No, I have my own dairy east of Carthage. Grazing 285. I take it you are
working for
Kevin.
Might you be Beano's or Jason's wife?
----- Original Message -----
From: "William Burgess" <williamburgess@gmail.com>
To: <graze-l@witt.ac.nz>
Sent: Wednesday, May 17, 2006 2:41 PM
Subject: Re: [Graze-l] Voluntery waiting period
> 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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