2009-03-18
NMR has published its latest annual production results for the year ending September 2008.
The average production across all NMR herds has dropped by 56kg for the year ending September 2008 and is now 8,020kg of milk at 576kg of fat and protein. However, fat and protein have increased from 3.91% to 3.95% and 3.22% to 3.24% respectively.
Average calving interval has increased by five days to 424 days and somatic cell counts are 202,000 cells/ml compared with 200,000 cells/ml in the previous year.
These results follow the trend seen in the Holstein breed where average yield is now 8,219kg – a drop of 45kg at 3.91% fat and 3.22% protein – from 3.88% and 3.21% respectively. Calving interval has increased by two days to 426 and cell count by 3,000 cells/ml to 204,000 cells/ml.
Of the main dairy breeds, the Jerseys have seen a drop in average yield to 5,617kg but an increase in fat and protein to 5.29% and 3.84%. The breed’s cell count has increased marginally by 1,000 cells/ml, but calving interval remains the same as 2007 at 406 days – well below the average of all breeds
In the Ayrshire breed, yield and fat averages have increased but there has been a significant reduction of 6,000 cells/ml in cell count.
While the Holsteins represent 91% of NMR recorded herds, the proportion of Jersey and British Friesian recorded lactations has increased and, with the Ayrshires, they each represent more than 1% of the total on the NMR database – a database that includes more than 60% of British dairy herds.
Although less than 1% of the total, the Shorthorn, Brown Swiss and Montbeliarde breeds have shown an increase in the number of recorded lactations.
Top Herds
The top Holstein herd, ranked on fat and protein production, is Neville and May Morrow who run the herd at Treveale Farm, near Truro, Cornwall with their daughter and son-in-law Wendy and Paul Broad and Paul’s brother-in-law Irwin. With 185 qualifying lactations, it moves up from 24th in 2007 and now has a production of 851kg of fat and protein and 11,258kg of milk on twice-a-day milking.
Sharing second place is 2007’s number one herd, owned and run by the Higgins family from Wilderley Hall Farms, Shropshire, with an average yield of 845kg of fat and protein and 12,272kg of milk for the 157 cows on three-times-a-day milking.
Also in second place and on three-times-a-day milking is Graham and Amy Harrison from Cumbria. The herd moves up from 42nd place in 2007 and its 189 qualifying cows produced 12,245kg of milk.
Leading the Holstein genetic merit rankings and moving up from fourth in the year ending September 2007 is Grosvenor Farms’ Hatton Heath herd with an average herd PIN value of £29, followed in second place by 2007’s number one, the Moet Nucleus herd with a PIN of £28. Grosvenor Farms’ Chapel House herd moves from fifth to third this year with an average PIN of £27.
The Tomkinson’s Jersey herd from Suffolk leads the breed for production with 687kg of fat and protein and an average yield of 7,129kg. In the Ayrshire breed Druids Lodge Partnership moves up from fourth to first with a fat and protein yield of 658kg and a milk yield of 9,325kg.
The top British Friesian herd remains Richard and Joanne Bell’s from Nerewater Farm, Cumbria with 646kg of fat and protein and 8,571kg of milk.
And the leading Shorthorn herd is John Hayward’s from Nottingham and the top Guernsey is R J Falla’s herd from Guernsey.
All results are available to NMR customers on the NMR web site using an individual password that they can get from NMR on 0870 1622547.
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