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Croftends Herd wins ‘Most Improved’ Award for British Blue
breed
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| Andrew Bellas with Cyril Martin with a ‘Croft Ends Champion at ‘Borderway’, Carlisle |
Andrew Bellas, who has lived at Croftends Farm since he was four, ran a dairy herd until the Foot and Mouth outbreak in 2001, when the herd was culled out. He had used British Blue bulls on the Holstein cows for 15 years, and when deciding to start a suckler herd felt the quiet temperament and easy nature of the breed would suit well.
On a visit to Ireland in late 2001, three Irish Belgian Blue cows and an in-calf heifer were purchased from the Clonberton Herd in County Meath.
“The Blues are placid and easy to work with,” Mr Bellas explains. “You can really build a relationship with them.”
The Bellas’ started to record performance immediately, and now with a significant number of progeny born and bred, the figures are showing consistent improvement for important traits such as growth rate.
“Recording has to be the way forward,” says Mr Bellas. “By putting the figures into a computer, you can quickly see what is good and what is bad in the herd.
“Put this together with a stockman’s skill for selecting breed type, and you are sure to produce some first class stock. Animals with figures behind them always stand out in the sales ring.
“Take our bull Croftends Bruno. He had the highest figures of any bull when he went to the sale and made 15,500gns - a price our customer was prepared to pay because his looks could be backed up by reliable figures.”
The cows calve indoors on straw in spring and autumn, enabling a year-round supply of breeding stock to UK and Irish customers. The calves are weaned at between six and seven months of age.
When selecting females to keep for breeding, Mr Bellas keeps those that have the correct looks, style and mobility, although temperament, milking ability and calving ease are also important deciding factors, along with growth rate and scanning data.
The cows are served mainly by AI to increase the number of bulls available, and to match the bull to the female more closely. When selecting bulls, size, power, locomotion and growth rate figures are most important.
Most animals are sold to pedigree breeders with a few going to commercial producers. Males are sold at 18-20 months as breeding bulls, whilst females are sold as and when they are required from ten months of age onwards.
The stock is sold from the farm and through registered sales such as Chelford, Perth and Carlisle.
“Customers are showing much more interest in performance figures now,” says Mr Bellas. “Health status is also important. All our stock is thoroughly tested before leaving the farm so buyers know they are not importing any damaging diseases.”
When asked how they felt about winning the award,
Mr Bellas says: “It
was a total surprise. We even called the breed society to see if it was a
wind up! Actually, we think it is fantastic and we are really delighted!”
Satisfied customers
Penrith beef producer Brian Bowness runs a commercial herd of 90 mainly Limousin
cross and British Blue cross cattle, with a few purebred British Blues. He
bought the bull Croftends Bruno at Carlisle in 2008.
“We saw Bruno at several shows and were impressed by his sheer size,” says Mr Bowness. “But he also has the figures to back up his looks.
“We have had two crops of calves from him so far. They are quite small at birth, but the way they grow is unbelievable! We sell them as stores through Penrith Auction at 12 -14 months of age.
“He was awarded overall British Blue male champion at the Highland and Northumberland Shows, this year. He is one of four bulls on the farm and we have frozen some of his semen for use on our herd, and to sell to other producers.”
Cyril Martin who farms in County Meath, Ireland owns the Clonberton herd from which the Bellas’ bought their first pedigree stock. He started breeding 16 years ago and currently runs 25 in-calf cows and heifers. He is now buying back some Croftends progeny to use in their own herd.
“Andrew and Jonty are producing some terrific animals that will do a very good job for pedigree or commercial producers alike,” says Mr Martin. “I am really pleased that the stock they bought from us nine years ago gave them the foundation from which to build a really great herd.”
Capitalise
on improved breeding
“While beef prices are relatively high, now is the time for pedigree
and commercial producers to capitalise on improved breeding,” says
EBLEX breeding specialist Samuel Boon.
“It is definitely worth taking time when buying stock bulls and replacement heifers to source genetics that will have the greatest economic impact on the herd.
“By recording the performance of their animals, pedigree producers like Andrew and Jonty are allowing other farmers to make informed purchasing decisions rather than leaving it to chance, and hoping the chosen animals will deliver on commercially important traits.
“All the winners of the Improved Herd Awards record the performance of their herds, providing valuable information so their customers can produce animals that meet farmer, processor, retailer and consumer demand, as efficiently as possible.
“I congratulate Andrew and Jonty on the excellent job they are doing
with the Croftends Herd and the British Blue breed.”
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