The Vaughan Trust has supported Fermanagh dairy farmers who are milk recording for the first time with part funding over the first few years.

One local farmer who has availed of the scheme is Stephen Johnston who runs a herd of over 130 Friesian Holstein cows and rears replacement heifers on his 86-hectare grassland farm at Ballinamallard. His system of milk production is based on maximising the input of grazed grass and good quality silage.

All Stephen’s stock are AI bred and he selects high PLI bulls to breed his replacement heifers. To further improve the breeding of his herd, Stephen commenced milk recording three years ago with National Milk Records (NMR). These records have provided Stephen with valuable information about milk yield, compositional quality and somatic cell count for each individual cow in his herd. He is now able to identify superior cows from which to breed his replacement heifers.

As well as using milk recording as a key tool in his breeding programme, it also plays an instrumental part in his herd health program as Stephen’s vet regularly uses it to identify any potential problem cows in terms of nutrition, cell count and disease.

Stephen has availed of a Vaughan Trust scheme which encourages Fermanagh dairy farmers who are milk recording for the first time by providing 50% of the cost for the first three years. The Vaughan Trust supports the development of agriculture in Co.Fermanagh through a variety of schemes.

Details of all the schemes can be accessed on the Vaughan Trust website (www.vaughantrust.com) and further details on NMR services are available on www.nmr.co.uk