Farm Profile
Location: Northern Ireland
Operators: Keith & Ruth Agnew with sons Josh and Jonny (3rd/4th generation)
Herd Size: 650 milking cows
System: Three-times-daily milking
Annual Production: 7.2 million litres (up 600,000L year-on-year)
Herd Average: 11,000 litres with 4.15% butterfat, 3.45% protein
Cogent Partnership: 30+ years (second customer in Northern Ireland)
The Partnership’s Foundation
The Agnew family has been with Cogent since the very beginning – in fact they were Cogent’s second ever customer in Northern Ireland over 30 years ago. The relationship began in the late 1990s, when Lord Grosvenor established the company with a clear mission: to reduce semen prices across the UK.
"Dad tells me that when he was my age, he would spend 60 quid for a straw of semen. Now if I spend 60 quid, I think it's a rip off," explains Josh Agnew.
This foundational relationship was built on more than just price, it was about democratising access to quality genetics for dairy farmers. As Keith puts it: "I actually think Cogent dropped the price of semen in the world for every dairy farmer. That's part of the reason why, from a loyalty point of view, I would be loyal to Cogent - they've done a genuine service for dairy farmers."
Technology Frustration and Fertility Struggles
Before implementing Cogent’s Precision services (PrecisionREPRO & PrecisionCOW), the farm faced significant challenges that many dairy operations will recognise.
Fertility Problems
- Over five services per conception for milking cows
- Calving intervals of 420-430 days (target: 365-380 days)
- Limited ability to cull poor performers due to replacement shortages
- Heavy reliance on manual AI by Keith
Technology Disappointments
The farm had invested heavily in heat detection technology over the years but with variable success, leaving Keith disillusioned.
"The trouble is, you drop the ball when you've got a collar system - you drop the ball on the physical eye part of heat detection. When it doesn't work, you're stuffed because you haven't got the protocols in place to pick up heat."
Cogent’s Precision Solution
The journey from fertility frustration to record performance didn’t happen overnight. It began six years ago when Keith made the crucial decision to hand over the AI duties he’d performed for decades to Cogent’s PrecisionREPRO technicians.
"Dad started to realise that AI-ing wasn't a layman's job,” Josh explains. “There are problems that AI technicians can detect that we can't.” This wasn’t just about the physical act of insemination, it was about professional expertise in identifying cows with reproductive issues, understanding problems and knowing when not to serve an animal.
Lead technician Jordan Crozier, supported by Cian Corrigan, brought more than just technical skill. By following strategic mating plans, they transformed breeding from guesswork to science. The impact was immediate, but Keith knew heat detection remained a weak link.
After previous disappointments, the farm invested in Nedap collars through Cogent. The difference was apparent from the beginning with consistent signal strength and monitoring.
"I'm two years on the go now, and I haven't had one fault in my collars," Josh says, a stark contrast to their previous system that required three complete replacements over five years.
The reliability translated into confidence, replacing chalk marking completely. The system’s accuracy was put to the test early on when 20 cows were flagged by the collars. In a blind assessment, Keith correctly identified 19 of 20, but the Nedap system was right on every single animal. The system’s sensitivity allows for precise timing optimisation, so no straws are wasted.
The newfound confidence in heat detection also enabled a radical shift in breeding strategy, eliminating the use of conventional semen completely. "We just would not have a straw of conventional Holstein semen about the place," Josh declares. Instead, every young cow receives sexed Holstein semen, while older animals get sexed beef semen, achieving conception rates equal to conventional semen and consistently exceeding the advertised 97% purity levels.
The beef strategy centres on Triple Impact Angus, chosen specifically for calving ease. "I do not wake up at night-time to calve a cow." Josh emphasises. The calves resulting from this strategy are also of excellent quality.
Numbers That Tell the Story
The transformation at Drummondmore Farm can be measured in every metric that matters to a dairy operation. The fertility improvements alone tell a remarkable story of progress that seemed impossible just a few years ago.
Services per Conception
When Keith was doing all the AI work himself, the farm was averaging well over five services per conception. Today, services per conception consistently run below three. From the first month with the PrecisionCOW system, it dropped to 2.96 services per conception.
Calving Interval Improvement
Calving intervals used to stretch to 420-430 days, making it difficult to maintain consistent milk flow and creating a constant shortage of replacement heifers. Now they are averaging 380 days, with some individual cows achieving the very impressive 340-day intervals.
Pregnancy Numbers
The first full month after installing the Nedap collars delivered results that surprised even Josh: from a typical 60-70 pregnant cows at scanning, they jumped to 117 pregnancies. The following months sustained over 100 pregnancies each time.
"We actually had a few months where half the herd was in calf within a four-month period after the collars went in," Josh recalls. The problem became too much success, they had to adjust protocols because they were generating more heifers than they could house.
Production Excellence
This isn't just about statistics, it translates directly to milk in the tank. The farm now produces 7.2 million litres annually, up 600,000 litres year-on-year (8.3% growth) despite milking the same number of cows. They are achieving 11,000 litres per cow average with premium solids: 4.15% butterfat and 3.45% protein.
Age Profile Revolution
Perhaps most remarkably, this production increase comes from a herd that's dramatically younger than before. Over half their milking cows are now first lactation animals, a complete reversal from their previous age distribution. Yet these young cows are delivering record performance across all metrics.
"We're over 50% first calvers, but we're at record highs in terms of breeding. Our fat and protein is even higher and our fertility is even better," Josh explains.
Culling Flexibility
The financial impact extends beyond just more milk. Keith estimates they're seeing an additional 1,000-1,500 litres daily from reduced days in milk alone. Last year, income from culled cows equalled an entire month's milk cheque. "Basically 13 milk cheques in the year when you included the cull cows," Keith calculates.
That culling flexibility stems directly from their surplus of quality replacements. A recent example illustrates the transformation: Josh sold an older cow for £2,217 and bought a replacement heifer for £2,800 - just £583 to upgrade to superior genetics. "You don't have the ability to do that unless you have surplus, unless you have good fertility. Which we now have," Josh notes.
Proactive Animal Welfare
The Nedap collars proved their worth beyond fertility in ways Josh didn't expect. The rumination and activity monitoring capability caught him off guard with its sensitivity and accuracy in detecting sick animals.
"The thing that surprised me was how fast it picks up a sick cow," Josh explains. "I think I'm a good stockman - you look at a cow and think that cow's fine. Then the next morning, maybe you start to notice her. Whereas it'll tell you immediately, that cow's off feed through rumination monitoring."
The system typically flags animals 12-24 hours before visual symptoms appear. Josh has developed a protocol around these early warnings that's transformed their approach to animal health. When the collar alerts him to dropping rumination or reduced activity, he administers anti-inflammatory treatment immediately, more often than not preventing the progression to more serious illness.
"A lot of the time, what I've done is, if I get that data, I just go pump a bit of anti-inflammatory into them and they don't really look back. You don't get much worse," he says. This proactive approach has reduced their reliance on antibiotics whilst improving animal welfare outcomes and reducing treatment costs.
Financial Impact: More Than Just Better Numbers
The financial transformation at Drummondmore Farm extends far beyond the obvious benefit of more milk. While that 600,000-litre annual increase represents substantial additional revenue, especially at premium pricing through improved milk quality, the real value lies in how the integrated system has reduced costs whilst improving efficiency across every aspect of the operation.
Semen costs alone tell a compelling story. Dropping from over five services per conception to below three means saving hundreds of straws annually. At £30+ per sexed dose, those savings add up quickly. But Keith's analysis goes deeper than simple multiplication.
"Even if you save half a straw per cow per year, and then you look at that number... you're saving like three or four days," Keith calculates. "Even if it's a thousand pound a month for our 700 cows, if it works well, I'd say the benefits are probably at least ten times the investment."
The return on investment becomes even more compelling when considering the knock-on effects. Better fertility creates surplus heifers, which enables aggressive culling, maintaining a young herd, which improves genetic progress, and increases production. Each element reinforces the others in a virtuous cycle that Keith estimates delivers benefits worth at least ten times the system cost.
The culling flexibility alone has transformed their cash flow. Where they once struggled to find replacement animals, they now have the luxury of choice. Last year's cull cow income equalled an entire month's milk payment, effectively giving them 13 milk cheques instead of 12.
Building on Success
Josh's vision for Drummondmore Farm reflects the realities facing many progressive dairy operations today. With expansion opportunities limited by regulations and land availability, the focus shifts to maximising efficiency from existing resources.
"It's difficult to see much progress in terms of herd size, so for me really I'm trying to drive as much efficiency as possible," Josh explains. "It's going to be hard to have more cows, so I'm trying to drive to have as good a cow as possible."
This philosophy shapes their immediate priorities. Once the E. coli vaccine development is complete (a project necessitated by a multi-antibiotic resistant strain that affected 20% of their calves) genomic testing will resume in earnest. Allowing their Cogent Genetics Services Specialist Alize McColm to continue to refine their breeding strategy.
The breeding strategy will continue evolving around young cow performance. With over half the herd now first lactation animals delivering record production, Josh sees no reason to change course. If anything, the success validates pushing even harder in this direction.
The long-term relationship with Cogent remains central to these plans. After 30 years of partnership and the dramatic improvements of recent years, Josh expresses confidence in continuing to rely on Cogent's expertise rather than trying to manage every detail himself.
"I trust Cogent enough that they're doing that for me. I'm not made to get bogged down in detail, if I trust Cogent, who know how to improve the animal, I don't have to," he reflects. It's a philosophy that's served them well and shows no signs of changing.
A Blueprint for Precision Dairy Farming
Drummondmore Farm exemplifies how combining reliable technology, professional expertise, and strategic breeding can transform dairy operation performance. Their journey from fertility struggles to record performance demonstrates the potential when all elements of precision farming work in harmony.
The farm's transformation encompasses every critical metric – fertility, production, genetic progress, animal health, and profitability. Most importantly, it shows how a long-term partnership approach can deliver sustained improvements year after year.
As Josh Agnew summarises: "The biggest change is that since we've started with Cogent, we've just got such a surplus of heifers all the time. We cull way harder than we used to, and we have good fertility."
To find out how Cogent’s Precision Services could work for your farm, contact your local Genetics Consultant or call us for free on 0800 783 7258.