June WI Holstein News -40 pgs:Layout 1

BREEDER PROFILE
Hackmann Dairy Farm
Ronald and Susan, Chad and Jim
Hackmann, Manitowoc
By Ashley Yager
The farm is home to the Ronland (Ron and Sue) and Jimtown
(Jim and Chad) prefixes.
The most incredible thing about the Hackmann family is the
The Hackmanns: Jim and Lauren, Michelle, Melissa and Chad,
fact
that they are completely family-operated. They have no
Sue and Ron, at Chad’s wedding at the family cabin
additional hired help outside of Ron, Sue, Chad and Jim. All four
of them work together to milk cows and get chores done. Ron and
Sue are the major stakeholders in the farm, while the boys own
half of the cows. Ron’s father, Kermit, still helps out on the farm
at 84 years of age. A two-time cancer survivor, he enjoys staying
he Ronald & Susan Hackmann family of rural Manitowoc has active and helping with fieldwork. Ron’s brothers, Randy and
been a proud member of the Registered Holstein industry since Ralph, both milk cows for a living and the three brothers
1990. A family owned and operated dairy, the Hackmann’s farm utilize shared farm machinery.
consists of two generations - parents and their children - who are
Ron’s first ownership of Registered Holsteins came in 1990
looking to keep the family farm atmosphere and diversify their when he purchased Blackstar embryos from his brother. Of the
operation to remain a mainstay in Wisconsin’s dairy industry.
five embryos purchased, Ron came away with one heifer. That
Ron and Sue had the opportunity to grow up on their heifer became an EX-92 3E cow that lived to 16 years of age and
family’s grade Holstein farms, which were both just under a mile had over 350,000 pounds of milk lifetime. This Blackstar worked
away from where they farm today. Ron’s experience with hard as a milk cow and transmitted extraordinarily well, producRegistered Holsteins came with his first job at Lakehurst Farms. ing five Excellent daughters. She was just one link in the chain of
After three years of working under manager Bob Schnell, Ron events that followed to take the Hackmann’s dairy to a Registered
decided it was time to branch out on his own and began milking Holstein farm.
a herd of 35 grade Holsteins in 1981. He and Sue rented the
Another early purchase came from area breeder Clayton
facilities from Ron’s uncle for five years.
Hogan’s sale in 1994. Jim had 4-H pig money burning a hole in
In 1984 the Hackmanns began renting a second farm, where his pocket, and decided to purchase a heifer from the sale. After a
they milked for three years. In 1987 they combined the herds on busy morning on the farm and a late arrival to the sale, only one
the original rented farm and milked a total of 55 cows. When the of four heifers Jim selected from the catalog had not sold yet. He
second farm they had rented came up for sale ten years later, Ron took this fourth choice heifer home at a price of $875.
and Sue purchased the farm and land. Since that purchase
Jim’s purchase, Cla-Bern Commotion Nita, VG-87 GMD
in 1997, the Hackmanns have grown their herd to 110 cows, DOM, was a Commotion daughter from a VG-89 Blackstar with
milking 55 at each location.
three EX dams. Nita finished her run in the Hackmann’s herd
The Hackmann’s 110 cows have a rolling herd average of with 6 sons in AI and two Excellent daughters. One of her daugh25,408M 955F and 760P. The herd’s BAA is 108%, and includes ters was Ronland Nita Merv Natasha, an EX-92 GMD DOM
13 Excellent cows. The family runs over 300 acres between the Merv that produced an additional six Excellent daughters for the
two farms. All cows are housed in tie-stall barns, and stand on Hackmanns. Natasha had a 5-05 2x 365d record of 41,609M
mattresses bedded with straw. All young stock is raised on the 1673F and 1263P. Approximately 85% of the Hackmann’s herd
farms, and dry cows reside in sand-bedded free stalls before can be traced back to Nita and the Blackstar dam, and with the
transitioning back to the milk barn.
help of offspring from these two individuals, the Hackmann’s herd
Ron and Sue have three
has been 100% Registered
children. Oldest and part owner
Holsteins for nearly 15 years.
in the farm is Chad, age 32. Chad
Ronland Manfred Jackie,
enjoys the fieldwork aspect of the
VG-87 GMD DOM, is another
farm, and his wife Melissa works
cow of interest. Her Goldwyn
for her parent’s company, Tuschel
daughter, Ronland Jackie Journey,
Meats. Chad and Melissa live in
VG-85 first lactation, is making
Valders. Michelle, 30, works at
her first record at 2-04 2x and
Lowes in Manitowoc and resides
274d of 24,240M 926F and 689P
in Newton. Jim, 28, is also a part
(incomplete). Journey is being
owner of the farm and his wife
flushed to Niagra, Man-o-Man,
Lauren is a dental assistant. They
and Bronco.
are expecting their first child in
Jimtown Champion Nominee,
June. Jim is the farm’s historian,
EX-91, is a Champion daughter
as he is first to study sale catalogs
from the Commotion Nita family.
and pedigrees, and is responsible
Her daughter by Shottle, Jimtown
for registering all of the calves.
Shottles Nominate, VG-85, is the
Ronland Nita Merv Natasha EX-92 GMD DOM
T
Jimtown Champion Nominee EX-91
Regancrest-Lov Goldie-ET VG-87
number one Shottle cow in the breed as of the April 2010 run,
and is tied for number three overall for CTPI at +2225 (3.54
PTAT). Her completed record at 2-00 2x and 365d yielded
27,077M with 1304P and 838P. Nominate has a son at ABS, and
has had embryos exported. She has daughters by Sanchez, Sandy
and Goldwyn. A choice from Nominate’s Sandy, Sanchez and
Goldwyn calves topped the 2010 Wisconisn Futures Sale at the
Adult Convention, and a pick of a flush from Nominate will be
sold in the 2010 National Convention Sale in Bloomington, MN.
Another influential dam in the herd is Jimtown Natashas NiceET, EX-93. Nice is a Manat daughter that had a 5-09 record at 2x
365d of 39,077M with 1305F and 1055P. Her Ramos daughter,
Jimtown Nicegirl-ET, is VG-86 first score and has a Sanchez son
headed to Select Sires with over +2000 GTPI. Nicegirl completed
a two-year-old record at 2-00 2x and 365d of 31,799M with
1364F and 958P. The Hackmanns are hoping to utilize in-vitro
to produce more offspring from Nicegirl.
Ron a fantastic run of influential dams to breed from and two
cows that produced over 300,000 pounds of milk lifetime. At
present, sires they are using include Man-O-Man, Niagra, Bronco,
Observer, Domain and Explode. They try to focus on selecting
for type and production.
The Hackmanns maintain diversity in their operation through
the sale of dairy cows, jumper bulls and bull calves. They hope to
stay diversified and maintain the number of cows they have now.
While the cows and life of the farm are certainly enough to
keep these “workaholics” busy, the Hackmanns try to enjoy
weekends with their family and Sunday rides to the cabin. Ron
and Sue own three black Percherons and a wagon that provides
transportation to their cabin spot. Ron and Jim enjoy deer
hunting, while Sue likes to quilt and is looking forward to being a
grandmother. She and Ron also take road trips to see cows and
horses or nature and wildlife.
Carpe Diem
Hoof Trimming
Jimtown Nicegirl-ET VG-86
Two years ago, the Hackmanns made a purchase at a
Regancrest sale. Regancrest-Lov Goldie-ET, VG-87 at two years
of age, is a Goldwyn daughter that had a two-year-old record at
2-01 2x 365d 28,693M 1025F and 858P. After they brought her
home, the Hackmanns flushed Goldie and recovered 18 eggs.
They have exported embryos from Goldie, and her Red Carrier
Shaquille son is headed to Semex with a GTPI of +2011G.
This Goldwyn provided an excellent opportunity for the
Hackmanns to break into the Barbie family, and she continues to
flush well in her second lactation. Goldie has calves by Armstead
and Shottle, and was recently flushed to Man-o-man. Her
Shottle heifer merits a +2100 GTPI.
One bull that has proven well for the Hackmanns over the
years is Blackstar. A sire of many foundation cows, Blackstar gave
“Seizing the day to enhance your investment”
Matthew Sloan
3014 Providence St. 815-222-8824
Sun Prairie, WI 53590 [email protected]