Holstein Business Losing Stars

Within the past few weeks the highly regarded Hoskings herd was dispersed. Well-known among the folks in the industry, they will be missed for sure. We bought a bull from them once, Hosking-Brunn MWOD Arvid, a Melwood son off the Homestead SS Bell Alice cow. He did pretty well for us. We were real sorry to see them selling out.

Then Hurricane Sandy hit their neighbors, the Post family and the Post cows went to live in the vacant Hosking barn until they too can be sold, the eighth of next month. 

We also bought a bull from them, Pineyvale Cmatt Glen, some years ago. Liz's cow Foolish is a granddaughter. We have fond memories of showing under Mr. Post at the Fonda Fair and winning Intermediate Senior calf with a Mansion-Valley Delaware daughter named Birch, who was by far the youngest calf in the class, born in mid-February. She was also smaller than the others, but Mr. Post really liked her. It was a thrill for Becky to have a calf do so well. 

(We loved that cow family btw...one cow of ours had five daughters by Delaware. Three of them, Birch,  Beech, and Balsam did well at the show and had nice show careers for us. Butternut was a fine milker and had some good daughters. Alas the oldest died calving as a fairly young cow. Bayberry was off Balsam and my favorite cow, milking shorthorn Broadway is a daughter of Bayberry. Rosie, Broadway's daughter had a nice show career as a shorthorn, winning Grand Champion milking shorthorn twice, and I have a big full sister to her coming along now.)

With Ocean-View selling their cows, Spungold, and so many others going out, you have to wonder what the Holstein business is going to look like by the time the current downturn and all the disasters are over.