Lifetime production per cow jumps to record levels

The lifetime production of Dutch dairy cows jumped to record levels in the 2019-2020 financial year. The average lifetime production realised by the cows has increased by almost 2500 kg of milk and 200 kg of fat and protein to 34,000 kg of milk, 1481 kg of fat and 1210 kg of protein. The lifetime production of Dutch dairy cows has never been so high.

This has been revealed by the annual milk recording statistics of the CRV cooperative. A combination of a longer productive life (+75 days) and higher milk production (+0.2 kg of milk per day) is behind this increase in lifetime production.

In this financial year, the rolling annual average of Dutch dairy cows also increased to 9203 kg of milk with 4.40% fat and 3.60% protein. The percentage of protein and kilograms of milk is still showing a rising trend.

The herd size on the farms participating in milk recording has increased this year from an average of 99 cows to 104 cows. As the cows are kept on the farms for longer, at 240,216 the number of culled cows was at a relatively low level. The number of productive days increased by 75 days to 1183. This means that the average number of calvings has risen to 3.6 calvings per cow. The calving interval has remained stable at 407 days.

Van der Mark achieves highest rolling annual average

The six farms with the highest economic annual result (EAR) in the previous financial year once again make up this year’s top six. Their mutual rankings have changed, however. Heading the list this year is the Van der Mark dairy farm in Veenwouden, Friesland. The farm noted a rolling annual average of 15,146 kg milk with 3.85% fat and 3.56% protein (3303 EAR). The runner-up is also from Friesland: C.W.A. van den Hengel and G.E. de Bruin from Haule. Their herd realised average production of 14,254 kg milk with 4.03% fat and 3.54% protein (3139 EAR).

The top three is completed by the Mooijman farm in Westerwijtverd, where the cows produced on average 15,106 kg milk with 3.66% fat and 3.35% protein (3115 EAR). Never before was a rolling annual average above 15,000 kg of milk recorded on an individual farm but this year two farms in the Netherlands managed to achieve that feat.

New: top list lifetime production of the cows present

This year, the CRV cooperative will be publishing a list of 10 farms with the highest average lifetime production of the cows present for the first time. A lower limit of 10 cows present on the farm applies. First place on this list goes to M. Schenk from Barsingerhorn. The 22 cows present have an average age of seven years and six months and, until now, have produced 53,019 kg of milk with 4.17% fat and 3.50% protein.

A rise across all breeds

Almost all breeds showed increased production this year. The milk production of black-and-white Holsteins rose further from 10,522 to 10,688 kg of milk, with 4.34% fat and 3.56% protein in 358 days of production. This converts to an EAR of 2153. Red-and-white Holsteins produced fewer kilos of milk on average than black-and-white, but with clear higher components. The milk production of this group of cows rose to 9,838 kg of milk with 4.54% fat and 3.67% protein (2056 EAR).

All data on the production performance of the Dutch dairy cows and all the top lists are presented in the attachments to this press release.

Link: Data on the production performance of the Dutch dairy cows