D&E Jerseys is a family-owned and operated dairy located in the heart of cheese country, in Hilmar, California.  Family history in the dairy business dates back to 1888 and experience with Jerseys dates to 1938.

The herd consists of D&E Jerseys, owned by Donnie and Elsa Sherman, and Avi-lanche Jerseys, owned by their daughter and son-in-law, Jennifer and Richard Avila, and their girls, Sidney and Caitlin.

D&E Jerseys has about 575 cows and 550 replacement heifers. The business has expanded to Dalhart, Texas, and also milks about 2,200 cows in the Texas Panhandle. Click here for more information on the Hilmar Cheese Company that was recently built in this location.

The Sherman and Avila families at groundbreaking festivities at the
new facility in Dalhart, Texas, in April 2007.

Cows are fed a total mixed ration (TMR) that is based on alfalfa hay and corn silage. The milking-cow ration is supplemented with a mix of high moisture earlage or steam-flaked corn, dried distillers grains and canola and /or cottonseed meal. The dry cow ration is supplemented with a mineral package and balanced to minimize milk fever. No anionic salts are fed.
 

Heifers are fed two to three pounds of a grain mix with Rumensin and offered free choice of alfalfa hay from weaning to six months-of-age. They are then given a TMR of alfalfa hay and forage silage with a Rumensin mineral package until two weeks before calving.

Heifers are bred beginning at 12 months-of-age and have an average age at freshening of 22 months. Cows are bred starting at 60 days and have a calving interval of 13.4 months.

D&E Jerseys is fully registered and has been enrolled on REAP, the American Jersey Cattle Association's (AJCA) total performance program, since it was introduced in 1995.

D&E Jerseys and Avi-Lanche Jerseys are ranked among the top herds in the country for Jersey Performance Index (JPI). With the April 2010 genetic evaluations, D&E Jerseys is ranked among the top 25% of the herds in the nation with an average JPI of +33 and Predicted Transmitting Abilities of +304M, +11F and +10P. From the two herds, 51 cows are ranked on the list of the Top 1 1/2% Cows for JPI or GJPI.

D&E Jerseys had a 2009 AJCA lactation average of 18,771 lbs. milk, 819 lbs. fat and 674 lbs. protein on 488 lactations.
 

The Sherman family takes a pro-active approach to on-farm biosecurity. They strive to control factors that impact the environment, including the movement of people and animals, exposure to disease-causing agents, handling of feeds and manure and the purchase of animals. The farm also has a thorough vaccination program.

D&E Jerseys sells its component-rich milk to the Hilmar Cheese Company.  Donnie is one of the 11 people who founded the Hilmar Cheese Company in 1984.  Today, it is the largest, single-site cheese and whey product manufacturing facility in the world.