Farmer's Weekly (South Africa)
How to raise the ideal dairy cow Cover photo: Supplied
Groot Brakrivier dairy farmer and her husband Coenraad have finetuned their formula for raising the ideal milk cow. A central component is ensuring that both heifers and dry cows are in optimal condition all-year round. reports.
Raising a good milk cow begins before she is even born. It starts with breeding for the best traits, keeping dry cows and heifers in optimal condition all-year round, and adhering to consistent vaccination and hygiene protocols. This is according to Western Cape dairy farmer Candice de Jongh, who, with her husband Coenraad, were the runners-up in the 2020 Milk Producers’ Organisation/Nedbank Stewardship Awards.
“If we want a cow to perform optimally, we have to look after her. We have to build into her, even before she’s born, the capacity to become the best milk cow she can be,” says De Jongh, who farms alongside Coenraad on their 270ha farm Blomfontein near Groot Brakrivier, Western Cape.
The couple rented a mixed farm near Langebaan on the West Coast before buying Blomfontein in 2003. They have since expanded their Jersey herd to 650 cows in milk, and produce 4,5 million litres a year. Their milk has 4,8% butterfat and 3,7% protein. “Our cows are bred using the best genetics, and we only breed with animals that further our breeding goals and add value for us. We look for cows with longevity and an ability to walk far, who will give us a calf every year, and who will add milk solids and milk,” she says.
Coenraad manages the farm, pastures and planting, while De Jongh focuses on the herds, calves and herd health. Between the two of them, they ensure that the cows’ condition is maintained at optimal levels almost continuously.
With the help of their veterinarian, Dr Riaan Putter, the couple has drawn up a calf vaccination schedule to address pathogen pressure on the farm.
“We aim to prevent calves from getting sick by using a consistent vaccination programme, providing good-quality colostrum, and concentrating on good hygiene,” says De Jongh.
Maintaining the cows in peak condition is assisted, in no small measure, by a generous feeding programme.
“Our cows get the best, no matter what age they are. The dry cows are fed well, as they need energy to rest and grow their calves. They have to be geared up and ready for their next lactation. We try to keep a 3,25 body condition score in our steam-up group.”
She adds that Coenraad ensures there are always sufficient feed reserves.
“We have 150ha of irrigated kikuyu, ryegrass, plantain and chickory pastures, and 35ha of maize. The maize is rotated with small-grain crops such as rye, oats and stooling rye. Coenraad bales any surplus and buys in silage. We don’t waste food, and optimise what we have.
“We feed our cows well, but in return they must work for us,” says De Jongh.
FEEDING AFTER WEANING
Their objective is to get their heifers to grow at a desirable rate from the age of three months until breeding, using the most economical sources of protein, energy, vitamins and minerals.
“Energy is not an important factor in the heifers’ diet at this stage,” says De Jongh.
“We want to ensure the heifer don’t get fat, as it causes an excess of fatty build-up on the udders. This is detrimental to their mammary development and subsequent milk production.”
Instead, they place emphasis on feeding the heifers good-quality protein.
“Protein builds the animal’s frame and gives her height. Roughage builds the rumen. Broadly speaking, heifers get lucerne (about 20% protein) and a 16% protein pellet at a rate of 3kg/day.”
Their well-fed heifers reach target weight more than a month earlier than on the average farm, and are inseminated for the first time at 13 to 14 months. An even faster growth rate is not desirable, as it will lower the age at which the heifer can be bred.
Slower growth is also undesirable, as it would then cost more to raise a heifer to the age of first calving, and delay the introduction of genetically superior animals to the herd.
“Our target is for heifers to reach 30% of their adult weight at six months, and an insemination weight of 56% of predicted adult weight after 13 months. Heifers should be at 85% of their adult weight at calving,” explains De Jongh.
The conception rate of the heifers in the herd is 67%, while the 100-day in-calf rate for the first-lactation heifers is 70%.
Successfully rearing calves and heifers to be the best possible replacement milkers is a founding pillar of the couple’s farming philosophy.
“While it’s true that the milk herd generates the income, calves and heifers are just as valuable to our dairy’s future as the current milking herd is. “Today’s calves will enter the milking herd in two years’ time. Cows are like shares: the better you manage them, the higher the dividend you get.”
FEEDING ADVICE FOR HEIFERS
From weaning to six months of age, the heifer ration should contain between 40% and 80% forage, and a growth meal or pellet with at least 16% crude protein and an energy level of 11,1 metabolisable energy per kilogram of dry matter (MJ ME/kg).
Calves in feed groups should receive goodquality hay, preferably lucerne hay, ad lib and 2kg to 3kg growth meal/calf/day.
Calves on pastures should still be provided with good-quality hay or lucerne hay to ensure rumen development and protein intake, supplemented with 2kg concentrates/ calf/day. Poor pasture should preferably be avoided and replaced with a complete calf ration fed ad lib. Rotate the camps to prevent worm and parasite build-up.
• Six to nine months
The concentration of protein in the diet can be decreased and the concentration of fibre increased. Maize silage and grass silage can be introduced from eight months. Poor-quality forage must be complemented with concentrates and minerals. The crude protein in the concentrate will depend on the crude protein of the forage in the diet.
Traditionally, a heifer is raised on roughage with a protein content ranging from 8% to 12% and energy values from 8MJ ME/kg to 10MJ ME/kg of dry matter. Therefore a heifer older than six months (fed on forage) will have a greater need for supplementary protein than for energy. A meal with a protein level of 16% should be supplemented at 2kg/day. The concentrate must also provide adequate vitamins and minerals.
• Nine to 18 months
Feed each heifer a grass/maize silage and straw mix with 2kg concentrate. Heifers on ryegrass pasture should each receive between 1kg and 2kg of mineral lick instead of concentrate.
• Older than 18 months
Once confirmed in-calf, a heifer can join the dry team, provided she can keep up with the competition. If she struggles, she can be fed separately with a group of her peers. Three weeks before calving, she can join the steam-up group for inoculations and closer observation. Phone Candice de Jongh on 083 298 8323, or email her at cjdejongh@imaginet.co.za.