Farmer Focus: Messrs Palmer, Devon
Nutson Farm is home to the award-winning Sherdon herd and Palmer family. The Palmer family of Jerry, Cynthia, sons Dale and Lance, daughter-in-laws Cynthia and Donna and grandchildren Imogen, Ronnie and Arthur are a close-knit family, and all have their own roles on the family-run farm in Chawleigh, Devon.
Established in 1955, the Sherdon herd is home to 200 milking cows, including 64 EX and 106 VG, averaging a boastful classification score of 87.2. They currently milk 220 twice a day and calve all year round. The third-generation family farm has 285 acres in total, with a further 168 acres rented. Cropping comprises of 100 acres of maize with the remaining in short and long-term leys.
Jerry and his sons Dale and Lance have been using CIS since 2001 supported by CIS Area Manager Noni Smith. They use the Complete Pedigree Package which includes their 6-weekly milk recording services, female pedigree registrations and type classification visits for a single fee.
“The package of services provided by CIS enables us to be more efficient with how we monitor our herd. We use the reports to review the performance of each cow and the overall herd. It helps us pinpoint any potential issues so we can resolve them efficiently. In the last two years we updated the computer system for our DeLaval parlour further helping us to focus expenditure in the right places and be detailed in our management of the dairy business”, comments Dale.
Despite expanding numbers in the past, the herd now consists of quality cow families. Not only have the Master Breed herd been Holstein UK Premier Pedigree Herd finalists in 2014, they have also won the Devon Large Herd competition a massive 16 times since 2001.
The breeding policy at Nutson Farm is to produce cows with a natural will to give large volumes of milk with high components. And the cows must have the correct Type to suit a cubicle-housed system, and to have a long and trouble-free life span.
Their breeding policy has certainly paid off as they have 31 cows that have achieved over LP50, six that have achieved over LP100, and 30 that have done LP100.
The current herd average is 10,942kgs 4.11% fat 3.38% protein X2 on twice-a-day milking in their 24x24 Herringbone parlour.
And Jerry says they will always stay pedigree and register: “And we will always classify; all of that is our passion and we are always trying to improve.” Current AI sires include Koepon Ryder, Koepon Robin, Lambda, Gulliver, Ranger Red, Peak Newsflash, Sherdon Elevated Red, Mendel P and Delta Abundant. The Sherdon herd is run in two groups; highs and lows. “The low yielders graze in the summer, and the high yielders are kept in and they keep a consistent diet,” says Jerry as helping to maintain the dry matter intake as it is so vital to the health of the high yielders
When inside, cows are in slatted sheds with cubicles bedded with sawdust on mattresses.
The ration is made up of a TMR mix of quality grass silage, maize silage, wholecrop wheat, molasses and a blend, with the aim to feed for cow health. High intakes of forage dry matter are considered very important; increasing energy density without detriment to rumen function.
End.