WINCHESTER — Since Glenn McDonald left his job as a number cruncher with the federal government in 1979, his greatest ambition was to win a Master Breeder’s Shield for his farm, Breeze Hill Holsteins. His ambition has finally been realized.

He long ago filled his barn with more Excellent cows than any other dairy farm in the country. At one point, 42 of the 60 cows in the milking lineup were rated Excellent. In beauty pageant language they were perfect 10s. Nobody disputed Breeze Hill’s claim to the finest looking cows in the country. The critics pointed to low milk production.

But science came along and boosted the calf production of the farm’s Rideaulakes Skychief Blacky and pushed the farm over the top in its quest for Master Breeder points. Mostly born through embryo transfer, an astounding 18 of her progeny became star brood cows.

A second cow, Maeford Majesty Dawn, classified as Excellent twice and produced two brood cows. She calved 12 times and produced nine daughters.

But his critics have him all wrong. His farm has become living proof of the motto "build with genetics, manage for production." Before Christmas, his herd production average for 60 cows was 10,215 kilos with a four per cent fat test, which is a quarter higher than the standard.

Currently, he has 35 Excellent cows in his milking line.

Critics have accused him of buying all his excellent cows. He responds by saying: "You still have to feed them." Forty-five Excellent cows have been bred at Breeze Hill over the last 16 years.

His quest for high quality cows was an obsession, sometimes making him drop what he was doing and chase off here and there. One day his friend and the fitter for his show animals, Cameron MacGregor, told him: "We have to go and see a cow I’ve seen." They drove to John Hoogendyk’s farm at Elgin in Leeds County and bought the cow on the spot.

Breeze Hill feeds corn silage, high moisture corn and soybeans. But the most important part of the ration is baleage and dry hay. "Hay is the natural food for a ruminant," he insists. He aims for longevity and not short term production and burnout. "Our greatest satisfaction," he says, "is managing cows with the capacity of producing 100,000 kilograms of milk over a lifetime."

His farm has also been blessed with the capacity to produce daughters and that means he has plenty of animals to sell, one more reason to encourage longevity. Cracking the milking line-up in the Breeze Hill barn is an onerous task.

What stands out about this farm is Glenn’s care and gentleness with his animals. We watched him walk among the animals. They do not move away, they are content recognizing a kind and nurturing hand.

He and his brother Larry have turned a hundred year old dairy barn into a comfortable home for cows. Windows have been added, stalls enlarged, the concrete in front of them covered with ceramic tiles. When the milking and feeding is over almost every cow lies down, a mark of comfort in a barn.

Visitors arrive, while this Farmers Forum reporter is in the barn. Barcley Phoenix, the Royal Holstein judge for 2009, rubbed his finger along the window well of Glenn MacDonald’s barn, imitating a prissy spinster. He held up his finger and noting the lack of dust said: "This is the cleanest barn in the country. You can eat off the wall."

The farm actually goes back to 1832 with brothers Glenn and Larry, current owners, the sixth generation. Glenn looks after the cows, breeding and books while Larry does the field work and maintains and repairs all the machinery.

Altogether, they have 150 head of cattle and crop about 450 acres.

Glenn thanks Cameron MacGregor, his fitter and friend along with Allan and Jean Baker for advice and expertise.