This herd is now managed by James Warren, who farms in partnership with his parents Dennis and Rosemary. There have been Guernseys on the farm for more than 40 years, but it is the enthusiasm of James that has taken the herd to pedigree status and to its position today as one of our leading herds.
Tredinney Farm lies within 6 miles of Lands End on the western side of Cornwall, and is a good grass growing farm of about 180 acres. James has introduced forage maize in the last three years, and this year is growing 31 acres. He also grows a field of stubble turnips, a quick growing crop (6 weeks) to provide the cows with a succulent forage which is strip grazed once a day through September and October as the grass quality declines. The field is sprayed with Roundup, this allows the destruction of any grass weeds (docks or thistles) before the forage is broadcast onto a twice rotavated seed bed. After the forage is grazed off the field is then reseeded with a new grass ley.
The cows are milked through an 11 a side Herringbone, recently extended for the second time (it started as 5 a side), which reflects the expansion of the herd to its current size of 140 milkers, and are wintered in cubicles and fed a mix of grass and maize silage fed in home made bunkers made from second hand motorway crash barriers, welded together by Dennis Warren.
A redundant wooden framed vegetable packing shed was purchased locally, taken down and has been rebuilt as a cubicle shed and feeding area with a concrete muck midden alongside which will provide about 3 weeks storage before muck is returned to the maize ground. The extra cubicles will allow the high yeilders to be managed as a separate group in the winter and may allow the introduction of a TMR.
Whilst the farming is of a high standard, it is for the development of cow families that Tredinney is gaining a reputation. James has over the years, travelled to herd sales and selected some really good cows, but has never paid headline prices, and has built some top families from them, none more so than the E family tracing back to Trethevy Exochorda, whose granddaughter Essence is a contract bull mother cow.
Another cow making an impact is Trethevy Halesia who has had 3 sons selected for A1 use, the youngest one Helium having the highest GMI (348) of any bull bred in 2002.
7 Lact Avg 8000 kgs 5.40% BF 3.6%P 140 PI
The homebred Buttercup and Amy families are also of note as is Bickfield Memory 9,the last lot through the ring at Maurice Durbin’s reduction sale when she was a served heifer, who became the first cow from Tredinney to win the Championship at Royal Cornwall.
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| BICKFIELD MEMORY 15 EX 94 Royal Cornwall Champion 2000 |
James and cousin Geoffrey Hollow, competed at the South West Dairy show for the first time in 2003, with 3 cows winning 3 First prizes and Champion and reserve, with much ringside comment as to which of his cows would be Champion. Finally Laity Farm Idealist by Royal Oak and fresh with her 3rd calf was given the decision over the 5th calved Bickfield Memory 15th.
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| Laity Farm Idealist by Royal Oak |
It is always a pleasure to visit Tredinney as James has the breeding of every cow and calf at his fingertips, but like all successful breeders he is not guilty of viewing his stock through rose tinted glasses. James is also gaining a reputation as a Judge, and he took great pleasure in his appointment to Judge the Royal this year, probably the youngest man to have ever judged the Guernseys, and it was wonderful to see that his family took time off to support him at the show.
