Dairy stud gamble a winner

PAUL Lenehan has finally made a move into the world of stud cattle.

Paul Lenehan

IT may have him taken about 35 years, but Paul Lenehan has finally made a move into the world of stud cattle.

The dairy farmer from Crossley, in Victoria's Western District, said he can remember having an interest in registered cattle when he started on the family farm at the age of 14.

But it wasn't until his son, Adam, became involved in the business, and the family wanted to diversify from milk production, that they finally took the leap.

"My father always said they didn't need to be registered cattle to be good cattle," Paul said.

"But when my son left school and came home on the farm, we thought it was another (element) to the business, and it diversified what we were doing."

Through genetic recovery the Murray Brook Jersey stud was established in 2000. Six years later the Holsteins followed.

Paul, Lynette and Adam milk one herd comprising 120 Holsteins and 280 Jerseys on 202ha.

A further 140ha is set aside for young stock.

They are helped by full-time workers Greg and Vicki Jans, who Paul said do an "excellent" job with the cows.

For the past three years the Lenehans have reared more calves to increase the size of the herd and allow for the sale of surplus stock.

Last year they sold 20 cattle. In 2012 it was 54.

Last year's highlight was the sale of the $9100 top-priced animal at Colac Classic All Breeds Sale in November.

The two-year-old Jersey, Murray Brook Fernwood, was also the winner of the 2013 Noorat and Warrnambool Agricultural Societies' On Farm Challenge.

The Lenehans' Holstein won the five-year-old class of this competition.

In 2009, the family won the Semex Jersey Australian Great Southern Challenge in their first attempt.

The following year they won the local mature cow class with five-year-old Murray Brook Jace 2875 and in 2011 they claimed champion local two-year-old and five-year-old.

The two-year-old champion, Murray Brook 3322, produced 39.6 litres or 3.05kg of milk solids a day after calving in August with a 3.6 per cent protein and 4.2 per cent butterfat.

The four-year old Action daughter was classified 92 points.

Her mother by Iatola had an average production index of 112 across four lactations, calved in May and on October 30 was still producing 27 litres a day.

Before her was a nine-year-old, by Jace, which calved in September and produced 40.6 litres a day or 3kg of milk solids at the October herd test.

Her PI across the past six lactations was 117.

"We breed for type, but you have also got to have the production to go with the type," Paul said.

Sires such as Jace, Brazo, Bomber, Action, Galaxy and Spiritual dominate the Jersey portion of the herd, while in more recent years Valentino, Eclipse, Valerian and T-Bone have been used.

Heifers by genomic sires Gizer and Gregstar are coming through the system now.

"I have confidence in it (genomics) - it seems to be working,'' Paul said.

"But it also seems to have tightened the gene pool.

"If you have a good cow family (genomically tested), everyone competes to try to get a son from that cow.''

In 2008, the Lenehans purchased Hattie Golden, which had a Comerica 91 point heifer, and 91 point two-year-old First Choice Orchard at International Dairy Week.

First Choice Orchard produces more than 40 litres a day regularly and has recorded an average PI of 123 for the past four years.

Production has been the main winner from the Jersey breed evolution, according to Paul.

"It has changed.

"They give a lot more production, they really can milk now,'' he said.

"My top Jersey cows give over 40 litres of milk now.''

Despite a recent focus on registered animals, Paul insisted the operation was ``still very, very commercial''.

Proof of this includes numerous Jersey production awards including most recently a platdhinum production award for producing more than 240kg protein and 300kg butterfat in a lactation.

The platinum award exceeds the gold awards of which the Lenehans have several already.

Holsteins entered the Lenehan dairy operation by chance about 40 years ago.

"I bought a pen of yearlings, eight Holsteins and the rest Jerseys.

"I thought I would sell off (the Holsteins) when they calved but they looked too good and I milked them,'' Paul said.

"It evolved from a very small base.''

The herd includes cows by Donor, Judge and Showtime while more recently Blitz, Drake, Shottle, Roumare, Palermo, Cardinal, Medallion, Guthrie and Aftershock have been used.

Always more interested in Jerseys, it took a trip to the UK and a visit to Holstein stud Willsbro to change Paul's mind about the breed.

Describing it as the "best herd of Holsteins (he'd) ever seen'', Paul and Lynnette purchased an animal and flushed 13 embryos.

It took two years to bring the embryos back, but seven out of 10 held to produce four heifers and three bulls this spring by Lauthority.

Two more are due to calve in autumn.

This is the first season the family has operated a split calving system.

As Bega Cheese suppliers, chasing up to 43 per cent off-peak milk isn't an issue, rather they choose to split calve to milk more cows.

"It worked out well, especially this year the way the spring was.''