Top Holstein herds retain places in NMR annual report
The top three Holstein herds in NMR’s Annual Product Report for the year ending September 2024 have held their places for the third successive year.
The report also revealed that the leading Holstein herd for genetic merit remains in top spot for the fourth year in a row.
The top three production herds each produced a combined weight of fat and protein (CFP), which is the ranking parameter, of more than 1,000kg. And all three herds produced at least 4,200kg more milk than the breed average of 9,351kg.
J H Shropshire is in first place with 1,041kg of CFP and 14,276kg of milk. This Shropshire-based robotically-milked herd recorded 49 completed lactations.
In second place is Marshall and Law Partners’ herd, based in Derbyshire, with 195 completed lactations. This three-times-a-day milked herd recorded 1,014kg of CFP and 13,616kg of milk.
While the top two herds held their places, despite small reductions in CFP and milk yield, the third-ranked herd, owned by PJ & PE Ashley, from Shropshire, increased production.
The 112 robotically-milked cows achieved 1,011kg CFP and 14027kg of milk, an increase of 9kg and 322kg respectively from 2023. This dairy business is a finalist in the NMR RABDF Gold Cup 2024.
Newcomers into the top 10 national Holstein herds ranked on CFP are R & W Gidlow from Leicestershire, and now in fourth place; C & M Hall from Yorkshire, in seventh place; D J Hellier from Cornwall, in eighth place, Cally Mains from Scotland, in ninth place; and in 10th place, and a newcomer to the NMR top 1% national list, is Messrs Pierce from Cheshire.
The report also shows a significant increase in the average milk fat percentage for the Holstein breed, from 4.12 per cent to 4.17 per cent, and a marginal rise in protein from 3.31 per cent to 3.32 per cent.
Four herds in the top 10 have achieved at least 4.64 per cent fat, with R&W Gildrow recording an average of 5.36 per cent fat, and Scotland’s leading herd, Cally Mains Farming, recording 4.91 per cent.
The top Holstein herd ranked on genetic merit (PLI) is Messrs Easom from Derbyshire. Their average PLI is £387 for 336 cows and £458 for 143 heifers.
New names appear at the top of the production rankings for other dairy breeds.
The Jukes’ British Friesian herd, from Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire with 105 completed lactations, are in top place with a CFP of 660kg and 8,091kg of milk.
The top Ayrshire herd, moving up from third, is D&C Sanderson from Cumbria. This 120-cow herd achieved a CFP of 629kg and 7,680kg of milk.
New entrant to the top 1 per cent, and in first place in the Jersey ranking, is A&S Jardine’s Scotland-based herd of 95 cows. This herd achieved a CFP of 760kg and milk yield of 7,640kg.
J S Knowles’ Shorthorn herd form Yorkshire moves from second to first place with 9,010kg and 684kg of CFP. The top Guernsey herd is D Vincent from Devon with 65 cows achieving 612kg CFP and 7,254kg of milk.
The NMR Annual Production Report lists the top 1% of herds ranked on weight of fat and protein (CF&P), and on genetic merit (£PLI) both nationally and by county.
It also includes annual average production, somatic cell count and calving interval by breed, and a total for all NMR-recorded herds from 2010/11 to the most recently recorded year, 2023/24.
The latest Annual Production Report 2023/24 is available to NMR customers on the Herd Companion website.
