Investing in polled genetics

Craig firmly believes a grazing system is good for the environment, good for his cows and helps reduce labour issues.

The dairy platform consists of around 121ha, although that depends on what is grown and where, while the rest is dryland crop alternating between vetch and wheat.

Craig doesn’t produce grain, but he does let his wheat go most of the way, harvesting the top six inches for silage.

“It’s not as high in starch and energy as corn but it is a great substitute and works well for us, especially when fed with vetch,” he said.

“Unfortunately we weren’t able to do that this year due to the short spring and we harvested it for hay instead and we are really missing it.”

Genetics have always played a major role in herd management at Calister Holsteins, and Craig has been avidly watching the evolution of the poll breeding process for the past decade or so.

He recently opened up his farm to showcase some of the first milking daughters of a world-leading homozygous polled sire, Vogue A2P2-PP.

“We’re at the precipice where in the next few years, the Holstein breed could theoretically choose to be a polled breed,” he said.

“A2P2 is a bull that allowed me to make a very significant step towards that conversion.”

Craig said the decision to invest in polled genetics was largely a welfare one.

“I don’t believe I have had to sacrifice any genetic quality either.”

Of the last 108 calves born on the farm, only 17 were un-polled.

He said the A2P2 heifers were performing well in their first lactation.

“They are functional and have good type and mammary function for a commercial herd and they are sitting where they should be for herd production — having them polled is a bonus.”

Craig said the key is to use influential bulls like A2P2 wisely, so the next step can be taken to make polled genetics a significant option for people who choose to farm that way in the future.

“A2P2 allowed me to add polled and then go back to the best of the non-polled Holstein bulls to add in diverse genetics, which will eventually broaden the polled gene pool.”

Craig is no stranger to breeding quality animals, and Calister Holsteins has been responsible for sending some great bulls into the Genetics Australia program over the years, including Decipher and Maebull.

“It all comes back to the welfare of our herd and the environmental impact of our business,” he said.

“The role of genetics in dairy profitability is sometime not obvious, but the Improving Herds Project I was part of demonstrated the economic benefits — these benefits are cumulative and easily achieved.”

Craig believes dairying is all about perspective and, right or wrong, you pick your path and hopefully you can add to the sustainability of the industry in years to come.

“Polled genetics are a bit like mulesing in the sheep industry, there is no point ignoring it because it isn’t going to go away.

“I am proud to have a career in the dairy industry and I am proud of what we do here on our farm.

“We have a symbiotic relationship with our land and our animals and we are producing a product that feeds the nation.

“I have been farming for 25 years and while it is tough and finding labour can be an issue at times, I wouldn’t want to be doing anything else.”

A2P2 is bred by the Vogue Cattle Co in Canada and has more than 2500 daughters worldwide.

Genetics Australia’s northern Victoria regional sales manager Jon Holland said A2P2 is ranked number two in Canada for type, and his first Australian milking daughters had ranked highly at more than 110 for overall type in Australia.

“He is one of the global leading confirmation bulls, a global polled phenomenon, and being a homozygous polled bull sets him in a league of his own,” Jon said.