Elite Dairy Herd Ranks High for the Jersey Breed « Back

I recently caught up with fellow Jersey dairy farmers Jerry and Sue Spielman of Heartland Jerseys in Seneca, Kansas to tell their story. I was impressed to say the least, after reading the latest Jersey Journal, our breed’s magazine, to see that Heartland Jerseys rank in the top 10 percent in the nation for milk production and milk components (like protein) for the breed.

According to the Spielmans, in order to be successful you have to think in terms of efficient and progressive herd management.

What started out as a 20-cow Holstein dairy farm is now the 400-cow Heartland Jerseys, co-owned by Jerry and Sue.

Cornerstones at Heartland Jerseys are high quality cow genetics, elite animal care, producing high quality milk and high productivity.

Year after year, their elite genetic breeding program has allowed the herd to rank nationally for performance and milk production.  Many of the Heartland cows have been honored for their top-notch production, and contributing to the herd’s average milk production of 20,390 pounds of milk per cow per year.

Heartland follows strict animal care procedures to ensure top quality for their cows. “All cows and heifers are routinely vaccinated to keep them healthy,” Sue says. In addition, the Spielmans follow a stringent health care schedule recommended by their herd veterinarian. Newborn baby calves are of especially high importance to Heartland Jerseys. “All calves are given high quality colostrum (the mother’s first milk) within the first few hours after birth,” Jerry says. All baby calves are placed in individual hutches that have been well-tended, including being cleaned and sanitized between each calf that uses them.

The milking herd is housed in barns bedded with sand, where they can move between laying down in stalls or eating and drinking.  The stalls are groomed three times a day and the barn is equipped with fans, sprinklers and curtains – all thermostatically controlled for cow comfort.

The Spielman family’s well-organized dairy practices and procedures have allowed them to provide consumers with abundant milk and reach their own business goals by increasing herd size, focusing on cow comfort and using exceptional genetics.