Demand for polled beef cattle is gaining momentum. The industry already requires dehorned animals in transit, as well as for farm and safety and welfare reasons.
Read MoreThere have been a number of points raised by members recently about DNA sampling and sire verification plus myostatin testing. Hopefully this update will give some answers and also correct some points that have been made.
Read MoreThe Beef Shorthorn Cattle Society now provides three selection indexes through its performance recording provider, Breedplan. A Maternal Index now joins the Self-Replacing and the Terminal Index, both of which have been updated.
Read MoreAll cattle breeders will be aware of double muscled cattle, particularly the Belgian Blue. This breed has been selectively bred for what is commonly known as double-muscling. This is the manifestation of a condition known as myostatin gene mutation.
Read MoreThe greatest challenge facing UK agriculture at present is, undoubtedly, the potential impact Brexit may have on the sector. Suckler producers must improve the efficiency of their herds’ performance to make their businesses more profitable and resilient in order to survive these challenging times.
Read MorePerformance recording is a tool available to all Society members to help you make more careful selection decisions, and in turn to assist you to market your stock.
Read MoreDo you know which of your cows are most efficient? “Biggest is not always best,” says veterinary nutritionist, Dr Debby Brown. “Smaller suckler cows are in general more efficient at producing calf weight per unit of cow weight…”
Read MoreBeef Shorthorn has huge potential in the South West; it’s an opportunity that continues to remain untapped, says Anthony Thorne. “Whilst Continental cattle dominate the suckler scene, they lack milk, their temperament is questionable …”
Read MoreCattle health schemes provide a framework for establishing the disease status of a herd, as well as guidance for reduction, eradication and certification of freedom from disease. The diseases covered by the health schemes are Bovine Viral Diarrhoea (BVD), Johne’s disease, Infectious Bovine Rhinotracheitis (IBR), Leptospirosis and Neospora.
Read More“I’m the second generation to farm Welsh Black pedigree cows at Nanty where sucklers play an important role in the grazing rotation. However, the time had come for a change, we wanted something that had more market value and was more practical to keep.
Read More“Here at Rowanberry Farm our slogan is ‘the fusion of form and function’ and we will remain committed to promoting and improving Shorthorn cattle for the foreseeable future."
Read MoreCattle breeding is a long-term business for Andre Vrona and his daughter, Jo-Anne Rodger who concede it may take a lifetime to achieve their end goal - to consistently breed a type of Beef Shorthorn that they believe will meet market demand.
Read MoreBeef Shorthorn is helping to future proof the Marshall family’s beef enterprise at Kincraigie, home to one of Scotland’s largest suckler herds with 500 cows plus heifer replacements on 2,000 acres of Aberdeenshire LFA.
Read MoreLinear classification is designed to identify Beef Shorthorn females that are structurally sound and functionally fit for purpose, according to breed development chairman, Carey Coombs. Last year over 1,000 animals were assessed.
Read MoreRecently the Glenbrae Herd, owned by James Nelson from Larne, celebrated 25 years of breeding Pedigree Beef Shorthorns by holding a farm walk for approximately 40 breeders and friends from Scotland, England and Northern Ireland.
Read MoreStocking with native breeds was the natural choice for Sir Michael and Lady Sally Nairn when they decided to reintroduce cattle to Balnabroich back in 2010 after a long period when sheep had dominated the farming scene in Strathardle.
Read MoreBeef Shorthorn was an obvious choice as a start-up herd for Jim Cameron and Valerie Orr. “It’s a breed that is so easily kept, there’s a good market demand as a result of its increasing popularity…
Read MoreStill searching for a functional suckler cow? Then Beef Shorthorn offers a solution says Ian Hollows from experience. Sixteen years on after investing in the breed, and he can vouch it is delivering in terms of efficiency to meet with commercial demand.
Read MoreThe importance of clarity in cattle breeding is important today for various reasons. New families have come in from Canada and with the added tools of EBVs and genetic profiling breeders need to know as much as possible about their blood lines.
Read More“We are helping to breed a much needed functional suckler cow for the industry. That’s what Beef Shorthorn is all about, and that’s where the breed’s future lies,” says David.
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