Lydney Park

Follow Lydney Park if you are interested in:

• Optimising low-cost grass-based systems for maximised returns
• Improving your block-calving system
• Maximising cow and heifer performance
• Starting your journey to profitable and environmental sustainability

Overview

Mile Bridge Dairy unit was built on a green field site in 1997 when the estate's former dairies were amalgamated into one.

Managed by Gavin Green, the dairy has a team of 12 full-time and part-time staff, including retained consultant Keith Davis and team leader Pawel Wegelewski.

Our farm

Located in Gloucestershire, Lydney Park is a 640-ha farm located on the Lydney Park estate. At 2m above sea level, flood barriers have been installed to protect the grazing platform due to the proximity of the River Severn.

Gavin and Kieth are focused on increasing the sustainability of the dairy at Lydney Park Farms.

As a spring block-calving farm, calving in 10 weeks of fertility is the main driver of efficiency alongside grazed grass. The genetics have been adapted to suit the system since it changed in 2007, and previous arable ground has been added to the milking platform.

With an SSSI on the farm and ELS and HLS agreements in place, they are now looking at sward diversity to improve biodiversity and soil management within the grazing system.

Our herd

This 10-week spring-calving herd of 850 Jersey X cows averages 4,750 litres per cow per year at 5.30% butterfat and 3.93% protein.

The heifers are reared on another farm, breeding 200 replacements a year, with the rest going into beef. Gavin and Keith used cow genetics, low-cost grass-based systems and milking routines to increase productivity on farm.

Our journey

From 1997 until 2007, Lydney Park Farms had a fully housed, three-times-a-day milking herd of Holsteins.

In an effort to find a more profitable system, the cows were turned out to grass, and Gavin and Keith started to cross-breed their herd with Jerseys to help with fertility and increase milk solids.

A low-cost grass-based spring calving system was adopted with arable land from the estate laid to grass to suit the increased number of cows, which reached 800 in 2008.

With long-standing times at the pre-existing 32-point rotary parlour, they switched to once-a-day milking, with cow numbers peaking at 1000. However, they have recently switched back to twice-a-day milking and reduced cow numbers to 850 as they believe this is the best system for the farm to maximise overall productivity.

“What is important to us at Lydney is that at the end of the three-year period, as a Strategic Dairy Farm, we are a more focused, profitable and environmentally sustainable farm with a happy and motivated team.”

Strategic Dairy Farm workshop

At the start of Lydney Park Farm's Strategic Dairy Farm journey, the farm team and their steering group worked with Brendan Horan from Teasagc to help evaluate strengths and opportunities, setting achievable goals and key performance indicators (KPIs).

During the discussions with Brendan, a few key opportunities were highlighted, which included increasing sward diversity through reseeding and focusing on nutrient balance, soil fertility, infrastructure, and team communication.

Read the report

Steering group

Lydney Park Farms’ steering group is made up of a variety of farmers and industry experts. The members are:

• Tamsin Thorne (Wood Vet Group)
• Lee Truelove (Sustainability manager at First Milk)
• Piers Badnell (LIC pasture to profit consultant)
• Mike King (Dairy farmer and AHDB sector council member)
• Rob Seex (Dairy farmer)
• Chris North (Dairy farmer)
• James Griffith (Dairy farmer)
• James Matthews (Dairy farmer)
• George Aldridge (Dairy farmer)
• Andrew Giles (Dairy farmer)

News and past events

Rethinking grazing foundations to offer better yields with Lydney Park Farms (September 2024) Forage for Knowledge contributors Lydney Park Farms has been on a constant journey of change as it strives to find the most profitable way of operating. Since working with Brendan Horan from Teagasc, they are starting to look at what changes they can make to increase farm efficiencies.

Setting profit targets with Brendan Horan at Lydney Park Farms (May 2024) How the team at Lydney Park Farms started their Strategic Dairy Farm journey by planning KPIs and objectives with their steering group and Brendan Horan from Teagasc.

Strategic Farms provide a platform for learning at launch events (November 2023) Reflecting on the first three launches of the new Strategic Dairy Farm cohort.

Launching three new Strategic Dairy Farms (October 2023) Following a successful Strategic Dairy Farm recruitment campaign, AHDB announced the first three farms to launch, including Moorhouse Hall Farm.

Turn out for Magic Day – a grass growth case study (April 2023) The significance of Magic Day – or Balance Day - and when it arrives for Keith Davis of Lydney Park Farms.

Press coverage

British Dairying: Rethinking grazing (August 2024) How Lydney Park Farms have evaluated their grass quality and soil health to enhance farm efficiencies after working with Brendan Horan from Teagasc.

Farmers Weekly: How a dairy is using grass data to identify paddocks for reseeding (June 2024) How analysing grass growth data will help the team at Lydney Park Farms to identify the lowest yielding paddocks for reseeding in August, helping to improve overall output across the entire grazing platform.

Farmers Guardian: Gloucestershire dairy farm focuses on KPIs (June 2024) During a recent meeting at Lydney Park Farms, an AHDB Strategic Farm in Gloucestershire, the significance of establishing key performance indicators and targets was highlighted.

South West Farmer: AHDB's Strategic Dairy Farms in the South West revealed (March 2024) Some farms in the South West are involved in a programme run by AHDB, helping dairy farmers stay informed about the latest research and best practices within the industry.

Western Morning News: New additions to AHDB Strategic Farm network (October 2023) AHDB has announced the first three farms set to launch, including Moorhouse Hall Farm, following a successful Strategic Dairy Farm recruitment drive.

Farmers Guide: AHDB confirms three new additions to the Strategic Dairy Farm programme (October 2023) With the completion of a successful Strategic Dairy Farm recruitment campaign, AHDB introduced the first three farms, featuring Moorhouse Hall Farm as one of them.

Cow Management: Three dairy units join AHDB programme (October 2023) AHDB unveiled Moorhouse Hall Farm as one of the first three farms to launch after a successful Strategic Dairy Farm recruitment campaign.