NMR open day

The event will take place between 10.30am and 2.30pm.

The brothers were runners-up in the most recent NMR Gold Cup, receiving the much coveted Silver Salver.

Stephen and Mark farm 270 acres in partnership.

The farm was purchased in 2001 and the dairy unit built in 2007-08.

The herd was established through the purchase of the neighbouring Gorticross herd in September 2008 and transfer of some heifers from the family Montgomery Brothers herd.

The herd is predominantly autumn calving with 80% of cows calving from late September to the end of December and the remainder calving in January and February with a few in March.

In the year to the end of April 2019 the herd averaged 185 cows with an average yield of 9,700 litres/cow at 4.13% butterfat and 3.28% protein.

This equates to the production of 717 kg milk solids per cow.

During this time, Stephen and Mark fed an average of 3.3 tonnes meal/cow with the production of 2,300 litres of milk from forage.

A tremendous line-up of speakers will be in attendance at the farm walk.

They will address a wide range of topics at the event.

These include: AFBI’s Dr Debbie McConnell, who will discuss the challenge of grassland management and NMR geneticist Richard Miller, who will profile the latest developments in the field of genomics.

Jonathan Knox, from Devenish Nutrition, and United Feeds’ Jenny Hamilton will discuss how to best manage dry cows.

A collection on behalf of the Northern Ireland Air Ambulance – the Montgomerys’ selected charity – will also take place on the day.

Gortree Farm is located at 21 Gortacross Road, Drumahoe BT47 3LW.

For further information, contact NMR’s Ivor Hyndman on: 07825 177 348.