FITTING INTO
ORGANIC, LOW
COST SYSTEM

The simple organic, low-cost system we employ, also helps with a low carbon footprint.  Growing clover to fix nitrogen means we are able to graze from 1^st March until November in most years.  We make our own silage with a forage wagon and spread the manure back onto the silage ground.  About 10% of the farm is reseeded each year, following the arable silage which we have gone back to this last 2 seasons.  A mix of barley, oats and peas under sown with ryegrass and clover to give cover over the winter.  For next year we will introduce vetches and radish for deep tap root penetration of the soil.  We also aerate the farm each year to allow oxygen into the soil.  Soil health means crop health which in turn means stock health. 

We decided we needed our first stock bull, which we found in Ireland when we bought Jennalyn Aspen from Clonagh – a son of Banwy TRex out of Milton Sapphire ET.  He is a full genetic brother to Clonagh Darling Eyes. In 2015 we purchased Shiloh Farm Forever Royal, a son of Kilbride Farm Bantry out of Shiloh Farm Royal Babe ET – a Hercules daughter.  Royal was Junior Champion bull at Tullamore also winning 8 first prizes that show season.  He has bred extremely well for us, being a long bull and has Classified EX 94. He is breeding smaller cows with extra length which is perfect for us.  In August 2018, we decided to look for a polled bull which we found in Northern Ireland and came home with Kilbride Farm Hans PP EX93 – a son of Sneumgaard Imperator out of Kilbride Farm Fanni 44 – a daughter of Hoeness.  We have used him on the heifers for the last 2 seasons and so far, we have been very pleased with the calves. Our recent Classification resulted in a further 15 cows and 2 bulls going EX.

The Classification for these 2 bulls is shown below as well as 6 heifers from Royal –

We aim to breed easy care cattle that don’t cause us problems.  So, temperament, milk, growth, and easy calving are the goal.  We fatten off grass and silage with a guide cost for grass at £1/kg dry matter, silage at £3/kg dry matter and concentrates (if used) at £5/kg dry matter.  However, being organic, we aim to finish off grass wherever possible.  Royal’s progeny are grading particularly well as shown below by the kill sheet from a consignment sent in June 2020.  

In January 2019 we decided it might be a good exercise to take pelvic measurements of the heifers.   So, Richard Cummings, Cwarre Herd, who is a local vet, came along with a measuring instrument and measured the pelvises of our heifers.   Having measured the width and depth at this stage, you can calculate the size of a calf, by weight, that the heifer can deliver without difficulty.   We felt this information would be very useful before bulling, in order to calculate what size calf can pass safely through the pelvis. The pelvic area grows at a fairly constant rate from 9 to 24 months of age.  Heifers pelvic area increases slightly faster from 10 to 15 months versus 16 to 24 months.  The Continental breeds average growth is 0.30 cm sq. Per day and the native breeds are 0.25 cm sq. per day.  This relates to 8 or 10 cm sq. increase per month for this period.

Below is a list, by age, weight and calving history of our results:

100 cows weighing 700 to 800 kg eat the same amount of feed as 120 cows weighing 600 to 650 kg. and also produce an extra 20 calves per year.  Basically, we are currently trying to breed a small to medium cow that is polled, out of dams classified Very Good or Excellent with a self-replacing index in the top 25%.   

We now have our first home produced poll bull – Welston King Hans – son of Kilbride Farms Hans PP EX93 and out of Curaheen Gretal P EX92 (a granddaughter of Raceview Merle Beauty).  He looks very promising.

We believe the Simmental has all the leading traits of all the other breeds put together, but also believe that we must get more efficient by breeding a correct cow or bull of moderate size that can wean a calf weighing 50% of the dams’ body weight.  Heifers must calve by 2 years old, be easy calving with fewer than 3 to 5 per cent needing calving assistance.  They need to be efficient foragers and converters with optimum milk yield.  Good Classification will lead to longevity and so more calves produced per cow. Earlier in the year we purchased 6 Stabilizer heifers in order to directly compare the breeds and maybe follow some of their strengths in conversion of feed.

Our aim last year was to reduce cow size by about 100kg.  For every 100kg reduction per individual, 15% more cows per acre can be carried.  We intend to breed moderate cows, that are polled, Classified VG and EX with estimated breeding values in the top 20%.

A highlight for us in 2020 was the Virtual Show held by the Welsh Club, with Welston Harry winning overall Male Champion.  The Welsh Club was founded 30 years ago and it has been a great way of meeting fellow breeders at home and in Ireland.