LONGTOWN; SHREWSBURY; AYR; HEXHAM; MELTON MOWBRAY; CASTLE DOUGLAS; GISBURN; THAINSTONE; SALISBURY; DINGWALL; DUNGANNON; LANARK; WHITLAND; STIRLING; BAKEWELL; THAINSTONE; HUNTLY; FROME; AND CARLISLE It’s the third and final part of Simmental Market briefs for February further highlighting the Simmental breed doing the business for commercial beef producers around the UK.
Analysis of AHDB’s National Beef Evaluation (NBE) data (December 2023) showed that Simmental sired progeny have a superior Daily Carcase Gain in comparison to Continental sired, and Native sired progeny. This latest analysis was in addition to the first release in October 2023, which showed that Simmental sired calves finished on average over five weeks earlier than those by all Continental sires, with these calves costing on average over £70 less to finish, and resulting in significantly reduced CO2 emissions. Furthermore, Continental sired calves out of Simmental dams finished over four weeks earlier than the average of all suckler dams.
The latest Market Briefs include: C&D Auction Marts Ltd held their February sale of 428 store cattle on Tuesday 13th February 2024 at Longtown. A quality show of younger cattle were forward. Bullocks peaked at £1,800 for a Simmental x from JDM Thomson, Newlands, Eaglesfield.
In a sale of weanlings at Shrewsbury on 13th February, steers just a flyer from the first to the last with 98 sold peaking at £1040 for a Simmental from the top of the Stiplestones from EM Chidley.
Messrs Craig Wilson Ltd sold 166 Calves and Stirks on 13th February at Ayr. Top Price Calf was £730 for a Simmental Cross Bull off Messrs Harper, Kaimhill.
At Hexham’s Primestock Sale on 13th February, leading the sale of Cast Cows & OTMS with a young, shapey Simmental x cow was Messrs H & D M Forster, East Wharmley which realised 238.5ppk.
In a sale of 368 store and breeding cattle at Melton Mowbray on 13th February, breeding cattle to start saw C Holtom up from Coventry selling Pedigree Simmental Bulls to a top of £2500 for “Meriwell Naughty Boy”.
Wallets Marts on 12th February at Castle Douglas, sold OTM Cattle, and Store Cattle. 368 store cattle sold to a fantastic trade and a top of £1980 for both Simmental and Luing bullocks from Messrs Black, Hillside. Heifers to £1920 for Simmentals from Messrs McKinnel, Drumneil and Bulls to 299.2ppk for Simmentals from East Kirkcarsewell.
In a sale of store cattle at Gisburn on 10th February, clean cattle sold to a high of £1720 for a hard fed Simmental heifer from Melvin Noblet.
Aberdeen and Northern Marts on 9th February sold 1,220 Store Cattle, Young Bulls and Young and Weaned Calves at Thainstone. Heifers (436) averaged 325p and sold to 399.3p per kg and £2340 gross for a 586kg Simmental Cross from Caskieben, Kinellar.
On 8th February, 769 cattle were sold at Salisbury Market’s Candlemas Sale. Feeding cattle met another insatiable level of demand. Topping the Continentals was a ring full of Simmental heifers from James Whittle at an eye watering £1630 (589kg).
£2070 SIMMENTAL SETS MARKET RECORD FOR STORE CATTLE AT SHREWSBURY The first sale of February 2024, 246 STORE CATTLE, will be marked in the record books at Shrewsbury Auction Centre. A relentless and fearless trade was witnessed from the very first hammer of the day. Never before have Feeding Store Cattle in Shrewsbury sold for over £2000 but they peaked at £2070, for A K & C E Lloyd of Leighton, Welshpool for a Simmental Steer weighing in at 755kg.
Messrs Craig Wilson Ltd sold 640 Store Cattle at their sale in Ayr on 8th February. Young Bulls sold to £960 for Simmentals off Auchentibber or 313p.
Dingwall & Highland Marts Ltd, on 7th February sold 738 store cattle, 21 breeding cattle and 167 OTM cattle. Heifers (344) averaged 296.8p per kg and sold to 388.9p per kg for a 360kg Limousin cross from Glebe Farm, Kiltarlity and £1,980 gross for a 710kg Simmental from Druid Temple Farm, Inverness.
At Dungannon Farmers Mart on 7th February, Dropped Calves sold to a solid trade to peak at £400 for a Sim Bull presented by E Speers, £390 Sim Bull, £380 Sim Bull, £330 Sim Bull. Heifer Calves sold to £355 Sim presented by E Speers.
Lawrie and Symington sold 628 store cattle were sold at the fortnightly sale at Lanark on 6th February. Bullocks sold to a top of 364.1p for a pen of six 287kg Simmentals from Messrs WA & J Murray, East Crookedstone Farm, Hamilton to level at 313p/kg.
On 6th February at Thainstone, Aberdeen & Northern Marts held a sale of Adult Breeding Cattle. Cow with Heifer Calf at Foot sold to £1,780 for a Simmental with Charolais from Cowfords Farm, New Pitsligo. In Calf Heifers sold to £1,400 for Simmental crosses from New Fleenas, Nairn. In Calf Cow sold to £3,000 for a pair of Simmental crosses from Cairnhill, Huntly.
At Hexham’s Primestock Sale on 6th February, and a sale of cast cows and OTMs, the leading gross cow came from Messrs K Smith & Sons, East Greenridge Farm who sold a Simmental cross to £1901.87.
In a sale of calves at Whitland on 6th February, heifers were led at £290 by a Simm from Messrs Green, Lampeter Velfrey.
On 5th February, Caledonian Marts Ltd, Stirling, had forward 609 Store Cattle and Breeding Cattle at their fortnightly sale. Heifers sold to £1770 for a Simmental from J Drysdale, Forrestmill, Forrestmill.
At Bakewell’s weekly sale on 5th February there was 413 cattle on offer. In a small offering of OTMs, the top price was £2300 for a 10 year old Simm bull from JW Fentem & Sons, Biggin. Mention also to FG&JR Critchlow, Sheen who sold a Young Simm bull at 838kgs for £2329.64. In the sale of 396 store & breeding cattle, a lovely run of Simmentals from the Foster family of Hanch topped at £1790 for two Simmental steers aged 21 & 22 months.
Aberdeen and Northern Marts sold 731 Store Cattle, Young Bulls and Young and Weaned Calves on 2nd February. Heifers (339) sold to £2300 gross for a pair of 648kg Simmentals from East Backburn, Netherley. On the same day and a sale of store cattle from Orkney consignors, heifers sold to a top of £2,080 gross and 359.9p per kg for a pen of three 578kg Simmentals from A D Miller, Spring Valley, Stronsay.
In Frome’s sale of store cattle on 2nd February, young steers were topped at £1480 by Simmentals from P&S Foot, Portesham who sold other Simmentals at £1355, and £1205.
At Aberdeen and Northern Marts sale of prime cattle on 1st February, 30 to 36 month heifers sold to £2,048.85 gross for a 785kg Simmental cross from Southbank, Skene. On the same day and a sale of cast cows and bulls, bulls averaged £1,735 and sold to £2,270 for a 1,020kg Simmental from Delfur Farms, Rothes.
United Auctions sold 122 Store cattle & OTM’s on 1st February at Huntly. Heifers (58) sold to a top gross of £1460 for a 515kg SimX from Lyne of Linton, Sauchen.
United Auctions, Stirling, on 31st January sold 1283 store cattle & young bulls. Also 212 out of spec cattle, cast cows and bulls, 163 Breeding Cattle & 44 Rearing Cattle. Bullocks (708) – averaged 299.68p to 356.50p per kg for a 432kg SIMX from Culnoag. Young Bulls (49) averaged 280.63p to 292.80p for a SIMX from Tomanean. Beef Cows and Bulls (172) averaged 175.17p to 254.60p per kg for a SIMX from Mid Auchencarroch and to £1990 for a SIMX from Grieves Cottage.
On 31st January Harrison & Hetherington held their weekly sale of bulls and weaned cattle at Carlisle. Simmental bulls topped at £1590 from Messrs Skelton, Waterloo Farm with others to £1490.
We continue to feature Simmental sired cattle doing the business, but please note there’s just as many sale toppers sired by other breeds out of Simmental females! There’s more to Simmental.
In the second of our February reports, here we look at just some of the Simmental sired sale toppers between 20th – 14th February:
On Tuesday 20th February, Lockerbie Mart, Harrison and Hetherington held their fortnightly sale of Store Cattle. Simmental bullocks were also a serious trade with Dodds of Tundergarth achieving £1390 for a pen of 10 month cattle with tremendous flesh and size for their age. On 20th February at Lanark, Lawrie and Symington sold 863 Store Cattle at their fortnightly sale. Bullocks peaked at £1970 for a 698kg Simmental from Messrs G Mitchell, Torbrex Farm, Airdrie.
In a sale of TB restricted cattle at Exeter on 20th February, the sale kicked off with a run of prime heifers from Colin and Phillip Gibbins in from Feniton who saw their best, a 566kg Simmental reach the top price of 250ppk and £1412.
C&D Marts Ltd Dumfries held their fortnightly sale of rearing calves and Stirks on 20th February at Dumfries. A top price of £500 was achieved for a Simmental X Bull Calf from Messrs Roan & Son. Dumfries . Sim X Bull Calves to £500, Sim X Heifer Calves to £390.
At Swatragh Livestock Market’s weekly cattle sale on 20th February, fat cows were also a good trade topping at £2.01 per kilo for a 432kg Sim at £870 from a Portglenone producer.
In a sale of calves at Shrewsbury on 20th February Simmentals topped both the bulls and heifers. Three month old Simmental bull calves from G&M Lewis sold to £510, whilst Simmental heifers topped at £450.
Melton Mowbray’s sale of prime cattle on 20th February saw the gross prices topped by MT Carter selling Simmentals to £2095.80 with the same stable to £2035.66 and the run of 10 averaging £1889.13. At a sale of Store & Breeding Cattle (197), a handy show of breeding cattle saw Simmental Breeding Bulls to a top of £1800 from Mautby Farms, with others from the same home to £1450.
On 19th February, Caledonian Marts Ltd, Stirling, had forward 342 Store Cattle at their fortnightly sale. Bullocks sold to a top of £1890 for a pen of Simmentals from Skeoch Farms, Stirling.
On 19th February Market Drayton held a sale of 174 Barren Cows, Cull Bulls, and Overage Clean Cattle. Of 50 sucklers, Trade peaked at 240p (£1,305.60) for a Simmental from DE.&SE.Furnival Ltd, Napley. Further Simmental to 224p (£1,608.32) from The Heath Family, Avonfinch. In the clean cattle heifers to 239p (£1,610.86) for a Simmental from Mr Alex Peak, Pershall.
In the weekly sale at Bakewell Market on 19th February there were 705 cattle forward. In the barren, OTM, and feeding cows, the best cow at £1787.04 was a Simm from BD&JH Ponsonby, Tideswell Moor, with a further Simm from CW&BM Hudson, Barrow Moor at £1771.84. In the breeding cattle, a 21 months Simm bull topped at £2950 from Mosley & Co, Chelmorten.
CCM Auctions Conducted their Monthly Sale of Stirks, Weaned Calves and Young Store Cattle on 17th February at Skipton. Suckler bred Sim heifers from JE Greenwood, Denholme sold at £1080 to lead the heifer trade.
At Thainstone on 16th February, Aberdeen and Northern Marts sold 1,227 store cattle, young bulls and young and weaned calves. Bulls (57) sold to £1780 gross for a 684kg Simmental from Dundurcas Farm, Rothes. Bullocks 251-300kg topped by Dundurcas Farm (Sim) £950, and Ringesta (SimX) £840. Bullocks 551-600kg – Rashenlochy Farm (SimX) £1870. Heifers 551-600kg topped by Loanend (SimX) at £1870.
Ludlow’s sale of TB restricted store cattle on 16th February saw Simmental X heifers top at £1550.
On 16th February at Thame Livestock Market, 18 pure Simmental steers, ‘strong bullocks that will go on to finish quickly for their buyers’, from Mixbury Hall sold at £1400.
At Frome’s sale of store cattle on 16th February, the Young Continental section saw steers topped at £1135 for Simmentals from J Coleberd, Corscombe.
At Thainstone on 15th February, Aberdeen & Northern Marts sold 62 Prime Cattle. Prime Heifers sold to £2216.25 gross for a 985kg Simmental cross from Tister Farm, Halkirk.
United Auctions sold 215 Store cattle & OTM’s 15th February at Huntly. Bullocks sold to a top of 323.9p per kg for a pair pf 355kg SimX’s from Little Cantly, Grange. Heifers sold to a top of 310.4p per kg for a 335kg SimX from Den Farm, Fochabers. OTMS sold to a top of 236.5p per kg for a 685kg SimX from Wester Elchies, Aberlour.
United Auctions, Stirling, on 14th February held a sale of cast cows and bulls. Beef Cows and Bulls (103) averaged 194.79p to 263.20p per kg for a SIMX from Blackburn.
In a sale of cull cows at Frome on 14th February, the top ppkg was 175p for a Simmental from BG&TW Randall, Wareham.
On Wednesday 14th February Harrison & Hetherington held their weekly sale of bulls and weaned cattle at Carlisle where trade yet again took another rise. Bulls sold to £1360 including a Simmental from Messrs Lowry, New Steadings Farm.
Some soaring trades for all classes of cattle at livestock markets around the UK and with Simmental cattle to the fore. In the first of three parts here we look at just some of the Simmental toppers between 29th – 21st February:
At Thainstone on 29th February, Aberdeen & Northern Marts held a sale of Cast Cows, Bulls, and Prime Cattle from Orkney consignors. Young Bulls Sold to £2,046.10 gross and 259p per kg for a 790kg Simmental from K Mackay, Ingsay, Swannay. On the same day, and a sale of cast cows and bulls, Beef Finished Cows (67) sold to £1990 for a 894kg Simmental cross from Whiteside, Tullynessle.
On 29th February at Ballymena, an entry of 252 cattle sold to a good trade. Beef cows were led by a local farmer with a 680kg Simm at £1734.
SIMMENTALS LEAD SALE OF 1365 STORE CATTLE AT STIRLING United Auctions, Stirling, on 28th February sold 1365 store cattle & young bulls. Also 135 out of spec cattle, cast cows and bulls and 38 rearing cattle. Bullocks (792) averaged 309.40p to 404.00p per kg for a 198kg SIMX from Gibblaston. Young Bulls (68) sold to £1390 for a SIMX from Innerwick. Beef Cows and Bulls (107) averaged 192.60p to 271.10p per kg for a SIMX from Shielhill and to £2010 for a SIMX from Preston. Out of Spec averaged 205.22p to 222.40p per kg for a SIMX from Leoch, and to £1890 for a SIMX from Leoch.
At H&H’s store cattle sale on 28th February at Carlisle, trade continues to soar in ring 4, with bulls starting the day off in incredible fashion. Simmentals topped at £1640 from Messrs Gwynne, Castlewigg.
In a sale of cull cows at Frome on 28th February the top gross price was £1652 for a Simm from EM Horn & Son, Southampton.
On 28th February at Skipton’s sale of prime cattle and beef bred feeing cows, Simmental cows topped at £1720 from RD Elliott, Tadcaster, to lead the averages at £1515. On the same day in a sale of store cattle, RD Elliott sold two-year-old Simmentals to lead at £1840.
In a sale of 230 store cattle at Truro on 28th February, best of the youngest steers (up to one year old) was £1430 for a cracking 11 month old Simmental from Messrs A P and S R Hooper of Castle-an-Dinas, St Columb.
On 28th February at Sedgemoor’s TB restricted sale of finished & forward cattle, heifers rose to 270.5ppk for a light weight Simmental from V Young & Sons, who sold more at 266.5 and 263.5ppk.
Messrs Craig Wilson Ltd had a sale of Calves and Stirks, and Clean cattle at their weekly sale at Ayr on 27th February. OTM Steers sold to £1700 for a Simmental from W Turner, Dalmoak. In the sale of store cattle at Brockholes Arms, Preston on 27th February, top spot in the steer section went to J & A Heap & Son with Simx steers to £1,640.
At Salisbury Livestock Market’s sale of Barren Cows & Bulls, on 26th February, some excellent prices achieved topping at 221p per kilo or £1754.74 for superb farm assured Simmentals from Richard King and family with the same run also reaching 219p and £1743.24.
United Auctions, Dalmally, on 24th February sold 125 store and breeding cattle at their early spring sale. Heifers sold to 368.8p/kg for a pen of six 282kg SimX from D Colthart, Achnacone to average 307.85p/kg (+33.76p).
At Gisburn’s sale of store cattle on 24th February, over 80 feeding bulls forward and a great show. Topping the trade at £1600 for a cracking pair of Simmentals was local farmer Jimmy Wood.
SIMMENTALS TOP BOTH BULLOCKS AND HEIFERS IN SALE OF 1026 STORE CATTLE AT THAINSTONE At Thainstone on 23rd February, Aberdeen and Northern Marts sold 1,026 Store Cattle and Young Bulls with Simmentals topping both the bullock and heifer trade. Bullocks (520) averaged 322.3p and sold to £2160 gross for a 664kg Simmental Cross from Rashenlochy Farm, Drumoak. Heifers (351) averaged 319.3p and sold to 433.1p per kg for a Pair of 508kg Simmental’s from Wellhouse Farm, Beauly and £2400 gross for a 728kg Simmental from Wellhouse Farm.
In a sale of 523 store cattle and stirks at Exeter on 23rd February, Jesse White, Sandford topped the store heifer section when his super pair of Simmentals eased to £1485 a head with smashing yearling females of the same breed coming back at an impressive £1210 for Keith Vincent. In a sale of 116 calves on the same day, heifer calves topped at £380 for a Simmental heifer from Ross Govier who sold others to £370 twice.
Also at Thainstone on 23rd February, Aberdeen & Northern Marts held a sale of store cattle for Orkney Consignors. Heifers Sold to a top of £2,000 gross for a 644kg Simmental from T & G Ritch, Kastal, Langskaill, Birsay.
In a sale of 263 store cattle at Ludlow on 23rd February, the top price heifer at £1690 was a Simmental at 315ppk.
At Frome’s sale of store cattle on 23rd February, young continental cattle saw Simmentals top both the steers and the heifers. 15-month-old Simm steers from PF Best & Son, Wareham topped at £1480, whilst 17 month old Simmentals topped the heifers at £1240 from K&R Hickery, Bristol.
At a sale of 205 calves at Market Drayton on 22nd February, Simmentals topped the averages for bulls at £240 and with a top price of £400.
Messrs Craig Wilson Ltd sold 694 Store Cattle at their sale in Ayr on 22nd February. Top Price of the day was 392p per kg for Simmental bullocks off Darleith, who had further lots at 388p.
NEUK SIMMENTAL HEIFERS TOP STIRLING SALE OF 1587 STORE CATTLE United Auctions, Stirling on 21st February 2024) sold 1587 store cattle & young bulls. Also 227 out of spec cattle, cast cows and bulls. Heifers (777) averaged 297.37p to 370.00p per kg for a 500kg SIMX from Neuk. Young Bulls (38) sold to £1350 for a SIMX from Overton. Out of Spec averaged 196.87p to 231.20p per kg for a SIMX from Wellees, and to £1450 for a SIMX from High Mathernock.
Dungannon Farmers Mart on 21st February saw dropped heifer calves sell to £330 for as Simm presented by D Young. Fat Cows sold to £1840 for a 690kg Sim (267.00) presented by M Conway.
It’s been a record-breaking year to remember for Overhill House Simmentals and owner Richard McCulloch, Armadale, West Lothian. Here we profile the 130-cow herd, look at it’s history, and some of the breeding philosophies behind its ongoing progress and development.
Factfile: Overhill House Farm, Armadale, West Lothian 1000 owned acres, +200 rented 850 breeding ewes 130 Simmental cows, small Charolais herd 2.5 – 3 years age at first calving Spring calving March – June 90% + calves reared 9 to 10 calf crops
The team at Overhill House Simmentals had an unforgettable year in 2023 – topping the Stirling multibreed sale in May at 16,000gns and the Carlisle sale the same month at 10,000gns, then achieving a new breed record of 46,000gns at Stirling in October and finishing the year in style, selling a heifer at 18,000gns at the Nxt Generation sale in December! That level of success can never be guaranteed, but despite the unpredictable nature of pedigree breeding, the herd’s owner and founder, Richard McCulloch, says the highs have certainly outweighed the lows, since introducing Simmentals to his farm at Armadale, West Lothian, 20 years ago.
Richard’s passion for farming developed as a child, when he would regularly visit a local farm that was owned by friends of his parents. After building up a successful demolition business, his childhood dream was realised when he and his wife Lisa purchased a smallholding with 40 acres in 1993, marking the beginning of their farming journey. Richard explains: “From that initial 40 acres, we gradually increased the acreage over the years and we purchased Overhill House in 2004. It had previously been a dairy, complete with old byres, so we started from scratch developing the steading.”
Based at Overhill House with their sons Kier (13) and Cameron (12), while their older sons Johnston and Mac work in the family’s demolition and recycling business, Richard and Lisa are now farming 1000 owned acres, with a further 200 acres rented. There are currently 130 Simmental cows in the herd, which run alongside a small Charolais herd and a flock of 850 breeding ewes. For that enterprise, they have stockman Scott Gilmour, part-time shepherd Thomas Marshall and ‘all-rounder’ Donald Rew. Freelance stockman Brian Wills also helps out and has been a great source of advice for stockman Scott, who began working in the demolition side of the business before showing a keen eye for cattle.
“Our first experience of Simmentals was when I bought a bull from Andy Ryder’s Ryden herd, to go on the Blue Grey cows that we had at the time. I was really impressed by the bull and by the calves that he left, and I got to like the breed in general – it seemed a versatile breed with a docile nature, so I decided to buy some pure females,” explains Richard.
Aiming for easy fleshing animals with good feet and legs, Richard bought from various herds, including Fole and Corskie, and travelled to Ireland to buy some bloodlines from there. He boosted the numbers significantly in 2012 by purchasing 50 females from Hector McCaskill’s Woodhall herd, including several daughters of Raceview All-Star KK.
“We still introduce new bloodlines occasionally, but we try to keep the herd as closed as possible now, other than buying in bulls,” says Richard.
Stock bull purchases have proved key to the development of the herd, and one of the earlier ones, Curaheen Drifter, certainly left his stamp on the daughters that he bred. Richard describes them as ‘excellent females – square cattle, with great ends.’ He did exactly the job that they hoped he would, while other bulls that have clicked particularly well with the Overhill House females have been Aultmore Goliath, bought for 16,000gns in 2017 and the 24,000gns Islavale Heston, bought in 2018. Heston sired Overhill House Neil, the bull, out of a Drifter daughter, that took the champion title at Stirling in May, 2023, and sold for 16,000gns – an all-breeds record price at that sale. Another son of Heston, Overhill House McCoy, was champion at the Carlisle sale in May and sold for 10,000gns.
In February, 2021, Richard paid his highest price to-date for a bull, when he bought Pistyll Kingsman for 26,000gns at Stirling. He was initially drawn to the Woodhall breeding in his pedigree which he thought would do well with his females, and then considered him an ‘outstanding’ bull at the sale. His instincts were right – Kingsman sons, Overhill House Neo and Overhill House Nestor sold at 46,000gns and 13,000gns respectively, at Stirling in October ‘23, while his daughter Overhill House Neva, sold for 18,000gns at Carlisle’s Nxt Gen sale in December. There are four more impressive Kingsman sons heading to Stirling in February 2024.
Neo, which secured the pre-sale championship at Stirling before smashing the breed record, is out of Seepa Daffodil, bought at Roscommon in 2014 for €8000. Richard says: “I was drawn to her at the sale as she was a lovely, feminine heifer, with plenty length and not too extreme – and red coloured, which I like too.” One of only a few select females to have been flushed in the herd, Daffodil had consistently bred sons that sold at 6000-7000gns, prior to 2023.
Due to the unpredictable weather conditions in the winter, the majority of the herd is now set to calve in the spring, between March and June, with a further 25 calving in September. They calve at between 2.5 to 3 years old and are given pre-calving minerals six weeks prior to calving.
“We’ve moved to mainly spring calving this year, so we can get them out to grass as soon as possible. It’s a lot healthier for the calves as we were finding they weren’t getting off to the best possible start being inside in the winter, with the often mild, damp weather conditions,” says Richard.
It makes for a busy spring though, as the lambing of the Blackfaces, Cheviots and Mules, begins inside, around 12th April. Texel cross lambs out of the Mules, plus any surplus others that are not kept as replacements, are finished off home-grown kale, which helps keep ever rising feed costs down. They also grow 150 acres of barley, mostly for their own use, with the rest bruised and sold to a few local farms.
“We select the best of the bull calves for future sales and the rest are kept entire, finished on home-grown barley, with minerals and straw, and sold through ABP at 14/15-months-old, killing out at 400-420kg d/w and achieving U grades. The heifers are mostly kept for replacements, with one or two of the best kept for the Nxt Gen sale, and some sold for breeding or as recipients. “We keep the herd quite young, generally up to eight or nine years old, really for easier maintenance and also because we can get a good cast trade for the older cows,” adds Richard. In fact, a nine-year-old Overhill House cow won the Christmas show and sale at UA Stirling in December, selling for £2100.
Other than rising costs, the other challenge always at the forefront is herd health, which is why they are very particular when it comes to buying in any animals and also when exhibiting at shows, which the herd has enjoyed a fair amount of success at over the years. Some of the highlights, outwith the pre-sale shows, include Curaheen Drifter winning the inter-breed title at Stirling Show and Overhill House Neil securing the junior championship at Stars of the Future. At the Scottish National show at Dumfries last summer, Overhill House Niko, a son of the home-bred Overhill House Enhance, finished up overall male and junior champion and went onto sell for 12,000gns at Stirling in October.
In addition to being a good shop window for the herd, shows and events also provide the chance to mix with and get to know fellow breeders, which has been part of the appeal of the breed for Richard. He feels the breed has hugely improved over the past 10 years or so.
“The Simmental in this country is now a really modern, versatile animal that has the whole package – milk, docility, and conformation. I’ve no doubt that it’s a breed going from strength to strength and that is clear from the increased demand. We’ve seen a massive boost in demand ourselves at sales, and privately, and have a lot of repeat customers coming back, so they must be doing a good job. The society do a brilliant job of promoting the breed too, which definitely makes a difference.
“Farming’s never going to be easy and we’ve had lots of knocks along the way, but when you have a good day, it makes it all worthwhile!” adds Richard.
With a firm eye to the future and the role the Simmental breed has to play, here we feature the Lancashire based Wood family with their high profile 50-cow Popes pedigree herd, and their fresh meat wholesale business, Bowland Foods.
Factfile: Popes Farm, Dutton, Preston
400 acres grassland 150 pedigree Beltex and Texel ewes 50 pedigree Simmental breeding cows plus replacements 2.75 years age at first calving 90% + calves reared 9 to 10 calf crops
Whilst Simmental has a distinguished past, the breed has an even bigger job lined up for the future, says Vikki Wood. “An increasing number of commercial producers are becoming aware that Simmental will introduce more milk and subsequently faster growth to a suckler herd; that’s massive and there’s no other breed which can achieve that.
“In fact, Simmental bred cattle have been proven* to be the most efficient in terms of reduced days to slaughter and reduced finishing costs which can only mean one thing – more profit and in turn, a more efficient and sustainable enterprise with a lower carbon footprint,” she explains. “That’s not all, modern Simmental genetics are leaving easy fleshed cattle producing high quality beef.”
Vikki speaks from experience, not only from farming with her husband, Jimmy and managing the noted Lancashire based Popes pedigree Simmental herd but also sharing with him a combined eight decades of procuring cattle for their fresh meat wholesale business, Bowland Foods. The businesses are very much a family affair, with their son Harry 30 years, and daughter Hannah 26, involved in both.
“We instinctively know which live cattle when hung up will meet will fulfil our customers’ requirements, and Simmental genetics have a role to play.”
Since the Woods established their wholesale meat businesses in 1994, it has grown exponentially to currently employ an 80 strong team weekly sourcing up to 450 cattle, 800 pigs and 1,000 lambs to supply independent butchers shops, catering butchers and other outlets with carcases and a complete range of cuts. Killing is off site, while the family’s Preston based operation is currently expanding its cutting room capacity. “Regardless of the trends towards reduced meat in the diet, demand for quality meat is on the up as far as we’re concerned,” she says.
Turning the clock back to the 1980s, and the Woods were also starting their farming career from scratch with a beef finishing enterprise supplying Bowland Foods.
“We decided we would like to establish a pedigree herd that would offer downtime, one that we could enjoy, and get some pleasure out of.
“As finishers, we’d had experience of most Continental breeds; Simmental became our first choice, it was the breed that was the most affable. Since I was responsible for the farm’s day-to-day management, the Simmental’s quiet temperament was the biggest deciding factor.” The couple established the Popes herd in 1988, and the rest is history.
“We were lucky to get the opportunity to invest in strong female lines at a few dispersal sales,” she explains. “Cloford, Greenside, Misarden, Sterling, Tintoside and Revlex provided some of the foundation genetics with Tintoside Nellys Wonder leaving the biggest influence with up to 50% of the current herd descending from her.
“We’ve since continued to focus on selecting female traits – milk and calving ease supported by EBVs, while our cattle have to demonstrate good locomotion, growth and easy fleshing, something to catch the eye and proven from a good strong cow family. We’ve accelerated genetic progress by introducing some of our leading brood females to a flushing programme.
“We quite simply want to breed the best and make sure we’re able to supply other herds with the right genetics to fit their jigsaw. Bulls sold through the ring or at home go off to do a job in both pedigree and commercial herds, and we currently have three standing at Cogent stud. Females have to be correct to produce the next generation for us and for other pedigree herds,” she says adding: “We’re always looking to renew and refresh the herd’s genetics with a different line.”
The Woods kept their word digging deep last year to invest 32,000gns in Heathbrow Natasha, an 18-month-old maiden heifer. The price tag was a new female breed record. “We’d been following her success in the show ring which culminated in the reserve junior championship at the Great Yorkshire. We considered she had everything we would look for in a female. She was a striking, fleshy well-balanced heifer and full of femininity,” says Jimmy.
To the future, and Simmental is guaranteed to have a firm future at Popes Farm after Hannah invested 9,000gns at the same dispersal in Heathbrow Melody, an in-calf heifer. “I’m establishing my own herd and Melody is my foundation female which I selected for her breeding; she is half-sister to Natasha and I am hoping that she will breed as well as her mother.
“My overall objective is to establish a polled herd,” she says. “The demand for polled cattle is ever increasing due to easier management and welfare issues. I plan to offer animals to supply that growing commercial and pedigree demand.”
“Simmental has proved for over three decades to be a great breed to work, it’s introduced us to a lot of people and we’ve made some good friends located throughout the UK and beyond. While we like to have a nice field of cows, the herd has had a very successful show career and we’ve loved every minute of it.”
Popes has amassed countless red rosettes and ribbons and a glittering array of silverware. Acknowledging its most outstanding accolades and the Woods say top of the league table has to be Stirling where it has headed the junior, intermediate and senior sections before going on to secure the overall championship.
The herd has also lifted the interbreed at both the Great Yorkshire and Royal Welsh along with reserve interbreed beef at the Royal, while in 2023 Popes Princess Immie secured both the breed’s English and Scottish National championships. “There’s only one major title we’ve yet to crack and that’s the Royal Highland, and we’re going to give it our best shot,” says Vikki.
*AHDB National Beef Evaluations based on records from over three million animals slaughtered during the last 10 years.
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