Martin runs around 50 milkers on his 35-hectare all-grass farm at Gortnacare Farm, on the outskirts of Tipperary town. Martin has remained loyal to these genetics since the early 1990s. He says that he became interested in NZ Friesians when he noticed how well a single NZ-bred cow was performing among his herd of Holsteins.
“I started to investigate more and found that these cows performed very consistently and were long-lived. They produced great returns from grass, and I believed they would be well-suited to Irish grazing conditions.
“Back in those days I was limited by choice. One of the first bulls I used was Seaway Forever and it didn’t take long before I was noticing big improvements in my herd. I did use one Jersey bull at the time too, but now I concentrate on the Friesians to avoid any issues with the bull calves that get sold through the local market.”
Martin recalls how fortunate he was all those years ago when he purchased five cows – the only additions to his herd – and discovered they were granddaughters of the top NZ Friesian at the time. “They were also great performers. Their breeding was a complete fluke.”
He says Holsteins were “on the rise” in the early 90s, but he could see where the breed was going. “They were big animals, not really suited to my system. They didn’t breed too well and since farmers were working with quotas, they feared using high butterfat bulls because this reduced their volume. I was convinced they were wrong and went completely the opposite direction.”
A closer look at Martin’s farm management
On the surface, Martin notes that his stocking rate isn’t particularly high, with 20 hectares of grazing land supporting his 50 cows and youngstock. “But the farm is fragmented. We have a local road dividing the land in two, so we have to manage two rotations, one day and one night, which doesn’t make it easy.
“I am also aware that our grass quality is not as good as it could be. But seeing other farmers’ production figures, I do very well compared to them. And I’m certain that’s all down to my New Zealand genetics. Grass yields are about 14 tonnes/ha but it’s not for a lack of quantity, it’s the lack of quality.
“I don’t test the silage because it is so varied, and I wouldn’t get an accurate enough figure. I allow for 10 large bales per cow, fed when the milkers are dried off, and this is supplemented with a 14% protein nut while they are grazing and 16% nut when they are on the silage. Concentrate use is about a tonne per cow.”
Calving starts in the second week of February, and all but three cows are calved before the end of March. “We can’t calve earlier because of the fragmented block; it shortens our season a bit as it’s dark in February/March and October. All cows are dried off by mid-November.”
His herd was housed in mid-November this year, after enjoying a good autumn. When snow and rain hit the farm, the decision was made to bring them inside and dry them off after approximately 270 days in milk.
Top-ranking cows down to NZ Friesian genetics
Martin has consistently ranked in the top 1% for solids production with his local co-operative, Tipperary, for over a decade – a remarkable achievement.
“I’m usually in that sort of area,” he explains. “I just carry on day-to-day and the results follow, I honestly don’t do anything special. It’s all down to genetics and I definitely have the right cows for what I am trying to accomplish here. I’m happy to just keep on doing what I’m doing.”
He recalls that around the time he began transitioning to NZ Friesians, there was a major national initiative to improve protein performance. There were a lot of cows averaging 3.7% protein from grass and this showed him how important genetics were – his cows were outperforming the national herd, even at this point.
“Genetics are the best investment you can make,” he says. “I could see a lot of people had static results and I would go to my discussion group and be amazed at the way some people were thinking. At the time there was a big difference between the NZ solids figures and those here. But now I feel I am on a par with NZ as I am basically farming the same animals.”
Why hasn’t Martin gone down the high EBI bull route?
“A few years back they would publish the top EBI herds in the country, and I was always the second highest in that list,” he says. “After a couple of years, I asked them to remove my name as I didn’t want to be involved in a race. People were going for EBI on the bull above anything else, and it wasn’t where I was with my future cow in mind.
“It just didn’t sit well with me. The aim of breeding animals is to look at a wide variety of selection that suits where you are planning to go. As an example, temperament is important to me, so EBI or BW is not good when I’m getting kicked by the cows I’m trying to milk.
“EBI is a good index; it assigns different weightings to the traits of the bulls, but not all of them are relevant for me. I like to look at practical things: good solids, good temperament, good fertility, efficient grass utilisation. I don’t select bulls based on EBI, but I’m very happy with the way I am going. Being in the top 1% for EBI proves I’m getting a lot of things right.
Bull calves can cause Martin a problem, which is why he is going with New Zealand Friesians. “I sell the bull calves through my local mart in the spring, and it works well.
Looking ahead, Martin plans to keep things simple and continue on the path he’s chosen. This year he has used Backdrop, Equator and Galant, as well as trying a few different lines on the advice of LIC.
“I’m sure I can go higher with my percentages, but any sudden increase may put the farm under more pressure, and I don’t really want to go that way. I think it’s good just to see the solids increasing steadily, year on year.
