Carrying on the show tradition

"It's been wet in July and August, and then when the footy finals start – the sun comes out," Will Rundle said.

He milks 200 split-calving cows on a 71-hectare milking platform, with his wife Rebecca.

Most of the herd consists of registered Jerseys, but in the past few years the Rundles have introduced a couple of Ayrshires to the fold.

"We got them to fill a gap, but we ended up showing them, and it's become a bit of a sideline thing," he said.

At the moment, the family are gearing up for the Royal Melbourne Dairy Show, where they plan to show two Jerseys and two Ayrshires.

The ritual of showing cattle is something that Mr Rundle grew up with.

"We first showed at the Royal Melbourne in 1992 and in 1998 we won senior champion cow," he said.

At the time he was 21-years-old, but fast forward to today and Mr Rundle and his young family have continued the tradition.

His wife's younger sister, Erin Kleisterlee, now 21 too, also has a passion for preparing and handling show cows, and is planning on making the trip to Melbourne with her friend Deandra Tanner to show the Rundle team.

Ms Kleisterlee completed the agricultural program at Emmanuel College and it sparked her interest in farming, he said.

"They'll help out with the basic work," Mr Rundle said.

"It takes a lot of time to prepare the cattle, and then go to the show, and someone needs to stay home on the farm."

While the time and cost of showing must be weighed up, Mr Rundle said it was rewarding.

"Showing is the best publicity," he said.

And as the kids get older (Jake, 8, Matilda, 6 and Caitlin, 18 months), they are also showing more interest in that element of the operation.

Back on the farm, Mr Rundle is getting ready for spring calving to kick into gear.

The Murray Goulburn supplier said his farm was split-calving to take advantage of milk payments, but it was also a management decision.

"You get a premium in autumn, but you can partly avoid milking in winter," he said.

"We've got some irrigation to make sure we get feed in that time."

Fodder crops include rape and turnips, but more recently Mr Rundle has been considering growing beets.

"A few dairy people have been growing them around here and getting 40 tonnes per hectare, which is huge – that's four times what a turnip crop would get," he said.

"It does need irrigation to give it a boost. And the cost will determine whether it's worth putting in."

Hay and silage were once grown on the farm, but the family now purchases feed.

"We just can't get silage early enough," Mr Rundle said.

"We've got a good supplier at Glenthompson, and we can get good quality fodder at a reasonable price."

The farm is also heavily stocked, and due to wet winters it is tricky to grow enough grass for hay and silage.

In fact, that's where the stud name, Boggabilla, was derived from – "it was just so wet," Mr Rundle said. The stud was established in 1966.

To help minimise any damage from a wet season, Mr Rundle makes the most of an on-farm feed pad.

"If we didn't have it, the numbers would be reduced dramatically," he said.

The herd also received about six kilograms of grain per cow per year or two tonnes annually.

"We are still a relatively low cost operation," he said. "It can be expensive purchasing feed, but we pay a reasonable price because we have a direct relationship with a supplier, as opposed to a feed merchant."

When it comes to breeding decisions, Mr Rundle calls most of the shots.

"I play around with production and type," he said. "And I've used a few genomic sires too."

Production figures average 5400 litres per cow annually, 260-270kg of butter fat, and 200kg protein – or 460-480kg of milk solids.

"There is room for improvement," he said.

"The stocking rate is an issue at the moment ... we are trying to find a happy medium."

Another recent undertaking has been to lease a nearby farm, and enter a share-farming agreement with Rebecca's other sister Laura and her husband Jay Wynd.

"They are milking about 230 cows – which we own – on about 160ha," he said.

The operation has been up and running for about two years now, and appears to be travelling smoothly.

"We run the two farms all as one," he said. "It is a challenge at times."

He said the venture was established as a way for Laura and Jay to enter the dairy industry, and build a career in the sector.

"It was hard in the beginning," Mr Rundle said.

"But they are happier now … Jay was driving a truck all day picking up bobby calves before that, so it's a better lifestyle."

And while dairy returns have been volatile lately, he says the key to success is largely in making informed decisions.

"I guess I've been taught to save. And we have a great accountant, who makes us think twice about buying a brand new tractor."

But the family will spend if the investment is right.

"We are looking at getting an auto drafter, and heat detector to see when the cows are on heat," he said.

"But you have to weigh up the costs."