Grab your wellies and meet the men, women and children behind Moo milk!
David Christensen has been farming on Kingston Hill Farm, in Oxford, since he was young. He took over the running of the 1000 acre farm from his father, who is still a partner. His father started in 1968, with 40 cows, since then things have changed a lot and David now has 600 cows and 450 calves under 2! We spoke to David about life on the farm.
When I was younger, I was going to be a fighter pilot or an Airport Operations manager, then at 15, I first got interested in farming – it is now my passion… particularly UK farming.
David Christensen, Kingston Hill Farm
What do you love about farming?
When I was younger, I was going to be a fighter pilot or an Airport Operations manager, then at 15, I first got interested in farming — it is now my passion… particularly UK farming. What interests me are busy places, with lots going on… so the farm is perfect! Everyday there are people around and something happening the whole time.
The best thing about farming is the quality of life… I have a really interesting job, with reasonably long hours, but still get to see my family. Plus, it’s great working outside and working with the cows. I also really value the British countryside, the patchwork of farmland, with herds of cows grazing. It’s important from a tourism point of view. It’s also increasingly important, with the changes in the environment, for the UK to have its own food security.
Tell us about a typical day on the farm
We bring the cows in at 5am, to start milking at 5.30am. All the cows will be milked by 7am, we then spend time cleaning down the parlour. Then we spend time feeding the cows and calves, cleaning the barns, repairing things that need sorting. The cows will be brought in again about 2.30pm, this should all be finished by 5.30pm. It matters to me that we have time to spend with our family, in the evening.
How much milk do you produce a day?
We produce between 13,000-15,000 litres a day. Milk production is affected by what they are being fed, the time of day, the weather… cows don’t like it to be too hot or wet, windy & cold!
Do your cows live indoors or outdoors?
The cows live outdoors throughout most of the Spring and Summer, but when there are extremes of weather we will bring them in. In the Autumn, we will bring them in at night, then when the weather gets very severe they will come during the day as well.
In the Winter, the cows each have their own individual beds, lined with sand, so it’s like they have their own private beach really. They take regular exercise in the yard. They are very comfortable in the Winter, but I love to see them go out to the pasture in March. It’s a glorious sign… all these cows careering around the paddock, with udders swinging from side to side, putting on their war-paint by rubbing their heads on the ground. It’s one of those key moments in the farming year.
Do you have any funny cows?
We do have some quirky cows, who can be quite extreme. One particular family of cows are wild — they are fine when they are with the herd, but when they are separated from the herd they turn into head-cases and start leaping gates. We always keep an eye on that particular cow family! Some are particularly friendly… they love having their ears scratched & tickled and want lots of attention. Most of the cows are naturally very inquisitive and very clever too.
It’s important to keep them happy — if they are comfortable & happy they perform better and also it’s job satisfaction too. If you have nice buildings for them to live in (bright & clean & light & airy), it’s good for the calves and us. It means we can do our jobs properly and the cows are much happier.