April/May 2010 - Australian Jersey Breeders Society

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Whitton Jerseys By Linda Houghton The Whitton Jersey Stud is situated at Huntingdon, and backs onto the Hastings River, just outside of Wauchope - near Port Macquarie in NSW. Ian and Sue Lindsay are the fifth generation to run the property, which was established in 1858. ‘I think I have milk flowing through my veins, being the fourth generation to run it as a dairy farm’ Ian said. Before taking on the family farming enterprise, Ian drove milk tankers, and then went home to sharefarm with his mother, Nina. ‘When the GST was introduced, Mum said she’d had enough (and Dad had passed away some years before), so that’s when Sue and I took over. However, she still lives on the property and at 83 has a keen eye for a good Jersey cow’, Ian said. The Lindsay’s milk a herd of around 50 – 60 head on the home farm 98 acres. After experiencing three floods in 2009, this year is shaping up well. ‘Things are better this year, but a bit dry at present – we’ve just finished sowing the winter feed crops – rye, clover and chicory – which should do well. We are lucky that the soil is alluvial and very rich, which has allowed us to be self-contained and grow all our own feed. The only exception was the flood year, when we bought in hay. Other than that, we feed 5kg of pellets per cow, per day in the dairy to top them up. ‘I keep an eye on the soil by testing every now and again, and in 2009 we tried a more natural approach and used chook manure as fertiliser, with excellent results. However, as the milk price is low this year, we’ve gone back to superphosphates as usual. I don’t like the nitrogen fertilisers – as I think the soil becomes dependent on it. I try to put nitrogen back into the soil by planting red clover,’ Ian said. The property has spray irrigation via a travelling system to 12 – 13 hectares, with a pumping licence out of the Hastings River. ‘It is an un-regulated river, but we still have to hold a licence, and are on a hectare restriction,’ Ian said. The herd is milked and calved year-round, and the Lindsay’s supply the Hastings Co-Op, which produces cheese and yoghurt only, with 23 suppliers currently on the books. ‘Milking all year is constant work, but we’ve always done it and are used to it. This year we may not be getting a winter incentive – due to the recent financial crisis, which will make things harder. Currently we are getting 37 cents per litre – however I know that some producers have privately negotiated with other suppliers and receive between 50 – 60 cents per litre. We’ve looked at supplying elsewhere, but factories aren’t taking on any more suppliers, and there are waiting lists’ Ian said. The dairy is a walk-through with step-up bales with each milking taking around an hour. The Lindsay’s are firm believers in herd testing, and the Whitton Jersey herds rolling production average is 6,370 litres, with 3.5 Protein (234kg Protein) and 4.7 B/Fat (299kg B/Fat). ‘I can’t understand anyone who doesn’t herd test – it should be the last thing you stop doing in tough times. How can you control your cell count and make informed decisions without this information? I also believe herd-testing increases Whitton Golden Laura with Charlotte Lindsay 24 — JerseyJournal April / May 2010 Cameron, Jaclyn and Charlotte Lindsay (cousins) with a show cow.
the value of your cows – the information is vital to prospective buyers. We have a good line of heifers coming through this year, so I can’t wait to see what sort of numbers they do in the dairy’ Ian said. Bulls are selected on an individual basis – matched to improve each cow. ‘I only buy 5 doses of any one bull – as I like to use a lot of different bulls. Early on, I used top Australian/NZ bulls with great results – such as Branston Royal Democrat and Hasties River Roslyn Sultan. Other bulls that have positively contributed to the herd are Ingalala Dazzler, Lester, Malcolm and Imperial. Currently, I am mixing it up between American, Australian and Canadian bulls, using Senior, Blackstone, Fusion and Sultan, plus a few Genetics Australia bulls such as Bartpower, Badger and Resurrection. ‘I breed for a good functional cow that will produce well – not just a show cow, or anything too big – just a good honest cow. To me, Jerseys are a great breed because they keep going during tough times, can handle extreme weather and calve easily’ Ian said. The Lindsay family provides all the labour on-farm, with their 10 year-old daughter Charlotte also pitching in - rearing calves, and teaching them to lead. Sue also works as a midwife at the Port Macquarie Base Hospital, and the entire family also enjoys showing their cows. At the time of interview, preparations were in place for taking a team of 10 – 12 cows to the local Wauchope Show on April 16th. ‘Charlotte did well last year with her heifer, winning Intermediate Supreme Champion with ‘Whitton Julians Jade’, so she’s hoping to do well with her again this year too. It’s a busy time for our family as I am also the Chief Cattle Steward – and have been for the past 15 years. I really enjoy seeing the cows, and catching up with people – it’s great to see them all come back. This year the show is going to be really special, as it is our 100th Year Centenary Show, and everyone has been really busy to ensure it is a great success.’ ‘I’m also a fan of the on-farm challenge – because the judges come to you. Our club (Manning Valley Jersey Cattle Club - Taree) holds a dinner and we get to view really good cows ‘in their working clothes’ – which is great. It’s a great alternative to showing and a real time-saver, giving breeders the chance to showcase their cows’ Ian said. Like most dairying families, the Lindsay’s are feeling the pressure of ongoing low prices from milk processors, and trying to farm effectively into the future in an uncertain environment. ‘The Huntingdon area is unlikely have any dairy farms in the years to come, as land prices are being pushed up by buyers looking for a few acres and a country lifestyle. As it is, I can’t run the herd down the road to our 43 acre out-block anymore, due to the presence of newly subdivided properties, which all have landscaping etc. It’s like we farm on the edge of town now’ Ian said. ‘That’s just one of our worries – and there are only so many knocks you can take. The global financial crisis hit the dairy industry hard – as overseas markets were flooded with product, which rebounded on the Australian markets’, Ian said ‘I just wish that one of the processors would get real about on-farm production costs, and guarantee a minimum return that provides a decent profit margin – say 50 cents per litre. ‘If farmers could depend on that as an ongoing minimum price, it would enable them to stay in the industry, plan ahead and manage their business more effectively into the future. For instance, last year, we were getting 61 cents per litre, and as our infrastructure was falling apart, we invested in updating our machinery, and have now been hit with a price plummet – down to 37 cents in February this year,’ Ian said. ‘When the milk leaves the vat, everyone else who touches it gets paid their full entitlement – for instance; the tanker driver, the milk processor, and even the check-out operator at the supermarket. They all get their entitled payments – but farmers get what they are given, and are lucky if it even covers their costs! It is a known fact that farming contributes to and supports small communities all around Australia – so it is quite shocking that such an important industry could die-off - simply due to an unfair pricing structure’. ‘I don’t have the answers to fix it, but Sue and I will hang in there for a few more years, and wait and see what eventuates‘ Ian said. Whitton Golden Laura with Mrs Nina Lindsay JerseyJournalApril / May 2010 — 25
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Page 30: OFFICE MATTERS By Office Manager Lo

April/May 2010 - Australian Jersey Breeders Society

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