In the past ten years, the average cell count of the Dutch dairy cows has dropped by 50,000 cells/ml according to figures from the dairy laboratory Qlip. In 2018 the average cell count amounted to 173,000 cells per ml milk. Ten years earlier, in 2008, it still was 223,000 cells/ml. Around that time a decrease started that still continues today.
 
Less antibiotics
In line with the decrease in cell count, also the use of antibiotics at dairy farms has gone down considerably. Which is quite particular. For it means that management and treatment of udder health have improved. Dairy farmers realize that cows with lower cell count run less risk of mastitis and produce more milk.  
 
Sharing knowledge and experience
Between 2005 and 2010, the UGCN (the Dutch Udder Health Center) has done a lot of work to share knowledge and experience with respect to udder health. Through, for example, study group meetings with veterinarians, symposia, and an extensive communication program with a magazine and e-mail newsletters, dairy farmers received practical information on how to improve udder health.

During Agriflanders, in January 2019, the red & white Delta Fun P and black & white Bouw Rocky have shown great progeny groups.
 
Of the polled-breeding Fun P (by Aikman) three daughters were shown, while during the selection round a choice could be made from only six animals. The red & whites were balanced, had great curve to the ribs, and the udders were firmly attached. At the HHH Show, in December, the progeny group of Fun P impressed as well; it was a uniform group of robust cows. Fun P is heterozygous polled, which means that half of his offspring are being born without horns.
 
Uniform Bouw Rocky group
CRV also showed three daughters of the in Flanders much used bull Bouw Rocky (by Shamrock). The youthful animals showed udders with sufficient udder cleft and, notwithstanding the high production, showed a fine condition.

Bull dams with strong condition
The finale at Agriflanders was formed by a group of very popular bull dams shown by CRV. One by one they excelled in strong udders. Eye-catching was the fact that these bull dams managed to combine sky-high production with a strong condition.

Dairy farmers Sietze Henk and Tjitske Haytema from Koudum have been declared “Breeders of the Year 2018”. Their polled Lol family is at the basis of this success.
 
Highest polled sire
Last year in particular the results of the Lol family stood out. The polled sire Fun P, for example, originates from this cow family. The Aikman son presently is the highest polled sire available in the Netherlands and Flanders. Herewith Fun P introduces the polled gene in the top of the index lists. Unique.
 
Success at shows and in production statistics
In the genome list with the top male and female animals, we also find various animals from the Caudumer barn, such as Batch P and Solitair P. In addition to their breeding successes, the Haytema family is also successful at shows. And on a regular basis animals from the Caudumer barn feature in the top lists for production, such as Molenkamp Anky 4, in 2014 the red & white cow with the highest production in the Netherlands.

Bons Koba 219 is valued with 94 points. The Lauthority daughter was bred by Nico and Lianne Bons from Ottoland and as of November 2018, she is 50% co-owned with Westcoast Holsteins in Canada.
 
European Championship at Libramont
In October, Koba freshened for the third time. And two months later, in December, she managed to capture the general championship with the black & white cows. During the EC at Colmar, in 2016, she got 1a. In all likelihood, you will be able to admire her again, when Koba is participating in the forthcoming EC, which will take place at Libramont on April 12 and 13.  
 
95 for mammary system
Koba received no less than 95 points from the inspectors for her strongly attached udder. Legs and type both were valued with 93 points, and for frame the Lauthority daughter got 92 points. The Bons barn now has three alive 94-point cows, a unique feat. In addition to Koba 219, earlier on also her family member Bons-Holsteins Koba 191 (by Jasper) and Bons-Holsteins Ella 158 (by Mailing) received 94 points.

In 2018, a record number of Dutch dairy farms has made use of grazing. No less than 82% of the dairy farmers allowed their cows to bring the grass home themselves. The percentage of grazers has never been higher since the dairy sector started to stimulate grazing in 2012.
 
Dairy industry’s incentives
This past year, hundreds of dairies have allowed the cows to graze again. Herewith the trend of more grazing farms has continued in recent years. In 2014, only 77.8% of the farms were still grazing their cows, a low point. The percentage of grazing farms declined due to an increase in scale and automation. Incentives by the dairy industry, for example in the form of one to two cents more per kg milk, caused a turnaround. With more cows in the pastures, Dutch dairy farmers are heeding both citizens and politicians who like to see cows grazing in the pastures.

An increasing number of companies in the top list of highly productive herds are using robot milking. In 2017 it was 48%, in 2018 that percentage increased to 55%, according to an analysis by Lely.
 
More milk, larger companies
Around 35% of the dairies in the Netherlands work with an automated milking system. This means that companies where the cows are being milked automatically reach higher yields. Logical, as cows on average are being milked here three times a day, while in conventional milking systems it generally is twice a day. It also became clear that average herd sizes on farms with a robot are slightly bigger, namely 117 cows, whilst the average in the Netherlands is at 100 cows.
 
Top milker with 14,865 kg milk per cow
The highest production in the Netherlands is achieved at the robot farm of the Van der Mark family from Veenwouden, Friesland. Their 118 cows on average produced 14,865 kg milk with 3.82% fat and 3.56% protein.