As printed in the October 2019 Holstein World edition. Photos by Pam Nunes, Westwynde
What happens when you combine generations of coast to coast genetics that transmit solid production, generations of Excellent cows, generations of deep cow families and generations of cattle know-how? The result is an opportunity for a family, with appreciation for the “art of breeding,” to now be the owner of the number one combined fat and protein cow in the breed, as well as the All-Time National Leading Senior Three-Year-Old for Milk, Fat and Protein in 2X with a 365-day record.
The record leader, Oceanview-HM Atwood June, is an EX-91 Atwood daughter bred by Daryl and Pam Nunes, Kip Herzog and Dr. Frank Mongini of California. She sold as lot 88 in the Harvest of a Lifetime, Ocean View Dispersal last fall. She is now owned by Prairie Creek Genetics, Kyle, Judy and Richard Knutson, of Onalaska, Wisconsin.
Atwood June is one of the youngest to ever achieve the triple crown feat of 60,000M, 3,000F and 2,000P and being an All-Time National Leader as a Senior Three-Year-Old. At 3-07 in 365 days, 2X, she has 66,250M 5.0% 3,322F 3.3% 2,217P. Housed at Ocean-View Genetics in Wisconsin, June completes 11 generations of Excellent and Very Good dams and 53 years of breeding that averages 89.2 points.
Atwood June’s dam is a 2E-92 Sanchez that was purchased in the Ocean View Dispersal by Ruann and Maddox Dairies in California. She has multiple records over 30,000 and 40,000 milk with lifetime to date totals of 1,607D 171,200M 3.6% 6,170F 3.3% 5,642P. The only Sanchez sister to Ked Jeeves, the high TPI and PL sire, Sanchez June is out of Ked Duster Julienna-ET 3E-94, who in her own right has lifetime credits of 286,490M 10,462F 9,215P. The third dam is the VG-88 Gold Medal and Dam of Merit Mark dam of Juror with over 323,000M. She is backed by a Very Good Sexation and a Very Good Bootmaker from four more Excellent and Very Good dams that go back to Ked Ormsburke Congress Lady VG-88. Atwood June combines the best of the Holstein breed on both sides of her pedigree!
“This family transmits production with type and June is a super example,” said Pam Nunes. “She scored 88 as a two-year-old and was our first ever 40,000M heifer. She calved back in and scored 91 out of 92 points and made this current record - and she does it easy! What astounds us are the components she makes with that kind of volume. She is not our first 60k cow, but she is certainly our first - and probably ever only - triple crown producer. It’s so rare to get that kind of components.”
At Ocean View, Atwood June is housed in a tie stall. Daryl refers to her as a “Force of Nature” with her aggressive rule-the-roost attitude. She is also an aggressive eater, which she translates into that high production. Pam says all the cows they house are fed based on their production. The cows receive a hand fed ration of corn silage, alfalfa baleage, a complete pellet, a corn and protein mix and some cottonseed. The Nunes feed no TMR to the herd. Her record was also completed using beet pulp as a replacement for corn silage when they ran out prior to this year’s harvest.
June’s owner, Kyle Knutson and family, are no strangers to the Holstein scene. Raised on a dairy farm in Wisconsin, Kyle attended the University of Wisconsin-River Falls, where he was also a member of the dairy judging team and a successful collegiate dairy judging individual. He has worked for International Protein Sires and several other A.I. organizations including Accelerated, Alta Genetics and Select Sire Power, to name a few. “Working with Alvin Piper and Marlowe Nelson just reinforced my belief in strong cow families,” he said.
The journey to buy June started long before the sale. “I had thought for a long time that the cattle part of my life was gone and over and that I had missed my chance. But a close friend convinced me (after many conversations) that I should follow my passion. So, a couple of weeks before the Willows-Edge sale, I asked my mom and dad if they thought I was crazy for thinking about buying a calf. Dad paused a moment and said that if after all this time that I was still that passionate about cattle that I should. What started as a thought of buying a calf turned into all or part interest in six cows and a heifer within the next eight months! I still can't believe it some days,” Kyle said.
Kyle’s first purchase was in March of last year. He bought half interest in two cows at the Willows-Edge Dispersal with Bonnie Van Dyk. “It was special in many ways, but I will remember it as being the only sale I've ever attended with my mom,” he said. “In April, I bought a quarter interest in a red heifer at the Indianhead Dispersal with some friends. I really thought we were done buying cattle at that point.”
Kyle went to the World Dairy Expo last fall and made a trip over to look at the cattle at Ocean-View, on display for their upcoming herd dispersal. “I always enjoy getting to see good cattle,” he said. “I had no intention of buying anything. I went back to my parents in Onalaska for a couple days and I was planning on going to go down to the sale just to watch. The morning of the sale, my dad said, ‘I think I'll go with you.’ I thought, ‘Great! I've always loved going to sales with my dad, and it had been over 20 years since we've done it!’ Then he said, ‘I think we should buy one or two.’ That's when the hair on both arms stood straight up.
Once at the sale, Dad went into the barn while I returned to the car for something. He came out and said that he liked lot 64, Ocean-View Atwood Diondra. I thought of all the cows in the barn, that's the one he'd pick. Diondra is now EX-92 as a four-year-old. She has two Artist calves due in a few months and just made 13 sexed Doorman embryos. She's projected for 38,000M and 1,800F in 305.
When we looked at June and looked at her in the catalog, dad said, ‘Wow, what a cow!’ She had 174 pounds on her second test and already had a tremendous record in her first lactation. I knew she was going to make a really good record, but I never expected this [her finished record]! We bought those two that we really wanted and ended up buying two more cows.
We had talked to Daryl before the sale, explained the housing situation, and he said we could keep any cows we buy there at Ocean View for a few weeks until we found a place. He ended up calling us later and said that we could board them there if we chose to. It made sense to us for a lot of reasons. The cows wouldn't have to travel, change environments, or rations. And the same people who have worked with them their whole lives would continue to do so.”
June had a Diamondback embryo heifer born this September and she herself is due with a Doorman heifer calf a few days after Expo. She has four Artist calves due in a couple months and has five sexed Solomon embryos. “I plan to sell several of the calves in the spring. The Artist calves should be among the oldest around,” Kyle said.
“I don't know if there are many cows that can do what June did,” he said. “To milk like she does and have the high components, is rare. And she's 91 in her second lactation. But to me, one of the most amazing things is she made this record making three trips to Sunshine for IVF, averaged a 19,000 somatic cell count, and settled first service with a heifer calf! What more could you ask for out of a cow?
I really liked June,” Kyle stated, “but buying her was my dad's decision. He was impressed with her the minute he saw her. I think he was going to buy her no matter what. He'd be the last person to tell you he's a great cowman, but I know many of the best cows we ever bought over the years, he bought in my absence. This proves to me once again how well he really knows cattle.
There are multiple things I really like about June,” continued Kyle. “She brings the ultimate combination of high milk, fat and protein out of a high scoring young cow. She is a fourth generation of 40,000M cows without sacrificing components. She is from a cow family recognized throughout the world as well as her second and third dams both have proven sons. Her first three dams average over 260,000M lifetime to date. And best of all, there is Sexation in the pedigree, which always gives you a chance for high-scoring, high-component, high-lifetime cows. Last but not least, she has some slope to the rump, which gives me an opportunity to use many of the high-type bulls.
I used tremendous type bulls to begin with on June, and was looking more closely at fore udder strength and udder depth. These aren't problem areas when you think about her production, but I always want to protect a cow on what I consider are her weakest traits, no matter how great she is.
There seems to be a general consensus that Doorman works extremely well on Atwoods. I concentrated on that this year, flushing to Diamondback, Solomon and Artist, and breeding her to Doorman. There are different generations of Doorman blood, but something I really liked about all of them.
I like to look at what's behind the sire, whether he's proven or not. I didn't use Artist just because he was a new high-type genomic bull. He has an exceptional pedigree, both top and bottom. He's a Crush son (Doorman) whose fourth dam was the 95-point Cheyenne cow. On the bottom you have four 92-point cows, including Durham Atlee, an 88-point, and then the 94-point Chief Adeen and 94-point Starbuck Ada.
I've always felt that the more great cows out of great families that you put behind an individual, the better your chances are of making some pretty good ones. It is just common sense.
Another reason I flushed June to Diamondback is that someday, I hope to have a red granddaughter out of this family! I plan to do additional conventional flushes once she calves.”
Future plans for the Knutsons are to continue working with great cows from great families and great cow people. “I would love the opportunity to become employed in the dairy industry once again someday and get back in the middle of the ring judging shows. I feel truly blessed to be back in the industry that I am passionate about. I thank God pretty much every night for the opportunities that I've had and the possibilities that the future hold,” he said.
Kyle and his family are excited to have the opportunity to work with this outstanding cow family. The generations of excellent type, high production and transmitting ability are difficult to find in today’s market.
“Even though Duster Julienna was a purchased cow,” states Pam, “this family also traces back to the original Ocean View foundation animal, Ideograph Burkgov Steps and Sexation. All of our good cow families at Ocean View Genetics were built from good old Sexations and this one is no different. It’s an unusual family that does not breed like you would think - June does not look like your typical Atwood and her Sanchez dam certainly does not look like a Sanchez - they tend to reflect their dam’s paternal line more than their own. Atwood June looks more like a Sanchez and her dam looks more like a Duster than a Sanchez. It really reflects well the ‘art of breeding’ that we like to promote. You really need to know your cow families and how they transmit to breed them successfully. It’s not as easy as adding up predicted numbers and turning them into reality. Looking at June’s dam, you’d never use Atwood on her, but knowing how the family breeds we think it worked pretty well!”
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