Christmas with Brown Swiss

SPARTA, Wis. — It is nearing what Andy Williams dubbed the most wonderful time of year. Few things could make it more wonderful for a young dairy farmer than the gift of a registered Brown Swiss heifer calf.

For the 2025 Great Christmas Giveaway, Dairy Star is partnering with Guyrand Farms for the drawing that will take place Dec. 10. Guyrand Farms is operated by Dick and Ruth Guy, Rick and Donna Guy and Hunter Guy. Hunter is the fourth generation on the family farm where they milk 90 cows.

Guyrand Richard Freeze was born Sept. 2. Bred for production in the barn and performance on the shavings, she is out of Guyrand Carter Frazzle VG-86 and sired by Jo-Dee Nemo Richard-ET. The second dam is Guyrand Griffin Fiora, a daughter of Voelkers TD Carter *TM.  The third dam is Guyrand Griffin Faye VG-85, with 135,160 pounds of milk, 5,350 pounds of butterfat and 4,490 pounds of protein lifetime. 

“We’ve always bred for good size, feet and legs and dairy production,” Rick said. “The dam of this calf is real dairy looking. She’s not the biggest cow in the world; that’s why we bred her to Richard, to get more size and some show characteristics. She milks like crazy, which we love.”

Hunter’s passion for the Brown Swiss breed led the family to participate in this year’s event.

“By donating our calf, it can give someone else the chance to work with Brown Swiss who might not have one,” Hunter said. “Brown Swiss are some of my favorite cows because of their personality. They’re so docile. I would rather have a cow that will sniff and chew on me than one that is more temperamental.”

Hunter returned to the family farm after earning an undergraduate degree from the University of Wisconsin-Platteville. He earned degrees in dairy science and agribusiness, while also taking classes for soils.

The Guys have shown cattle locally at county fairs but have dreams of returning to the colored shavings in Madison. In the 1980s, the Guys showed Brown Swiss cattle, including Guyrand Elegant Swirl, who stood second place at World Dairy Expo as a 3-year-old and as a 4-year-old. They showed Guyrand Jones Ann, who was second at the Minnesota State Fair and was crowned grand champion in the early 1980s.

“I showed my first animal when I was 5,” Hunter said. “I fell in love with it. I showed at the local county fair and participated with the dairy judging team at Platteville until it didn’t fit into my schedule. Showing at Expo is a dream of ours, and we’ll continue to focus on our genetics and make the best animal possible.”

To continue the improvement of their herd, Hunter and Rick do their homework when picking sires for each cow.

“We always look through the catalog our semen distributor gives out,” Hunter said. “We study it and make sure we have good pairings. If we need to improve feet and legs, or need help with a cow’s mammary system, we make sure to partner her with a bull that can aid in those deficiencies.”

The Guys breed mostly through A.I. but have also used a bull for more troublesome breeders.

“When we have a cow and we like her genetics and she just needs some help breeding, we’ll put her in with the bull,” Hunter said. “That’s gotten quite a few of them back in rotation that were on the verge of going to market.”

Guyrand Farms was purchased in 1930 and has always milked both Holstein and Brown Swiss cattle. Since Hunter’s return to the farm, his grandfather, Dick Guy, has reduced his role. Dick bought the farm from his father, James, in 1974. He is still active with fieldwork and driving machinery but has relinquished the milking duties to his son and grandson since Hunter’s return to the farm in 2024. 

In preparation for that return, the Guys built a double-8 parallel parlor in 2018 and added a freestall barn to replace an aging tiestall barn. The renovation also led to expanding the herd, going from a 63-stall barn to a freestall barn that allows for 100 head of cattle. The new barn also has a special needs pen.

“We didn’t want to get too big when we expanded, but to stay competitive and keep going, we needed to expand,” Hunter said. “We raised our numbers from within. All our replacements are our own. It took us a couple of years, but we’re where we want to be.”

The Guys currently maintain a 50/50 split between Brown Swiss and Holstein. All the Brown Swiss in the herd are registered, and about half of the Holstein herd is registered. Down the road, Hunter hopes to continue expanding with the Brown Swiss in lieu of the Holsteins.

The farm has had good success with its Brown Swiss herd and recently accepted the 2024 Progressive Genetic Herd award from the Brown Swiss Cattle Breeders Association for its herd size. Hunter represented the farm at the annual convention in Lebanon, Pennsylvania.   

“It was a pretty cool experience,” he said. “My grandparents have won awards like that before, but it hasn’t been for a while. It was good to tour some other farms that are out there, too. It gave me a sense of what other people are doing, what works for them and what doesn’t. We can bring that back here and see what we can change for the better.”