Facts on Sommerbjerg I/S:Animals - 700 milking cows (Holsteiner breed) – some are crossed with the traditional Danish red cattle, making them more robust. The cows are divided into 4 groups, depending on their yield and distributed into 2 barns
- The cows consume close to half their feed intake when grazing the fields during the summer months (approx. 618 acres).
- The cows are milked twice daily, from 03.15-07.00 and 14.15-18.00 respectively.
- Dry cows are in the fields day and night during the summer months. Also when they calve.
- The bull calves are sold after 3 months – heifers are sent to a heifer hotel when they are 3 months and return when it is time for them to calve.
Fields and feed - Sommerbjerg farms 1500 acres (600 acres are leased). Approx. half are grazing fields. The rest is whole crop.
- Own production supplies 100 % of the roughage, supplied with concentrated feed. In total 70 % of the feed comes from the farm’s own fields.
Barns - The milking cows are placed in 2 parallel barns that are connected to the same milking parlour.
- One barn has fixed floors and stalls, whereas the other is a composting barn with 80 cm wood chipping on the floor.
- Milking parlour with 2 x 28 units is operated by two milkers and one runner.
Staff - Barns: 1 farm manager and 6 agricultural students and 2 helpers.
- Fields: 3 employees
- Mads Helms and his father, Edvard Helms, lend a hand, when needed.
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