AgriScot 2009 preview: Brian’s enviable track record

Brian and Val Davidson, of Gretna Green, Scotland, are renowned for their top-quality Errolston herd, which regularly features in the ribbons at some of the most prominent shows in the region. Son, Craig is also a fixture on the show circuit, accompanying his parents whenever his full-time job as a sire analyst permits.

The family’s attendance will come as no surprise to other AgriScot exhibitors, as cattle from the 200-strong herd have traditionally fared very well in the competition stakes, securing the inter-breed championship in 2002, 2004 and 2008. They also took the reserve championship in 2005.

While no final decision has yet been made on the full list of entries for this year’s AgriScot, the team will include Stannock Talent Kiwi, which the Davidsons own jointly with the Armstrong family (Wolfa herd). Kiwi has already laid claim to a string of successes on the show circuit. They include best heifer at the 2008 Royal Highland Show, and reserve grand champion at the 2008 Ayr Show. She was also awarded reserve place in the Farmers Guardian-sponsored supreme championship at this year’s Northern Dairy Expo.

In addition, Kiwi was chosen as the 2008 All-Britain senior heifer winner, as well as clinching the heifer championship at AgriScot in 2008. Classified VG88 and by Ladino Park Talent, she gave over 11,000kg in her first lactation and calved her second in June.

Brian has nothing but praise for his other AgriScot entry, Errolston Gibson Wendy, a cow which he describes as “my best breeding achievement so far”.” By Silky Gibson and out of Lliwe Rudolph Wendy, she has been placed in a number of prestigious competitions, taking the Holstein championship at this year’s South West Scotland Dairy Show.

Other successes include the breed championship at the Dumfries and Lockerbie Show last year, best cow in the Holstein UK Scottish herd competition in 2008 and the reserve championship at Northern Expo 2007. Two other black and whites may also form part of the AgriScot team, depending on how much time is available for preparation, as the show date draws nearer.

Brian, who sits on the Holstein UK judging panel, is particularly proud of his whole herd achievements. Errolston has retained the title of the best Scottish herd in the Holstein UK society competition for the past three year.

Correct management

The Davidsons are obviously staunch devotees of the Holstein, although Brian stresses the breed needs to be managed correctly, in order to fulfil its potential.

His ideal cow is medium-sized, with plenty of width at the chest.

This feature is necessary, he says, to give newly-introduced cows a chance to compete with the rest of the herd at the feed barrier. His breeding philosophy is simple – the aim is to produce top quality replacements, and hope one or two show prospects will number among them.

“It’s a question of horses for courses,” says Brian. “Holsteins aren’t the answer for every farm situation, but for large herds where the main focus is on milk production, they are hard to beat. The breed has been blamed for poor longevity, but it is all down to management. Our herd average is 4.5 to 5 calves per cow, which I think is reasonable, taking into account the high volumes of milk produced.”

When it comes to the selection of bulls, Brian tries to pick a match for his cows on an individual basis. In the past, he has relied mainly on North American genetics, but says he judges each sire on its own merits.

Ladino Park Talent has performed particularly well, throwing several good daughters, some of which are now in their second lactation. Other bulls include Go-Farm Allen Scooby Doo, Cogent Loader, Cogent Maestro and Pursuit September Storm.

Maintaining a high herd health status is considered very important, but Brian cannot resist buying-in fresh bloodlines occasionally, particularly if an animal catches his eye. He also sells a few replacement females and Holstein bulls privately to other dairy farms. The lively trade for dairy cattle has persuaded more milk producers to keep their own black and white stock bulls in order to make savings, he observes.

Unfortunately, Errolston was one of a number of farms in south-west Scotland to lose their livestock during the foot-and-mouth crisis. Brian says he has never regretted his decision to restock and continue producing milk on an all-year-round basis. The majority of the new cattle came from two herd dispersals - the Lliwe herd from South Wales, and the Saxpona herd in the South West, along with a group of Stannock heifers.

Overwintering lambs

The sheep flock has never been replaced, and the only sheep on the farm are lambs, which are taken for overwintering.

For the past four years, milk has been sold on contract with Arla for the supermarket chain, Asda.

A firm believer in finding a winning formula and sticking to it, Brian has not needed to change any of the ingredients in the total mixed ration feeding system at Errolston for many years.

He is convinced the Holstein is best suited to this type of feeding regime. The diet comprises as many home-grown ingredients as possible, fed to 36 litres with no parlour feeders.

The farm started growing spring wheat for whole-crop a decade ago.

“I originally sowed a spring crop to fit in with the sheep, which needed grass over the winter,” he says. “I’ve been very happy with the results ever since. In my opinion, the relative immaturity of a spring-sown crop makes it more easily digestible than a crop sown in the autumn.”

Whole-crop wheat is offered at a rate of 10kg/head for 12 months of the year, with the rest of the grains crimped. The milking herd ration comprises 23kg of grass silage, 10kg of wholecrop wheat and 6kg of a blend including soya, rapeseed, dark distillers’ grains and beet pulp. Around 2kg of molasses and 3kg of crimped grain are added, along with 6kg of Supergrains, a yeast-enriched whisky production byproduct.

Meanwhile, the dry cows receive 15kg of the milking herd diet, along with 15kg of whole-crop and ad-lib straw. While lactating cows are housed in cubicles, dry cows are kept in loose housing. Milking is twice a day, and the family is assisted by two capable workers – Neil Hastings and Sam Erskine.

“Dairy farming is in my blood, and it’s all I really want to do,” says Brian. “Restocking has paid off. We are making a living and enjoying what we do.

“Although we are surviving, the low milk price has limited opportunities for investment, and we are hoping the situation will improve in the near future.”

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