Dale Farm’s 'cream of the crop' celebrated at the Balmoral Milk Quality Awards

Sponsored by Ulster Bank, the awards took place at the Dale Farm Marquee at the Balmoral Show on Thursday 11th May, with Doagh farmer Samuel Kennedy named as overall winner.

The New Entrant category was won by Russell McCourt, Derrylin. Russell commenced milk production in August 2019, having converted the farm to accommodate 60 Jersey cows and followers. He intends expanding the herd to a maximum of 80 cows with the aim to maximise his milk price through achieving the highest hygiene and somatic cell count bonuses. High levels of cleanliness and attention to detail impressed the judging panel alongside the use of milk records when making breeding decisions.

Runner up in the New Entrant category was Roy Sproule, Victoria Bridge. Roy converted a proportion of his suckler herd into a 60 cow dairy unit in 2021 and is currently producing 30 litres per day from his mainly Holstein Friesian herd. Again, attention to detail and use of conductivity measurements generated by his robotic milking system has resulted in very impressive bactocount and somatic cell count results.

Overall Milk Quality Award winner Samuel Kennedy also took home the prize for the ‘Under 1 million litres’ category. Samuel runs a 60-cow herd averaging over 9,000 litres per cow outside Doagh, Co. Antrim. Samuel has incorporated a strict parlour and cow house routine which together have had a very positive impact on the weighted average somatic cell count, allowing him to achieve the exceptional result of 67 last year with a weighted average bactocount of 9. Samuel has received the top band for bactocount 10 out of the past 12 months and top band somatic cell count in 11 out of the past 12 months.

Runner up in the ‘Under 1 million litres’ category was Joe Close, Rasharkin. Joe and his two sons Daryl and Alvin milk 95 cows on an all-year-round calving system. The farm’s milk quality has been consistently good and following slight adjustments to the vacuum level in the parlour, its bactocount average has reduced to a fantastic 7 points, the lowest of all 6 finalists.

John Beckett, Donacloney topped the ‘Over 1 million litres’ category. John and his family manage a herd of 150 pedigree Holstein Friesian cows yielding 10,300 litres with a bactocount of 9 and somatic cell count of 87.

In the most recent milk year the milk hygiene and somatic cell count has resulted in bonuses paid every month, with the highest bonuses paid 9 out of 12 months for both bactocount and somatic cell count. Every aspect of this farms management is carefully considered with milk recording data utilised to implement selective dry cow therapy which has resulted in excellent udder health.

Matthew and James Alcorn, Omagh were named runner up in the ‘Over 1 million litres’ category. The Alcorn family manage a herd of 150 pedigree Holstein Friesian cows yielding 9,700 litres with a bactocount of 8 and somatic cell count of 95.