Busy week for dairy farmers in Ayrshire

Lawrie family team

“Our two Ayrshire units average 9400 litres at 4.3% BF and 3.53% P, with the components worth an extra 3p per litre on top of the original contract – that comes to a lot of money at the end of the day,” he pointed out.
Ironically, while many Holstein breeders are looking to the new modern Ayrshire as an easily managed cow, it is the blending of red and white Holstein genetics with the Ayrshire that Gilmour believes ‘saved’ the breed.
While there is still demand for 100% Ayrshire cattle, he pointed out that the addition of red and white bloodlines, has not only bolstered demand, but also enthusiasm – especially amongst the younger generation.
“Ten years ago, fewer than 20 youngsters took part in our Young Breeders’ event, but this year, there were more than 70 participating. We also have a great team at the top and on council to take the society forward with Duncan Hunter and Claire Kimm at the helm,” Gilmour said.
With some much interest in the breed, this year’s three-day conference, which is based at Western House Hotel, Ayr, is open to all dairy farmers, and again, features visits to some of the best known herds in the country.
Delegates will be able to view several of the oldest herds in the country, including the president’s Brieryside herd, owned in partnership with his father Gavin, and brother Jim Lawrie.
With records tracing back to 1870, it is one of the longest established in the herd book, and with 600 cows now milked in two separate units it is also one of the biggest and most progressive units in the UK.
While Brieryside takes its name from the home farm, just along the road where brother Jim and his family farm, the new herd is now based at Sandyford, which Gilmour got the chance to take over in 2001 when Murray Stevenson sadly passed away.

New dairy unit at Myremill

Myremill, at Maybole, which the family acquired three years ago – where Kevin is now based – means they now have two 300 cow units.
In total, the business comprises some 1400 acres, which includes potatoes and carrots grown under contract, but also wheat and barley to meet the dietary requirements of their mixed Ayrshire and red and white cows.
“We have been blending our Ayrshire breeding with red and white Holsteins for the past 15 years. The components are just as good now as they were then, while our yields have increased by 1400 litres,” added Gilmour.
“Our Ayrshires are also just as hardy and they last just as long, with the result there is growing demand for them. We’ve still got several cows approaching 10 years of age.”
With a keen eye for breed type, good feet and legs, depth of rib and femininity, the family also owns several show winners from the Royal Highland and AgriScot events.

Rapid exit parlours feature at Myremill and Sandyford

But, it’s not just the cows that are worth a look. Sandyford and Myremill are both home to new, state-of-the-art milking units.
Three years ago, the Lawries installed a 30/30 global 90i rapid exit parlour, with feeding according to yield, at Sandyford. This has a viewing gallery built in and has been visited by several thousand school children through the Royal Highland Education Trust.
More impressive however, is the modern 290ft by 152ft Ve-tech dairy unit at Myremill, which features grooved slats from Belgium for extra grip, Air Koe curved light ridge and Air Koe cutting for increased light. 
There, temperature is automatically controlled by curtains on the sides of the shed which open and shut depending on the external temperature.
This all-in-one 40ft high unit replaced three dark, low, old-fashioned sheds, and has accommodation for 300 cows on matted cubicles. 
Extremely light and airy and encompassing another 30/30 global 90i rapid exit parlour, it has improved cow comfort to such an extent that you could almost hear a pin drop inside it.
With reduced stress, comes improved fertility and the Myremill cows have recorded a calving index of 380 days, compared to 400 days at Sandyford.
Stats now show that Kevin can AI the first of his cows at 38-48 days post calving, whilst first service at Sandyford is nearer 45-50 days – a feature he believes is partly a result of housing the cows all year at Myremill.
“The first year the cows were out at grass for three months of the year here and they lost 3litres per head per day. Last year, when they were housed all year, they maintained milk yields and fertility improved,” said Kevin, who was the proud recipient of this year’s Hugh Stevenson Memorial trophy and the 2016 YFC stockman of the year award.
Not surprisingly, cows are housed all year at Myremill, although they are still grazed for three months of the year at Sandyford.
Diets at the two units are on a par, with both herds split between high and low yielders, and dried off 50 days pre-calving. 

High yielders are fed a TMR based on the best quality silage they can make, plus caustic-soda-treated wheat, molasses, barley, soya, rape, dark grains and whole-crop wheat for maintenance plus 28 litres. Low yielders are fed for maintenance plus 22 litres. 
Over the past year, the business has been averaging 30 litres per cow per day, 365 days a year. Heifers join the herd at 23-25 months of age.
With the majority of old buildings at Myremill demolished, this all singing, all dancing dairy farm is also home to a separate new calf shed. There, the calves are hand-reared on milk from the cows and speaned at eight to nine weeks. 
To date, pneumonia and scours have caused few, if any, problems, with Kevin confident that the introduction of jackets for the calves from birth through to three to four weeks, has reduced disease.
While the vast majority of the herd is AI’d to a red and white or Ayrshire, the bottom percentage is put to a British Blue. The resultant bull calves are sold as stores through Ayr auction mart as yearlings, while heifers are sold privately for breeding. 
Pure Ayrshire bull calves, on the other hand, are cashed at a couple of weeks of age into a veal contract producer.

Healthy calves at the new calf unit at Myremill

* Outwith these units, delegates will also be able to visit Johnnie and Robin Templeton’s Carnell herd, at Mauchline, which is celebrating 100 years of Ayrshire cattle breeding.
Other herd visits include Brocklehill, run by the Rennie family; Martin, Lesley and Paul McHarg’s Croftside herd, from Crofthead, Ayr; the Logan family’s Holehouse herd, at Kilbirnie; and at Knowe, George Templeton’s show-winning herd at Auchinleck.

*The event commences on Monday May 15, with council meetings and agm and herd visits on the Tuesday and Wednesday. Those wishing to attend who have not already signed in should contact Claire Kimm, or Duncan Hunter, at the Ayrshire Cattle Society.