The herd of the Spunner family is testament to what a good eye for a dairy cow and avid interest in proven cow families can achieve.
Graeme and Heather, along with son Shane, milk 300 Holstein cows all year round on their Berrigan farm in southern NSW.
And breeding quality cows, from strong cow families, is at the core of their success.
They are extremely proud of the fact two of their cows, Eagle Ridge Bradnick Legume and Sharett Park Natalia Lulu 2E, have joined Holstein Australia’s elite list of top cows for producing more than 20,000 litres across a single lactation.
And not only have they made the list, but Natalia Lulu produced more than 20,000 litres twice and Bradnick Legume three times, across separate lactations.
Rather than use AI on their milkers, the Spunners run herd bulls which are rotated through the herd — the only AI they use is sexed semen on their synchronised heifers.
Rotating the bulls through the herd monthly makes it easy to keep track of genetics and also reduces the need for an additional staff member. They have about eight herd bulls on rotation.
In 2018, Sharett Park achieved Master Breeder status from Holstein Australia and at that time the family had 184 Elite cows, 32 of which were two-year-old heifers — five of these heifers produced more than 1000kg of milk solids in their first lactation, along with 94 cows.
Because the family choose to not genomically test their cows, their top cows are omitted from the Australian Breeding Values (ABVs) despite their figures often placing them well up at the very top of the list.
In August 2023, four-year-old Chevy Pearle had a BPI of 607 and in December a BPI of 642, and would have been number one in the Sustainability Index for the last three ABV runs.
She is currently 211 days into her lactation and has produced 10,291 litres and 757kg MS.
“Chevy has been omitted from the list because she is not genomically tested so I would argue the list is not a true reflection of the top Australian cows,” Graeme Spunner said.
“There seems to be no place to recognise naturally bred cows, the industry would rather sweep them under the carpet because they don’t suit the agenda.”
There have been many outstanding cows produced by the Spunners over the years, none more so than Sharett Park Natalia Lulu 2E.
A standout cow and one of Australia’s highest ever production registered cows, she produced 21229 litres and 1133kg MS in her third lactation (305 days). She was bred by their own herd bull Nash (a Shottle son), who went on to sire many high producing cows in the herd.
It was a sad day for the family when Lulu was retired and on her passing, she was buried on the family farm.
“Lulu was the best cow I have ever seen and it still upsets me today to think about what she could have achieved; I don’t think I will ever see another cow like her,” Graeme said.
Eagle Ridge Bradnick Legume is a cow the family purchased from master breeders Kerry and Russell Eagle of Finley back in 2019, and while they can’t take any credit for her genetics, she produced 21,598 litres and 1169kg MS in her third lactation over 294 days (Legume has now had three 20,000 litre lactations in her lifetime).
Today as an eight-year old, Legume has produced 23754 litre and 1400kg MS over 387 days and is due to be dried-off at the end of April.
Other elite cows include Olive Agassi who was sired by Hillveiw Park Agassi, a bull they purchased from McPhees Hillview Park Stud. She produced 1246, 1466 and 1279kg MS over three consecutive years
The Spunners remain sceptical of genomics and have been able to breed many high-producing, sustainable, quality cows without it.
They will continue to breed their own bulls and source others from quality cow families, even though outsourcing is becoming increasingly difficult.
“There are not as many bulls around because more and more people are using sexed semen,” Graeme said.
“Once upon a time the good breeders had bulls for sale and you could go and see their mothers in the herd and check out their herd test figures.”
Current bull Lego is the only herd bull to have 21,000-litre cows on both sides of his pedigree. He is Bradnick Legume’s son and sired by Natalia Lulu brother Ludo.
“He is only young but he is strong and is showing goods signs already,” Graeme said.
Heather, who rears the calves, has noticed calves sired by their herd bulls are more resilient, better doers and as a result are easier to rear.
Breeding quality cows will continue to remain a focus for the family and they will continue to do it with an eye for a good cow and family and not an ABV list.