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The Montbeliarde breed in AustraliaLe 11/10/2024 |
Last month, the Coopex Montbéliarde team traveled to Australia to meet our partner,Genetics Australia, and local breeders working within grazing systems. A big thank you to the Genetics Australia team and all the breeders for their warm welcome and their continued interest in the Montbéliarde breed!
Western Australia
First Stop: NOAKES Farm in Margaret River. Ian Noakes, a breeder and sales representative for Genetics Australia, manages a farm that has been passed down to his two sons. The farm has 600 milking cows in a three-way crossbreeding system. The Montbéliarde breed has been used for over 15 years, mainly in crossbreeding, though there are a few purebreed Montbéliarde as well. Like most Australian farms, it operates a 100% grazing system with seasonal calving. The Montbéliarde is valued for its robustness, longevity, and high milk production, both in terms of quantity and quality. Farmers also appreciate its beef value, with Montbéliarde x Holstein bull calves fetching good prices when sold between 7 and 12 months old.
Second Stop: GRANT EVANS Farm. This farm, also operating under a grazing system, manages 900 milking cows in a three-way crossbreeding program (Montbéliarde x Holstein x Australian Red). Farmers are particularly satisfied with the Montbéliarde's strong locomotion and fertility, which are crucial in the Australian system with grouped calving. The bull calves are also raised for fattening, adding further value to the breed.
East Victoria
We have visited the farm of Jan and Annie Gilliam, where they manage 400 milking cows. The Montbéliarde breed is part of their ProCROSS three-way crossbreeding program (Holstein / Montbéliarde / VikingRed). Farmers report that their herd management has become much easier, both in terms of animal health and reproductive management. In fact, the 400 cows show outstanding fertility results, allowing the farm to have a single calving season, from May to the end of June!
