The Green family will be on the hunt for bright ideas for 2018 at the next Morayshire Monitor Farm meeting on 12 December.
At the event the group will review the various activities which have taken place over 2017, as well as discussing the possibilities Corskie farm should explore in 2018.
The event will begin on farm with a demonstration of different sheep handling facilities at Corskie as the family is considering investing in a new system. The group will look at a fully automatic system, as well as more standard set ups and discuss the costs and benefits of upgrading the facilities on farm.
Monitor farmer Iain Green says: “It’ll be really useful to evaluate different systems as handling sheep always takes a fair amount of time and labour and if we can find a system which makes us more efficient that would be ideal. I’m also interested in looking at how the recording technology differs in different systems to see what data we could gather and how that could then be used to improve management of the flock.”
The meeting will continue at the nearby Fochabers Public Institute with discussions on calving indicators and detectors, particularly focusing on the Moocall calving sensor which they have been trying out at Corskie. This device, which was launched in 2014, uses the movement of the cow’s tail to predict when calving may be imminent to try and reduce calf mortality.
Project facilitators Derek Hanton and Samantha Stewart from SAC Consulting will then take the group though some of the highlights of 2017 including soil health and compaction, biostimulants and heifer pelvic measuring, as well as a session on how the spring and winter barley trials have fared this year,.
Corskie has been trialling a number of varieties including Laureate, Fairing and Bazooka, and Iain will share the full yield results of all the trials, as well as the results of the biostimulants project.
The day will end with a discussion on what the next year has in store for Corskie, both on the arable and the livestock side and the group will be encouraged to think outside of the box when it comes to pitching in ideas.
Iain says: “I’m looking forward to hearing everyone’s suggestions on the day. I’m particularly interested in seeing how the heifers calve compared to their pelvic measurements and I’d like to do some weight recording and growth figures for our lambs next summer. On the arable side I’d like to carry out more barley trials.”
The Morayshire Monitor is one of nine monitor farms established in Scotland as part of a joint initiative by Quality Meat Scotland (QMS) and AHDB Cereals & Oilseeds with funding from the Scottish Government. The aim of the monitor farm programme is to help improve the productivity, profitability and sustainability of Scottish farm businesses.
The Monitor Farm meeting will take place on Corskie Farm, Garmouth, IV32 7NN, on Tuesday 12 December from 11am until 3pm. The event is free of charge but to assist with catering it would be appreciated if you can book a place by contacting Samantha Stewart by phone (01343 548 787) or email (samantha.stewart@sac.co.uk).
Farmers and crofters are invited to the next meeting of the Sutherland Monitor Farm, which will focus on developing a sustainable business.
Innovations specialist Stephen Burns from the Agricultural Engineering Precision Innovation (Agri-EPI) Centre will be the main speaker at this meeting which will be held at Brora Golf Club on Tuesday 5 December.
The Agri-EPI Centre has been established to drive growth and support innovative ideas to help farmers and business owners become more profitable and sustainable.
It has over 140 members and brings together leading academic institutions with industry partners to design and develop research and innovations that will support growth in the food and farming sectors.
Jason Ballantyne from Clynelish Farm, Sutherland’s Monitor farm, is looking forward to hearing how new technology can be adopted on farm to help farmers and crofters in Sutherland.
“As farmers we are constantly trying to find ways to increase our businesses’ efficiency and profitability. I think that initiatives like the Agri-EPI centre are intriguing as they can support the development of new ideas, which will hopefully help livestock enterprises become more sustainable in this challenging time,” said Mr Ballantyne.
Also at the meeting, Mr Ballantyne and his wife Victoria will give a summary of how their first year as the Sutherland Monitor farm host has been – what changes they have made, and the results of those changes. The group will then take a look at the Clynelish costings, scenarios and ideas for 2018.
Clynelish Farm is one of nine monitor farms established in Scotland as part of a joint initiative by Quality Meat Scotland (QMS) and AHDB Cereals & Oilseeds with funding from the Scottish Government. The aim of the monitor farm programme is to help improve the productivity, profitability and sustainability of Scottish farm businesses.
The meeting at Brora Golf Club on 5 December, which is free to attend and open to all, will begin at 11am, with coffee/registration from 10.30am.
To book your attendance at the next Sutherland Monitor farm meeting on Tuesday 5 December please contact Willie Budge or Cat MacGregor, the project facilitators at SAC Consulting Thurso on 01847 892602 or email FBSThurso@sac.co.uk
Farmers attending the next meeting of the Nithsdale Monitor Farm will be given an insight into the management of the 250 breeding cows run by Robert Osborne on his tenanted farm near Thornhill.
Mr Osborne, who will host the meeting at Castlehill Farm, Durisdeer, is a member of Nithsdale monitor farm management group. At the meeting on Thursday 7 December, he will give an overview of the priorities of the cattle business which he runs with his wife Laura and their children.
Castlehill is around 800 hectares and carries a closed herd of 250 Aberdeen-Angus cross and Simmental cross suckler cows, with 75% calving in the spring and the rest calving in the autumn. The calves are sold store at about a year old. Mr Osborne joined the Premium Cattle Health Scheme three years ago, because he was concerned about health issues in his herd.
The upland farm comprises over 525 hectares of hill, 44 hectares of semi-permanent grassland and 190 hectares of intensive grassland. The Osbornes also grow 40 hectares of cereals to help feed their stock through the winter months.
At the meeting, which is free to attend and starts at Castlehill at 11am, Mr Osborne will talk about his herd management practices including housing and bedding choices, diets for different categories of cattle and share his forage results for this year.
He will be joined by Alisdair Padkin from Nithsdale vets who will give an overview of some of the health problems cattle farmers may see in their animals, at this time of the year. He will also talk about the benefits of joining a cattle health scheme.
Nithsdale monitor farmer Andrew Marchant currently has 20 Luing cows and is keen to see if he can learn from Roberts’ management to improve his current system.
“I’m really looking forward to visiting Robert’s farm and learning about his herd management,” he said.
“Robert is a highly regarded member of the local farming community and I am sure that, along with the other farmers who attend the meeting, I will learn a few things from him that I might be able to put into practice at Clonhie.”
The group will then move to nearby Durisdeer Hall for lunch, following which monitor farmer Andrew Marchant will give an update from Clonhie.
SAC Consulting Beef and Sheep Specialist Gavin Hill will then discuss the challenges of the 2017 summer and its implications for cow body condition scores and forage analyses.
He will be joined by Will Case, who has diversified and developed his traditional livestock farm in Cumbria to create a stronger and more sustainable business which now includes a dairy enterprise.
The Nithsdale monitor farm is one of nine monitor farms that have been established around Scotland in a joint initiative by Quality Meat Scotland (QMS) and AHDB Cereals & Oilseeds. The aim of the programme, which is funded by Scottish Government, is to help improve the productivity, profitability and sustainability of Scottish farm businesses.
Monitor farm meetings are open and free for all farmers to attend. The meeting on Thursday 7 December will begin at 11am at Castlehill Farm meeting and finish at 3.30pm, with lunch provided.
To book your place please contact Judith Hutchison, by 12 noon on Monday 4 December on 07718 919055 or email judith.agridigm@icloud.com .
The Stodart family will be looking for advice on overhauling their cattle enterprise at their next Angus monitor farm meeting on Thursday 7 December.
Currently Mill of Inverarity farm has 200 suckler cows (Simmental and Limousin crosses), with 150 stores and 150 finishers, however Rob Stodart isn’t certain they have the right breed for their system.
He says: “I’m concerned that our Limmy crosses, many of which are now being put to a Limmy bull, are going to become almost purebred Limousin and they will lose the good mothering and milk characteristics that we need. We’d like to take advice from other farmers about the future herd.”
The meeting will start on farm with a look at the present cattle enterprise before moving on to the nearby mart for what the team hopes will be a lively workshop which will see suggestions for real changes to their current system.
As well as discussing cow breed the group will also debate the use of AI versus natural service, benefits of a closed herd and how best to achieve it, consider the possibility of moving to only spring calving and whether they should sell store or finished, or both.
Rob says: “I think 2018 will see changes to how we farm here at the Mill. We need to ensure we are working as efficiently as possible and we’re really open to new ideas and hearing other farmers’ experiences to help us decide the future of the herd”.
On the arable side there will also be a review of the 2017 season, covering how the Stodarts coped with the challenging harvest, how the crops fared in terms of yield and quality, autumn planting decisions, as well as a discussion on spring planting plans.
Mill of Inverarity is now part of the Monitor Farm Scotland initiative, managed by Quality Meat Scotland (QMS) and AHDB Cereals & Oilseeds.
The aim of the programme, which is funded by the Scottish Government, is to help improve the productivity, profitability and sustainability of Scottish farm businesses through practical demonstrations, the sharing of best practice and the discussion of up-to-date issues.
The meeting will begin at Mill of Inverarity Farm, Forfar, Angus, DD8 2JN at 10.30am, before moving onto Forfar Mart for lunch. It will close at 3pm.
The event is free to attend but to assist with catering attendees should book a place by contacting Stacey Hamilton by phone (01569 762305) or email (stacey.hamilton@sac.co.uk).
Morayshire monitor farmers Iain, Laura and Jemma Green revealed the results of their #soilmyundies experiment at a meeting for local farmers recently.
The Greens are one of the latest to join the #soilmyundies craze, where farmers bury 100 per cent cotton underpants in different parts of the farm, to start discussions on the activity of soil biology.
Eight weeks ago Iain buried seven pairs of undies around his farm: in fields of spring barley with and without biostimulants; in a field margin; under 2-year-old grass; under winter barley stubble; in a PGRS field; and in a spring barley try-out field.
The theory is that the more active the soil biology is, that is, the healthier the soil and the more degraded the pants will be.
The most unwearable pants – those most broken down by soil microbiology and earthworms – were those buried in a barley field which had been treated with biostimulants.
Iain says: “The pants in the worst condition were almost unrecognisable, so it seems that the biostimulants field had the most biological activity, and if that is the case it will be really interesting to see what effect that has on the yield.”
However, one of the surprises was the underwear buried beneath permanent grass at plough depth was more in-tact than expected.
AHDB Cereals & Oilseeds Knowledge Exchange Manager Gavin Dick said: “Usually you’d expect permanent grass to have a lot of soil biology activity. But we now have a trend of wetter, milder autumns and less frosty winters. This means that cattle are often left outside longer in less than ideal conditions. The livestock cause a layer of compaction and there is then less frost in the winter to break up that compaction.”
The results of #soilmyundies also seemed to show some of the impact of the huge amount of rain at Corskie Farm. Between 1 June and 30 October 2017 they have had 612ml – nearly all of the annual average 700ml. Fields that were wet for too long had poorer levels of soil biology activity.
Of course, it’s not just burying pants which highlights soil health on farm. Out in the field, the Monitor Farm group discussed simple ways to examine soil health, using just a spade, a knife and their senses, as well as more structured methods such as using a visual soil assessment (VESS) test to simply assess soil texture by sight.
The final message of the day was around choosing the correct tyres for farming operations.
In the field, the group saw the impact on the soil of different tyres at different pressures, with a demonstration from Tony Powell of Michelin Tyres.
Iain Green said: “It was very interesting today. A lot of growers do not pay enough attention to soils, but it is our biggest asset. We also heard about the difference between dual and single wheels, standard, flotation and super single tyres, and the effect they have on the soil.
On the Monitor Farm experience, Laura, Iain’s eldest daughter, added: “I’m really enjoying the Monitor Farm experience so far. It’s great having other farmers come on our farm and share ideas with us – to challenge each other. It’s good to be helping other farmers in Moray too.”
The Morayshire Monitor Farm is one of nine monitor farms that have been established across Scotland in a joint initiative by Quality Meat Scotland (QMS) and AHDB Cereals & Oilseeds, with funding from the Scottish Government. The aim of the programme is to help improve the productivity, profitability and sustainability of Scottish farm businesses.
The next meeting of the Shetland Monitor Farm on Saturday 2 December will focus on soil health.
Bigton Farm, a 300-hectare farm in the south of Shetland, is run by sisters Kirsty and Aimee Budge, with support from their family.
At the next meeting, which will begin at nearby Bigton Hall at 11am and includes lunch, Dr Bill Crooks, Soil Specialist from SRUC, Scotland’s Rural College, will explain how soil health influences grass growth.
Dr Crooks will also describe the essential soil nutrients and highlight options for improving soil structure. He will also suggest ways that farmers and crofters can make best use of fertiliser, dung and slurry.
The microbial activity of soil, an indicator of soil health, can be visually assessed in a simple practical experiment known as #soilmyundies.
Originating in Canada, this simple test is a popular way for farmers and crofters to get an indication of how healthy their soils are. Bigton farm has joined the other nine monitor farms along with other farmers and crofters in Shetland and buried cotton underwear on their farm this autumn. The results of their Bigton #soilmyundies trial will be shared at the meeting on 2 December.
“Aimee and I buried some very fetching cotton underpants in a field on Bigton Farm eight weeks ago and five other members of the community Group have done the same on their farms,” said Kirsty Budge.
“The theory is that the bugs, worms and micro-organisms living in the soil will eat the cotton over time. So the less cotton that remains when we dig up the underpants, the more healthy our soil is.”
Aimee added: “As well as being a bit of fun, the message is really important. We need our soil to be healthy so that we can grow good quality grass to feed our livestock in the summer. We also grow barley to help feed our stock in the winter, so we are really hoping that the results of this trial show our soil to be in tip top condition!”
Also at this meeting, Paul Harvey and Sue White of the Shetland Amenity Trust will present Bigton Farm’s Environmental Audit and lead the discussion around possible management options.
The Shetland Monitor Farm is one of nine monitor farms that have been established across Scotland in a joint initiative by Quality Meat Scotland (QMS) and AHDB Cereals & Oilseeds, with funding from the Scottish Government. The aim of the programme is to help improve the productivity, profitability and sustainability of Scottish farm businesses.
The meeting on Saturday 2 December will begin at 11am. Lunch will be provided and the meeting is expected to finish by 3pm. All are welcome and the event is free.
For catering purposes, those interested in coming along on 2 December should confirm their attendance with Graham Fraser from SAC Lerwick and call 01595 639520 or email frbslerwick@sac.co.uk by Monday 27 November.
Farmers attending the next meeting of the North Ayrshire Monitor Farm will be given an insight into the management of the 300-head beef finishing enterprise run by Craig Bryson.
Mr Bryson, who is chairman of the monitor farm management group, will host the meeting on Friday 1 December on his own Gowanbank Farm at Newmilns and will give an overview of the priorities in the cattle business which he runs with his family.
The Brysons, who run Gowanbank and neighbouring Townhead farm, buy in store cattle at around six months old. The cattle are finished on a silage-based ration which includes home-grown crimped grains, minerals, distillers’ dark grains and half a kilo of straw per head, delivered through a Total Mixed Ration (TMR).
Finished cattle are supplied on a weekly basis to Stoddarts in Ayr at around 280-350kg deadweight, and at mainly R4L grades.
North Ayrshire monitor farmer John Howie, from Girtridge Farm, finished 220 cattle last year and is keen to see if he can learn from the Brysons’ management to improve his current system.
“I’m really looking forward to visiting Craig’s farm and seeing his finishing enterprise,” he said.
“Craig has successfully managed to reduce his feed costs by improving his silage quality over the last few years. I’m sure, along with the other farmers who attend the meeting, I will learn a few things that we might be able to put into practice on our own farm.”
At the meeting, which is free and open to all farmers, independent nutritionist Robert Gilchrist will lead a session on cattle rationing and the importance of meeting nutritional requirements of housed cattle over the winter.
The cattle at Gowanbank and Girtridge are both housed over winter and adequate ventilation in buildings is vital in order to minimise respiratory problems. Jamie Robertson of Livestock Management Systems Ltd recently visited Girtridge to assess the buildings which house John Howie’s cattle and his report conclusions and recommendations will be shared at the meeting. SAC Consulting vet Helen Carty who also attend the meeting and review the most common cattle respiratory diseases and methods of control.
The North Ayrshire Monitor Farm is one of nine monitor farms that have been established across Scotland in a joint initiative by Quality Meat Scotland (QMS) and AHDB Cereals & Oilseeds, with funding from the Scottish Government. The aim of the programme is to help improve the productivity, profitability and sustainability of Scottish farm businesses.
The meeting on 1 December at Gowanbank Farm, Newmilns, KA16 9LB will begin at 10.30am. Lunch will be provided and the meeting is expected to finish by 3pm. All are welcome and the event is free.
For catering purposes, those interested in coming along on 1 December should confirm attendance by calling 01292 525252 or emailing FBSAyr@sac.co.uk
The Mitchell family who run the Borders Monitor Farm are considering a range of options, including switching to organic production, to drive profitability in their business.
The next monitor farm meeting on Wednesday 22 November will have the theme of “Assessing Opportunities” and provide an opportunity for farmers attending to consider different options which could potentially improve their margins.
Host farmers Robert and Lesley Mitchell along with son Stuart from Whitriggs Farm are keen to open their minds to potential opportunities as they continue to strive to improve the performance and productivity of their farm.
At the meeting, which is being held at the Auld Cross Keys Hotel in Denholm, there will be a panel of speakers to discuss the pros, cons, regulations and practical issues connected with two of the options the Mitchells have been considering with support from their management team. These are converting to organic production and the potential of introducing deer farming to their business mix.
At the meeting, which begins at 11am, Debs Roberts, Policy Manager for the Scottish Organic Producers Association (SOPA) which certifies 70% of organic farms in Scotland, will speak about the process and steps that farmers need to take in order to move towards organic conversion. She will also answer any questions farmers interested in exploring organic conversion for their own farm, may have. Mrs Roberts is also an organic farmer in her own right, producing organic beef and cereals in keeping with an organic rotation.
Mrs Roberts will be joined by Andrew Grant, from Riddell Farms in Lilliesleaf, who has a mixed livestock and arable organic farm. Mr Grant, whose beef, sheep and arable enterprise was certified organic by the Soil Association in 2009, will share with the group his practical experiences of being an organic farmer.
The 480 hectare Whitriggs farm near Denholm currently has 140 suckler cows and a flock of 1,000 Lleyns. With 442 hectares of mainly semi-permanent and permanent grassland and 40 hectares of winter wheat and oats, the family are able to produce the majority of feed for their own stock.
Robert Mitchell is keen to see if there would be any advantage of Whitriggs becoming organic. “As we are able to produce good quality silage and grow our own cereals, we largely rely on home-grown feed. We are therefore intrigued to see if Whitriggs would benefit from any premium that is afforded by being certified organic,” he said.
The family have also been researching the possibility of diversifying into deer farming and John Goffin, Farm Manager at Arniston Estate in Gorebridge, which has an established deer herd, will give a presentation on the practicalities of moving into deer farming, as well as a summary of the market potential and the future prospects for venison production in the UK.
Whitriggs farm is one of nine monitor farms established in Scotland as part of a joint initiative by Quality Meat Scotland (QMS) and AHDB Cereals & Oilseeds with funding from the Scottish Government. The aim of the monitor farm programme is to help improve the productivity, profitability and sustainability of Scottish farm businesses.
The meeting on 22 November will be held at the Auld Cross Keys Hotel at Denholm, TD9 8NU and will begin at 11am. Lunch will be provided and the meeting is expected to finish by 3.30pm. All are welcome and the event is free.
For catering purposes, those interested in coming along on 22 November should confirm attendance with Stephen Young, one of the project facilitators, on 07502 339613 or email stephen.young@saos.coop.
The exceptionally wet summer is posing a real winter challenge for livestock farmers round the country with straw and quality winter forage in short supply.
The steps farmers can take to manage their cattle through the winter, in light of these additional challenges, will be top of the agenda at the next Lochaber Monitor Farm meeting on Thursday 16 November.
Strone Farm, a 1,200-hectare hill farm located in the Great Glen, is run by Chris Cameron in partnership with his father Malcolm and mother Eileen. As well as a flock of 500 cheviot ewes, the family have a herd of 40 pedigree Limousin cows, which produce store calves.
The meeting on 16 November, which will begin at 11am and include lunch, will discuss the issues faced by both in-wintering and out-wintering systems and alterative feeding strategies will be considered.
With specialist input from Derek Hanton of SAC Consulting, John Smith, nutritionist with Harbro and Mairi Thom from Crown vets, the existing wintering system and future plans for the various management groups of cattle at Strone will be examined and critiqued.
“I’m keen to hear from the speakers and to look at identifying potential improvements in the way we go about over-wintering our cattle here at Strone. I am sure our business can benefit from changes to optimise cow condition and performance,” said host monitor farmer Chris Cameron, who is looking forward to the meeting.
Livestock farmers in the west have struggled to produce good quality silage due to the poor summer season this year. Silage from the monitor farm and other farms in the area has been analysed to assess this years’ quality.
Niall Campbell of SAC Consulting Oban, one of the facilitators of the Lochaber Monitor farm, believes all suckler cow producers in the area would benefit from attending the forthcoming meeting.
“This meeting aims to address how farmers can deal with the lack of supply of good quality silage as a result of this summer’s poor weather,” said Mr Campbell.
“Our three speakers will suggest a step-by-step approach to deal with the effect of the poor summer on forage quality. We will also explore silage yield and highlight the essential minerals for cattle.”
Speakers at the meeting will also suggest how best to manage the health and nutrition of stock bulls.
As the Strone cattle are in-wintered, those attending the meeting on 16 November will have an opportunity to view the cows’ condition at the start of winter and see this year’s crop of calves.
The Lochaber Monitor Farm is one of nine monitor farms that have been established around Scotland in a joint initiative by Quality Meat Scotland (QMS) and AHDB Cereals & Oilseeds. The aim of the programme, which is funded by Scottish Government, is to help improve the productivity, profitability and sustainability of Scottish farm businesses.
The meetings are open and free for all farmers to attend. Attendees will also have an input into topics covered, speakers invited to meetings and visits to other enterprises and businesses.
To book your attendance (and lunch!) please contact Niall Campbell or Morven MacArthur on 01631 563093 or email fbsoban@sac.co.uk.
Producing cattle and sheep which meet market specifications will be more important than ever in the post-Brexit era, farmers heard at the recent North Ayrshire Monitor Farm meeting.
This was the message from speakers at the meeting held at Girtridge Farm, near Dundonald, which was attended by over 80 livestock farmers.
The focus of the event was a live assessment of cattle and sheep on the host farm run by John Howie in partnership with his mother Margaret and his sister Mary. As well as the 200 bought-in cattle that they finish, the Howies run their own small suckler herd and 140 breeding ewes.
Cattle at a range of weights, stages of maturity and conformation were discussed and key points highlighted by Jim Gibb of processors AK Stoddart, who urged farmers to understand their chosen market and what that customer is looking for.
“Around 85% of beef is sold through supermarkets so if they are the target market then it is important to meet the spec they require,” said Mr Gibb.
While he observed that farmers are paid for animal weight, he said it was important to resist the temptation to keep cattle too long resulting in animals putting on fat to increase weight. He emphasised that “fat costs feed” to put on the carcase and the result will almost invariably be less profit.
“One example of this would be a Aberdeen Angus cross heifer grading at O+4L which could realise £1,058 if sold now. If kept for two months longer to reach a heavier weight it might grade at O+4H, meaning it had fallen out of the spec required by the abattoir. As a result, this heavier, older animal would return just £1,050 and have used an additional two months feeding – meaning a much tighter margin,” said Mr Gibb.
Using the Howies’ cattle in the pens he highlighted how important it is to weigh and assess condition when selecting for slaughter, especially with smaller animals like heifers which will reach finished condition at lighter weights.
One investment which the Girtridge business has made recently is the purchase of a set of weigh cells for their cattle handling crate. “This was a cheap and cheerful and means I can monitor weights and target feed and sales better,” said host farmer John Howie, who is also planning to develop an improved cattle handling system as part of the monitor farm experience.
Mr Gibb also outlined other steps farmers can make to potentially maximise sale price including ensuring carcases are not damaged by bruising (on farm or during transport). He also reminded farmers of the need to correctly choose injection sites, emphasising that the rump is one of the highest value cuts on the carcase which can be easily damaged by injections.
Colin Mair of co-operative Farmstock Scotland highlighted the importance of a steady flow of communication between processors and farmers and emphasised that farmers need to supply the correct type of finished lamb to the correct outlet in terms of carcase weight range and finish to maximise returns.
“The grading information which abattoirs provide to farmers offers huge potential in terms of its value as feedback on lamb performance,” said Mr Mair.
He also urged producers to consider the importance of ensuring animals are clean when they are presented for slaughter.
“Keeping lambs off feed, but with water, for 12 hours prior to travelling them will in no way affect their slaughter weights but will deliver the dual benefits of cleaner animals coming off the trailer at the abattoir and sheep travelling better,” he said.
At this time of year, lambs’ bellies should be clipped before slaughter and cattle should also be clipped if necessary.
Mr Mair also flagged the need for farmers to be aware that the killing out percentage of sheep can vary considerably, from 42% – 50%, depending on many factors including age, time of year and the condition of sheep.
During a wider update at the meeting, Mr Howie gave an update on the paddock grazing system he established earlier this year. He also informed the group that he had recently bought 75 Aberfield gimmers from Lothians Monitor farmer Peter Eccles to increase their ewe flock size. Mr Howie had also bought 83 Scotch Mule/Texel gimmers, as he aimed to increase the farm’s flock size to 250 ewes.
The day after the farm meeting, over twenty members of the community group visited the AK Stoddarts’ abattoir in Ayr to see the range of beef carcases from Girtridge and to compare their actual weight and EUROP grades with their estimates on the farm the day before.
The North Ayrshire Monitor Farm is one of nine monitor farms that have been established around Scotland in a joint initiative by Quality Meat Scotland (QMS) and AHDB Cereals & Oilseeds. The aim of the programme, which is funded by Scottish Government, is to help improve the productivity, profitability and sustainability of Scottish farm businesses.
The next North of Ayrshire monitor farm meeting will be held on Friday 1 December. For more information about the next meeting contact facilitator Raymond Crerar (SAC Ayr) on 01292 525252 or email FBSAyr@sac.co.uk