Chris Jansen is our newly elected All West/Select Sires District 7 Director. Chris is the Herd Manager of Oxbow Dairy, located near Raymond, Washington where they currently milk 300 Holstein cows while raising 300 replacement heifers. The dairy is currently co-managed by the fourth and fifth generations of the farm.
The third generation of Oxbow Dairy, Dick and Joyce Criag, started dairy farming in 1963 and Dick proudly served as an All West/Select Sires board member for 25 years. In 1991, the fourth generation, Terry and Lana Smaciarz, took over the operation and Terry followed in Dick’s footsteps by serving as an All West Director for the next 25 years.
In 2018, the fifth generation, Chris Jansen, took over management of the dairy’s genetic program, overall cow and heifer health, and assumed several leadership roles on the farm, including employee management. Chris is looking forward to following the footsteps of Dick and Terry by continuing their legacy as an All West/Select Sires Director.
I have chosen to serve as an All West board member to carry on the family tradition and to learn,” said Chris.
“I hope to gain knowledge of genetics and new trends while gathering ideas and best practices from fellow directors.”
Not only has the Oxbow Dairy family served All West/Select Sires for decades, they have also utilized many programs, products, and services to improve their herd over the years. Oxbow Dairy has used Select Sires genetics, implemented with the help of the Select Mating Service (SMS) program since the early 1960’s.
Chris shared, “We choose to be a customer of All West because they have the highest conception rates and the best bull selection. I carefully select bulls who have balanced frames, great width of rump, and exceptional udders and feet and legs. I also look closely at Combined Fat and Protein (CFP), Daughter Pregnancy Rate (DPR), Productive Life (PL), Livability (LIV), Sire Conception Rate (SCR), and Sire Calving Ease (SCE) along with most of the Zoetis Traits.”
Aside from being a beautiful display of Select Sires genetics, Chris is proud of the herd’s most recent accomplishment of receiving the 2021 Progressive Genetics Herd Award from Holstein Association USA. “It has been a goal of mine to progress the herd and breed animals that will not only make us more efficient, but put our dairy name on the map, since taking over the genetics program here at Oxbow Dairy four years ago. This award is a huge stepping stone in the right direction!”
Chris has been happily married to his wife, Abby, for over three years and the couple has a beautiful two-year-old daughter, Jenna. Chris volunteers much of his spare time to hosting and managing cow sales and also enjoys showing cows of his own. When he can get away from the dairy, he enjoys hunting big game.
Welcome to the team, Jansen Family!
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