2025 NMR RABDF Gold Cup Finalists Madders and Chandler from Coppenhall

Brother and sister team, Mike Madders and Rosie Chandler, from Coppenhall, Staffordshire, have made the final round of the 2025 NMR/RABDF Gold Cup

The siblings are the fifth generation of the Madders family to farm at Church Farm, which is a mixed dairy and arable business totalling 422 hectares, mainly owned by the family but with some rented land in addition. The dairy platform runs on 202-hectares and supports a herd of 340 Holstein cows and 220 youngstock. 

Maximising the use of home-grown forage is a key focus on the dairy unit, with cows grazing for six months of the year, from mid-April to mid-October, depending on 

conditions. The main milking group in this all-year-round calving herd grazes only during the day and is buffer-fed a partial mixed ration overnight, based on home-grown maize and grass silage. The late lactation low yielding group, or about 40 cows, will graze day and night. 

All groups graze a group of paddocks around the dairy buildings. Additional paddocks are added after first and second cut silage crops to increase the grazing area.

All milking groups are housed in cubicles, in two sheds, with mattresses and the highly absorbent dried paper crumb Envirobed is spread twice daily. A trial with 40 water beds is currently underway in one shed to see if they further improve cow comfort. 

Youngstock and dry stock are bedded on straw from the arable operation, with bulling heifers moving to cubicles so they become familiar with them before joining the main herd. Slurry and farmyard manure goes back on to the arable land to provide organic nutrients. Crops are rotated with forage maize, used as a break crop, and long-term cutting leys. This avoids the weed burden risk of grass-to-grass re-seeds.

The partial mixed ration comprises approximately two thirds grass silage to a third maize silage, a bespoke nil soy protein blend and a mineral mix. To eke out limited forage supplies after the dry summer in 2025, 1.2kg a head a day of straw is being added to the diet. ForFarmers nutritionist Alison Ewing uses regular silage analysis data to balance the ration. 

Cows are fed to yield in the parlour at an average feed rate of 4.5kg of a nil soy high starch 16% protein nut, with those yielding more than 40kg a day having up to 6kg a day. Cows are milked twice a day through a 20/40 herringbone parlour. There is sequential ID as the cows enter the parlour, which operates the in-parlour feeders.

This Holstein herd has been closed for almost 20 years, and pedigree status was achieved in the mid-1970s under the Copehale prefix.

Improving production and functional type lies behind breeding plans, with sire selection based on PLI with a particular focus on milk constituents, feet and udder health. 

Genomic testing of heifer calves at birth was introduced in 2023.The top 30% of females based on genomic test results are selected to breed replacements, using sexed semen from genomically tested bulls. They aim to rear 100 Holstein heifer calves a year. The rest of the cows and heifers are bred to Gamechanger Aberdeen Angus sires, for the integrated beef supply chain. 

Herd health is maintained on farm through scrupulous attention to detail in the parlour and housing. Cows are mobility scored monthly by a third party and nearly 90% of cows are at scores 0 and 1. Any issues are dealt with immediately. 

The herd is currently naïve to BVD and IBR, and is monitored through bulk milk tank screening, as well as using BVD Tag and Test eartags for all calves. The herd’s comprehensive vaccine programme includes BVD, Leptospirosis, Blackleg, Huskvac and now Bluetongue. 

NMR’s HerdWise quarterly screening service is used to identify and reduce Johne’s infections, which have now been reduced to only 12 cows showing any level of infection out of 341 cows in July 2025. 

A detailed health plan is drawn up by Stafford-based Manor Farm Vets. The aim is to prevent rather than treat disease, and evidence of this is the drop in antibiotic use, particularly during the past five years. Only 31% of cows are treated with antibiotics at drying off. 

The dairy business has made steady progress in the past 50 years, when Mike and Rosie’s parents, Bill and Beth, moved the dairy unit out of the village and on to a greenfield site at the heart of the grazing platform. 

The siblings run the business alongside herdsman James Barker and his father, David; apprentice Oliver Smith-Williams, who will soon be joining the business full time; and calf rearer Claire Beardmore. Claire’s husband, Ian, manages the arable operation but also helps on the dairy, along with relief milkers when required. The farm also offers work experience opportunities to agricultural and veterinary students. Investment in the business has accelerated in more recent years, with a new maize clamp in 2019, and extensions to the main cubicle shed and parlour in 2020. In 2021, a bespoke calf rearing shed was constructed, followed by a new loose housing shed for in-calf heifers in 2023.Silage clamp capacity is currently being increased and improvements made to reduce waste. Spring 2026 will see a new slurry lagoon being built, and there are also plans for an extra 40kW solar PV array to add to the existing roof mounted 50kW system.

Mike and Rosie aim to build a robust and well-invested business, which they hope will enable the next generation to build a sustainable dairy business for the future, whether that is a third party or someone from within the family. 

Key facts - Madders:

• Livestock: 340 cows, 220 youngstock
• Milk yield (12 month rolling average): 10,488 kg, 4.57% fat, 3.55% protein
• Milk from forage: 3713kg
• Somatic cell count: 152,000 cells/ml
• Bactoscan: 14
• Mastitis rate: 13.2 per 100 cow per year
• Calving interval:  368 days
• 100 day in-calf rate: 60%
• Average age at first calving:  25 months
• Milk buyer: Arla (Arla CARE)