Large numbers expected for ‘Open Day’ at Hollybank Holsteins, Antrim

The event takes place on Wednesday, July 20, at the farm, which is located at Hollybank Road on the outskirts of Parkgate in Co Antrim.

Over the past few years, the Cargill family has invested in a selection of elite Holstein bloodlines, making the Cargill herd one with a very positive future – from both a production and genetic development point of view.

Investment in the farm’s infrastructure has kept pace with these developments with the unveiling of a new calf-rearing and heifer-rearing unit, a centrepiece of the upcoming open day.

David Cargill and his father Stephen comprise the management team behind the ‘Hollybank’ project.

Together, they are committed to breeding cows of the highest genetic merit with an inherent ability to produce large volumes of high-quality milk in an extremely sustainable manner.

“The herd comprises 150 cows, 130 of which will be going through the milking parlour at any one time,” David explained.

“The cows are currently averaging 11,200L at 4.1% butterfat and 3.1% protein. The herd cell count average over the past 12 months has been 130. The cows are milked three times per day.”

He added:“The age profile herd is still quite a young one, as we only switched to dairy a number of years ago.”

The Cargills’ relationship with Animal Health Vision (AHV) and the development of bespoke animal health plans for Hollybank Holsteins will be a key focus of next week’s event.

AHV’s territory manager for Northern Ireland, Paul Marrs, will detail the health protocols that have been put in place for the Hollybank herd, all of which have been driven by the milk recording data available on each individual cow.

“And the results we are now achieving speak for themselves,” David Cargill further explained.

“We have not had any udder health issues to deal with since the beginning of the year.

“Compliance with the AHV health plan is centred on having real-time performance information available for each individual animal within the herd.”

Representatives from Lely; Smaxtec, NMR and JFC Agri will also be speaking at the Open Day.

The Lely Vector feeding system has been used at Hollybank Holsteins for some time, offering the cows 16 freshly prepared rations on a daily basis.

The new calf unit features JFC Agri computerised feeders while Smaxtec rumen boluses are helping the team at Hollybank identify health and fertility-related issues before they become a problem.

AHV territory manager for Northern Ireland, Paul Marrs, confirmed that all visitors will be made welcome to Hollybank Holsteins on July 20.

He added:“The event will centre on a series of presentations, which explain the significance of an AHV health plan and how one can be developed to meet the needs of all individual farm scenarios.

“It’s a process that requires a joint commitment on the part of the farmer and his or her AHV consultant.

“As a company, we fully commit to working as closely as possible with dairy farmers to ensure that the health needs of their animals are identified in full and the correct management procedures are put in place in tandem with these requirements.”

Paul also recognises that increasing numbers of farmers want to know how they can reduce the levels of using traditional methods on a routine basis.

He further explained: “AHV has a strong record of working with milk producers both here and internationally in this context.”

David Cargill concluded:“All visitors will be made very welcome to Hollybank Holsteins on July 20. In addition to members of the AHV team, representatives from other companies working within the dairy space will also be in attendance.”

The Open Day event will kick off at 11.30am on Wednesday, July 20.

Those wishing to participate should register with AHV UK & IE by calling Marketing on (028) 8554 9600 or via the website at ahvint.com/en/open-farm-event/