MED Partnership organized a very enjoyable visit to two farms in Co Antrim on Monday 12th September 2011.
Travelling by coach, members visited the farm of Mr. William Haire in Crumlin, a few miles from Belfast and situated on the lower slopes of Divis Mountain,
William, a member of the National Beef Association, along with his parents, runs a pedigree herd of Herefords and through the use of genetics, EBV´s etc, he is producing top quality Hereford bulls and has recorded record prices in Carlisle Bull Sales and to private buyers. William also runs a commercial herd of 30 Hereford cross Ayreshire cows which he crosses with an Aberdeen Angus bull.
William feels that by using the Aberdeen Angus bull on his cows he has less problems at calving time, and his cows are capable of feeding their calves throughout the summer until weaning in the autumn.
Following refreshments, William and his Dad took us all on a visit around the farm and everyone in the group appreciated the hospitality and the information afforded to us.
Following lunch at the Dunsilly Hotel, the group visited the farm of Mr. Seamus Kane, Ballyclare, Co. Antrim.
Seamus, a Focus Farmer, along with his wife and Dad, runs 80 Aberdeen Angus cross cows along with two Charolias bulls on 140 acres. He sources his replacement heifers locally and feels that these cows combined with the Charolias bull may not in his own words “produce show winners “but will breed and rear a very saleable calf with little or no concentrate.
He also runs 250 sheep, mainly mule ewes withTexal and suffock tups and sells his lambs through a local group straight to the factory.
Recently he erected a Poultry house with a capacity for 39,000 birds producing chicken for Moy Park. This very modern farm using modern technology and forward thinking principles demonstrate how, with the use of minimal labour an enterprise such as this can be managed very successfully.
His grassland management(reseeding,) and the use of chicken litter which reduces his fertilizer bill by over 50% combined with his innovative ideas around the farm made this visit both interesting and informative and was enjoyed by all.