By Lois Skeen

Bigger is not always better, but in this case it looks pretty darn good. At Jareco Farm in Penhook, Virginia, the herd size has grown over the years to just over 300 cows, but the emphasis on type has not been compromised. James Cook puts high priority on type, and that is the reason the Jareco herd ranks second on the list of top BAAs in the nation for herds of 200 to 300 cows, with a BAA of 106.3%. Last year when he classified 264 cows, about 150 of them scored Very Good or Excellent.

The goal at Jareco is to breed cows that last. "We aren't trying to get the biggest cow in the barn, not the extreme cows. Our goal is longevity. I want a cow to last to be eight or ten years old," explains Cook. He estimates that 10% of the herd has passed that milestone.

When choosing bulls for the herd, Cook uses those that sire the traits he feels contribute most to achieving that goal. "A cow needs some power and width, and some width of rump. As far as Udders, correct front teat placement and wide rear udders." When walking through his cow lot, that's exactly what you see.

James and his wife, Jennifer, moved the Jareco herd to Virginia ten years ago, but James is a North Carolina native and attended NC State. He says he developed his breeding strategy from some of the lessons he learned in genetics there from Dr. Ben McDaniel. He uses only about six bulls at a time, and chooses them based on the pattern of the daughters they sire rather than setting criteria for PTA numbers. He mates his herd in groups rather than individually. "I look at the family of cows. We haven't bought a lot of cows so I know the type pattern back through the family. I choose bulls that complement the type traits that need improvement in the family."

Cook also considers production traits and components. He prefers bulls that are solid in those traits and also sire the type traits he wants to those that are extreme improvers in a certain area. "We don't feel the need to use a bull just because he's +3.00 PTA for type," he explains.A herd average over 23,000 pounds of milk and 3.8% fat to complement the high BAA is evidence the balance approach is working.

His approach has produced a herd that is very uniform in type, which is perhaps the most impressive thing about his herd of over 300 head. Each cow that walks out from the freestall alley looks as good as the previous one. The cows are strong cows with good udders, feet, and legs, reflecting the traits that are emphasized in the breeding program.

Some of the most predominant sires appearing in the pedigrees here are Blackstar, Emory, and Elton. He used Emory sons like Blitz and Forbidden on the Eltons. Mara-Thon BW Marshall was used heavily and worked very well in the herd. "The only time I have a problem is when I use a bad one (bull), and then I have a lot of them," laughs James.

The inbreeding coefficient in the Jareco herd is relatively high and makes it necessary to pay close attention to doubling up negative traits. Cook says he has not used much Regancrest Elton Durham because of the CVM factor already carried by the Elton line. Instead he has used some Durham sons that test negative for the trait such as Pontiac, Fortune, Zenith, Drake, and Mr. Sam. As an outcross, he used some Formation sons and is pleased with the young cows in the herd by Morty, Finley, and Throne, as well as Best, a Wade son from an Emory Dam.

Genetics play a big role in the sound conformation and longevity of the Jareco herd, but good management practices also are an important factor. The cows are fed a low starch diet, which results in fewer feet and leg problems. Jennifer Cook provides plenty of TLC to the calves and young stock at the farm so they are ready when they enter the milking string. And if for some reason they are not, Cook seldom culls a two-year-old. "I give a cow plenty of opportunity to develop into her potential," he explains. And then to stick around for ten years.

Above article from the February edition of the Southeastern News .