Welcome to our family farm

Barendonk Holsteins

The dairy farm comprises 220 milking cows and 140 young stock. We built the free-stall barn in 1979, and expanded it in 1988 and again in 2005 to a total of 135 cubicles. In 2016 we have built a totally new free-stall barn with 125 cubicles. Since May 2005 we milk our cows using two Lely robotic milkers. Since 2012 we started testing CRV heifers.

LABOUR: Jan, Liesbeth and their children Ivo, Tessa and Jens.
They also regularly have a trainee.

Milkquota: 2,100,000kg of milk with a fat reference of 4.40% and 3.55% protein.

Average Production

Year	Age	Kg Milk	% Fat	% Protein
2016	3.11	10,889	4.10	3.42
2015	4.01	9858	4.13	3.44
2014	4.03	9849	4.10	3.49
2013	3.09	10,826	4,36	3,57
2012	3.08	11,287	4.30	3,56
2011	3.06	11,944	4.11	3.55

Average Conformation

	Frame	Dairy strength	Udder	Feet & Legs	Final score
Heifers	85.5	85.1	84.7	83.6	85.0
2nd calvers	89.0	90.0	87.3	88.0	88.3
Older cows	89.3	90.9	90.3	88.3	89.9
Overall (R&W, 110 cows)	86.3	85.7	86.0	84.9	85.9
Overall (B&W, 77 cows)	85.3	84.9	85.4	84.1	85.1

Number of Cows

220 head including daughters of Classic, Fidelity, Curtis, Atlantic, Stellando RF, Award RF, Jotan, Acme RF, Jego, Chanel, Pitbull RF, Aikman RF, Colorado, Accolade, Rocky.

Number of young stock

0 to 1 year old: 70 head, 1 to 2 years old: 70 head Including daughters of Leonidas RF, Brasil RF, Finder, Integral RF, Carnival.

Sires used in the past

Stadel, Kian, Talent, Classic, Fabian, Lightning, Twister, Spencer, Tequila, Destry, Zabing, Savard, Colorado, Award Rf, Ironic Rf, Blanco P Rf and Nano P.

Current service sires

Test bulls, including Carnival, Rody, Jupiler, Spitfire and Prestige. We are using 80% genomics.

LAND IN USE

100 hectares

TOTAL

70 hectares

grasslands

30 hectares

growing maize

Feeding regime

8kg of maize silage, 7kg of grass silage, 0.5 kg hay, 1 kg brewers’ grains and 2.3 kg soya/corn flour and max 8 kg concentrates via the automatic feed dispenser in the milking robot.

Young stock rearing

For the first 14 days the calves are housed individually. After the individual housing calves are housed for 2 months in groups with an automatic drinking system. After two months they are housed on straw in an open-front barn. After this the young stock is housed in cubicles in the free-stall barn.

Milking parlour

Two Lely A2 robotic milking systems.

Interesting Facts

On regular basis we have embryos and bulls for sale from our best cow families.
We are happy to take part in shows like the NRM, HHH, Cow-Expo and several regional shows. Highlights include participation in European Championships and several championship titles.
Proven bulls we have bred include Barendonk Hattrick, Barendonk Red Spirit, Barendonk Trendsetter, Barendonk Famous.

We also offer accommodation in the form of a farmer’s hotel, hikers’ cabins, a hay hotel (sleeping in a hay loft) and two group accommodation facilities, for meetings and overnight stays.

Visit www.barendonk.nl

CRV test farm

We like to breed a good cow with functional conformation. We are paying a lot of attention to feet and legs and udders. A cow that can eat a lot will also give a lot of milk and will last a long time in the milking herd. With the arrival of Delta heifers on the farm, a new dimension is added to the love for breeding. Already 12 Delta heifers are now donor. The heifers score high lactation values and show also good health characteristics. The somatic cell count is remarkably low and claw health is good. Every week cows are flushed now on farm Barendonk Holsteins.

With testing the CRV heifers, also heifers are introduced without horns: Huijben Asterix Hennie 7337 Pp from Fasna Asterix and Delta Juliëtte Pp from Legend. “It is a good development” means Jan. “Animal welfare will become very important in the future, also in the dairy industry. Dehorning can disrupt the rearing period.”

REMARK
We like a beautiful, productive and healthy cow, because they are easy to work with and last long!

Genomic selection and InSire bulls
We regularly use Insire bulls, but we do not use more than five straws per bull to spread risk. We consider genomic selection as an additional tool in the search for the best bull and bull dam.
We use SiryX semen occasionally on a good cow.

Information products
Every four weeks we have milk recording and besides that we have our cows classified.