Favorite bull dam: Delta Tulip P

D’n Driehoek Delta Teuntje, Delta Thilda RF, Delta Thina, and Delta Tulip P, four generations of Delta animals from the Teuntje family, have stood out in the Barendonk herd of the Hermanussen family in Beers. Remarkably, none of the four were born there.

Alongside his brother Ivo and parents Jan and Liesbeth, Jens milks 280 high-yield red-and-white cows at their farm, which also serves as a test location for CRV. Their rolling annual average recently reached nearly 12,400 kg of milk with 4.24% fat and 3.51% protein.

The number of “Teuntjes” in the herd has steadily grown. There are now almost forty Teuntjes born in Beers. The Hermanussens are pleased, as these cows are highly favored there.

“We always say life’s too short to milk ugly cows,” says Jens. “We prefer trouble-free cows that produce milk easily.” The Teuntjes fit this perfectly. “They don’t give up, produce large volumes effortlessly, and maintain that output for a long time. They’re no-nonsense cows. And even if they do fall ill, they bounce back surprisingly quickly.”

Teuntje (sired by Chanel) and her daughter Delta Thilda (sired by Amigo), have produced 64,000 and nearly 92,000 kg of milk, respectively. The red-and-white Delta Thina (by Anreli) and her daughter Delta Tulip P (by Jaffa PP) are still going strong in Beers. Seven-year-old Thina has produced nearly 60,000 kg of milk over three lactations with 4.13% fat and 3.74% protein. Her daughter Tulip has just calved for the third time. “Like all Teuntjes, Tulip is a strong cow that doesn’t give up. She walks to the robot by herself, so we never have to fetch her. We barely notice her in the barn,” Jens says.

As a heifer, the Jaffa daughter produced 10,720 kg of milk in 305 days with 4.34% fat and 3.71% protein. In her second lactation, she improved further with 13,084 kg of milk in 305 days at 4.32% fat and 3.45% protein, a lactation value of 108. She calved for the third time in mid-February and is already producing around 50 kg per day.

Tulip scored 88 points for conformation as a heifer: 89 for frame and type, 86 for udder, and 88 for feet and legs. “When she first calved, I didn’t expect her to score that high. But she kept developing well,” Jens says. “She’s slightly taller than average, has excellent legs, and a great udder. It’s not a show udder, but it’s very functional. She lacks a bit of finesse for competitions, but she’s a solid cow.”

Tulip’s qualities are passed on to her son, Delta Holger PP (sired by Candyman P). He shows a breeding value of over 600 kg of milk with +0.40% fat and +0.21% protein. Holger performs well across the board: 550 days longevity, 106 conformation, 103 hoof health, and 106 persistence. With a milking robot index of 108, Holger’s daughters, like their grandmother Tulip, are expected to do well in robotic milking systems.

Holger isn’t the first bull to expand the influence of the Teuntje family beyond Beers. The family has already proven itself as a bull supplier. The red-and-white Colorado son Delta Ticket, directly from matriarch D’n Driehoek Delta Teuntje, was the family’s first notable sire.

While his half-sister Delta Thilda didn’t produce any bulls, her three Esperanto daughters have sons that made it into the InSire program. For instance, Delta Tialda is the mother of red-and-white Delta Taskforce P (by Jacko PP), and her full sister Delta Tracy is the mother of black-and-white Delta Tornado (by Skywalker). Another full sister, Brinkstee Delta Telma, is the grandmother of Delta Traveler RF (by Kickoff) and Delta Doctor (by Lifesaver).

Now in Beers, the fifth generation of Teuntjes is milking. Tulip’s daughter, Teuntje 27, by none other than Delta Taskforce, started lactating earlier this year. “She’s already had a heifer calf, so we’re now at the sixth generation,” Jens says. “That’s pretty fast for a cow family that’s only been on our farm for ten years.”