38 | nzdairy Rex with grandson Tom and cows in the winter barn. DAIRY PEOPLE » Glenkylie Dairy Farm Spreading the good word about Ayrshires Russell Fredric Like most dairy farmers, Rex and Audrey Stevenson are passionate about their breed of choice which provides a strong motivation to keep them farming. For them, that is the Ayrshire breed which are a pleasure to milk and are up with other breeds, Audrey says. Their family farm, Glenkylie, at Isla Bank northwest of Invercargill, supports 630 Ayrshire/ Ayrshire/Friesian cross cows and one of their sons, Craig, is a partner in the farm. Following the sale four years ago of their beef and dairy replacement unit near Te Anau that Rex and Audrey purchased in 2001, a 600 cow free stall winter barn was built at Glenkylie which enabled split calving to be incorporated in the farm’s seasonal operation. Also, last year a nearby 70ha cut-and-carry property was added to the business. “The barn has enabled us to milk cows longer in the season, giving the cows 55 days dry; drying off is done on a weekly basis over the winter months. Now that we have a small winter milk contract, we are calving around 70 cows in the autumn. If you are feeding dry cows in the barn, you should utilise what you have and make the most financially out of your asset.” Ayrshire cows have really good fat and protein components, are an average size cow, are not too big and are renowned for fossicking, Audrey says. “Our aim is to have cows that produce their body weight plus, (in milk solids) our cows are larger than the average Kiwicross cow, but it means we don’t need as many cows.” “There’s a happy medium somewhere there, so that’s why we quite like Ayrshires. The Ayrshire/ Jersey cross or the Ayrshire/Friesian cross are an amazing cow.” Audrey has been a director of Ayrshire New Zealand for nearly four years, and says despite these favourable traits, Ayrshire comprise only about 1% of the national herd and it has been difficult to effectively get the message across. “When it comes to the national herd you’ve got your Holstein Friesian and your Jersey and Kiwicross, so all commercial farmers seem to be drawn towards them because your BW’s (breeding worth) are quite high. “With the Ayrshire breed, because they’re a smaller minority, we don’t have the numbers on the ground to get those higher indexes.” This also means there is not the large genetic pool to draw from within New Zealand that other breeds offer, however Semayr breeding services (part of Ayrshire NZ) are importing semen from Finland where Ayrshire are the most popular breed and have the biggest progeny-tested Ayrshire population in the world. Semayr Breeding Services are using Finnish semen to inseminate New Zealand cows to broaden the genetic base, however, it is not all one-way as there is overseas interest in New Zealand bulls. Semayr also sire prove young New Zealand bulls AROS CONTRACTING LTD ~Silage Specialists~ For a friendly, quality service call Tony & Janette Carmichael 03 224 6357 or 027 457 2037 Proud to support Glenkylie Dairy Farm Paddock Cultivation from Ploughing to Sowing Dry Hire available Aerating Direct Drilling Ridging Mulching Strip Till Cultivation 0800 621 431 www.clarkes.net.nz PHONE NOW Imported Feed Blends & Contracts Dairy Meal / Pellets Calf Feeds PKE Blends & Contracts Bulk Molasses Deer Feed Specialists PROUD SUPPLIERS TO GLENKYLIE DAIRY FARM YOUR SEED & FEED SPECIALISTS Root Raking • Farm Drainage • Laser Drainage • All Track & Lane Work • Roading • Dairy Conversions• Grader Bulldozer • Precision Finishing Work •Vibrating Roller • Effluent Spreaders • 13, 16 & 20 Tonne Machines • Section Clearing and have proven bulls in its team. “The New Zealand Ayrshire cow is quite a capacious cow with plenty of chest width and can walk well and harvest grass well which are the traits needed for a good profitable New Zealand grass-based cow.” At this year’s NZ Dairy Event held in Fielding late January, Joanna Fowlie of Matamata proved the value of New Zealand Ayrshires when she won Supreme Champion of All Breeds with her secondcalved three-year-old Raetea Rubicom. Raetea Rubicom was also won Intermediate Champion, Intermediate Best Udder, Supreme Champion of the Youth Show.
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