It’s usually the sore losers who “have a cow.” At Eastern Kentucky University, the cow was the winner.
One of the Stateland Dairy at Meadowbrook Farm residents has been named honorable mention All-American Cow in the Milking Yearling class. Only six cows nationally were nominated for All-American honors.
EKU’s honoree, Sun-Made Valentina ET, is the product of one of many major changes at the Farm in recent years – the addition of a Brown Swiss breed to the dairy herd.
“Brown Swiss cattle can be grey, dark brown, tan or even almost white in color. Their hooves, muzzle and switch are usually black. They are often noted for their big floppy ears and docile temperament,” according to the Brown Swiss Association.
While they originated in Switzerland, they can now be found across the world. In the United States, the largest number can be found in Wisconsin, Iowa and Ohio.
“The world population of Brown Swiss is reported to be about 7 million,” according to the association. “The Brown Swiss you see grazing across the United States countryside descend from initial importations of 25 bulls and 140 females from Switzerland
“The Brown Swiss Association was looking for a university dairy farm to which it could make a donation of bovine embryos, and the association’s former director, Allen Bassler, thought of EKU because of his association with current dairy manager Chad Powers,” explained Dr. Laurie Rincker, associate professor in EKU’s Department of Agriculture.
The embryos were implanted in both Holsteins at the farm and in other cattle. One of the first Brown Swiss calves born was Valentina.
After numerous positive comments about Valentina from staff, students and visitors, “it was decided to try our hand at the big event for dairy enthusiasts,” the World Dairy Expo in Madison, Wisconsin. Valentina made the trip with a Swiss breeder from Kentucky’s Fairdale Farm.
With a member of EKU’s Dairy Herd Management class as a cheering section, Valentina was the seventh-place milking yearling, “a rare accomplishment for any university dairy.” She continued her travels to the Southeastern National Brown Swiss Show in Louisville, where she won her class. Then came the All-America honor.
Rincker, who said Powers deserves most of the credit for the introduction of the Swiss breed at EKU and the overall management of the cows, said an eventual goal for the dairy farm is to have a herd that is 50 percent Holstein and 50 percent Brown Swiss. Several more Brown Swiss cows were selected by both staff and students and purchased last year to aid in increasing the number of Swiss in the herd. The dairy recently received another donation of “high-quality” Brown Swiss embryos from Sunshine Genetics.
“It is amazing to consider the possibilities of more award-winning cows waiting to be born,” Rincker said.
From EKU