Abstract
The production of a dairy herd was simulated at two different stocking rates (3.4 cows/ha and 4.0 cows/ha) and two seasonal conditions (an average and a dry Waikato summer). Cows were milked twice-daily (TDM) for varying periods, before being switched to once-daily milking (ODM) for the remainder of the lactation. Switching from TDM to ODM during the milking season reduced the total production of the herd. With 3.4 cows/ha in an average summer, at a break-even value of labour of $100 /milking ($200 /milking) the optimum switch-over date was January 13 (October 21); a dry season brought forward this date by approximately two weeks. Increasing payout increased the break-even value of labour at a given switch-over date. Under a commonly used farmer industry guideline, break-even labour values under average (dry) conditions were $53.47 /milking ($61.47) for 3.4 cows/ha and $36.07 /milking ($33.98) at 4.0 cows/ha. A stocking rate of 4.0 cows/ha switching to ODM after peak production had a lower cash surplus than a 3.4 cows/ha stocking rate with TDM due to additional ($30,000) feed costs with the higher stocking rate. These results suggest a formal approach could be used to complement industry guidelines in deciding when to switch from TDM to ODM.
Proceedings of the New Zealand Society of Animal Production, Volume 63, Queenstown, 133-137, 2003
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