Green to Gold Genetics that turn pasture into profit
New Zealand Jerseys in Argentina • Turning milk into championship cheese • Making good with grazing in the US
VOLUME 7, NUMBER 1
FROM THE EDITOR Contents IT HAS BEEN A WHILE BETWEEN EDITIONS,
3
SIRE SPOTLIGHT – Mint Edition
WHICH IS A SIGN THAT WE HAVE BEEN BUSY.
4
FEATURE – Dairying challenges being met in Brazil
(Genomically Selected) to the EU for four years.
7
SIRE SPOTLIGHT – Ivins and Barry
Yes, EU restrictions have been lifted and we have
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FEATURE – Turning milk into championship cheese
2009 has seen us ship the first new sires
successfully established an EU specific collection centre. We are both pleased and relieved to be able to once again supply our loyal British and Irish farmers with the best genetics from New Zealand. June 2009 has seen LIC and the New Zealand dairy industry celebrate the centenary of Herd Testing (milk recording) in this country. Without herd testing and the latter additions of herd recording and animal evaluations, LIC would not be able to offer the elite sires you breed from today.
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FEATURE – New Zealand Jerseys in Argentina
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FEATURE – Making good with grazing in the US
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ADVICE – Pasture management
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NEWS RELEASE – Herd Testing centenary
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NEWS RELEASE – Not just any calf
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OUR PEOPLE – John and Sue Cliff
Green to Gold congratulates the industry and the people that have made milk testing and recording the outstanding service it is today. ▲
Cover photo
Aaron Wallace
New Zealand Jersey calves in Argentina.
Editor
VOLUME 7, NUMBER 1
Editorial enquiries
Website
Editor, Green to Gold, LIC, Private Bag 3016, Hamilton 3240, NEW ZEALAND Ph +64 7 856 3094. Fax +64 7 856 2963. Email licnz@lic.co.nz
www.licnz.com
Contacts New Zealand LIC Private bag 3016 Hamilton New Zealand Tel: +64 7 856 3094 Fax +64 7 856 2963 E-mail: licnz@lic.co.nz www.licnz.com
Argentina LIC Latin America SA Independencia 2415 (6700) Luján. Bs. As. Tel: 02323-428252
Australia
Northern Ireland
United Kingdom
Livestock Improvement P/L 1/129 Ogilvie Ave. Echuca Victoria 3564 Australia Tel: 1800 454 694 Orderline fax: 03 5480 3700 E-mail: gj@livestockimprovement. com.au
AI Services (NI) Ltd Tel: 028 9083 3123 Fax: 028 9084 2640 E-mail: info@ai-services.co.uk LIC Ireland Ltd Phone: 087 2041 923 E-mail: jcliff@licireland.com Tel: 1800 60 40 20 – free phone
Livestock Improvement (UK) Ltd Unit 7, Town Farm Workshops Dean Lane, Sixpenny Handley Salisbury, Wiltshire SP5 5PA Tel: 01725 553008 Fax: 01725 553117 E-mail: hassallr.lic@btconnect.com
Ireland Eurogene AiServices (Irel) Ltd Millbuilding, Church Street, Cahir Co Tipperary, Ireland. Tel: + 353 (0) 52 42940 Fax: + 353 (0) 52 45731 E-mail: sales@eurogeneaiservices.com
South Africa Genimex PO Box 504 Irene 0062 Republic of South Africa Tel: 012 667 1012 Fax: 012 667 1015
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2 Green to Gold VOLUME 7, NUMBER 1
USA Taurus Service Inc. PO Box 164 Mehoopany, PA 18629-0164 United States of America Tel: 570 833 5123 Fax: 570 833 2690 E-mail: taurus@epix.net
Uruguay Gensur Ltda Nueva York 1690 Montevideo Telefax: 924 6655 – 929 0260 Email: gensur@netgate.com.uy
SIRE SPOTLIGHT By Simon Worth, Bull Acquisition Manager
MINT-EDITION IN MINT CONDITION HERE’S A BULL that lives up to his name! Fairmont Mint-Edition is a hugely impressive sire, displaying tremendous balance throughout his proof and a most appealing pedigree that will see him in huge demand, not only within New Zealand but globally. Prior to moving to the LIC bull farm, Mint-Edition spent his first days at the Fairmont stud of Barry and Linda Old, Morrinsville, in New Zealand’s North Island. While focusing on running a profitable commercial operation, the Olds maintain a keen interest in the breeding of their top animals. And Mint-Edition is not their first success with another, Karioi Ex Kodiak S2F, graduating a year earlier and ranking towards the top of the list. Mint-Edition is sired by Top Deck KO Pierre, a bull that has found much favour among New Zealand dairy farmers. Pierre was used extensively as a sire of sons, many of which are now beginning to emerge. Mint-Edition is the undisputed champion at this point, and one that will be difficult to surpass given his all-round attributes. The maternal side of Mint-Edition’s pedigree has just as much appeal. His dam, Fairmont VP Mindy, is a daughter of the well-renowned Valden Curious Paladium. Following her untimely death, Mindy is no longer in the Fairmont herd, but the five lactations she did complete were impressive – standing her well above her herd mates. Although never classified, she was inspected several times by qualified LIC inspectors, who all confirmed her as a strong and wide individual with a very good udder. A twist within this pedigree is Mindy’s grandsire, Marty Red. He is a true outcross, not only through his sire/dam combination, but also because his dam is four parts Meuse-Rhine-Yssel. The breed was developed in the southeastern sections of the Netherlands as dualpurpose for both milk and meat production. Producers have since concentrated on their milk production and the breed now comprises over a quarter of the Dutch cattle population. Mint-Edition himself is a fully registered pedigree with the New Zealand Holstein Friesian Association. Spring of 2008 saw nearly all of New Zealand’s dairy cows calve and, as always, the spotlight was on the new two-year-olds. Mint-Edition daughters began to shine more and more within their contempory groups as herd test information was gained. Now, towards the end of a typical season within New Zealand, Mint-Edition’s proof has only strengthened based on 76 production daughters, most that have had four herd tests, as well as 69 conformation daughters.
105038 Fairmont Mint Edition.
Mint-Edition is the number one bull on New Zealand’s RAS (Ranking of Active Sires) List – a ranking based on profitability through efficient production. He holds the top spot due to superior protein production (third-ranked on RAS List), high fat, and a moderate liveweight breeding value (BV) of 49kg (average for the Holstein-Friesian breed is 56kg). Yet profitability does not start and end with production alone. Where the Holstein-Friesian breed has an average BV of -3.77 for fertility (note the base is across breeds), Mint-Edition sits comfortably above this average at -2.2. He also has a better than average total longevity of 252 days. Udder conformation is always sought after – higher production demands it given the additional stress on the udder – so it’s encouraging to witness the tremendous breeding values that continue to emerge from LIC’s breeding program. Mint-Edition demonstrates this well with exceptional udder traits, including super udder support, strong fore udders, and high, wide rear udders. These udders hold onto impressive dairy frames that display good capacity and plenty of rump width – much like his dam, Mindy. Combine these traits with the positive BVs we observe for temperament and milking speed, and it’s little wonder farmers rate Mint-Edition daughters so highly. With so many favourable features in his proof, Mint-Edition will be used as a sire of sons within LIC’s breeding program. This is a tremendous honour given the inception of genomic selection, which allows young bulls a huge advantage because of the much-reduced generation interval. Mint-Edition looks to be one of those special bulls that come along only every so often. We will make the most of his impressive qualities within LIC and congratulate those who go on to milk the daughters of this outstanding sire. ▲
At a glance
13/06/09
BW/Rel%
284/84
Fat kg/%
47/4.5%
Fertility %* Calving Difficulty
-2.2 3.2 average
Overall Opinion
0.68
Dairy Conformation
0.77
Milk Volume (litres)* Protein kg/%
1213 48/3.7%
Total Longevity (days)
252
Somatic Cell Count
0.12
Udder Overall
1.11
*deviated within breed
Two-year-old daughter of 105038 Fairmont Mint Edition. VOLUME 7, NUMBER 1
Green to Gold 3
FEATURE By Emma Abrahams, Publications Manager
DAIRYING CHALLENGE BEING MET IN BRAZIL A KIWI FARM ON BRAZILIAN SOIL reached a milestone in March 2008 when milk flowed from the dairy shed and was tankered to a local dairy factory for the first time. This was the culmination of one and a half years of physical farm developments instigated by general manager and investor, Owen Williams. Originally from New Zealand, Owen spent several years dairy farming in an upland area of Ecuador before moving to Brazil to set up the new farm. He first scouted out a suitable dairying region in Brazil, and then put together a group of New Zealand investors to finance the project. Situated 950m above sea level, the farm was developed on 242ha
(605 acres) of ex-cropping farmland purchased in mid 2007. The property lies 180km (112 miles) southwest of the capital, Brasilia, in an area that is wet in summer (November to March), with temperatures ranging from 20 to 30ºC (68 to 86ºF), and dry in winter (May to September), when maximum daily temperatures reach 25ºC (77ºF) during the day and fall to less than 10ºC (50ºF) at night. Physical farm development commenced on the property in August 2007. First priorities included fencing the perimeter of the slightly sloping land, installing a race system, upgrading two kilometres of local road, reticulating electricity to the farm and planting a nursery area of Tifton 85 pasture that could later be used to plant the remainder of the dairying area. Maize for silage to feed heifers and later in milk cows was then planted, along with maize and sorghum for grain sale as part of the overall business strategy.
Farm staff look over the herd in stockyards.
4 Green to Gold VOLUME 7, NUMBER 1
Milking cows on feed pad.
Irrigation pond filling.
The next stage of development included constructing implement and feed storage barns along with a silage storage area, a feed pad, a cowshed, a farm office, houses and a dam to supply water for the two central pivot irrigators, followed by bores for the stock, a cowshed, effluent disposal and internal fencing. Heifers were grazed on a nearby lease block while the property was being developed. This also had to be fenced and have stock water reticulated so that a rotational style grazing management could be applied. Now the 155ha (387 acre) milking platform is under irrigation and grows the tropical pasture Tifton 85 on a year-round basis. “Pasture growth rates are high compared to dairy pastures back in New Zealand, but plant quality is lower and has to be supplemented with maize silage and protein to balance energy and protein requirements,” says Owen. “Currently the stocking rate is around six cows per hectare, but we aim to lift that nearer to ten in time.” To get the herd started, Owen purchased locally bred Friesian dairy heifers, six to 18 months old, and artificially bred them to New Zealand Jersey dairy sires. Inseminations started in late May 2008 using LIC semen from Doddy, Nimrod and Terry – bulls selected for passing on excellent udder conformation and higher milk volume within the Jersey breed, important traits in Brazil where milk payment is mainly volume-based. “We expect the crossbred heifers to perform better than pure breeds,” says Owen. “Locals accept that crossbred animals do well, although they don’t milk many of this particular breed mix themselves. “We anticipate per-cow production to be similar to that of a wellrun New Zealand dairy farm – 350 to 400kg/MS per cow per year – and aim to have most cows calving in autumn to catch a premium milk payment through the winter period.” Breeding to Jersey sires will also make the first calving easier, giving a smooth transition to lactation and their subsequent mating three months later. To ensure adequate heifer growth rates and reproductive performance, good pasture utilisation principles were adhered to, fertiliser applied and heifers treated for both internal and external parasites (ticks and flies were initially a problem), and vaccinated for multiple potential endemic diseases. “We monitored liveweights each month and oestrus regularly. Adding high protein meal, minerals and maize silage to supplement their diet base of Brachiaria tropical pasture slowly increased animal growth rates,” says Owen. “Many heifers hadn’t reached puberty by the time insemination commenced, leading to a lower submission rate than we had initially
sought. Veterinary examination indicated a number of animals with underdeveloped reproductive tracts. “We were able to enhance their performance with some hormonal intervention and slowly, with good animal management and nutrition, we began to detect oestrus in more and more heifers. Later pregnancy testing indicated normal conception rates to service.” Portuguese is the main language of Brazil, and spoken almost exclusively in rural areas, so it was essential that Owen and his team learn to speak the local language so they could communicate with local officials, contractors, farm staff and suppliers. “Afternoon or evening language classes were very much part of the daily routine initially. At the farm level all communication was in Portuguese, with four permanent local staff through the initial development period, along with a couple of Kiwis. “Fortunately my business partner, Bia Reis, is a local Brazilian who speaks Portugese and fluent English (now with a number of Kiwi expressions thrown in), and has a working knowledge of Spanish.” Bia communicated and organised many of the major development activities on the farm. “She was an integral part of the business and adapted well from her background in banking to the rural lifestyle.” Owen found that professional rural contacts were essential to many aspects of the development. “Unlike in New Zealand, there was not a well-developed service industry for the purchase of dairy stock. Auctions were common, animal records were not, so it was generally buyer beware.
Owen Williams stands in tropical Tifton 85 pasture. VOLUME 7, NUMBER 1
Green to Gold 5
Afternoon milking in new parlour.
Barn and maize silage.
“Stock quality is questionable,” says Owen. “There isn’t a widely used animal performance recording system and the use of highly improved sires through Artificial Breeding is certainly not as common as it could be. “We found that establishing links with trusted people who knew the farm’s stock requirements (breed, disease status and age) was integral for getting the base herd started. “Agricultural advice was variable; the science of leading agricultural practice/technology was, at times, not readily available.” Ross Wrenn, a long time friend of Owen’s and an LIC District Manager, took a sabbatical from LIC for six months from January 2008 to help with further farm development and enhance infrastructure. “We had a few difficulties at first, not only with the language but also with some new farming concepts we were implementing and adapting,” says Ross. “Having a team that was keen to learn, adapt and succeed made for a fun working environment. For the ‘imports’, integrating into the local village and community was an enjoyable experience that won’t be forgotten.”
Ross initiated trials on farm to investigate fertiliser responses in pasture and sorghum, measure yields and set up quality measurements to guide future practices. Colour and growth responses in Brachiaria pasture occurred rapidly after nitrogen application. In sorghum, plant colour, height and grain yield increased significantly as rates of nitrogen were increased above locally used levels. Clovers, important for nitrogen fixation in New Zealand pasture systems, were not found in the region’s pastures. “Nitrogen fixing clovers could well be desirable in the pasture mix,” says Ross. He also instigated a great reduction in external parasite loadings (mainly the tropical tick Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus) through the integration of pesticide application to animals and pasture rotations that would be unfavourable to the continuation of a tick’s life cycle. This was thanks to research Ross had been involved with in the 1980s while working in the Research Division at Ruakura Agricultural Research Centre, developing an integrated strategy for the control of the ‘cattle tick’ in New Zealand Farm input prices in Brazil are on par or less than that in New Zealand, but land prices are significantly lower, so cows form a relatively higher proportion of the capital budget. Milk price is approximately NZ$9 per kg of milk solids, or 66 cents per litre, and shares are not required in the processor companies. “Most inputs to run a quality New Zealand-style dairy farm are available, although some take finding and the quality can be lower, such as with electric fence standards for temporary grazing management, which are uncommon or difficult to buy,” says Owen. “In Brazil fertiliser is seen as expensive for pasture usage, and the response is very much undervalued.” Now with one project almost complete, Owen is seeking a second dairy farm development, preferably close by where land is mainly used for growing soybean and maize but is well suited to intensive dairying practices too. ▲
Farm facts • 155ha (387 acre) milking platform • 950m above sea level, 180km southwest of Brasilia • Tropical pasture Tifton 85 (year-round) • Stocking number/rate, initially 900 heifers to calve • Wet in summer (November to March), 20 to 30ºC • Dry in winter (May to September) • Less than 10ºC at night to 25ºC during the day Harvesting.
6 Green to Gold VOLUME 7, NUMBER 1
SIRE SPOTLIGHT B By John Redshaw, Bull Acquisition Manager
BLAKE SONS TURN VISION INTO REALITY IN THE SEPTEMBER 2003 Jersey Review I profiled five bulls that provided relief from the predominance of Judds Admiral bloodlines. One was Lostahill Forevers Blake, and I noted he would make a significant contribution through contract matings that spring. Another great Blake, top New Zealand sailor Sir Peter Blake is quoted as saying: “Having vision is not enough. Change comes from realising the vision and turning it into a reality. It is easy to espouse worthy goals, values and policies, the hard part is implementation.”
sons, Okura Doyles Imran GR and Okura Ace Isaaq ET, and her grandson, the top 2008 DNA Proven Premier Sires bull Okura OM Ideal. Another son, Okura Elmos Icon ET, was also returned to service as an Alpha Nominated sire in 2005. At 217/88 BW, based on 106 milking daughters, Ivins is at eleventh place on the RAS List and is second for fertility BV at 3.9%. He is of above average stature and liveweight within breed at -0.93 BV and -56kg respectively, based on 58 TOP daughters. Udders are highly rated with an udder support BV of 0.15, a front udder BV of 0.32, a rear udder BV of 0.37 and udder overall in the top 15% of contemporaries at a BV of 0.49.
Both the Okura and Williams studs have worked hard to implement their respective visions as evidenced in Lostahill Forevers Blake’s sons Okura LFB Ivins ET and Williams LFB Barry ET and their families.
305108 LFB Barry ET.
305076 Okura LFB Ivins ET.
Two-year-old daughter of 305108 LFB Barry ET.
Williams LFB Barry ET on 196/85 BW also shines through as Two-year-old daughter of 305076 Okura LFB Ivins ET.
Okura LFB Ivins ET was one of 10 full siblings born to a multiple ovulation embryo transfer (MOET) programme of Lostahill Forevers Blake over Okura Lemvig Iceberg, a Fyn Lemvig daughter of well known proven bull dam Okura Admirals Iris. Interestingly, in the same season Rockhaven Forever Sam was used in a MOET programme over Iceberg that resulted in eight full siblings, including Okura RFS Iceaxe ET on 212/87 BW and showing on the current Ranking of Active Sires (RAS) List. Iceberg, who is now on 181/86 BW, rose to prominence in the 2001 JerseyJET herd where she was awarded a JerseyJET Elite award for her production and Traits Other than Production (TOP). She went on to be classified V4 in 2003, scoring 7 for both udder overall and dairy conformation. Ivins’ grandam Iris is now on 220/88 BW and was classified E5. She is already well known to the Jersey breed through her two Premier Sires
an udder improver with udder support at 0.53 BV, front udder at 0.82 BV, rear udder at 0.7 BV, front teat placement at 0.27 BV and udder overall a very pleasing 0.84 BV. Also at the extreme end within breed is his rump width BV at 0.14. Like Ivins, Barry also resulted from a MOET programme. This time Lostahill Forevers Blake was mated over a V4 classified Van der Fits Fjord daughter in Williams Fjord Bella. Bella’s maternal sire pathway goes back to Williams Bryant GR and Baylea Fare Alex. Bella’s other major contribution to the dairy industry is through her son Williams Bertrand, the shortest gestation Jersey bull available at -10.7 days, based on 962 qualifying calving records. Barry has inherited some of the short gestation trait and has a gestation length BV of -7.2, based on 229 qualifying calving records. The Okura and Williams studs have demonstrated clear vision in their breeding goals and have worked skilfully, particularly with MOET, at implementing them. I think it is fair to say the visions of the two studs back in 2003 have indeed become reality in the Blake sons Ivins and Barry. ▲ 13/06/09
VOLUME 7, NUMBER 1
Green to Gold 7
FEATURE By Shirley Macmillan, Agricultural Journalist
TURNING MILK INTO CHAMPIONSHIP CHEESE HAPPY COWS PRODUCE TASTY CHEESE. And free ranging Kiwi Genetics yielding organic milk are producing championship cheese in the Cotswolds – England’s largest official Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Cotswold Organic Cheese is based at Kirkham Farm near the town of Stow-on-the-Wold. Four days a week it turns 1500 litres of creamy milk from the 250-cow Friesian herd into a tonne of brie, or 1200 cheeses in each batch. Simon Weaver’s family has been farming since before 1570 and he is the third generation to farm in the Cotswolds, but probably the first to Richard Simms, be earning over £20/kg for his cheese. Herd Manager Simon built the creamery four years ago when, having just got the farm through organic conversion, he discovered there was a slump in the market (and the financial premium) for organic milk. While his milk had to be sold on the conventional market, he decided to establish his own processing facilities and generate a better financial return by making a niche product.
“We chose brie because soft cheese is a growing market and the turnaround time is quicker; you don’t have to wait nine months to sell a product, which helps cashflow,” Simon says. The business now makes three kinds of organic brie (traditional, blue-veined and herb) and sells it through upmarket delicatessens, farm shops and independent stores – plus Sainsbury’s, one of the big five national supermarkets. Quality has secured several food prizes, including Gold at the
8 Green to Gold VOLUME 7, NUMBER 1
Cotswold Organic brie.
2006 World Cheese Awards, and ensured a growing customer base. The upshot is that Simon and his herd manager, Richard Simms, are considering increasing cow numbers to supply more milk. The cheese business has already required adjustments to the herd’s calving pattern. “It has spread to accommodate the creamery,” says Richard. “We now start in August and finish around Christmas, otherwise we would run out of milk in June. We have calved some cows earlier and some later as we can’t afford two months with the parlour dry. “However, we are looking at running split calving blocks in spring and autumn to supply a level milk profile. We could increase cow numbers because spring-calving cows wouldn’t need cubicle housing when dry.” Richard also reveals how herd management has to take into account the farm’s organic principles, its wet location – and the local hunt. Most of Kirkham’s 428 acres are old river meadows, with names such as Black Nell and The Hangings, and have never been farmed intensively. While this has made it ideal for organic production – which aims to care for the land and animal welfare – regular flooding, heavy clay soils and high rainfall make it hard to graze efficiently all year round. As a tenanted farm, investing in infrastructure such as tracks
Self-feed silage stack.
Milking parlour.
becomes expensive, he explains. “Instead of daily paddocks, the cows range graze. This means the farm is split in two and cows graze one half during the day (about 67 acres) and the other half (71 acres) at night. Letting the cows spread out reduces poaching. “However, we are considering some tracks for the future. We also have the local drag hunt coming across the land between September and March, so we have no permanent fencing, other than hedges which the horses can jump.” Under organic rules, no artificial fertilisers are allowed. Instead the farm relies on nitrogen fixed by clover and 43 acres of lucerne. All of the swards are sown with white and red clover. In winter cows are housed in cubicles bedded with sawdust, from around mid October until the end of March, depending on how wet the farm gets. Slurry from the housing and yards is separated and the dirty water stored in a lagoon to be spread on grazing. Solids are composted (turned regularly) until well rotted then spread on silage ground between the two cuts. The herd is essentially run as a one-man enterprise with relief help from two staff. Calving cows in an extended block still gives some efficiencies in terms of focusing on specific jobs. To maintain enthusiasm – and a certain amount of competitiveness – Richard operates a three-week rota. “The first week we milk, the next week it’s cubicle management and the third week we spend on calf rearing. We do this in rotation with three days off. It means we are all employed, it keeps our interest up and standards high because we compare cell counts and Bactoscan results when we change duties.” Keeping life simple, silage is offered on a self-feed system, with 4-5kg/head/day of lucerne fed from troughs in the yard. “We have the 190-acre farm next door as well for hay and silage if we are short of forage, although we haven’t yet run out. It would be expensive to buy in organic forage,” adds Richard. Similarly, only organic concentrates can be fed. However, a new computer system has allowed Richard to move away from the flat-rate system to better target this expensive input. He can now feed according to stage of lactation. Fresh calvers, for instance, eat 6kg/day; those being dried off get nothing.
“We can’t use antibiotics routinely at drying off, so I don’t just suddenly dry cows off. I have to cut their yield by cutting out their concentrates one month before. Then we switch to milking them on alternate days and use a CMT test before applying teat seal. Only if a quarter is over 400,000 cells/ml are we allowed to tube with antibiotics. Milk then has to be kept out of the tank for a total of 32 days [28 days + 96 hours] after calving.”
New Zealand genetics have slotted into the farm’s aim to make best use of forage, turn milk into cheese, and manage a fertile, easy-care cow. “The original Holstein herd contained a mix of types, so was inseminated for two years with three bulls (Mitchells Kazan, Walters Jester and Balsoms Karl) to try to produce more uniformity,” says Richard. Sires are selected for milk, conformation, good feet and fertility. The decider for Richard is the heritability for Beta lactoglobulin, as he aims to produce offspring with more high quality protein and ultimately a better cheese yield. “We wanted cows that would fit into the cubicles, that would do well off grazing and self-feed silage. We liked the New Zealand type and easy calving. They are quiet to milk, but very aggressive feeders – though we see no bullying at the silage face. They fit our system perfectly. “Being organic, the cows aren’t pushed, which keeps their condition and helps fertility. These cows are very easy to get in calf: our last figures showed 78% held to first service.” ▲
Farm facts • Organic • 250 New Zealand Friesians • 70 bulling heifers • 50 heifer calves • 385 acres grassland • 43 acres lucerne • 190-acre farm next door • Herd average (in 305 days) 6,500kg @ 4.1% fat and 3.7% protein • Cell count 203,000 cells/ml; Bactoscan 37 • Staff: Herd manager Richard Simms; Ryan Sandercock; Tom Allen • www.simonweaver.net
VOLUME 7, NUMBER 1
Green to Gold 9
FEATURE By David Kennedy, International Business Manager
NEW ZEALAND JERSEYS IN ARGENTINA JOCK AND HILDA CAMPBELL proudly fly the New Zealand flag in their two milking sheds on their Argentine dairy farm, Estancia El Jabalí, where the Campbell family has been farming since 1875. Kiwi visitors to their property are frequent, and none more welcome than Stuart Bay, LIC’s Chairman and an old friend of Jock’s, who made the trip out to see them last August. Jock has been a frequent visitor to Stuart’s New Zealand farm over the years and was pleased to return the hospitality last spring, showing Stuart his line of first calving heifers, which merited his friend’s approval for their good size and tight udders.
The Campbells have used New Zealand Jersey semen over their El Jabalí herd exclusively since 1984. Today the 3800-cow herd is predominantly Jersey, and almost all LIC genetics. El Jabalí staff appreciate the New Zealand Jerseys for their strong feet and black hooves, which enable them to walk up to 12km a day. The Jerseys also have udders that are noticeably tight with ligaments that hold up well. Culling and deaths rarely exceed 17% total per year. Cows produce between 400 and 435kg/MS per head and 900 to 1050kg/ha depending on the year. Supplements are fed according to demand in order to maintain a high stocking rate of 2.7 cows/ha in an area of medium but extremely variable rainfall (700 to 1100 ml/year). The New Zealand Jerseys cope well with variable rates of supplementation.
10 Green to Gold VOLUME 7, NUMBER 1
Farm manager Jose Luis Maccari, Jock Campbell and LIC Chairman, Stuart Bay.
Jock Campbell and Stuart Bay with the El Jabali farm team.
Management is tight and supplement adjusted weekly – or even more frequently in spring when the rate of grass growth can change from 70kg DM/day to 20kg DM/day in a matter of days. “Supplements are cheap in Argentina and it’s considered convenient in the face of the variability of dry matter production to provide the milking herd with a ‘base’ level of meal, but this means the comparative stocking rate (CSR) does not quite reach what may be considered the desired level of 80kg LW/ton offered,” says Jock. Author of Milk Production from Pasture, Professor Colin Holmes, whose opinions the staff at El Jabalí keep well in mind, has indicated that optimum CSR for feed conversion efficiency (FCE) may be a factor that varies little from country to country. El Jabalí’s farm manager, José Luis Maccari, has visited New Zealand twice and aims to use more severe cow selection to reduce FCE from present levels of 13-14kg DM offered per kg milksolids down to 11kg DM offered per kg milksolids. The existence of two seasonal dairies, one calving in spring and the other in autumn, allows empty cows to be carried over from one dairy to the other, but this practice may act against selection for fertility and José Luis believes: “Too many cows are tourists here.” Conception rates are good but losses of pregnancy and the possibility of neospora are a concern. An Argentine consultant with NZ experience, veterinarian Alberto Dick, is currently contracted to evaluate the problem. Daniel Kleng, herd manager and contract milker for No 2 dairy (spring), notes that the carry over cows from No 1 dairy (autumn): “Could be milking 24 litres a day instead of 15,” while Mariana Caronna of No 1 dairy laments that she has lost the empty cows that could be boosting her peak production through the spring flush. These losses in efficiency impact on results, but cull cows are worth little in Argentina, and low value wetlands, part of the farm, can be used to carry some of these less efficient animals.
All animals at El Jabalí are registered with JerseyNZ and the herd will soon enter the overseas MINDA scheme. Jock and Hilda are also in the process of installing a Protrack automated drafting systems in both sheds, which will link in with their MINDA herd records and enable drafting to be fully integrated with herd information. “This will enhance our herd evaluation and make herd selection easier so we can achieve our goals for the whole farm,” says Jock. ▲
Jersey calves at Estancia El Jabali.
VOLUME 7, NUMBER 1
Green to Gold 11
FEATURE By Aaron Wallace, Product Manager International
MAKING GOOD WITH GRAZING IN THE US ADVENTUROUS NEW ZEALAND dairy farmers have traditionally packed up and moved to Australia to farm in a country where land is cheaper but the environmental conditions are more challenging. Now we are hearing stories of Kiwis travelling further abroad to challenge the norm in traditionally high input industries like South America and the United States.
with hybrid US and New Zealand systems that supplement for cow condition and increased performance while making the most of pasture and being as efficient and profitable as possible. “Having American managers will allow the business to utilise their industry knowledge and the different skill sets required for the environment we’re farming under,” he says. “It’s also a great way to teach grazing systems to the US dairyman. “There are some real challenges to contend with here. Hot humid summers, freezing winters with nil plant growth in December and January, not to mention the farm being on the mid-west tornado belt.”
Herd composition Focal Dairies Nevada, Missouri has become home for one such team of New Zealanders, where Jim and Sue van der Poel and their silent partners, Spectrum Group, have created the 4000-cow dairy farming enterprise, Focal Dairies Limited. The business encompasses three sites known as Kitten Creek North (1250 acres/506ha effective), Kitten Creek South (1250 acres/506ha effective), and Kenoma (590 acres/239ha effective), as well as two run offs (757 acres/306ha and 1100 acres/445ha) for young stock.
Owners and labour Part owners Kevin and Cherie van der Poel (Kitten Creek farm manager and Focal Dairies administrator respectively) were on hand for the purchase and set up of the properties. Then DairyNZ’s former general manager of Development and Extension, Tony Coltman joined the team in 2008 to take on the role of Focal Dairies manager, adding management power and industry knowledge to the operation. Of the 25 full-time and three part-time staff working under Focal Dairies management, six are New Zealanders. However, long-term the business partners want each of the units to be run and operated by American equity partners. This compliments Tony Coltman’s philosophy of creating farms
Each farm has a set of covered feed pads, but no housing-type barns.
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Focal Dairies established the three farms by purchasing mainly US crossbred animals along with some European Reds and US Jerseys to make up numbers. The few full Holstein-Friesians that were in the herd to begin with didn’t last well under the Focal system, so their numbers have reduced. The average cow size is now around 550kg (1210 lbs). The 4000 milking cows are run on a 60/40 spring calving split and there are 1600 replacements heifers coming into the herd – approximately 800 rising one-year-olds and 800 rising two-year-olds. “We keep all heifer calves,” says Tony. “We’re trying to breed a 70% crossbred animal which is slightly bigger and blacker than 50/50 crosses to maintain milk volumes and ensure we produce the high fat content milk processors want.”
Mating “We have been a closed operation for three years, preferring to breed replacements ourselves rather than bring stock in. We solely breed to LIC Genetics – Holstein-Friesian, Jersey and KiwiCross™ – which suit our breeding goals 100%. “Cows normally get six weeks of AI and six weeks with the finishing bulls. We mate KiwiCross over the Holstein girls and Holstein-Friesian over the Jerseys. All heifers are mated to Jersey, to keep calf size down, with the extra assistance of KAMAR® Heatmount® Detectors, and tail paint is used over the milking herd.
Tony Coltman.
“We also keep some of the predominantly Jersey bull calves for cleaning up at the end of the mating season.
“LIC Genetics are ideal for out set up, breeding animals that forage well and get in calf much easier than most, if not all, other strains of dairy cattle. They can handle the environmental extremes we experience and our Kiwi staff here know what they’re capable of because they’ve seen them produce back home. LIC Genetics are our future herd.” “We may start to sell some surplus heifers once we’ve met our optimal head count.” Asked if there is a market for New Zealand breed heifers or bulls, Tony answers: “Ex-pats are only a small part of the market in the US. Increasingly US commercial farmers are realising the need to have a more profitable cow, so in the next three to four years we’d like to think we could help supply some of that market. “Cows in the herd get two chances here. If any of the spring herd don’t get in calf, we move them to the autumn mob where they get one last lifeline.” Tony says the first two crops of LIC bred heifers are excelling as expected. “These girls now average just 7% returns, compared to 25% for the rest of the herd, which is significant. “We’re culling on fertility, legs and feet, type, udders, conformation and somatic cell counts – and there aren’t too many of our young stock falling out on those criteria.”
stock off pasture when it’s very wet, reducing the impact on pasture for feed. “We’re feeding 20% concentrates, 60% pasture and 20% silage,” says Tony. “That equates to 900 acres (364ha) of corn silage, 2000 acres (809ha) of grass silage and we replant 500 acres (202ha) of annual rye grass per annum. “The challenge for us is to lift the pasture diet up to 80% and remove other forages used.” Irrigation is not needed, although the properties that neighbour Kenoma have bores, so water would be accessible if they drilled for it.
Production The three farms are currently averaging 13,000 lbs per cow. “We want to continue searching for the right production versus fertility and health equations for these farms. I think we’re getting close, but there’s always tweaking to do.” ▲
Feeding and supplements The two Kitten Creek farms are on a sandy clay base while Kenoma is more sandy loam. Each farm has a covered feed pad but none of the housing-type barns common on other US dairy farms. The feed pads are used to get
Covered feed pad. VOLUME 7, NUMBER 1
Green to Gold 13
ADVICE
MAINTAINING PASTURE QUALITY OVER SUMMER ““PASTURE QUALITY is a big issue and tthe potential benefits from getting its m management right are significant.” By Sue Hagenson, FarmWise Manager
14 Green to Gold VOLUME 7, NUMBER 1
PUT SIMPLY, in terms of achieving good production, ‘quality in’ translates to ‘quality out’, and farmers should be using all the tools available to them to ensure they get the best out of their pasture. Every year dairy farmers are faced with a large drop in cow milk production after peak milk is achieved. The extent varies; however, a 10-12% per month drop off would not be uncommon. If all cows are dropping in production at this early stage in lactation, expect top dairy cows to be losing weight at the same time in an attempt to maintain their milk production. Why is this? If pasture has grown too long, cows will be physically unable to get the required amount of metabolisable energy (ME) from it to do all that is required of them. That’s why they will lose condition and why, in many cases, per cow performance will drop. In spring your pasture management focus should be to gain back control of pastures quickly so that cows are always grazing short, leafy feed.
What are the targets and how can I get there? Over summer aim to offer 1300kg dry matter per hectare (1160lb DM/acre) of quality pasture. To do so, pre-grazing targets need to be 2800kg DM/ha (2498lb DM/ acre). Visually the rye grass plant will be around 16.5cm (6.5in) high and have 2 ½ leaves on it. You also need to target post-grazing covers of 1500kg DM/ha (1338lb DM/acre), or 7cm (2.8in) high. Scenario: 300 cows milking on 100ha (247 acres) Cows require 17kg (37.5lb) DM/cow/day or 5100kg (11,244lb) DM/300 cows/day. At pasture availability of 1300kg DM/ha (1160lb DM/acre), the area grazed per day is approximately 3.9ha (9.6 acres) – putting you on a 26-day round. If you are finding that cows are going into pastures that are longer than 2800kg DM/ha (2498lb DM/acre), you really need to drop the long paddocks out and graze those paddocks that are at the targeted length. If you can see more than four to five days ahead, you have a surplus. What covers are you seeing on those that have been earmarked to be grazed on day four?
Scenario: Day 4 paddock today has a cover of 2800kg DM/ha (2498lb DM/acre) and the grass is growing at 65kg DM/ha/day (58lb DM/acre/day). In four days’ time the cover would have changed by 260kg DM/ha (232lb DM/acre), which means the cows would be going into a paddock of 3060kg DM/ha (1238lb DM/acre) – too long. Ultimately you do not want to be cutting the supplement paddocks any longer than 3300-3500kg DM/ha cover (2944-3122lb DM/acre). If you’re relying on the supplement made in spring to use over summer when you want to maintain cow performance, feed quality needs to be the highest possible. By allowing pasture to get any longer than 3500kg DM/ha (3122lb DM/acre), you’re setting yourself up for low quality feed dominated by seed head. This equals conserved winter-feed for dry cows, and, impacts on pasture quality in the subsequent round. It’s important to resist the temptation to leave high residuals on the promise that you will use those paddocks for making supplement next time. This will just lower the feed quality and feed value of the
supplement made, as it will include a high percentage of stalks. Once cut, the stalk that has been left on the plant will also compromise the quality of the pasture in the subsequent round(s).
How much can I afford to drop out? By knowing what your demand per hectare/acre is, it’s relatively easy to estimate how much area can be dropped out for supplement. Under the 300-cow scenario above, demand is 51kg DM/ha (46lb DM/ acre). If at the end of spring growth rates are sitting at around 65kg DM/ ha (58lb DM/acre), you can afford to match cow demand with supply. Therefore 20ha (49 acres) could be targeted, allowing 80ha (198 acres) for the cows to graze. Putting it into perspective, the 20ha (49 acres) dropped out for supplement is approximately four-days’ grazing. The trick is to ensure your pasture doesn’t get too long and that you are not taking the paddocks out of the round, merely cutting them at the same time as you would graze them. If your paddocks are out for too long, aside from quality becoming an issue, you could come unstuck in terms of underfeeding cows due to the area cut not being ready to graze when your require it.
What about the high residuals I’m currently leaving behind? If you are leaving behind an entire paddock or large area due to campsites/hedge lines etc., then, as one of my colleagues has been heard to say: “Instead of taking the bike to get the cows, take the tractor and mower for those areas and mow them.” Do not top; mow. You need to cut low to ensure you get new leaf, so cut below the growing point of the plant. It’s crucial to keep pastures in a short leafy state to promote new leaf growth, tillering and minimising the amount of stalk on the plant. By doing this in spring you ensure that each time paddocks are grazed, leafy pasture is maintained, and therefore cow performance is maintained through to summer. It is feed management that causes a marked drop in performance. The length of time a cow will hold her current production performance is determined by the quality and quantity of feed input. To quote a cliché: “You can’t make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear” and if you aren’t going to offer your cows high quality feed, then you can’t expect high per cow performance. It all boils down to ‘quality in’ = ‘quality out’. ▲
VOLUME 7, NUMBER 1
Green to Gold 15
NEWS RELEASE By Clare Bayly, Communications Manager, LIC
100 YEARS OF HERD TESTING IN 1909, TALKS BEGAN BETWEEN a small group of dairy y farmers, their dairy company, Dalefield, and the to develop a system that Department of Agriculture Agricul and compare the butterfat yield would measure an of their herds. The result was the launch of self-sample herd testing in New Zealand. FFor them it was a small milestone, pproviding a uniform way to measure and compare the production of their cows. co For the New Zealand dairy industry, it was Fo the genesis for a movement that would grow in momentum and size; which history gro would prove to be the catalyst for worldwou breaking technologies and science that would brea deliver an industry boasting some of the deliv highest rates of genetic gain and voluntary highe participation in herd improvement in the partic world. world They ccould not have predicted the impact they would have. LIC is aable to trace its roots back to that small of farmers in Wairarapa, our archive of group o memorabilia and history enabling us to pay memora tribute tto what has been achieved in the first 100 herd testing in New Zealand. years of h As much as we would like, it is simply not possible acknowledge every individual and every to acknow milestone along the way but, on behalf of the dairy LIC has produced a book as a tribute to the industry, LI generations of people who applied their energy and passion to bbuilding the herd improvement ‘machine’ that the New Zealand dairy industry enjoys today. The book is a tribute to those Dalefield suppliers tenacity and foresight they displayed, to for the tenac of pedigree dairy cattle who drove the the breeders o movement in the early years and the herd testing m generations of farmers who adopted herd testing as one ways to accelerate the quality and output of of the best way their farming bbusinesses. tribute to the hundreds of herd testers who And it’s a tribut our appeal for stories. responded to ou these people (many now in their 80s) has Talking with thes been heart-warming and, at times, hilarious; their enthusiasm and passion for the job and the industry evident in the memories and photographs they so willingly shared. We are grateful for each and every contact and regret that they cannot all be shared in this book. Many of the stories feature ‘the early years’ when herd testing conditions were so different from today. ▲
16 Green to Gold VOLUME 7, NUMBER 1
NEWS RELEASE
NOT JUST ANY CALF He may be a bull calf without a future in the herd but to his mum and the dairy industry he’s pretty special – the first DNA Proven calf to be born in New Zealand. THE NAMELESS CALF is the son of Cow 90 who leapt to fame last year as the first dairy cow to be inseminated with LIC’s DNA Proven semen. Cow 90 became the face of genomically selected semen and, to the delight of owner Stu Lyons of Glenbrook (south of Auckland), became pregnant to the first insemination and delivered a healthy calf on schedule. Stu admits to being disappointed the calf wasn’t a heifer but says: “He’s still pretty special, being the first DNA Proven calf in New Zealand.” Inseminated with semen from KiwiCross™ sire, Altiora Galileo ET, a son of Scotts Northsea, Cow 90 calved on 11 June with no problems. Stu says it was a gamble to use the DNA Proven semen but, with the advancement in the science surrounding DNA, he is confident he
Stu Lyons with Cow 90.
has done the right thing. “The reason we did it was to try and get further ahead on the farm.” With around 76% of the herd holding to the first round of DNA Proven inseminations, Stu’s herd also had an enviable low empty rate of 2%. “Last year our empty rate was 7%; We’ve never been as low as 2%,” he says. With tighter financial times ahead on farm, Stu says he will still use LIC’s DNA Proven semen. “This year I will put DNA Proven across the top cows. Then next year I will be getting the first daughters coming back in and will be able to make an informed decision,” he says. “What we are trying to do is improve the herd all the time and this is the quickest way of achieving that.” ▲
Jirigala Menghe performs the first artificial insemination of DNA Proven genetics. VOLUME 7, NUMBER 1
Green to Gold 17
OUR PEOPLE
HUSBAND AND WIFE TEAM THE NEW FACES OF LIC IN IRELAND AS MANY OF YOU WILL KNOW, a change of personnel took place at Livestock Improvement’s (LIC’s) Irish offices on December 1st last year. Husband and wife team John and Sue Cliff arrived from New Zealand to replace Dave Lambert, the face of LIC for the past two years who has returned to New Zealand to take up the role of Sales Operation Manager at LIC. John and Sue are former dairy farmers, trained AI Technicians and long-time members of LIC’s New Zealand team, based in the Bay of Plenty (in the North Island). During the last six months they have travelled around Ireland extensively, attending meetings and also meeting farmers on their farms on an individual basis. They are thoroughly enjoying their tenure, finding the Irish a friendly people with great senses of humour. John and Sue’s roles as District Managers in New Zealand were a little different from their roles now. In New Zealand they looked after a geographical area selling all of LIC’s products, and then managing the servicing of those products. Their time spent with farmers was approximately 35% sales and the rest helping farmers with their herd records, mating issues and generally adding value to their businesses.
Someone must have warned the Irish.
“This is what we would like to do while we’re here in Ireland,” says Sue. John and Sue have a strong belief in farmers keeping accurate records, to enable them to monitor and manage their farming systems. “If one doesn’t measure it, one cannot know where to start to address the issues. Irish farmers are very fortunate to have the ICBF program Herd Plus available to give them the information they need to make those good farming decisions.” John and Sue understand that lack of fertility in some of the dairy population is one of the main problems facing Irish dairy farmers today. They are willing to help farmers analyse their mating results to identify any issues that may be affecting the pregnancy rates in their herd.
“We also want to keep farmers up to date with LIC technology, research and development in dairying, so we are getting involved with discussion groups and other gatherings that facilitate information sharing,” says Sue. John adds: “We are physically going up driveways and talking to farmers, because there is nothing like face-to-face contact and we hope to build relationships with Irish dairy farmers in the same way we have with our Bay of Plenty farmers. “Dairy farmers are similar worldwide. Whether they’re in Ireland or New Zealand, they’re in the business with the same aims – to have the best, most profitable animals, whatever the feeding system.
“Ireland has some of the best dairy farmers in the world and, with the restructuring of the industry, LIC’s seasonal genetics are more in demand than they’ve ever been.” Sue will be working with farmers in the southern part of Ireland and John will be working further up the country. ▲ Sue Cliff, phone 087 937 2553 John Cliff, phone 087 204 1923 Sue and John Cliff set off.
18 Green to Gold VOLUME 7, NUMBER 1
EXPLORE YOUR FARM’S POTENTIAL
A
SOLUTION
FarmKeeper is a software solution that allows you to map, plan and record every inch of your farm to ensure that you are maximising its performance. MAP THE FARM Using advanced mapping systems, it’s easy to draw fencelines and features like troughs, pipelines, buildings and hazards. Once the farm is mapped, you can: • Calculate and measure accurate paddock sizes. • Draw temporary fencelines to work out spring breaks. • Communicate locations and tasks to contractors and tradesmen quickly and easily. • Print a wall-chart sized map for the cowshed.
RECORD FARM EVENTS Most record keeping can be done directly from the on-screen map. It is quick and easy to: • Record stock movements to indicate paddock performance. • Record pasture cover and produce feed wedges to manage pasture. • Keep track of fertiliser applications. • Diary all actions on-farm and view these on a monthly calendar.
PLAN FARMING ACTIVITIES Use FarmKeeper tools to help: • Plan feed supply vs. demand with Feed Budget. • Plan new on-ground works with mapping features. • Track fertiliser applications to help to reduce wastage and prove compliance with guidelines.
Upcoming features • Soil Test reports to help plan fertiliser programme. • Rotation Planner.
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“LIC REDUCED OUR EMPTY RATE BY
MORE THAN 60%” Brian Costello - Dairy Farmer Co Roscommon, Ireland.
No matter how, or where you farm. If you farm dairy, we can help you make more money. Whether it’s helping you improve your herd’s fertility, longevity or productivity, LIC’s internationally proven genetics are worth a look.
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To learn more about how we can help you make more money, call your local LIC representative or visit www.licnz.com