Fourth generation farmer, Jeff Harris & family run Nymphayes Farm in the rolling hills of Mid-Devon. Designed and operated on a ‘Low-Input’ style system, the 135 British Holstein/Friesian cross herd are milked twice a day in a 12/24 Herringbone Parlour, averaging 7,500 litres across a 12-month pattern. The herd is rotationally grazed from mid-Spring to late Autumn across the 280 acre farm, predominately sown with NWF’s Champion with clover grass ley, chosen for its proven long-term dual purpose; offering high-quality forage production whether cut or grazed.
The year-round calving operation allows for consistency in labour, with no peaks in the Spring and Autumn to allow Jeff and the family to maintain a consistent work routine year-round. The 80 calves are reared on NWF Ultra Milk Emerald, a skim-based milk replacer with NWF’s Greenguard ingredient profile to support digestive health and performance. The calves are then weaned onto NWF Calf Starter pellets until 10-12 weeks of age. Since the addition of NWF’s Ultra Milk Emerald and Calf Starter Pellet, Nymphayes Farm has seen an increase in average DLWG and overall ‘calf contentment.’ Jeff has also added barley into his calf’s diet to support fibre intake and rumen development. The herd is housed in mid-October and fed a mix of homegrown grass and maize silage, with NWF’s Dairy Fusion 20 fed in the parlour to keep yields high. To reduce labour intensiveness and machinery usage, Jeff opted to self-feed silage directly from the clamp, with an electric fence wire moved daily. It also provides a great loafing area for the herd. Since switching to NWF Dairy Fusion 20, Jeff has been successful in removing soya, without compromising yields, constituents or cow health.
“We’ve been working with NWF Agriculture for the last 5 years, initially taking a rearer compound for our 50-head Angus herd, on the introduction of the NWF Fusion Range, we have been working closely with our sales specialist, Ed Drake on improving milk yields, fertility and addressing any health issues. With milk supplied to Arla, our business is scored on its sustainability credentials and I am proud to say that we are far higher than the average Arla supplier, which results in an additional 1.5ppl on all milk sold, making a huge difference to our bottom line and farm operations,” says Jeff.
“The technical support and services from Ed Drake and NWF Agriculture have been extremely helpful in both improving milk yields and understanding the Arla scheme and point accumulation. Ed has been key in supporting our farm with rationing and diet services, along with feed conversion efficiency charts.” adds Jeff.
Where do you see the Nymphayes farm and the industry in years to come?
“We purchased an additional 65 acres in 2020 to expand both the dairy herd and our grazing acreage and would love to expand further. With farm labour shortages across the UK, our low-input style works for our lifestyle. We recently invested in a Lely Discovery to reduce hours scraping sheds and collecting slurry. I can only see more milk buyers moving towards a more ‘sustainable ration’ in the future, I’m glad we have taken the leap already and we can get ahead of the curve and continue to focus on our farm efficiencies”, concludes Jeff.
The NWF Agriculture Fusion Pro dairy compound is a high-performing ration, containing high levels of NWF’s protected feed range, Ultra Pro-R and Ultra Starch-W. This ensures that high levels of bypass protein and starch are available to support production, fertility and the health of your herd. The NWF Fusion Range is free from HiPro Soya, soya hulls & palm kernel, resulting in less than half the Co2 equivalent (GFLI number) of other compound feeds.
NWF Agriculture would like to thank Jeff Harris & family for their continued support and business.
For further information on NWF soya-free dairy diets, please click HERE.
By Ed Drake, NWF Sales Specialist
