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Birdsong Sweet Summertime -ET   GP 80


BIRDSONG SWEET SUMMERTIME -ET was born on July 21, 2018, and she will be celebrating her 4th birthday next month. She is a standard Jersey, and stands __ inches tall when measured to the top of her hip.
Birdsong Sweet Summertime ET as a day-old calf
Summertime at 2-1/2 months [October 2018]
​Pedigree & Genetics: Summertime is a registered purebred Jersey; please click here to view her pedigree from Jersey Canada.

Summertime's dam, GAYMAR ASTRO FANCIER SUP-EX 90 3-E, was bred by Don Hendrickson of Gaymar Jerseys. Don registered his first heifers with the Gaymar prefix in 1957 and bred award-winning Jerseys for the next 61 years. In 2003 he was made an Honourary Life Member of Jersey Canada, and in 2009 he was presented with the prestigious Jersey Canada Master Breeder award, which recognizes long-term excellence in breeding Jersey cows.

Summertime's sire, RIVER VALLEY CECE CHROME ET, was bred by River Valley Farm and semen was sold by Select Sires. Chrome is backed by three generations of excellent cows. His dam, Cece, is EX 91 and was one of the favourite cows in the robot milking barn at River Valley, while his 94-point grandam, Character, impressed everyone that saw her at Lyon Jerseys with her massive strength, power, and great udder.

The ET suffix on Summertime's name indicates that she was conceived by embryo transfer. I flushed her dam, Fancier, and implanted the embryos in Holstein recipients; Summertime is the oldest of the four siblings and the first of Fancier's calves to carry the Birdsong prefix. Her sister, BIRDSONG GYPSY MOON ET VG 85, is part of my milking herd, while her two brothers, BIRDSONG GLACIER FIRE ET and BIRDSONG NORTHERN FROST ET, are herd bulls on dairy farms in the Shuswap and Central Alberta.

Summertime was parentage verified and genomic tested with the Low Density SNP panel (Genomic Case #CDN19958008). She has a Genomic Lifetime Profit Index (GLPI) of 1,157 (Apr*22, 57% reliability), is tested free of the JH1 and JNS haplotypes, and her inbreeding percentage is 4.17%.
Summertime's dam, Gaymar Astro Fancier (right), in 2013
Summertime's paternal grandam, Lyon Celebrity Cece EX 91
Summertime's paternal great-grandam, Lyon Character EX 94
Calves & Breeding: Summertime's first calf, BIRDSONG OP ERNEST, was born on October 17, 2020, and is a herd bull on a dairy farm in the South Cariboo. Her second calf and first heifer, BIRDSONG SEPTEMBER SUNRISE, was born on September 27, 2021.

Summertime was bred with ST-LO VIDEO ET on January 4, 2022, and the due date for her third calf is October 9, 2022. The vet sexed the calf as a bull.

When breeding Summertime, I recommend looking for a bull that can ________.

Summertime has a history of getting pregnant easily; as a heifer, she was bred twice (first breeding was timed AI, second breeding was on a standing heat). For her second and now third pregnancies, she caught on the first breeding.
​Milking: Summertime is in her second lactation and currently producing around __ kilograms of milk a day (1 kilogram = 1 litre). She should be dried off by August 9, 2022, to allow for a 60-day dry period before her next calf is born.

Summertime has been machine milked in a parlour for her entire 'career.' Her front teats are between __ and __ inches in length. Her 

Summertime is on DHI milk test, with 12,799 kilograms of milk at 5.0% fat and 3.8% protein recorded so far. ​
Milk Test: lactation 1
Test Date
DIM
Milk
Fat %
Protein %
SCC
Oct 21, 2020
5
-
-
-
-
Nov 25, 2020
40
32
5.5
3.4
33,000
Jan 3, 2021
79
30
4.7
3.4
84,000
Feb 4, 2021
111
28
4.6
3.6
40,000
Mar 10, 2021
145
25
4.7
3.5
48,000
Apr 12, 2021
178
24
5.2
3.8
86,000
May 19, 2021
215
25
4.7
3.6
95,000
Jul 8, 2021
265
14
7.4
5.0
6,302,000
Aug 6, 2021
294
-
-
-
-
Milk Test: Lactation 2
Test Date
DIM
Milk
Fat %
Protein %
SCC
Oct 31, 2021
16
32
4.7
3.7
138,000
Nov 18, 2021
52
32
-
-
-
Jan 10, 2022
105
25
5.2
3.9
109,000
Feb 15, 2022
141
22
4.7
4.0
130,000
Mar 23, 2022
177
21
4.0
4.0
74,000
I test all my Jerseys for milk proteins, and Summertime is A2/A2 for Beta Casein A2, AA for Beta Casein AB, AB for Kappa Casein, and AB for Beta Lactoglobulin.

What are milk proteins? Milk is composed of water, lactose, fat, proteins, and minerals. Beta Casein A2, Beta Casein AB, and Kappa Casein are milk proteins, while Beta Lactoglobulin is a whey protein.
​
The A2 variant of Beta Casein A2 is associated with increased digestibility for about 25% of the population. Anecdotal evidence and data from several small human studies indicate that about 1 in 4 people are sensitive to the A1 protein, and drinking milk or eating dairy products from A1/A1 or A1/A2 cows can cause digestive upsets. (Read my CowTales post, What is A2 Milk?, to learn more about Beta Casein A2.)

The A variant of Kappa Casein is associated with higher milk production; the B variant is associated with improved rennet coagulation properties and increased cheese yield and is favoured by cheesemakers.

The A variant of Beta Lactoglobulin is associated with increased milk yield and higher whey protein content, while the B variant is associated with a lower milk yield and increased casein and fat content. The B variant is more favourable for cheese production.

​Classification & Prizes: Summertime was classified as Good Plus 80 at __ years and __ months of age.
Picture
Summertime's dam, Fancier, is an award-winning, three-time Excellent cow from Don Hendrickson's 'F' family. Fancier was classified as Very Good 85 at 2 years, 4 months; Very Good 87 at 4 years, 11 months; and as Excellent 90 three times: at 6 years, 6 months; at 7 years, 6 months; and again at 10 years, 5 months for a final score of SUP-EX 90 3-E. She received 90 points for mammary system, and 93 for feet and legs. You can view her classification scorecard here.

Fancier won ribbons and awards in the show ring as well. In 2010 she was 1st place 5-year-old and Reserve Grand Champion at the Armstrong IPE. In 2012 she was 1st place Mature Cow and Reserve Grand Champion at the Chilliwack Exhibition and 1st place Mature Cow at the Armstrong IPE. In 2015, several months after her 10th birthday, she won 2nd place Mature Cow at the Armstrong IPE.

Summertime's sister, Gypsy Moon, was classified as Good Plus 82 at __ years and __ months of age, and as Very Good 85 at __ years and __ months of age.

Health History & Disease Testing: preventative magnet, disease testing highlights

What is BLV? BLV, or Bovine Leukemia Virus, is

Foot rot, teat injury & subsequent mastitis, cystic

See below for Summertime's complete health history.
Health History: Heifer
Date
Description
Jul 21, 2018
Summertime born
Mar 22, 2019
Dehorned by vet (chop and cauterize)
Jul 14, 2019
Heat
Jul 23, 2019
Heat
Aug 6, 2019
Heat
Sep 11, 2019
Vet check; watch for heat
Sep 25, 2019
Vet check; watch for heat
Oct 9, 2019
Vet check; watch for heat
Nov 6, 2019
Vet check; popped cyst
Nov 12, 2019
Heat
Nov 20, 2019
Vet check; short-sync program (timed AI)
Nov 23, 2019
Heat; bred with St-Lo Nuance
Dec 31, 2019
Preg check; open
Jan 8, 2020
Heat; bred with Dutch Hollow Oliver -P
Feb 12, 2020
Preg check; pregnant (35 days)
May 6, 2020
Preg check; pregnant (119 days)
May 18, 2020
Magnet to prevent hardware disease
Jul 15, 2020
Preg check; pregnant (189 days)
Sep 25, 2020
Vaccination; Covein Plus 2 cc Sub-Q, J-Vac 2 cc IM, Dystosel 10 cc Sub-Q
Oct 14, 2020
Disease testing: Bovine Leukemia Virus (BLV), negative; Bovine Viral Diarrhea Virus (BVDV), negative; Johne's, negative; Neospora, negative
Health History: Lactation 1
Date
Description
Oct 16, 2020
Normal calving; live bull calf (Birdsong OP Ernest)
Nov 18, 2020
Vet check; ready to breed
Dec 3, 2020
Food rot; treated with Excenel
Dec 4, 2020
Heat
Dec 22, 2020
Heat; bred with St-Lo Video
Jan 27, 2021
Preg check; pregnant (36 days)
Jun 30, 2021
Preg check; pregnant (190 days)
Jul 9, 2021
Teat injury: RR was cut but milk canal is fine; FL tip was ripped off and treated with Spectramast LC IMM, Anafen 20 cc IM
Jul 28, 2021
FL teat end healing but the quarter is a little junky again; treated with Spectramast LC IMM
Aug 18, 2021
Dried off; dry treated with Spectramast DC
Sep 17, 2021
Vaccination: Covexin Plus 2cc Sub-Q, Kelbsiella 2cc Sub-Q, Dystosel 10 cc Sub-Q
Health History: Lactation 2
Date
Description
Sep 27, 2021
Normal calving; live heifer calf (Birdsong September Sunrise)
Oct 20, 2021
Vet check; cystic
Nov 3, 2021
Vet check; cystic
Nov 17, 2021
Vet check; ready to breed
Nov 22, 2021
Heat
Dec 12, 2021
Heat
Dec 28, 2021
Vet check; watch for heat
Jan 4, 2022
Heat; bred with St-Lo Video
Jan 26, 2022
Disease testing: Bovine Leukemia Virus (BLV), positive
Feb 8, 2022
Preg check; positive (36 days)
Apr 5, 2022
Preg check: positive (91 days); fetus sexed as a bull
May 17, 2022
Preg check: positive (133 days)
May 19, 2022
Disease testing: white blood cell count 8.89 (4.0-12.0 normal range) and Lymphocytes 5.64 (2.5-7.5 normal range)
May 31, 2022
Disease testing:
Price: I am asking $4,200 for Summertime. ​Reason for selling

I've compiled a folder with all of Summertime's paperwork for her new owner, including a copy of her registration papers, her parentage verification certificate, her certificate of production, her milk protein DNA test report, her ___ genomic report, the disease testing report from the vet, and her health and breeding records. Her buyer will also receive one year of complimentary Family Milk Cow Mentoring sessions ($760 value).

If Summertime sounds like your dream cow, I'd like to invite you to schedule an initial interview with me. The purpose of the initial interview is to assess whether Summertime might be the right cow for you and your family. I'll be asking you questions about your farm and what you're looking for in a family milk cow, and you can ask me all of your questions about Summertime. Buying a cow is a significant investment, and I want Summertime's buyer to be 100% satisfied with their purchase. ​
​
Birdsong Farm
Naomi De Ruiter
PO Box 486
Falkland, BC.  Canada
V0E 1W0

milkmaid@naomisbirdsongfarm.ca
250-938-1606

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© Birdsong Farm, 2011–2022
  • Welcome
    • Meet the Milkmaid
    • Resources
    • Contact
  • Learn to Make Cheese
    • Cheesemaking Classes
    • Cheesemaking Store
    • Prerecorded Classes
    • Gift Cards
  • Jersey Cows
    • About our cows
    • The Blossom Family
    • The Princess Family
    • The Fancier Family
    • Milk Cow Mentoring
    • Jersey Sales
  • Cowtales Blog