Page 100 - British Blue Yearbook 2023

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Calving is done in two batches with a spring batch calving between February and May whilst the remainder calve between September to December. Michael and Tom can’t get over the ease of the calving, with cows calving well to the British Blue bulls, generally only needing a vet for two or three caesareans a year, which out of 220 calving cows is remarkable. Calves are born light and quickly flesh up, and this weight gain is another great plus, especially as the cattle mature, with purchasers often telling them that their daily liveweight gain outstrips other breeds, and with them being lighter boned, kill out better too. With all the calves sold as store through Bishops Castle, they need to bloom out well, and the British Blue sired calves do that well. The farm runs up to 1700 feet and is quite exposed in places, but the herd covers all the ground well and around 50% of the calves, which get creep feed throughout the summer, are sold straight off their mothers through October and November, with the others retained and sold the following spring.
With the future of farming up in the air, as always it seems to be, the Kinnerton herd are in a good place for that adage that auctioneers often quote “Quality always sells” and backed up with the use of great British Blue genetics, quality is always there in abundance at Kinnerton.
Written by Wayne Hutchinson (Farm Images)