The Rural Voice, 2005-05, Page 24t¢‘`r 1
Alternative thinking
Organic milk producer Martin de Groot doesn't aim for high
_production -but for cows that are more healthy and less stressed
By Jeffrey Carter
When Martin de Groot steps
into his dairy barn near
Moorefield, he's not overly
concerned he'll find a sick animal.
Neither will he be milking a cow that
comes anywhere near to setting a
new production record.
The two things may be linked.
Cows that are pushed to the limit
of their productive capabilities are
often stressed, de Groot says.
Stressed cows get sick.
"I don't need a cow that gives a
lot of litres but doesn't last and
doesn't have high components .. .
And it's so much more fun the way
we're doing it. I don't have to worry
about having sick animals."
De Groot and his wife, Ineke
Booy, are organic farmers. He feels
there's a tendency among organic
farmers to settle for lower milk
yields. That's also borne out in the
results of research conducted by Dr.
Paoli Rozzi for OntarBio, Ontario's
organic dairy co-operative.
Rozzi says organic dairy farmers
like de Groot tend to prioritize dairy
type as much as production, or even
more.
De Groot agrees with this
assessment but adds a qualifier.
While a significant number of
conventional dairy producers are
focussed on production traits above
all else, many others are not. In
addition, farmers involved with the
breeding end of the industry certainly
20 THE RURAL VOICE
have a high regard for traits related to
type.
"Ninety per cent of the things we
do are the same as conventional," de
Groot says.
One significant difference relates
to the use of antibiotics. For instance,
they're used routinely by
conventional producers on dry cows,
to both treat and prevent mastitis, de
Groot says.
Organic producers do not have
that option. That's a good reason not
to push cows with a diet heavy in
grain and protein, he explains. High
production cows, which will actually
steal from their body condition to
produce milk, require a high degree
of management excellence to keep
problems like mastitis, sore feet,
pneumonia, and a host of other
aliments at bay — and even that is
not always enough.
Besides, by focussing on high
production, producers may lose sight
of an overriding priority — boosting
their profit margin. De Groot feels
there's more money with an
affordable, forage -based diet and
moderate milk yield, especially when
the fat and protein components are
high.
De Groot selects his sires with this
in mind, choosing only those with a
positive "deviation" for both factors.
Rozzi's research shows that
Ontario organic dairy farmers have a
range different priorities for their
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herds as compared to conventional
farmers. Dividing it up in score -card
fashion, factors related to type added
up 70 points compared to 30 points
for those related to production. For
conventional producers, the situation
is almost reversed, with 60 points for
production and 40 for type.
"What this means is that the best
bulls for organic farmers are going to
be very different looking than those
likely to be chosen by conventional
farmers," Rozzi concludes.
This creates a dilemma. The
selection process for sires available
through AI (artificial insemination) is
weighted toward the production end
of things. Still, Rozzi reasons, with
careful evaluation, producers with
other priorities can find what sires
they need.
There may even find the bulls
they choose are molt
affordable, since the
greatest demand is for traits related to
production, she adds.
Another direction can be taken to
change the milking herds. While the
Holstein remains the dominant breed
in Ontario, Brown Swiss, Jersey,
Si•mmental, Dutch -Belted, Milking
Shorthorn and other bloodlines are
gaining popularity.
In addition, crossbreeding is no
longer a taboo in Ontario. In fact, for
the past six months or so, registration
is being allowed for crossbred
heifers, de Groot notes.
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