Speckles in the dairy

Strong demand for Speckle dairy cross as vealer mothers and calves

With increasing amounts of female sexed semen available, the Speckle Park is proving a good fit for the Australian dairy industry.

Thomas Genetics and Livestock principal Aaron Thomas, of Warragul, Vic, said dairy farmers are joining their lesser animals to beef for a more marketable calf.

“With the beef market doing as well as it is at the moment, a beef cross calf is more valuable than a dairy calf,” Mr Thomas said.

He said although the Speckle Park cross dairy female lacked udder composition as a milker, she made an ideal vealer mother.

“The Speckles calving ease and the fact they are polled are the two main factors dairy farmers ask about them,” he said.

“Their hybrid vigour, eye appeal with the coat colours and their temperament are other factors.

“There is a strong market for Speckle Park cross dairy steer calves and vealer mothers.

“The colours catch the eye first and then there is the realisation they make a good cross. “You can have a fine boned dairy cow calve to a Speckle bull and get a nice solid calf.”

Victorian dairy farmer Phil Orgill milks 500 Holstein Friesian/Jersey cross cows at Yarragon and is a half owner in Baw Baw Speckle Park with Carly and James Mayes.

“We aim to breed easy calving bulls with good growth rates to sell on as seedstock and we also collect some for AI programs in my dairy herd,” Mr Orgill said. He uses sexed Holstein semen in the cows but any female not holding to the first AI receives a Speckle Park straw.

“I also try to join my heifers with a mix of Holstein or Speckle Park bulls. We grow out our heifers separately to the dairy so we can use them as recipients in the beef program. They make great recipient animals.

“The bull calves are sold at five to seven days old mostly through private sale.” “They make a great cross with the structure and milk capability of the dairy cow combined with the hybrid vigour, growth and thick beefiness of the Speckle Park.

“We haven’t put any through the dairy yet as we use them in the beef program, but we do intend to give them a whirl in the dairy.”

Mr Orgill likes the Speckles low birthweights, calving ease, early maturity, good growth, marketability, eating quality and calf vigour at birth.

“The calves are up on their feet quickly and take to the feeders easily. There is a strong market for the calves and I have orders before they are born for as much or more than Friesian heifers,” he said. “People like the eye appeal, hardiness, temperament and muscle.

“We have seen a massive passion for the Speckle Park breed as well as the Speckle Park cross in hobby farmers around the Gippsland area.”

The following dairy farmers contributed their experiences with Speckle Parks in their breeding systems:

“Easier to rear and grow out well. A good base to start my beef herd!” - Carrie Ralston, Vic “Speckles have been a fun twist in our dairy x beef breeding schedule. They are tough, quick growing calves that have been super to rear and have grown out brilliantly.” - Gemma Otton, Candelo, NSW “I love them! The Friesian gives them stature but they maintain beefiness.” - Hannah Bland, Foster, Vic “They make a perfect cross. They are strong, great doing calves, easy to rear, very friendly, full of personality and we love them.” - Janine Clark, Nerrena East, Vic “Very friendly and great to put over heifers as they are easy calving.” - Kelly Perry, Nambrok, Vic “We love them as a beef/dairy cross.” - Kerrie Anderson, Drouin, Vic

Speckle cross dairy calves photographed by Gemma Otton.