Patryk Barton, a dairy breeder from the Opole Voivodeship, told us about the successes achieved by the females from his herd at the Silesian Breeding Cattle Exhibition. What features do the Bartons focus on in their breeding work?
The Silesian Breeding Cattle Exhibition took place on June 8-9 this year. in Kamień Śląski during Opolagra. Twenty-six dairy farmers brought their female cattle to Kamień Śląski to be assessed by a German judge.
Patryk Barton, a dairy farmer from the Opole Voivodeship, told us about the successes achieved by the females from his herd. Three heifers were brought to the exhibition, each of which won the championship (categories: 18-19 months, 10-11 months and new to this year’s exhibition, i.e. 8-9 months).
What features is selected for?
What features are key for the Bartons in breeding work?
– In our breeding work, we focus on milk dry matter, but also on conformation, because in our opinion, conformation equals longevity. We already had 100,000, we also have cows in their 8th and 9th lactation, so we can’t complain about that – said the breeder.
The situation of Polish cattle breeders
When asked to assess the situation of Polish cattle breeders, Barton emphasized that it is not stable, but “breeders cannot stop” and should also be “ready for sudden changes.” This breeder focuses on the development of his farm, currently he is building a new barn and investing in a milking robot.
The Barton family has 130 cash cows. For now, there are no plans to increase the population due to the area of cultivation.
– We want to stay at this level of population, but increase efficiency – said the breeder
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