Silage season at last!

After months of wet paddocks we have finally had a chance to get some silage in.

With a 48hr window we managed to knock down 50ha and get it into a stack before the rain started again.

With our silage pit floor very cut up due to the wet season all our silage will be stored in stacks this year.

The end result approx. 240 t DM.
We will be making plenty more silage this year though, with all the surplus grass we have.

Home @ Hoddle

We are getting towards the end of our calving season at home on the farm.

Calving a herd of dairy cows down through one of the wettest winters for many years has really brought me back down to earth after my Nuffield travels.

Crossbreeding in action!

Everyone of these calves contain the genetics of at least 3 different dairy breeds. Holstein, Jersey, Scandinavian Red Breed and Montbeliarde all represented here.

Due to a great autumn season (and excellent management in my absence) we went into this winter with higher pasture covers than we have for a long time. Our average pasture cover at start of calving was 2900kgDM/ha, the girls (cows) have done a great job and we have managed to keep post grazing residuals below 1650kgDM/ha. These high pasture covers have been very beneficial in helping us manage the wet soils this winter (lots of leaf on top-lots of roots below holding the soil together).

Lets hope there is some gold in dairy this season!!

Raglan-NZ

I spent a memorable day with a DairyNZ discussion group at Raglan. Many members of this group were looking at once a day milking as an option for the drying season they were facing.

After the discussion group I visited the NZ surf mecca Raglan, complete with kiwi black sand.

After a farm visit I had to check out the "little waterfall" down the road!

New Zealand's Future Cows

Back to the beginning of my Nuffield Travels.
Late last year I began my Nuffield travels with a couple of weeks in New Zealand.
A week on each island was a great test run for my travels.

Hamilton NZ Super P farm trial herd run by DairyNZ.
The cows in this herd have been selected to typify Kiwi cows in 10 years time. This trial aims to convert more sunshine into dry matter from existing farm area, with higher producing forages meeting the demands and potential of the future high producing herd.

This herd was put together by selecting top genetic merit cows from across the North Island, they have a BW (breeding worth) of almost double the NZ average.

In order to meet the huge appetite of the high merit cows chicory is being trialed to fill a late summer feed gap.

Stockholm to Hoddle- Australia

After a few days in Stockholm may Nuffield trip is nearly over.

Skansen open air Museum in Stockholm was the worlds first open air museum, the collection contains rural buildings from throughout Sweden, a great way to help understand Swedish ag. history.

From Sweden we returned to the UK for a few days before taking to the sky again (for the 28th time on my Nuffield adventure).

As I travelled through New Zealand for my Nuffield project late last year I will post a few photos from this trip soon.

Time to be tourists

After some long days on the road in the last week, many farm and uni. visits the boys were happy to have Daddy back to be a tourist with them for a few days.

Uppsala Botanical Gardens and the Uppsala Castle.

Don't ever visit Stockholm in the summer without a visit to Stikki Nikki's Ice Cream Stall!!!!

Gamla Stan (The old Town) Stockholm

Got to love Swedish Design

Uppsala

The global icon of Sweden

I've tried to drive a local car throughout my study tour in Sweden we had a choice Volvo or Saab, looks like the boys were happy with the Saab.

Even the water tower has a touch of style!

Robots on the way

This herd have some big changes to adapt to in the next few weeks as they are about to move into a robotic milking parlour.

After visiting over 30 dairy farms on four continents this is the first time I've seen shiny new stainless steel being installed this season. The low international dairy market of 2008-9 appears to have put a lot of plans on hold.

Pastures waiting to dry out to begin the seasons silage harvest.

Swedish Organics

Newly developed organic dairy in Sweden

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Modern housing facility is home to the herd every day of the year with the cows going out to pasture for at least 5 hrs a day for 3 months of the year.

Large feed mixer wagon used mix the herds feed ration.

Swedish Dairy Farming

My farms visits in Sweden will have a focus on Swedish Red Cows (SRB), a dairy breed which has been bred for many years with a strong focus on longevity.

Visiting "Juby Farm" the home of some of Sweden's best cow genetics.

The Swedish dairy cows have to be put out on to pasture for three months of the year so these cows have some capacity to graze pasture and produce.

Aussies Vs the Vikings

Very wet crops in southern Sweden

Looks like the Aussie kids will out number the Vikings this time.