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Extended Lactation Case Study

Damian & Ann Coulthard, Tinamba, Gippsland

Background

  • A seasonal calving (August) herd of 200 Holstein Friesian cows.
  • 52 ha of irrigated pasture at Tinamba in Gippsland.
  • A seasonal calving system is most suited to this single labour unit farm.

Comments about EL

  • They have used EL every year since 1995 as they “do not want to loose elite, high producing cows, generally it was the younger cows that were not in calf by the February pregnancy test”. EL has reduced the need to cull good cows for fertility issues.
  • From the herd of 200 cows, normally between 5 and 10 have been milked through using EL each year. In February 2007, 6 cows were not in calf when pregnancy tested, so they were milked through using EL, One cow did not make the 22 month lactation the other 5 have milked for 22 months.
  • Floods in November 2007 affected the herd’s ability to get in calf and conception rates were reduced. In February 2008, 26 cows were not in calf when pregnancy tested, so they were milked through using EL. 24 of the cows were mated in October 2008, 21 of these have been pregnancy tested in calf (17 of which got in calf in the first 10 days) and 11 have milked right through to Mid June 2009 (10 went dry by May 2009). The remaining 3 cows were culled following the pregnancy test in February.
  • Damian said “98 per cent of cows will milk for an 18 month EL and about 50 per cent milk for a 22 month lactation”
  • Damian said that “heifers milk production tends to be more persistent during an EL than the mature cows”
  • When Damian was asked what are the negatives of using EL he said “there are no negatives of EL as it has allowed him to retain more of the high producers in the herd”
  • Being an irrigated dairy farm, Damian is able to supply adequate pasture to EL cows all year.
Extended Lactation Case Study

For further information contact:

Greg O’Brien, DPI Ellinbank, ph 03 56242288
Ash Michael, DPI Leongatha, ph 03 56629901
Hayden Ballinger, DPI Warrnambool, ph 03 55619926
Tom Farran, DPI Kyabram, ph 03 58520505

Acknowledgements:

The contribution of major funders Gardiner Foundation and DPI Victoria, together with support funding from GippsDairy and DHIA is gratefully acknowledged.