Recent research results in both the USA and Canada have shown that Jersey cows, on average, have a herd life of at least one half lactation longer than the other major dairy breeds! Research also highlights the superiority of the Jersey breed when reproductive efficiency is measured. Furthermore, the innate predisposition of the Jersey breed to produce high solids milk is gaining her a growing cadre of supporters and owners.

On a progressive dairy farm in Bruce County, Ontario lives a sprightly fourteen and a half year old Jersey cow and her extended cast of family members. This extraordinary family are providing ample "living, breathing, real world " evidence of the validity of the research results noted above.

The cow in question is Ahren Lea Just Connie, Supreme Excellent-91-8E. Connie was bred by now-retired dairy producers Don and Freda Ahrens and has lived her entire long life among the rolling hills of a farm west of Elmwood, Ontario. Since April 1992 she has been owned by John and Rhonda Vander Wielen and their young family. Connie is older than all three of the Vander Wielen's children and she and her family are highly valued members of their Grayclay Jersey herd.

For a few years Connie had some herdmates of another breed that the Vander Wielens had brought to the Ahrens farm. However, since a number of years the herd has been converted back to being "all Jersey, all the time"!

In mid-September 2004 Connie stepped into a permanent place in the history of the Jersey breed in Canada. On September 16, 2004 Joint Classification Board classifier Tom Barnes of Innerkip, Ontario evaluated Connie as still being eligible for Excellent status. This marked the eighth time that Connie had merited this coveted appraisal level and the first time a Jersey cow in Canada has ever accumulated this many Excellent evaluations.

Now in her 11th lactation Connie was first appraised as being Excellent in mid-January of 1996 in her third lactation. Subsequent Excellent classifications have been performed in her fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth and tenth lactations before this historic evaluation almost three months into her eleventh lactation!

When evaluations at Grayclay Farm were completed on the 16th of September their were four generations of Excellent cows from the maternal line flowing from Connie in the barn. An eleven year old daughter of Semex Alliance sire Meadow Lawn J Imperial and Connie had been scored Ex-3E at eight years of age .

The same day as Connie attained her unprecedented 8E status a grand daughter by Select Sires sire WF/L&M Duncan Barber was made Excellent at 7-0 and a great-grand daughter by Semex sire Valleystream J I S Juno was accorded Excellent status at 5-0.

This family have made lots of net revenue for the Vander Wielen family with their high solids tests and good productivity. In her ten completed lactations Connie has amassed lifetime totals of 69,770 kgs milk, 3856 kgs fat at 5.53% and 3033 kgs of protein at 4.35% above herd average for BCAs for milk, fat and protein.

The solids productivity of this family and their longevity and reproductive efficiency have attracted attention from other dairymen. The "Barber" grand daughter was the source of some embryos sold to a prominent dairy family working with another breed on Prince Edward Island.

"Just Connie" was the result of a young sire sampling mating to Semex Alliance sire Valleystream Justice, bred by John and June White of St. Thomas, Ontario.

Interestingly enough her dam Aiken Acres Susan VG- 88% was sired by another Semex sire with the Valleystream prefix, Valleystream Classic. This cow was bred by Jersey enthusiasts, Murray and Barb Aikens also from the Elmwood area.

Valleystream Justice has had a number of long-lived daughters following in the path of his sire WF Generator Justin.

For more information on Just Connie and her exceptional accomplishment or about Jerseys in Canada please contact Jersey Canada at 519-821-1020 or at russell@jerseycanada.com .