The Plaw Hatch Dairy herd is central to the health and function of the farm. We have 35 Meuse Rhine Issel (MRI) cattle, with a few cross Ayrshire, Brown Swiss and Montbeliard. We are a closed herd and all of the ladies were born on the farm; mothers, daughters, nieces and grand-daughters. MRI cows have amazing horns and a temperament suited towards our traditional farming. As our soils get too wet in the winter months, they are content to stay in the barns for 6 months of the year, during which they have lots of space and access to the yard for open air. They get excited as Spring approaches for when they are turned out to the fields. We cut our own hay and silage during the summer when they are out to pasture to keep them well fed in the barns during winter (they consume an astronomical amount!) During milking they are each given a scoopful of our home grown oats and some seaweed, it's not necessary for their diet but is a small and healthy treat for them. Each year we breed replacement heifers of which we keep about 6 a year. We run a Sussex bull (Wendell) with the herd; a very docile breed, indigenous, and with excellent beef.

The Dairy

The Dairy (creamery) is very reliant on the seasons, the weather and, most importantly, on the rhythm of the cows. Two to three months before calving - early Spring, Summer and late Autumn - the cows are 'dried off' (i.e. not milked). This means that out of a small herd, a lot less milk is available for processing at certain times of the year. Our cows give us anywhere between 250-550 litres a day, depending on the time of year, the weather, what's growing in the pastures, and even their mood... During the 'flush' times we make lots of cheese (the dairying equivalent of making hay while the sun shines). The taste of the milk reflects the seasons, the range of plants in the pasture/hay/silage, the soil life, even the age of the cows and where they are in their lactation. Changes in flavour are part of being part of the rhythm of the seasons and traditional farming.

The Chickens

No farm is complete without poultry. We have about 400 laying hens. They are housed in different groups of free-range pasture, each with their own mobile house and cockerel. The hen housing is routinely moved to fresh ground to give them plenty of greens to peck and to keep down any pests that would otherwise build up. Small flocks and regular fresh land keep the vet at bay. The hens are fed on home-grown oats mixed with whey from our dairy and organic (gmo free) layers pellets. We buy the hens in at Point of Lay and rear them ourselves from there. Our delicious eggs are sold through the farm shop and come in fresh daily.

The Sheep

We currently have Lleyn, Romney and Jacob cross ewes at Plaw Hatch. The ewes lamb outside from late March; we shear the ewes in late May and wean the lambs at the beginning of July. The ewes then have time to rest before tupping (mating) in November. Some of our lambs are kept for breeding and the rest are processed by our butchery. We produce knitting wool, blankets, and organic sheepskins from our flock.

The Pigs

Pigs are a great asset to any dairy farm that makes cheese. The whey (a byproduct of the cheese-making process) is a great source of protein, which they thrive on, together with our oats and the odd treat from the garden. We have a mixture of heritage breeds; Tamworths, Durocs, and Large Blacks. They are great for turning the soil and regenerating the land. When the weather turns wet and cold we bring them into the barns and they spend their days foraging in the deep straw and silage so they are never bored.