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John started with 37 cows from the home farm amd has used a simple low cost management system to build the business up
ABOVE LEFT Paahill Pansy 2 is the highest classified cow in the herd at 94 points, sired by Wolfa Perno she is now in her eighth lactation.
ABOVE RIGHT Paahill Rose 41 GP83 is a fresh third calved Shottle daughter out of a VG89 Star Chief dam.
BELOW RIGHT Cows are grazed in two 22 acres fields alternating morning and night until after first cut silage.
breed heifers that are functional with good temperaments. The best member of the family at the moment is Paahill Rose 32 VG89, a Romandale Star Chief daughter that is in her sixth lactation, she has four daughters including a third calved Shottle that I also like.
“Star Chief is a bull that I’ve gone back to using in the past five years, his daughters are still pleasing me, they are balanced, big bodied cows that are good on their feet and legs.”
And while AI has had a big influence on the herd John has also used stock bulls historically to widen the breeding of the herd. “One notable stock bull was Wolfa Perno, an Outside son out of Wolfa Pam 69 EX92, an Astre Starbuck daughter. I saw Pam as a heifer and really liked her, so I asked Michael Armstrong for the chance of a bull if she bred one and low and behold her next calf was Perno.
“He bred solid cows that have lasted well with three eighth calved daughters still in the herd,
THE JOURNAL JUNE 2015 25
the three oldest cows on the farm. Paahill Pansy 2 is one of his daughters and is also the highest classified cow in the herd at 94 points, she is 12 years old and looking youthful in her eighth lactation.”
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Aiming to maximise herd progression, John has been using sexed semen in recent years and uses a Hereford sweeper bull for those not holding to AI. “I like to use between 10 and 15 straws of a bull and once calves are on the ground often go back to use a bull again.
“This year the main bull in the tank is Sabbonia Goldfarm, his oldest daughters are 14 months old, I’m also going back to using Wyman, Goldfish, Glauco, Gerard and Star Chief. My oldest Goldfish and Wyman daughters will be calving in this summer and are looking promising. Gerard has two heifers which have almost completed their first lactation and are performing well with type to go with it, they are deep bodied heifers with really tight udders. I’m using Fantasy Orageux for the first time this year, he looks to be an all round good bull.”
All calves are reared on the farm, with Herefords sold between 20 and 24 months at Ayr and Stirling markets. Heifers are generally sold to make suckler cows and steers are sold for finishing. “Although they don’t make as much as Continental cattle they don’t need as much feed and are quieter to work with. They are easy to calve and calves are vigorous, so there isn’t any hassle when they are born.”
AI HAS HAD A BIG INFLUENCE ON THE HERD
PHOTOGRAPHY BY RICHARD HODGSON
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