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• Experience with Jersey cows from 1965/66 at the age of 6 years old
• My father milked 15-20 Jersey cows once a day by hand from natural pastures in a dry area with rainfall of about 500 mm/annum
• Production between 5-15 lit/cow/day
Own farming career
• Own farming career started in 1981 together with my father – sheep farming
• Bought 10 cows in Feb 1981• Bought cheapest cows available, any breed• AI with relevant purebred sires from the start• Sold milk in cans to Nestle – no bulk tanks
• Slowly build numbers to about 50 cows in milk by end 1982
• Turn to dairy only in 1983• Build 8 a side switch over herringbone parlour• Increase to 150 cows by 1986
• Bought own farm in 1986• Increase numbers to 250 cows • Bought present farm in 1994• Milk 800 cows – 90% + purebred Jerseys• 36 unit rotary• 125 ha centre pivot irrigation• 250 ha dry land pastures
My Jersey Experience
• Grow up with Jersey cows• Join Albany Jersey cattle Club in 1982• Register with Jersey SA in 1984• Production was about 4000lit/cow/year• Local AI bulls - mostly sons of Milestone
Generator, Marlu Fashion Legend
• Import first semen from USA in 1984 – A Nine Top Brass
• Daughters started to milk in 1987• Lowest first lactation production was more
than that of mother – six daughters average over 5000 lit compared to herd average of 4000 lit
• Best daughter did 6000 lit
• Top Brass daughters 1000-1500 lit better then local progeny
• Importation quota's• Used maximum allowed• Lion Pride Lynx, Brass Major, Brass Top, Mills
Homestead, Be Magic, JS Quicksilver Royal, Opportunity, Hermitage, Lester, Yankee Chief, Boomer Sooner, Malcolm
• Althea sons – Alf, Dunker, Adonis
Highlight
• Picked Lester as a young bull in 1990/1• 30 Lester daughters born in 1992• Sold two Lester sons out of Royal daughters to AI• Kamma widely used• Sold 4 Lester daughters at 1994 National Sale for
highest average price• Herd production 5700 lit• Adonis/Sooner/Opportunity 8000 first lactation
The system
• Started off as “cow” farmer. • Focus on cow - production• Visited NZ in 1993• Become a “grass” farmer• Focus on grass – cow “harvester” to turn grass
into milk/profit• From about 2010 – pasture yields dropped
• Now a “soil” farmer• Focus healthy sustainable soil – Grow quality
pastures and use cow to convert to profit• Not organic – rather environmental friendly • Compost, chicken manure, combinations of
pastures, clovers etc. – less chemical fertilizer• Soil health and sustainability high priority
Feeding system
• 11-12 kg’s DM from pastures• 4-5 kg’s concentrates• Maize and minerals• Add silage when pastures not enough• Add protein Jan – Apr – supplement pasture
quality
Right cows for the system?
• 1981- 1993 High “genetic merit” • Focus on production and type -mostly USA• 1994- 2010 Focus changed – cow must utilize pastures• Feeding to much concentrates- not healthy for the
cows• Find that 2.5- 3 kg’s of concentrate/milking is
maximum for healthy rumen.• Lower concentrate feeding – High producers lost to
much weight• Cows milked to “much” – Fertility problems increase
• Turn more towards NZ genetics• Import Judds Admiral and Parkwood Casper
semen• Ernest, Senator Sam , Panache, Charlie’s Lad,
Rivers Imperial, Erect, Mans Man • Lost to much production from third generation
NZ• “Cross” between NZ and “High merit”
• “High merit” genetics not enough strength.• 2006 – Aus - Badger very good.• Select NZ semen for high production/good
type• Manhatten , Murmer• Aus - Larfalot, Gainfull• Balance between production and strength
Pasture cows
• Production• Medium production• First lactation – 4000- 4500• Second lactation – 4500 – 5000• Mature lactations – 5000-5500• Not more than 6000-6500!!!!!!!• Peaks – First lactation 18 – Mature 25
• Reduce replacement cost• Average of 5 lactations• Rear 25 % - 25 heifers/100 cows• Type• Health traits
• Strength – must not lose to much condition at peak – fertility
• Good udders• Low somatic cell count• Feet and legs