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Veterinary surgeon
John Cammack
XLVets practice
Glenthorne Veterinary
Group
Cattle healthcare
and management
John Cammack
Glenthorne Veterinary Group
Brian Archer
Grange Farm
HEALTHCARE
7
LIVESTOCK MATTERS
WORKING
TOGETHER
FOR A HEALTHIER FUTURE...
A look behind the scenes at the
healthcare and management of a
top-yielding British Friesian herd.
JOHN CAMMACK, GLENTHORNE VETERINARY GROUP
John Cammack, Stockman Eric and Brian Archer
Brian receives ongoing preventative veterinary
care and advice from his vet John Cammack
of Glenthorne Veterinary Group. John visits
Grange Farm every month to carry out fertility
checks, with extra visits made when other
health or welfare issues arise.
Why Friesians?
Why Friesians and not Holsteins?
Brian
explains: ‘Firstly, I was brought up with them.
And secondly, the operating costs of a Friesian
- the milk yield versus the feed energy required -
are much better, and they have a lower
replacement rate. The bull calves are also more
valuable; we rear these to12 months on a
bull-beef system, and then sell them deadweight.’
At Grange Farm, just south of Derby, Brian’s
pedigree Collycroft herd was the highest
yielding British Friesian herd recorded by
NMR for the 12 months ending September
2013. It averaged 8,465kg/cow of milk,
with 3.96% butterfat, and 3.30% protein. This
was particularly impressive as it was achieved
with a simple system of cows grazing in the
summer, and receiving a grass-based forage
ration in the winter. Cake is fed according
to yield in the parlour.
‘Our highest yielding cow in the herd is in
her fourth lactation, and has just peaked at
60 litres/day. She is predicted to give
13,374 litres in the lactation, with 4.3%
butterfat and 3.28% protein,’ says Brian.
Derbyshire farmer Brian Archer has stayed loyal to the British Friesian breed,
and is enjoying the benefits of having hardy, healthy and productive cows;
the pedigree Collycroft herd is yielding over 8,400 litres/cow, all from a
grass-based system.