Curtis Hulme Farm

Follow Curtis Hulme Farm if you are interested in:

• Evaluating current farm practices to maximise profitability

• Starting or continuing your journey to increasing herd productivity

• Maximising effectiveness of soil mapping

• Increasing cow and heifer performance through milk from forage

Overview

Farmers Dave and Caroline Williams run a 450-cow, three-way-cross herd on an all-year-round calving system in Cheshire.

Our farm

Curtis Hulme Farm is a dairy farm growing feed for the herd across 218 ha. 97 ha of the farm is owned, 81 ha rented, and the rest is contract-farmed with Caroline’s parents, growing maize, wheat, barley, and grass with white clover leys.

Our herd

This all-year-round calving herd of 450 cows averages 8,800 litres per cow per year at 4.2% butterfat and 3.4% protein.

The cows are a three-way cross with Holstein-Friesian, Norwegian Red, and Montbelliarde.

Dave and Caroline are currently exploring whether to continue breeding with Montbelliardes, drop this line of genetics, or introduce a new breed.

Our journey

Curtis Hulme farm was originally tenanted by Dave's grandparents in 1943. Dave's father, Philip, bought the farm in 1981 and Dave and his wife, Caroline, have been farming in partnership with Dave's parents in recent years.

Through joining the Strategic Dairy Farm programme, Dave and Caroline want to look at soil mapping on their farm and increase herd productivity, with the feedback from a steering group and local farmers that they will be hosting during their on-farm meetings.

News

• A proactive approach to managing Johne’s at Curtis Hulme Farm (October 2024): How Caroline Williams has worked to tackle Johne’s at Curtis Hulme Farm.

• Understanding Johne’s Disease with Curtis Hulme Farm (May 2024): James Hague Knowledge Exchange Manager joined by; Pete Orpin from the Action Group for Johne’s, Sarah Tomlinson, AHDB’s lead veterinary science expert and farmer Caroline Williams to discuss the importance of detection and control Johne’s disease.

• Three new Strategic Dairy Farms – introducing Curtis Hulme (April 2024): Introducing the latest Strategic Dairy Farms to join the programme, Wolfhall Farm, Curtis Hulme Farm and Rough Grounds Farm.

Press coverage

• British Dairying: A proactive approach to managing Johne’s is a positive step (October 2024) – The positive steps Caroline Williams is taking to tackle Johne’s in their herd

• All things dairy: A proactive approach to Johne’s pg.19 (September 2024) – The approach Curtis Hulme Farm takes to tackle Johne’s.

• The Farmart – Meet the farmers: Dave and Caroline Williams (May 2024) – Introducing Curtis Hulme Farm, information on the farm’s history, herd, and what they wanted to get out of the Strategic Dairy Farm programme.

Explore our other Strategic Dairy Farms