SIMPLICITY is the key for Gippsland dairy farming brothers Andrew and Paul Zuidema. Opting for minimal technology, the brothers believe large herd management is about simplifying the process.
“Low cost farming is what it’s all about in Australia,” eldest brother Paul said.
After deciding there wasn’t a future in farming in Holland, Paul and Andrew immigrated to Australia in 1987, with their parents Albert and Tryntje, brother Hilco and sister Alien.
The Zuidema family milked 120 cows in a free-stand barn set-up in Holland before setting up their Australian farming venture in rolling hills of Leongatha South.
Their property Schottersvele - named after their home region in Holland - has expanded from the original 200 hectares purchased on their arrival.
While Alien has moved away from farming and their parents have now retired, Andrew, Paul and Hilco remain passionate about dairy farming.
The brothers purchased an additional 500ha in close proximity to the home property.
“We decided buying land was a good investment,” Andrew said.
They now milk 600 commercial Holsteins after reducing their milking herd from 740 head two years ago.
“Milking 740 was too much work and now we’ve never looked better,” Andrew said. “Farming should be easy, otherwise you won’t keep it up for 20 years.”
Milking in a 60-unit rotary dairy, the Zuidemas prefer to minimise their reliance on technology - a rarity these days, with cup removers the only automation in the dairy.
“We find it (technology) expensive for little gain whatsoever,” Paul said.
The brothers’ choice to buck the technology trend hasn’t affected the end result, achieving a 9000 litre average, with 3.8 per cent butterfat and 3.4pc protein.
The brothers supply to Murray Goulburn on the domestic option because of their self sufficiency in fodder needs.
Paul said their experience with Murray Goulburn has been a pleasant one.
"We have become firm believers in the co-operative's ability to pay us with the best milk price," he said.
"And to give us the best future possible, and that needs to be rewarded with some commitment from both parties."
Paul and Andrew have retained a twice-a-day milking schedule, mainly for the work load.
“If we get to three times a day you’ll see a ‘For Sale’ sign out the front,” Paul said.
“Dairy farming is a marathon, not a sprint. It has to be fun and sustainable,” Andrew said.
Cows are joined from the first of November for six weeks for an August calving.
All cows are artificially inseminated with two bulls used as back-ups.
Andrew said they don’t select for particular traits.
“We just use good bulls,” he said.
The brothers ‘give everything a chance’ and choose to keep all heifers.
The culling process is one way of attacking low fertility, according to Paul and Andrew.
“We’re quite ruthless with culling,” Andrew said. “If they don’t get in calf in November they get one more shot in Autumn.”
The brothers run about 400 head of young stock, with 200 head kept on the 100ha block during winter and are brought back to the home block for spring while hay and silage is cut.
Cows and calves are run on the home block of 400ha.
The operation is self sustained, only buying in pellets and with the recent purchase of silage equipment, for the first time in 10 years, the Zuidema brothers have cut their own hay and silage.
“It was becoming too expensive to get people in,” Paul said.
“Too many people want to make money out of us and don’t have our best interests at heart,” Andrew said.
As well as Paul and Andrew’s full time labour, they employ a part-time milker and an additional full time labour unit.
The brothers choose not to crop and made the decision to stop growing maize.
“The high cost figures just didn’t stack up,” Paul said.
Perennial pastures are sown and grazed on 2.5 leaves with fertiliser applied once a week on a six week rotation.
“The only benefit of annuals is on lighter, red soils,” Andrew said.
