IHFA says never a better time to go pedigree because of shortage of dairy replacements
And there may never be a better time to get involved, due to the current shortage of dairy replacements and strong export demand for quality milkers — which led Teagasc dairy programme manager Matt Ryan to point out recently that rearing replacements is the second most profitable enterprise on dairy farms, after milk production.
“If good farm records are available, upgrading a herd to pedigree status is easy, can be done quickly and costs very little. Animals can be registered with the Irish Holstein Friesian Association, and our field officers would be delighted to call to interested farmers to discuss matters further,” says IHFA chairman Richard Whelan. “Pedigree herds are more fertile, enjoy greater longevity, produce higher milk solids, use feed more efficiently, and not surprisingly, their owners make more profit per litre and per hectare. For example, in Britain, registered Holstein Friesians average 3.42 lactations, compared with 3.05 for all milk recorded animals.”
He believes that milk producers with higher yielding herds will have far less worries about nitrogen directives, greenhouse gas emissions, labour problems and other issues. “If we look at the cost of herd replacements, increasing milk yields can have a huge effect on reducing costs. Assuming a replacement rate of 20%, a milk producer with a herd average of 1,000 gallons will spend eight cents more per gallon on replacement costs than one with a 1,500 gallons average. The higher yielding herd will also have lower overhead costs per gallon for slurry storage, farm buildings, milking equipment, labour etc.”
“Our membership has grown by 40% over the last 10 years, and annual registrations have almost quadrupled to 75,000. The IHFA welcomes new members, and farm families can enjoy a great social life when they join their local club.”
