Davlea Welcomes Visitors for Exceptional Premier Herd Open Day

On Thursday 28^th July, Ian and Max Davies of the award winning Davlea herd welcomed over 400 visitors to their farm near Ilminster, Somerset, for the 2022 Holstein UK Premier Herd Open Day. Having been crowned the national winners of the Holstein UK Premier Herd award in 2021, the Open Day was an opportunity for Ian and Max to showcase their herd and hold an elite sale.

Hosted by Holstein UK, the event, which was supported and sponsored by many of Davlea’s suppliers, provided the opportunity for Holstein breeders and enthusiasts from across the UK to view the award winning herd and enjoy a ploughman’s lunch before heading to have the chance to buy one of over 40 carefully selected lots in the Davlea Celebration sale which averaged over £4000 across all females sold.

The herd was established by Ian’s parents, Bryn and Dorothy, in the 1960’s. The herd was established in North Wales and then moved to Sussex before settling in Somerset in 2004. The herd calve all-year-round and there is a strong focus on producing healthy, balanced and strong cows with quality udders. The 140 head herd are currently averaging over 10,000kg at 4.12% butterfat and 3.29% protein.

With prominent families including Alicia, Ashlyn, Lulu, Pledge, Wattle and Raven, classification is an integral part of the business. There are currently 68 cows in the herd classified Excellent and the Davies’ have bred over 250 with this score since 1995. The herd has seen great success on the show circuit and in previous herd competitions. A major highlight for the herd was winning the National Holstein Show in 2018 with Davlea Bradnick Alicia, as well as taking home the Premier Breeder and Premier Exhibitor titles in the same year.

Holstein UK President John Jamieson welcomed everyone whilst commending Ian, Max and their team for putting on such a fantastic event. John said, “What a privilege for everyone to attend the Davies’ Premier Herd Open Day and elite sale. The quality and uniformity of the Davlea herd and the depth of pedigrees are the result of many years of dedicated breeding and their great passion for the breed. This award was so richly deserved.”

The eagerly awaited Davlea Celebration Sale took place during the afternoon and saw some competitive bidding from across the UK and Ireland, with bidders both ringside and online.With over 40 lots available, Davlea Sidekick Raven made the top price of the day at 12,000gns to Cyril and Martin Miller of Millar Farms, Coleraine. She is potentially the eighth generation Excellent from one of the world’s great families and is due again in October carrying a sexed heifer calf to Vogue Solarpower.