Gwarmacwydd Farm Feature

EASY MANAGED, EASY CALVING SIMMENTALS PROVING TO BE ‘EXCELLENT’ SUCKLER COWS

AT GWARMACWYDD, WHITLAND

Here we feature David, Angela, and Amy Colledge who farm at Gwarmacwydd, Whitland, Pembrokeshire. Introducing the Simmental breed has brought long-term gains in all-round efficiency, management and performance for this 90-head commercial suckler herd.

When non-farming couple David and Angela Colledge, living in a three-bedroom semi-detached house in Watford got married, they promised themselves that one day they would own a farm.

This soon became reality when in 1986, accountant David and secretary Angela, purchased the 106-acre holding, Gwarmacwydd in Whitland, Pembrokeshire. At the same time they inherited three farm dogs of mixed ability and no fences, so being completely new to agriculture, the challenge began.

With David still working in the city, Angela was milking 50 cows and while selling calves at market noticed that the Simmental entries were very popular. Having had some calving difficulties with other Continental breeds, the dual-purpose aspect along with the known docility added to the appeal and in 1990 the first pedigree Simmental bull was worked on the herd.

David, Amy, & Angela Colledge

Choosing a Simmental was a real turning point for us. Our calves were a real hit at market and the good temperament of the breed made them so much easier for me to handle on my own,” explains Angela.

A suckler herd of dairy cross cows from the milkers always ran alongside, with daughters of this first Simmental bull being retained without question. “We were just delighted with the heifers which were coming in to the suckler herd. We have always run a policy to breed our own replacements and we were spoilt for choice,” says Angela.

A Simmental bull has run with the now 90-cow herd ever since. The selected bulls have always been pedigree as the family feel traceability within bloodlines is important and three bulls now run with the herd on a rotational basis. Daughter Amy who also has a daily role within the business prefers to purchase bulls directly off farm. “Mum and I go together and although we both have our own opinions, we are looking to tick the same boxes; length, a good rump, strength in the back and above all else, an excellent temperament which is vital as it is mostly just Mum and I working the cows at home,” comments 28 year-old Amy.

The first in the current line-up having been with the herd for five years is Huntsmead Golly 15, a son of Dinton Beano 10 and out of Huntsmead Pretty Daisy 2nd. The 2019-born Dewisland Kermit has proved impressively fertile. He is by Dewisland Icelolly 17 and out of Dewisland Ina-Regina. Kermit comes with an impressive calving ease which is exactly what the Colledge family are looking for.

Meanwhile, the new boy on the block is Higherem Lee 20, a Marchborn son of Ballinalare Farm Galaxy 15 and from the successful Hilary line, he has a very promising future at Gwarmacwydd.

We look after the bulls and the bulls look after us. Chestermann William stayed with us for 12 years and produced outstanding calves year after year. He has an influence on the majority of the daughters within the current herd,” says Amy. Chestermann William was a son of Blackford Ringleader, being from the Presto family.

The farm now totals more than 500 acres of shaley free-draining lowland ground and has been farmed organically with Organic Farmers & Growers for some 23 years. All of the fodder, straw and crops are homegrown with 50 acres of corn being rotated along with 50 acres of oats and peas which are milled and fed to the cows and calves.

“Our more extensive, organic farming methods brings a flush of grass in the late summer so we choose to calve June to August,” explains Amy. Heifers calve inside so we can keep an eye on them while the adult portion of the herd calves outside. “At this time of year, it is not only warmer and cleaner to calve outside, but we are also cutting costs of housing and we have less chance of disease occurring,” explains Angela. Heifers go to the bull at two years of age to allow them to reach their full growth potential and are often still on the farm up to 18 years of age.

Cattle are housed in November with a number of yearlings kept outside on peas buffered with oats for protein. Calves are weaned at turn out in April with the youngsters remaining in the shed on corn for a month before being let out to grass. “I always remember one cow who would have moved mountains to get back to the shed to her calf. This just shows the mothering ability of these Simmental cows,” recalls Angela.

At the end of summer replacements are selected. “A neighbour who bought some heifers from us had them all pelvic scored and was really pleased with the results. We will explore this before our next heifer selection to enable us to make more informed choices,” explains Angela.

Steers are fed a homegrown ration outside to enable them to transition in to the shed for winter. At this point groups are selected to be sold as stores and those to take through to finishing. “We sold a bunch of steers through the organic section at our local livestock market, JJ Morris at Whitland, this year and every purchaser has contacted us to ask if we have got anymore,” says Angela. The family have also had great success in using the platform Sell My Livestock and all cattle advertised have sold extremely quickly to the point it leaves a demand to be fulfilled.

Finished steers and cull cows are sold through the Organic Livestock Marketing Co-Operative with steers averaging 360-400kg deadweight at R2’s and O3’s. Cull cows are weighing in at 400kg plus deadweight, again at R2’s and O2’s.

Angela and Amy would like to begin a boxed beef scheme as the organic status gives such a selling point, but with five holiday cottages and another in the pipeline to convert, a gallery conference building underway, running tractor driving experiences and 50 acres of woodland to manage, time is of the essence for these ladies.

“We try to make the most out of every aspect of the farm and in doing so the cows need to allow us the level of management ease that the Simmental gives. Their ease of finishing, mothering abilities and great temperaments all culminate in a really excellent suckler cow” says Amy.