The triplet heifers on their first birthday on January 7. They were joined to sexed semen in mid-February. Photo: Julia Cocksedge.
Since the surprise of one of his cow’s calving triplets in 2024, Paul Cocksedge has moved to a new dairy farm and won the honour of Cow of the Year in his breed.
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He has also recently joined the triplet heifers.
On July 1 last year, Paul took up the lease on a dairy farm at Meeniyan, in Victoria, milking in a 20-unit swingover with auto-drafting.
He moved his herd of Australian Red and Black and White Holstein cows, young livestock and machinery to the new farm, and is very satisfied with the new working arrangement.
Paul fed an extra portion to his triplet heifers on their recent first birthday.
The triplets were born on January 7, 2024, to a black and white Holstein cow on her fourth calving, joined by sexed semen to BGP Yolo.
The cow, Paco Charley Crystal 236, classified VG86 in 2023, has since been reclassified VG88.
She recovered well from calving the triplet heifers, got back into calf to her second mating, to sexed Yolo again, and is due to calve at the end of March this year.
Paul Cocksedge with the triplet heifers a week after they were born. Photo: Julia Cocksedge.
The triplet heifers have been genomic tested, with a BPI of 342, 351 and 412.
They are the granddaughters of Paco Minted Crystal, a cow that impressed Paul many years ago in a milking herd that he managed.
Paco Charley Crystal is the only one of her daughters that he owns.
In 2023, Paul decided to flush Paco Charley Crystal to increase the number of cows with Paco Minted Crystal’s breeding and production value in his herd.
Paco Charley Crystal’s fertility was boosted pre-joining to increase her ovulation, then she was artificially inseminated with the imported semen from BGP Yolo.
Two embryos were retrieved, and planted in another two cows in Paul’s herd.
When Paco Charley Crystal failed to return on heat, Paul and his vet assumed one embryo had been left in her.
It was a big surprise to find her with live triplet heifers, born two weeks early, in January 2024.
Paco Charley Crystal 236 a year after calving triplet heifers and a month before drying off, to calve down again at the end of March. Photo: Paul Cocksedge.
She recovered quickly from the multiple births, and Paco Charley Crystal has produced more than 13,000 litres for the past season, with nearly 1000kg of milk solids.
“She peaked at 40 litres and 2.82kg of milk solids per day, and was still producing 2.67g of solids at the December test before she was dried off,” Paul said.
“She has done incredibly.”
Of the two flushed embryos, one heifer was born and one was lost.
“The ET heifer recorded the lowest BPI of all four calves when I genomically tested them, and she looks a little bit different,” Paul said.
“She’s darker than the triplet heifers.”
All four heifers were joined in mid-February this year, to OCD Milan-ET sexed semen, imported from North America. OCD Milan-ET is a Monteverdi son.
“The heifers are just under 13 months of age, and they’ve grown very well,” Paul said.
“I thought I’d better join them before they got too big.”
Nine-year-old red and white cow Paco Foske Evie 181 EX91-3E was voted Australian Red Cow of the Year for 2024, a peer-led accolade for Paul Cocksedge. Photo: Paul Cocksedge.
Paul was recently accoladed by his peers when his nine-year-old Red and White cow, Paco Foske Evie 181 EX91-3E was voted 2024 Australian Red Cow of the Year.
In 2022, she won her class for seven years and over in the Victorian On Farm Challenge, and has placed numerous times in previous On Farm challenges and photo competitions.
Paco Foske Evie has produced more than 4000kg of milk solids for her lifetime to date.
“For her last two 305-day lactations, she’s averaged over 400kg of fat and over 300kg of protein, with components of 4.8 per cent fat and 3.6 per cent protein,” Paul said.
She currently has three daughters and two granddaughters milking in Paul’s herd.
“She’s due to calve again in April this year, and she has another nine granddaughters in the heifer herd,” Paul said.
“I’m also expecting her first great, great-granddaughter to be born this year, everything going well.”
Graeme Hamilton and Paul Cocksedge when Paul recently purchased the Hamilton’s Run in-calf Red and White heifer, Cluain 5862 Lustre. Photo: Michele Hamilton.
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The heifer herd this year was joined to semen from VR Vesty (a Viking Red bull) and some of Storflor (a Norwegian Red bull).
“I got the last remaining stocks of Storflor and, after joinings in the heifer herd, I have a few doses left,” Paul said.
“I’ll have a few milking cows to sell later this year when these heifers come into the herd,” Paul said.
The heifer herd was recently joined by a Hamilton’s Run in-calf Red and White heifer, when Paul purchased Cluain 5862 Lustre. She is due to calve in June to a Hamilton’s Run own bull, Cluain Dunlop.
“I’m very interested in that cow family,” Paul said.
“I saw a few pedigrees of Graeme’s heifers and that one struck out to me. I thought I could work with her in my Australian Red herd.”
The ET heifer at 13-months-old. Photo: Paul Cocksedge.
The cow, Paco Charley Crystal 236, one week after calving triplet heifers. Photo: Paul Cocksedge.
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