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There is no one magic secret to optimising fertility for the Barron family’s Darrahill herd at Udny Ellon, Aberdeenshire, with Ronald and Laura Barron and their son, Ian, believing it is a combination of health, management, nutrition and breeding which leads to their success in this area.


H


erd fertility is now firmly in the hands of Ian who returned to the farm after college with a desire to increase herd size and productivity and commit to dairying for the long-term. “We’re one of few herds in this part of the country and that is the biggest challenge we face in


the long-term," says Ian. "For me it’s important to have scale if we’re to stay in dairying and fertility is key to success, if we don’t have fertile cows then we don’t have milk,” The herd of 280 cows are currently averaging 10,800 litres at 3.92% butterfat and 3.30% protein on twice daily


milking, with an SCC of 120 and a calving interval of 385 days. “Herd fertility is paramount and comes from a combination of all our management factors, both manual and technological, with pedometers on every cow to monitor activity alongside my own observations.”


Central to keeping the herd


The team at Darrahill include Laura Barron, Robbie Houston, Ronald and Ian Barron and Donna Muller.


photography by Craig Stephen


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