Future plans are in place to build a new transition cow facility and move to modern, under roof, highly ventilated calf housing. Currently calves are housed in individual hutches and fed pasteurized whole milk. Additionally, the AI24 system developed by SCR is used to monitor daily activity and rumination. Heinzmann commented, “We use as much of the latest technology to progress our herd as we feel can help us be better.” Their double 12 GEA herringbone parlor is fully automated and computer tracked. Twelve years ago the herd vacated a tie-stall facility and expanded from 140 milking cows to the now 640 daily milking and 1400 total animals. Gary Janssen is the past manager and is now the Senior Genetics consultant while Tom Patterson is the President of Golden Oaks Farm and Midwest Organics. Bill Crown oversees the farm for the family while Ethan Heinzmann is the Genetics and Dairy Manager. Golden Oaks Farm of Wauconda, owned by the Crown Family since 1948, has a long history in the Registered Holstein business. Excited for the 2015 National Holstein Convention hosted by the state of Illinois, Golden Oaks Farm will unlatch the farm gate and welcome Holstein breeders to a unique farm in a unique setting that has adopted progressive dairy practices in shadows of the Windy City otherwise known as Chicago.
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