Empty dairy cows on the rise
Dairy farmers are feeling the pain of a wet spring as the toll on cows failing to get in-calf goes on the rise.
Federated Farmers Manawatu Rangitikei president, James Stewart said empty dairy cows were a cost and a ‘‘waste’’ to the industry and farmers wanted hardy cows.
He said it cost a lot to bring young cows into the herd, and with poor in-calf rates, empty cows were often culled and had to be sent to the meatworks.
Stewart said any cow that was empty and had something else wrong with it would have to go.
However, this would not be the case for all the ‘‘empties’’ and farmers would keep good cows which were not in-calf and continue to milk them through winter, to get winter premiums.
Stewart said empty rates were about 14 or 15 per cent this year, higher than normal.
‘‘Typically they are 12 to 14 per cent, but this year’s tough spring put pressure on cows. Empty rates are at the top end of that. It seems to be a mix of older and younger cows which are not in-calf.’’
The calving rate next spring would be spread out, as there were fewer cows in season in time for artificial insemination (AI).
Cows are usually mated in October or November, to calve in July or August.
‘‘The increase in empty rates reflects the wet spring weather and the lack of feed quality in October and November.’’
Stewart said if once-a-day milking farmers were feeling the pressure of more cows not in-calf, then those milking cows twice daily were likely to feel even more.
He said farmers were trying to make cows calve closer together by using short gestation bulls for later in-season cows.
Stock agents say they have already seen empty heifers come through saleyards and were expecting more cows that were not in-calf to be sold.
Federated Farmers sharemilkers chairman, Richard Mcintyre said there were a few horror stories of herds with more than 20 per cent of empty cows.
‘‘But there have been plenty of good results too. Yes the calving will be more spread out. But the average empty rate is about 14 per cent, no higher than usual.’’
He said that was a testament to dairy farmers perserverance, as cows were slower to come into season than during a reasonable spring.
He said dairy farmers kept an eye on cows coming into season, until they had cows pregnant..
Mcintyre said some people were likely to milk empty cows through winter or sell them to winter milk providers.
He said to take advantage of the best winter milk premiums, farmers needed contracts.
‘‘In the North Island, winter milk on the shoulder with a contract gets a premium of $2.85 a kilogram of milksolids. Then in real winter, June it attracts an extra $3.50. but you have to have a contract to get that.’’
Mcintyre said dairy farmers without contracts got far less for their winter milk.
‘‘There is a demand for fresh milk and products all year round. That’s why winter milk is essential.’’
Dairynz’s regional manager for the southern North Island, James Muwunganirwa, said farmers were generally reporting lower six week in-calf rates than last year.
‘‘Farmers have said that a below average spring saw them putting up fewer cows for artificial insemination. Looking ahead, Dairynz is urging farmers to have a good autumn management plan to get their cows to target body condition score at calving.’’
Muwunganirwa said the target for cows was a body condition score of 5.5 for first and second calvers and five for mixed age cows.
Mcintyre said cows were in better condition than the same time last year.