Beef Shorthorn in Wales: Meeting demand for another native suckler breed
Irwel and Jane Evans, daughter Esyllt and son-in-law, Geraint Price, Llanilar, Aberystwyth
390 acres LFA grassland
25 pedigree Beef Shorthorn breeding females, 10 in calf heifers 35 cow Continental cross sucker herd
1,000 ewes
15 Welsh Cob mares
Irwel Evans with some of his herd
The Evans and Price family partnership is one of an expanding number of Welsh based breeders who are reaping the benefits of investing in Beef Shorthorn genetics. Introducing Beef Shorthorn to Llwynhywel has, they say, reduced feed costs, the vet and med bill and opened up a new marketplace.
“We proved Beef Shorthorn require less maintenance; last winter one big bale of silage lasted 22 Beef Shorthorn cows for 1.5 days, while in comparison, 16 Continental cross cows got through one big bale in 24 hours,” Irwel explains. “Since we now have no calving difficulties, the vet bills have been minimised, and we are already reaping rewards from both pedigree and commercial sales.”
The Evans were initially convinced there was a demand for another native suckler breed in Wales, and they believed that Beef Shorthorn fitted the bill. “Whilst suckler producers continue to search for a modern functional suckler cow, finishers were also expressing interest. They were telling me they were returning to native breeds simply because they are finding Continental cattle are too lean, it’s difficult to finish them to supermarket spec lighter weights and Beef Shorthorn is proving to be early maturing.
“Morrisons support for the breed added weight to our interest, along with local butchers’ increasing demand for top quality native breed beef. And then there’s temperament,” says Irwel.
The couple used to annually buy in 150,12-month-old Continental cross stores to rear and sell in the strong store ring. “Temperament was becoming a major issue. We just didn’t need the hassle of bent gates and broken fences anymore.
“I’d always liked Beef Shorthorn, the breed’s docility was particularly attractive, along with colour markings, and we could see demand was going from strength to strength. We agreed the time had come to go native.”
They initially dipped a toe in the water with a couple of cows purchased at the Westhide dispersal in 2015. Later that year, they travelled to the Society’s Skipton sale and invested 5,000gns in the maiden heifer, Sandwick Floss Jitter. “She is very, very long, very stylish and roan, and is proving to be one of herd’s best investments,” says Irwel. Her first calf, Llwynhywel Maestro secured the 2019 Royal Welsh male and overall reserve championships and has since been sold privately. Standing below Maestro in reserve male place was their 11,000gns Willingham Katabatic.
Beef Shorthorn cross six-month-old heifer and her dam at Llwynhywel
Irwel and Jane’s daughter, Esyllt and son-in-law, Geraint Price have joined the family partnership and together they have introduced prize winning genetics from Ashvale, Ballylinney, Ballyvaddy, Bridgehouse, Castlemount, Gordon and Sandley, whilst they are now focused on building the herd with homebred stock.
“Length, width and scale are amongst our most important selection criteria and we are focused on breeding a cow that will produce 12 to 14 calf crops. We also look for depth of breeding.
“Health is important, we are members of a CHeCS scheme, we signed up to Breedplan in 2019, and we highly rate the Society’s linear classification scheme; virtually all our eligible cows are Ex 91 to 93; the scores are the number one criteria we check out when we are considering buying both bulls and females followed by Breedplan figures and then they have to be eye catching.”
Llwynhywel cows and calves
“We’re keeping a sharp focus on our original objectives - to breed quality females for the pedigree sector together with bulls for the commercial farmers, and eventually to fellow breeders,” says Irwel whose ambition for the family herd is to have 50 correct, powerful and consistent breeding cows.
Beef Shorthorn adding value to the commercial herd
Beef Shorthorn has replaced a Continental sire to run with the family’s 35 cow Continental cross suckler herd.
Three years on, and calving issues are a thing of the past, says Irwel. “Nowadays the head comes out and everything follows. When we used a Continental sire, we had no idea if she would safely calve; 10% of the herd suffered caesareans. We were losing calves and those difficult calvings used to really knock the cows back.”
Apart from saving on the vet bills and losses to the herd, he says the Beef Shorthorn cross calves are offering added value.
“The entire crop of calves is sold at 10 to 11 months of age in Brecon market and weight wise at that age, the Beef Shorthorn crosses are a touch heavier. We’re finding there’s an insatiable demand for the heifers as suckler replacements, they’re making above market average price and selling to producers not only in Wales and but as far afield as Yorkshire, whilst steers are knocking on the same price level as Continental crosses.”
Beef Shorthorn’s docility is particularly attractive at Llywnhywel