Den-Kel Jerseys is a production-oriented Registered Jersey herd in Byron, NY, about an hour's drive east of Niagara Falls and halfway between the upstate cities of Rochester and Buffalo. The herd is owned and operated by Kip Keller and Robin Denniston-Keller.

The Kellers began dairying on Kip's family farm in eastern New York in 1994, when they married. Nine years ago, they moved west and began renting the present farm. This past year, they achieved one of their long-term goals with the purchase of the farm.

Den-Kel Jerseys is one of the nation's leading genetic herds, ranked 12th for Jersey Performance Index (JPI) after the April 2010 genetic evaluations, with an average JPI of +60 on 89 cows. Nine cows are ranked among the top 1 1/2% for JPI or Genomic JPI.

The herd of 83 milking cows and an equal number of heifers has a 2009 lactation average of 20,361M, 1,054F and 754P - a measure that ranks it 5th in the nation for fat production among herds with 40-79 lactations and 10th for protein.

Den-Kel Jerseys has sent more than 20 bulls from several maternal lines to A.I. studs and focuses on polled genetics as a niche market. The Kellers are routine consignors to leading Jersey sales, including The All American Jersey Sale and the National Heifer Sale.

Though Robin grew up showing heifers and still enjoys the competition of the show ring, she learned the value of profitable dairying at Dutch Hollow Jerseys and High Lawn Farms, where she worked after graduation from Cornell and during the early years of her marriage. Today, the focus at Den-Kel is on genetics that pay the bills with the milk check.

The Kellers strive for early maturity of their heifers and increased days of productive life. They switched to a high-fat, high-protein milk replacer four years ago and found the increased energy levels provide better growth and stronger immunity. Calves are raised in individual hutches, then moved to super hutches and a new calf and heifer barn that was completed in the spring of 2009. Heifers are bred beginning at 9-10 months-of-age.

Cows are housed in a three-row freestall barn with sand bedding and an open feed alley. They are milked in a double-seven herringbone parlor and fed a high-quality, high-forage (60%+) diet.

The Kellers focus on cow management and leave cropping to a custom harvestor. Forage quality is a team effort, with the Kellers choosing when forages are mowed and chopped and covering the bunk silos on their own - all in 24 hours or less. The Kellers recently purchased a bunk de-facer to reduce dry matter losses.

The Kellers are also active in service to the agriculture industry. Robin is the current AJCA Director for the Second District and president of the New York Jersey Cattle Club. She is a member of The All American Sale Committee and Dairylea Cooperative's Structure Committee.

Kip and Robin were also honored with the National Dairy Shrine's Progressive Dairy Producers award in the small herd division in 2008 and the couple was presented with the AJCA's Young Jersey Breeder award in 1999.

Robin received an International Young Jersey Educational Travel Award from the World Jersey Cattle Bureau Conference in 2008 and she and Kip traveled to the Isle of Jersey.