AN AWARD-winning dairy farm is battling for hundreds of thousands of pounds after its herd was culled due to interruptions to water supply .

Hiltonbury Jerseys, famed for its award-winning Jersey cows, had to cull part of its herd after two Southern Water outages led to several cows becoming ill.

Before the winter of 2022, there were 125 cows at the farm in Compton but illness and disease due to a lack of water, which eventually had to be brought in by the fire services and Water Direct, caused 25 per cent of them to be put down.

"It's the second outage that really did it. In January, we noticed something wasn't quite right," farmer Oliver Neagle said.

Read more: Letter: Farm on the verge of going under due to Southern Water

Tenant Oliver Neagle, 52, who rents Attwoods Drove Farm from Hampshire County Council, said the surviving cows were only just starting to milk normally again.

Oliver said: "The cows that have been here have taken a massive hit and it's only in the last two months that they are coming back to what they're supposed to be doing.

"As an average, the cows produce 23 and 25 litres a day -that's what I'd expect. They were down to 15, 16, 17 litres on average."

Oliver and his wife Shaleen, 49, were told by their insurer to hire a dairy consultant, who estimated the cost of the cull was £330,000.

As well as the money claimed for the immediate loss of the cattle, the couple are looking for further compensation due to the loss of future calves and the hit to milk production.

The farming couple have so far received 65 per cent of the £330,000, but they have had to fight insurers and Southern Water for two years.

Oliver said: "It never crossed my mind that it would have been an issue." Their insurer first refused to recognise their claim, before backing down and paying out due to an 'error'.

Oliver has been a dairy farmer all his life, following on from his parents and grandparents.

Writing on the Hiltonbury farm's website, Oliver said: "Two TB outbreaks had devastated the Shorthorn Herd and John [my grandfather] purchased some Jersey cattle from his cousin, Norman Cooper, who owned the famous Hursley Herd and this was when the Hiltonbury Herd was established."

Read more: Southern Water shortage: Winchester dairy herd without water for 18 hours

Since 2022 the business has been relying on its 'side hustle', a farm shop, to keep afloat. Without it they, "Probably wouldn't be here, to be honest."

The farm shop is a small building and inside they sell four main products: pasteurised Jersey cow milk; unpasteurised Jersey cow milk; Shaleen's homemade ice cream; and beef from their cows.

The couple say farmers are undervalued by society, but they have a core community of supporters who help them fight the crisis facing British farming.

Shaleen said: "We do get a lot of support from the public. Our customers, they say the milk is too cheap; the beef's too cheap! They won't shop in supermarkets."

Oliver, who asserted profits are far too weighted towards supermarkets, said: "Next time I go to Sainsbury's, it'll be through the front with a tractor!"

Asked for comment by the Chronicle, a spokesperson for Southern Water, said: “We understand the impact these incidents have had on the farm and provided additional support to them in 2022 and 2023, in recognition of the issues they face.

"We received a formal letter of claim which we issued in August 2024.”