About us

Welcome to the Kirkby British Friesians website.

Our herd was first established in 1978 when we moved to Sandlands Farm near Melton Mowbray with 39 cows from the Whitecloud Herd of EA Fox & Son, Ashbourne. In 1983 we moved to Middlefields Farm Hinckley where we now milk 140 cows through 2 Merlin 225 Fullwood Robots. We have a closed herd and use our own young bulls on heifers and rely on AI (DIY) for the cows. All calves born are kept on farm and any surplus heifers are sold and bull calves are sent to our other farm at Kirkby Mallory to be finished. A few selected bulls are registered to be sold as stock bulls.

We rely on Grass silage to feed throughout the winter and grow oats/wheat to have the option of topping up the clamp with whole crop if needed or harvesting the grain to feed through the Robots and OPF’s in a blend. Our cows and young heifers graze grass all summer night and day without buffer feeding unless absolutely necessary. You can never say never with our climate! In the winter the cows lie in cubicles bedded on mats, all other stock is loose housed.

Don and Trevor are the main workforce with input from Justine and Jackie especially for calf rearing and office work. Once weaned calves are taken to Kirkby Fields Farm, Kirkby Mallory where they are reared. The bull beef unit is also at Kirkby Fields Farm and when finished they are sent off to market.

Trevor and Justine have a son Thomas and a daughter Charlotte but team Griffin is much larger than that, as Don and Jackie had 5 children and at present 9 Grandchildren.

We have been members of the British Friesian Breeders Club since 1991 with increasing levels of involvement. At present Jackie is Chairman of the club. Meeting with like minded breeders and enthusiasts leads us all over the country and we see the results of breeding decisions by Friesian breeders as well as other breeds.