Fazenda Santa Luzia - Brazil

Management:

Fazenda Santa Luzia is owned by Jose Coelho Vitor & Filhos. The farm is located in the Southeastern Section of Brazil, Minas Gerais State. They milk a herd comprised of ½ Holstein/Zebu, ¾ Holstein/Zebu and 7/8 Holstein/Zebu. 

The farm also produces coffee, beef cattle and chickens and is also very active in genetics and reproduction. Daily decisions are made by Mr. Mauricio Silveira Coelho, son and veterinarian (3rd generation managing the farm). Standard operating procedures are being implemented, beginning with the milking room. Consultants are hired for nutrition, forages, reproduction and milk quality

Nutritient Management:

The cows are on pasture

Feeding/Cropping:

• Pasture is used for feeding (coast cross, brachiaria, panicum and others)
• During the summer pasture plus grains before milking
• During the winter, silage, sugarcane and concentrate.
• Protein source is soybeans
• Corn is used for energy
• The dairy grows its own forages: 90 ha of corn, 40 ha of sugarcane and 230 ha of pasture

Milking:

• Milking herd consists of 600 head with an average age of 4 years and 8 months
• First lactation = 31.9%
• Second lactation = 25.9%
• Third and higher lactation = 42.2%
• Average days in milk: 154 days
• Average lactation length: 315 days
• The milking system is a parlour low line, 2x10=20 with LVP and VSD. Cows are milked 2 times/day
• Average weight produced: 8.500 kg/day
• % fat: 3.63
• % protein: 3.13
• SCC: 146,000 (winter), 280,000 (summer)
• Milk is sold to Laticinios Shefa for the production of cheese, yogurt, powder, liquid milk and condensed milk.
• The milk is collected everyday

Young Stock and Replacements:

• There are 1,100 youngstock with 450 calves and 650 heifers
• Farm raises its own calves and use 100% Artificial insemination
• Age at first calving is 31 months
• Calving interval: 410 days
• Calving average: 2.5
• Number of doses per pregnancy: 1.68
• Pregnancy period: 278 days

Economics:

• Labor costs: R$ = 2.50/hour/man = USD .83/hour/man
• Production costs: R$ = .38/liter = USD .12/liter
• Feeding costs: R$ = .18/liter = USD .06/liter

Community:

The farmer is associated with Leite Brasil and Lactea Brisil. The first one congregates only milk producers, the second one includes all segments belonging to the dairy industry (milk producers, manufacturers, coops, etc.)

Future:

• They are improving results by adopting other activities like selling genetics and performing an annual auction.
• The first auction had an excellent result with record sales both in volume and invoicing