The Farmers Mart Oct/Nov 2016 - Issue 48 | Page 67

Thornhill Hall Farm
New Breeder Tag System. Heat detection, fertility advice
and genetic progress. All in one.

Getting cows pregnant is arguably the most
important job in Dairy Farming, no pregnant
cows means less freshly calved cows which
lower cash flows!
Some recognise this but do not want to
employ more labour and so fit our Breeder Tags,
some of the other benefits include:
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At Genus ABS we know it can be tough keeping your conception rates up and genetic
performance moving.
That’s why we’ve developed new Breeder Tag System. It’s the only heat detection
system with continuous support, fertility advice and genetic expertise, including
benchmarking and analysis through GMS mating programme,
the world’s leading mating programme. Simply, it all adds
up to more pregnancies, productivity and profit.
Why not start by learning how Breeder Tag System could
improve your heat detection rates?
Try our online calculator and see farmer results at
www.genusbreeding.co.uk. Then call us on 0870 162 2000

and get that right. It has been 15
months in the planning. There are
huge tasks to complete including
35 kilometres of electrical
fencing, 10 kilometres of water
pipes, laying cow tracks and
much more.”
Evolution Farming took another
forward step this year on April 1
when Tom and Oliver brought in
a new director Charlie Crotty from
Norfolk where he manages a
large estate.
“Charlie is still managing
the estate but now as part of
Evolution Farming. His wage
from the estate goes into our
overall pot and this will allow us
to grow our farm consultancy
business. All of the incomes
from the other industry work I
do, including NFU work as vice
chairman of the National Milk
Board, board member of AHDB
Dairy (the new name for Dairyco)
also goes into our overall pot and
out of that plus the incomes from
the various farming operations
come the three directors’ salaries,

payment of debt and of the rest
of the team that will run to 20 in
January.
“We’re getting people coming
to see us all the time now. Funnily
enough a number of estates
mothballed their dairies, that had
between 200-500 cows, on the
basis of accountants telling them
to pack up 20 years ago that
could come back into production.
There is also an incentive for
cereal crop growing farmers
to switch to growing forage in
order to eliminate blackgrass and
that could also herald a return
to dairying for some. We can
help those who are not currently
making a lot out of their farming
assets.”
Tom was a hard line ‘Leave’
when the Brexit referendum
came along.
“For me farming should be less
about direct support payments
and more about helping us
become more efficient. The
whole of agriculture needs to be
able to compete on a world scale

Data transmission – every 6 minutes
Can be used in any type of
farm environment
Continuous health monitoring
Data available on-line 24/7
Eliminates physical bottlenecks of gates
Wireless connection enables locating the
antenna almost anywhere
Data can be sent to PC, terminal,
SMS, email

The accuracy of the data has meant we can now
breed more cows to sexed semen and reduce the
number of Holstein bulls. The cows are mated
through GMS mating programme, which selects the
best available bulls for each individual cow mating
and goes back 7 generations on the male and
female side, protecting their cows from inbreeding.
Ours is the only one that does that.

GENUS. LONG LIFE COWS.

Genus ABS, Alpha Building, London Road,
Nantwich CW5 7JW.

where we are not frightened of
anybody. What is the point in us
trying to promote exports if we
have a system of farming that
can’t produce it cheaper than the
country we’re trying to export to
– end of!
“My thinking is that if we have
plans for greater farm efficiencies
then the government can give
support to capital expenses such
as new cow tracks, as they did
with bulk milk tanks. I also believe
there should be greater support
for young people to be trained up
and entrepreneurial in agriculture,
giving them real business skills
and a road map of how to come
through from practical farming to
leadership roles.
“The government now
has some real thinking and
planning to do when it comes
to agriculture and payments.
They need to decide where
environmental schemes go in all
of this.
“Hopefully the milk price will
rise soon and we can all come

out of this horrible period more
focussed. The only danger is
that farmers don’t simply turn the
taps on as everyone scrabbles
for cash as we could then end
up with a double dip that will do
us no good at all. When dairies
need more milk they will pay
more - that’s the top and bottom
of it - and if we are stupid enough
to flood the market then we won’t
get anywhere.”
Thornhill Hall Farm is still
a family farming partnership
between Tom’s mum and dad,
Tom and wife Catherine. They
have three children – Matthew,
William and Charlotte. Thornhill
was a medieval village and
the Savile family established a
presence around 1066. The farm
features a massive L-shaped
Grade II listed tithe barn.
INFORMATION
If you would like to find out
more about Tom and Evolution
Farming visit
www.evolutionfarming.co.uk

www.farmers-mart.co.uk Oct/Nov 2016 67