Ben Miller

“With good grass, they put it in the tank” – Ben Miller, Dorset

Ben Miller and his parents, Debbie and Gary, farm a 150-cow spring-calving herd in Sturminster Marshall, Dorset. For the past eight years, they’ve been running a forage-focused system, breeding Irish Friesians through Solnua to suit their 10-week calving block from early February to April.

“We used to milk Jerseys for their solids,” Ben explains. “But after visiting Ireland, I could see herds there hitting the same milk quality while also being fertile and efficient off grass. That was the game-changer. We sold the Jerseys and brought in high-EBI Friesians – and we haven’t looked back.”

The herd is milked twice a day through a 20/40 parlour, with milk supplied to First Milk. Cows graze from early February to mid-November, and the aim is simple: maximise milk from grass. Each cow gets 800–1,000kg of concentrate through the parlour across a lactation, backed up by grass and maize silage when needed.

Breeding goals that matter

For Ben, fertility is non-negotiable. “With Solnua, fertility is a given,” he says. On top of that, the family selects for solids, milk kgs, and practical traits like chest width, maintenance and beef value. Mature cows in the herd average 500–550kg, with a Maintenance figure of 17–22.

The focus is always on cows that last, perform, and fit the system. “They’ve got to graze, milk, and walk the mile from the fields to the parlour without giving trouble. Udders, legs and feet have to be right.”

Results in the tank and on the ground

• Average yield: 5,234 litres per cow, with around 70% from forage
• Milk solids: 475kg/cow at 5.03% Fat and 3.7% Protein
• Top cows pushing 6,000–7,000 litres
• Fertility: 55% conception rate and only 10% empty after a 10-week breeding season

“The herd’s more uniform now – they look the same, work the same, and we’re getting solid fertility and milk performance,” Ben says. “And the lameness problems we used to see just aren’t an issue anymore.”

Building value through beef

Beef calf quality has also stepped up since switching to Friesians. Calves are sold to a rearer, but the long-term plan is to finish their own beef-cross dairy animals. “That’s why we’ve started using NuEra Profit Max sires like Newpole Kowtow and Netherton Black Rain – we want calves with growth and good finishing weights. The Friesians give us a solid base, and now we’re adding beef value on top.”