins helps to make their every day tasks more enjoyable, and it has introduced them to many great people. They enjoy visiting other farms and breeder herds to learn what has or has not worked on their operations. They are very excited to welcome fellow breeders to their farm for the WHA State Picnic on September 11, 2010.