Echowood Herd...

The herd has been over 20,000 milk since 1985 and was first in the state of Ohio for milk in 1987, peaking at over 25,000 in May 1988.  That month brought with it one of the worst droughts in modern history and a lot of problems as production fell.  When we arrived in Wisconsin, in March 1990, production was about 22,000.  For several years, we struggled to get the kind of milk out of our cows that we know they were capable of producing.  We knew what they were bred to do - we just couldn't get it out of them.  The TMR mixer went in in November 1995, and BST was added in May 1997.  In February 1998, our Rolling Herd Average went over 30,000 and has been as high as 34,426 3.5 1209 3.1 1052 on 2X milking. 

We have always stressed high production and functional type.  One thing that is important to us is the cow families behind the sires we use. We breed for high production, along with good feet and legs and udders. We also strive to breed a big framey cow with a lot of capacity and strength. Many service age bulls are sold each year along with some choice females. In recent years, several young bulls have gone into AI.

ANNETTE AND THE "A" COW FAMILY
The most influential cow in our herd has been Cher-Hos Arlinda Ann's Annette.  This cow was purchased from our sister, Cheryl Hostetler, in the fall of 1972 as a springing heifer.  Annette calved at 2-6 and milked over 80 pounds a day - quite a feat for a heifer in 1973!  Sired by Pawnee Farm Arlinda Chief, she only scored G-77 as a two-year-old milking 80 pounds. The classifier said that any two-year-old giving that much milk wouldn't have an udder that would last.  The picture you see here of Annette was taken at three years - and her udder never got any lower.  She still looked like this as a ten-year-old when she went 'EX'!  Annette became our first Gold Metal Dam and made over 200,000 Lifetime

Cher-Hos Arlinda Ann's Annette (EX-90) GMD - DOM 7-8  365  28720  958 Lifetime: 212,510  6985

ANISE
Annette has several daughters with the most prolific being Annette's Senator Anise EX-90 - GMD - over 200,000 Lifetime.  Anise was sired by Dan-Ver Carol Senator and was one of our early 30,000 cows in 1985.  Anise had several daughters and many branches of this cow family are now 7-8 generations of VG & EX. (Many excellent mammary systems) and many records over 200,000 Lifetime.

Pawnee Farm Arlinda Chief is our all-time favorite sire and this cow family has been line-bred back to Chief many times.  They are mostly strong, hungry animals, with a real will to milk.

ALSA & MORE OF THE "A" LINE
Alsa was an honest representative of the deep cow families we have been striving to breed.  Her dam, a GP-84 Blackstar was backed by five generations of VG and EX dams with EX mammaries, from sires such as Valiant, Chairman, Bell, Arlinda Chief, etc.  Alsa is bred to milk!  Her maternal sister by Oscar, Agathea, has 3-4  365  44650  1811  1541 and is 2nd in Wisconsin for protein - Jr. three-year-old - 2X - 365.  Another sister, Agadel, by Mandel, completed 3-6  40,475  1457  1248.  Mama was Agastar (GP-84), nearly 36,000 and now GMD.

Echowood Chesapeake Alsa (VG-88) 3-2  365  43470  1650  1318 (3rd in Wisconsin for milk - Jr. 3-year-old 2X - 365 days) 4-7  365  45775  1691  1452 2-0  365  32010  1288   967 6-4 365 37252 1440 1182 LIFETIME! 227427 3.8 8629 3.1 7028

Echowood Oscar Agathea (GP-84)
3-4  365  44650  4.1  1811  3.5  1541
(2nd in Wisconsin for protein - Jr. 3-year-old 2X - 365 days)
2-1  365  33870  4.2  1434  3.3  1144

Agathea had one daughter, Arrow, by Lady's Manor Winchester,
with 3-2 365 36219 1299 1116. Arrow's Bellwood daughter,
Echowood Bellwood Ariel, has completed 3-8 365 48,482 3.0 1431 2.9 1411.
Ariel's Fustead Emory Blitz daughter, Awe (GP-83), has 2-0  365  43009  2.9  1266  2.8  1208.
She has a daughter by Hartline Titanic.
 
 

Echowood Agastar (GP-84) (GMD) 7-0  365  35721  3.7  1322  3.2  1156

Another branch of our Annette (or "A" cow family, as we affectionately call them) is through her VG-88 (EX MS) Carlin-M-Ivanhoe Bell daughter - Echowood Applause. 4-2  365  30400  3.9  1193  3.3  1008. Echowood Oscar Aglow (GP-82 - Sorry, no picture!) was from Applause's Blackstar daughter, Echowood A-Star. Aglow was 3rd WI STATE LEADER for MILK - 365 2x with 3-1  47800  3.8  1813  3.0  1413. Following lactation: 4-6  365  48939  3.7  1805  2.8  1363. The following year she calved early with twins and we accidently got calcium in her lungs as she fought us while we drenched her. Our vet had given her up for dead, but she pulled through making 5-10  299  34140  3.7  1267  2.9  983. We bred her back right away, thinking she probably wouldn't hold her production very well, but she surprised us by peaking at 149 pounds two months later. What a cow! She calved again at 6-9 and ended up with 43500  3.7  1611  2.94 1280 in 310 days before finally succombing to lung problems in the summer of 2003. With her two year old record of 2-0 337  35245  4.3  1511  3.1 1088 her total lifetime was 222434  3.8  8544  3.0  6582. Aglow was a beautiful bodied cow with great feet and legs. A little deep in the udder (she was an Oscar, you recall) but for a cow with this kind of production a real correct udder with an excellent cleft that milked out like a dishrag (the Bell coming through). 

Although Aglow is gone she has blessed us with four daughters; A-Dream 3-5  365  43326  3.2  1404  2.8  1224; Agali (by BCHNC Mark Malachi) lost during her first lactation; A-One (VG-87) by Lutz Meadows E Mandel. 

Echowood Mandel A-One (VG-87) 4-6  365  41300  3.5  1466  3.2  1316  3-3  365  43028  3.4  1441  3.1  1323 2-2  365  33209  3.7  1224  3.1  1026

Echowood Ellipsis Arlene (V6-86)
3-1  365  37713  3.4  1266  3.1  1156
Sire: Springhill Ellipsis
Dam: Echowood Mandel A-One 
Arlene will go well over 40,000 this year. She is the kind of a trouble-free cow that is fun to milk.

And Echowood Cohort A-Glee (GP-84) by El-Pine Glow Cohort.
A-Glee was a big framey cow like her dam that could really milk: 
6-3  365  47394  4.3  2054  3.3  1569 
4-8  365  44603  4.3  1921  3.4  1532
3-6  365  39791  4.6  1841  3.4  1362
2-3  365  36915  4.7  1727  3.3  1234

Her daughters include Echowood Jepthah Aimee
3-7  365  44536  3.5  1561  3.0  1343 
2-0  365  36112  3.7  1316  3.0  1094
4-9  365  37930  3.4  1287  3.1  1181 
5-9  345  33210  2.8  1249  3.0  1003 
6-10  365  41263  3.5  1458  2.9  1180

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Echowood BWM Asperagus (VG-87) 2-0  365  36728  4.5  1656  3.1  1155 3-6  365  42478  4.6  1937  3.2  1341 Sire: Mara-Thon BW Marshall Dam: Echowood Cohort A-glee

Asperaguys has a Regancrest LH Modest son, Echowood "Attack" at Accelerated Genetics. Sons at Select Sires include Echowood "Apex" by Mesland Duplex, and Echowood "Attitude" by Peckensein Formation Bret. Milking Daughters are by Rich-J Sosa and Regancrest LH Modest. Young Daughters are by Kamp-Hollow CONVD RSVP, Mesland Duplex and Peckenstein Formation Bret. One of the Bret daughters has been flushed and has embroyos and 2 pregnancies by Baxter.

40,000 Pound "A" Family Records

FANTASTIC
OUR FIRST 40,000 POUND RECORD WAS COMPLETED IN APRIL 1997 BY FANTASTIC.  She was pictured here shortly after peaking at 169 pounds during that lactation and had previous records of 4-04  38300  1308 and 3-02  32990  1118.  Her VG dam by Bell had 4-03  365  37120  3.6  1323  3.1  1143.  Fantastic's daughter, Fresca, by O-Bee Enchantment Gambler had 3-0  365  37375  1316  1159.  Fantastic was sired by Walkway Chief Mark. Fresca's daughter, Faye (GP-84) 3-5 365 41473 3.3 1371 3.3 1358, had a super Bellwood Marshall daughter, Faith (GP-85) 2-2 365 45403 2.9 1312 2.9 1295.

Echowood Mark Fantastic (VG-85) 5-09  365  2X  43720  4.5  1909  3.1  1354  (NO BST!)

Echowood BWM Faith (VG-85) 2-2 365 45403 2.9 1312 2.9 1295

LOU
Echowood Extreme Lou was a combination of extreme production and functional type!  Sired by Wormont Extreme, her dam, Lucia, is a homebred Gen-Ace Marker with 5-4  365  44907  1355  1245. Lou had a set of twin milking daughters by Emerald-Acres SA Thad and Mtoto.

Echowood Extreme Lou (VG-85)
2-8  365  44421  3.4  1508  3.0  1311
(2nd Nation - Milk - Sr. 2-year-old - 365 - 2X)
4-1  365  43386  2.8  1224  2.8  1198
Echowood Thad Louann-TW (GP-84) 3-4 365 41343 3.7 1526 3.1 1262 
Daughter by Nors C Emory Calvin-Echowood Calvin Lou 2 (VG 89)
3-7  365  38195  3.9  1501  2.8  1062
 

Echowood Mtoto Louella-ET (GP-83)  2-2  365  39572  3.2  1252  2.9  1161 Daughter by Nonesdale Bellwood Abe

PATTY
Patty was something different, as she is totally homebred, combining a top
cow family with a homebred sire.  Patty combines our two 'P' families.

Echowood Patty (VG-88) (EX MS)
2-3  331  32370  4.8  1554  3.3  1063
3-3  365  43967  4.1  1814  3.2  1389
4-5  365  49706  4.0  1974  3.0  1474

Echowood Lee Pesty (VG-87) Sire: Comestar Lee - Dam: Patty (above) 3-6  365  43707  4.1  1786  3.0  1303 2-2  365  38010  4.2  1587  2.9  1121 5-3  365  38603  4.0  1540  2.8  1100

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Echowood BWM Pizazz (VG-89) 2-6  365  44742  3.2  1419  2.8  1269 4-10  365  50551  3.8  1944  2.8  1391 Sire: Mara-thon BW Marshall Dam: Pesty Pizazz has sons at ABS (Echowood "Precise" by September Storm), Alta (Echowood "AltaPrecise" (RC) by September Storm), and Select Sires (Echowood "PartyTime") by Pieston Shottle. She has milking daughters by September Storm (with a Red son at Accelerated, Wizard (milking 148# at 173 days fresh), and Shottle milking over 125#.. This looks S-U-P-E-R and has a Baxter bull going to ABS. She has several contracts, and has embroyos by Pronto, along with 2 Pronto heifers and 2 Pronto bulls in March '08. Her name - Echowood Party!

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Echowood Party-ET N.CL. (To be scored Oct 2008) PTPI +2027 PTA 2159 M     85F     518 2-0  2X  112  12048  3.8  436  2.8  326 Still making over 125# Sire: Picston Shottle Dam: Echowood BWM Pizazz

Echowood SS Premise-ET (VG-85) CTPI +1658 2-2  2X  362  34489  4.2  1449  3.1   1062 (INC) Promise has a red - ADVENT son at Accelerated. She has two red-Advent sons and a black - advent heifer born Sept 2008. She is bred to Pronto. Sire: September Storm Dam: Echowood BWM Pizazz

Echowood Wizard Pledge-ET N.CL. (to be scored Oct. 2008 PTPI + 1663 2-4 2X 173 20908 3.3 694 2.6 541 (INC) STILL MILKING 148 # Pledge has a bull by Palmcrest Blitz Blade born 3/08 and a heifer by Armstead to be born 3/09. Sire: Norz-Hill Form Wizard Dam: Pizazz

Echowood Marshall Heather (EX-91 2E) 2-0  365  34170  3.0  1042  3.1  1071 3-3  365  35776  2.9  1035  3.1  1094 4-10  365  41917  3.5  1460  3.0  1272 Sire: Mara-Thon BW Marshall Dam: Mound-View Echowood C Honey (VG-85) 4-7  365  39950  3.4  1374  3.0  1218 MGS: Renown Factor MGD: Mound-View Lisa Leadman (VG-86) 6-11  365  41100  3.1  1264  3.1  1258

Arlendel R Hero Wink Wynona (Ex-91-2E) 4-10  351  44884  3.7  1653  3.1  1372 We purchased Wynona in the Marathon Sale in 2003. Bred by Ron Dommer of Colby, WI, she was one of our favorites. She left us with Morty daughter with nearly 40000 as a 2 yr old.

Badger Shottle Pats -3195-ET (VG-85) CTPI +2150 2-0  2X  295  31258  3.6  1117  3.0  936 (INC) Sire: Picston Shottle Dam: Badger Roy Patsh (EX-) Pats is owned by Brian. She has sons going to ABS and Alta.

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Racine Goldwyn Madona-ET-N.CL. PTPI + 1835 2-5  2X  93  8368  3.8  315  3.0  252 (INC) Dam: Radine Magna Manna (EX) 3-10  359  40570  3.7  1505  3.2  1062 G.Dam: Radine Durham Marie (EX) 2-2  365  31350  3.2  1001  3.1  967 Purchased in March '08 at the Oklahoma State Sale with Ken Horn and Brian Begert, this Goldwyn looks GREAT!! She will see the classifier in October. Her first flush to Sandy-Valley Talent produced 14 good embroyos and has AI contracts.

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FAVORITE SIRES
Our Favorite sires through the years have included Pawnee Farm Arlinda Chief, Round Oak Rag Apple Elevation, S-W-D Valiant, Carlin-M Ivanhoe Bell and Walkway Chief Mark, To-Mar Blackstar, and Mara-Thon BW Marshall.  Heifers calving this past year have included many sired by Fustead Emory Blitz, Stouder Morty, Nunesdale Bellwood Abe, Rich-J Sosa and hartline Titanic. Brian's young cows are mostly sired by Roylane Jordan. Many heifers are sired by R-E-W Buckeye, Emerald Acres SA Baxter, Windy-Knoll Pronto, and Canyon-Breeze Hrl Artic.