Business Rural Autumn 2021

60 | DAIRY » Ron & Jackie Monk: Hawthorne Grove Jersey Top Jersey genetics generations in the making Russell Fredric Photos: Hawthorne Grove Jersy spring calves; part of the elite 185-cow herd on lush West Coast pasture at the Monk farm near Hokitika. F armers are invariably passionate about their chosen breed of animal and Ron Monk is no less so about his elite Hawthorn Grove Jersey herd. Chronologically, Ron arguably has more invested in his herd than many; he is part of a family legacy stretching back 115 years on the South Island’s West Coast, with his herd’s genetics also covering many generations. He and his wife Jackie have been on their 100 hectare Hokitika farm, which includes 20 hectares of native bush and swamp, for 30 years. The farm milks 185 cows and is fully self-con- tained for feed, supported by an 86 hectare property for young stock which also grows silage, with the surplus cut providing extra cash flow. “It’s a total grass-fed system. When the cows are milking that’s all they basically get, there’s no additional supplement other than a bit of molasses in the spring time,” Ron says. The challenge of a grass-based system is making sure the grass is growing both in front and behind the cows as they are rotated. To achieve a successful outcome, the length of the round has to be carefully managed. “I know at times the cows may not be fully-fed, but that’s the all-grass system that I choose to follow.” However, the exceptional genetics of his herd – in the top 5% of dairy herds’ breeding worth in New Zealand – means they have the ability to cope in challenging conditions, Ron says. “Without a doubt high BW (breeding worth) cows have that ability. When the grass is available they produce very well, when the pinch comes they will drop down a bit, but as soon as the grass comes away, away they go again.” The herd has been on once-a-day (OAD) milking for the past 15 years, and while Ron was aware Jersey’s are well suited to OAD, he took the time over a couple of seasons to work out what manage- ment decisions were required to make the switch to OAD successful. “I decided on Christmas Day 15 years ago that I wouldn’t milk them tonight and I had great inten- tions of (reverting to) twice a day the following season, but I liked it so much and with mimimal production loss I thought, ‘I’m not going to milk twice-a-day’. Although jersey’s are a good fit for OAD, Ron notes the production of any cow has a ceiling regardless of the breed. “Genetics play a big part. You want a cow with good milk yield and good fat and protein percent- ages; you go from there.” Depending on the season, the herd produces from 65,000kgMS to 72,000kgMS, or 360kgMS to 380kgMS per cow. Some of Ron’s cows annually produce well over 100% of their body weight in milk solids. Ron’s genetic focus has been slightly different to Jersey breeders nationally as milk supplied to Westland Milk Products does not attract a premium for fat, consequently the total daily volume of a cow’s production is important. The past two seasons have been challenging for West Coast dairy farmers, with prolonged wet peri- ods at times, but Ron believes this is where jersey’s come into their own. “It’s been proven time and time again that their efficiency is excellent; I think they are well suited to most of the country. “You see that evidence in the RAS (Ranking of Active Sires) list from animal evaluation how high jersey sires currently feature on that.” “It’s a total grass-fed system. When the cows are milking that’s all they basically get, there’s no additional supplement other than a bit of molasses in the spring time.” Ron and Jackie Monk with family take time out from their Kokatahi farm. 20 years experience in Agricultural Services 1047 Kaniere-Kowhitirangi RD, Hokitika Ph: 03 755 6203 Marty: 027 2262 835 email: vonahcontracting@xtra.co.nz SERVICING We deliver nationwide however we specialise in: • Greymouth • Westport • Hokitika • Christchurch • South Westland DISTRIBUTORS FOR Mainfreight West Coast, Aramex Couriers, Refrigerated & General Freight, Bulk & Livestock Specialists • BP Oil NZ Ltd – Bulk Fuel Delivery • BP & Castrol Lubricants Phone Greymouth: 03 769 9081 | Phone Hokitika: 05 756 8012 Phone Mainfreight West Coast: 03 769 9081 | Email: freight@aratuna.co.nz Electricians & Inspection Service Westlands Leading Electrical Contractors 24 hours (03) 755 8177 Member Electrical Contractors Association of NZ MASTER ELECTRICIANS