Page 83 - British Blue 2025 Yearbook

Jagerbomb son out of the homebred Auchenlay Heidi, he
was purchased at Carlisle in January-2021.
The first Salers bull was purchased online at the inaugural
Spring sale hosted by the Northern Ireland Area 4, Salers
Club, at Dungannon in March 2022. Carrick View Paddy
Welshman achieved the breed top price and joint market
top price for breeders G A & G T McCall, Collone, Armagh.
An October-2020 born son of Orient, out of the imported
dam Sligo Phoebe, he currently runs with twenty cows. Two
further bulls are run over the 60-strong herd, a second
Orient son purchased privately from the McCall family,
Carrick View Sonny, born in March-2022 out of a
homebred dam, Carrick View Liz, runs with twenty cow and
six heifers and a young 18-month-old Spiddal Pat son out
of a Manor Lane Krypton sired dam, from B & P O’Kane,
Lower Bolie, Greysteel, County Derry, runs with 15 heifers.
Set within the Causeway coast, the farm at Armoy stretches
to approximately 200 acres, most of which is classed as
Less Favoured Area (LFA). 140 acres of the ground is
owned, and a further 60 acres are rented from an elderly
relative, under the conacre system, an 11-month land
rental agreement that is unique to Northern Ireland. The
Morrisons have farmed in North Antrim since moving from
the Scottish Lowlands during the 17th century Plantation
of Ulster, the organised colonisation (plantation) of Ulster
by people from Great Britain during the reign of King
James VI and I.
Although the Basic Farm Payment remains an important
proportion of income to the business, gradually more
sustainable schemes are being introduced. One such
scheme is the Beef Carbon Reduction Scheme (BCR),
which was launched by the Department of Agriculture,
Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) at the start of the
year. It encourages farm businesses to reduce the
slaughter age of clean finished beef cattle to improve the
efficiency of the local beef sector and reduce livestock
greenhouse gas emissions. Since its introduction, the
Morrison’s have benefited from this Scheme which was
phased in from January – March 2024, payment will be
made in 2025. The payment rate in January 2024 was £20
per eligible animal, in February 2024 £40 and in March
2024, £60. From April 2024 onwards the payment rate will
be £75 per eligible animal.
The Morrison’s family business is all about keeping input
costs low and therefore twenty-five acres of winter barley
and thirty-five acres of spring barley are grown for their
own feed ration which is mixed with a blend of Maize and
Soya to achieve around 14% protein. One hundred acres
FARM FACTS
Land - 200 acres
• 140 acres owned
• 60 acres rented
60 cows:
• Pure and crossbred British Blue
Bulls:
• 3 Salers bulls
• 1 British Blue Bull
Diversification:
• Self – catering holiday cottage
• Caravan Park and camping ground
• Farm tours
Crops:
• 100 acres – pit silage
• 20 - 30 acres – round bale silage
• 25 acres – winter barley
• 30-35 acres - spring barley
of grass are cut for pit silage and a further twenty to thirty
acres of silage is baled by local contractors. Soil analysis is
conducted regularly with 1cwt of Urea applied in the
spring and lime spread as and when required. Silage and
grazing grounds are topped up with a compound fertiliser
periodically, but amounts are dependent on necessity and
price.
All the cattle on farm receive a daily ration of around 1.5kg
per day of homegrown barley mixed with molasses and
Macmin cattle grazing minerals constituting 17.35%
Calcium, 12.51% Magnesium, 8.30% Sodium and 2.00%
Phosphorous. This daily feed guarantees the cattle are
always in ‘tip-top’ condition, are never without vital
minerals, and ensures they are quiet, used to human
contact, and can be moved easily when needed.
www.britishbluecattle.org
81