Improving efficiency and resilience while maintaining high milk quality is at the heart of Stuart Galloway’s approach at Barvernochan Farm in Wigtownshire. As one of the Scottish farms participating in the UK Dairy Carbon Network (UK-DCN), Stuart is using the project to benchmark and build a more efficient system that produces high-quality milk while reducing emissions and maximising resource use.
“The project gives us the chance to take a detailed look at everything we’re doing from soil health and feeding right through to breeding,” says Stuart, who milks 170 Holstein Friesians in partnership with wife Karen and three children, Oliver, Evie and Amelia. “It’s about improving efficiency across the board, which ultimately benefits both the environment and the bottom line.”
The Galloways supply milk on a manufacturing contract that rewards butterfat and protein levels. With average yields of 9,500 – 10,000 litres at 3.5% protein and 4.5% butterfat, maintaining quality milk is central to the business. “Our contract is all about solids, so we focus on feeding, breeding and management that enhance milk quality,” explains Stuart.
Formerly a beef and sheep enterprise, the family made the switch to dairying in 2019. “We always had the long-term goal of milking cows,” Stuart recalls. “When we built a cubicle shed for beef in 2013, we designed it with a potential dairy conversion in mind. That made it much easier to adapt when we took the step into milk production adding three Fullwood robots and extra cubicles.”
The herd is housed all year round and calves throughout the year to maintain a consistent milk supply. All replacements are home-bred, with Stuart focusing on breeding moderate-sized, efficient cows with strong health and fertility traits. “We’re not chasing extreme yields, we’re breeding to balance milk, fats, proteins and longevity,” he says.
As part of the UK-DCN project, the Galloways are concentrating on three key areas: nutrient management; feed formulation; and genetics. “We’ve just completed soil sampling across the farm and are putting together a nutrient plan for the spring,” says Stuart. “That will help us match slurry and fertiliser applications more precisely to crop needs and reduce waste.”
The next step is improving soil health and forage quality. “We’re looking at introducing more clover into silage swards to lift protein levels and reduce fertiliser use, and possibly trialling some herbal leys for grazing youngstock,” he adds. “We had a great growing season this year and even managed a fourth cut, so it’s about building on that success and improving the nutritional value of what we grow.”
Feed efficiency is another focus. “We’re analysing in more depth how our forages and bought-in feeds work together,” says Stuart. “Because we’re rewarded on protein and fat, we want to get every bit of performance we can from the ration while keeping costs down.”
Genetics plays an equally important role. Around half of the herd has been genomically tested, and the data is helping Stuart identify his best breeding females. “We’re using tools, like the EnviroCow index, to link genetics with environmental performance,” he says. “It’s about breeding cows that are not only productive but efficient and sustainable too.”
New technology will soon add another layer of insight, with ‘sniffer’ boxes being installed in the milking robots to monitor emissions. “It’ll be interesting to compare those readings with the breeding data and see how the next generation of heifers perform,” says Stuart.
For him, involvement in the UK-DCN is about continuous improvement and long-term sustainability. “It’s helping us fine-tune what we do from the soil up,” he says. “By improving efficiency, we’re not only reducing emissions but also improving profitability and resilience.”
Looking ahead, Stuart and Karen hope the work being done now will pay dividends for years to come. “If, in two years’ time, we can look back and see measurable improvements in efficiency, milk quality and reduced greenhouse gases, then that’s success,” he says. “It’s about making steady progress and building a system that’s sustainable for the business, the cows and the next generation.”