Ferme Kamouraska

It was 1958 when Jacques Morneau, Pascal’s father, purchased their first pure-bred Ayrshires from a neighbouring farmer. Since then, Ayrshire cows have always been present at the farm. In 1995, after completing his studies at the(ITA) of La Pocatière, Pascal partnered with his father. The society Ferme Kamouraska SENC was then founded. In 2000, when Pascal’s father decided to retire, the company Ferme Kamouraska 2000 Inc. was established. Pascal got married in the summer of 2013 to Amélie Martin, with whom he has a son, Charles, now 11 months old. From a previous relationship, he has 3 other children: Xavier, 14, Destinée, 8, and Didier, 6. The Ferme Kamouraska covers an area of 100 arable hectares, and their main cultures are: hay, corn silage, wheat, and canola. The herd is fed, via a TMR robot on rail, a mix of hay silage, corn silage, corn, wheat, and supplements. The Kamouraska herd counts approximately 100 animals, of which fifty or so are cows. The production average is 8,800 kg of milk, with a BCA of 258-259-272. Classification is as follow: 13 VG and 28 GP. The cow family which contributed the greatest to this Master Breeder Award is the one of Kamouraska Jerry Virvana EX-9*, an exceptional cow who produced 43,114 kg of milk in 4 lactations, with very high components of 4.6% fat and 3.6% protein. Her daughters Kamouraska Unique VG, Kamouraska Xefalda ET VG, Kamouraska Poker Wilhelmina VG-86 1*, Kamouraska Ristourn Whitney VG, and Kamouraska Peterslund Ruby ET VG-87 7* are all cows combining a solid conformation with strong production and brood cow qualities. Her son Kamouraska Mandarin was a proven sire at Semex. Virvana’s most renowned daughter is Kamouraska Peterslund Ruby ET VG-87 7*, with her two proven sons Kamouraska Decaf ET, 2nd on the LPI List in Canada and a production specialist, and Kamouraska  Rockstar, 3rdon the LPI List and an exceptional and extremely popular sire used worldwide. These 2 sires will undoubtedly have an extraordinary influence on the breed for many years. Daughters of Ruby, such as Kamouraska Jupi Uby ET VG-86, Kamouraska Orra Xuby VG-85, and Kamouraska Poker Rubis ET VG-86, are also high potential cows who contributed points toward this Award. Another cow from the herd, Kamouraska Garino Lolita EX-90 4*, also provided many points, with a lifetime production of 74,696 kg of milk in 7 lactations. A well-rounded cow, Lolita was a show winner, an excellent producer, and a brood cow, as demonstrated by her daughter Kamouraska Pardner Ricotta ET EX-2E 2*. The Kamouraska herd is famous for their excellent genetics, which are appreciated and used worldwide. The list of AI sires stemming from the Kamouraska herd is quite impressive: other than the big stars, Kamouraska Rockstar and Kamouraska Decaf, we can also name Kamouraska Big Star, Kamouraska Volvo, Kamouraska Ultra, Kamouraska Radar, Kamouraska Lacteo, and many others. When we take a look at the Top LPI cows and heifers for the Ayrshire breed, several Kamouraska-bred animals figure in the Top 25. The Kamouraska herd actually held the first position in December 2014, with an average LPI of 2446. Pascal appreciates well-rounded, productive, and functional cows. He loves to work with medium-sized cows presenting excellent udders and excellent feet and legs. He looks for hardy cows with good appetites and who demonstrate production skills. One of Pascal’s future objectives is to reach an average production of 10,000 kg per cow, with 5.0% fat and 4.0% protein. He also wishes to expand the size of the herd and produce more quota with as few cows as possible. Ayrshire Canada offers its most sincere congratulations to Ferme Kamouraska for its Master Breeder Award.