Keith and Jane were delighted and over whelmed to be awarded Best Frozen Food Supplier of the Year at the Food Awards Scotland. They emerged victorious in a strong category and are very grateful for the nominations received.

 

The Halmyre team had a successful Royal Highland Show at Edinburgh with Halmyre Urr Louise 254 standing first junior cow in milk and then reserve champion. Sired by Palmyra Tri-Star Reality this second calver is classified VG87 and calved in December.

Her dam is Halmyre Urr Louise 175 EX94 who was unbeaten Ayrshire in 2008 standing supreme of show at Ayr and Stewartry, reserve at the Royal Highland Show and interbreed at Dumfries. She is also maternal sister to Halmyre Urr Lieutenant who is an Attwell Admiral son of Louise 175 and is being marketed by Cattle Services (Ayr) Ltd.

The Halmyre show team had a successful trip to Edinburgh for AgriScot with the highlight standing reserve Ayrshire champion.

Halmyre Urr Louise 260 stood top of the junior cow class before going on to stand reserve champion. Sired by Palmyra Tri-Star Reality she stood champion at the South West Dairy Show and was champion Ayrshire heifer at AgriScot 2013.

In the heifer in milk class we stood third with Halmyre Urr Louise 283, a Palmyra Tri-Star Burdette daughter. Having calved in October at 25 months old, she was the youngest in the class by over six months.

Thank you to Leiza Montgomery for helping look after the Halmyre show team at AgriScot and also for showing Louise 283.

We took the Ayrshire championship and reserve at the South West Dairy Show at Castle Douglas this year.

Taking the championship title was Halmyre Urr Louise 260. This second calved Palmyra-Tri Star Reality daughter calved in September and stood Ayrshire heifer champion at Agriscot 2013.

Standing reserve to her was our first prize heifer in milk, Halmyre Urr Floralin 174, a Barr Regent daughter.

Also in the heifer class we stood second with Halmyre Urr Louise 283, a Burdette daughter, while the Halmyre Urr Lieutenant daughter Halmyre Urr Ladybird 446 stood third.

Halmyre Urr Martha 25 EX92-2E stood first in the senior cow class, she is a fresh seventh lactation Howie’s Figo daughter. In the interbreed 50t class Halmyre Urr Louise 211 EX95-4E stood fourth, she is a sixth calved Halmyre Urr Jack daughter.

Thank you very much to John McLean who was a valuable help in clipping and preparation for the show this year.

At the second monthly dairy day at Carlisle we sold Halmyre Urr Ladybird 438 for the joint top price of £2400. Fresh two weeks she is sired by our home bred Yellow Briar Journeyman son she is out of a VG85 scored dam by Knowe First Priority.

Our next best was joint second top price of the sale £2300, she is also by Halmyre Urr Journeyman and sold giving 31kg a day.

Then at £2000 was Halmyre Urr Louise 269, she is by Halmyre Urr Walnut a Shady Walnut Conn son. Her dam is a VG85 scored daughter of Halmyre Urr Pinsent.

Our three heifers averaged £2233.33.

Leading trade for us at Northern National Ayrshire Sale at Carlisle this year was the stylish Halmyre Urr Ladybird 443. This Jelyca Oblique daughter is out of a dam by West Mossgiel Lord of the Rings and sold to Beeline Ayrshires.

Next best was 2000gns for the Poos Stadel Classic daughter Halmyre Urr Mayflower 257. She is out of two generations of very good dams, her dam a Halmyre Urr Jack daughter. She was purchased by Messrs Carlyle.

John Watson then bought three heifers, the first at 1880gns. She is the Stewartry Royal Secret sired Halmyre Urr Maggie 13 out of a Middleman sired dam.

Then at 1800gns he purchased Halmyre Urr Jinks 468, a Halmyre Urr Dynamic daughter out of a dam by Middleman and Halmyre Urr Louise 263, she is by Halmyre Urr Walnut and out of a Howie’s Stelth sired dam.

At the commercial sale the same day we also sold heifers to £1920 and £1880.

We sold nine pedigree heifers to average £1894.67 and three commercial heifers to average £1860.

While Keith and Jane were on holiday, Katie, Colin and Kyla took a team of cows to the South West Dairy Show at Wallets Mart, Castle Douglas.

Taking the overall Ayrshire championship was Barr Elite Scorpio, a third calved West Mossgiel Class Talent daughter.

In the junior cow class Halmyre Urr Miss Dorothy 48 stood third, while Halmyre Urr Louise 254 stood second in the heifer in milk class.

Another trip to the commercial sale at Carlisle this month saw a top of £1700 for a fresh heifer.

Three heifers sold to average £1643.33

At the weekly commercial dairy sale at Carlisle we sold three heifers to average £1616.67.

Two sold at £1650, including Halmyre Urr Louise 257, a Stevenson’s Saltire daughter out of a VG86 scored dam by Howie’s Figo.

The 1^st of March saw our first pick up of milk by Graham’s Family Dairy, Stirling. Our move from Arla was made on transparency and sustainability.