As you receive this summer should be with us, although latterly it has felt more like winter
Points of Contact
Journal editor: Katie Davidson, 01923 695252
journal@holstein-uk.org Breed advertising:
Heather Lewinton, 01923 695261
heatherlewinton@holstein-uk.org
Industry advertising: Katie Davidson Club reports: Katie Davidson Sales reports: Katie Davidson
and less like spring in Scotland with snow making a reappearance. In the time since the last issue of The Journal, Holstein UK has appointed a new chief executive, with Richard Jones starting his new role in April.
This issue is packed with show reports from spring shows across the UK, as well as the first major summer show of the season at Balmoral. I’ve also enjoyed a trip to Carmarthen to visit the Jones family’s premier
winning Feithy herd, I can assure anyone planning a trip the open day will be impressed by the uniformity in the herd.
The theme for this Journal is ‘Grazing’, something that many people will be considering this summer due to the continued uncertainty in the milk price. There are many farming businesses that are successfully grazing Holstein cows highlighting the versatility the breed has to offer. It has been interesting to see three different systems where grass is key to reducing costs per litre, but what is also encouraging is that none of these farmers have compromised type in the process. Technical features compliment this theme, but are also relevant to all dairy farmers and cover grass management, body condition, ketosis, locomotion and liver fluke.
Open Farm Sunday Open Farm Sunday takes place on Sunday
7th
June. If you are hosting an open day please send in pictures of the event to
journal@holstein-uk.org for the next issue which will be focussing on Working with the Community.
It is certainly a busy time ahead with summer shows well underway, the Judges’Conference and the Premier Herd Open Day at Feithy and young breeders also have the competitions day at Overseal. I look forward to seeing many of you at the summer shows and other major events and hope you enjoy this latest issue. The ongoing uncertainty in the milk market is frustrating, but with the quality in depth available in the Holstein breed enabling it to suit a variety of systems, there are plenty of reasons to be cheerful.
Longevity at Winstanley
Three cows at Winstanley are still going on having had more than 30 calves between them with a combined age of 47 years. Mr Corlett’s oldest cow Winstanley Cissie 40 VG86 is a 17 year old Brookedale-A Leadmn Beau daughter that has had 11 calves. Having produced 100t lifetime she peaked at 10,796kg at 3.41%bf and 2.67%p. He also has two 15 year old cows by Hill-A-Way Star Granite, Winstanley Lead 34 VG88 and Winstanley Kathie 12 VG87. Lead passed the 110t milestone peaking at 13,425kg at 3.2%bf and 3.94%p in her seventh lactation, while Kathie is back in- calf with her 11th
having also achieved 100t. Gold Cup Open Day
RABDF NMR Gold Cup winner, Michael Eavis, opened his Glastonbury farm gates for first time this year on 6 May to welcome more than 1500 dairy farmers from throughout the UK and beyond.
Organised by the Royal Association of British Dairy Farmers, the event provided producers with the opportunity to find out how the award winning 400 cow Worthy herd of pedigree Holsteins is achieving an average 12,535 litres and to take a look at recent investments including Starling proof cattle sheds, recycled drinking trough water, on-farm solar panels providing 60% of the farm’s electricity and sustainable village accommodation. RABDF chief executive, Nick Everington said: “This event proved to be as popular as previous visits hosted by our Gold Cup winners. It offered visitors a unique opportunity - to step outside the box, consider some new thinking as well as collect information, ideas and no nonsense practical advice to keep their business firmly on track while operating in an extremely volatile marketplace.”
Emma Jones Holstein UK would like to thank Emma Jones for her service to the Research and Development and Marketing departments over the past 18 months. We wish her the best of luck in the future.
THE JOURNAL JUNE 2015 5
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