As dry summers persist in the South Island, genetics could hold the answer to helping dairy farmers breed healthy cows that produce more milk from less feed.
New CRV sales consultant for West Otago, Northern And Eastern Southland, Carol Booth, is encouraging dairy farmers in her region to use strategic breeding to safeguard milk production, preserve their bottom lines and ease the effect of heat stress on their animals.
Born and bred in the UK, Booth, 29, grew up on a dairy farm in Yorkshire, England, and bred pedigree Holsteins with her father. She has a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture from Scotland’s Rural University College (SRUC) and almost a decade of hands-on dairy farming experience in Otago.
“With the likelihood of more dry summers in the south, dairy farmers are facing unprecedented challenges,” she says.
“Sustained periods of heat will not only reduce the quality and quantity of grass, but also cause heat stress in the herd, which can affect cow condition, production and incalf rate.”
Booth says the key is strategically breeding healthy cows, and animals that are efficient producers by milking more on less feed.
“That could involve a combination of traits. For example, when conditions get dry, farmers often move to milking once a day. To do that well, you need animals that have strong udders to carry milk for 24 hours.”
Another desirable trait would be cows with a lower somatic cell count (SCC).
Milking once a day can increase the risk of mastitis. Animals with genetically lower SCC are likely to be healthier and handle variable milkings better, she says.
“Better health traits combined with an animal that will last longer in the herd, and produce more from less, will inevitably save time and money. I enjoy helping farmers build a herd they love to milk, that will ultimately help them achieve their goals.”
Cows are Booth's passion.
“I love cows, I really do. Growing up, there was nothing better than developing the herd with Dad, then entering A & P shows to test our skills or a Young Farmer’s stock judging competition.
“It’s so satisfying seeing the evidence of your breeding decisions.
“That’s why I went on to study agricultural science. It seemed like the obvious next step for me, a way of adding deeper understanding to my practical knowledge.”
In 2014, Booth arrived in New Zealand for her OE. She’d organised to work on a farm in West Otago. Although she’d planned a six-month stint, an opportunity opened to stay longer.
For the next eight years, she worked a second West Otago dairy farm, the last four managing the entire operation. With her breeding experience and science background, she managed the farm’s breeding, which involved calving three times a year.
“Because we had a wintering barn, we were able to control the conditions. This allowed us to bring heifers through into milking at 21-22 months of age, which meant we could milk through the winter.
“It was profitable because winter milk prices are typically higher and you’re not grazing them on winter crops. As long as they are well grown, they get less pressure in the herd while spring calvers are dry and they then get a longer time to recover before spring mating starts.
“The key was herd testing, which gave us objective numbers on our animals and helped us identify the best cows to put into a targeted sexed semen programme. Strategic breeding takes a bit of time, but the gains you get are worth the effort. As a starting point for me I will look at production, liveweights, cows that get in calf, any health issues and compare that to our breeding goals.”
