Grass, grass, grass. I guess we bang on about it a bit but I am a grass farmer as much as I am a cattle farmer. We have a distinctly seasonal distribution of our 1500mm rainfall and also a a variable but decreasing number of months where the average temperature falls below the magical 15degC average for grass growth.
This means we need flexibility, headcount flexibility. To do this we maintain a cross-bred dairy-beef steer herd that lets us balance pasture availability with cattle numbers - on our small beef farm that is critical. Highlands are lovely, produce fantastic, high quality, grass feed Heritage Beef, but numbers are not easily adjusted.
We can sell our fattened or forward store cross-bred cattle twice a week to saleyards within half an hour of us, adjusting our cattle numbers to feed availability. Highlands however, being a specialist rare breed are harder to adjust in numbers quickly.
Highlands are our core beef for our farm customers and the cross-breds always go to the saleyards. As an aside, our cross-breds are usually bucket raised and are very quiet. I love them and they love me, following me around like puppies from paddock to paddock. As with all our stock, they have a happy and respectful life munching grass at 'Gowan Brae'.
Here they are on their paddock move today.
Beautiful view through to our reserved native vegetation
Nigel, the token Highland in our steer group