Holstein UK celebrated two of its oldest herds at last week’s Royal Highland Show with the new Centenary Breeder award that recognises herds that have been in the same family’s ownership for 100 years. Three herds currently qualify and two of them are in Scotland; James Telfer’s Branchal Holsteins and Robert Macintyre’s Dunallan herd.
Due to the loss of some of the early records during the Second World War, it is impossible to know exactly when the herds were first registered but both appear in the first two herd books; Branchal in Volume 1 published in 1912 and Dunallan in Volume 2 published in 1913.
Both herds are still going strong a century later. The Telfer’s Branchal herd is based at Bridge of Weir in Renfrewshire and the 200-strong herd averages around 9800 litres at 3.64% fat and 3.15% protein. Robert Macintyre’s Dunallan herd is situated near Rothesay on the Isle of Bute and the 80 cows average 7400 litres at 3.52% fat and 3.26% protein.
The third qualifier for the Centenary Breeder award is Guy Trehane’s Hampreston herd in Dorset, who will receive his award later in the year.
