50 | nzdairy DAIRY PEOPLE » Musica Ayrshires: David Ackermann Ayreshires ‘bring more value to other breeds’ Ayrshires are as good as a crossbreed for hybrid vigour or in a three-way cross. Karen Phelps As dairy farmers look to optimise the hybrid vigour of their crossbred herd with a three way cross breeding rotation, the importance of maintaining those pure breeds becomes all the more significant. “I’m not in competition with the Friesian breeder and the Jersey breeder,” says Ayrshire breeder David Ackermann. “We all need each other, and we all have our place.” David is running Musica Ayrshires near Leeston, Canterbury in an equity partnership with his parents and stud founders Tony and Jolanda. The 263ha farm milks 500 predominantly Ayrshire cows, and is supported by a 63ha runoff block for wintering cows and young stock. David says the Ayrshire breed is the best breed for his all-pasture system. “We don’t use any imputted feed and we try to stay away from pills and potions. Technically we would be organic, we just haven’t gone down that track.” The Ackermanns have been making genetic gains with the help of mother nature to expose the soft genetics in the herd. “Because we run a simple system with no pills and potions, the soft genetics show themselves. We’re getting a hand from mother nature.” Musica Ayrshires aims to breed an efficient, self-sufficient cow with good udders and good feed conversion. Only the best of the best are bred from, and the results are some top bulls sold to Semayr Breeding Services and CRV Ambreed, and production from the Ayrshires of 440kgs milksolids. To help grow this minority breed in New Zealand, the Ackermanns are using three to four young bulls every year. “It’s about data gain,” David says. “As a minority breed, we can’t get enough data to be as reliable or as significant as the other breeds, and the data we do have doesn’t really reflect the genetic potential of the animal.” But the genetics and the production are all there in these hardy, easy care cows. The Ackermanns have used a bit of Jersey and a bit of Friesian over the past 20 years, and with Musica Ayrshires all pasture system, the Ayrshire is the one that’s the most efficient, it’s a lot hardier, and it always out produces the others. David’s passion for the Ayrshire breed and his stud sees it extending into his free time as he sits on the Ayrshire New Zealand board and the Semayr board, and is the president of the Ayrshire New Zealand Canterbury branch as well as being a TOP inspector. “Ayrshires are as good as a crossbreed for hybrid vigour or in a three-way cross,” David says. He says the three-way cross has been coming back to dairy farming for a while now, giving farmers the ability to breed cattle that combine feed conversion efficiencies, superior health traits, dairy beef capabilities, and the herd’s overall ability to get back in calf each year. “The Ayrshire is a great option for the three way cross. The genetics that Semayr has for commercial herds put food on the table. As far as cross breeding goes, an Ayrshire brings that hybrid vigour into the herd and brings more value to the other breeds. You open up a whole new gene pool. You can use the best friesian, the best jersey, and the best Ayrshire and then go back and rotate them, always using the best of the best genetics without worrying about inbreeding and get a bit more hybrid vigour every time.” “As far as cross breeding goes, an Ayrshire brings that hybrid vigour into the herd and brings more value to the other breeds. You open up a whole new gene pool.” IRRIGATE WITH CONFIDENCE · IRRIGATION SYSTEMS · REMOTE MANAGEMENT · PRECISION VRI Big/Medium Square Balers Individual/Tube Wrapping Wheeled and Track Diggers Roller/Direct/Disc Drilling Strip Tillage ...and lots more! Contact Warren Sheat 027 431 8709 Like us on Facebook For all your Baling, Excavation and Cultivation Requirements Alexanders are proud to support Tony, Jolanda and David Ackermann. • Concrete • Fertiliser Spreading - Farm Mapping - GPS Tracking - Variable Rate Spreading • Livestock Cartage • Grain Cartage • Shingle Supplies • Daily Freight Leeston: 03 3248 070 Dunsandel: 03 3254 039 reception@ellesmere.co.nz
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