136 | nzdairy ON FARM » Brooklands Jerseys Elite herd that’s in the top 1 or 2 percent Virginia Wright Phil Garraway and Olivia Gunn are contract milkers and 75% equity partners in Brooklands Dairies Ltd., home of the Brooklands Jerseys Stud. Five minutes from Winton in Southland the farm milks 730 Jersey and X-breed cows and rears 70 bull calves along with 300 replacement heifer calves. With the new calves coming through this season they’ll be 90% pedigree Jersey with around 630 Jerseys in the herd as they continue the journey that began with their purchase of pedigree Jersey cattle from the Ashvale Jersey Stud in 2023. “When we first bought the cows we used as much sexed-semen as we could to get as many female replacements as we could from the herd and make the most of the selection pressure they’ve had over multiple generations. They’re high quality animals so we go from having a good herd to having an elite herd that’s in the top 1 or 2% in the country,” explains Phil. Phil and Olivia have every intention of upholding Ashvale Jersey Stud’s reputation for producing consistently high BW bulls with those that come through the newly formed Brooklands Jerseys Stud, and have set themselves a high bar when it comes to the level of milk production they expect from their commercial dairy herd. They select semen carefully to bring balance to their herd, putting high live weight bulls over lower live weight cows and selecting also for good udders and rump width; all traits necessary for cows they expect to carry high volumes of milk, Phil explains. “We’re breeding a cow that can produce high volumes to be taken to the cowshed so we’re looking at cows that are producing up to 700 or 800 kgs of milk solids as mature animals. That’s what our best cows are producing now, and to achieve that sort of production the cow needs a big, wide rear end, but the average will be around 500.” They’re concentrating on getting as many replacements as they can from those cows that are the best producers in the herd and doing embryo work in partnership with semen companies LIC and CRV to achieve that. “Our best heifer in the herd this year has produced just over 600 milk solids. She had her own calf this year and she also had two others,” says Phil. As their new stud develops Phil and Olivia are enjoying competing with their cows and getting a taste for winning both locally in Southland and at the Jersey New Zealand Conference where earlier this year they won the Jersey Semex competition judged on confirmation and breeding index. “What we’re really trying to do is breed high production, The farm milks 730 Jersey and X-breed cows and rears 70 bull calves along with 300 replacement heifer calves. Photo: Cowshotz Livestock & Photography. high index cows as well as cows that are functionally correct and compete well even against show cows,” says Phil. “Both Olivia and myself are new to being breeders of pedigree cows and we’re really enjoying the challenge. I’ve milked cows for nearly 30 years now and I want to carry on doing that but I might as well try and milk the best possible cows that I can. Since we bought the stud we find we’re driven to try and achieve just that bit more.” While they do sell excess replacements heifers it’s the bulls they’ll be auctioning online later this year. Last year prices ranged from $1900 to $4450, with the top priced bull also being the highest BW yearling sold in New Zealand. This year 30 top Brooklands Jersey bulls will be on sale on Bidr with an online catalogue available mid-September. • SOLAR • BACK-UPGENERATORS • PUMPING&ON FARMAUTOMATION ALL WORKMANSHIP GUARANTEED, NO JOB TOO BIG OR SMALL 03 236 8383 | accounts@lodgeelectrical.co.nz Specialising in all agriculture fencing including: • Sheep, Dairy & Deer Fencing • Sheep, Cattle & Deer Yards • Entrance Ways • Boundary & Tree Line Fences • Fencing off Waterways • Calf Pens • Post and Rail Contact: Tim 027 838 2301 Email: clarkbrosfencing@gmail.com www.clarkbrosfencing.co.nz
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