2020 50th Anniversary Simmental Review

Page 188

SIMMENTAL’S

DUAL-PURPOSE TRAITS PAYING DIVIDENDS AT BALLYSTRONE

Commercial feature on Allister Calvin, County Londonderry who is seeing the strengths of the Simmental breed in producing suckler replacements, and in bull beef finishing.

C

ounty Londonderry farmer Allister Calvin initially bought a Simmental bull to produce suckler replacements, but quickly realised that the breed’s dual-purpose traits also delivered satisfactory results in his bull beef finishing unit. “The Simmental is a good all-rounder, offering beneficial maternal and terminal traits,” said Allister who farms in partnership with his father William at Ballystrone on the outskirts of Coleraine. The father and son duo have been crossing Simmental on their Limousin and Belgian Blue cross-bred cows. “The Simmental cross is the ideal suckler cow with good conformation, sound legs and feet, a nice temperament, great mothering ability and plenty of milk. “Over the years we have boosted our profitability by selling surplus heifers as replacements to repeat customers. Heifers are sold at approximately thirteen-months-old at a price equivalent to that of a finished animal.” 188

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www.britishsimmental.co.uk

Our top performing bulls are ‘flying’ and can achieve 1.21 kilos of carcase gain per day, which is equivalent to 1.46 kilos daily liveweight gain from birth.”


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Sales

25min
pages 221-235

Pedigree Bull Levy Semen (Royalty) Scheme

6min
pages 240-241

Harbro Advertorial

3min
pages 210-211

Canadian Simmental

6min
pages 206-209

Dansk Simmental

7min
pages 202-205

Simmental NZ

5min
pages 192-193

South West Simmental Club Report

8min
pages 178-181

NI Simmental Cattle Breeders’ Club Report

2min
pages 170-171

North East Club Report

3min
pages 166-167

Ballystrone Herd Feature

4min
pages 188-191

Midlands Club Report

1min
pages 164-165

East Anglian Simmental Club Report

2min
pages 162-163

Regional Club Area Officers

2min
page 154

Centre West Club Report

3min
page 155

Welston Herd Feature

9min
pages 90-93

Simmental Young Members

1min
pages 104-105

Spotlight on Cumbria

9min
pages 65-75

Sacombe Herd Feature

8min
pages 118-122

News

4min
pages 62-64

News

8min
pages 50-53

News

17min
pages 24-29

Theberton Herd Feature

5min
pages 54-57

Council Members

1min
page 9

Bunchrew Farm Feature

7min
pages 20-23

Bowley Herd Feature

5min
pages 30-35

Golden Cow

1min
pages 60-61

President’s Message

7min
pages 10-11
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