Vet Ian Roper worked on a start-up dairy unit in Northern Jordan during 2015-16. In this article, he discusses what five key things UK dairy farmers can learn from their fertility management:
- Placing the highest degree of importance on ration consistency and attention to detail in maximising intakes
- The advantages of milking and feeding more than twice a day
- The willingness to invest in controlled breeding – not just for problem cows
- Focusing on cow comfort and reduction of stress
- An all-encompassing infectious disease control strategy (Some of the challenges in Jordan is the same farmers face in the UK – BVD, IBR and leptospirosis are all potential threats, among many others.).
The unit he worked at in northern Jordan was aiming to milk 3,000 Holstein-Friesian cows four times a day through a 52:52 rapid-exit parlour.
