Pembrokeshire-based producer, Ed Clements, runs a 200-cow crossbreed herd with his parents Robert and Diane at Broomhill Farm. 

Recently, Ed turned to crossbreeds to boost farm efficiency by introducing Jersey and Norwegian Red genetics to his Holstein cows and has developed a dairy business with a type of cow that suits his system, milk buyer and lifestyle.

With a reputation for high health and fertility, Ed opted for Norwegian Red, and 75% of the youngstock and 35% of the milking herd are now Norwegian crosses.

“We’ve never looked back” said Ed. 

In the Peak District, Paul Dean operates Deans Farms LTD, a family farm which is tailoring its breeding strategy based on the farm land that it incorporates.

The business runs 550 cows across three farms. Two of their farms are managed as all-year-round calving herds, the other is a Spring Block Calving herd.

Midgley farm, the Spring Block Calving herd, milks approximately 200 cows on a once-a-day system, and has been breeding a smaller framed animal since 2000. This animal efficiently converts grass to milk with high solids, which is evident in their current average of 3,500kgs per cow at 9% of combined solids.

In 2019, Paul made the decision to integrate a Sexcel® and Beef InFocus™ breeding strategy into the herd, due to a need to reduce dairy calves on their farm as an Arla producer.

He said: “This gave us the ability to generate heifers from the most elite females within our herd and Beef InFocus™ bulls gave us a high value beef calf crop from the remainder.”

R & C Ward operate Eastfield Farm which covers 650 acres by the beautiful North Cornwall coast, near Boscastle.

Calving in a tight autumn block are 310 milking cows, with 61 in-calf heifers and 110 yearling heifers which make up the dairy replacements.

Dan prefers the farm to operate on a simple system, so when considering the genetics of the herd, he uses Friesians crossed with Holsteins, which creates the ideal solution for the sort of cow required for their farm.

The Ward family’s herd averages an impressive 1.8 services per pregnancy, with 90% of replacements bred over a six-week period.