Jerseys climb back to the top

"Jerseys convert 18 per cent more feed per kg live weight than other breeds," says Ireland.

Jersey new Zealand director Steve Ireland says the tide has turned and he predicts more farmers will choose jersey genetics in the future.

"After playing with three players in the sin bin and a bad call by the ref in recent years, the jersey breed is back on top."

"Jerseys have been a serious contributor to the profitability of New Zealand farms for nearly a century, but with a strong holstein export market, development of the Kiwi-cross product and a disparity of mature liveweight breeding values in the animal evaluation breeding worth model, the breed has been under pressure of late.

"Well, it's a new game now and we are back to a level playing field."

With 13 of the 30 bulls on the All Breeds RAS (ranking of active sires) Top Index list, jerseys are now punching well above their weight, says Ireland.

Jersey cows total 10.3 per cent of the national cow population but 43 per cent of the RAS list sires.

"We at Jersey New Zealand have a strong view that the national herd numbers are about to change. The breed has turned a corner.

"With the drop in milk returns, a strong focus has shifted to efficiency within farming businesses and the jersey breed is an outstanding converter of feed to profit.

"Jerseys convert 18 per cent more feed per kg live weight than other breeds and produce 13 per cent more milk solids per hectare."

Ireland said that in LIC's recently announced new forward pack, including body condition score, the jersey team's weighted BW average was 20 points higher than Kiwi-cross and 33 breeding worth points ahead of the friesian team.

"The LIC Premier Sires Jersey team is also superior in body capacity, udder overall and fertility," he said. "Farmers understand that combined, these traits equal long lasting profitable cows no matter whether on a once a day or high input system five farm and as a result, we expect to see more farmers choosing jersey genetics in the coming seasons."