Brown Swiss
Brown Swiss
are the tops
BROWN SWISS cattle have broken the 6000kg production barrier with average yields up 465kg last year to 6010kg, according to the latest NMR annual report (full report next week).
The breed is the only other alongside the black-and-whites to average over 6000kg. It also recorded one of the lowest annual cell counts among NMR herds – at 133,000 cells/ml compared with a 184,000 average or all herds and 183,000 for Holstein Friesians.
Average yield of all NMR recorded herds increased by 279kg milk, and 24kg fat and protein in the year ending September 1996 to average 6548kg, with 266kg fat and 213kg protein.
Over the past five years average milk yield of NMR recorded cows, which included 13 dairy breeds, has increased by 7.3% while combined fat and protein yield has increased by 7.9%.
Holstein Friesians – 94.5% of NMR recorded herds – produced 12kg more fat, 12kg more protein, and 272kg more milk this year. *