Harper Adams celebrates Gold Cup win

 The cup, and other Gold Cup awards, were presented at Dairy-Tech on February 5, at Stoneleigh, Warwickshire. 

Kate Robinson and her team manage the 400-cow Holstein herd at Harper Adams, which is part of the University’s Future Farm. 

The dairy operates on 227 hectares and is run by five full-time staff.

Although the dairy unit is involved in research and teaching activities, it is expected to perform commercially and achieve exceptional industry-based standards, and also to demonstrate good practice. Staff are vital ingredient in achieving the unit’s goals.

The all-year-round calving herd is fully housed and fed a TMR. Breeding moved from a production focus to health and longevity in 2018, to improve lifespan and reduce the herd’s replacement rate, and to breed a more efficient cow. 

They also focus on breeding a more grazing-type cow and improving grassland and forage management to help achieve the net zero target by 2030, set for the University farms. 

A Johne’s-disease control plan has been in place for 10 years, which includes quarterly testing through NMR’s HerdWise scheme. Great progress has been made with 96 per cent of the herd now classified as ‘green’.

Average milk yield is 12,248kg at 3.85 per cent fat, 3.19 per cent protein on three times a day milking. Milk from forage is currently 34 per cent, or 3,864 litres of milk. 

Four further awards were made to herds meeting the Gold Cup criteria. 

The Chris May Memorial Award, for the Gold Cup qualifying herd with the highest lifetime daily yield (LDY), was awarded to R D Horton from Broad Hinton in Wiltshire. Owned by Robert, with sons Tom and James involved in the business, this 

350-cow Hinton Herd of pedigree Holsteins achieved an average lifetime daily yield of 22.5kg of milk per day in the qualifying year ending September 2023. This achievement reflects the herd’s all round performance, combining good production, fertility, health and longevity.

Milked three times a day through the 40:40 herringbone parlour. The herd is currently averaging around 14,000kg at 3.97% butterfat and 3.16% protien and has a calving interval of 391 days. The herd includes 67 Excellent and 150 VG and has nine over 100 tonne cows in the herd.

The NMR Silver Salver, awarded to the Gold Cup qualifying Holstein herd with the highest combined fat and protein production, was won by Marshall and Law partners from Woodside Farm, Derbyshire for the second year running. 

The 220-cow all-year-round calving Overseal Holstein herd produced 1,026kg of fat and protien in the year ending September 2023. This herd consistently ranks in the top three NMR production herds, and is currently producing 13,600kg of milk. 

Woodside Farm was established by Jim and Mary Marshall in 1947 and has been entirely home bred since 1949. It is now run by their daughter Janet Law and her son Sandy and wife Hannah, with 96-year-old Granny Mary still taking a keen interest.

The Hunter family from Shotts, Lanarkshire complete a hat trick in being awarded the Lilyhill Cup for the third year running. This award is for the Jersey herd with the highest combined fat and protein, and the Hunter’s 200-cow Clydevalley Jersey herd farmed by Robert & Lorraine Hunter in partnership with their son Mark produced 866.77kg a cow.

Sexed semen is used on most of the cows and heifers and surplus replacements are sold. The cows are cubicle housed and grazed throughout the summer and buffer fed at night year round to maintain a high butterfat content. 

The stability in the diet results in top milk quality, with cows in this all year round calving herd yielding 7,845kg of milk at 7.14% fat and 3.91% protein for the year ending September 2023. 

Winner of the Chairman's Cup, for the Gold Cup qualifying herd of a breed other than Holstein or Jersey, with the highest combined weight of fat and protein, was awarded to the Cowhill Trust Muirside, Dumfries.  

Run by Stuart Neish, this all-year-round calving herd of 210 Red and White Holsteins and Ayrshire achieved a combined weight of fat and protein of 763.06kg a cow.

This is the second year in succession that the herd has been awarded the Chairman’s Cup. This mixed farming business also has a flock of 2,500 sheep and an arable operation.