| 39 nzdairy Carefully considered breeding decisions Olivia 5, Josh, Kyle, 5, and Kareena Sneddon holding Natalie Sneddon (2). Tahau Hovburg Britches, a 13 year old cow sired by a Danish Bull. Tahau Speedo Melli was a top producing cow last season, 638 kgms in 295 days. Kelly Deeks Never one to follow the herd, Josh and Kareena Sneddon of Tahau Jersey Stud are taking some carefully considered risks with their breeding, and hoping they will be able to get ahead of the game. This season, AI technician Josh has mated 75% of his 290 cows to polled genetics, saying this is where the market is going as people look to eliminate the painful disbudding procedure for their calves. He used his first polled genetics five or six years ago and today, one of his top performing cows, Tahau Luca Blondie, is a polled cow. “One of the other things that convinced us back then was their competency, they are doing as well as the rest of the herd,” he says. “I’ve gone for 75% this season because I still want to be using some of the base genetics, in case it all goes sideways.” Josh and Kareena have also taken a risk this season in using a lot of young and unproven bulls, thinking this is the ticket to getting ahead of the rest. “All the unproven bulls are genomically selected now, so we’ve got all their ancestry data from their grandparents, and that’s how we’ve selected them.” Josh and Kareena are looking for milk production leaders with good solids tests and good capacity and strength. “We need that with our grazing system because the cows have to walk and have to graze. DAIRY PEOPLE » Josh & Kareena Sneddon Steve Bowe 027 487 8981 OR Grant Bowe 027 220 2010 www.bowespreading.co.nz RD4 Cambridge For all your lime and fertiliser needs Obligation Free Quotes VETERINARY SERVICES SOUTH WAIKATO Veterinary Services 19 Swanston, Tokoroa PH. (07) 886 6413 TOTAL ANIMAL CARE FOR THE SOUTH WAIKATO 75 Tirau Street, Putaruru PH. (07) 883 3018 109 State Highway 30, Whakamaru PH. (07) 882 8685 FARM ANIMAL SERVICES • SMALL ANIMAL SERVICES • DAIRY RESOURCES This is where some of the overseas genetics can let us down, because they can’t handle the walking.” The Sneddons have used a 50/50 mix of New Zealand and overseas genetics this season, with overseas genetics coming from Denmark and Canada. “We’re putting ourselves out there,” Josh says. “I’ve never been one to worry about what everyone else is doing, that’s why we’ve used a lot of Danish genetics in the past.” Josh’s father and stud founder Tim used Danish genetics for 30 odd years, and seeing how they worked for Tim saw Josh follow in dad’s footsteps. “He’s the same as me, he likes to try different things.” The Sneddons milk on Albie and Barb Kuttel’s 98ha effective farm at Tokoroa. They have been through a cold wet spring making it hard work on the farm, but they’ve on track to come in just below last season’s herd record of 464kgs milksolids per cow. “If we get a wet summer that would be great for us because the cows are still milking well, and they didn’t peak as high as they did last year with this cold, wet spring.” Josh and Kareena aim to own their own farm one day, and having strategised on the best way to achieve this, they are now considering off-farm investment as they look into the local housing market as a means to generate their deposit. “I’ve gone for 75% this season because I still want to be using some of the base genetics, in case it all goes sideways. All the unproven bulls are genomically selected now, so we’ve got all their ancestry data from their grandparents, and that’s how we’ve selected them.” For all your Agricultural Contracting needs office@sansonagriculture.co.nz 027 277 7993 Cultivation Maize Planting Round Bale Hay & Silage Grass Silage Maize Silage Direct Drilling Roller Seeding Effluent
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