Stienenhof Dairy
The Farm:
- Harold and Jacqueline Custers-Keursten, The Netherlands
- 100 milking cows, all 100% Holstein Frisian, 80% black/white, 20% red/white
- Milk quota: 1,081,000 kg, 4.20% fat
- On average 105 milking cows, 10 dry cows
- Average age: 4 years
- 30% in first lactation, 30% in second and 40% in third and higher lactation
- Average lactation 340 days
- Calving interval: 400 days
- Average days in milk: 150-200 days
- The farm has a KKM certificate which is a Dutch quality standard for milk producers signifying high quality standards in hygiene, food safety, animal treatment and animal welfare and environment
Farm Location: Netherlands
Utilizing resources on the web we have found the following information about the dairy industry in The Netherlands.
- The Netherlands covers 3.5 million hectares with two million hectares in agricultural land and about half of that used for dairy farming
- Most cows graze from April to October
- 30,000 dairy farms have a total of over 1.5 million dairy cows
- One third of the dairy farms produce two thirds of the milk
- Historically, the common breeds of cattle were Friesian cattle, Meuse-Rhine-Ijssel cattle and white-faced black cattle
- Currently the Netherlands exports an annual total of 50,000 cattle around the world for breeding and dairy farming
- Every calf, cow and bull in the Netherlands has a unique identification number
- Approximately two-thirds of production is exported, making it one of the world's leading dairy export nations
- The first computerized milking systems were developed in the Netherlands
Additional Links:
http://www.netherlands-embassy.org/
http://www.park.org/Netherlands/pavilions/food_and_markets/
cheese/introduction.html
http://www.prodzuivel.nl/Engels/dutch_dairy_sector.htm
Farm Management:
Harold and Jacqueline run a typical Dutch family farm. We have 2 children: a daughter Britt 19 months old and a son Jorn 1 month old. We own the farm together and do most of the work themselves. Sowing and harvesting is done by a contractor. Jacqueline works off the farm for 20 hours a week. Harold is responsible for daily decisions and strategic decisions are made together. The farm works with 60 hectares, 33 in grassland and 27 in maize to gain roughage.
Nutritient Management:
- Manure is kept in slurry pits – volume 1800 cubic meters
- Manure is used on own land by regulations do not allow the use of manure on sand from September 1 to February 1
- Manure on pasture is only allowed if you use it with low emission
- On arable land you also have to work with low emission or you have to plough the manure directly into the soil
- Each farm is required to meet nutrient balance standards to avoid emission of Nitrogen and Phosphorus. The amount of manure depends on what you grow, the kind of soil and government regulations with respect to the mineral balance
- Soil is sandy
- A nitrogenous fertilizer is also used
Feeding/Cropping:
- Daily ration is fed by PMR
- Ration consists of 7.3 kg dm maize, 7.3 kg dm grass, 2.0 kg mixture of soya, rape seed scrap and wheat, 1.2 kg dm corn cob mix (CCM)
- Maximum 8.0 kg concentrate based on lactation state
- Maximum 6 kg of concentrate in the VMS box, the rest in feeding stations located in the loose house barn between the cubicles
- Milking cows fed once a day
- Young stock fed once every two days
- Farm owns 55 hectares, 30 in grassland, 20 in maize to gain roughage, 2 ha sugar beets and 3 ha are leased out
Milking:
- Two VMS milking systems have been used since December of 2001
- 2.7 – 2.8 milkings/cow/day
- Two groups of cows, no production groups – each group is similar
- Production in 305 days is 9.538 kg with 4.38% fat and 3.53% protein
- Average SCC is 160,000/ml
- Total bacteria count is 9.000/ml
- Milk is delivered to Campina, a milkprocessing and marketing - cooperative in the Netherlands, once every 3 days
Young Stock and Replacements:
- Total of 70 young stock, 35 calves under 1 year and 35 heifers 1-2 years old
- Age at first calving is 2.01 years
- Replacement rate is approximately 30%
Housing:
- Loose house barn with special facilities for cow comfort such as an insulated roof, open stable with manual wind shields and canvas
- Two rotating cow brushes
- Solid rubber cow mats with foamed polyurethane underlay in the cubicles with sawdust
- Youngstock also housed in a loose house barn
Economics:
2001 Costs:
- Costs of concentrates: 15% of milk yield
- Contractor and machine costs: 15% of milk yield
- Insemination/veterinarian and other direct costs: 10% of milk yield
- Gas/water/electricity: 13.5% of milk yield
- Remaining costs are for financing, quotum, insurances, advisors, etc.
Community:
- The farmer and his wife are members of an automatic milking study group
- Harold is a member of the board of the regional Campina (dairy company) division
- Both are members of an agricultural association
Future:
- For the future they plan to milk 1.5 million kg of milk with the two VMS units.
- Increase of production is the aim to be accomplished with good management, feeding, breeding, high cow comfort and most of all our pleasure of working with cows.
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