Genetics drive dairy production profitability
Kluitjieskraal Jersey Stud has established itself as one of South Africa’s top Jersey studs, and has a string of SA Stud Book Elite awards to prove it.
The Schoonwinkel family, who owns the stud, has been farming Jerseys on its mixed farms near Swellendam in the Western Cape, and selling its milk to a nearby cheese factory, for many years.
As the family had always kept thorough records of each animal, the Schoonwinkels decided to register the herd as a stud in 2007.
“Doing this made sense, as it enabled us to make better-informed breeding decisions by giving us access to more genetic information.
‘Our aim is to get a mixture of the best qualities of sire and dam, so as to improve milk product ion traits ’
“This is important, as everything boils down to genetics when it comes to Jersey
