Hi Dave
Yes I am fully aware of the dairy industry here in the USA. I have
friends from NZ who have set up a NZ-style seasonal pasture based
dairy in Missouri. Obviously my advice was for farmers who were
aiming at achieving a seasonal dairy, rather than the conventional
operations. The New Zealanders over in Missouri, as well as many
other Americans, have chosen to use NZ semen completely.
You give the impression that you think seasonal farming is for a
lifestyle choice only. May I comment that there is a shocking
proportion of conventional dairys going out of business every year
here in the USA, where as many seasonal dairys are becoming very
profitable in countries all over the world.
Fertility is obviously an important issue to the seasonal farmer
(otherwise he is left milking all year round again like most
conventional farmers). Your USA Holsteins have had barely any
selection placed on them for fertility compared to NZ genetics.
Becoming a seasonal farmer doesn't mean you have to milk Jerseys or
Crossbreds. We have a great line of Holstein-Freisian genetics suited
for seasonal dairys - and approximately 60-70% of NZ cows are pure
Holstein-Friesian.
You are fortunate to have dairy cattle worth so much here in the USA,
so what my NZ friends are doing is leaving the bulls in with the cows
all year round (except just before and during artificial breeding!))
so that any cows that would normally be empty/open will be in calf and
can be sold as an incalf cow rather than an empty like in NZ.
If "US buyers need milk all year round" there are 2 things that must
happen in the future in the USA if there is to be a stop to the number
of dairies going out of business. Either the buyers need to start
paying more for your milk, OR the conventional farmers must become
more innovative and find a way to produce milk cheaper all year round.
Needless to say there will always be conventional farmers in the USA
producing milk all year round for the foreseeable future, thus the US
buyers may not be too concerned right now about a few seasonal
dairies.
Michelle.
On 5/16/06, Dave Gneiser <bonniedave@dotnet.com> wrote:
>
>
> >
> > I am from New Zealand, in the USA at the moment. > be an effective
way of
> > getting cows in calf early to ensure a compact
> > mating period.
> >
> >
> > I really recommend NZ genetics for these farming systems as this is
> > the pressure these genetics have been up against for decades, and they
> > have had to do it on grassed based diets. Visit
> > www.newzealandgenetics.com for more info.
> >
> > I hope this has helped
> >
> > Good luck,
> > Michelle.
> >
> Your advice is appropriate for New Zealand. The US is an entirely
different
> situation with a all year around milk market and the way milk is priced
> under the US system is vastly different than NZ's system. New Zealand
> genetics are appropriate for NZ.
>
> Farmers (speaking in generalities) in New England and mid-Atlantic states
> mostly supply the fluid market, beverage milk for the cluster of major
> population centers there. Holsteins may be the best choice for that
market.
>
> Here in WI, 95% of our milk ends up in a cheese vat, so higher component
> breeds may be the best choice there. And US buyers need milk year around,
> not just seasonally. That is not to say that one can't choose seasonality
> as a lifestyle choice. But anytime a cow gets bred here in the US, it is a
> good thing. If you don't want to milk her, there are plenty of buyers for
> replacements that will.
>
> Dave G.
> WisCOWsin
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
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