Introduction
At the age of 34, my passion for cows and dairy farming is as strong now as it was when I was a young boy. In 2010, it was this passion that drove the relocation of our dairy business and the Cherwell herd of pedigree Holsteins from Oxford to Longmoor Farm in Dorset, a move which allowed us to reassess our business and future goals.
As many of you will know, moving a dairy farm is no mean feat! The move was an internal transfer within The Duchy of Cornwall Estate and we now farm 380 acres, 230 acres of which is ring-fenced. We are currently milking 250 pedigree Holsteins averaging 10,014 litres, calving all year round. The move to Longmoor Farm allowed us to increase cow numbers, and the facilities that we have subsequently developed have resulted in better cow and youngstock facilities compared to the Oxfordshire unit. This is reflected in the improved performance data of our cows since 2010, including increases in milk yield, fertility and youngstock health. Current performance data for the Longmoor herd is summarised in Table 1.
At Longmoor Farm, I farm in partnership with my father and mother. My wife, Helen, is a farm animal vet at Friars Moor Veterinary Clinic Ltd. She is a key member of the team, helping to keep us at the forefront of animal health and welfare. Consultancy is provided by Christine Pedersen and Tim McKendrick of The Dairy Group and both were influential in ensuring that the move to Longmoor Farm was a success.
Marketing and Social Media
Having moved, the decision was made to register all calves born at Longmoor Farm with a new prefix, Longmoor. The main reason for this change was to highlight our new start; whilst Longmoor Farm was a familiar name to many, Longmoor Holsteins was completely new. However, moving to the South West meant that we were no longer a well-known local Holstein breeder. This was something that I was very conscious about, wanting our cows and herd to become recognised within the industry. The desire to establish ourselves both locally and further afield resulted in us creating the Longmoor brand, setting up the website and embracing social media.
When I started engaging on social media, I had no idea how useful it would be, allowing us to reach a worldwide audience. It brings together like minded individuals and allows sharing of knowledge quickly and efficiently. Those with shared goals can form groups on Twitter and Facebook, allowing observation of farms, analysis of breeding goals and critiquing of breeding choices. For example, the group Polled Partners, which was set up a year ago, consists of dairy farmers who all use polled genetics in their herds or supply polled semen. It allows the instant dissemination of information and discussion amongst a relatively small number of members (60) who are invited to join the group if they share the breeding goal of introducing polled genetics into their herd.
Traditionally, promotion of your herd would have occurred in the show ring, but on social media, marketing of your herd can be carried out on a daily basis. It allows cows to be photographed in their ‘working clothes’, giving an insight into their performance in the herd situation. It has proved to be an extremely powerful tool for us in promoting our new herd, leading to heifer sales and farm visits.
Farming is an isolated profession and social media provides links with likeminded individuals. You can never underestimate the power of social media and its ability to promote knowledge sharing, spread awareness and provide support. Equally, you have to be aware that everything that you post is in the public domain and is open to scrutiny. By engaging in social media use, you are not only promoting your individual business but are representing the dairy industry.
Genomic Breeding
My father was one of the early adopters of Holstein genetics and has been an incredible guide and mentor in my development as a cow breeder and manager. Having closely followed its introduction to the UK, I chose to embrace genomic breeding relatively early in 2010 to increase the accuracy of breeding decisions. Whilst we were initially cautious, the first heifers that were bred genomically outperformed their conventionally-bred counterparts in both type and production. This gave us the confidence to use genomic semen more extensively and in the past three and a half years we have not bought a proven bull.
I believe that our early adoption of genomic semen makes us an innovator within the UK. I am incredibly confident in the genomic bulls being offered; today’s genomic bulls are tomorrow’s proven bulls.
Genomic Testing and Breeding Goals
Fitness and health traits have always been my key breeding goals. We are not looking to breed an extreme cow at Longmoor Farm, but a healthy and productive one. Every space in our cubicle shed counts, so filling each cubicle with a productive and profitable cow is key. There are huge hidden costs to retaining heifers that are underperforming herd members and genomic testing provides us with an early means of identifying weaker herd replacements.
Selective genomic testing of heifer calves started at Longmoor in July 2012. Results from genomic testing has reinforced assumptions formed from traditional classification and performance scoring of heifers. More importantly it has also identified high scoring heifer replacements from families that would otherwise have been overlooked.
The test results provide you with extensive information about the genetic potential of a heifer/cow allowing you to make increasingly informed breeding decisions. Ideally, all heifer replacements should be tested. It is easy to form emotional attachments to cow families and convince yourself that a heifer replacement will perform as well or better than her family history. Genomic testing may confirm this attachment or can provide uncomfortable reading! However, the use of genomics increases the rate of genetic improvement and increases herd efficiency by identifying the weaker bloodlines.
Introducing polled genetics to the Longmoor Herd
Recently, my interest in genomic bulls has focused particularly on the incorporation of polled genetics into the Longmoor Herd. Personally, I find that there are not enough hours in a normal day, so the use of polled semen allows us to dedicate the time that would otherwise be spent dehorning to more important tasks. There is also increased pressure from the consumer to eliminate the dehorning process. Don’t forget, by opening up our farms on social media all aspects of the farming process are under scrutiny.
Whilst polled bulls have traditionally been viewed as underperformers relative to their horned counterparts, genomics has driven a vast improvement in polled genetics and the selection of bulls available is increasing rapidly.
The polled gene is dominant, allowing genetic gains to be achieved quickly, however, only 1% of the international dairy herd is polled. This is where social media is a vital tool in both promoting its benefits and allow engagement between breeders around the world. Our first polled heifers are entering the herd now and our aim is for every cow to breed a calf with a 50% minimum chance of being polled. At Longmoor Farm, the use of genomic testing to incorporate polled genetics is an opportunity to increase the marketable value of our herd.
Summary
It is a huge privilege to be in a position to breed cows. My focus has always been to improve the health and fitness traits of both the Longmoor Herd and the individual cow. Genomic testing allows me to make more informed breeding decisions to promote rapid genetic gain and improve the productivity of the herd.
Genomics has been hugely influential in improving the availability of polled Holstein bulls, which has allowed us to develop a niche market in the Longmoor Herd alongside improving the quality of the heifers produced. Across the industry it is important that we embrace marketing to advertise such developments to fellow breeders and demonstrate dairy farming’s commitment to breeding healthy cattle and rearing them under the highest welfare conditions. With the development of social media, farmers have unprecedented access to the consumer, and the power to reach out and demonstrate that the industry is developing and addressing their concerns.
Social media has provided the Longmoor Herd with the platform to market itself to a worldwide audience. Establishing a brand identity and engaging with new audiences via Twitter and Facebook has been an extremely positive step in developing the future potential of our herd.
The Longmoor prefix is now widely recognised as a herd embracing and sharing the use of genomics to improve the genetic fitness of our dairy cattle.