The Upsall Beef Shorthorn herd - Gerald Turton
Looking for the Ultimate, Functional Suckler Cow? - by Liz Snaith
Shorthorn Strategy - by Ian Ashbridge
Slow-grown Native Beef Proves Healthier - by Jeremy Hunt
Scottish bulls leave their mark upon German Shorthorns - by Claudia Zettler
The Buccleuch Estates, Bowhill Estate - by Liz Snaith
Westmoor Herd wins ‘Most Improved’ Award for Beef Shorthorn breed - by Sara Gregson
Charles keeps “Lazy Man’s Cows” that are Cheap to Keep - by Jennifer MacKenzie
MARK’S WINNING COMBINATIONS - by Jennifer MacKenzie
Angus and Shorthorn shine for young Irishman - Article printed by courtesy of the Scottish Farmer
Traditional Shorthorn beef is proving a top seller at a Bedfordshire farm shop - Browns of Stagsden
Hill Farming has a Serious Role to Play - Tofts Herd
Victoria Poolman talks Beef Shorthorn to Rob Paisley - Westmoor Herd
Easily Managed Beef Shorthorns - Lowther Shorthorns
Glenisla Beef Shorthorns
MARK’S WINNING COMBINATIONS
by Jennifer MacKenzie
Ease of management and low input requirements coupled with the eating quality of the beef are among the attributes which give the Beef Shorthorn a good future in current production systems.
Mark Holmes has been breeding pedigree Beef Shorthorns, for which he has won widespread acclaim in the show ring, as well as using the breed commercially for more than a decade at Albrighton, Wolverhampton.
And he believes he has found the right breed, so much so that he is quitting breeding other pedigree continental cattle.
Mark and his wife Wendy farm 360 acres, run an outside catering business and are planning to open a farm shop next spring – and they still manage to find time to take their pony-mad children, Jessica, 11 and Dominic, eight, to equestrian events.
So easy-care, docile cattle are a priority when the only extra help they rely on is from Mark’s brother, Nigel and a friend.
“I think the future of the Beef Shorthorn is big and more people should look closely at the breed in today’s agricultural climate,” said Mark. “I have tried a lot of breeds to see what works and the Shorthorn works for me in terms of minimal labour and feed inputs as well as their quiet temperament, ease of management and longevity.
Pedigree cattle from the Holmeere herd have flown the flag for the breed at the leading summer agricultural shows – not least the Royal Highland where Mark has won the breed championship for the last three years in a row with cattle in the hands of freelance stockman Richard Rettie and his wife Carole.
Mark was the first Englishman to win the championship with an English bred animal since 1932 at the Highland three years ago with Holmeere Georgina Rose. The following year it was with Holmeere Alastair and in 2008 it was with current stock bull Cairnsmore Thrasher, bred in Scotland by Bill and Jane Landers at Newton Stewart.
Thrasher also went on to complete the hat-trick set by Georgina Rose and Alastair at the Royal Show in 2008 winning the breed championship and going on to take the reserve interbreed championship.
In 2006, the two year old heifer Holmeere Millicent was reserve interbreed at the Royal Welsh Show. Holmeere Beef Shorthorns have also won the breed title for three years in a row at the Great Yorkshire Show – another first.
Georgina Rose was one of six heifers and a cow saved during 2001’s foot and mouth epidemic from the
Holmeere herd established in 1977 with females bought from Midlands breeders Alan Wass and John Doughty.
“Many years ago Tofts Romany caught my eye at the Royal Show and I read up on the breed. The Beef Shorthorn has been a great improver – its bloodlines are in 40 different breeds.
“While it is a maternal breed, it has certainly got beef qualities producing well-marbled meat that is second to none,” he added.
“I had had a lot of difficulty calving continental heifers and problems with whichever bull I used,” said Mark. “I also wanted to breed my own replacements to minimise disease risks as I believe strongly as an industry that we must strive to get rid of diseases like BVD and Johnes. I began by using Shorthorn semen on the commercial cows before I bought my first pure-breds.
“The Shorthorn has proved easy to calve. I had the vet for the first time to a Shorthorn cow in May (2008) which was having twins.
“With the continentals the vet is here regularly at calving. When you are running the farm on minimal labour you haven’t got the time to spend calving cows. Shorthorns are easy care and they are cows that thrive on next to nothing. The pedigree continentals eat too much. That’s why they are being phased out.”
Pedigree Beef Shorthorn bulls are sold at Perth and privately with a lot going into Wales where Mark believes there is a huge potential market for the breed with its large number of suckler cows.
Those not making the grade for pedigree breeding – and Mark has a strict culling policy with both bulls and females – also find a ready market for Shorthorn steers.
The plan is to channel steers through the new farm shop at Codsall and establish a flock of traditional breed sheep, probably Shropshires, to market lamb through the shop along with other local produce.
Currently Mark finds that he can get his Shorthorn steers to similar weights to his continentals. They are sold at 24 to 26 months old through Bridgenorth or Market Drayton markets in one particular week in the autumn Shorthorns were
selling at 156p and 153p while Charolais were making 156p and 152p a kilo.
He also plans to start selling commercial in-calf heifers crossed with the Shorthorn or Angus as he believes there is a market for them with a swing in demand for all native breeds because of reduced inputs.
Since the re-opening of the cull cow market, barren cows also have an added bonus. Typically, a 840kg cow made 118p per
kg.
“The Beef Shorthorn still needs to retain its old fashioned bloodlines with only up to 25 per cent being North American or Canadian. My first love was milking cows and I just think of what has happened to the Holstein,” he said. “If you breed too extreme they become plain and they will melt away.”
Since 2001, Mark has used thick-set bulls to introduce some scale into the herd. Chapelton Everest bred well and is the sire of Alastair and Uppermill Ramsay, whose dam was a Highland Show champion, has been used recently. Semen from Bellmore Fuel Injection, owned by Major John Gibb, has also been used.
Mark saw Cairnsmore Thrasher when he was sold in Perth and took even more interest when he was shown as a young bull. He bought the bull in January 2008 and semen has been taken from him.
The herd has been built up mainly without buying in females, although purchases may be made for particular bloodlines.
The Shorthorn cows live out all winter and are fed silage and minerals.
Cows calve from March onwards with their calves weaned towards the end of October. Heifers calve in
September with their calves weaned the following February. “We calve heifers at just over two years old – continentals are not mature enough at that age. Also, after calving the Shorthorns recover quicker and fertility is not a problem.
The calves are fed creep for a week before they are weaned and housed to reduce stress then are fed silage and 1kg of cereals a day.