WHY JERSEY?
The Jersey cow is a robust commercial dairy breed with a number of advantageous qualities ideally suited for the UK dairy market.
Quality Milk
High Value Composites: On average the Jersey cow produces 5.45% butterfat and 3.88% protein, with yields of up to 6113kgs of milk.
The Jersey breed naturally has the ability to produce higher percentages of butterfat and protein, and this has been further enhanced by selective breeding over the years. This makes Jersey milk ideally suited for the production of high quality nutritional dairy products, like milk shakes, clotted cream, yogurt and ice cream.
Longevity
Lifetime production of a Jersey cow sees on average production performance maintained up to the 8th lactation and beyond.
Clandeboye Paramount Brunette EX94(6). Born 28/10/2006. Production to date 91,733 kgs of milk at 5.42% fat and 3.88% protein. Currently milking in her 9th lactation.
Produce Versatility
The range and quality of dairy produce from a Jersey cow offers regional, national and international outlets for milk, cream, butter, ice cream and yogurt.
Due to the composition of the milk produced by the Jersey cow it offers breeders and producers with access to a wider consumer market for their milk and produce. For example, pedigree breeders can sell their milk to milk buyers who have well-known Jersey product ranges found in supermarkets across the UK. There are also markets available to supply specialist Indian food processors and paneer cheesemakers. Further still many pedigree breeders produce their own Jersey produce, like clotted cream, yogurts and ice-cream, which can be found on the shelves of supermarkets, in restaurants, cafés and farm shops or sold directly from the farm gate.
Efficiency
Feed Conversion: The Jersey cow is more efficient at converting grass into weight of fat and protein.
Quintrell Jerseys operate a grazing farming system, with the herd grazing spring, summer and autumn. The grass protein averages between 20%-30% and the metabolisable energy (ME) at between 11% - 12.5%. To complement this input, the cows are fed very low protein cake (12%-14%) in the parlour. During the winter the herd is fed from the grass silage clamp. On average each cow per day eats 17kgs of dry matter (DM) and 5kg of cake, totalling 22kg of DM per cow per day, producing 24 litres of milk per cow per day at 5.1% fat and 3.7% protein. Over a year the average return is 5,700 litres of milk at 5.4% fat ad 3.9% protein per cow per year.
Clandeboye Jerseys operate a system with the emphasis on both grass and TMR. For example, during the winter the Clandeboye herd is fed a TMR comprising a mixture of 40% Maize silage, 35% Grass silage and 25% wholecrop cereal silage, which can be either wheat or rye, and 5kg of blend per head. This TMR is targeted at producing 22 litres, with a forage intake of around 11kg DM and a crude protein content of 16%. Cows are then supplemented in the parlour at a rate of 0.5kg/litre above 22 litres. During the grazing period (April – September), cows are paddock grazed day and night but are also buffer fed the TMR at evening milking with the blend reduced to 2.5kg per head. Again the target is to maintain an overall dietary crude protein level of 16% with a forage intake from grass around 11kg DM and 4kg of forage DM from the TMR. Average milk yield for the herd is 7008 kgs 5.39% BF 3.96 PR.
MANAGEMENT TRAITS
CALVING INTERVALS
Calving Intervals average at 399 days. Benefits of a reduced calving interval include increased milk production, as the cows have a longer lactation and also a tighter calving pattern.
The Jerseys cows ability to achieve a low calving index makes them ideal for the grassed based spring calving herds.
Somatic Cell Count
The average herd has a Somatic Cell Count of 177. The Somatic Cell Count (SCC) is the main indicator of milk quality. Any SSC count of 200 or less is recognised as low. High SCC’s usually reflect the decreased quality of the milk produced and how mastitis can affect its constituent parts, having implications for its keeping abilities, its taste and how well it can be made into other dairy products such as yoghurt or cheese.
Somatic Cell Counts in the Jersey breed tend to be in line with National Dairy Breed averages and can be maintained at a low level for many lactations.
Strong Hooves
Jerseys are well-known to be less susceptible to lameness because of their black hoof colour which makes their hooves very hard and more robust.
Jersey Breed Trait: Black Hoof colour.
Stocking Levels
Stocking levels for a Jersey cow can be up to 2.5 animals per acre of good quality grazing pasture.
Due to the Jerseys ability to convert grass to milk, stocking levels can, on good quality grass, be lower than other dairy breeds.
Management Versatility
The Jersey cow is adaptable across a range of farm management systems, from outdoor grazing systems (where nearly all the yield, weight of fat and protein can be produced from grass) through to more intensive indoor management systems.
Milking systems: Many Jerseys herds are now using robotic systems as well as traditional parlours.
Traditional parlour.
THE OUTCOME?
Business Profitability
The Jersey cow continues to have the ability, not only to compete against other dairy breeds and to add value to existing farming businesses, but to also operate on a larger commercial scale to meet the requirements of today's market place.
The excellent Jersey advantages provides breeders and farmers alike with a viable dairy business solution and a strong place in the future dairy market.
Clandeboye Tequila Cookie EX94(3), 3rd lactation averaging 8002kgs of milk at 5.75% butterfat & 4.20% of protein.