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Low Ballees
Name:
Tom, Marion and David Campbell
Location:
Ayrshire
Farm sectors:
Dairy
About Low Ballees
- Joined the strategic dairy farm network in summer 2022 as the first environment-focused strategic dairy farm
- All-year-round calving
- Fully housed robotic milking herd
- 10,500 litres average yield per cow per year
- 125 ha with over 13 ha of woodland and 1.3 ha of deep peat
- Installed constructed wetland used for cleaning water and providing a rich habitat for birds and waterfowl
Follow Low Ballees if you are interested in:
- Starting or continuing on your journey to net zero
- Maximising cow and heifer performance
- Making the most of expansion opportunities
Overview
Low Ballees is located near West Kilbride, Ayrshire in South West Scotland, where the Campbell family have been farming for 95 years.
The farm is managed by David and Tom Campbell, who operate a progressive indoor dairy unit with complementary zero grazing and cropping components.
Milking cows are housed in a newly built, portal-framed building adjoining an existing cubicle shed with 135 cubicles, fitted with mats and sawdust for bedding. The newer part of the building is well-ventilated with a light ridge and open sidewalls, protected by automatic curtains, providing a very comfortable environment for the cows.
Our farm
The farm extends to 125 ha with over 13 ha of woodland and 1.3 ha of deep peat that also allows them to sequester carbon.
Slurry is stored in a 4,500 m3 lined lagoon (constructed in 2018, away from the steading), a 900 m3 steel tower above the ground and a 300 m3 underground tank, allowing a more efficient use of the organic materials. Dirty water is managed through a recently installed, constructed farm wetland with clean water being channelled directly to the nearby water course, providing habitat for birds and waterfowl and enabling water to be returned to the environment.
Our herd
The farm houses a total of 230 dairy cows including the milking herd and youngstock replacements. Around 130 Holstein/Friesian type cattle are housed in the milking shed and milked on a robotic system that is supported by zero grazing cutting of forage, production of silage, wholecrop cereals and barley. The cows calve all year round and are fully housed. The average yield is around 10,500 litres.
Sexed semen is used to provide replacement heifers totalling around 90 which are reared on farm with a view to future expansion, while beef calves are sold aged between 5 and 14 months of age depending on the market drivers throughout the year. Replacements, once in-calf, and far off dry cows currently graze during the summer months. Age at first calving is averaging 24 months.
Our journey
Tom and David are looking to continue their journey towards net zero, sharing key learnings and previous successes with others through on farm and digital meetings. They will be exploring how to maximise their cow and heifer performance, make the most of expansion opportunities and increase the profitability of their dairy unit.
News and past events
- Improving cow health during the transition period (February 2023) Working with Alastair Macrae, University of Edinburgh, David and Tom have been looking at how blood testing can inform their transition cow management (YouTube, 1 minute)
- Supporting the journey to net zero (August 2022) Low Ballees is the first in a series of new farms that will focus on environmental impact by exploring ways to improve their businesses, while also reducing their carbon footprints. David and Tom tell us more about their farm in Ayrshire
