Friesian herds to fore

Press, 28 November 1980, Page 15

Friesian herds to fore

Last season 80 herds in the South Island achieved averages in excess of 227 kg or 5001 b of fat, The New Zealand Friesian Association notes that all but six of these, or some 92 per cent, were Friesian herds, while two of the remaining six were mixed herds also milking pedigree Friesians. A new Friesian record for herds of over 70 cows was set by the Glenlea herd of F. A. Mclntosh and Sons at Flaxton which averaged 313 kg of fat from 91 cows. This exceeded the previous best return by 12kg of fat and this was the herd’s eighth annual return over 273 kg or 6001 b of fat. The herd was incidentally the highest for fat production ‘ in. returns of the Livestock Improvement (South Island) Incorporated. The heaviest milking herds, according to the Friesian Association, were the Richlea herd of J. M. Hewson, of Seadown, with 7312 litres and the Deloraine herd of N. J. Sherriff and Sons, of Temuka, with 7092 litres per cow. The Deloraine herd was also only Ikg short of the record return for herds of 100 cows and over. A further feature was the number of large herds listed, with 22 milking more than 100 cows, including the herd of Spark Brothers (Rangiora) with 231 cows. In fact, 50 per cent of the herds listed milked 80 cows or more. According to the Livestock Improvement Association 690 herds with 63,618 cows were tested last season with the average production being 4011 litres of milk with a 4.40 per cent test and 176 kg of fat in 254 days. In the previous season the milk average was 3919 litres

with a 4.33 per cent test and 170 kg of fat in 252 days.

As already mentioned the highest fat production was putt up by a herd in the Kaiapoi group recording an average of 313 kg from 91 cows in 301 days.

The highest producing cow was in the Orari group and it did 536 kg of fat in 305 days. The highest rat producing group was the Rangiora group with an average of 225 kg of fat in 288 days from 20 herds.