The Farm - Beef

beef | pigs | sheep | poultry

We run a suckler herd of 180 cows. This means that each cow will give birth to one calf, occasionally two, which will stay with the mother until he, or she, is weaned at 6 months of age. By only having one calf, each cow is able to provide plenty of milk, and by staying together for 6 months we can ensure that the calf is eating plenty of solid food before being weaned.

Every cow has an individual ear tag number. This helps us and the vet to identify each cow. Each animal has its own passport to identify who the parents are and when they were born. This passport must remain with each animal for the rest of its life.

Breeds & Calving
The cows are a variety of popular, continental breeds such as Limousin, Charolais, Simmental, recognised for their good meat characteristics. They calve indoors at the end of April and are quickly turned out to grass with their offspring to enjoy the good summer and autumn weather outdoors, where the cows are served by our own traditional Hereford bulls to fall pregnant again with next year's calf. The gestation period for a cow is nine months. Meanwhile, the young cattle are 'finished' or fattened on a cereal based diet to be ready for the shop at 12-18 months of age. This system allows us to use very few vaccinations or medication.

Cattle staff: Ron, Peter and Rob

Read more about our pigs, sheep and poultry.