GRASS FOCUS AT LEASBECK
Incoming British Friesian Breeders Club chairman Sam Howarth believes the British Friesian has a big role to play in the UK dairy industry in future
LEFT Jack, Sam and Sally Howarth of the Leasbeck herd.
S
am Howarth, a forward thinking no-nonsense Yorkshireman, runs an impressive farm operation at Pickering, where he milks 360 cows on a grassland system. Together with his wife, Wendy, Sam took over his father-in-law’s herd 12 years ago. They were milking 75 cows at that time and were retailing milk from their farm at Wilton. In 2003 the herd was moved to Leas Farm, Pickering, and an expansion process began. “The farm has been organic since 2009 and today’s 360 cows currently average 6400kg in 305 days at 4.2% fat and 3.3% protein with a calving interval of 385 days. This is achieved by feeding 1t of concentrate a cow and producing 3600kg from forage.”
About 30% of the herd calve in the spring, while 70% are autumn calving. This suits their milk buyer, Arla, which is keen to have a good supply of winter milk.
“The two farms total 550 acres, all grassland, which is made up of white clover pasture and red clover leys for silage – weekly measurements are carried out and a computer program helps monitor grass levels.
“Cows are outside from early March until late November on a paddock grazing system and are fed self feed silage throughout the winter. However, maiden heifers are outside on kale all winter, which works well on the sandy land, with heifers bred to calve at two years old.”
The farm is run as a family farm, with Sam’s son, Jack, working full time and his two daughters Sally and Rosie also helping out. All the family are interested in the herd’s breeding programme and Rosie, who is studying at Askham Bryan College, won a first prize at the
2014 All Britain Calf Show with Leasbeck Quoin Cherry 2 by Deangate Quoin. “Aside from family labour only one extra employee works with the cows, keeping costs to a minimum and we are currently averaging 20 hours labour a cow.” Sam emphasises how important it is to keep things simple and to know the costs of production, which are running at 28p/ litre including 4p/litre labour, 1p/litre replacement and 7p/litre feed. All of the milk is sold as organic and in January the price was 34p/litre, well down on the price received in 2014 when it reached 40p/litre. “Times are tough at present for all dairy farmers, with the low milk price, but I feel we have invested wisely over the years, having purchased land when things were going well.
“One of the key members of the team at Leas Farm is John Dunwell, the Genus ABS Reproductive Management Services technician who visits the farm daily. We have been using RMS for three years and it has worked really well. John provides an extra pair of hands, observing heats and deciding which cows need serving - our fertility record has definitely improved.” Sam has found that Friesians suit his system better than Holsteins and has used only Friesian bulls since 2003. “In our herd Friesians have better fertility, lower cell counts and live longer - they are better suited to our grazing system,” he says. Sam purchased three young bulls from the Blackisle herd 10 years ago, which bred well, but he now prefers to use the top proven AI bulls. “A group of heifers by Deangate Quentin are looking promising and we are currently using Blackilse Benloyal, Skyhigh Patrol and Blackisle Maverick. Leasbeck Patrol Madeline, by Skyhigh Patrol, won fourth prize at last year’s National Calf Show.”
The family are also keen to help progeny test some young bulls to introduce new
82 THE JOURNAL APRIL 2015
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