Messrs Harvey from Beeswing, in Dumfries, are in top place in NMR’s Holstein production herd ranking for the third year running, closely followed by C H Shropshire & Son’s herd, from Shropshire, and in third place is the Miller family’s Shanael herd, based at Evesham in Worcestershire.
NMR’s latest Annual Production Report, for the year ending September 2018, also shows improvements in milk yield and constituents, as well as reduced somatic cell counts and calving intervals, for the main dairy breeds.
For the Holstein breed, which represents 71% of NMR’s recorded herds, average yield increased by 107kg of milk and 16kg of fat and protein to 9,046kg and 647kg respectively. Meanwhile somatic cell count average fell by 2,000 cells/ml to 172,000 and calving interval by two days to 403 days.
Production for the Harvey’s leading Holstein herd was 945kg of fat and protein and 13,643kg of milk on three-times-a-day milking, followed by the Shropshire’s robot–milked herd, which averaged 934kg of fat and protein and 13,618kg of milk. In third place, the Miller’s herd produced 911kg of fat and protein and 13,620kg of milk on three-times-a-day milking.
In the Shorthorn listings, R Kite’s Shropshire-based herd takes the top spot with 491kg of fat and protein and 6,715kg of milk. FJ Bunney and Sons’ herd, from Hampshire, is the new number one in the Jersey rankings with 689kg of fat and protein and 7,986kg of milk.
The Cox’s Guernsey herd, based on Alderney, is now top of the breed rankings with 601kg of fat and protein and 6,941kg of milk.
The Tinklers’ Park Head herd, from Yorkshire, remains top of the Ayrshire breed for production with 731kg of fat and protein and 9,144kg of milk. Nerewater Farm’s herd, which is based in Cumbria, retains its first place in the British Friesian herd rankings with 681kg of fat and protein and 8,853kg of milk.
