Scale, self-sufficiency and spreading risk are three elements of the beef business model which are working out well for the Dore family. Chloe Palmer reports.
Experience pays off on Derbyshire finishing unit
Walking onto the remarkably quiet yard at Home Farm near Chesterfield in Derbyshire, anyone could be forgiven for thinking it is an arable farm devoid of livestock.
In fact, the farm is home to 450 head of cattle which are brought in from farms across the Peak District and beyond for finishing. They are fed a diet comprising a largely home-grown ration based on a proven regime which ensures they meet specification and deliver a profit for the Dore family.
Alan Dore and his brother John took over the reins of the farm from their late father in the 1970s and have grown the holding and the business ever since. Now, Alan’s son Sam is taking the lead, with Alan remaining key to the day-today operation.
John now lives on the other fam-
ily farm five miles away and looks after another 150 head of cattle using the same feed and system as at Home Farm.
The family has built up an excellent reputation with the farmers who supply the farm with cattle, meaning they can source high-quality animals throughout the year.
Resilient
Sam says: “We buy most of our cattle privately because we can see where they come from. We find the cattle reared outside on the hills are more resilient than those reared inside and rarely suffer with pneumonia.
“Some of the farmers we buy from come to us in the first instance when they are shut down with TB because we are an approved finishing unit. Very often they choose to continue supplying us once they have gone clear.”
Years of experience of finishing
Farm facts
■ Home Farm extends to 567 hectares (1,400 acres), of which 385ha (950 acres) is owned and the remainder rented
■ 506ha (1,250 acres) is arable and the rest is permanent grassland
■ Land at Home Farm rises to 570 metres (1,870 feet)
■ 900 cattle are finished at Home Farm and are mainly sent to ABP at York, with some sent to Foyles at Melton Mowbray and a few to Dovecote Park at Skellingthorpe
■ 14 head per week are sold from the farm, except from March to May when numbers finished increase to 28 head per week
animals has given the Dore family an insight into how the different types and sexes of animals which
come to them can meet the exacting specification from their customers.
Sam says: “We must produce an animal weighing in at 420kg to 440kg deadweight and between 650kg and 700kg liveweight at an O or R grade. If we exceed the weight specification, we will be penalised.
“Bulls from some of the bigger beef breeds can be problematical as they will be tipping the scales over the maximum at just 11 months old when they are too lean. We like the British Blue cross dairy stores as they give the fat covering we are looking for.
“Bulls must be finished at no older than 16 months, but the heifers and steers can go at any age up to 30 months. Animals have to stay with us for a minimum of 90 days so we can sell them as farm assured, but depending on the breed, sex and age they can be with us for anything up to 10 months.
“We are not looking for a show
PICTURES: ADRIAN LEGGE
Cattle are fed ad lib silage before being started on concentrate.
beast as we cannot buy these at a price which allows us to make a profit on them. More than 50% of an animal now goes as beef mince, so the processors are only looking to take the top and the rump from the animal for prime cuts.”
Keeping stress levels to a minimum across the yards is of paramount importance to ensure animals make the 1.8kg to 2kg daily liveweight gain which Sam and Alan are aiming for. This means keeping changes to groups and movements to a minimum.
Alan says: “Once we have settled a group of bulls in one shed we do not want to add others to it as this stresses them and it takes several days to settle them down again.
“We also make sure we put quite a few steers in with the bulls to keep them quiet as if there are too many bulls in together they can become difficult.
“Heifers and steers are easier to manage as we can add to and mix groups and it does not cause a problem.”
Hard feed
When animals arrive at Home Farm, most will have only grazed grass and will not have seen hard feed, so moving them onto the concentrate ration has to be done carefully.
Sam says: “Cattle which come to us from the hills will have probably been turned out for most of their lives, so often they will not take the corn for several days. When we first house a group together, we feed ad lib silage and bring a bag-and-ahalf of corn to a group of 30 morning and evening.
“The aim is for each animal to start on 1kg to 2kg of concentrate each day. We monitor intakes carefully and once all the group are
coming forward and taking this, we increase the amount fed steadily.
“It takes time to build up to the point where we can feed concentrate ad lib because some of the smaller ones in the group, which have been reared entirely on grass, will take more time to come forward, whereas the larger animals will eat corn more readily.
“We feed a ration comprising around 70% home-grown barley, about 10% of a soya-based protein blend and then the rest made up of wheat and oats. We are trying a little crimped maize and some triticale this winter and we plan to grow more of these crops next year.”
Alan says: “We feed the ad lib
Cattle which come to us from the hills will have probably been turned out for most of their lives, so often they will not take the corn for several days
SAM DORE
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From left: Farmworker Terry Walker with Rob, Sam and Alan .
silage to grow the frame and then we can feed the concentrate to hang the flesh on this to achieve the finish we are looking for.”
The feeding regime is based on a tried and tested formula, but the Dore family is not afraid to make changes based on good science and evidence. They have recently introduced yeast to the diet to improve gut health and will include specific supplements if required.
Managing the risk of bringing animals from different farms together is another challenge for the team at Home Farm. Being selec-
tive about where they source from is the starting point, but careful management is a necessity.
Sam says: “We vaccinate everything for pneumonia and mycoplasma when it arrives. New arrivals are housed in the sheds nearest the farm initially before we move them into the larger sheds.
“We used to buy-in dairy cross calves, but we have had problems with pneumonia with these younger animals so now we opt for stronger stores.”
More than 50% of the cropping area at Home Farm is used to feed
the cattle and the rotation is geared around the ration, but also agronomic challenges.
Sam adds that they try and keep things simple, saying: “We aim for a rotation based on a third of the acreage down to mainly winter barley if the autumn weather allows, a third down to a break crop which is either beans, winter oats and more recently maize, and then a third winter wheat.
“We used to grow oilseed rape as a break crop, but with the ban on nicotinoids we have grown 17.5ha of maize for the first time this year and plan to grow more next year. We
are also going to try triticale as we hear it grows very well round here and it also contains lysine which promotes good rumen health.
“We do not feed the beans we grow as we can buy-in better quality protein processed and delivered for less than we sell the beans for. Beans are an excellent break crop as they save us 20kg of nitrogen per hectare for the following wheat crop.
“We produce all the straw we need here and we have some spare to sell. We have 60ha of permanent grassland and we take two cuts from this each year for silage.
“We have recently entered the Sustainable Farming Incentive and
We feed the ad lib silage to grow the frame and then we can feed the concentrate to hang the flesh on this to achieve the finish we are looking for
ALAN
DORE
Most of the cattle are bought privately from local farmers.
Most of the ration is home-grown.
this has allowed us to grow a legume fallow as part of the break crop area. This has grown really well and it has just been ploughed in ahead of the winter wheat.”
The introduction of maize into the rotation is a relatively new addition and the plan is to feed some to the cows, but also feed it into the anaerobic digester (AD).
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Changes to groups of cattle are kept to a minimum.
The significant investment into the AD plant has not lived up to expectations.
Sam says: “We initially decided to invest in the AD plant because
we wanted to be able to store our manure so we could put it on in the spring, so we were getting the most benefit from it.
“The company which sold the AD plant to us told us it would produce between 450-550kW of electricity each day from our farmyard manure feedstock, whereas in reality it produces just 120kW per day.
Modifications
“We have had to do significant modifications ourselves to sort out the problems and have spent thousands of hours to get it to operate properly.
“One positive has been the digestate which we apply with a dribble bar to the crops. It is like rocket fuel and you can see an obvious line in the crops where it has been applied.
“We are proud to do everything ourselves here. We grow and harvest all the crops to feed our cattle, we maintain it all and we do all our own transport.
“We would rather not have to claim any subsidies or payments because all we ask for is a fair price for what we produce,” Sam adds.
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Providing in-calf cows and heifers with the right microminerals pre-calving is important for the health of both cow and calf. Katie Fallon reports.
Op timal cow and calf health is key to a productive and profitable suckler beef system, particularly in and around calving. And with the current strength of the cattle market, achieving calf vigour and successful cow recovery is crucial to capitalising on the recent strong trade
Vet and farmer Jim McKinstry, of the Lancashire-based Farm Gate Vets, says the supplementation of microminerals, also known as trace elements – such as copper, iodine, cobalt and selenium – are key to cow and calf health.
He says microminerals act as cofactors to aid enzymes in the production of useful compounds in the body. The enzyme is the lock and the micromineral is the key – therefore, you need both of them together.
Deficiencies in these vitamins and microminerals, especially iodine and selenium, can result in slower, more difficult calvings and poor calf vigour, as well as conditions such as white muscle disease.
Mr McKinstry adds white muscle disease is the consequence of vitamin E and selenium deficiency, with calves suffering from the disease often presenting as weak, stiff and potentially dying a few days after birth.
Supplementing microminerals key for suckler systems
The disease can also be seen in older calves, causing them to suddenly become stiff, unable to stand and sudden death.
Mr McKinstry says: “I have seen outbreaks of this in groups of stirks at grass, which show as stiffness and large haematomas. This was due to lush, fertilised pastures.”
He adds: “Whenever we are looking at white muscle disease in calves it is because they are fast growing, or the dam has been on a low selenium diet which can happen with high concentrate feeding or feeding forages low in selenium.”
While cases of the disease are less common among today’s suckler herds,
Mr McKinstry says most cases are more likely to be seen in continental cross suckler calves due to their accelerated growth.
Deficiencies
However, as more farmers turn to native cattle breeds and more extensive systems to reduce costs, there could be a greater risk of a range of mineral deficiencies seen across lower input systems.
Mr McKinstry says: “The suckler cow industry is getting pushed more to efficiency and extensification, and I think that is going to lead to lower inputs and you will likely need mineral supplementation in those systems.”
He adds: “In a lot of cases to cut costs, inputs are cut, such as less conserved forage and extensive grazing. Feeding kale and brassicas can inherently have different issues with rumen function and mineral intake.”
To combat this, Mr McKinstry advises suckler cows are supplemented with microminerals throughout the year, with particular focus on in-calf cows and heifers in the months prior to calving.
With several routes of supplementation available including boluses, drenches and adding minerals to the feed, Mr McKinstry believes bolusing is the most effective method.
Vet Jim McKinstry advises bolusing cows when housing for winter and at turnout.
He says: “Drenches do well but they are gone in a matter of days, and you do not know how much mineral they are eating in the feed. When you put a bolus in them that usually makes the biggest difference as you know they have got it.”
He advises bolusing cows when housing them for winter and again at turnout to ensure they are covered across the year, with in-calf cows and
heifers benefiting from a bolus three months prior to calving.
“It depends on what you are feeding them; if you have got an extensive forage system, they are probably going to need supplementing most of the time.
“But if you are going to do it [bolus] at any time, I would say three months before calving then hopefully there will still be some hangover into fresh cows and pre-bulling.”
When looking at what boluses to use and what minerals should be included, Mr McKinstry advises using a high iodine bolus for in-calf cows and heifers to aid calving time and calf vigour.
He says: “I find the biggest problem especially with heifers is slow calving and a lot of the time that is down to lack of iodine.”
Fertility
He adds iodine is needed in the last trimester of pregnancy to help with the calf’s thyroid function, with deficiencies affecting the calf’s metabolism. Cobalt and copper should also be included, with cobalt required for nutrition and energy, and copper to support fertility and other bodily functions.
However, Mr McKinstry says assessing how much copper is already available in the diet through forage and mineral analysis, as over-supplementation can be fatal.
“There was a big trend 20 years ago or so, when fertility was an issue and copper sulfate was added to diets which ruined quite a lot of cows,” he adds.
Mr McKinstry also says farmers should use a sustained release bolus,
which will gradually release minerals over a period of four to six months, rather than everything being released at once.
Bolusing technique is also important and Mr McKinstry advises asking the farm vet or animal health supplier to demonstrate best practice in the first instance.
“It is about taking your time and being careful; gently place and let the animal take it in,” he says.
He also recommends reviewing current handling systems, installing a head scoop for easier bolus administration and using the correct bolus gun for the brand of bolus, to prevent loose boluses in the gun going down the wrong way and choking the animal.
Ultimately, deficiencies in microminerals will cause small, niggling problems in most cases, requiring a ‘sprinkle’ of supplementation, says Mr McKinstry.
“Whenever you have got smaller things, you just get smaller problems. Cows are just not doing as well, you might have a few held cleansings, or cows are dirty after calving. More just things in the background, but a lot of whispers can soon turn into a shout,” he adds.
Jim McKinstry, of the Lancashire-based Farm Gate Vets.
Beef
Several members of the Ludgate family are involved in the combined operation, which includes the 50-cow pedigree Rempstone Hereford herd at Scotsgrove Farm, near Thame, Oxfordshire, and the T.W. Ludgate wholesale meat business.
James Ludgate works alongside his parents, Michael and Annette, as well as his brother, Sam, with the family relying on head stockman Joe Clark to manage the farm. The herd hit the headlines in autumn 2024 when Rempstone 1 Alpha sold for a Hereford bull record price of 18,000gns at a Hereford Cattle Society show and sale, where it was also judged ‘Bull of the Year’.
By Dendor 1 Nairobi, the March 2023-born Alpha is out of the imported Rosenkaer Miss World, a female ‘purchased on impulse’.
Mr Ludgate says: “I was judging at the National Show in Denmark and picked out Miss World as champion.
“At 18 months old, she was everything that we are looking for in a Hereford female, and after some wonderful Danish hospitality, the deal was sealed.
“Her structure is close to flawless; she is wide both on top and behind, and her hooks and pins are correct. To top it off, she is very stylish and represents all the qualities of a modern Hereford.
“Miss World arrived in-calf to a USA sire, but USA and Canadian genetics have never been a good fit for our herd and her calf went into the finishing group. We knew that our own stock bull would produce something different and special.”
A handful of females and about a dozen pedigree bulls are sold each year from the herd, which won the 2024 Hereford Cattle Society East Anglia and Midlands herd competition. Meanwhile, the bulls have clinched overall championships at
James Ludgate has a wide perspective on the cattle industry. His family runs a pedigree Hereford herd alongside a wholesale meat business, which dates back to 1860. Wendy Short finds out more.
Combined pedigree and commercial focus for Hereford herd
society events over the past three years, with the 2024 winner going on to sell for 8,000gns.
The highest priced female has achieved 6,000gns, with pedigree bulls averaging 5,000gns.
Calving
Calving is in January and March, and the turnout period runs from April to November.
“The calving pattern is mainly dictated by the space in the buildings, but it is also with reference to preparations for the breed society sale in April,” says Mr Ludgate.
“We used to calve some cows in September, but we have found that we can get January-born bulls looking just as good without incurring the cost of feeding the cows an expensive winter ration. In the future, we may return to autumn calving for the heifer group for calving at 30 months.
“The cows have a forage-only diet and are given hay in winter until just before calving when silage is added to boost milk production. They are very low maintenance and produce an average of six-plus calves over a lifetime.”
The January calves receive no creep feed until two months before October weaning, while March-born calves are turned out as soon as the weather permits. They may be supplemented with concentrate feed during drought periods, when grass growth goes into decline.
Mr Ludgate says: “Bulls in the breeding group are given a small quantity of feed.
“I appreciate that buyers do not
want overfed bulls due to the risk of break down in a commercial situation. Nevertheless, they are not prepared to pay as much for a lean bull, compared with a fit animal.
“The steers are on a forage diet until 100 days before the finishing date when they are given a fattening pellet. They are generally taken to 24 months and go on to return a deadweight of 360-380kg, with heifers averaging 340kg deadweight off grass.”
Breeding
The Rempstone herd was established in 2004 with just 10 horned cows, but the family has since moved to 100% polled genetics.
Alpha’s sire, Nairobi, has put a good stamp on the herd, and the same applies with Solpoll Nobility, which has produced bulls up to 11,000gns. The herd’s high health status has imposed some limits on the breeding policy.
Mr Ludgate says: “We have been involved in embryo work in the past, but due to the difficulty of finding genuine high health status recipients it has not been used as much recently. Most of the heifers
Rempstone 1 Alpha sold for a breed record of 18,000gns at a Hereford Cattle Society show and sale in October 2024.
James Ludgate
Steers are taken to a deadweight of 360-380kg and heifers to 340kg.
are inseminated with bulls selected for low birthweights to minimise the risk of calving difficulties.”
The Ludgates have a clear idea of the type of cow they are aiming to breed.
“First and foremost [a priority] is high milk production. Small teat size is another requirement, because otherwise very young calves may struggle to suckle without needing assistance.
“After
“Large teats used to be a trait within some Hereford lines, but the issue has been addressed by breeders. We switched to a fully polled breeding programme in response to producer demand.
“In general, we are looking for a larger-framed cow because it gives us the leeway to use well-muscled bulls to produce strong progeny.
“It also increases the cull cow value; there can be a price premium of
Green
Farm facts
■ The all-grass farm covers 81 hectares (200 acres)
■ Rempstone 1 Alpha joined the Welburn Hereford herd in North Yorkshire
■ The TWL Hereford brand sells under 30-month pedigree-sired cattle, matured on the bone for 12-14 days
Footrot (Dichelobacter Nodosus) & CODD (Contagious Ovine Digital Dermatitis in sheep.
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■ Bone-in and boneless cuts are bought for the meat business
■ The meat business sells beef, pork, lamb, chicken, turkey, duck and cooked meats
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■ The Ludgates also run a flock of pedigree Rempstone Suffolk sheep
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as much as £500 for a heavier animal,” says Mr Ludgate.
The T.W. Ludgate wholesale meat business was historically focused on poultry and the family had a small farm, but it has since moved to selling a wide range of meats to supply butcher’s shops, farm shops and the catering industry.
If swallowed, rise mouth with water
stopped farming for a couple of decades, but that changed when we bought Scotsgrove in 2001.
started with purchases from the Mara, Sarabande, Studmore and Llancillo Hall herds.”
Mr Ludgate says: “There was a brief period when the family
“Grandfather Peter was a big fan of Hereford beef and the breed was an obvious choice when we eventually had the space to keep our own cattle. The breeding programme
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Mr Ludgate has some strong opinions on the EUROP classification grid.
He says: “It has become outdated as the system is mainly designed to reward producers on a high meat yield. There is not enough emphasis on marbling and eating quality, but these factors are important to our customers. They are willing to pay a premium for the top-quality meat in order to stand out from their competitors.
“Our preference is for native cattle breeds which fall into O and R grades, rather than U and E. They produce meat which favours dry aging, which further improves the eating experience, and a good level of fat cover enhances the maturation and cooking process.
I believe that focusing on meat eating quality is key to the success of the UK meat industry
JAMES LUDGATE
a system similar to the USA grading method, which pays producers on intramuscular marbling in beef.
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“I believe that focusing on meat eating quality is key to the success of the UK meat industry. We should adopt
High milk production and small teats are key traits the Ludgates aim for in Hereford cows.
“In our opinion, the Hereford is the ideal breed to fit in with future demand for beef, as it combines good eating quality with the genetic ability to produce meat from a low-input system,” adds Mr Ludgate.
Cows have a forage-only diet in winter.
As Jim Goldie prepares to judge the Simmental classes at Stirling Bull Sales, he reflects on the development of the Newbiemains herd and the changes within the breed as a whole over the last two decades. Lynsey Clark finds out more.
Newbiemains Simmentals thrive on Solway Coast
The Newbiemains Simmental herd was established 20 years ago as a hobby alongside the Goldie family’s dairy herd, but two decades later, it is the beef cattle which take centre stage at this 113-hectare (280-acre) farm, which sits on the Solway Coast, near Annan, in Dumfriesshire.
Jim Goldie says: “It was the dualpurpose aspect that really attracted us to the breed in the first place and we definitely felt that the breed had not yet reached its full potential.
“We knew they could produce a good, milky female and we saw it as a challenge to try and breed more shapely bulls, while maintaining that milkiness. The breed has improved a lot, especially in the past 10 years; the bulls have more shape and better weight gain.”
The Goldies previously farmed in Ayrshire, before moving to Newbiemains in 1993, where they built up a pedigree milking herd of 250 dairy cows – the second highest yielding herd in Scotland at one point.
We took our time building up the herd and were selective with females we bought
JIM GOLDIE
By 2015, however, spiralling costs and falling milk prices (to 16p per litre), meant the family could no longer justify continuing to milk cows.
By that time, they had built up the Simmental herd to 80 cows and the decision was made to sell off the dairy cattle and work on building the beef herd.
Jim says: “At the time, we thought we would put off the dairy for a year or two, with the option of going back into it.
“It was hard for the first few years, but we gradually built up a lot of loyal customers for our bulls and we now sell around 35 a year, mainly from home. There is also a constant demand for heifers, which we sell both at home and at sales.”
It is a family effort at Newbiemains, with Jim and his son Niall carrying out the bulk of the farm work, with help from Jim’s wife Trish, who also runs a nutritional advice company, AgriFeed Solutions, and Niall’s fiancee Abby Forsyth, who works for the agricultural department, based in Dumfries.
Involved
There is also Jim and Trish’s son, 13-year-old ‘wee’ Jim, who loves to be involved whenever possible and recently won the overall young handler title at the Stars of the Future event in Stirling.
The current stock count includes 130 pure cows, along with 46 in-calf heifers and 16 recipients carrying embryos, which are due in April.
From the beginning, the Goldies had a particular type of Simmental in mind that they aspired to breed, so early purchases included ‘beefy’ females, with particular emphasis on feet and legs.
Jim says: “We initially bought a few
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The Goldie family switched priority from dairy cows to Simmentals in 2015. From left: Jim, Trish and ‘wee’ Jim Goldie, Abby Forsyth and Niall Goldie.
Beef
Heifers are fed concentrates up to a year old, but after that they only receive forage and minerals.
from Trish’s family in Ireland – good, beefy, breedy type females that we thought would work here.
“We wanted them to be fleshy, but still milky and most of the females we have bought have bred well for us.
“We generally find that if the rump structure is right, then that follows through to the feet and legs and, more often than not, if they have a good head, with plenty of character, that follows through the body too.
“We took our time building up the herd and were very selective with the females that we bought. The Simmentals are a prolific breed and in the first five years, we got a lot of heifer calves, so that helped build the numbers up.”
Working with dairy cows for so many years, has no doubt influenced Jim’s management style with the Simmentals. Heifers calf at two years old, which the Goldies find improves their ability to get back in-calf.
When milking, the goal was to produce as much milk from forage as possible and the Goldies use this same principle with the Simmentals.
Jim says: “Heifers are fed concentrates up until they are a year old, but after that they only receive forage and minerals.
“We grow our own wholecrop, so they get that and haylage and minerals through the winter. They are a breed that are good at looking after themselves, so they do well on forage.
“We reseed often and have good quality grass here, so we make the most of that, with cows normally out to grass at the end of March. When we can, we out-winter the heifers and we have found that those heifers always do better throughout their lives.”
Calving
Although the bulk of the calving takes place in February and March, they calve year-round, which allows them to have bulls and heifers available at any time of year, to suit their various customers’ needs.
Cattle are brought inside to calve for easier management with tasks such as dehorning and all bull calves are kept entire.
between eight to 10 months, at Carlisle or Dumfries.”
“We always ask customers what their purpose is for the bull – we have a variety of types that will do different jobs and we have found that being completely honest with customers is the best policy.
“A Simmental cross heifer has the ability to calf at two years old and look after its calf well, so you get a far quicker return with the Simmental compared to some breeds.”
All the bulls run together in agegroup batches, which the Goldies say helps put muscle on them and ensures that they are ready to go on and thrive on any farm.
Although they have regular customers coming to the farm, the family does take bulls to sales if they feel they are ready at the right time. Sales through the market have peaked at 11,000gns for Newbiemains Neymar, which sold at Stirling last February.
There have been a few more five-figure sellers at markets, while prices at home have peaked at £15,000.
Last year, they sold 36 bulls, between the farm and sales, to average just over £6,700.
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Niall says: “Keeping the bulls entire and having a high-health herd, gives us plenty of options when it comes to selling any cattle. Those bulls not making the grade are sold as stores
Jim says: “All our bulls are brought out the same, whether they are for sale at home, Stirling or Carlisle. We aim for consistency and want to breed them to a level standard overall.”
In their own breeding programme,
Simmental bulls which will be heading to Stirling Bull Sales.
Young bulls not making the grade are sold as stores.
Keeping bulls entire and having a high-health herd gives us options when selling cattle
NIALL GOLDIE
bulls that have proved successful at Newbiemains include Skerrington Iceman Ex95, which was bought privately after Jim saw it as a calf when he was judging at Ayr Show; Annick Klondyke Ex94, another private purchase that had won at Stars of the Future; Woodhall Fantastic Ex94, bought privately from Hector McCaskill; and the Roscommon purchase, Moorglen Hillbilly Ex91.
Niall says: “All of those bulls bred really well for us. Iceman had great shape, but calved really easily, with a short gestation, while Klondyke was a long, stretchy bull that produced great sons and daughters.
“We have excellent females off Fantastic and Hillbilly and we also exported nine bulls to Italy, off those two sires.”
Classification
While the Goldies have little faith in the reliability of figures, they do consider the female classification scheme extremely worthwhile, and consequently, they classify all their females.
Jim says: “The importance of cow families is another element that we have brought from the dairy to the beef herd. Our aim has always been to keep them at a certain level, with no bottom end and we feel that we have a really strong female base now, but that
Heifers are out-wintered whenever possible.
has taken a lot of years and is the result of us being very selective.
“That is where classifying comes in – it helps set a standard across the whole breed. To us, that is far more relevant than the figures on Breedplan.”
The Goldies sell females from home and take a few to the NxtGen sale at Carlisle every year. Two years ago, Newbiemains Ladywag made 9,000gns at that sale, while Newbiemains Connie was champion and made 8,000gns a few years earlier.
Showing helped make Newbiemains a recognisable name in the early days, but the whole team enjoys the social aspect of exhibiting, so it is something they continue to do.
They first won big in 2011, with Darsham Remember Me, which was champion at the Scottish National and the Great Yorkshire Show and they have since won at Yorkshire with the home-bred Newbiemains Eclypse Ex90 and Newbiemains Diamond Jubilee.
Last year, the Ex94-classified Newbiemains Icandy proved a star in the showring, winning inter-breeds at Stirling, Dumfries and Wigtown, shown with its fourth calf at foot.
Next month, there will be no opportunity to show the two Newbiemains bulls heading to the sale at United Auctions, Stirling (Prague and Packapunch), as Jim will be taking a starring
role himself as judge. It is a task he is looking forward to, and he is optimistic about the ongoing demand for Simmental bulls.
“There are definitely plenty of buyers that are willing to pay good money for good bulls, but the quality needs to be there,” he says.
And there is more for the family to look forward to this year, with Niall and Abby’s wedding in summer and plans to diversify into holiday accommodation, where guests can enjoy the beautiful landscape at Newbiemains, looking across the Solway Firth to Silloth, where the first Simmentals arrived into the UK in 1970.
Beef Stockjudging Competition
To be in with your chance of winning up to £200, test out your judging skills by entering our annual beef stockjudging competition.
Test your stockjudging skills and win up to £200
This year’s beef stockjudging competition is now open for entries. Our annual competition is once again sponsored by Show Time, supplier of specialist livestock products for cattle, sheep, horses and other animals, covering the UK and Europe.
How to take part
Take part by pitting your judging skills against those of our professional judge to be in with the chance of winning one of three cash prizes.
The first correct entry to be drawn at random will receive our top prize
of £200, while two runners-up will each win £50. To be in with a chance of winning, you need to rank the four animals pictured (one being the animal you rate most highly), in the same order as our judge.
Complete the entry form opposite and return it to: Showtime Stockjudging Competition, Farmers Guardian, Unit 4, Fulwood Business Park, Caxton Road, Fulwood, Preston, Lancashire, PR2 9NZ, by January 31, 2025.
ENTER ONLINE
Alternatively, you can enter the competition online at farmersguardian.com/showtimestockjudging
ANIMAL X ANIMAL Y
All roads lead to United Auctions
for two rounds of Stirling Bull Sales, where bulls and females from nine breeds will go under the hammer. Farmers Guardian reports.
Stirling is the place to be next month as United Auctions plays host once again to the much-anticipated annual sales.
The main event starts on Sunday, February 2, with the show of Aberdeen-Angus, Beef Shorthorns and Limousins, along with a parade of Lincoln Reds and Herefords.
All of these breeds will be sold on Monday, February 3.
Following inspections on Saturday, February 15, the second round kicks off on Sunday, February 16, with the shows of Charolais, Salers and Simmentals and a parade of Luing bulls.
These breeds will be sold on Monday, February 17, and will include the 2023 crop of Charolais females from the Harestone herd on behalf of Neil and Stuart Barclay, Insch.
Prices
John Roberts, group director of United Auctions, says: “Beef prices have been at a record level, which has strengthened store cattle trade and we anticipate this to be replicated at the pedigree sales at the Stirling Bull Sales in February.”
Clive Brown, Beef Shorthorn Cattle Society operations manager, is also cautiously optimistic.
He says: “Prices at recent pedigree sales, while being relatively good, have not really reflected the exceptional trade being seen for store and prime cattle, which I think is down to the contraction of the national suckler herd.
“However, more people do seem to be waiting until spring to buy a bull to avoid the cost of keeping it over winter.
Optimism ahead of Stirling Bull Sales
“There will be a good choice of bulls to fit a variety of buyers’ requirements and there should be confidence in the commercial sector, so I am hopeful for a good trade.”
Judges
n Beef Shorthorn: David Dickie, Thornhill, Dumfries
n Charolais: John MacGregor, Allanfauld, Kilsyth
n Aberdeen-Angus: Alwyn Armour, Dromore, Northern Ireland
n Limousin: Andrew Clark, Ringinglow, Sheffield
n Salers: Stephen Maginn, Downpatrick, Northern Ireland
n Simmental: Jim Goldie, Newbiemains, Annan
Beef Shorthorn Delivers
NORTH WEST AUCTIONS
A�c�o�eers & �al�ers
10.15am 100-150 REARING CALVES & WEANLINGS
10.15am 150-200 CAST COWS & OTM CATTLE
‘One of the leading Cast Cattle markets in the North West’
11.15am 250-350 STORE BULLOCKS & HEIFERS
‘Strong Cattle perfect for short term keep’
10.15am 150-200 WEANLINGS & STIRKS
11.30am 50-75 CAST COWS & OTM CATTLE
11.15am 250-750 STORE BULLOCKS & HEIFERS
11.30am 100-150 REARING CALVES ‘Predominately Suckler Bred’
Also MONTHLY SALES OF FEEDING BULLS & BEEF BREEDING CATTLE
SEASONAL SALES OF PEDIGREE BEEF BREEDING CATTLE
Wednesday 19th February
Annual
Wednesday 30th April
Blue Wednesday Show & Sale of Pedigree British Blue Cattle & CRAVEN NATIVE
Special Sale of Beef Shorthorn, Aberdeen Angus, Hereford & Other Native Pedigree Cattle
Wednesday 14th May
Craven Limousin Day Show & Sale of Pedigree Limousin Bulls & Females Inc Northern Limousin Extravaganza (Tuesday 13th May)
Wednesday 28th May
Lingfield Beef Cattle Fair
Multi Breed Show & Sale of Pedigree Breeding Cattle
Saturday 31st May
Belted Galloway Cattle
Show & Sale of Belted Galloway Bulls & Females
CATTLE SALES
Tuesday 4th March - Show & Sale of Store Cattle
Tuesday 1st April - Show & Sale of Store Cattle
Tuesday 7th October - Show & Sale of Autumn Born Suckled Calves
Tuesday 21st October - Show & Sale of Spring Born Suckled Calve
Calves & Stirks - Monday fortnightly (10:30am)
Prime & Store Cows - Every Monday (1:00pm)
Store Cattle - Tuesday fortnightly (10:30am)
Breeding Cattle - End of month (Following Store Cattle)
Sandy Moore: 07747 443260
Mungo Guthrie: 07785 901977
Primrose Beaton: 07717 503841
Lucy Pittendrigh: 07467 863168 Amy Haddow: 07769 398366
LANARK AGRICULTURAL CENTRE
Muirglen, Hyndford Road, Lanark, ML11 9AX lanark@lawrieandsymington.com
SATURDAY 8TH FEBRUARY
Show & Sale of 60 Suckler Bred Cattle with
Judging to commence 9.30 sale at 12 noon
Online bidding available via MartEye For further information please contact: Brecon
COW CATCHER CRATE
COW CATCHER
•
The Cow Catcher Crate is developed for easier and safer management of livestock of all ages.
The head yolk is now on the right hand side for easier access to carry out caesarean births. Also available fully galvanized.
The Cow Catcher Crate is developed for easier and safer management of livestock of all ages. The head yolk is now on the right hand side for easier access to carry out caesarean births.
Also available fully galvanized.
The Cow Catcher Crate is developed for easier and safer management of livestock of all ages. The head yolk is now on the right hand side for easier access to carry out caesarean births. Also available fully galvanized.
Contact Drew on 07762 794345 or on Wester Allathan, New Deer, Turriff AB53 6YQ Cow Catcher Crate
CALL DREW
CALL DREW
on Facebook: A & W Elphinstone
01771 644673 • 07762 794 345
01771 644673 • 07762 794 345
Wester Allathan, New Deer, Aberdeenshire, AB53 6YQ
Wester Allathan, New Deer, Aberdeenshire, AB53 6YQ
PEDIGREE SIMMENTAL BULLS
Easy Calving, Good temperament. Johnes & BVD accredited, lepto vaccinated. Ready for work, Herd never had TB. Also pedigree bulling heifers available
Tel: 01948 770408 Mob: 07714 089001 Malpas, Cheshire
Calving.
We take a farmer-centric approach to media. Our job is to help farmers run their farms more efficiently and make better purchasing decisions
2025 SPRING BULL SALE
“Two commercially run herds where production comes first.”
Thursday 6th February at the farm. Auction starts at 1:00 pm
The best of both worlds: - dual ringside & online bidding with live auction-ring webcam plus videos of the bulls over the internet.
Auctioneer is Harry Begg, Dumfries. Tel. 0771 356 9593
Selling 38 Hereford + 9 Aberdeen Angus bulls. Hardy rising 2-year-old Bulls.
Outwintered, unpampered & ready for work.
Bulls penned for inspection from 10:30 am on sale day
STREAMING OF SALE WITH ONLINE BIDDING AT BOTH OUR SALES
J & J S Douglas, Mains of Airies, Kirkcolm, Stranraer, Wigtownshire, DG9 0RD Tel. 01776 854226 | email: johndouglas@agriplus.net | www.ervieherefords.co.uk
Calf
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Calf
Heifer
Super
(Whey)
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Inc. Rolled Barley, Maize Gluten, Hi Pro Soya, Malt Pellets, Sugarbeet Pellets, Oatfeed Pellets & Syrup Suitable for Cattle and Sheep
Premium Starter 18% Bulk £245 ex - Bags £255 ex
Premium Grower 16% Bulk £230 ex – Bags £240 ex Premium Finisher 14% Bulk £220 ex – Bags £230 ex Bespoke Rations available to your requirements
Biscon Meal (Approx. 12% Protein /14 ME) £185 ex store
Cereal Mixture (Approx. 14% Protein /13 ME) £205 ex store
Cereal Blend (Approx. 16% Protein /13 ME) £225 ex store
Mixed Pellets (Approx. 18% Protein /13 ME) £245 ex store
NEW STORE IN CUMBRIA
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Mixed Pellets (Approx. 18% Protein/13 ME) £275 ex store
Biscon Meal (Approx. 12% Protein/14 ME) £225 ex store
Tub Grinders
- Exclusive UK Distributor of Haybuster & Rotogrind Grinders.
- Range of models from 5t - 25t / hour output.
- New, used & refurbished machines available.
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Root Choppers & Cleaners
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Diet Feeders
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- Diet feeder parts available- Blades, Conveyor belts, gearboxes, weigh cells.
- All feeders undergo 30 point service
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Current Used Stock:
Trioliet 8, 12, 14, 20
Strautmann 14, 20
BvL 15, 17, 20, 24
JF Kongskilde 12,14, 22
Kverneland / Siloking 14, 16,18,22
Keenan 10, 14, 16, 20, 24
Shelbourne 11, 22, CB150 bedder
Hi Spec 14 x 2, 16
Redrock 20
Seko Samaurai 14
Rotogrind x 4
Teagle C12 grinder
Farmhand 880
Profi freestanding root chopper x 3
VDW root bucket RS1800
Breaking for parts -Trioliet 28, Shelbourne 11, 13, 19, Abbey 1500, Strautmann 1250, Siloking 22,
Please visit www.enegis.co.uk for more photos or call 01789 205132 or 07721 442979 Used Diet Feeders always wanted
Lantra Farm Safety E-Learning now
Following the announcement from the Health and Safety Executive that they are no longer undertaking routine farm saftey inspections, Lantra is making the Farm Safety e-learning course free of charge to all farm workers.
We are committed to ensuring farmers, and contractors, can keep up to date with best practise.
Consisting of 8 modules, covering topics such as falls from height and falling objects, livestock, and vehicles, this e-learning course provides you with the knowledge to run a safe farm.
You can find more about our training courses by scanning the QR code – pop by and say hello!
Turbofarmer 30.7
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