Farmer Focus: Fantastic Sahara pedigree dairy cattle sale

Now spring is here, how the days are stretching. We have been busy mucking out the youngstock shed and have piled it up in our stubble field so that it is ready for spreading when the weather is better.

The decision has been made to go ahead with vacuum on demand (VoD) as East Logan only has single-phase electricity and the farm has therefore been unable to have VoD in the past.

VoD saves on power by regulating pump speed to only generate as much vacuum as is needed. 

See also: See more of our Livestock Farmer Focus writers

The electricity prices have gone up and we want to reduce electricity use in the parlour, so we have decided to go down this route to save more than £1,500/year with a four-year payback.

Michael and I are wondering if a flow meter for the slurry umbilical system would be an advantage to us. We want to be more accurate with the volumes of slurry we are putting on each acre.

We had the slurry tested over the past couple of years and we know the nutrients that are present in the slurry, so we feel this is a great way to use the information effectively.

Pedigree sale

Emma and Michael went down to Beeston for the Wright Marshall Stars of Sahara Sale, where Emma sold four of her animals. Their honeymoon fund is looking a bit healthier now.

It was a fantastic sale and it’s encouraging to see there is still money in pedigree cattle.

The next day they were up at Edinburgh for the Scotland v Wales match, with Michael in blue and Emma in red.

While I was watching the match at home I noticed my cousin Adam Gray whispering into the ear of Wales coach Warren Gatland.

Hopefully he was giving him some tips on who to select from the Scottish team for the Lions tour.

Brian Yates milks 250 pedigree Holsteins in partnership with his wife Sheila, son Michael and daughter Anna. Surplus heifers are sold for breeding.