| 51 nzdairy Paragon Holsteins cows graazing. “We make use mainly of genomics on sire selection to speed up our genetic gain, and all females are genomically tested when born. It’s a no-brainer for us,” says Bishopdale Farm manager Rikus Scheepers, Breeding programme makes big gains Hailing from South Africa, on the border of Swaziland, Rikus Scheepers’ passion for cows stretches back to when he was a five year old, hand milking Brown Swiss cows. “I can honestly say there’s nothing that gets me more excited than a beautiful hard working cow, the love of breeding, thinking outside the box when making the next generation more suitable and efficient, and the satisfaction when the calf is born.” Since 2017, Rikus has been responsible for the day-to-day management of Bishopdale Farm, near the Mid Canterbury service town of Ashburton. Rikus is supported by a team of four staff, along with his wife Mariori who looks after the all- important calf rearing work. Owned by Peel Forest Estate’s visionary founder Graham Carr, the flat and fully irrigated 328 hectare farm is well set up with an automated 60-bail rotary shed and Allflex collars. Rikus and Graham Carr are also the principals of Bishopdale Partnership, which is contracted as the farm’s 50:50 sharemilkers, with the herd registered under Paragon Holsteins. With plans to increase the cow herd to 1100 this coming season, Bishopdale Partnership currently peak milk’s 1000 cows of which 770 are registered and the rest a mixture of kiwiX. The objective is to breed up to all registered Holsteins. For the last seven years the farm’s rolling average milk production has been around 540kgMS/cow. Rikus says the current main base of the herd was sourced in 2008 from the highest BW heifers available at that time. “When I started managing Bishopdale in 2017, I went out to source embryos and females from the best families both here in New Zealand and overseas, and slowly introduced them into the herd. With an intensive breeding programme of corrective mating on each individual female, and making use of embryo flushing we made significant gains and improvements. “Our main goal is to breed an animal that is functionally sound, of correct type with high quality udders and efficient converters of grass into quality milk whilst adding value with high BVs. We make use mainly of genomics on sire selection to speed up our genetic gain, and all females are genomically tested when born. It’s a no-brainer for us.” Main bulls are sourced from Semex, Samen, LIC, WWS ,CRV and Matriarch - where they come from is less important than using the best available, says Rikus. Currently Paragon Holsteins owns the #1 BW Friesian in the country as of the December proof run: Paragon Wimbledon Emma at 728BW. Other herd favourites are Paragon Icarus Minke Richard Loader DAIRY PEOPLE » Paragon Holsteins: Bishopdale Farm 39 George Street, Timaru 7910 | PO Box 125, Timaru 7940 | Email: hcmail@hcpartners.co.nz Phone: 03 687 9222 | Website: www.hcpartners.co.nz Partners: Paul Wolffenbu�el | Jasveen Singh | Nick Krivan | Kalpesh Hari |Mark Evans Consultants: Craig Copland | Duncan Brand Are proud to provide accountancy, tax and business advice services for Paragon Holsteins and Bishopdale Partnership Pleased to support Paragon Holsteins and Bishopdale Partnership 567BW 1110PW and 998LW. Minke is in the top 50 as well and has a combined Fat and Protein BV of 161kg whilst being over 1 in the udder, which Rikus points out is significant. “We’re pretty new in the game, and only recently started selling a few elite bulls and heifers at auctions. We had the top price Friesian animal at the NZDE Summer Sensation sale in January this year.”
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