 Farming is a labour of love for beef and sheep producer Tynan Roulston from Strabane, but he is firmly focused on profitability and the importance of sustaining a decent living without having to rely on his single farm payment.
The County Tyrone-based farmer farms more than 400 acres which comprises of lowland and hill rising to 800ft above sea level. His main enterprises are a 120-cow suckler herd and a flock of 80 commercial ewes.
The suckler herd comprises of native breeds and is run alongside a small number of pedigree Aberdeen-Angus and Hereford cows which are registered under the Gortavea prefix. I prefer the native breed cows as they are smaller and better suited to my farmland. They are also hardier and have the ability to keep condition on a low input grass-based system, explained Tynan, who is a DARD Focus Farmer “ a scheme funded by the Rural Development Programme which aims to promote good farming practice.”
Aberdeen-Angus bulls form the backbone of the beef finishing enterprise. There are currently five pedigree Aberdeen-Angus stock bulls on the farm. Tynan buys the majority of his bulls privately from one breeder. I usually buy yearling bulls from an easy calving strain. I like a traditional type of bull with good conformation and breed character, a nice placid temperament and sound legs and feet. Buying privately also allows me to see the bull’s dam and other progeny from the same bloodlines.
He added: “The Aberdeen-Angus is easy calving and the baby calves thrive from birth. They are docile and easily managed, and have the added advantage of being less labour intensive with no de-horning.”
“With rising feeds costs there is definitely a place for the native breeds when it comes to finishing beef cattle. I have been supplying cattle to Aberdeen Angus Quality Beef Ltd for over 10 years, and the cattle attract a maximum premium of up to 32p per kilo over and above factory base price,” explained Tynan, who also finishes up to 50 bought-in calves annually.
He aims to finish half of his heifers and bullocks off grass by the end of October each year. They are slaughtered at about 20-months-old with the heifers achieving an average deadweight of 270kg and the steers weighing about 290kg dead. “Last year I achieved 65% R grades and 35% O+ grades, with the Angus cattle attracting an average bonus of about £80/head,” added Tynan.
Replacement heifers are bought privately on an annual basis from recognised sources, and calve into the herd at two-years-old. The herd is vaccinated for IBR, BVD and Lepto and is spring calving with the majority of cows calving in March and April. They are grazed on the hill land throughout the summer months, and the calves are weaned at nine-months-of-age and are offered creep feed at housing, which is usually around the end of October. Heifers and bullocks are pushed around two months prior to slaughter. The Aberdeen-Angus progeny are easily fleshed at grass and achieve a daily liveweight gain of about 1kg/head/day.
Cows are overwintered indoors in slatted and straw bedded sheds. They receive 30kg of silage/head/day, which is mixed with straw and fed using a feeder wagon.
Tynan also harvests two cuts of silage annually which is mainly put into clamps, with the addition of some round bales. I like to make reasonably good grass silage with plenty of bulk and fibre. In the future I want to try and maximise the feeding value of my silage, so I will be aiming to try and improve the quality which will allow me to further reduce concentrate usage.
âMy meal usage is about 700kg/cow unit, but my aim is to reduce this figure to 500kg,explained the Strabane farmer who is in the top 25 per cent of suckler herds participating in the CAFRE Benchmarking scheme. I like to keep my system simple “ low input and low overheads. My aim is to make a profit before subsidy, while allowing myself an adequate wage.”
Three years ago Tynan opened a small farm shop, marketing pre-packed beef under the Gortavea Farm Meats label. “I am currently selling one animal per month through the shop but I plan to increase this in the future. Within the next two years I hope to be in a position to finish 150 cattle a year through Aberdeen-Angus Quality Beef Ltd.
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