SIMPLY THE BEST
Two producers breed Ontario's best cows

By Terry Meagher

EMBRUN — The modern Holstein cow has turned into a miracle of milk production. But nowhere has that miracle become more evident than on two eastern Ontario dairy farms only 20 kilometres apart. Harry and John Nooyen along with Chris, a Grade 13 student, on Brabantale Farm at Navan; and Gilles Pateneaude, of Gillette farms, south of Embrun, produced all the 10 top production cows in Ontario on Dairy Herd Improvement.

Neither farm is new. Harry Nooyen came from Holland in the 50s, and established the farm for the next two generations. The Patenaude farm has been developing for three generations, but not until Louis came of age, in the mid-80s with a preoccupation for pedigrees, did the herd begin to move quickly towards superstar status. Pedigrees are a sale tool, he says, but they also provide "a better chance for the next generation."

As herds like Gillette and Brabantdale become world leaders they pull the rest of the breed in Canada with them. In 1968, the index that measures a dairy cow's production (called the BCA) was 113, which means the average dairy cow had increased production by about one per cent a year since the mid 50s.

But since 1995 the breed has been increasing production by four percentage points per year. In fewer than 50 years the Holstein cow has doubled its production.

In 2000, the average BCA for Holstein cows, says Jaye Shannon of Holstein Canada, was 202. "The acceleration," he says, "of top herds shows what the breed is capable of doing."

Among the top 10 cows, Daisycrest Dragoon Kimberly, belonging to the Nooyens, set a Canadian record for a three-year-old and was the highest producer in Ontario. Calbrett Rudolph Dawn placed third in Canada as a three-year-old. Gillette also had a nine-year old set a Canadian record for fat.

A Quebec cow, Tollhurst Vixen Hobby was the highest producing cow in Canada last year.

The first cow from the Nooyen herd to hit the headlines, Marquis, became the all-time Canadian Champion for total performance as a two-year-old. She repeated the performance as a five year old. Marquis is out of milk production and is being flushed for embryos.

Chris says "I love what I do. I love to see good animals." Winning is a bonus and a reward for his grandfather’s sacrifice in building the herd.

Top 10 Ontario Holstein cows on DHI
Name (owner) Milk prod. (kg.)/fat(kgs.)/protein (kgs.)

 1. Daisy Dragoon Kimberly (Nooyen)  26,313/ 1,262/ 876
 2. Brabantdale Lieut Blacky (Nooyen) 20,964/ 1,103/ 710
 3. Gillette Brilea Fleda (Brian Leach, Cobden)* 20,887/ 897/ 690
 4. Brabantdale Skychief Jasmine (Nooyen) 22,380/ 928/ 723
 5. Calbrett Rudolph Dawn (Nooyen) 19,824/ 859/ 651
 6. Gillette Mega Carribean (Patenaude) 20,946/ 909/ 695
 7. Brabantdale Lieut Lindsay (Nooyen) 20,985/ 860/ 604
 8. Gillette D Carmelleen (Patenaude) 19,879/ 756/ 664
 9. Brabantdale Lee Beatrix (Nooyen) 14,845/ 676/ 510
10. Gillette Dali Candy Spots (Patenaude) 18,234/ 1,007/ 577

Top 10 herds of Dairy herd Improvement (DHI)
Name (nearest town) comp # milk    BCA of prod.   cows (kgs)

Top 10 Holstein herds
  1. Harry and John Nooyan ( Navan) 344 67 15,590
  2. Allan Huyck (Bath) 322 46 15,069
  3. Joe Mazenauer (Grand Valley) 296 77 12,899
  4. David Innes (Woodstock) 287 72 12,796
  5. Jack Schuurmans (Burgsville) 285 76 12,183
  6. William Koggel (Vars) 281 19 12,133
  7. Robert Brown (Paris) 279 46 13,382
  8. Lloyd Wicks (Bobcaygeon) 279 37 12,848
  9. Hofyzer Farms (Frankford) 273 68 12,651
10. Bill Moreland (Joyceville) 273 52 12,410

Top three Jersey herds
1.Hollylane Jerseys (Corbyville) 276 30 8,876
2. Brian Sales (Paris) 266 63 8,638
3. Murdo & D. McLean (Harrow) 265 24 8,111

Top three Ayrshire herds
1. John Hendy (Campbellford) 257 33 9,182
2. Ferme Jelyca (St. Albert) 252 70 9,282
3. Ken Rose (Mountain) 250 31 9,259

Top Brown Swiss herd
Walter Von Ah (St. Albert) 253 8 9,602