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The latest National Milk Records competition results published for Pembrokeshire indicate the overall championship this time being won by the Clarby herd of the Llewellin family – last year they shared the title with the Garne herd at Lampeter Velfrey.

Milked twice each day through a 20/40 herringbone parlour the Clarby herd of George, Ben and Nia Llewellin calve between July and November each year and comprise the main group of Holstein milkers together with their Riverside herd of pedigree Jerseys – 250 in all with an average yield of around 10,000 kgs supplying Muller Direct.

With some 50,000 of his heifers already in milk in Canada, the UK and Australia the Llewellins also favour the acclaimed sire, Ladino Park Talent, for breeding replacements for their Holstein herd.

Seperated by just one point were Clive and Pamela Davies’ remarkable robotic milked Garne herd of Brown Swiss.

Also earning themselves a collection of trophies were Goronwy, Andrew and Rhys Griffiths who milk just over 100 cows in their Carwyn herds of Holsteins and Jersey through a traditional abreast parlour. The Holsteins averaging 8,500 kgs and the Jerseys just under 5,000 kgs.

Good quality records and accurate information are critical in making base decisions and getting the breeding policies in place to achieve your herd targets is these days considered critical in this competitive environment.

NMR has invested heavily in offering producers the right tools to help in this process, from pregnancy diagnosis re-using the existing milk sample, to sophisticated heat detection systems.

The Pembrokeshire judges were Rhys Lougher (main herds) and Sion Thomas (youngstock).

Awards:

Overall championship (25 classes): 1, G, B and N Llewellin, Lower House, Clarbeston; 2, C B and P S M Davies, Trefgarne Farm, Lampeter Velfrey; 3, E J C and M E Jones, Hackett Farm, Kilgetty.

Individual successes:

G, B and N Llewellin – Highest number of points on production and inspection (large herds), bull progeny group, herd with lowest cell count, home- bred heifer, and overall udder conformation.

C B and P S M Davies – Robotic milked herd, highest number of points on production and inspection (non- black and white herds), cow family, lifetime yield, nominated heifer, best dairy stock bull.

H G and E Jones, New House Farm, Lampeter Velfrey – Organic herd, highest number of points on production and inspection (non- registered herds) and group of calves got by the same bull.

G R Griffiths & Son, Penlan Farm, New Moat (black and white herds) – Most points on production and inspection (small herds), group of three cows, family group, best in calf heifer and female young stock (small herds).

D, H O and S E J George, Clover Hill, New Moat – Nominated cow(production).

Tedion Farmers, Lawrenny, Kilgetty – Female youngstock (large herds).