AYRSHIRES

Marleycote Ayrshires as at January 2021 average 8142kg at 4.44% fat and 3.43% protein  

Now in 2021 we have introduced a lot of new blood to the herd here at Marleycote:- 
The breeding policy has been to mate each cow individually to try to improve her faults, so a wide variety of pure and blended bulls are used. Although breeding the right type of cow is more important than her blended percentage, the show ring plays an important part in the breeding decisions, so if possible the aim is to keep the percentage over 50%. The aim across the herd is for a cow to last 7 - 8
lactations with an average yield of 8000 litres whilst getting her straight back in calf with minimal health problems.
Aware of the influence over many years of the noted Changue herd, in October 2017 the 1st Changue cow was bought at Borderway. Impressed with her performance, another 3 were bought in early 2018. As they adapted to life at Marleycote, they were equally impressive so a trip to Changue was organized.
The trip to Changue resulted in a sizable influx of Changue Ayrshires. Today 43 Changue cows are milking, every one of them have exceeded all expectations, both in type & production, an added bonus was making an impression in the show ring. During discussions with Robert Stevenson a mutually beneficial arrangement was made to implant some of his considerable stock of embryos, resulting in 40 ET calves born last year & 40 pregnancies due this year. We continue to work with Robert developing a number of his families in their new home at Marleycote.
Having had a couple of cows from the family’s West Mosgiel herd and liking their type and production, I persuaded Bryce to let us visit in August 2020 for a look around with the intention of buying a couple of cows to start new lines at Marleycote. His cows are now managed organically and the milk sold as pasture fed, not parlour fed. The calves also stay with their dams, therefore no milk records were available to help in the selection. This meant we were buying with the eye, my 1 or 2 cows ended up as 10 cows and 3 heifer calves at foot in various stages of lactation much to senior management surprise when they landed home. At the first classification visit they averaged 86points. The first of the group to calve at Marleycote was West Mosgiel Mayflower 224, she is now 92 points and giving 58 litres a day in her 6th lactation. If they all calve in like her, it was a day well spent and we are grateful to Bryce for giving us the chance to work with these great
families that he and his late father worked so hard to develop.

We are currently still highlighting our homebred families and matriachs here but we'll be renewing and evolving this page as the families develop.
Enquiries you have about the Ayrshires might be answered on their website, click on the link below

Ayrshire Cattle Society

M Julia 2 EX94-4E LP60

By Muir Mr Magic 
Dam - Langton Julia EX92-5E LP80

Breed Champion Northumberland Show 2013

2nd prize Junior cow in milk GYS 2013 
2nd prize Junior cow in milk Westmorland show 2013

This family has developed in the Shorthorn breed, in the herd today Julia 10 (103) is sired by Marleycote Dilema and her sister Marleycote Julia 6 VG87 completes 4 gens VG or EX, and is the dam of Marleycote Triple Blend

M Julia 3 VG86

By Redsky JB Gerry red

Pictured left she is a daughter of M Julia 2 (above)

Reserve Champion Northumberland Show 2014
1st Heifer in Milk Cumberland Show 2014
1st PLI and 3rd Red and White Heifer Agriscot 2014
3rd Red and white Heifer Agriscot 2014

11,113kg at 4.87% fat and 3.58% protein in her 3rd

Marleycote Sea Lily 14- EX94-2E 1*

BBBBy Des Prairies Potter

4th lact 12,556kg at 4.3% fat and 3.1% protein in 305 days
Dam is Marleycote Sea Lily 2 VG88 LP60
Gdam is Marleycote Sea Lily EX93-3E 2 *
2012 Great Yorkshire Show Heifer Champion
Sold Spring 2013 to the Mclean family, NI.
Hon Mention Expo 16

The Sea Lily family continues to go from strength to strength at Marleycote
one of our favourite cows currently is M Sea Lily 23 EX92-3E who completes 4 gens VG or EX and was Champion Heifer GYS 2017, Interbreed Champion Northumberland 2017 and Ayrshire Breed Champion GYS 2019
She has a VG86 daughter by Changue Stadium and a son by Stadium born 2019

Marleycote Sea Lily EX93-3E 2*

Dam of 5 natural born heifers of which 2 are EX and 3 VG
M Sea Lily 2 VG88 by Ranger
M Sea Lily 4 EX93-2E with EX97 Dairy strength by Nelson
M Sea Lily 5 EX90-2E (twin) by Kite
M Sea Lily 6 VG88 (twin) by Kite
M Sea Lily 9 VG86 by Winton Robbie

Previous Supreme Champion at Northumberland County Show

Sired by C Towers Autumn Gold

Marleycote Bronwyn 2 EX94-8E LP80

By Horizon Ranger Red

Reserve Exhibitor Bred Great Yorkshire Show 2006,
2nd Junior Cow Ayrshire Photographic Competition 2006,
1st Fat and Protein NEABC Herds Competition 2006 and 2007
2014 show success - 1st pair of Ayrshires at Westmorland Show with M Annette 5
Has won the Northeast Ayrshire Herd Comp Butterfat and Protein class 6 times

Her VG88 Centurian daughter was 2nd Junior cow in milk South West Scotland Dairy Show 15 and was Ayrshire Champion and
Reserve Interbreed at NEABDCS 2012 and was a class winner at the National 2012

Her son M Buster x Winton Robbie was Champion bull at Ayrshire National Sale 2014 and sold to the Troutbeck herd- he has progeny at Marleycote and Troutbeck

In 2021 - Her VG86 SP daughter M Bronwyn 7 by Willhome Challenger is in her 5th lact
4th lact 9246kg 4.31% fat 3.42% protein
Maternal brother to Marleycote Buster
She has a milking daughter by Calderglen Commanding Example and a Feb 2020 daughter by West Mossgiel Aramis