Comfortable beds. A good dinner. A scratch in just the right spot. Life at Primrose Dairies revolves around our cows—and every one has her own personality.
Come and meet them ↗A little farm life, a little science, and quite a lot of Jersey character.
The girls, out enjoying the grass.Ava might be the face of our farm stories, but her mum Wonky deserves an introduction of her own. Behind every collar number is a cow we get to know.
We name the heifer calves we choose to rear as future members of the milking herd. Each birth year has a starting letter: C for 2025, D for 2026 and E for 2027. Their names help tell the story of the next generation.
Official ear tags keep identities and records linked. Names help us share the characters behind those records.
WONKY · AVA’S MUM
Wonky, photographed here on our farm.
A scratch exactly where you want it.
Our job is to provide what the girls need, then pay attention to how each cow is getting on.
The cows have access to grass as well as the barn. In hot or cold temperatures, rain or wind, they often choose the shelter indoors, their mattresses and—in warm weather—the fans.
The main mixed ration is available at the feed barrier, with fresh water available too. Our feed-pushing robot helps keep that ration within reach as the cows eat.
The girls can use the cow brush for a scratch and a groom. Some get quite inventive about finding just the right angle.
We check the cows, look after calves, manage feeding, beds and feet, and respond when something changes. Technology gives us information; daily observation and individual attention remain our responsibility.
Our robots help with everyday jobs, leaving us more time to look after the herd. Each has a very different role.
01 / MILKING
Our GEA milking robots work with a guided gate system. Gates recognise each cow and check her milking permission before admitting her to the robot area.
Some girls make another lap of the barn and try again as their next permission approaches. They choose when to approach; the system checks whether they are due.
Inside, concentrate feed is allocated individually through feed-to-yield, helping match feeding to milk production.
02 / KEEPING DINNER CLOSE
No phone needed. Our food Nu-Nu travels along the feed barrier, pushing the ration back within reach of the girls.
It doesn’t make the meal or replace the farmer feeding them—it helps keep dinner accessible after it has been put out.
“Your dinner hasn’t gone anywhere. I’ve just moved it closer.”
03 / THE CLEAN-UP CREW
The girls aren’t interested in clearing up after themselves. Our JOZ Barn-E travels its route collecting the muck they leave behind and helping keep their walking areas cleaner.
That muck becomes part of our crop-growing story: collected, stored and returned to fields as a source of nutrients.
“They make the mess. I have the job.”
We grow our own forage—the grass and crops that form the foundation of the cows’ ration. Bought-in feeds and minerals complement that forage to help balance the diet.
Maize grows into a tall, leafy plant with cobs. Unlike sweetcorn harvested for a plate, our forage maize is grown to feed the cows.
We harvest grass and chop the whole maize plant, including stalk, leaves and cobs. Packed and sealed, the crops ferment into silage for feeding later.
The forage is mixed into a ration. Cows also receive individual concentrate allowances in the milking robots through feed-to-yield.
Collected manure is stored and applied to land at suitable times and rates. Its nutrients help grow the next crops; managing it carefully matters.
Jerseys are known for milk rich in butterfat and protein. Volume tells only part of the story—the composition matters to the foods milk can become.
Fat and protein are often discussed together as valuable milk solids. Milk also contains lactose, minerals and other components.
These are explanations of dairy foods, not a claim that we currently manufacture every product shown here.
Butterfat provides richness. Cream contains concentrated milk fat, and churning cream brings that fat together to make butter.
Milk proteins, especially casein, form the curd at the heart of cheesemaking. Fat and protein both contribute to the finished cheese.
Milk fat contributes richness, while milk proteins help support structure and texture. The recipe and freezing process matter too.
Milk provides protein and nutrients including calcium. Dairy farming also connects food production with crop growing, skilled work and rural businesses.
Primrose Dairies is Red Tractor and FAWL assured. Farm assurance brings independent checks into the everyday work of looking after livestock and keeping farm records.
Our dairy farm is part of Red Tractor assurance. The dairy standards cover areas including animal health and welfare, traceability, feed and milk hygiene.
Explore Red Tractor’s dairy standards ↗We also participate in Farm Assured Welsh Livestock (FAWL), the Welsh livestock assurance scheme. Its assessments check farms against the relevant livestock standards, including animal health, welfare and husbandry.
Learn about FAWL ↗
They share the main mixed ration, but concentrate feed in the milking robots is allocated individually. Feed-to-yield helps us match that allowance to production, alongside our wider feeding management.
No. The guided gates check each cow’s milking permission. A cow trying the gate isn’t necessarily admitted or milked.
We name the heifer calves selected to join our future milking herd. A yearly starting letter helps us recognise their generation, while their official tags preserve their unique identities.
This colourful picture is an illustration. The photographs elsewhere on the page show our real cows and farm—including Ava’s mum, Wonky.
From the youngest calves to familiar faces in the milking herd, getting to know our animals is part of looking after them. This is our place to share those stories—and explain the everyday work behind dairy farming.
Back to the girls ↑