Cattle
All our beef comes from single-suckled cows. This means that they are bred especially for meat (as opposed to milk) and consequently the calves stay with their mothers for the first 6 months of their lives. The calves suckle their dams exclusively at first, but eat proportionately more grass as they get older. All our grassland is organic so does not receive any artificial fertilisers, or herbicides. Many of the swards have a high degree of clover and this helps give the meat even more flavour.
When the calves are a minimum of 6 months old they are weaned from their dams. This is for 2 reasons:
1. The cows’ milk yield is dropping off at a time when the calf needs more nutrition.
2. The cows are pregnant again with their next calves and therefore need to regain body condition before calving
The calves will be housed and fed on winter rations of silage and organic wheat. The following spring the calves are turned back outside to spend the summer grazing on the farm. Most will be housed for a second winter when they will be fed a “finishing diet” containing more cereal.
When the calves are a minimum of 6 months old they are weaned from their dams. This is for 2 reasons:
1. The cows’ milk yield is dropping off at a time when the calf needs more nutrition.
2. The cows are pregnant again with their next calves and therefore need to regain body condition before calving
The calves will be housed and fed on winter rations of silage and organic wheat. The following spring the calves are turned back outside to spend the summer grazing on the farm. Most will be housed for a second winter when they will be fed a “finishing diet” containing more cereal.