The Farmers Mart Spring 2017 - Issue 50 | Page 78

Scarah Bank Farm NWF are here to help your herd • • • • • • Getting nutrition right for your herd Supplying diets that perform from compounds to blends to straights Seeing what your cows are telling you through Cow Signals Robots, what you should consider before investing Improving forage quality by understanding your soils Interpreting results for forage and mineral analysis Production sites across the UK Longtown Brayton Bilsborrow Wardle Call us on 0800 756 2787 or email [email protected] Wixland www.nwfagriculture.co.uk they didn’t know any different but the cows weren’t bothered either. The herd is now averaging 3.1 milkings a day. We sell bull calves on to two private buyers. ‘The cows are on slatted floors so the slurry all goes underneath. They are on a mix of mattresses and lime and sawdust bedding. The foot trimmer comes every six weeks. Genus keeps an eye on all our fertility and handles our AI work. They score the cows and we pick the appropriate bulls to suit. We go for a good udder and a nice medium size fairly thickset cow as we don’t like big bony types.’ Better conditions for the cows was the priority five years ago and although Andrew had moments before embarking on the £750,000 investment and has had a tough past two years, he doesn’t regret his and Alison’s combined decision to Conveyor invest and carry on in dairying. ‘Dairy farming is all I have ever known. I considered whether we stayed in or got out as the old dairy unit had seen better days and investment was needed. If we had quit I would have had to go and work for somebody. I remember someone saying to me if dad had moved out of farming years ago where would we all have been today. It’s a thought that has stuck with me and I can see Spinners NEW SAND HYBRID • Sand / green bedding / chopped straw. • New conveyor design (12 foot spread). • Only 25 litres oil flow required. • Reliable triple sealed bearing. • Durable T section flights. AG 3-Point Linkage New Bucket Design NO Bridging with WET Sand NO Stalling with WET Sand Designed especially for all types of SAND DEMONSTRATIONS AVAILABLE www.ag-products.co.uk Tel: +44 (0)1565 722922 Garnett Farms Engineering Limited 78 Spring 2017 www.farmers-mart.co.uk • 8 Foot even spread pattern • Interchangeable modules • Faster sand Drying times • Fewer wearing parts New AG 2-Point Linkage