Pedigree dairy yields and fertility show marked improvements over the last 10 years
Yields and fertility in pedigree herds across the UK continue to improve.
That's according to the National Bovine Data Centre (NBDC), which is based in Telford.
NBDC is a division of Holstein UK and publishes milk production information for pedigree breeds, provided by the milk recording companies CIS, NMR and QMMS.
Pedigree Holstein cows produced an average of 9808 Kg of milk for standard 305-day lactations ending in 2022.
This was a 10 per cent improvement over 2013 data.
An even more impressive 14 per cent gain was recorded in combined fat and protein (CFP), as yields rose to 722 Kg in 2022.
The top one per cent of Holstein cows averaged a massive 1132 Kg of CFP in 2022.
Holstein cow fertility has also improved over the same period, with the average calving interval down by 5 per cent to 399 days.
British Friesians had the lowest calving interval among NBDC pedigree dairy breeds, at 391 days, down a further 2 per cent over 10 years.
These figures confirm the efforts of farmers in breeding efficient cows that produce lots of high quality milk and get back in calf more easily.
Dr Darren Todd, Holstein UK
