The founder and owner of Cattle Genie Ltd – Philip Naylor, was born into family dairy farming and has spent his life involved in the industry.
“I’ve spent 35 years in full time work on my parents Yorkshire dairy farm with a herd of 300 Holsteins, during which time I’ve witnessed many events and changes both within the industry and my own farming situation.
In 2013, I embarked on a career change and for the past 2 years I was an Area Sales Manager in Yorkshire (later Lancashire also) for a New Zealand company providing dairy sires semen and promoting grazing techniques.
In those 2 years I have witnessed how low input block calving herds operate not just the breeding side but also the grass management. Many farmers who take this route do so for lifestyle reasons or the farm’s situation lends itself to such a system. However there are many profitable dairy farms that have invested heavily in blocks of land, infrastructure and equipment to feed and manage high yielding Holstein cows.
In my experience many commercial dairy farmers are looking for cows with certain features:
- Long living and remaining healthy – therefore prove to be a good initial investment
- Good body strength, to remain in the cubicle house
- Are balanced in the body construction to survive easily in the concrete yards
- Maintain good body condition with a balance between form and function
These kind of cows are not easy to be found within the Holstein breed, yet the animal is being manipulated by numbers. Breeding values sell bulls. The numbers produced more yield and with it the cow became taller. She needs to consume more in the form of concentrate. She milks for perhaps 2 years not able to get in calf and the farmer not wishing to risk the cow calving for fear of metabolic issues that would break her, a vicious circle, but one that makes good reading of numbers.
A better solution…
With this in mind through a variety of associates, made over the years I realised there was a better way to build a cow. This was introduced to me through ‘aAa Weeks’ by the independent evaluation of both cow and bull being put into good effect by a Dutch company – Ki-Samen.
Ki-Samen and the bull studs that they co-operate with have been quietly breeding cows for 30 years on the principles of proven, practical breeding. As Mr Bas Engels says: “The cow never changes, it’s just the figures!”
Cattle Genie Limited will make available these type of bulls to your farm:
- Holstein for long life trouble free productions
- Friesian, MRI & Groningen Blaarkop for the block calving milk solids farmer
- A range of superb beef breeds
All of this – at very sharp prices.
Please feel free to contact myself should you require any information on bulls, prices etc
We are here to help you.”
Philip Naylor
