Newsletter April 2025

March 14th at 7pm : BFBC AGM, Carlisle

Presiding Chairman Patrick Davies, announced that our Club Secretaries, David Armett and Jill Morgan, who have been a vital part of the Club for 22 years, have decided to retire. The Club owes them a debt of gratitude for their part in keeping the British Friesian Breed ‘on the map’. Huw Rees was elected as our new Chairman with Stewart Archer as Vice-Chairman.

We welcome new members on to the Committee, Thomas Moscrop (Irthingelt) and Sally Howarth (Leasbeck). Trevor Griffin has decided not to stand again.

Audited Accounts to Dec 2024 are available on request from the Treasurer.

Bulls For Sale

If you are looking for a bull to buy, the Herd Advertisements page on our website, www.britishfriesian.co.uk should be your first port of call. You can always use the Club’s Facebook page with the direct link from the website for both enquiries and sales.

Brochure

Please start thinking about getting together your Herd Advertisements for the Club Brochure and sending them in PDF form to Simon Gee at geewhizzy@btinternet.com who has volunteered to take on the Brochure by the end of June. Any that have already been sent to David Armett will be forwarded on. Also, please try to encourage new advertisers as we are always grateful for their support – and yours!

Nerewater

Regrettably, Richard Bell and his wife have decided to retire from dairy farming and therefore they will be selling their Nerewater herd. See details under For Sale / Wanted.

March 14th - 15th: Borderway : National British Friesian Show

Exhibition Centre, Carlisle.

See Results below.

Well done to all exhibitors on the animals that they put forward and on how well they were all presented. It is especially pleasing to have a new exhibitor in Will Williamson.

Reminder of the June 3rd / 4th Herd Visit June to the Scottish Borders

Please put these dates in your diaries with a reminder to telephone or email Huw Rees who needs to know if you are attending the Dinner. Please use the Herd Visit Dinner Form found on the Noticeboard. Huw’s contact details are huw.rees@farming.co.uk and his mobile / WhatsApp number is 0781 2112736.
Please be advised that your accommodation options are already limited so, if planning to stay overnight, please book as early as you can. An Accommodation List can also be found on the Noticeboard, but you may need to cast your net wider when searching for overnight Accommodation.

June 3rd - R Neill & Sons, Thornington Farm, Mindrum, Cornhill-on-Tweed, TD12 4QH. Tel: 07971 542825

June 4th - R P Shanks, Queenscairn Farm, Kelso, TD5 7TJ. Tel: 07974 968150

THORNINGTON FARM, MINDRUM

Tom Neill is the third generation on the farm which averages about 8,000kg and produces between 2.4 to 2.5 million litres of milk p/a from his 310 British Friesians for Arla within their 360 scheme. Tom’s parents are still involved in the business, as are Tom’s wife, Nicola and children, Emma and Michael.

There is much emphasis on home-grown forages and grazing as the hardy Friesians are turned out in late April. Most of the feed and bedding straw needed for the stock on the farm is home grown on over 700 acres. Youngstock are fed a ration based on urea treated barley and beans with the milking herd fed a base ration of urea treated barley and a protein blend (with no Soya).

The herd’s calving interval is 365 days and all black-and-white bull calves born on the farm are castrated and reared to 20 – 24 months of age, when they are either sold at auction or go direct to slaughter. Excess fresh calved heifers are sold through Harrison & Hetherington’s monthly dairy day, with the British Friesian heifers being strong sellers.

Tom reckons that between the cull cows, fresh heifers, Limousin cross bulling heifers, steers and calves, the farm accrues an extra 20p per litre on all milk produced. Technology has played an increasingly important part in this large-scale mixed enterprise which, through extensive monitoring, has enabled herd size to increase, whilst maintaining performance and improving living conditions for the herd when housed in the new shed built in 2012. However, the hardiness and good fertility of the breed also help to keep vet visits to a minimum and maximise the grazing season.

ROBERT SHANKS - QUEENSCAIRN FARM, KELSO

Robert’s grandfather began farming with British Friesians back in 1922 when the family farmed in Kirkcudbright, with the Rattra prefix. Robert’s father moved to Queenscairn in 1955 and started the Queenscairn prefix. He was a keen British Friesian enthusiast and tried hard to maintain size throughout the 60s and 70s, eventually introducing some Canadian influenced Holstein bulls in the early 70s.

However, when Robert started selecting the breeding bulls in the early 80s, they were all 100% Holstein, most of the industry went down the same route at this time. Following Queenscairn’s move to organic in 2006 to maximise the milk price, Robert noticed the new system of farming was tough on his 250 strong pedigree Holstein herd.

However, in 2012, Robert decided he had to reinstate Friesian bloodlines having lost too many downer cows which had been unable to get back up. He had worried about the drop in milk inherent in crossing with the Friesian but found that the more modern Friesian is milkier than he remembered and, as he says, "We did see a drop in milk, but it was not catastrophic. We are not breeding an animal which does not want to milk… I want to breed animals which have a long and productive life…Friesians are a lot more robust."

Robert says the Friesian crosses are also far more fertile than the Holsteins were, because the herd had recorded a calving interval of 400+ days, now it averages 364 days. Cows are also lasting longer, with some now staying in the herd until their seventh lactation and beyond.

As an organic herd must graze for as much of the year as possible, the cows are turned out from April until the end of October which means that Robert focuses on feet, leg and udder traits when selecting sires, and the ability to remain within Holstein UK’s open herd book was key to his decision as pedigree breeding remains a family tradition.

Inbreeding

The relentless advance in the inbreeding % as a result of the Index system has been exposed in the recent ‘Bullvine’ publication. To quote, ‘genetic progress without inbreeding control is like milking three-legged cows – eventually the whole operation crashes.’

Your Committee members have been monitoring the situation over the years with regard to British Friesians. Fortunately, the Club has been proactive in ensuring a broad spread of genetics is available.

13th -15th June - Dairy Classes at Royal Three Counties Show

For those Club members who are still able to show, just a reminder that there will be a class for Any Other Dairy Breed.

National British Friesian Show Results

Judge: Andrea Debenham

Championship

Champion: Irthingelt Balmoral Spirit 4, Thomas Moscrop

Reserve: Whinnow Solo Pauline 3, I & GM Blamire

HM: Lismulligan Ethel 7, B Lawson & Sons

2 Year Old

  1. Lismulligan Ethel 7, B Lawson & Sons

  2. Whinnow Jingle Pauline 8, I & GM Blamire

3 & 4 Year Old

  1. Irthingelt Mission Blossom, Thomas Moscrop

  2. Whinnow Jingle Pauline 5, I & GM Blamire

  3. Lismulligan Empress 69, B Lawson & Sons

Senior Cow

  1. Irthingelt Balmoral Spirit 4, Thomas Moscrop

  2. Parkin Latino Fern, Messrs W Williamson

Iron Grandma / David Bailey Oldest Cow

  1. Whinnow Solo Pauline 3, I & GM Blamire

  2. Adams Laura 6, B Lawson & Sons

Premier Sire

Lakemead Jingle

Junior Championship

Champion: Lismulligan Empress 83, B Lawson & Sons

Reserve: Greenway Jay Olive Oyl, Les & Tracy Rocket

HM: Lismulligan Honeyschaap 6, B Lawson & Sons

Calf Class

  1. Greenway Jay Olive Oyl, Les & Tracy Rocket

  2. Lismulligan Honeyschaap 6, B Lawson & Sons

  3. Whinnow Jake Wendy, I & GM Blamire

Maiden Heifer

  1. Whinnow Jingle Pauline 16, I & GA Blamire

  2. Irthingelt Grandslam Spirit, Thomas Moscrop

  3. Greenway GTW Almond Blossom, Thomas Moscrop

  4. Lismulligan Aster 12, B Lawson & Sons

In Calf Heifer

  1. Lismulligan Empress 83, B Lawson & Sons

For Sale

Richard & Joanne Bell of the ‘Nerewater Herd’ of British Friesians announce the first of several monthly consignments into H&H’s Dairy Day Sales, culminating in the dispersal of the entire milking portion of the dairy herd.

Herd Average 8084kg, 4.28%Bf, 3.38%Pt, SCC 63, Bactoscan 16

TB Free, TB4, BVD Free, HUSKOVAC, BVD and LEPTO vaccinated, IBR and JOHNES monitored.

Dairy Day Sales are on the first Thursday of each month at Harrison & Hetherington, Borderway Mart, Carlisle, CA1 2RS.

For information contact Richard 07823694159 or email nerewater.farm@gmail.com

Nerewater Farm, Saltcoats, Kirkbride, Wigton, Cumbria, CA7 5HL.

For Sale - BRITISH FRIESIAN HERD BOOK

vol 12 – 1934 to vol 56 – 1966

(1962, 64 and 65 missing)

BRITISH FRIESIAN TYPE & PRODUCTION REGISTER

1950 – 1964 & 1967

BRITISH FRIESIAN SUPPLEMENTARY REGISTER

vol 39 1949 to vol 51 1961 and vol 56 1966

Enquiries to Steve Jacob - steve@the-hometown-group.com