Pendulum to swing back to Jerseys?

But the pendulum could be about to swing back. 

Until the late 1960s, the Jersey breed accounted for 70% of the national herd, today it’s at 12.1% and that, according to LIC jersey bull acquisition manager Malcolm Ellis, “is a dilemma not just for the breed but for the whole industry. 

“The industry is better with Jerseys, it is one hell of a breed that’s worth fighting for and there’s a lot to be excited about now and in the future with the work we’re doing,” says Ellis.

“Based on the amount of milk solids they can produce for each kg of liveweight, Jerseys have a tremendous reputation for being a highly efficient breed, and I’ve seen farmers make this breed work across all systems. 

“A system 5 Jersey farm I visited recently, for example, has a top cow just short of 500kg liveweight and it’s going to hit a tonne of milk solids this season. Their two-year-olds consistently exceed 600kg milk solids in their first lactation which is 1.18 times their liveweight. 

“That’s massive, and it doesn’t stop there: in system 3 and 4 farms I’ve seen 400kg Jerseys nailing up to 460kg milk solids each, while system 1 and 2 rockets are also cracking the magical 1kg of milk solids for every 1kg of liveweight. 

“These farmers are making the breed work for them, but the biggest problem facing Jerseys right now is they’re currently running fourth in a three-horse race when it comes to farmer’s mating choices, and their gene pool is getting lower each season.” 

New Zealand dairy farmers understand breeding worth (BW) as a basis for bull selection and a goal for their herd but, Ellis says, declining numbers mean the Jersey teams haven’t been up there in recent years so some have understandably made the switch to the Kiwicross.

“The Jerseys have got to regain BW respect because I know in this game, if you don’t rock on the wall chart then you don’t perform because that is what farmers base their decisions on. They’re in a race against time to recapture genetic gain, but we’ve got to balance that with diversity in the genes too.” 

The Kiwicross cow is the most popular in New Zealand, but Ellis says its continuity is enhanced with strong parent breeds, Jersey and Holstein Friesian, which allows the blend of traits that farmers want. \

“Dairy genetics is about understanding and predicting market signals so we can then apply scientific logic to the selection of young bulls which will sire the cows which will produce the milk solid componentry required in the future. 

“The Jersey cow is known for her high fat production and efficiency, so her inclusion either as a purebred or contributor to KiwiCross sires is of huge benefit for the industry.” 

Ellis left behind 22 years of dairy farming Jerseys for the LIC job, 18 months ago, and his goal is clear. 

“My number one responsibility at LIC is to produce two Jersey bull teams (daughter proven and forward pack) that Jersey farmers are proud of, and that KiwiCross and Holstein Friesian farmers can’t resist. 

“We’re always going to have the Jersey demand for that first mating because it gets farmers to a crossbred, but my challenge is to get that farmer to want to go Jersey again, and for that to happen Jerseys have got to become more competitive against those other breeds.”

Embryo transfers will play a big part in that, allowing multiple bulls to be sourced from the country’s top Jersey cows and a lifetime of progeny to screen in just one year. 

As part a new programme this year, 45 of the top Jersey yearlings from across the country will be farmed in the Waikato and undergo embryo transfers in addition to standard AB mating to create what Ellis describes as an “explosion of elite genetics,” with up to 440 high quality Jersey offspring for the national herd from just one season.