Page 82 - British Blue 2025 Yearbook

This key strategic change in the dairy industry drove
suckler farmer Anne V Morrison MBE, alongside her
husband of sixty years, Jack and eldest son David, from
Armoy, County Antrim to modify their suckler system.
Previously, they regularly sold Belgian/British Blue stock
bulls to local dairy farms but now with a limited market,
the Morrison family have refocussed, selecting the fertile,
easy calving, Salers bull on this fattening suckler unit.
Anne was recognised in 2008 with a Member of the Order
of the British Empire (MBE) for her services to agriculture
in Northern Ireland, she was an integral part of
Ballymoney Show for twenty years, a past president of the
British Blue Cattle Society, former Society Council member,
and an active member and office-bearer in the NI Blue
Cattle club.
BLUES MORE THAN JUST A TERMINAL SIRE
Extensive use of sexed semen in the dairy industry, reported at an average of 88% of all semen sold, coupled with
an increased uptake of beef semen, where sales are currently outperforming dairy semen, has resulted in a
diminished market for natural beef terminal sires for use across dairy herds in Northern Ireland.
It comes as no surprise then, that although the terminal
sire has been replaced at Mullaghduff, the family have
retained their beloved Blues, both pure and cross, as the
foundation of their suckler herd.
The family’s first pedigree venture was the Mullaghduff
pedigree herd of Herefords founded over sixty years ago
with bulls sold to the dairy and suckler markets however
the Chatham Pedigree Belgian Blue herd was established
after the UK joined the Common Market in 1973. The
family considered other continental breeds, but the
Belgian/British Blue won out, starting a lifelong love affair
for the breed, famed for their docility, short gestation
length and high carcass quality which were traits that were
easily marketed in Northern Ireland.
Today the main enterprise is a commercial blue cross
suckler herd using three Salers bulls selected for their
myostatin free status, and one pedigree British Blue. Anne
said, “after using Salers bulls for the last two years we can
confirm their fertility and easy calving ability, the calves
are also very hardy and have a ‘will to live’!” Scanning of
the 47 spring calving cows this year, revealed the
pregnancy rates were well above the National average, at
more than 95%
To maintain and keep some pure cows, the British Blue
stock bull is Auchenlay Orion from the Paterson family,
Upper Auchenlay, Dunblane. A May-2019, Sandyvale
80