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slats are scraped once a day with a tractor.”
Heifers are reared from six months old in cubicles, the building has 320 cubicles which they are moved up through until they are in-calf. This system is also low labour with mattresses, slats and TMR fed every other day. The aim is to calve heifers at two years old and the Wilsons have found through running the herd as one group and also selling a lot of heifers that heifers need to be substantial. Calving at less than two years means they are too immature for the Wilson’s system.
Before the drop in milk price replacement rate was running at 18%, however, a drop in market value for heifers has driven the Wilson’s to cull more heavily on older cows.
Another income is generated each year through stock sales with between 70 and 80 heifers and 30 breeding bulls sold privately.
“I prefer to market heifers in batches at home, having longevity in the herd helps marketing heifers. However, we sell almost half of our bulls through Border and Lakeland Club Sales in the Spring and Autumn, in Spring 2015 we averaged £4000 for eight bulls, with five selling to repeat customers. While in the October seven bulls averaged £3000. Most of our bulls are from the Ruby family.”
The farm totals 680 acres and two cuts of silage are taken each year using equipment shared with Kevin’s brother James who runs the Evening Holstein herd. There are 400 acres of first cut taken, usually 100 acres of maize is grown, but this year that is being cut to 50 acres with whole-crop wheat increasing to 70 acres. Cows are housed all year round and fed a TMR of silage, maize, whole-crop, formulated
The Wilsons have invested in a new cow shed six years ago which contributes to the longevity of the herd.
Heifers are reared in a low labour system from six months until they are in-calf with housing for 320 heifers.
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