How are the Van Der Pouls doing in MO? I think this was their first season?
Ashley
New Zealand
William Burgess wrote:
> 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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