l to r – John Brewster, David Brewster and the cow is Boclair Windbrook Elegance
The Brewster family of the admired Boclair herd, crowned as Holstein UK Premier Pedigree Herd in 2017, is delighted to be hosting the annual Premier Pedigree Herd Open Day on Thursday 28th June 2018 from 10am until 3pm. The day will run in conjunction with the Holstein Scotland Open Day, where the Club will hold a stock judging fundraiser.
Established by Jack Brewster back in 1952, the family business is now run by Jack and Marion’s sons, David and John. The family are now delighted to invite guests to their farm at Bearsden, near Glasgow, for this exclusive open day supported by principal sponsors Lely, ForFarmers and Worldwide Sires.
The Boclair herd has dominated many Scottish Holstein Club awards and competitions and is well regarded nationally for their exceptional confirmation, production and breeding attributes. Boclair is a world-renowned, premier herd with some of the finest dairy cattle in the UK.
Boclair Farm
The Brewster family runs 850 acres, with most of the land at Boclair and some additional land at the nearby Bogton, Bardowie and Branziet farms. Arable ground accounts for 450 acres, whilst 400 acres are kept for silage and grazing during the summer months. The 200-cow herd is based at Boclair, alongside a further 300 youngstock. All heifers are artificially inseminated using high genomic sexed semen and there are over 140 animals classified either VG or EX. The herd has a twelve-month rolling average of 13,408 litres at 3.67% butterfat and 3.22% protein, with a 404-day calving interval.
The Boclair herd has always been pedigree, with the Brewster family showing a strong interest in high quality cattle and genetics. A bull which stands out in Boclair history is Boclair Objective, an animal which was registered over 20 years ago and has had a major impact on breeding within the herd. The herd has won the prestigious Holstein UK Master Breeder Award twice, which is a significant achievement considering a herd is only eligible to receive this every ten years, therefore highlighting Boclair’s consistent breeding excellence.
Why Pedigree
Holstein UK is the largest independent cattle herd book in Europe and is wholly owned and run by its members. By supporting the improvement of Holstein and British Friesian breeds, Holstein UK maintains and makes available accurate records to enable profitable breeding. Increased cattle value, breeding information and knowledge and improved herd quality are all evident factors of how a herd benefits from being pedigree.
David Brewster, Boclair Holsteins, said, “It is with great pleasure that my family and I welcome Holstein advocates, members and young aspiring breeders to join us at Boclair Farm on 28th June. We will look forward to showing visitors around our farm and the Boclair herd. Wining the Holstein UK Premier Pedigree Herd Competition last year was a major highlight for us, adding credibility to our farming methods, breeding and genetics, and we look forward to sharing further insight into our business in June.”
For further information please contact the Holstein UK events team on 01923 695200 or email events@holstein-uk.org
