Livestock Event 2014: Michael Eavis named RABDF/NMR Gold Cup winner
Michael Eavis scooped the NMR/RABDF Gold Cup award at the 2014 Livestock Event, less than a week after hosting the Glastonbury Festival.
He has spent the past few years implementing significant changes at Worthy Farm, Somerset, along with herd manager John Taylor.
Bringing the calf rearing back in hand has been one such improvement, as has reducing the average age of the 385-cow herd. But the biggest change has been swapping apple pomace in the ration with maize, which has transformed cow health.
“We used to feed apple pomace as it was free from cider makers – but it’s very acid. We had to balance it with bicarbonate, and since we’ve swapped it for maize it’s transformed the health of the cows.”
As the music festival takes over the whole farm in June, maize is grown on contract, and cows are housed for most of the year.
Rolling milk yields for the qualifying period (year ending September 2013) was 12,101kg at 3.96% fat and 3.11% protein and with a margin over concentrates of £2,619 a cow. Lifetime average daily yield was 15.39kg/day.
In presenting the award, chairman of the judges Lyndon Edwards said: “This is an unconventional system with farm layout and buildings designed sympathetically.
“Michael has carefully balanced the environmental impact with cow management, ensuring the highest standards of cow health and welfare. They achieve high yields on twice a day milking with outstanding success.”
The Chris May Memorial Award, given to the Gold Cup qualifying herd with the highest average lifetime daily yield (LDY), went to last year’s Gold Cup winners, the Higgins family.
The farm is run by brothers Andrew and Bill, supported by parents Bill and Margaret and the 350-cow herd had a lifetime average daily yield of 18.24kg/day.
Read more news from the 2014 Livestock Event