Hi Bernie
Are you working for Gary Townshend by any chance?
Michelle.
On 5/17/06, Bernie VanDalfsen <bvandalf@direcway.com> wrote:
> I was up there yesterday. I think they are milking about 2200 at this
time. They have made
> 1000 acres of grass silage off the milking platform 2 weeks ago and look
to do more soon.
> The heifer farm has been silaged as well but not sure how many acres were
done. They've
> had their glitches like all start-ups. They had 3500 heifers to freshen
this spring but
> conception rates last year were not what they needed for various reasons.
I think they
> have 2000 more heifers that are breeding now.
>
> Bernie
> Reeds, Mo.
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Ashley and Charlene Clements" <clements@wave.co.nz>
> To: <graze-l@witt.ac.nz>
> Sent: Wednesday, May 17, 2006 12:42 PM
> Subject: Re: [Graze-l] Voluntery waiting period
>
>
> > 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
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>> _______________________________________________
> >>> Graze-l mailing list
> >>> Graze-l@witt.ac.nz
> >>> http://graze-l.witt.ac
.nz/mailman/listinfo/graze-l
> >>>
> >>
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> >>
> >>
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