In April, Holstein Canada will honor the recipients of the Master Breeder Award for 2016. One herd being honored is the Donkers family of Fradon Holsteins of Woodstock, ON, with their second Master Breeder shield. Read more about Fradon Holsteins here.Read more Cowsmo Master Breeder profiles on Cowsmo!
Fradon Holsteins Ltd of Woodstock, ON has been selected to receive their second Master Breeder Shield. Fradon is owned by Frank and Don Donkers, along with Don’s son Luke and Frank’s son Jimmy. The Fradon herd consists of 170 head housed in a pack barn at their Woodstock facility and at the Rose-Vega facility, a sand-bedded free-stall barn. The cattle are fed a TMR, and the only feed purchased is dry hay.
In 2014, Frank and Jimmy moved to Woodstock with the milking herd, continuing the Fradon prefix, while Don and Luke stayed on the home farm, moving their cows from a nearby rented facility, Rose-Vega Holsteins and acquired that prefix. They converted the tie-stall barn to a sand-bedded free-stall.
In the beginning, their goals were not necessarily set on achieving Master Breeder status, but were focused on breeding cows that would last a long time and score well, simply because those are the kind of cows they love working with. The Master Breeder Shield followed as a bonus for breeding that kind of cow.
One of the most influential families in the earning the Master Breeder Shield is the family of Fradon Tab Maude EX-2E-35*. Maude’s mother was purchased with Browndale Holsteins, from Riverdale Holsteins. Another influential family descends from Fradon Rudolph Jodie EX-2E-20*. Jodie’s dam was purchased from Bridon Farm.
When making a purchase, the Donkers require that animal to be from an elite cow family, and have marketing potential. In 1983, they began a flush program in the herd, and currently employ both IVF and conventional flushing in their breeding programs. Three to four cows are flushed each month, with the resulting embryos sold domestically or exported, as well as some being implanted. While both IVF and conventional flushing have their place, they note an advantage with IVF because you can sex the semen.
Over the years, sires that have worked well in the herd include Storm and Storm bloodlines. Shottle has also made an impact on the herd as well. Currently, bulls they are using include Applicable, Classic, Light My Fire, Mr Salvatore, Doorman and Cinderdoor. They look for a balance of type and production when selecting sires. Through the years, their breeding philosophy has evolved. These days, they are looking to breed cows with more balance, and less extremes.
Aside from achieving Master Breeder status for the second time, the Donkers consider their greatest achievement to be breeding a cow family that is known around the world. Future goals include continuing to “keep the ball rolling,” breeding the kind of cows that every dairy producer would want to milk in their barn.