My name is Neville Myles and my home farm is at Legaltion, near Ballyshannon, Co. Donegal. I have 40 acres rented locally and also some of Classy Bawn Castle Estate (formerly owned by Earl Mountbatten) rented in Mullaghmore.
My farm is made up of suckler cows and sheep. The cows are mostly Limousin cross with Simmental, Belgian Blue and Charolais in the mix. Calving takes place in the Autumn and Spring. 50 cows have just calved this Spring. My main emphasis is on tightening up the calving spread, which meant we were finished calving in mid April.
I run Simmental and Charolais Bulls with the spring calvers and a Limousin bull with the heifers. The Autumn Calvers will be due to calve from September on, with about 20 heifers due as well from mid August. The Autumn calvers are mostly AI to Charolais and Limousin bulls.
I also run about 15 pedigree Limousin cows, with all bulls sold at home. This spring (2012) bulls averaged €3000.
I also have 70 ewes, 40 pedigree Texels and 30 cross breeds. I am very busy at the moment with Clipping and dosing lambs. The pedigree ewes lamb in February and the cross breeds in April.
The first cut of silage at home was all baled last week (270 bales). It averaged 11 bales to the acre of wilted grass. I cut 2 paddocks today for baling as the grass got way ahead of the stock grazing. I am spreading slurry at the moment, and will hopefully get a good second cut.
I have 15 acres of spring barley sown in Mullaghmore, Co. Sligo and I was delighted to see the rain last week. It appears to be growing very well.
Some of Neville's Herd
6 of the Magnificent 7
Some of Neville's pedigree herd
Neville pictured with his pedigree Texel Hogget Ewe - Champion female ewe 2011 in Raphoe Texel Sale