The Farmers Mart Aug/Sep 2014 - Issue 35 | Page 41

RM HAZARD & SONS

record over the years has been
nothing less than outstanding,
with one year alone resulting in
no less than 50 rosettes from
four beasts at four shows. And
on a herd competition front, the
herd has won the overall herd
area competition, six out of the
last eight years entered.
The emphasis now is on
building up the genetic base
of the herd with the use of AI.
Sales off farm by AI bulls have
reached £10,000 in the last
year alone and many females
are sold to establish foundation
herds in the area.
AI now forms a huge part of
the herd’s management with
60 percent of females calving
to AI bulls. Plans are underway
to expand the herd further with
a push to go to 150 cows with
the top end of the herd being
put to the best sires possible,
while the rest of the herd will
be put to known, proven sires
capable of producing good
quality commercial bulls. This
last couple of years the herd has
also started conducting embryo
transfer on the best handful of
cows to try and maximise the
breeding potential of them. Last
year saw a welcome return back

to trading at the Carlisle sales
and this return was kick-started
with the sale of Mereside
Godolphin, an October 2011
born Plumtree Deus son out
of Mereside Dawnmarie for
40,000gns Ѽ