December 12, 2020 at 4:38 p.m.
Lava leaps to the top of the Guernsey CPI list
Sixth top cow to call Coulee Crest home
Kurt (left) and Scot Peterson operate Coulee Crest Farms where they milk 240 cows, including 80 Guernseys, near Cashton, Wisconsin. They recently had their sixth cow from one cow family land in the top spot on the American Guernsey Association’s Top 200 CPI Cows list. PHOTO BY DANIELLE NAUMAN
Coulee Crest LLC is owned and operated by brothers Scot and Kurt Peterson and their parents, Don and Dorothy. The farm, located in Cashton, is home to 240 cows, which includes about 80 milking Guernseys and 12 milking Ayrshires with the remainder being grade Holsteins used to carry Guernsey and Ayrshire embryos. Their Guernsey rolling herd average is just over 21,000 pounds of milk and 1,000 pounds of butterfat, with an average butterfat test at 5%.
Genomic success is nothing new to Lava or her cow family. She is the sixth member of her family to hold that position, and she was on the top 10 list as a heifer as well. She transmits her excellent genetics to her offspring and is the dam of the top six genomic heifers in the breed, with seven total daughters in the top 10.
Lava is a Lindrian Grumpy Pilot out of Coulee Crest Laredo Lalita-ET GP-84, who herself is still in the herd and recently completed her fifth lacation. Larita is tied for eighth place on the recently released top CPI list, at +99CPI. Lava’s granddam, Flambeau Manor Decision Lori EX-90, is a former top CPI cow as well. Lori was the result of an embryo package purchased by the Petersons.
“We had been doing a lot of work with other branches of this cow family, and then Lava came along with high numbers as a heifer and kind of surprised us,” Kurt Peterson said. “We had flushed her mother as a young cow once, but that was it. Since Lava turned out so well, we decided to flush Lalita again.”
After Lava’s initial appearance on the list of the breed’s highest genomic heifers, the Petersons began to take an interest in her.
“I really liked Lava as a bred heifer,” Peterson said.
Complications during her first pregnancy caused her not to come into milk after losing her calf just before turning 2 years old.
“Because of her genetics, we made the decision to (flush her using) IVF once, and then put her in with a bull.”
That intervention resulted in two heifer calves, and Lava settled to the bull she was bred to and calved again at 2 years and 11 months, coming into her milk successfully. As she began her own production record, Lava’s performance backed up her genomic predictions. She completed her first lactation making over 27,590 pounds of milk, 1,558 pounds of butterfat on a 5.6% test and 997 pounds of protein at 3.6%.
During her second lactation, Lava has been flushed using IVF five times to make progeny by Springhill JC Penney, Springhill James Dean, Ripley Farms Networth C Theo and Hi-Guern-View Levi Drone. Peterson said flushing Lava using IVF works well for the cow.
“She usually makes anywhere from eight to 20 good embryos from each cycle,” Peterson said. “She has made a lot of good No. 1 embryos that we have been able to freeze and have available to sell as embryo packages and to export.”
Lava’s embryos have been marketed to breeders in Canada and Australia, as well as to breeders in the United States.
Being the dam of seven of the top 10 genomic heifers in the breed has made the demand high for embryos and offspring from Lava, and many of her offspring have been purchased by breeders. Her two highest-ranking daughters, sired by Coulee Crest Toby Keith, are +101CPI Coulee Crest FF Lavas Lindsey and +99CPI Coulee Crest FF Lavas Lynn. They are owned by James and Linda van Patter of Beaver Dam.
With her high-ranking genetics, there has been a demand for Lava’s sons to be studs for the artificial insemination industry as well. She has two high-ranking sons, sired by Coulee Crest Toby Keith, headed to stud: Coulee Crest Lavas Hurricane, at +109GPTI; and Coulee Crest Tsunami, +98GPTI.
The outstanding results the Peterson family has had in the genetics arena have not happened only by chance but can be attributed to the breeding philosophy they have adhered to.
“We try to focus on using bulls with good production proofs, and with good, sound type as well,” Peterson said. “We really just want the complete cow. We watch udder traits and health traits like DPR (daughter pregnancy rate).”
Peterson said genomic tools such as DPR have helped the Guernsey breed progress over the past five years. He also credits the breed’s tendency to carry the A2A2 gene and breeders’ commitment to fostering that gene as being a critical part of the success.
“The breed as a whole is really in great demand lately, I think maybe stronger than any other breed right now,” Peterson said.
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