Peter and Anne Gilbert own two dairy farms in Mid Canterbury. The fourth generation home-farm Snowfed Farm near Ashburton has a herd of just over 600 Jersey and Holstein Friesian cows on its 166ha effective unit, managed by Nick one of their three sons, while 15 minutes away at Rakaia another son Michael operates Glenella Farm.
Another son Luke used to work for Semex but is now working on the home farm. Peter and Anne bought Glenella farm in 2016 having sold their runoff purchased in 1994.
Peter’s grandfather Reg Gilbert established the Glenalla Jersey Stud back in the 1920’s and Peter and Anne have passed on to their sons an avid interest in breeding better and better mainly Jersey cows.
In total the two farms carry 1200 cows. Production on Snowfed Farm will get a major boost this season in the form of a new 54-bail rotary milking shed.
“I’m expecting to see per cow production boosted from 400 kg/cow to upward of 440 kg/cow given the technologies in the shed which include automatic cup removers, auto drafting, milk meters and on-deck teat spraying. The cows will be less stressed and fully milked out,” Peter explains.
Farm operating costs are generally maintained at under $4 per kilogram milk solids produced. Fodderbeet is grown as a winter crop and the herd is fed grain in-shed and supplied a small amount of molasses.
The home farm employs two additional staff, one a full-time milker and Peter says the milking shed can comfortably put through 600 cows in two hours.
Snowfed Farm’s herd is approximately twothirds pure Jersey, one-third Holstein with a few Ayreshire in the mix. When Rural South spoke with Peter calving was close to half-way through and going well.
Milking
in the new shed started late-July though 40 cows were milked through winter. The Jersey breed is renowned for its great breeding and calving capabilities.
The home-farm is completely irrigated, initially supplied by border-dykes, however in 2003 centre pivots were introduced. The surrounding area is predominantly dairying or dairy support blocks.
Off the farm Peter’s interest in promotion of Jersey extends to long-time involvement in Canterbury’s iconic A & P show, held each year in November. He has just completed a term as President, and continues to show and judge cows presented at various shows here.
When asked about the impact of the outbreak of Mycoplasma bovis on the future of showing cattle at events such as the A & P show Peter says the situation is under review.
“We won’t know until entries are received, though we are expecting there will be some impact, given a reluctance to move cattle large distances. I’ve been showing cows at the Canterbury A & P show for 41 years and don’t intend to stop.”
Come September Peter will be heading to Australia to judge at the Adelaide Royal Show.
He is also involved in Jersey NZ governance as an elected director, a role he enjoys. “It is a way to continue to input into the promotion of the breed.”
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