The Productivity of Friesian Cows: Effect of Genetic Merit and Level of Concentrate Feeding, Wollongbar Agricultural Institute, May 2000. This report was partly funded primarily by the dairy Research and Development corporation with support by the Dairy Herd Improvement Fund sought to determine the response of Holstein-Friesian cows of low and high genetic merit to increasing levels of concentrate feed under a pasture based system of farming. Summary available in hard copy from NHIA (P/copy, P&H charges will apply) Herd Recording's Economic Contribution to the Victorian Dairy Industry, Australian Bureau of resource Economics (ABARE), January, 1997. This report was prepared for the Dairy Herd Improvement Fund to ascertain the benefits of herd recording, the transfer of benefits to farmers who do not record and the overall gains to the Victorian dairy industry from herd recording. Available in electronic form from here
A Market Research Report on the Leptospirosis Implications for the Herd Improvement Organisation Inc, Lyn Link and John Fenwick, Distance Learning Centre of the Victorian College of Agriculture & Horticulture Ltd, March 1995. This report was funded by the Dairy Herd Improvement Fund and sought to ascertain the awareness of leptospirosis amongst herd improvement personnel and to determine its incidence in that group. Available in hard copy from NHIA (P/copy, P&H charges will apply) A History of the Herd Improvement Organisation in Victoria Arthur K Stubbs. Provides a narrative of the efforts of many Victorian dairy farmers who have managed the development and implementation of herd improvement to create an organisation which achieved an outstanding reputation both in Australia and internationally. It traces the development and achievements in herd improvement up until 1995 when following a restructure and changing nature of the industry saw it become the National Herd Improvement Association of Australia Inc with a changed focus and role. Available from NHIA for $A25.00 (P&H charges will apply)
Opportunities for Herd Improvement Service Providers Michael O'Keefe and Nicki Marks, Agribusiness Research Unit, Monash University, October, 1995. This report was prepared for the Fund and three participating HI Service Providers, namely Colac Herd Improvement, Northern Herd Improvement, and West Gippsland Herd Improvement. The three major research objectives were to - investigate barriers to the continued adoption of herd recording services and ways of overcoming them
- highlight opportunities for herd improvement providers
- provide recommendations to herd improvement providers to expand the range of services that may benefit dairy farmer clients.
Report available in hard copy from NHIA (P/copy, P&H charges will apply)
Pilot System for Routinely Collecting Non-Return Data for Bulls Mick Carrick. Mike Goddard and Phil Bowman, Victorian Institute of Animal Sciences, Dept of Natural Resources & Environment, October, 1999. Organisations offering AI technician services routinely capture data electronically and the project sought to gather such data and then calculate bull non-return rates. Semen collection centres require this information to optimise bull and herd fertility. Available in electronic form from here
Limits of Error for Permanently-Installed Milk Meters Used for Herd Recording or for Daily Herd Management Purposes G.A. Mein, M. Hannah & T. Clarke National Milk Harvesting Centre, Ellinbank July, 2000 This derives from a project aimed at defining the accuracy standards required of in-line milk meters under a variety of milking regimes. Available in electronic form from here.
Accuracy of Alternate am/pm Testing Regimes; Accuracy of 'Milk Thief' Samplers; Improved Interpretation of Cell Count Data for Farmers T Clarke et al, Milking Research Centre, Dept of Natural Resources and Environment, Ellinbank, 1997 This is a cluster of sub-projects initiated with the intention of providing Victorian dairy farmers with information on how they might more efficiently use traditional herd testing and also modern electronic herd testing in the future. This cluster also facilitated summer vacation research by young science students in several areas. One important 'offshoot' of the 'milk thief' research provided the genesis of the now commercially available low cost in-line milk meter and sampler. This also gave rise to a simple sampler for SCC evaluation. Report available in hard copy from NHIA (P/copy, P&H charges will apply)
Automatic Data Capture for Improved Herd Recording Dr W Schmidt, Milking Research Centre, Dept of Natural Resources & Environment, Ellinbank, 1997 The project involved the investigation into possible electronics technology for widespread application in the dairy industry for electronic animal identification. The project looked at, among others, radio frequency ID, different shed types, legbands, implants, hock tags and escutcheon tags. Report available in hard copy from NHIA (P/copy, P&H charges will apply)
Occupational Health and Safety in Herd Improvement Maffra Herd Improvement, July, 2001. (Video) This OH&S video was produced by Maffra HI with seed funding by the DHIF and is for the benefit of both new and experienced HI staff to assist in the betterment of OH&S in HI workplaces.
Leptospirosis - A Survey for the Herd improvement Industry L Link and J Fenwick, Victorian College of Agriculture & Horticulture, Warragul March, 1995 This project sought to determine the awareness within the HI industry of leptospirosis, incidence and sources of the infection and demand for leptospirosis education and training etc. Report available in hard copy from NHIA (P/copy, P&H charges will apply) | Patterns of Oestrus Behaviour among Holstein Cows in Victoria (Phantom Cow Syndrome) K L Macmillan and D Nation, University of Melbourne March, 2001 Insemination submission rates among Holstein cows are significantly lower before second inseminations than rates preceding first inseminations. .. The reasons for theses rate differences is investigated in order to improve reproductive performance and enhance the rate of genetic progress. NOTE: This project extended via an ARC-SPIRT Grant with NHIA/DHIF as an industry partner - more will be forthcoming in the future. Available in electronic form from here.
Effect of Elapsed Time from Loading an AI Gun to Insemination upon Conception Rates by Professional Inseminators R Shephard, Maffra herd Improvement, July, 2000. An observational study investigating the effect of time elapsed from the initiation of semen thaw until insemination of the cow upon 24-day non-return rates. Available in electronic form from here
Improving Cow Fertility and Survival in the Herd using ADHIS and Herd Recording Data Current Project being undertaken by Victorian Institute of Animal Science This project seeks to develop ABVs for daughter fertility that can be implemented by ADHIS. This will enable dairy farmers to select bulls whose daughters have high fertility as well as high production. The use of crossbreeding to achieve high fertility and high production will be investigated. The FINAL REPORT may be downloaded in electronic form The text of two reports forming the basis of an article published in the Jan/Feb 2003 and the Jan/Feb 2004 Issues of The Australian Dairyfarmer may be downloaded from here and here
Mobile Herd Improvement Scanning System for Dairy Farmers on Herd Test Day Onfarm electronics Pty Ltd January, 2002 The DHIF in a partnership with the Department of Natural Resources, and four Victorian HI Centres (Bovine Inseminations, Maffra HI, NHD & Timboon HI) supported a project aimed at identifying the benefits to the dairy farmer or operator, of Electronic Identification Transponders and a form of Mobile Scanning System (MSS) which can be moved from dairy to dairy (by an HI Technician) to facilitate cow identity being linked electronically to a sample flask and a crate position. In addition, the project sought to identify problems associated with such a system and ways of overcoming such difficulties, if any. Available in electronic form from here. An article published in the May/June 2002 Issue of the Australian Dairyfarmer may be viewed from here.
Survey of Herd Improvement Services T W O'Callaghan, May, 2002 This survey and its related discussion paper were prepared as part of a wider project on HI Strategic Directions. The survey sought to ascertain farmer client perceptions and attitudes to a Herd Improvement, the range and adequacy of services offered by HI service providers, potential new services, activities etc which could offered by HI service providers.
Relationship of Milk Proteins & Reproductive Performance University of Melbourne While an association between milk protein percentages and reproductive performance in seasonal calving herds has been demonstrated, the reasons for the association are not understood. An understanding of those reasons is essential if reasonable recommendations are to be made which can take advantage of the association. Material for an article published in the July/August 2002 Issue of the Australian Dairyfarmer may be viewed from here and from an article in the May/June 2003 issue may be viewed from here.
A comparative study of the productivity, selected health parameters and reproductive performance of crossbred (HF x J) dairy cows in Victorian herds (University of Melbourne) The objectives of the project are to design and implement a survey of Victorian dairy farmers to establish farmer attitudes to crossbreeding, their technical understanding of its advantages and disadvantages, any gaps in their knowledge requiring further research and explanation and it's sustainability in Victoria. The survey information will be used in conjunction with field data from selected Victorian crossbreeding herds, data from the InCalf dataset and herd test data from the ADHIS database to establish whether there are differences in production, reproduction, health and survival of straightbred and crossbred cows.
Mastitis Dynamics Countdown Downunder. Current Project. This project seeks to develop a record tracking system focussed on udder health to provide farmers and their advisers with the daily, weekly and monthly management tools they need to improve milk quality and farm profitability. Cell count data can be analysed in new ways, and linked with herd data on clinical cases and Dry Cow Treatment, to provide early warning triggers and feedback on management decisions for each farm. This is Stage One and involves the design of robust herd-level elements of the mastitis tracking system. Stage Two will be implementation and is subject to successful completion of Stage One.
Benefit Cost Study of the impact of altering the breed composition of the Victorian Dairy industry The UDV has expressed a desire to calculate Australian Breeding Values across breeds. Currently they are calculated within breeds and this assumes that maintenance requirements are directly related to bodyweight. A recent review has highlighted that Jerseys may have 6% higher feed conversion efficiency (FCE) than Holsteins and that this is partly due to lower maintenance requirements of Jerseys. Proposed research to examine differences in FCE between breeds needs to be more than outweighed by extra returns to the industry. The benefit cost study proposed will calculate the overall potential benefit to the industry. |
