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Otago Daily Times
25-05-2025
- Business
- Otago Daily Times
Proud to buy half of farm ‘hitting its stride'
Nan de Haan and wife Marissa are going to be proud half-farm owners. PHOTOS: SHAWN MCAVINUE Southland sharemilker Nan de Haan is proud to own a dairy farm, which is "hitting its stride". Mr de Haan and his wife Marissa and sons Lewis, 4, and Colin, 2 months, are in their fifth season 50:50 sharemilking at Awarua Wetlands, about 20km east of Invercargill. When they started, the dairy farm had a major facelift including a new milking shed, fences, lanes, feed pad, effluent system, house and extensive regrassing. The grass was performing, the herd was fertile and milk production was humming, Mr de Haan said. This season, farm owners Greg and Sonya Herbert will sell them their half share of the property. "We are going to be proud half-farm owners," Mr de Haan said. Winy and Maarten van Rossum own the other half of the farm. Herd manager Rommel Dy has worked for the de Haans for the past eight seasons. The de Haans were contract milking when they began establishing their herd for an average price of $1400 each. "I got them from here, there and everywhere," Mr de Haan said. A major focus when selecting foundation heifers and cows was their production worth, an index estimating a cow's lifetime production ability. Breeds in his herd included Jersey, Holstein Friesian and Norwegian Red. The herd was analysed before mating to identify qualities cows needed and qualities bull semen could bring. "There are no bad cows and no bad bulls — there are only wrong combinations," he said. Bulls had been selected to produce heifer calves with traits better than their dam including stronger feet, more capacious rib cages and udders hanging higher from the ground. "This is how I hope to get this group of liquorice allsorts to be a more coherent herd," he said. Mating starts on November 1 and the herd begins calving in early August. Calves stay on until early December and then go to a grazier in Fortrose, on the western edge of the Catlins. The heifers stay in Fortrose for two winters, returning home mid-July to a bed of woodchips near the feed pad. All of the cows were wintered on farm. After the herd was dried off this season, about 225 cows would be wintered on grass and baleage. "It is a simple system — pretty much just feed them until they've finished it," he said. About another 75 cows, usually the early calvers, would be wintered on straw and silage in the old milking shed. "I sometimes put the late calvers in there before I dry them off to stretch my season out and then swap them with my earliest calvers." Baleage and silage was made on farm and bought in. His silage feeding plan was to "feed it until the cows are happy" rather than measuring it and feeding out a certain amount. Sheep and beef farmer Ray McCrostie (left) questions his neighbour, dairy farmer Nan de Haan at a DairyNZ field day this month. A new feed management practice was drilling about 150kg of oat seed in late July in paddocks to winter cows. If conditions were favourable, two cuts of oats were available by late November and then the paddock was ploughed and regrassed. This season, the herd began eating supplementary feed from a pad earlier this month. As autumn had been favourable, the cows would spend about half the amount of time on the pad as last autumn. A wet and cold spring last year meant the cows spent most of the season on the feed pad. Milk production was about 4% down on last season. The drop was due to a wet autumn last year, prompting an earlier dry off than usual. If autumn was favourable, some cows were milked for up to two weeks into winter. The herd was now being milked twice a day and the frequency would reduce to once a day at the end of this month, he said. Cows of 50:50 sharemilkers Nan and Marissa de Haan on Awarua Wetlands. Now cows were being given palm kernel and distiller's dried grains in the milking shed. Grain features in the mix earlier in the season. "Cows need energy to milk," he said. On average, 591kg of milksolids was produced per cow in the 2023-24 season. The herd had the potential to produce more than 600kg of milksolids "with similar profitability, if not sharper". "We have not peaked yet." More milk could be produced from more precise feed management, he said. The farm had forgiving sandy soil and a temperate, summer safe climate, which helped grow grass.
Otago Daily Times
20-05-2025
- General
- Otago Daily Times
‘Proud half-farm owners' look ahead
Photos: Shawn McAvinue Southland sharemilker Nan de Haan is proud to own a dairy farm, which is "hitting its stride". Mr de Haan and his wife Marissa and sons Lewis, 4, and Colin, 2 months, are in their fifth season 50:50 sharemilking at Awarua Wetlands, about 20km east of Invercargill. When they started, the dairy farm had a major facelift including a new milking shed, fences, lanes, feed pad, effluent system, house and extensive regrassing. The grass was performing, the herd was fertile and milk production was humming, Mr de Haan said. This season, farm owners Greg and Sonya Herbert would sell them their half share of the property. "We are going to be proud half-farm owners," Mr de Haan said. Herd manager Rommel Dy has worked for the de Haans for the past eight seasons. Winy and Maarten van Rossum own the other half of the farm. The de Haans were contract milking when they began establishing their herd for an average price of $1400 each. "I got them from here, there and everywhere," Mr de Haan said. A major focus when selecting foundation heifers and cows was their production worth, an index estimating a cow's lifetime production ability. Breeds in his herd included Jersey, Holstein Friesian and Norwegian Red. The herd was analysed before mating to identify qualities cows needed and qualities bull semen could bring. "There are no bad cows and no bad bulls — there are only wrong combinations," he said. Bulls had been selected to produce heifer calves with traits better than their dam including stronger feet, more capacious rib cages and udders hanging higher from the ground. "This is how I hope to get this group of liquorice allsorts to be a more coherent herd," he said. Mating starts on November 1 and the herd begins calving in early August. Calves stay on until early December and then go to a grazier in Fortrose, on the western edge of the Catlins. The heifers stay in Fortrose for two winters, returning home mid-July to a bed of woodchips near the feed pad. All of the cows were wintered on farm. After the herd was dried off this season, about 225 cows would be wintered on grass and baleage. "It is a simple system — pretty much just feed them until they've finished it," he said. Sheep and beef farmer Ray McCrostie (left) questions his neighbour, dairy farmer Nan de Haan at a DairyNZ field day this month. About another 75 cows, usually the early calvers, would be wintered on straw and silage in the old milking shed. "I sometimes put the late calvers in there before I dry them off to stretch my season out and then swap them with my earliest calvers." Baleage and silage was made on farm and bought in. His silage feeding plan was to "feed it until the cows are happy" rather than measuring it and feeding out a certain amount. A new feed management practice was drilling about 150kg of oat seed in late July in paddocks to winter cows. If conditions were favourable, two cuts of oats were available by late November and then the paddock was ploughed and regrassed. This season, the herd began eating supplementary feed from a pad earlier this month. People on a feed pad listen to Mr de Haan speak about his sharemilking business. As autumn had been favourable, the cows would spend about half the amount of time on the pad as last autumn. A wet and cold spring last year meant the cows spent most of the season on the feed pad. Milk production was about 4% down on last season. The drop was due to a wet autumn last year, prompting an earlier dry off than usual. If autumn was favourable, some cows were milked for up to two weeks into winter. The herd was now being milked twice a day and the frequency would reduce to once a day at the end of this month, he said. Now cows were being given palm kernel and distiller's dried grains in the milking shed. Cows of 50:50 sharemilkers Nan and Marissa de Haan on Awarua Wetlands. Grain features in the mix earlier in the season. "Cows need energy to milk," he said. On average, 591kg of milksolids was produced per cow in the 2023-24 season. The herd had the potential to produce more than 600kg of milksolids "with similar profitability, if not sharper". "We have not peaked yet." More milk could be produced from more precise feed management, he said. The farm had forgiving sandy soil and a temperate, summer safe climate, which helped grow grass.
Agriland
09-05-2025
- Science
- Agriland
Meet the world's largest Norwegian Red herd, based in Co. Cork
Nestled in north Co. Cork, one farm stands out as a shining example of how Norwegian Red cattle can revolutionise Irish dairy farming. Mike Dunne, along with his father Tom and uncle Mikey, farm a large Norwegian Red herd in Kilworth, Co. Cork with 400 pedigree cows. A farm at the heart of innovation The farm is a testament to how Norwegian Red genetics can shape productivity and sustainability. Mike's father Tom began breeding Norwegian Red cows almost 30 years ago, a breed renowned for their ease of management, health, and adaptability to Irish conditions. The farm's extensive landscape includes steep terrain and long walking distances, yet the cows excel without compromising on health or milk yields. Mike Dunne said: 'Our Norwegian Reds are easy calving, robust, and efficient. They handle the Irish pasture system perfectly—walking long distances daily without fuss. 'Their strong feet and legs, combined with excellent udder health, mean fewer veterinary issues and less labour in daily management.' Genetic selection and farm success The Dunne family use mainly Norwegian Red sexed semen on their herd, focusing on high milk solids sire, temperament, and fertility. The Norwegian total merit indexes (TMI) are primarily used when selecting sires, due to the extensive amount of information available on each bull. Mike Dunne on his farm in Kilworth, Co. Cork. Source: Dovea Genetics The Dunnes' careful breeding strategy has led to incredible fertility in the herd, with 60% holding to first serve annually, less than 10% empty rate and a 9-week breeding season, with tail paint being the only heat detection system in place. Most of the herd have already had two or three cycles before breeding begins. Almost 70% of the cows receive sexed semen with a 67% conception rate to sexed semen. The remainder of the cows are bred to Dovea Genetics dairy beef sires. Some of the sires used on the herd this year include: Krovoll (NR4941) Hallanger (S4466) Storflor (S3686) On the dairy-beef side, a range of breeds are used, including Limousin, Aubrac, Red Angus, Speckle Park, and Belted Galloway. Working with a red and white herd, the Dunne family can capitalise on the current demand for coloured female calves. Health and sustainability on the ground The Dunnes' cows walk up to 2.5km per day for milking on a steep incline, so maintaining good feet and legs in the herd is a must for Mike. Since switching, the herd has had very little issue with lameness or claw health. One of the farm's key successes is the exceptional udder health in the herd. Thanks to the breed's natural disease resistance, the farm minimises the use of antibiotics, promoting more sustainable and cost-effective milk production. The Norwegian Red cows are much stronger and more robust than their black and white counterparts, have an increased cull cow value and a premium market for their beef calves. Dovea Genetics' Norwegian Red sire range Dovea Genetics collaborate exclusively with Geno Norwegian Red – the sole distributors of Norwegian Red genetics in the world. Using both the TMI and EBI, Dovea Genetics offer the greatest Norwegian Red sires available for Irish systems, allowing farmers to continually improve herd performance, while aiding in the production of more resilient, productive cows capable of excelling in Irish conditions. Benefits of Norwegian Red genetics Norwegian Reds are renowned across the globe for their high fertility, longevity, and efficient milk production, making them ideally suited to the Irish dairy industry. Additionally, the breed exhibits excellent udder health and low somatic cell counts, leading to improved herd health and reduced veterinary costs. Incorporating Norwegian Red genetics into your herd can enhance productivity, improve animal welfare, and support a more productive herd, making them a valuable choice for Irish farmers aiming to optimise their farm. The Dunnes' farm exemplifies how Irish dairy farmers can harness the advantages of Norwegian Red genetics to create resilient, high-performing cows tailored to Ireland's unique landscape. Dovea Genetics are the exclusive distributors of the world's leading Norwegian Red genetics in Ireland. The full Norwegian Red range available from Dovea Genetics can be viewed in the Dovea Genetics 2025 Coloured Dairy Directory. Contact your local Dovea Genetics sales representative today to explore how Norwegian Red genetics can benefit your farm and help you achieve a healthier, more profitable dairy herd.
