Dairy Farm
The Dookie Dairy produces a weekly report that appears in the Country News which details milk volumes and characteristics, feed supplements, and activities undertaken in the dairy. For a copy of this weeks report - Click Here |
The Dookie Campus Dairy is situated between the Midland Highway and the Broken River. The herd consists of predominantly Holstein and Jersey Holstein Cross cows bred from selected Genetics Australia sires including:
- Ninefold (Keymer Nina Winluke)
- Informer (Hill Valley Basar Acme)
- Lordpres (Clydevale Lord Presto)
- Exhaust (Glen Juristan Apollo Eshaust)
Progeny Test Bulls are also used over the herd and two Stud Bulls purchased from Paringa Holsteins are utilised for cows not in calf when AI has been completed.
The Dookie Campus Dairy herd is now a registered Holstein stud. Registration assists with breeding information and knowledge, improving herd quality and accessing genetic data.
For further information about registration and Holstein breeding, please see the Holstein Australia website.
Approximately 180 cows graze on 44.5 ha of improved rye grass and clover pastures that are irrigated. Eighty hectares of dryland pasture is utilised for calves, heifers and dry cows. Milk production last season (2004/2005) exceeded 1.1 million litres or over 6000 litres per cow.
Typical of most dairy farms, the Dookie Campus Dairy herd records on a regular basis. Results and information derived from herd recording data are utilised to identify problem and poor performing cows.
Managed as a commercial enterprise the dairy fuctions as an industry demonstration farm for Goulburn and Murray Valley dairy farmers. The Dookie Dairy Report appears weekly in the Country News sold across northern Victoria, and details milk volumes and characteristics, feed supplements, and activities undertaken in the dairy that week. Dookie Campus holds an annual field day every year, usually in the month of April.
Students studying at Dookie Campus utilise the dairy for developing both practical and research skills. The dairy is used for student projects and for resesrch at a higher level including post graduate work. One such study currently being conducted is Phosphorus Movement on Dairy Irrigated Pasture. This trial is being facilitated by Dr Tony Weatherly from The School of Natural Resource Management. Dookie Campus Dairy will also be participated in two new research trials in the near future:
- Science Technology and Innovation Grant (STI) investigating "Smart Irrigation for Regional Benefits". This project involves NICTA, Departments of Civil and Environmental and Electrical Engineering as well as the Faculty of Land and Food Resource's School of Agriculture and Food Systems.
- Gardiner Foundation Grant investigating more efficient irrigation technologies for producing dairy pasture, in particular the use of sub surface irrigation. "This project will be led by the University of Melbourne's Melbourne Water Research Centre utilising a multi-disciplinary team of veterinary scientists, agronomists, geotechnical engineers and chemical engineers". (source - Media Release, Gardiner Foundation)