GLENBROOK NEWS
LAST YEARS NEWS.
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12th August
Now have 46 in and 17 to calve. 15 out of
17 heifers in. Our first herd test for this season is on 15th August so
that will be interesting. Please check back about a week after and I should
have some figures for you to look at. we have lots of heifer calves still
with 27 to keep and we had lost 3 so 30 out of 46 heifer calves.
3rd August
Finally got around to putting the latest news
at the top instead of the bottom. We have over half in now with 38 calved.
About 80% heifer calves so far. Columbine, Coin and Cinderella have all
had heifer calves in last few days. we finished July 44% down on last years
factory production but its only a few days production in July so doesn't
matter much. July finished 120.5mm rain which is 2 good months in a row.
6th June.
Just added more information to New Zealand
Jersey records including a list of herd averages over 4405 litres milk
or 10,000 lb milk. Check them out. Some new herds first time on the list
from last season.
10th June
Rainfall is latest news. We look like having
the driest 12 months on record so I thought I might put a table in to show
you how much rain we have had in this part of the world. Our season is
May to June for 12 months. Same as our financial year which is why I work
on those 12 months.
20th June.
Have had 60 mm over 2 days which has helped
the water tables a lot. Just added the highest lifetime producers milked
at GLENBROOK. See above for details.
14th July.
As you can see June was our heaviest rain
fall month for the year and lifted it up a bit. Still the driest year for
a long time. The first 12 days in July we ahve had the heaviest frosts
in living memory. My Dad (over 70) cannot remember any heavier and I certainly
can't. One trough on the shadey side of the chook house had ice about 2
inches thick on it. I could walk on it without breaking it (14 stone!!).
Even our dam was iced over. That has never happened before. We have had
a little rain the last 2 days and have 9mm for the first 14 days of the
month.
Started calving for real on Independence Day
(4th July) with a GLENBROOK BATTLE CRY heifer in. She is a top heifer and
if they are all as good as her, he will be a great bull. We have 7 in now
and only 2 heifer calves to keep. We lost one in the frosts and one of
the others was only saved with a 12.30am feed of milk.
It's nice to get back into milking again after
such a long break.
We have had the highest payout ever with $5.00
per kg of milk solids being paid out. A pity we had one of our lowest years
for total production.
We have mated our empty cows to calve in the
autumn next year (March/April) so will be milking for the next couple of
years without a break.
One of the downsides is that the price of
dairy pellets has increased 33% on last season for the cheapest pellets.
We have successfully tendered for the lease
of 19 acres for the next 3 years which will be a benefit to our farm. It
is not close enough to milk on but close enough to farm easily. We took
over 1st July. Sadly there is no grass at all on any of the 19 acres so
we will have to wait for some feed.
We look forward to sending milk to the factory
and recieving some income in a few days and also to Battle Cry's first
proof in August.
23rd July
24 cows in now and lots of heifer calves to
keep. First Lemvig heifer calved and she is very nice. Also first Panache
calves. Very broken coloured but nice. First lot of milk to the factory
since 25/2 so it is nice to be underway. Had a 66,000 scc which is always
a good start to the season. Lots of bad weather since the frosts stopped.
Very cold and windy and wet. Lots of rain but not nice to be out in it.
We need a big calf shed and wintering barn for cows when weather is this
bad. First bobby calves to go tomorrow which will give us a little more
room in calf shed.
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TOP COWS MILK SOLIDS FOR SEASON 1999-2000
to end season ( Which finished very early with the Feb. test)
| NAME |
RANK |
AGE |
MILK |
% |
FAT |
% |
PTN |
M/S |
DAYS |
BW |
PW |
LW |
| GLENBROOK OCEAN COAST*** |
1 |
6 |
4796 |
5.7 |
273 |
4.5 |
216 |
489 |
212 |
121 |
202 |
314 |
| GLENBROOK SILVER CHOICE |
2 |
10 |
4863 |
5.4 |
265 |
4.3 |
209 |
474 |
226 |
67 |
101 |
172 |
| GLENBROOK COMET COTTON*** |
3 |
8 |
5026 |
5.5 |
278 |
3.9 |
194 |
472 |
182 |
51 |
138 |
184 |
| GLENBROOK SVED CINDERELLA |
4 |
8 |
4682 |
6.0 |
279 |
4.1 |
190 |
469 |
228 |
79 |
112 |
158 |
| GLENBROOK MIKKEL COUPLET*** |
5 |
8 |
4856 |
5.2 |
250 |
4.3 |
211 |
461 |
211 |
86 |
145 |
208 |
| GLENBROOK INDEX CARMEL*** |
6 |
10 |
4472 |
5.8 |
261 |
4.5 |
200 |
461 |
215 |
86 |
148 |
218 |
| GLENBROOK CANDYS CUSHLA |
7 |
7 |
4751 |
5.4 |
255 |
4.2 |
199 |
454 |
210 |
66 |
88 |
156 |
| GLENBROOK SILVER CHIME |
8 |
11 |
4600 |
5.6 |
255 |
4.3 |
198 |
453 |
212 |
92 |
176 |
216 |
| GLENBROOK BRASS COLUMBINE |
9 |
12 |
4900 |
5.1 |
251 |
4.1 |
199 |
450 |
211 |
66 |
151 |
190 |
| GLENBROOK CAPTAIN COUP |
10 |
11 |
4468 |
5.8 |
261 |
4.0 |
180 |
441 |
209 |
63 |
104 |
180 |
*** means
cows that aborted
as well Columbine, Choice and Cushla
were among the sickest cows.
The top producers seem to be the hardest
hit with whatever it was.
Note that Choice and Chime were lost
in the spring.
INSPIRATION
Everyone needs encouragement
in whatever they do. Farming is no different. In fact because it's a lot
harder than most professions and takes up more time we need more encouragement
than most people. Having pedigree's gives me more interest in milking cows
and breaking records inspires me to continue farming. Also I get inspired
by reading good farming books and interesting farming magazines.
Now as well there is the internet
which widens the scope for inspiring information. I will use this section
to share web sites etc. that inspire me and hope they will interest you.
I recently found this article
about the worlds highest producing herd at the moment. This herd of Holsteins
and Jerseys is averaging over 18,000 litres milk ( 41,000 lbs ), 635 kgs
fat ( 1,400 lbs ), 544 kgs protein (1,200 lbs ). Also its a small herd
of around 60 cows and they don't breed for genetic worth but for type.
Check out the article at
Article
about Lira Farms
Then I looked up to see if they
had their own web site and found this site for your interest.
They also produce a feed supplement
that is a part of the high production they get from their cows. The photos
of some of their cows are awesome with the production records listed.
Check them out at
Lira Farms
Back to Glenbrook records
To highest protein and fat records at GLENBROOK
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