I have been fortunate enough to spend the last two days on Guernsey Island in the company of two Guernsey enthusiasts who were making their first visit to the Island and also a “retired” breeder who still takes a great interest in the breed and who suggested the trip in search of Guernsey “treasure”.
The ARC Addington Trust who have their headquarters at Stoneleigh, use their resources to help farmers who may be struggling financially or are seeking to retire from farming and John Berry is a supporter of theirs. He has had the idea of finding a calf to be shown in the 2010 Calf shows and then to be sold and the proceeds to go to the ARC Addington Trust.
Brian and Sheila Adams have agreed to rear the calf for John and will exhibit her at next seasons shows, they rear three or four Guernsey calves each year on their smallholding in Somerset and always make a wonderful job of their calves.
We were able to visit four herds on the Island on Thursday and saw some wonderful cows and some attractive calves, sired by among others by Les Jaonnetts Cara’s Amir , Meadowcourt Elly’s Epic, Les Jaonnetts Pedros Workman and Pine Ridge Double L. It was good to see quality calves by the first three bulls all of which are awaiting proofs through the GGBP scheme as it was to see some impressive young cows by Tiresford Pedro and Sniders Option Aaron.
The herds we were able to visit were Gerald Carey’s Bigard herd, Ray and James Watts’s Meadowcourt herd, Bon and Margaret Martel’s Les Jaonnetts herd and Robin Jamanoue’s St Catherine herd. The cows in all of the herds were looking well having just come in for the winter and three of the herds supplement their grass/maize silage mix with concentrates through out of parlour feeders and it was impressive to see cows “full of milk”
Negotiations are ongoiing for the purchase of some calves, but whether or not they are sucessful the trip has been very worthwhile and enjoyable.