Digby Gribble Mike as ever makes some interesting points but having had the chance to raise the subject with a few of the dairy farmers yesterday it seems that there is little enthusiasm to take this opportunity. Apprently 82% of the existing 8 million litre supply is devoted to the liquid supply …
Having missed the 2008 event, it was a case of deja vu. Saumarez Park provides a wonderful setting, for a Cattle show, the cows are straight from the field with no pre preparation and the amateur spirit prevails.
6 exhibitors brought adult cattle for the Senior show judged by James Warren whilst 5 exhibitors provided heifers for the Junior show judged by Jason Salisbury.
There were 4 bulls present from 4 different exhibitors and were Judged by Malcom Le Poidevin and the Senior Bull and Champion was from Bon and Margaret Martel and the Pedro son Cara’s Conqueror of Les Jaonnets is a tremendous individual for a 4 year old on a particularly good set of legs and feet and he teamed with 3 sisters by Pedro was to win the Peer Cup later in the day.
Embryo transfer maybe a long term solution in which the “average” GY dairy farmer is to tight to invest maybe?. A more immediate solution is to milk on the old “bangers “many of which will push out 15 litres for months rather than replacing them with a fresh heifer that is …
Five years after the belated introduction of quotas to Guernsey Island the Island Dairy are calling for an extra 2 million litres of milk (+25%) and the question is whether the 20 or so dairy farmers on the Island will be able to find the extra cows given that there …
Five years ago I took a call from Jason Salisbury who was looking to buy a small number of Guernseys ( 25 cows) to set up a new business making and selling cheese. Jason and Katherine were living on a farm in Coddenham Suffolk, where Jason milked and managed 90 Holsteins. His employer had just made him reduntant as he and his advisers could see no future for a “small” milking herd on that farm without a major re-investment in plant and machinery and given the “parkland” setting were not prepared to enlarge the herd and carry on.
whooooopie 😀 i’ve been asking Digby for 7 yrs where the EGCS is hiding the 3+ generation VG cow families and finally they are starting to appear, let the bovine world ake note. It often takes a third party to look at herds impatially most of us get bogged down …
Gideon as the breeder and owner of these wonderful cows has a vested interest in the calves to be born, Elinor 13 has had heifer calves at every calving so far and if Elinor 14 was to do so this would be potentially the fifth generation VG or better. Elinor …
The 133rd AGM of the U S Guernsey Association took place last weekend in Texas, organised primarily by Todd Moore of Lavon Farms, who is involved with the successful Lucky Layla Cheese and Milk products.
A feature of the annual event is a select sale of top quality heifers ,embryos and semen which are auctioned on the last day of the AGM. These animals are selected by Seth Johnson and his colleagues and each year the choice seems to improve and in each of the last three years have set new records. This year maintained that trend with an average for 30 Lots and choices of over $5000 and with 65 embryos averaging $435.
Stithians Show in Cornwall is and has been for several years the most keenly contested Guernsey show and for that matter it is one of the few summer shows to still provide competitive classes for all of the dairy breeds.
The 2009 show saw a new “star” emerge as Champion making her show ring debut and she was Clay Hill Glenda 4, a daughter of Easby Alacrity she was spotted by James Warren in the spring and bought privately from the Foords and is the second cow from Sussex to win a Championship in Cornwall this summer.
The idea for this series came from Mike Cox on Alderney, who asked me when visiting Guernsey herds to take pictures of the “oldest” cow in each herd, he coupled that request with the comment “she won’t be the biggest cow in the herd”