Moorcastle Master Breeder

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We would like to say the hugest congratulations to our long-term customers Bryan Graham and his parents June and William Robert, for their recent presentation of the Holstein UK’s Master Breeder Award. Holstein UK says that this prestigious award recognises herds that excel in classification, production, and longevity. Those females bred by the herd who have produced a recorded lactation within the past two years receive points which are averaged to determine the winning herds. 

What an amazing achievement, which the family have been building on for three generations. We caught up with Bryan and the family to find out what this huge accolade means to them and Bryan gives a great insight into the farm as it currently runs, but also the history behind it. 

“Firstly we are surprised and honoured to be named Master Breeder in 2025, I’m not one for speeches or glory but here’s an insight into what we do here and where we’ve come from over the years. In January of this year the 65 cow herd had 19 Ex cows, 31Vg cows and 8 Vg heifers, producing 10,360 litres, 4.17% butterfat, 3.31% protein, on twice a day milking. For nine years we have used AI on all our cows alongside Cow manager, with milk recording once a month through Dale Farm and classification twice a year with Holstein UK.  We aim to breed for a balance of type and production, with an emphasis on locomotion, rump width and udder traits.

Current sires: Siemers Rengd Parfect, Duckett Hayk Hader, Siemers Avz Hanley, Delaberge Pepper, Siemers Wolf Hulu.

The Farm Business

The farm itself runs a simple system, milked twice a day in a six-aside doubled up Fullwood parlour, cake is fed on a flat rate in the parlour, then a flat rate of blend fed with silage in the TMR and fed to yield in out of parlour feeders. Cows are grazed during the summer months in daytime hours, with no calvings between May and mid-July. Cowmanager has been a huge help in fertility as we now pick our individual cows to breed to sexed semen, the health alerts on it are by far even better than the fertility, cows get treated early before they become sick and we also can act fast at the point of calving, for example if a cow flags a temperature alert we will treat her for milk fever before she would go down. Dry cows run as one group for a 60-day dry period on a straw and round bale silage mix. We try to transition cows from dry to calving to the milking herd within 48 hours, they go to the calving mattresses the night before calving, all cows get two YMCP boluses then and a bucket of Reviva immediately after calving, dry cow mix is replaced with TMR and we make sure the cow eats ‘a full tub’ within half an hour of calving to reduce possible transition issues.

Cow History

The herd was upgraded to pedigree in 1978, Ai and stock bulls were used as well as buying in new families at pedigree sales. One of the first memories I have was Ballybeeny Roland Baby Ex92, purchased from James Mathers in the early 90’s, she went on milk into her 10th lactation, producing an Ex92 100ton daughter, Ex94 100ton granddaughter and her granddaughter is currently in the herd Braxton Baby Ex94 100ton due with her 9th calf this winter to Siemers Wolf Hulu. In the late 90’s we purchased Shoremar Tonya at the Canadian Invitational Sale at Angus Mawhinney’s, a maiden heifer sired by Ronnybrook Prelude and backed by 7 generations of Vg and Ex, Tonya went on to go Ex92 with lactions up to 5% fat and 3.7% pro, we now have Tonya’s milking with 16 generations of Vg and Ex.

The late 90’s also saw the introduction of the Spearmint Family, and embryo from Phil Arrell. Rubens Spearmint went on to go Ex92 and produced 100 tons with many descendants scoring Vg and Ex, probably one of our best uddered families and with Rubens being a red carrier it gave us a chance to introduce some colour to the herd.

In the late 2000’s Stardale Manat Roxy was purchased, the Roxy’s have been so consistent, functional, strength and production with animals on farm up to 14 generations Vg and Ex. We are now only 3 animals shy of having 100 Roxy heifer calves born on farm, in 2024 we had 5 generations of Roxy’s going through the parlour at once, Archive Roxy Ex91 100ton (14 years old) Concrete Roxy Ex93, Millington Roxy Ex94, Kingboy Roxy Ex90 and Undenied Roxy Vg85.

The early 2010’s saw the Lou Ella’s arrive, third lactation Lauerlhill Dictator Lou Ella was purchased from Brian Mawhinney’s dispersal sale, Lou Ella really left her mark here, producing 128 tons going Ex94 and producing 2 Ex93 daughters they really do stand out, current herd favourite Diamondback Lou Ella Vg88 is a 12the generation Vg\Ex, producing over 10,000 litres as a heifer at 4.27% and 3.25%, we recently calved in her eldest daughter by Woodcrest King Doc, again a real stand out heifer.

More recently we’ve added the Laurie Shiek’s, an Ex93 Dg Brody bred by John Patterson (Ballyginniff) purchased from Janet Whitlow (Arnot) all of Lausine’s daughters are now Vg or Ex. Another addition was from Damm Diamondback Maude Vg87 (David Simpson) a descendant of Medway Supreme Maude Ex97 (Hilltara).

Lastly one family I’ve been wanting to get into for a number of years, Apple. Purchased at the Summer Sizzler Sale 2023, Slatabogie MS Appleranger (A & L Paul) is backed by 8 generations of Ex cows, granddaughter of KHW Regiment Apple Ex96, Apple scored Vg86 giving us a heifer calf by Luck-E Acetylene Red and is due again this July to Siemers Wolf Hulu.” 

Words from Bryan Graham on the honour of receiving the UK Master Breeder title.

Thank you to the Graham family for this wonderful insight and their time. Thompsons Basil Bailey and Mary-Jane Robinson were on hand to congratulate them.

 

Posted 29,04,25 by allison.

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