TasHerd

09/09/2024

💡A reminder to book in your herd tests if you havnt already.

We experience highest demand in the weeks leading up to mating, and spots are also most full.

Also:
Send in dry off dates form last lactation, calving, and heifer details for new entrants to your herd.

We have options for herd testing, shed help, self test, or you can use the Milk Thief for scc or match the fat and protein to your own meter information.

DM for the contacts for your local herd recorder.

01/09/2024

⚡️FYI: TasHerd is currently without electricity, phones or internet.

We will let you know when we are back up and running

Our thoughts are with all our clients who are currently effected by the weekends weather.

The TasHerd team.

06/08/2024

Vale Jock (Magnus) Waters: The Legendary Herd Recorder of North-East Tasmania

Early Life and Journey to Tasmania:
Jock Waters is celebrated as a treasure in the North-East farming community. Over recent years he was featured in the NE advertiser and in this article I will summarise some of those stories and acknowledge Jock’s amazing contribution to TasHerd and the dairy community.
Born Magnus Waters on the Orkney Islands, Jock's journey to Tasmania began with a two-week holiday that turned into a lifetime. The decision to stay was influenced by meeting a local girl, leading him to inform his family back home that he wasn't returning. Despite the brief relationship, Jock's new life in Tasmania endured.

Career Beginnings
In the late 1950s and early 1960s, Jock worked as a station hand at Cape Portland, where he was affectionately nicknamed "Jock", a name that has stuck ever since. His early work included ploughing paddocks in the area now known as Rushy Lagoon.

Becoming a Herd Recorder
On February 14, 1964, Jock started his long career with the Department of Agriculture as a herd recorder. His job involved testing the milk of dairy cows for fat and protein content, a role vital to the local dairy industry. He talked about being paid in ‘quid one week, and dollars the next’. A lot has changed during Jock’s long life. Jock's acute memory and thick Scottish accent have made him a memorable figure in the region, and he wasn’t shy of enjoying a scotch, a genetic trait from his Scottish heritage perhaps.

Becoming a part of the NE family
Jock's work required him to visit various farms, often staying overnight to be ready for early morning milkings. This tradition of sharing meals and staying with farming families led to him being regarded as part of the family, as well as being ‘the best fed man in the North East’ with many affectionately calling him "Uncle Jock". His dedication to his work and the strong bonds he formed with local families have left a lasting impact.

Changes in the Dairy Industry
Over the decades, Jock witnessed significant changes in the dairy industry. When he began, farms typically had 40-60 milking cows, a number that has since increased more like 400- 1000 cows. He was also testing farms AM and PM, a practise we no longer do in Tasmania, as the introduction of The Tassie test, meant the reliability of one test was sufficient. Despite this, the tradition of Jock sharing meals and frequenting the dinner table of families continued.

Jock’s Legacy
In July 2019, approaching 92, after more than five decades of herd recording, Jock decided to hang up the gumboots and retire from herd recording. He had seen generations of children grow up on the farms he visited, becoming a beloved figure in their lives. Jock's good health, which he attributed to good food and a bit of luck, has allowed him to continue working into his 90’s.

He will be deeply missed by the farming community, and had rightly earned himself legendary status.

Here are some comments from a recent Facebook post by friend and farmer Rosie Davenport:
“What an awesome man he was”
“Not many farmers haven’t had a meal with Jock, great job, RIP”
“He was a great bloke who had time for everyone”
“A NE icon”

RIP Jock, you will be missed by many.

31/07/2024

If you didnt catch our winter update, here it is:

Herd recording has come a long way since the days of tracing back pedigrees from yellow books. For dairy farmers, like the Nailer family in the North East of Tasmania . it is more than just a tradition; it has formed a crucial part of their operation that has evolved alongside advancements in techno...

27/06/2024

Curious: Do you RMT cows when transitioning from colostrum into the milking herd?

30/05/2024

As we get to the pointy end of the season, many of our clients are carrying out their last herd test.

💰This is where you can really get bang for buck with your data. At the peak, you can identify who is making you money, and who is not performing.
At this end of the season, this data will help you see who is costing you money, and who can you look after better to make you more money in the spring:
🐄Who to dry off early (High SCC, Low Litres)
🐄Who to dry cow and who to not (SCC and previous High SCC)
🐄Who is still milking like a train
🐄Who needs a rest (Days in Milk)

Its is also a great time to double check those cows that you suspect might be empty with a milk pregnancy test.

DM if you would like to know more about idenfiing these cows

20/05/2024

Have you heard of the six P's?
⏬️⏬️
There are some mixed repro results around the state. We have been doing plenty of preg checks to make sure you are not drying off empty cows, and some are finding a few surprises.

There was 'talk' of pesti around in the spring. But many farmers are still not carrying out a bulk milk test in the spring as insurance. If there was a shop down the road you could take $20 to and walk out with $100 there'd be a queue, so why don't we look for nasty pathogens in our herd before the most critical event on our farm each year?

Repro performance is a huge driver of farm performance, and making the most of the spring pasture growth curve.

What are you doing before dry off to ensure your sucess in the spring?

Oh yea, the six P's = Prior Planning Prevents P**s Poor Performance.

I like to add Proactive as well.

13/05/2024

🔹 An incredible opportunity for 2 Tasmanian dairy farmers!

🔹 Flights ✈️ ✅ Accomodation 🏨 ✅
Car 🚗 & your ticket 🎟 to The South Island Dairy Event all paid for! ☑️

🔹If travelling to the magnificent South Island of New Zealand to broaden your knowledge in dairy & meet great people sounds like you.. THEN get your application in!

Further information on the flyer attached!

08/05/2024

We may have had some stunning sunsets/sunrises, but we are aware things are pretty tight on the feed front for many.

At times like this it is tempting to cut back on certain things, it's always good to calculate what the long term effects of small saving might be.

We have had plenty of enquiry about cell counts for selective dry cow therapy, to minimise antibiotic use, both to save cash, and as a best practise proposition.

Our website will record your pre and post dry off cell count so you can measure the effectiveness of either blanket or selective dry cow strategy.

Get in touch if you would like a spot test, as the season draws closer to an end our technicians availability is getting less.

25/04/2024

What a stunning way to bring in ANZAC day.

Many milkers bring in the dawn, not being able to attend a dawn service, but still take a minute to remember those who gave so many.

Thanks to herd recorder Ethan for capturing this moment at Riana.

Lest we forget