Young Farmer Focus: Caitlin Townley, 15: 'My ambition is to run a successful herd of Jerseys'

Hobby: As soon as school finishes, I race home to be on the farm, whether it is to milk, feed calves or do tractor jobs.

I milk four nights a week with my dad, David, who has taught me a lot over the last few years, including skills such as how to back a tractor and trailer, to knowledge such as tell-tale signs of mastitis in a cow.

My favourite tractor jobs are carting silo, feeding up, tanking and carting bales.

One of my main interests is showing my calf, McCutchen Daphne. I train it a few nights a week and we have a really strong bond.

The last show I took it to was Boderway Dairy Expo in March. Our next show will be Cartmel Show. I am really looking forward to it and have been busy preparing my calf.

One of my dreams, as I gain more experience and knowledge, is to make our herd prefix, newcroft Holsteins and Jerseys, known worldwide by competing in shows all around the world.

Efficiency: Together with my dad, grandad John and great grandad Bill, we are always trying to make the herd more efficient and productive.

We have recently transformed our indoor silo pit into 38 cubicles for our in-calf heifers.

It is crucial for the heifers to be well fed during their pregnancy and to keep an eye on them as they grow closer to calving.

Future: One of my main ambitions for the future is to run my own successful Jersey herd.

I have 13 Jerseys, which I share with my sisters Abigail, Kayleigh and Jessica. Most of them originate from our original cow family, Clover.

We have tried to add variety to the herd by introducing new families from around the world, like one of our families, Danse, who originated from Canada.

The herd is rapidly increasing and they are high-yielding cows. I am currently in year 10 and after I leave year 11 I would like to carry on my passion for farming by doing level
3 agriculture at Myerscough College, Preston.

After that I would like to go abroad to a top showing herd, with Holsteins and Jerseys, in Canada.

During this time I would like to work with show animals, and train, feed and look after them.

I would then like to return home and use my new-found skills and knowledge and apply them to my own showing and Jersey herd.