36 | nzdairy DAIRY PEOPLE » Paul and Lesley Grey Getting dairy cow traits down to a fine art Rosa Watson For Atiamuri dairy farmer Paul Grey, it’s not the size of the cow that produces production results, its the important traits. Paul and wife Lesley own 77ha dairy farm at Atiamuri in the central North Island and have established a Friesian dairy herd of around 200 cows. For Paul, shopping around genetic companies has been a good way to find out what traits he is after. “We found ... we weren’t getting a true enoughlooking Friesian, and the temperament and udder traits left a lot to be desired, so it wasn’t really what we were looking for.” So, they have gone 100 per cent with one outfit for the last couple of years. “Basically because it’s worked for me in the past.” He said he is now losing very few cows to udder break down, and has a more truer looking Friesian cow. “I’ve probably got back to what I was doing when I was sharemilking for the first 28 years.” The operation buys in 150 tonne palm kernel and 150 tonne of maize each season, which works out at around 1.5 tonne per cow. The farm also makes around 200 round bales of sileage each season. In 2023, the farm produced 99,901 milk solids – well above average production - which Paul says could have been even higher. This year he dried off the herd a bit earlier than usual in mid-May, due to a drought, but still managed 96,400 milk solids. “We did end up buying in 80-tonne of maize over what we’d normally buy, but if we hadn’t done that we would have had some very skinny cows. “I think we had a pretty good season. The cows are in good nick and caving well.” Paul believes a good, viable dairy cow is one with good udders and feet and legs. “That’s in my opinion. Dairy cows need good udders, and they need good feet and legs because they need to walk reasonable distances “And it needs to have the capacity to actually eat enough to produce the output.” He is happy with the current herd size, but is analysing feed costs versus production. The operation buys in 150 tonne palm kernel and 150 tonne of maize each season. “Whether we are happy to stick with the 95,000 to 99,000 milk solids production and have a bit less feed cost, or if it’s worth driving on further. “It may be that the herd size decreases if it is more profitable to milk a few less and feed a few less.” The goal now is to stick with a fully-Friesian herd and breed the best-uddered cow at around 550kg - 600kg, he said. Dairy farming is in Paul’s blood, along with a passion for Friesians. His parents were dairy farmers in the early 1970s and his father got hooked on the Friesian breed. He was also a member of Holstein Friesian New Atiamuri Dion 027 291 1269 Hayden 027 277 8626 SPECIALISTS IN: LIVESTOCK CARTAGE • GENERAL CARTAGE • ANIMAL BEDDING CRAIG STEVENS MOTORCYCLES LTD Craig Stevens, 30 Main Road, Tokoroa Ph: (07) 886 1014 Mobile: 027 244 2662 Email: teamcsm@xtra.co.nz with 24/7 Service Feel free to call in, visit our shop and discuss any requirements you have in regards to your dairy shed. DeLaval Service and Support milking solutions Ph 07 348 3628 19 White Street, Rotorua www.abcmilkingsolutions.co.nz Milking Machines Dairy Consumables Machine Tests Davey Supplier Trenching DeLaval InService (Preventative Maintenance) McConnel Backing Gates Water Pumps & Fittings E uent Systems Bore Lifts Irrigation Services Reid & Harrison Zealand in the mid-1970s. Paul himself became a full member in 1986. With Paul and Lesley reaching retirement age, they are realistic about how much they can take on and want to keep the operation at a manageable level. “We still enjoy milking cows, so it’s age-related to what we can manage and still enjoy what we do.”
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