Pedigree Jerseys were the number 1 choice for re-stocking at Abbott Lodge and The Scottish Farmer found out why…
Steven & Claire Bland and their children Robert & Elizabeth lost their black & white herd to Foot & Mouth disease in 2001. It was then that radical changes took place and the herd was re-stocked with pedigree Jerseys.
Herd facts:
210-220 pedigree Jersey cows
Herd yield 7400 litres at 5.6% Butterfat and 3.9% Protein
The herd is milked through 3 Fullwood Merlin2 robots with an average of 2.7 milkings per day per cow
High yielders are giving 45 – 52 litres per day with lactations regularly over 12,000 litres in 30 days
Some cows choose to visit the robot 4 times a day, allowing them to express their genetic potential
Milk is sold to Grahams The Family Dairy as well as being made in to Ice Cream which is sold on farm through their tea room and locally. The Bland family make up to 40 different flavours of ice cream!
Fertility has also improved since the robots have been in, making it easier to see individual cow behaviour.
All cows and heifers are served up to two times with sexed semen with a split od 70% American and 30% Danish.
Steven is convinced that good cow families are the strength behind a good breeding animal.
Steven describes the herd as, “the ultimate free range cows”
To read the full story, click the link:
https://jerseycattlesociety.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Scottish-Farmer.pdf