Rosslea suckler beef and sheep farmer, John Egerton will host a farm walk for members of the Ulster Grassland Society (UGS) on the evening of Wednesday, July 8.
The event will provide a unique opportunity for visitors to see at first hand the implementation of exceptionally high grassland management standards within a beef and sheep context.
Yearling steers on John Egerton’s farm
The Egerton farm, which extends to 180 acres, is home to 80 suckler cows and a flock of 150 breeding ewes. The cows are split into autumn (45) and spring (35) groups. It is a totally closed unit with all calves brought through to beef or reared as replacement heifers.
“The autumn group calve during August and September, with their spring counterparts calving down between March and April,” explained John.
“And each is managed as a distinct and separate breeding unit. I will not let spring calving cows slip into the autumn batch, because they cannot be put back into calf, and vice versa. The splitting of the herd in this way cuts down the workload in the early months of the year, as the ewes lambing season coincides with the spring calving period.”
All the breeding animals are crossed with AI sires. Sexed straws are used on all replacement heifers and a selection of the older cows.
“I do not use a stock bull at all,” stressed Egerton.
“I will inspect all of the cows and heifers four times daily throughout the breeding season. I inseminate the cows myself. This approach ensures that I am using only proven genetics on the herd.”
Making optimal use of grass – both grazed and silage – is a key priority for John Egerton. The entire grazing area is laid out in paddocks, each approximately one acre in size.
The cows have access to the entire grassland acreage available to them in the early spring with the first cut silage area closed off at the beginning of April. The cows are then split into groups, each with access to eight paddocks.
“The general rule of thumb is three days eating and 21 days growing for the main part of the grazing season,” said John.
“Grass availability is monitored on a daily basis with surplus paddocks taken out for baled silage as required, thereby maximising grass quality. Approximately 10% of the grassland area on the farm is re-seeded every year. Regular soil testing is also carried out. This approach has allowed me to develop a strategic liming policy for the farm. Over the past six years, average soil pH values have risen from 5.2 to the current figure of around 6.0.”
The Egerton sheep flock was traditionally made up of Suffolk and Texel crosses. However, the past couple of years has seen John using both New Zealand and Belclare tips on the ewes.
“The aim has been to breed higher quality replacement ewes that are hardier, easier to lamb and more resistant to worms,” he said.
“This year’s lamb crop contains the first of the New Zealand Suffolk crosses. Again, I strive to make optimal use of grass with the sheep: a rotational grazing policy is followed.”
UGS President David Johnston and Secretary George Reid were recent visitors to the Egerton farm
“The farm exemplifies how best to make use of grass in a suckling and breeding sheep context,” commented David Johnston.
“John’s rotational grazing system is on a par with those established on our top dairy farms. I would, therefore encourage as many UGS members and non-members as possible to join us on July 8. It promises to be a
very informative and enjoyable evening.”
Events get underway on July 8 at 6.15pm with tea and coffee served. The farm walk will commence at 6.45pm with a barbeque to follow. The fee for UGS members is £10 and the fee for non-members is £15.
For further information, contact UGS Secretary George Reid on 07920037910.
(Source – Impartial reporter – Brian Donaldson – 18/06/2015)