Cultivating successful cow families
Michael and Cherie Berkers’ Holstein Friesian herd exemplifies how breeders can consistently develop successful cow families by seizing opportunities for improvement year after year.
But 12 months ago, Gary and Karen found themselves needing cows in a hurry and put together a herd with many Jerseys for the season. Then word got around the grapevine - this herd was a success and the Peters were breed converts.
The 2022-23 season was a tough one. With the farm on the market, it was signed up several times through the season, but each sale fell through. As the end of the season neared, the farm was signed up for sale again and this time they thought it was a done deal.
So much so that the dispersal auction was booked and the catalogue went out. Then just two days before the dispersal, once again the farm sale fell through. The dispersal proceeded, the cows were sold and most trucked out immediately following the sale.
That left Gary and Karen in a bind - they needed in-milk cows quickly if they wanted to keep supplying for the current season. They purchased some empty cows from friends, and quickly changed from Fonterra to Open Country for what they were sure would be their final season supplying. With the handful of cows that they had kept back from the sale, they were able to milk through the winter with the empty cows they bought in.
Then their attention turned to spring. Gary was talking to friends in northern Taranaki, Robert and Libbie Taylor, who were also getting out of milking and headed up there to check out the cows on offer. They milked a mix of Holstein Friesian, crossbrd and Jersey.
Initially Gary had no intention of even looking at the Jerseys, but quickly changed his mind when he saw the big, capacious Jerseys, all from the Leithlea herd of Tony and Maureen Luckin, or progeny of Leithlea cows.
Always a believer in the value of pedigree, Gary and Karen joined JerseyNZ as new members and registered their Rock View stud name as a new Jersey stud. The spring-born Jersey calves were all registered, and the Jersey cows were also TOP inspected. While Gary knew this would not be a permanent herd, he was determined not to waste any opportunity.
The spring calving period was almost perfect, with no calving issues.
They didn't get a lot of heifer calves though as beef had been used over the later calving cows from earlier than he would have done for Midhirst.
There were no issues either with the herd gelling together right from the start.
All adapted well to the shed and the heifers with their good temperament have impressed the couple. So much so that they were thrilled with the herd that was thrown together to only milk for a season, and became attached to the cows very quickly, especially a couple of the character cows!
They have been swayed to Jersey, and even intend to purchase more to feed calves at their new place this coming season.
Reassess Priorities
Gary and Karen plan to develop the new property, taking some time to reassess their priorities before embarking on any new ventures, not making any major decisions until their first season on the new property is complete.
Gary and Karen have always had Holstein Friesians. They started their farming career with the breed, have really enjoyed them and love the breed. Long-term members of both Holstein Friesian New Zealand and Ayrshire New Zealand, they saw their membership in JerseyNZ as a natural extension.
Breed Society membership adds value to their farming operation, and even on the smaller scale, they still intend to register calves, even if they are not supplying milk. They recognise that these calves may still be sold and provide a starting point for a new breeder's plan. A friend has purchased several Jersey calves from them, and is taking advice on their breeding from Gary and is keen to use Jersey genetics.
Gary and Karen have always registered and classified; and always completed 5 - 6 herd tests annually. They have also been involved in local Holstein Friesian and Ayrshire clubs. Long-term, they have bred for balanced cows with good udders and longevity.
The last word will be left to Gary on his Jerseys, admitting that if he had known they could be this good, he would have used the breed much earlier.
Potential for Production
Gary Peters readily admits that what surprised him the most about the Jerseys was their potential for production.
Where he hadn’t been keen on the breed prior because he just didn’t think they had the production, he has happily been proven wrong. They have production in spades, a great temperament, and to top it all off, Karen thinks they are the cutest cows.
The new ‘thrown-together’ herd for the 202-/24 season totalled 120 cows, the same number that they had milked in the 2022-23 season. The farm had stayed on the market, and finally sold again early in the season just as they finished calving, going unconditional quite quickly to very keen purchasers. With the herd dispersed again in April 2024, they do not have a complete season’s production to compare against the previous herd but confirm that the herd produced an average of 600 kgMS by the date of the dispersal sale. Gary says, “They didn’t let us down, we were super impressed”.
On 1 June, Gary and Karen will leave their 42ha farm on Denbigh Rd, just south of Stratford where they have farmed for the past 15 years. They are moving just 2km up the same road to what has been their runoff, a slightly larger property further up the mountain.
It is time to take life a bit easier and rear a few calves and run some beef. The replacement calves have been retained to be sold later and there are already beef calves up there. With a small 16 bale rotary on site, Gary will milk about 20 cows to rear the calves, considering once-a-day milking. Gary will also maintain the AB run that he has had for several years.
A house has been moved onto the new property, although it is not quite ready for them yet. Held up by the council for about 12 months, once approval was received, the house was moved onto the land within two weeks and then the real work started to get it ready for them.
The new house is situated in the middle of the runoff and will run off solar power and a windmill. There is also a small backup generator, and they will add another battery so there will always be power available. Their new view is even closer to Mt Taranaki, with views also out over the local region to the mountains of the central plateau.
Gary and Karen’s two children Julia and Jacob will also join them at the new property. Daughter Julia (now 21) is a large part of the reason their operation has always been kept small. Julia has cystic fibrosis, and this has meant numerous hospital stays over her lifetime. However the recent approval of the drug Trikafta has been a real life-changer for Julia, now able to maintain a part time job at a local café. Jacob has recently completed study in digital design in Tauranga, returning home to help out on the farm and with the move recently.
He intends to build a tiny home on the new property and start setting up his own business.
The farm they are leaving was also originally their runoff when they were sharemilking. They added the neighbouring property, reinstating it to what had originally been one farm, and putting on the dairy shed when they came here 15 years ago. They never really planned on leaving this farm, and prided themselves on staying ahead of many of the compliance issues well before they became mandatory. However, in recent years they have found it more and more frustrating with all the requirements of the dairy industry, that seem to be added to each season. They have decided it’s time for a change, looking forward to a slower pace of life without the tie to yearround milking.
