When Nadine and Luke Lynn wanted to register some of their cows, they didn’t let generations of lost breeding information deter them.
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Instead, they embarked on a genomic testing program that has delivered results far better than the couple could have dreamed.
“We started with the top 10 cows in the herd we liked because we knew their heifer calves would be worth registering and then from that point on, we decided to genomic test all the calves,” Nadine said.
An ear notch is taken from the calves and sent away for testing.
The couple now have 20 registered cows.
“We are slowly hand-picking our way through the herd and we make sure all the heifers born from those mothers are genomic tested,” Nadine said.
She said it takes six to eight weeks to get the results back and you can choose to test for parentage or bull proof.
Nadine said the cost is negated by having the correct genetic information for each of their animals.
“It costs between $47 and $60 for the test and we do it at the same time as debudding and vaccinations,” she said.
“We look at it this way, it is expensive to rare young stock so having information helps us make the right decisions about what animals to keep and what to sell – we only have to cull one heifer that won’t cut the mustard and the testing is paid for,” Nadine said.
She said getting cows first tested was stressful thinking about how it all worked, but now it is just part of what they do.
Nadine said the information helps make breeding decisions easy and she has found the data to be very accurate.
“We have a 91-point cow and her genomic profile came back all strength and she fits that perfectly,” she said.
“We have a couple of Jerseys and they have a really high udder score and when they calved I had a look at their calves’ udders and they were tiny but perfect and you could see the difference in teat length to other calves.
“The data has also been very accurate when it comes to fertility.”
The couple use genomic mating through ST Genetics and breed based on type, net merit and profitability.
She said the program gives her a couple of choices and she always follows the recommendations.
She said not knowing the parentage of their stock previously made mating difficult and they were always worried about inbreeding.
“We are definitely breeding better heifers and we use the information a lot more than we thought we would especially when it comes to showing and picking out our show heifers,” Nadine said.
Nadine is passionate about breeding.
“My nan and pop were right into breeding and so was my uncle John Munzel, but it all got too hard and the record keeping went out the window,” she said.
“It is important to us to revive that legacy and keep it going.”
The couple milk 300 split-calving cows on a pasture-based system supplemented with a partial mixed ration. They have been on the farm for 20 years (full time for the past 10 years) but only made the decision to return to showing and registering cattle six years ago, just before their uncle John passed way.
The herd is predominantly Holsteins, complemented by 30 Jerseys.
The Jerseys are bred for height and strength so they can compete with the Holsteins, and the couple like their Holsteins on the moderate side for stature.
“We need good sound cows because they all do a fair bit of walking,” Nadine said.
The couple have four kids, Penny, 13, Adam, 10, Lorna, 3, and Eva, 1 — they are all enjoying getting into the show ring.
Nadine said the support they have received from the dairying community has been amazing.
“We were given 10 registered calves from the Brown family and they have grown into top cows for us and we are so grateful,” she said.
“Our neighbour Clare Modra and her daughters Astre and Kendal have helped us clip prepare our animals as well.”
She said the kids have travelled to a few local shows and have had a ball in the show ring learning how to care for and present their animals.
They recently attended the All Breeds Spring Dairy Show in Elmore where Penny was awarded Red and White Junior Champion with Kanbowro Diamond Big M 4909 and Adam, Reserve with Kanbowro Raeban Brandy 4941. Penny also received Reserve Junior Champion in the All Breeds Youth Show with Big M.
“Registered animals have all the information and if you have a good herd of classified animals they are a great investment,” Nadine said.
“It is nice working with the cows, and showing them is something we can do with the kids because we don’t really have the time to get away for holidays.”
She said they plan to stick with milking around 300 and they hope they have a long future in the dairy industry,
The Munzel family have been farming on the same land on Gunbower Island since 1894 when Charles and Mary Munzel first came to the area from Bendigo.