Get this (test day)

JeffNY · #1 09/27/06, 07:21 PM

Had the two teated Jersey tested along with everyone else (DHIA). She tested at 48lbs of milk, and this is a two teated cow, imagine if she could milk all 4 teats? She would be in the 60-65lb range. I was impressed considerng her dilemna. The herd averaged 58lbs, some of these guys hurt the average. The three Jerseys knock it down, one is 40, one 44, the other being 48. The swiss is 56lbs, two other holsteins are 50. The one holstein has a slow quarter, doesn't fill up all the way, takes a good 12 hours more than the other quarter, and it still isn't full full. If her two back quarters were normal, she would probably be 60+. The red holstein is who tested 50 as well, but her dam tested her first lactation 13,500+. However the others that are good producers, one tested 80, another 80, 76 for speedy, and 52-54 for another. The one who tested 80 is only 10 days fresh. We'll see how they do after they have been going for a month. The one who freshened in August is doing excellent, eating well, producing well (she tested 80, one of the 80's). She didn't come on well till a week or two ago. So these other guys who get steady till they get over their calving, they clean up, normalize and get on feed better.

Jeff

savinggrace · #2 09/27/06, 08:10 PM

Now Jeff, how many cows are you milking? It sounds as though you have a relatively small herd; what market do you go after?

JeffNY · #3 09/27/06, 10:21 PM

Currently I am milking 12, there will be a total of 20, 1 isn't ours. I am shipping milk at present. What I plan on doing, and it will take some time, is genetics. Shipping milk is nice, but eventually it would be nice to get a name in the industry. I don't think it will be hard, as long as I breed animals that are desired in the industry. So eventually selling genetics, shipping milk, and other things will be the goal. I plan on getting up to about 25-27 animals. At present with the 19 that are ours, it will take about 6 more to reach the number and actually we have that number now counting the recent heifers.

The goal is to walk in the barn, and walk down there, and what stares you in the face is nicely shaped udders, that are hung from well supported cows by strong legs. The udders need to hang from strong, well ribbed, deep cows as well. Presently from what has calved I have 8 that have good frames, and nice udders. The one Jersey who is on a genetic recovery program isn't tall, but is very consistent. Out of the others due, 4 of them will be well uddered animals. So out of the 19 I have, 12 will be uddered well, and have decent frames. Actually of those I do think all of them (the 12 out of 19) could score 80pts on up, with the better ones scoring a maximum of 85pts. So a decent start. It's funny, I bought these guys for milking, yet it seems I got some decent animals, that can be shown.

Jeff

savinggrace · #4 09/28/06, 07:16 AM

That's wonderful! I always love hearing from small producers making a good go of it. It's hard to compete on almost any level with the big factory farms; but, going after genetics is one place you can focus a lot of time and attention to and still be successful!

Valmai · #5 10/05/06, 08:38 AM

Can any of you convert pounds to litres? (I dont know the SG of milk to do the conversion myself) Currently I divide 'your' pounds by 2 to get litres.
Farm down the road did herd testing last week. Herd average was (I think) 33 litres, the top producer was 58 litres.

savinggrace · #6 10/05/06, 10:09 AM

conversions.....

Milk weighs approximately 8.6 pounds per gallon

2 liters = 0.5283441 gallons