Aberdeen Angus Cattle at Howard Farms

Background to Enterprise

Angus cattle were introduced to the farm in 2000. This was the first time in 20 years that our own livestock were grazing the fields that we farm. Our aim was to develop a beef production system that totally integrated with and complemented our arable farming operations.

3 years earlier we had taken a good look at our soil management strategy, and in particular the effect it was having on the chemical balance within the soil. We took the decision to introduce the Albrecht system of soil management. We also felt that to improve our soils further we had to re-establish grass into the rotation (probably 3 years at a time) to allow soil bacteria and fungus to build up, thereby increasing fertility and helping us to grow crops that are healthier and need less chemicals.

A low-input outdoor extensive beef production system was developed, and then the type of cattle to best in this system were selected.

The System

• Spring and Autumn calving pure-bred Aberdeen Angus
• Heifers calved at 2 years
• Calves weaned at 9 months
• Finished cattle sold at approx 26 months
• Cattle finished on grass & forage with no cereals or concentrates fed.

For this system to work with little labour and reduced vet & med costs (ultimately on a large-scale) careful selection of sires is very important.

Sires - a sire must be easy fleshing, early maturing, easy calving, docile and with a large rumen for a forage diet. Our selection process has led us to sires that don't necessarily have high growth rates as these usually need a 'high-octane' diet of cereal to get them to finish. We find ourselves using 'native' or 'part-native' sires.

Feeding - Spring Calving herd

The cattle are calved at grass and summer grazed on river grassland. In the autumn they strip-graze the silage aftermath before grazing kale from December to March with straw fed in addition. The weaned calves are grass summered before wintering again on kale & straw before finishing at 26 months in June.

Feeding - Autumn Calving herd

The cattle are calved at grass (restricted from 1st June) and fed haylage aftermath and haylage for the first winter along with some strip-grazed kale after Christmas. Summer grazed at grass until 1st July when weaned and restricted grass intake. The weaned calves are fed haylage and kale during their second winter before being finished at grass late the following summer in September / October.

Both Spring and Autumn and calving system and feeding works around the fact that our light sand land (average annual rainfall of 22 inches) can be short of grass in summer.

There is minimal mechanisation involved (haylage is made by a contractor) and where ever possible haylage is fed close to where it was made. Grass leys and kale are grown as if an arable crop, but the grass that is grazed has little (if any) fertiliser applied.

In Conclusion...

Part of the herd comprises of totally native bloodlines, and these are being increased in response to our recent entry in to the Higher Level Stewardship environmental scheme. Our cattle are extremely well suited to conservation grazing and it is hoped to develop arrangements with land-managers in the future to build on our knowledge of grazing and stock management.

It is only by understanding the evolution of our native cattle can we understand how to incorporate them into conservation schemes. Many people are beginning to realise that the art is to work with nature, and not to try and change it!

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