814--L»nc»ster Farming, Saturday, June 28,1980
Red & Whites are latest in dairy breeds
BY SHEILA MILLER
ELIZABETHTOWN - For
the last issue in this year’s
Dairy Month, it is only fitting
that Lancaster Fanning
takes a look at the last
“breed” of dairy cattle
recognized by the U.S.
Department of Agriculture.
We’re talking about the Red
& Whites.
According to John Car
penter, of the Red & White
Dairy Cattle Association,
Crystal Spring, there have
always been red and white
cattle m the Holstein breed.
In the countries where the
breed ongmated, he pointed
out, there was no
discrimination between the
black and white or the red
and white cattle.
However, when the
Holstems were imported into
the U.S., black and white
cattle were required morder
to be registered with the
Holstein Friesian
Association. Since black is
dominant over red, some
animals that looked black in
color, but that earned the
red trait, were imported
over the years.
Carpenter pointed out
there is no difference bet
ween Red & White dairy
cattle and the black and
white Holsteins, except their
color. But, he added, from
1885 to the 1960’5, they
weren’t recognized or
registered in any herd book.
“The red calves were of no
value to the farmers. Good
cattle that earned the red
recessive trait and produced
red calves were considered
undesirable, like they
earned the trait of mule foot.
Many outstanding pedigreed
calves were disposed of
and the farmer made sure
that no one knew about the
red calf,” he said.
Realizing the waste of
productive cattle just
because of color, the
American Red & White
Dairy Cattle Society was
incorporated on February,
1964, Carpenter said. In 1966,
they changed their name to
Red & White Dairy Cattle
Association.
The association was spear
headed by a group of Milking
Shorthorn breeders.
Discouraged with their
breed, these people saw the
Red & Whites as the best
way to improve their
production. This resulted in
cross breeding the two,
Carpenter explained.
He said that the Milking
Shorthorn Society handled
the registration of the Red &
Whites at first. But, as more
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The highest pedigree index young Red & White sire is Sleepy-Hollow Mae
Chief, sired by C Romandale Shalimar Magnet and out of a very good Arlmda
Chief dam
red Holstein blood was in
fused into the Milking
Shorthorn breed and
purebred Red & Whites were
produced, disagreements
arose which eventually
brought about the split
between the associations.
Since its shaky beginnings,
RWDCA has grown. Today,
it boasts about 800 members
across the U.S. and Canada.
Last September, there were
68 Pennsylvania members
on the association’s books.
“Our registration and
membership has increased
between 10-20 percent,” said
Carpenter.
One reason for their
growth is that RWDCA
accepts grade herds into
their program. “As long as
it’s dairy, we have a com
pletely open herd book
even colored breeds can be
entered,” said Carpenter.
Of the 3905 cattle
registered, Carpenter noted
46 percent are black and
white (grade and double
registered) and 8 percent
are mixed or colored
(anything that’s not
Holstein).
A lot of the cattle
registered with RWDCA are
also registered under
Bndleborough, Carpenter
said.
He pointed out that many
people said they felt by
opening their herd books to
other breeds, RWDCA
wouldn’t get the right kind of
cattle.
Disputing this theory,
Carpenter said RWDCA
requires the normal sket
ches and sire identification,
just as the other breed
register does.“ Besides, most
people who go to the trouble
of registering their cattle
and spending their money
invest it in good cows. ”
Carpenter explained that
when the breed association
started in 1964, all the
bloodlines of the cattle were
identified and recorded with
certificates. Now, as more
breeders are getting in
volved m Red & Whites,
different bloodlines are
being introduced into a
breed history that stems
from a few sires.
He said 95 percent of the
Red & White’s genetic base
can be attributed to one
tremendous sire, ABC
Reflection Sovereign. This
bull, he said, died many
years ago, but his popularity
and reputation as a sire lived
on.
Carpenter recalled that
the last ampule of semen
from this bull was auctioned
C Blue Haven Rose Ned is an excellent Red &
White cow with a 305 day lactation record of
23,510 pounds milk and 1011 pounds fat. She was
the first place 4-year-old Cow in Milk and Grand
off for $30,000 and the
glass ampule was cracked.
Comparing that to today’s
popular bull, he said
Ivanhoe’s semen is selling
for between $5OOO and $6OOO.
With a predicted total of
roughly 5000 registered
cattle for this year, Car
penter enthusiastically said,
“There’s been a complete
turn-around in dairy
producers’ attitudes toward
Red & Whites, with roughly a
400 percent increase m
registered animals.
“Now, a bull carrying red
is more popular, and Red &
Whites are worth two times
as much as the black and
white Holstems in the export
markets.”
One Lancaster County
farmer that agrees with
Carpenter is Kenneth D.
Myer, R 5 Elizabethtown.
Out of a milking herd of 70
cows at Myerose Red &
Whites, there are only two
that aren’t registered with
RWDCA. Myer said he has
“90 percent more Red &
Whites than anybody on this
side of the Mississippi.”
In the Red & White
business about 10 vears.
Myer told Lancaster Far
ming he chose the breed
because his dad didn’t want
black and white Holstems.
Myer explamed that when
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he worked for his dad, he
saw the need to get more
milk production than what
he was getting with the
Guernsey herd, even though
he recognized Guernsey
milk to have the best quality
andbutterfat.
Over the next several
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The Red & Whites in Kenneth Myer’s new barn leisurely eat their silage. Tiles
serve as the cows’ dinner plates. “Concrete will deteriorate, where tile stays
smooth and is easy to clean” said Myer.
Standing next to 5-year-old Petunia, Myer says her predicted production is
22,000 pounds milk and a little over 1000 pounds fat. She is a daughter of Argo
Acres Marquis Ned, a Canadian bull.
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Champion at the 1978 International Red & White
Show, and was the first place Aged Cow in Milk
and the Reserve Grand Champion last year.
years, the graduate of
Elizabethtown High School
and former FFA’er built up
his Red & White herd
“I bought one or two cows
and bought some calves. I
advetized in the Penn
sylvania Holstein News for
years, and attended sales
ifeu
8k £ **< 4
3
and visited farms m Canada
It was a slow change from
Guernsey”.
In 1979, Myer bought the
130 acre farm from his dad,
along with the cattle. He
built a new barn, equipped
(Torn to Page B 15)
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