Multiple back-to-back State Champions in the 15th Semex/ Holstein Australia On-Farm Competition highlighted an issue close to every commercial farmer's dream - fertility.Involving close to 3,000 cows and 500 farms across Holstein Australia's 27 sub-branches, the On-Farm contest is deliberately designed to celebrate the unsung heroines of modern-day dairies - the cows that produce Australia's milk - day-in, day-out.Entries peaked at 250 head in some sub-branches. All cows were judged for their conformation on-farm without preparation.Back-to-back Champions is the ultimate compliment in this competition, where cows have to first re-calve within 12 months to compete over two successive years. They then have to win (or place second) in their sub-branch age-group under one judge -beforegoing forward to be assessed by a new State over-judge for a second time. So much has to fall into place. So many factors could swing the result a different way. It puts the back-to-back Champions in a league of their own. They speak to the heart of theOn-Farm concept - hard-working functional cows that get back in-calf.
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