of managing the modern dairy cow’. Internationally renowned dairy producers, Lloyd and Daphne Holterman from Rosy Lane Holsteins delivered an inspiring talk about the management policies and strategies that have helped them build the highly successful business they run with two other partners. The business currently farms 720 ha with a herd of almost 1,100 cows averaging 13,757 litres (3 x milking) and a contract farming operation, growing and harvesting forage crops for neighbouring farms. What quickly became clear is the very strong business ethos,
echoed by their mission statement: ‘Great People – Great Cows – Great Returns’. Physical and financial goals were also clear: to achieve 1.7 litres of (energy-corrected) milk (ECM) per 1 kg of dry matter fed and to operate at a cost of production equivalent to 25ppl. Note: the average price paid for milk in US in 2018 was $16.20 /cwt which is equivalent to approx. 27.6 ppl. Here are some of the key messages which producers may relate
to, irrespective of their production system: Great people - one of the major contributing factors to the success
of any business is its people. Only 3 out of the 24 people partners and staff at Rosy-Lane had ever worked with cattle before starting work there. Staff have clearly defined roles (e.g. milker, calf manager) and the business invests in high levels of staff training. Standard Operating Procedures (SOP’s) are prepared for just about everything (down to washing floors!) and are constantly reviewed and updated. All staff
have 6-monthly reviews to discuss progress, training needs, ambitions and possible career progression. Disease control and animal health management – the business
recognises the high cost of both in terms of treatment costs, loss of sales and increased replacement rates and are firmly committed to reducing antibiotic use. Focusing on biosecurity, vaccination programmes and treatment protocols together with genetic excellence (breeding for longevity and focusing on profitable or economic traits – lameness, calving ease, fertility etc.) means that pregnancy rates of 37%, cull rates of 23% and the much publicised ‘Five years and counting: Antibiotic-free milking herd’ are achieved. Measure, monitor, manage – ‘know where you are to know
where you are going’. Understanding your base level of performance allows you to move forward; but to do that you need data. Rosy-Lane is an exceptional example of a business that collects, analyses and uses data to benchmark, make informed decisions and monitor improvements across all technical and financial areas of the business. Increasing levels of technology mean there is no shortage of data
on most UK dairy farms. Identifying key metrics that help clients meet their technical and business goals and monitoring those regularly is a key role of mine as a dairy consultant. As many farms have March year ends, it’s the ideal time to review last year’s physical and financial performance and set targets for the year ahead.
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