|
Stephen and Stephanie ’ s two main herds currently run to 48 Limousin cows and heifers that have gone to the bull . They run four Limmie stock bulls ; and 15 Charolais cows and heifers put to the one Charolais bull .
“ After buying our initial stock of both breeds we have been retaining the daughters to build up both herds as well as our commercials . We calve the herds at the same time with anything put to AI calving from November and natural service calving from February . We calve right through to June .
Stephanie tells of how her cows reacted recently when without a bull .
“ I prefer natural bulling and I ’ ve found that our Charolais prefer to have the bull in the field with them all of the time . They look lost when there isn ’ t one . I sold our previous stock bull in September last year and didn ’ t have a new one until I got Hairstone Rolex from Aberdeenshire from Borderway Mart in Carlisle in May this year .
“ When the girls went out into the field at the end of April they were without a bull and it showed . They stayed in the bottom half of the field , it was as though they were sulking , but as soon as Rolex went into the field they were happy and used the whole of the field .
“ Currently the majority of my female calves born will stay in the herd as long as they meet the breed standard . I want them to reach a good weight and we pelvic measure and record as well . I ’ m aiming to get to 20 quality females and to produce good quality males and milky females . Once I ’ ve reached 20 females it will then be a case of only keeping what I consider
|
the absolute best every year as replacements .
Stephanie understands the importance of EBVs and good calving figures , but also understands that breeding has a number of influences .
“ You ’ ve got to try to predict two years in front . What ’ s popular now breeding wise might not be popular two years on . At the moment EBVs and good calving figures are really important . You feel pushed to get those EBVs and the bulls that are producing those are tending
|
to come from the same sires . By doing so that cuts the bull market down but we believe it is important to look at different bulls .
“ I ’ m still relatively new to the breed but I know what I like and I buy what I see in front of me . When buying bulls I like a good manly Charolais head , a good top line and good shape .
“ We were lucky with our first stock bull Logan Leonardo . We used him on all our commercials as well as the Charolais and he provided us with easy calving ,
|
good growth rate and some hellish heifers that are now great breeding cows .
Stephanie says that there is a definite interest in the breed from those who are currently not Charolais breeders and that more could be done to grow the breed ’ s numbers in Yorkshire once again .
“ There are some fantastic Yorkshire breeders and I really think there could be more . The Limousin Society has so much more activity at present but when we hosted a Limousin
|
Open Day here last year the amount of breeders that wanted to see our Charolais was just amazing . It would be nice to have more Charolais Open Days on farms in the North of England too .
“ We have spent a considerable amount developing our Limousin herd and in May each year we can be away all month at sales in Melton Mowbray , Darlington and Carlisle and back at Carlisle again in October , but we only have the one main sale at Carlisle for Charolais in May .
|