Large herd celebrates 20 years FastForward!

Large herd celebrates 20 years FastForward!

Mark and Debbie Polyblank, Reporoa – 520 cows

When Mark and Debbie Polyblank, of Reporoa, signed up their predominantly Friesian herd of 520 cows to FastForward again this year it signalled their 20^th year participating in CRV AmBreed’s Progeny Test program without skipping a beat!

The Polyblank’s farming business has always been located at their Reporoa farm, and currently consists of a 210 ha dairy platform milking through a 40-aside herringbone shed employing two full-time workers. Mark comments the farm aims to produce around 200,000kg MS mark each year, that having been their best to date, with their worst being last year’s (drought) 175,000kg MS.

Mark and Debbie have a grown family with grandchildren, and have owner-operated their farm for approximately 20 years now, having purchased and expanded the original property of Mark’s parents across the road in the mid-1980s. Four years ago they began complimenting their strictly grass and hay-based system with the introduction of maize silage through spring to mating, and autumn, and have recently purchased a further 65ha nearby to serve as a runoff for young stock and possible growth of supplements.

Type of cow?

When asked what sort of cow they have been looking for over the years Mark’s reply is fairly straightforward. “At the end of the day I just want a cow that gets in calf and has a good udder...and longevity, I guess!” He adds that they have got 16 yr-olds and a 20 yr-old still milking in the herd!

Why FastForward?

Mark started sharemilking for the family when just 18. Soon after he married Debbie and they made a quick progression to farm ownership buying out his parents’ farm, followed by the farm across the road. They relocated and extended the new property’s herringbone from 20 to 40-aside. At about the same time in 1990 the Polyblanks signed their first FastForward contract. It was recommended by a farming acquaintance using it at the time, but Mark admits that price was the main attraction.

Why stayed with FastForward?

Twenty years is a long time to be content with a product so this question was begging! Mark answers they are happy with FastForward, and doesn’t see it as a disadvantage compared to using proven bulls. He comments that over the years they “occasionally tried the odd nominated bull but it didn’t seem to make any difference.” He adds that with FastForward you sometimes get “the jump in the queue” anyway!

He also found sitting down and nominating bulls quite hard and time consuming. “At the end of the day it (FastForward) does simplify things...and we are very happy with the heifers we are getting. We have no urge to change.”

The Polyblanks have also had several daughters by graduate sires photographed - a couple in the early 1990s, but most recently a Justice daughter featured in this year’s CRV AmBreed 2009 Herd Improvement Solutions Catalogue.