Cow welfare link to profitability

摘要

The philosophy of "look after your cows, and they'll look after you." is paying dividends for South Gippsland dairyfarmers Rod and Lyndell Cope. This financial year, the Copes have increased milk production from two million litres to 2.2 million litres. Even taking into account a nse in herd numbers (from 300 to 315), it is a pretty impressive result for a year characterised by drought and high feed costs. "Our cows are producing more than one kilogram of milk solids for every 1kg of liveweight," says Rod Cope, whose 169-hectare property lies on the flats of the Tar-win River. "That's a sign of a very efficient cow."