Page 80 - Demo

Dairy Shorthorns have stood
the test of time
The Amber herd is one of the oldest Dairy Shorthorn herds in the country but the
cows are proving their worth across a wide range of modern farming systems.
CHLOE PALMER REPORTS
Dairy Shorthorns have been the breed
of choice for the Hole family for almost
eight decades.
James Hole’s grandfather established
the herd a couple of miles from the
family’s current home, Eddlestow Hall
Farm near Ashover, Derbyshire, where
they have farmed since 1956. James
believes the breed has stood the test of
time and is still one of the most versatile,
particularly well suited to their farm,
perched on top of a chilly east-facing hill
on the edge of the Peak District.
He says: “Shorthorns are easy to
manage and will adapt to any type of
system. They are very well suited to our
local environment and are an exceptional
grazing animal, especially for extensive
systems.
“We have seen renewed interest in our
animals from people who have gone
down the grazing route and are looking
for a good grazing animal.
“We have also recently sold two bulls
to Ireland where they were looking to
improve fertility across their herd.
“Longevity and excellent legs and feet
are just some of the attributes of this
breed and we have always bred for good
udders.
“Our cows average six lactations, but
we have several cows in the herd which
are on their tenth lactation and are back
in calf. We are not looking for a cow
which is too tall or extreme, but rather we
want a powerful cow which is compact.”
Mick Taylor, their herdsman and only
full time employee, agrees, adding they
are looking for sires which will ‘breed a
good type of cow with reasonable yield
and components’.
The Dairy Shorthorn Society’s genetics
company, Shorthorn Sires UK, has rented
several bulls from the farm over the
years, and semen is currently available
from Amber Firefox and Amber Magnum.
Commission
James says the arrangement works well
for them.
“They cover the costs of collecting,
producing and selling the semen and we
receive a small commission and also a
certain number of free straws for our own
use.
“We find some private customers will
see our bulls advertised and will then
enquire whether we have any other bulls
by the same dam for sale.
“We use our bulls’ semen on our cows,
and also buy semen from other bulls.
“We usually keep two stock bulls here
which we will use on the heifers until the
bulls grow too big and then we sell them
privately,” says James.
Mick has been working with the Amber
herd for 18 years and knows the history
and performance of each of the cow
families.
Bulls
He says: “The Amber Dainty Princesses
are the most prolific cow family, having
The Rees family, which farms in the Towy Valley. Left to right, Llyr,
Peter, Carys, Huw, Elizabeth, Carwyn, Emily and Alun.
Shorthorn
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