Herd trial signs are encouraging

THE typical progressive dairy farm herd of Friesians could change colour if trials for Jersey-Holstein Friesian crosses being conducted by Teagasc in Co Cork continue to show superior profits.

The breed of cows in high yielding herds may be about to undergo another change of colour if the early results of trials on a are sustained. Results being carried out by Teagasc on a farm near Ballyhooley are showing very encouraging results for a changeover to a greater share of Jersey blood to be used in high merit Holstein-Friesian herds. This is the second year of the comparative trials on the Teagasc Ballydague Farm using Holstein Friesians as the control herd, measured against Jersey and Jersey-Holstein Friesian cows.

Of considerable interest to dairy farmers will be the findings for the first week of May which showed that while Holstein Friesians had the highest yield in volume, under the new measure of payment based on milk solids the Jersey cows were almost on par in E/returns, but the Jersey-Holstein Friesian were significantly better as income earners.