Klynhill Holsteins

 

Klynhill Holsteins stands today as a bright, modern and progressive dairy operation, cared for with pride by Hein & Thea Vanderklyn, along with their daughter Bianca, son-in-law David Bruinsma and granddaughter Naomi. This beautiful facility that now houses their 47 milking cows, dry cows and replacement heifers reflects years of perseverance and a long-term vision of building a sustainable and efficient operation. After immigrating to Canada in 1995, the family worked hard to grow their operation from a small tie-stall barn to the modern robotic system they use today. Through challenges and changes, their focus has always been on building a strong, sustainable farm for the future. Over the years, the family grew the herd and transitioned to a free-stall setup with a parlour, embracing modern practices to improve efficiency and comfort. Eventually in 2018, they seized the opportunity to sell the original farm and moved to their current location on a quiet gravel road in the rolling hills outside of Bright, Ontario. The serene surroundings of the farm lined with woodlots are reflected in their barn as well, with a long driveway leading up a hill to a beautiful, clean free-stall where cows contentedly chew their cuds while laying on sand beds – completely unbothered by the rhythmic sounds of milking with a GEA monobox robot and the gentle clinking of the headlocks as their herd mates graze on the carefully managed PMR. The transition to robotic milking on the operation has been benefit not only for the cows, but the Klynhill team as well, as it has given them more flexibility and time to focus on herd health and management. The flexibility and newer facilities also allow David & Bianca to focus on their growing family and Hein & Thea to continue their active leading parts on the farm while embracing their role as grandparents.The move to a new farm was not without challenges. The family recalls significant water quality issues that impacted all aspects of the herd’s health, production, and reproduction. As a solution they invested in a reverse osmosis water filtration system in the barn for the cows drinking water. The results were dramatic and instant: cleaner water improved overall herd health in all aspects from transition to reproduction to milk production and components. The herd now averages over 42L/cow with a 4.40% fat and has achieved 77% of cows pregnant by 150 days in milk in the last year.

Today, Klynhill Holsteins farms 200 acres, growing corn for silage, haylage, and some cash crops, with feed stored in bunker silos. Hein is meticulous in his feed management, carefully managing forage quality by focusing on cut timing and moisture as well as feed out with the use of a defacer to maintain the quality of forage they worked so hard to preserve. Their ration consists of corn silage, haylage, and a custom Purina complete feed in the PMR complemented by Purina’s VHE 18% and roasted soybeans fed through the robot. Beyond the family’s efforts, Hein acknowledges the importance of outside support, including dairy consultant Marius Klop and the team at Nature Feed Centre, who contributes far beyond ration planning. When asked what success means to him, Hein emphasizes three pillars: income, family, and growth.

For Hein & Thea, success is not just about maintaining the farm, it’s about expanding and creating opportunities for the next generation, David & Bianca. In the future, they hope to be able to expand the operation to include a second robot as the herd grows, Klynhill Holsteins stands as a testament to resilience in the face of adversity, seizing opportunities by not only moving to a different farm, but a different country altogether in the beginning! Theirs is a story of innovation in the face of challenges, of family values and a commitment to making a future for the next generation, and of hard work and dedication to their goals that continues to inspire.