Farmers beef up their knowledge at performance event in Kintyre
KINTYRE farmers flocked together to learn how to get the very best out of their herds.
SAC Consulting, a division of Scotland’s Rural College, delivered a meaty programme of information from four specialists titled ‘Beef up your herd performance’ at Glencraigs Farm, T W Young and Sons.
Beginning at 10.30am on Thursday July 21, a welcome was extended by chairman John Forster, before a pleasant amble around the farm’s herds in glorious sunshine.
Gavin Hill, head of beef and sheep at SAC, then gave an overall beef industry update, before the group was split into two to take part in two seminars.
The first focused on breeding strategy and selection, the second on new strategies which included video image analysis technology developments for better determining cattle’s fat and muscle weights.
A hearty lunch was provided by Ifferdale Farm, topped off by ice-cream from Gigha’s Wee Isle IceCream, including a bramble and whisky flavour, which helped to cool off participants.
During lunch the group held a guess the weight competition of a one-year-old Glencraigs heifer, with two winners, Barbara Kirk and Catherine Ralston guessing just five kilograms off her exact weight of 520kg.
Two more seminars followed, one of which focused on benchmarks and average gross margins per cow.
There were several discussions throughout the day about Brexit, with the industry set to plunge into unknown waters should the UK leave the European Union in two years.
Rob Logan suggested farmers ‘make hay while the sun shines’ before new agreements and potential sanctions are put in place.
John Forster gave thanks to all for attending and to the food suppliers on the day.