Moorhouse Hall Farm

Follow our journey if you are interested in:

• Starting your journey to growing forage crops
• Enhancing your farm’s productivity and sustainability through genetics
• Achieving high standards of cow health and welfare
• Maximising your returns and cash out of your business

Overview

Located in Wigton, Cumbria, Moorhouse Hall Farm is managed by third-generation farmers, John, and Kate. Chris Bailey, their son, works part-time on the farm, alongside his career as a large animal vet.

Our farm

Moorhouse Hall Farm is a 130-acre farm that offers a grass-based, multi-cut silage-based system for 100 Holstein-Friesian cows. Their silage provides quality feed for the cows, through either four or five cuts.

Our herd

This all-year-round herd of 100 Holstein-Friesian cows average 10,200 litres per cow, per year, at 4.17% butterfat and 3.36% protein.

The herd has been closed for more than 50 years, using replacement heifers from their milking cows to continue the strong line of genetics, further allowing them flexibility with their herd.

The youngstock have won various awards for calf rearing, highlighting impressive animal health and welfare standards.

Calving takes place in small batches with a lot of the cows calving between late June and September. They have been calving heifers at or below 24 months since the grandfather’s generation.

Our journey

Originally tenant farmers in Lancashire, the Bailey family started their journey on Moorhouse Hall Farm in 2022 after purchasing the 130-acre farm. The family have been all-year-round dairy farmers in Lancashire for four generations, with Chris’ great-grandfather taking on the original lease.

During October 2022, the herd of Holsteins were moved up to Wigton, with them settling into their new home in time for Christmas.

After only one year at Moorhouse Hall Farm, the Bailey family have opened their doors to gain advice from a steering group, through the Strategic Dairy Farm programme to help them build on what they are already doing and achieve further goals.

News

Slurry grants helped Cumbria dairy farm upgrade for the future