Winners of the 2016 Premier Pedigree Herd Competition, The Birkle family, are inviting guests to visit their farm in Leicestershire as they host the Holstein UK Premier Herd Open Day on the Thursday 15th June 2017.
Andrew Birkle, together with his wife Mimi and two sons Sean and Leo, farm at Dungehill Farm near Loughborough. The farm open day comes following Andrew and his family’s great success on winning the Premier Pedigree Herd Competition 2016. Andrew’s Whinchat Holsteins were crowned 2016 Champions at UK Dairy Day in Telford back in September.
The Birkle family will open their 200-acre farm; a wonderful opportunity for Holstein UK and other all dairy farmers to view the Whinchat herd and learn about their production system, husbandry, feeding, breeding and management techniques.
The 220 head Whinchat herd consists of 104 EX and 102 VG, averaging 10,700kg, 3.88% butterfat and 3.2% protein, with the most prominent cow families including: Farrah; Savoire Fare; Molli; Pamela; Sara; Inka Ideal; and Beaujolais. The Birkle family are renowned for their meticulous management; they have a clear focus on breeding practical, hard-working Holstein dairy cattle, which perform well in a commercial environment, with the main breeding emphasis being on type.
Andrew, 2016 Premier Pedigree Herd Champion, said; “We’re extremely looking forward to welcoming Holstein UK members, and other farmers, to our farm on the 15th June. My view is that the best way to implement new farming methods and innovations, to improve herd performance, is by learning from others. I gain the greatest insight by visiting other farms and seeing how they do things! We look forward to sharing what we do at Dungehill Farm and hearing other farmers’ experiences too.”
Provided by Holstein UK