UK-Jersey Magazin April-August 2012

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Jersey Q May – August 2012 www.ukjerseys.com


I’m pleased to welcome you to the latest edition of the Jersey Q

Pedigree Jersey herds offer a more profitable option than crossbreeding.

This fact-packed edition brings farmers a wealth of information to help them make the best decisions for their dairy herd, even down to selecting the best breed for different milk contract requirements.

Drawing on further research from the USA, the benefit of Jerseys longer productive life even outweighs the ‘something extra’ attributed to crossbreeding.

The worldwide demand for food is set to increase and I believe there will be no doubt about that. This is a significant factor, due to the rapid escalation in land prices being seen across the UK. Higher land values require higher returns to fund rents or mortgages. At the same time, pressures to reduce man’s collective impact on the environment are increasing. This comes in the form of more expensive water charges, waste regulations and ever increasing challenges to the dairy industry. This is even more prevalent on beef production to justify the impact made by cattle emitted methane. “Go Jersey” was the message from Dr Jude Capper at the British Cattle Breeders Conference. Reporting on her research at the University of Washington, Dr Capper said that “The biggest and best dairy farmers in the USA are Jersey breeders.” Jude has thrown down the gauntlet to us to make sure UK Jersey breeders match their cousins across the pond. 2

The article also uses data as the basis for a comparison of Jersey and Holstein herd costings from Kingshay Farming Trust in this country. This article highlights the route to significantly higher margins per-hectare. Thereby releasing land for either more cows or alternative uses. National Youngstock Association Farm Walks.

Our challenge is to retain the balance between productivity, functional type and longevity while delivering higher output from longer living cows. Jersey Island farmers have seen the impact of overseas genetics. David Hambrook looks at heifer performance from the newly introduced bloodlines. A warm welcome to John Cochrane as National Sales Manager at Cogent Breeding. John has moved across to Cogent following the Worldwide Sires UK acquisition. During his time at WWS, John was the Sales director. In his previous role, John visited Jersey herds in the USA and he will be out and about at various events here, he is also keen to meet Jersey breeders.

Two Jersey herds feature in the nationwide series of six walks, The Clifton Herd and Tagg herd in May 2012. We report a number of handy tips coming from the visit at the Bland family’s Clifton herd. These farm walks are acting as a catalyst to produce more Jersey specific young-stock rearing guidelines. Milk Records – what has happened to Jerseys and other breeds’ performance since 2000? A comparison shows Jerseys lead the way with more animals recorded, even more than recently introduced breeds like Montbeliarde and Brown Swiss. All other breeds have recorded a decline in numbers, so we must be doing something right.

Roger Trewhella Field Services Manager


Calf Rearing National Youngstock Association Farm Walk

Abbott Lodge is a 230 acre, tenanted farm situated on the Lowther Estate. In February 2002, the Clifton herd of 60 Jersey cattle was formed, following the purchase of the entire Ventonwyn herd, plus additional heifers from the Farlam and Tarn prefixes. Cow numbers have been increased through limited culling, retaining heifers and selective purchases at dispersal sales. In 2005, a review of

the farming side of the business saw us commit to an expansion and building a new cubicle shed whilst increasing cow numbers to 300 by the end of 2011. This has been achieved from all homebred heifers, with the exception of some selective purchases. Current rolling herd performance is 6524 litres at 5.78% butterfat and 4.0% protein. Diet is based on grass silage and whole crop during the winter months in a partial total mix ration with concentrates to yield results, fed through Out-of-Parlour and In-Parlour feeders. Summer is grass based with a buffer total mix ration, which is fed throughout the season. Dry cows are managed on a Mag-Plus system, which is fed in the water, to combat milk fever.

In recent years heifers have been contract-reared, leaving the farm at four months old and returning prior to calving. Plans are in place to bring this part of the business back in hand with a new young stock building to accommodate them. Building work is to be completed in 2012.

Calf Rearing in the Clifton Herd Calf rearing starts before birth as dry cows are moved to a ‘pre-calving area’ three weeks prior to due date. A dry cow diet for close calving cows with Magnesium and Vitamins A, D & E is fed through the water this is all to aid trouble-free calving. As soon as the cow calves,

The Show-ring plays an important part in marketing the top cow families as well as providing a platform for the ice-cream business. Considerable success has been achieved at most of the major shows. Homebred Heifers

Stephen Bland prepares to address the audience while wife, Claire, and daughter, Lizzie, and son, Robert, stand in front of the bank.

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Five Point Successful Calf Rearing Tips from Clifton Good dry cow management, with vaccinations as necessary, gives the calves a flying start Calves must receive adequate, good quality, colostrum. Cleanliness of all equipment and pens is vital Never feed waste milk, and ensure milk replacer is fed at the correct rate If the weather is cold, jackets are used

Good stockmanship identifies potential problems early she is moved into an individual pen with her calf for 24 hours, the calf will then have its navel dipped in iodine. If necessary, dried colostrum will be fed. After 24 hours the calf goes into the individual calf pens, which are well bedded with access to water and feed for 12 to 14 days. If the weather is cold, jackets will be put on the calves. Milk replacer is fed twice a day and any calf not drinking strongly is given special attention. Good stockmanship is essential at this stage. After 12 to 14 days the calves move in a group to the computerised feeding machine where they remain until weaning at 8 weeks of age.

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The new young stock building

After 12 to 14 days calves move to the computerised feeding machine where they remain until weaning at 8 weeks of age.


Mixing milk powder – pooling colostrum is not recommended to get the best results, and so thorough preparation of milk replacer powder is important. Along with all the best practice around water temperatures and cleanliness, it is important to remember that the concentration of the mix depends upon the amount of water and powder. One litre at 15 per cent concentration is made from 850cc water plus 150 grams powder. Higher levels of daily live weight gain are achieved through using higher protein and lower energy replacer powders.

Calving at 24 months – the solution to low productive life. Over one-third of heifer calves fail to complete a single lactation as the statistics below reveal:Calf Mortality -8% Failure to reach first lactation -14% Culled in first lactation -15% Calving heifers young answers many of these problems as it results in:• Better subsequent fertility • More lifetime production • Reduced culling rate • Increased efficiency • Reduced carbon footprint With progressive Jersey breeders now expecting to serve heifers from one year old, it means that management must be spot-on from the outset. Improving performance requires record-keeping to ascertain the starting position and monitor improvement.

It all starts before birth. Underfeeding cows in late lactation leads to a number of problems including:• Higher numbers of stillbirths • Less vigorous calves • Poorer quality colostrum Poor colostrum quality is often the root cause of scours, pneumonia and navel ill. Half of all calves receive substandard colostrum. It is especially a problem in first-calved heifers. Testing colostrum quality is quick and easy. The benefits should make it a must do job.

Fresh air is free Jamie Robertson was in his normal ebullient form, cajoling and encouraging everyone to get their calf accommodation right. Pneumonia costs between £40 and £100 for every infected calf. On top of which, it reduces milk yield by ten per cent per lactation, and shortens lifespan. The three themes of moisture, fresh air and air speed were all assessed by Jamie as he gave his professional overview of the buildings at Abbotts Lodge. Stephen Bland’s initial training as an architect put him in good stead as the design and layout ticked virtually all the boxes.

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Island mid-term report David Hambrook, Jersey Island Genetics, gives an update. As the first of what we refer to as the F1’s, the animals sired by imported Jersey genetics, are now completing their first lactations. This is an opportune time to report on estimated final grades. With some of the Island’s larger herds milking a majority of heifers sired by international bulls, even while some are still in very early lactation, the increase in production from genetics alone appears quite considerable. The six Island herds tabled below show an un-weighted average increase in first lactation production over the second lactation, the records are in excess of ten

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percent. In five of the six herds, the heifers are presently predicted to perform better than the whole herd average. Taken from each herd’s projected 305-day Cattle Information Service reading and the rolling 12 month average yields for animals presently in milk between 80 and 305 days.

genetics on a more conservative basis. These herds are seeing a smaller increase in average production. However there can be no doubt, when reviewing current first lactation predictions for the F1s: they are now outperforming herdmates by a similar percentage in all herds.

Other than concentrate feed levels relating to actual yields, the majority of herds are fed on diets from the same basis as in previous years. Therefore the figures are a very strong indication that most, if not all of this increase is down to the genetics alone.

Most of the well known and more heavily used sires, particularly Sultan, Iatola and Action are doing exactly what was expected of each of them. The fact that the last semen available within the British Isles from each of these bulls was purchased by Island herds in recent months, is testament to how pleased with them the producers are.

Other herds have used imported

Of the Danish sires used, positive comments are being made about the conformation of the DJ May daughters. DJ Hovborg progeny however, quite often appear to be the higher producing Danish heifers on CIS monthly statements. Given that the law to permit the importation of semen from pedigree Jersey sires had only changed in July 2008, the first semen had been imported in September of that year. It seems peculiar that the first third-generation animals from imported semen will be on the ground within the next twelve months! Some see the next trick as being


how to maintain a unique selling point for genetics without following the mainstream breeding trends in the UK or elsewhere, when we have such a limited population size.

It is evident that 2012 is clearly ‘the’ year to take in and experience what is happening here in Jersey.

This focus on ‘difference’ has already been witnessed with some herds intentionally leaning towards a breeding policy that will, hopefully, begin to maintain two of the more important positive characteristics exhibited by the Island herd. These are capacity - strength through the chest-width and heart girth - and locomotion. The Island is looking forward to welcoming Peter Larson to our shores in May and then to the European Jersey Forum in September. Other Jersey-enthused visitors are especially welcome here at any time and to either of our cattle shows, in June and October.

Herd Size

Milk Kg

Milk Kg

Milk Kg

Increase 1st over 2nd lacts

(No. Cows)

Heifers

2nd Calvers

Whole Herd

172

5868

5053

5770

16%

202

4701

4492

4693

5%

99

5210

4451

4994

18%

271

5288

4854

5190

9%

212

5017

4265

4599

9%

204

5409

5122

5550

6%

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“Go Jersey” was Dr Capper’s rallying cry at the British Cattle Breeders’ Conference.

Output as a proportion of body weight is a key factor in reducing carbon impact

Seventy per cent of dairy’s environmental impact occurs on farm, so the industry must be evaluated on a total production basis and not a per cow basis.

Dr Capper’s research identified three significant factors affecting carbon emissions per kg of cheese produced – cow body weight; weight of butterfat + protein; milk yield.

Between 1944 and 2007 milk production in the USA increased by almost 60 per cent, yet cow numbers declined by an even bigger amount.

Jerseys, at 450kg average liveweight, are less than three-quarters the size of Holsteins. At the same time, Jerseys produce more than 88 per cent of the yield of milk components achieved from Holsteins. This increased output per kg of body mass dilutes both the cost of cow maintenance and the waste per kg of dairy product manufactured.

The ‘carbon footprint’ effect of this was to bring down the footprint per kg milk by two-thirds, even though the per cow level doubled. Along the dairy production chain, 20 per cent of footprint is attributable to animal feed production, over 50 per cent is from on-farm production, while processing, packaging, transport, retailing and consumer use and wastage accounts for less than 30 per cent in total. 8

Dr Capper challenges Jersey breeders to improve on their existing advantage by concentrating on developing the breed to retain moderate sized animals, increase milk components and yield, while also increasing longevity.


Danish Jerseys – reduce the main reasons for culling to improve performance The Danish dairy industry’s cooperative spirit has placed Viking Jerseys at the forefront of Jersey breeding, worldwide. It is especially interesting to note that their approach is to concentrate on reducing the main reasons for culling. In Denmark these are reproduction and low production. The Viking emphasis on reproduction can be seen in the DairyCo breeding+ rankings for Fertility Index. Of the 105 Available Bulls, 37 per cent have positive FI; 57% of Viking bulls in the list are positive. While the Viking range is from +7.9 to – 3.5FI, the total range spans +9.9 to -12.8. While not all bulls need to be positive, careful consideration should be given to an index below -5. 9


Cross breeding Research shows Lifetime Production makes pure Jerseys more profitable than crossbreeding Paul Van Raden, world-acknowledged cattle geneticist from the USA, has analysed the productive lifetime value of over forty one thousand crossbred cows and seven hundred and twenty five thousand purebreds, from a number of different breeds and crosses.

as a result of differences between breeds than the effect of hybrid vigour. Put simply this means that pure breeding should not be ignored and, while crossbreeding may have a place in some milk contracts, crossbreeding is not the answer to every problem. It will not surprise readers of this article to learn that the Jersey breed is at the top of the tree in its longevity.

found in the Jersey breed as a matter of course. Table 1 shows Van Raden’s comparison of purebreds for productive Life and also Calving Difficulty.

The research discovered that the financial value of increased productive life proved to be greater 4 10

•Remove calving problems in maiden heifers •Increase milk components sold Once Jersey-cross heifers entered the milking herd breeders discovered they had improved reproductive performance and fewer health problems as a bonus. Of course all these advantages are

The impact of cow and calf weights on farm margins. Further US research also compared animal liveweights. This has a significant effect on maintenance requirements per cow, although weight of butterfat + protein production is not reduced proportionately.

Why Jerseys for crossbreeding? Crossbreeding has become fashionable as a response to the frustrations of trying to manage high output Holsteins. VanRaden found that crossbreeders chose Jerseys to:Farmers first use Jerseys in crossbreeding for ease of calving and to improve milk components. They soon realise that improved health and reproduction come as a side benefit as well – and all these traits are available from pure-breeding too.

157-cow Jersey herd.

The value of a Jersey cow’s longer productive life means that the financial advantage of a purebred Jersey herd is greater than any gains achieved from crossbreeding. On the face of it, 50 day’s extra milk production per cow may not seem much. However, using the Kingshay rolling herd costings results for 2011, those 50 days yield a margin over feed of £205 per cow – in excess of £32000 for the average

The bodyweight of cows in the UK is very similar to those from the USA, see Table 2. Typical UK stocking rates for animals of these weight ranges are 2 Holsteins per ha, 2.4 crossbreds and 3.5 Jerseys. Higher stocking densities make an enormous difference to total farm margins as will be seen from the Kingshay data on the next page. Kingshay costings highlight potential Jersey margins per ha A comparison of UK Holstein and Channel Island (majority Jersey) herds for 2011 puts the environmental benefits of Jerseys in the spotlight. The average Jersey herd, 157 cows, will require little more than half the land area – 45ha (110 acres) compared with the 82ha


(200 acres) for the average 164-cow Holstein herd. Jerseys can be stocked at 3.5 cows per ha compared with 2 for the Holsteins. Add to this the fact that Jersey herds require a lower replacement rate, and the heifers will be younger at first calving, and even more savings are made on land requirement for the total dairy enterprise. The impact of higher fertility is recorded in the Kingshay reports where Jerseys had a 99.4 per cent calving rate (156 calvings in a 157-cow herd) while Holsteins only achieved 92.7 per cent. The farm management, and financial, impacts of fewer calvings is unplanned extended lactations, higher breeding costs (semen and / or natural service matings), lower total milk output due to fewer days at peak yield.

£3316, an increase of £1244 or 37 per cent better return on land use. Jerseys also produced 33 per cent of their output from forage while the Holsteins were lower at 31 per cent. The 3.6ppl higher milk price received is another incentive to entice producers to Jerseys. Liquid market: Holstein advantage – high volume, low components. Jerseys, or crosses of any breed, will not be rewarded for their milk components. The loss of volume will not be offset by savings in herd management costs.

Breed

Productive Life (Months)

Calving Difficulty %

Ayrshire

23.2

4.4

Brown Swiss

23.8

4.7

Guernsey

18.2

3.3

Jersey

25.8

0.8

Shorthorn

19.5

7.8

Holstein

24.2

7.9

Table: 2 Breed

Cow kg

Calf birth kg

F+P kg prodn

Hols

680

38.5

488

Jersey

450

22.5

420

Hols/Red x Jersey

570

30.3

472

Table: 3 The place for Holsteins, Jerseys and Jersey x Holsteins

All these considerations add-up as environmental pressures around nitrate and phosphorous ‘waste,’ methane emissions, and costs for water usage become more intense. With a Margin Over Purchased Feed of £1303 per cow for Jerseys and £1658 for Holsteins it is easy to see the impact higher stocking rates will have. Three and a half Jerseys per ha produce a margin of £4561 while two Holsteins return

Table: 1

Taking advantage of pure Jersey, and breeding Holstein-cross heifers from the lower end of the herd, gives an option to make the best of the whole herd for compositional quality or organic contracts.

Milk Contract

% Herds

Holstein

Liquid supply

50

!

Jersey or J&G speciality

2

Organic

3

Cheese, yoghurt, products

45+

Jersey

! ! !

Holstein x Jersey

! ! 11


Speciality milk & products: Jersey advantage – consumers are paying in the knowledge they are receiving 100 per cent Jersey or Jersey & Guernsey milk. They are prepared to pay a premium to indulge the pleasure they get from the wholesomeness of the product.

Organic: Jersey & Jersey x advantage – Jersey and Jersey crosses are well recognised for their grazing ability. They are easily managed under an organic regime. Cheese, yoghurt & dairy products: Jersey & Jersey x advantage – the

concentration of components provides lower costs for the processor and an enhanced product for the consumer. From the foundation of a Jersey herd, cows not needed for breeding replacements can be mated to a Holstein. This offers a more

The ability to stock Jerseys at 3.5 cows per ha, compared with Holsteins at 2, produces an extra £1200 / ha margin over feed per year. With higher land values the levels of margin Jerseys can deliver are needed.

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moderate sized cow than the pure Holstein, or from other crosses on the Holstein. The Jersey x Holstein can be bred to a beef breed, adding value to males not otherwise suited to meat production.


MILK RECORDS

Jerseys set the pace with increasing cow numbers CDI (The Centre for Dairy Information), a Holstein UK subsidiary, has released the 2011 milk records performance for all pedigree dairy breeds. Statistics are aggregated from all milk recording organisations across the UK. The table below compares performances, within each breed, between 2000 and 2011. Most pleasing for UK Jerseys is to note that the Jersey breed has increased the number of recorded animals more than any other breed, including the more recently introduced Montbeliardes and Brown Swiss. In fact, beyond these two, all

other breeds have seen a decline in milk recording numbers. When compared on simple numbers alone, Jerseys are in mid table on all performance benchmarks. However, when the comparisons are adjusted to be proportion with average animal bodyweight, the Jersey performance becomes more impressive. On a per kg bodyweight basis, Jerseys match the Holstein production performance but with lower average scc and with a markedly shorter Calving Index. Calving Index has extended within all breeds and, for Jerseys, it is an area that will be closely assessed as part

of the Breed Plan Goals Towards 2020, and are currently being generated. Any cows that do not get in-calf at the timing of the farmers’ choice have no future – neither within their own productive life nor as a contributor to herd and breed development. Fertility is the Number One essential in cattle breeding. All other areas of breed improvement must be gained from the most fertile members of the population.

Change in breed performance 2011 v 2000 Breed

Lacts

Milk kg

Fat kg

Prot kg

scc

CI days

Ayrshire

-1458

+895

+42

+29

-6

9

Brown Swiss

+1606

+655

+38

+21

+24

23

Brit Friesian

-3839

+464

+25

+16

+33

9

Holstein

-57405

+1443

+59

+40

+46

25

Guernsey

-2916

+881

+39

+38

+50

26

Jersey Island

-1161

+384

+16

+16

-25

16

Jersey

+2132

+814

+39

+28

-1

13

Montbeliarde

+499

+607

+39

+12

-26

10

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UK Jerseys 2011

The Swiss Jersey Scene

2011 saw Jerseys set record yields for milk (5862 kg), butterfat (314 kg) and milk protein (225 kg).

Derrick Frigot reports his judging experience at the ‘Swissjerseynight’ and the development of the breed in Switzerland

It should be within the grasp of the Jersey breed to produce a greater weight of protein per lactation than the Ayrshire, British Friesian or Montbeliarde breeds. The table below demonstrates the effect of the additional 0.5% protein content in Jersey milk – on top of which there is a higher inclusion of Kappa Casein BB, so beneficial in improving the yield and quality of dairy products.

Just fifteen years ago it would have been difficult to find a Jersey cow in Switzerland. Today there are approximately 10,000 head with up to 400 dairy farmers having at least a few Jerseys in their herds of Brown Swiss or Holsteins. There is also an increasing move to change breeds to comply with new laws concerning the size and space of stanchions. This was announced in 2003 and farmers were given ten years to comply with the new conditions. With one year to go, some dairymen are electing to buy the smaller Jersey breed rather

than spending a high capital cost on changing their existing facilities. This has affected the price of Jerseys and today in-calf heifers or cows are selling for up to 3,000 Swiss francs - over £2,000 and a 20-25 per cent market premium above the heavier breeds. I was invited to judge the “Swissjerseynight” show held in K!ssnaght im Rigi, central Switzerland. My wife and I stayed with Toni Keller,

Comparison of Protein Production by Breed (2011 milk records)

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Breed

Milk kg

Protein %

Protein kg

Jersey

5862

3.84

225

Ayrshire

7107

3.31

236

British Friesian

6965

3.33

232

Montbeliarde

7063

3.34

236

The Intermediate Championship was sponsored by Cogent Breeding / UK Jerseys


secretary of the Swiss Jersey Association, and visited ten farms. It Is six years since the last World Jersey Cattle Bureau visit. Switzerland is very proud of its traditions and for many years, neither the Jersey breed, nor other ‘foreign’ breeds, was allowed to be imported into the country as it conflicted with the ethnic breeds such as Brown Swiss, Simmental and the local black and white Fribourg cattle. The only Jerseys in the country prior to the 1990’s were 50 animals, imported from Denmark in 1985, at the ETH Chamau experimental facility where they were compared with other breeds in a range of trials. However with constant lobbying, led by Dr. Ruedi Mueller a veterinarian who had briefly farmed with Jerseys in Ireland, things did change. Switzerland, home of the Brown Swiss breed, has been a major importer of Jerseys mostly from Denmark since the ban was lifted in 1995. The projects comparing breeds had proved that the Jersey could more than compete. Jerseys perform well on the steep mountain slopes where some spend their summers, and equally well in the more commercial herds. The dairy products from the Alps are very popular and Jersey milk is

well suited for cheese and butter production. The Jersey breed’s high value milk has prompted many dairymen either to switch to Jerseys, or add some to their existing herds. Jersey milk is attracting roughly 20 per cent more per litre, depending on what the milk is used for.

Switzerland with cereals and vegetables being confined to the lowlands. Traditionally, the Alpine farmers take their herd up the mountains in the summer for about three months, where the cattle graze alpine pasture and the farmer makes cheese, using traditional methods.

“Schweizerischen Jerseyzuchtvereins, the national Jersey association, was constituted in December 1999. Today’s president is the country’s largest Jersey breeder, with 160 milking cows, Mr. Bruno Schuler. Nowadays, there are approximately 10,000 Jerseys in Switzerland, spread across most of the country, predominantly in the central and eastern cantons. Recently, regional Jersey associations have been formed. The Association has about 400 members, many of whom have just a few Jerseys in their larger Brown Swiss, or sometimes,

Farms are small, with most being around 20 hectares. One farm visited grew hops and grapes, and had a small farm shop to supplement the family income.

They milk 20 Jerseys with plans to go to 30. One farm traditionally stables the cows in a tie-barn. Alpine grass and hay was fed with very little concentrates, and definitely no silage as all the milk was purchased by an artisan cheese maker. In the summer, in-calf cows are taken up to the mountains, along with other cattle from neighbouring farms. About 75 cows plus 150 heifers are looked after by a group of four people who tend the cattle and make butter and cheese from the milk. No monetary payment is made to the farmer, but he is given cheese and butter at the end of the duration. The exercise is organised by the canton authorities and is...

Holstein, herds. Full use is being made of international genetics from the USA, Canada, Denmark and New Zealand. Meadows and pastures make up three-quarters of the agricultural land of

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compulsory. Summer management of the herd preserves lowland grass for winter feed. The advantage to the canton government is the utilization of the mountain slopes, keeping pastures in pristine condition, and naturally, the spin-off is promoting summer tourism. “Swissjerseynight”, is a cattle show organised by four young Jersey breeders. It is a show with a difference! Firstly, it starts at 7.00 p.m. and the judging of ten classes – three heifer and seven cow classes – had to be completed by 11.00p.m.! The cattle are shown on a ‘stage’ about two feet off the main floor so people sitting at tables around the ring could see.

In between the groups of classes (heifers, intermediate cows, mature cows) the audience of about 1,000 people were entertained with traditional dancing, yodelling, flag flying and horn blowing - all very original and interesting. Hopefully the judge also entertained the crowd with his decisions! It was a superb promotion for the Jersey breed, especially as the audience included breeders of Brown Swiss and Holstein cattle who seemed to be very interested in this “new” breed. Swiss people are extremely proud of their country and its traditions, and they just love cheese! A highlight of our visit was to see

Willi Schmid in his cheese factory – a modest place where some of the country’s most popular cheeses are created. Willi Schmid made international headlines when his “Jersey Blue” cheese won the World Jersey Cheese Awards in 2010. He also won a Gold Medal with another cheese and a Bronze Medal with a third. All his cheeses – about 30 different varieties - are made to a high standard and milk from selected farms, is used. His portfolio includes goats, sheep, and buffalos’ milk cheeses as well as cows’ cheese. His notoriety extended to a major article in The Financial Times newspaper. The Jersey breed is relatively small, perhaps 5 per cent of all dairy cows, yet it is growing steadily at about 3 per cent per annum. The relevance is that just fifteen years ago there were no Jerseys in the country – now it is considered a part of Switzerland’s agricultural scene.

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Trait Leaders The following information highlights the top three highest scoring bulls for each trait.

Trait ÂŁPLI

No 1

No 2

No 3

Allstar

199

Lix

188

Holmer

182

Ganster

679

Levon

579

Ace

562

Allstar

32.0

Maximus

28.1

Blueprint

25.0

Protein kg

Blueprint

21.5

Allstar

18.0

Impuls

17.2

Butterfat %

Lix

0.38

Maximus

0.38

Zaga

0.25

Protein %

Lix

0.22

Maximus

0.15

Zik

0.11

SCC

Holmer

-30

Jante

-22

Hovborg

-15

Life Span

Hovborg

0.4

Zik

0.3

Hagri

0.3

Fert Index

Legacy

9.9

Holmer

7.9

Hagri

7.9

Legs & Feet

Tequila

2.0

Excitation

1.9

Kyros

1.6

Mammary

Tequila

3.2

Excitation

2.4

Zik

2.1

Type

Tequila

3.4

Excitation

2.3

Governor

2.3

Milk kg Butterfat kg

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Contacts

- For more information please feel free to contact a member of our team.

Ashley Fleming NI Regional Manager +44 (0)7775 561823

Richard Lloyd Central Regional Manager +44 (0)7802 959293

Ed Pope South Regional Manager +44 (0)7789 756110

Ian Plews Scotland & North Regional Manager +44 (0)7855 506136

Roger Trewhella UK Jersey Society Field Services Manager +44 (0)7968 182896

Derrick Frigot Jersey Specialist +44 (0)7797 710215

Gerbrich Andringa Export Manager +44 (0)7979 053525

John Cochrane UK Sales Manager +44 (0)1244 622 073

For more information please call Freephone: 0800 783 7258 Cogent Breeding Ltd, Lea Lane, Aldford, Chester, CH3 6JQ.

www.ukjerseys.com / www.cogentuk.com


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