CATTLE RAISING
De Silvestri Livestock
livestock was our first line of business, which has more than three decades after it was created. We started with traditional dual purpose livestock and we have been evolving towards livestock with better genetics, increasing thus the levels of production and efficiency on the farm.
We have Gyr cattle, which were initially used as genetics donors to make F1 crosses Spinning . We currently have Girolando cows, a product of the cross between Gyr and Holstein cattle, black or red. Thanks to this, we have increased our production by 150% with respect to what was obtained with traditional livestock, going from having animals with average productions of 4 to 5 liters per day in the field; to have animals between 1 2 up to 20 liters average per day in our herds.
History of our herd
We started with a very small Gyr breed herd, however, this was well selected thanks to the advice of professionals with extensive experience in the sector. They encouraged and guided us to start with cows of the best quality, in order to have animals of the F1 Girolando breed with high productivity and of a fairly functional biotype, that is, to accommodate the needs of our environment.
The first bellies were acquired from not only recognized herds, but also with the best genetics for milk production. This is how we have cows from traditional herds of the country such as:
Our breeding stock was made with animals that come from bulls and cows that have obtained the best classification in milk production, udder and functional biotype.
Genetic improvement program
Since 4 years ago we started the genetic improvement program through the < strong> embryo transfer, all initially focused on cattle production Girolando F1 obtained from Gyr by black Holstein.
Given the above, we increased our production and efficiency on the farm; therefore, in parallel, we had to improve our conditions on the farm: adequacy and size of the paddocks, the feeding of the animals, the care and general management of the farm. We went from traditional milking by hand, to simple mechanical milking, economically viable and productively efficient.
Along with making these F1 Gyr embryos for Holstein, we started to improve and have new animals and feet of Gyr breed calves. For this we began to make well-targeted and selected selective crosses, using not only renowned bulls but also bulls that would improve the qualities and characteristics that we should find in the cattle that we now have as matrices on the farm.
We worked with bulls that would improve our haunches, poise and udders, which is one of the things that is penalized in the Gyr; but we also want them to give us a good racial characterization. Today our new herd of heifers and bulls growing up and producing, are the result of this work directed towards the genetic improvement of the Gyr breed.
The winning Pure Gyr is a very good milk producer in the tropics, very rustic, very adaptable to the conditions that exist on the Colombian Caribbean coast, with intense summers and winters at some times of the year. For this reason we decided to choose this type of cattle, despite its requirement to demonstrate its productive potential, when producing milk, like any cow that has calved. Additionally, it is also an excellent vehicle to opt for the cross with Holstein; that is why when using it it allows to express all the advantages of the Gyr and Holstein Breeds, showing everything the genetic and productive potential that the races offer us.
Today, these Girolando F1 cattle are the basis of our dairy farming in the Department of Atlántico and of the Magdalena.
