OOO-Rozhdestvo
The Farm:
- Owners: John and Nina Kopiski
- Farm Managers: Lorin and Katie Grams
- Located in Vladimir Oblast, Petushki Region, Russia
- 2100 cows, 1500 heifers
- Breed: Danish Holstein-Friesians and German Brown Swiss
- Milk production: 8500 litres of milk per year
- Milkings per day: 3
OOO-Rozhdestvo began with the dreams and ideas of owners John and Nina Kopiski to build a new high technology dairy farm in Russia and in this process to try and convince that such new construction and management styles could show success. They had already made a substantial investment in Russian agriculture with the purchase and rebuilding of OOO-Bogdarnia, an old defunct collective farm for a 300 dairy herd.
The challenge to build a “western style dairy” began early in 2003, when plans began to come together and DeLaval was chosen to be a partner in making the dream a reality. The initial project entailed building a facility for 1040 milk cows and young stock. The project was completed in April 2005 when the first cattle arrived. In the spring of 2006, the OOO-Bogdarnia milking herd was merged into the new Rozhdestvo facility. Today we are filled to maximum capacity with over 2100 cows and 1500 heifers.
All initial investment in OOO-Rozhdestvo was privately funded although the increase in herd size in 2006 and the construction of a second 2 x 12 parlor; plus other constructions were financed under the Presidential National Plan for Agriculture.
Milk Production and Quality Parameters
Our herd consists of 1800 Danish Holstein-Friesians and 285 German Brown Swiss. We have over 1500 head of young stock for replacements. This brings the total dairy herd to 2100 head of milking and dry cows and approximately 500 transition heifers. All heifers are transported to our heifer farm OOO-Bogdarnia at 4 months old and return to Rozhdestvo 30 days before calving. Currently there are 1000 head housed in the old style barns in Krutovo.
We ship approximately 50 tons of milk each day. Milk production averages 28-30 liters per cow per day. All milk is high quality Euro standard and is shipped to Wim Bill Dann (large dairy processor). Somatic cell count averages 151,000, milk fat is 3.7% and protein 3.46%. Bacteria count is on average less than 10 000. Farm employees are paid a monthly bonus for euro standard milk. All clinical mastitis cases are pulled immediately and moved to a treatment group. Their milk is saved and used to feed calves. We test all fresh cows for sub clinical mastitis and perform monthly somatic cell analysis on our cows to detect sub clinical cases.
Cow comfort is of utmost importance. Our cows are loose housed in open naturally ventilated barns with curtains. Cows lie on rubber-filled mattresses and can wander over to our automatic cow brushes to be groomed. All cows are milked 3 times a day. When cows go to the parlor to be milked the free stalls are cleaned and the manure alleys are cleaned by using a Bobcat in winter and Delta Scrapers in the summer. All manure flows through a central canal to an agitation/collection pit. From this pit the raw slurry is pumped to a FAN BRU bedding recovery unit which is a FAN separator and a 13 meter long drum that heats and composts the manure for 24 hours. This produces dry bedding which we then place on the mattresses for improved cow comfort. The separated liquid goes out to one of two 10 000 m3 manure lagoons. From this lagoon slurry manure can be pumped up to 4 km to be spread on the fields via umbilical hose and a pump system.
All cows over 80 days in milk are milked in a double 24 parallel parlor. The parlor is fully equipped with auto ID, activity meters, rapid exit, Blue Diamond stalls, two auto sort gates and a Herdsman crowd gate. Three milkers operate in this parlor in 12 hour shifts.
The other parlour, a double 12 parallel is also fully equipped, and is used to milk all fresh cows (up to 80 days in milk) and our hospital group. There are two milkers in this parlor working 12 hour shifts. 1 cow pusher brings cows to both parlors.
Feeding
Cows are fed a TMR ration twice a day. All feed is mixed and distributed in one of two self propelled mixer wagons. We feed five different rations. The ration consists of 60% corn silage which is grown on our lands. Concentrates are shipped in to complete the mix. Grass silage, corn, gluten, brewers waste, soya, minerals, beet pulp, peas, urea and molasses, etc. are some of the typical ingredients found in our rations. All rations are formulated and programmed into a computer chip which is plugged into the mixer wagon. Rations are mixed according to programmed recipe, minimizing the possibility of human error.
Employees
We have a ten member management team and 28 employees working around the clock with the cows. We have 5 veterinarians on staff, each with separate specialties. Reproduction, hoof trimming, fresh cow/sick animals and mastitis. We also have a head veterinarian that takes care of all medicine purchasing and documentation for the authorities.
Reproduction
All cows are checked for pregnancy via an easi-scan ultrasound machine. Our personnel can use this technology to predict pregnancy at 32 days post insemination. Since we began using this tool we have experienced a great improvement in reproduction. All cows are put onto an Ove-synch protocol and 1st insemination is before 68 DIM. 1st service conception rate is 50%.
Crops
Crops are planted and harvested under the guidance of our head agronom. He has 22 employees and has land as far as 22 km away from our base.
We have a land base of 4500 hectares on which we raise 1200 ha of maize (mainly using an American seed). In 2006 our average yield of mass per hectare was 28 tons and the plan for 2007 is to be closer to 35 tons per ha); 800 ha of Katmax grasses (a Danish Blend) and 1000 ha of small grains. The remaining lands are fallow and/or rotated although we can say that we still have sufficient lands to produce fodders for a larger herd. All maize is chopped and stored in bunker silos and all grasses are made into wet balage using a Mchale Fusion bale press/wrapper. In 2007 we harvested 9000 wet bales and 30,000 tons of maize silage.
Manure
Manure is transported via a manure channel to two 10,000 m3 plastic lined lagoons. From there it is pumped up to four kilometers away using the Tramspread umbilical cord system using two Bauer pumps fitted with 150 HPJohn Deere engines. We can pump the two lagoons down ( 20,000,000 litres) completely in 5-6 days of continuous pumping. It really saves us a lot of time and wear and tear on equipment using this system.
Calves
Calves are housed outside in calf hutches from one day old until 60 days old. They are fed four liters of colostrum within 20 minutes of birth. 12 hours later they receive four more liters of colostrum. Then they receive four liters pasteurized whole milk for 45 days. Once they reach 45 days they are cut back to two liters milk for seven days. Then they are weaned. The calf death loss is less than 5% in a year and we have been very happy with the results. Once heifers reach the age of four months they are shipped to our heifer raising facility, which is our old tie stall farm that we have remodeled for 1500 heifers in loose housing. They are inseminated and return to us one month before calving. First calf heifers average age is 23 months old. Bull calves are fattened and will be processed through our own slaughter house by the end of 2008. Currently we are raising all our bulls.
Future
A project has been presented by the management for a new 1200 cow facility with one double 32 parlor and two 600 cow free stall barns on the current complex. If the project proceeds the plan would be to break ground in the spring of 2008 and be milking by winter 2009.
We are also looking at on-farm meat and milk processing possibilities.
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