Stock Talk

In this episode, host Robert Ramsay speaks to Graham Lofthouse, beef and sheep farmer from Bankhouse Farm, in the Scottish Borders, and winner of the AgriScot Scottish Sheep Farmer of the Year award 2016. Robert and Graham discuss the strategies and challenges of rotational grazing systems, lamb growth, flock efficiency, genetics and how Graham established his wool-shedding flock.

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Related FAS Resources

Selecting the Right Ram for the Job | Helping farmers in Scotland | Farm Advisory Service (fas.scot)

Technical Note (TN767): Management and Selection of Rams for Efficiency

Tupping | Helping farmers in Scotland | Farm Advisory Service (fas.scot)

Lamb Performance | Helping farmers in Scotland | Farm Advisory Service (fas.scot)

Sustainable Sheep Systems | Helping farmers in Scotland | Farm Advisory Service (fas.scot)

In this podcast we hear from Andrew Marchant. He started on his tenanted farm, Clonhie Farm, with 12 ewes and worked off-farm in order to maximise income for the farm in the initial years to allow him to purchase stock and build up numbers on the farm quicker. As well as building up stock numbers he explored different enterprises, now having a herd of 65 pure Luing and Aberdeen Angus cross Luing cows, a flock of 850 ewes, 200 Aberdeen Angus cross dairy stores (purchased as weaned calves), and a deer herd. He also has a contract farming agreement in place which allows him access to another income stream. Andrew has continually expanded his business, gaining extra rented land nearby allowing him to build stock numbers further. His farming system is relatively extensive and low input with cows outwintered and ewes lambing outside. The cow and sheep genetics are improving from buying in performance recorded tups and ewes, and more recently, Andrew has started using wool shedding tups. He highlights the importance of turnover and cashflow to make his business work and he isn’t afraid to purchase inputs if he thinks he can make a profit from doing so.  

Linked FAS Resources

Farm Tenancy Webinar - Andrew Marchant

New Entrants resources for farmers from Farm Advisory Service (fas.scot)

Agricultural Tenancies | Helping farmers in Scotland | Farm Advisory Service (fas.scot)

Writing a Farm Tenancy Tender Application | Helping farmers in Scotland | Farm Advisory Service (fas.scot)

In this podcast we hear from David Kerr, ScotEID’s Technical Manager. He speaks about cattle EID tags and their importance in the future for traceability for food safety and disease control. David tells us about the technology and the differences between Ultra High Frequency (UHF) tags which will be used for cattle tags, and Low Frequency (LF) tags which are used in sheep tags. David explains the minimal affect this will have on beef farmers once compulsory EID tagging of cattle comes into effect – the minimum is to tag the calf with a pink EID tag. The use of EID readers and performance recording etc is all optional and up to the farmer if they wish to use them to its full benefit as a management tool.

Related Resources

Consultation on cattle identification and traceability in Scotland - Page 1 of 10 - Scottish Government consultations - Citizen Space

ScotEid - 2024 - Board 7 - v1

In this podcast we hear from James Biggar who has drastically changed his farming system in recent years. His main aim is to reduce the cost of production with his beef herd which includes the use of forage crops and deferred grazing with bales to outwinter cows. 120 of his cows are kept outside 365 days a year. James talks about the importance of options and having a Plan B in case of a crop failure in his system, this is why he spreads the risk by growing different types of forage crops and has the bale grazing (deferred grazing with bale silage) which breaks up the winter into 3 parts. Lorna speaks about soil health and how important it is setting up for growing a forage crop including the factors you need to think about beforehand. James talks about how he has learnt a lot from going to events and approaching farmers with a similar system.

Related Resources

Chapelton Farm - Pedigree Beef Sires

Event on 14th June 2024: Forage First Systems at Corbieton Farm | Events helping farmers in Scotland | Farm Advisory Service (fas.scot)

In this podcast we hear from SRUC Veterinary Investigation Officers Megan Fergusson and Tim Geraghty. They talk about the importance of good husbandry and top tips to save time and to prevent disease spreading at lambing and calving time. They also talk about health planning and how recording lamb and calf losses can help when reviewing these losses and how to improve survival rates in the future.

Linked FAS resources:

Lambing | Helping farmers in Scotland | Farm Advisory Service (fas.scot)

Calving Heifers Vlog Series | Helping farmers in Scotland | Farm Advisory Service (fas.scot)

Losses at Calving – should I investigate? | Helping farmers in Scotland | Farm Advisory Service (fas.scot)

Maximising Calf Survival | Helping farmers in Scotland | Farm Advisory Service (fas.scot)

In this podcast we hear from Sascha Grierson, SAC Consultant and Economist, and Colin Mason, SAC Veterinary Investigation Officer. They talk to Robert Ramsay about improving productivity and efficiency in beef herds and also talk about grant support to aid this improvement. 

Related FAS Resources

Cattle resources for farmers from Farm Advisory Service | FAS

Agribusiness News February 2024 - Inputs: Calf Management | Helping farmers in Scotland | Farm Advisory Service (fas.scot)

Beef Technical Toolkit | Helping farmers in Scotland | Farm Advisory Service (fas.scot)

In this podcast we hear from Sean Cursiter who has featured on BBC’s ‘This Farming Life’ program. Sean Cursiter farms at Laga Farm, Orkney with his dad and his uncle. Due to his dad and uncle still being relatively young and fit to farm Laga, Sean decided to buy a farm for himself and his family’s future; Arwick Farm, Orkney. Sean tells us about his story and strong work-ethic which led to him being able to buy a farm. Although Sean still helps out at Laga, he now has his own farm business at Arwick and has aspirations to improve the farm and breed sustainable low-input livestock.  He also speaks about the wintering systems they employ at Laga (sheep slats) and at Arwick (feeding silage in the hill) to help the sheep get through the long Orkney winters. 

Linked resources: 

The Sheep Game slatted shed videos: 

These SHEEP got a NEW SHED (youtube.com) 

£70,000 UPGRADE to this SHEEP SHED - YouTube 

In this podcast we hear from Rhona McAlister who is Precision Animal Health Commercial Manager (genomics specialist) with Zoetis.  Rhona speaks about the role of genomics and how it can accelerate genetic progress. Breeding decisions can be made with more confidence and data driven.  

In this podcast we hear from David Whiteford who has drastically changed his farming system over the past few years. He used to have a traditional system of sheep grazing on the hill and cattle housed over the winter period. Nowadays, he has crossbred sheep on the in-bye land and leaves his hill to grow grass over the summer to be utilised by the cows as deferred winter grazing.  This reduces wintering costs for the cattle. He has changed his breeds of cattle and sheep along the way to suit this system. He also speaks about his experience of growing crops for cattle to graze in the winter, with this year’s crop of choice being fodder beet. 

Related Resources

Thrill of the Hill - Virtually Stockproof | Information helping farmers in Scotland | Farm Advisory Service (fas.scot)  

FAS meeting at Maxwelston on 13th December: Collars, Crops & Costs | Events helping farmers in Scotland | Farm Advisory Service (fas.scot) 

Virtual Fencing | Helping farmers in Scotland | Farm Advisory Service (fas.scot)

In this podcast we hear from Lorna MacPherson, SAC Dairy Consultant, and Jimmy Goldie, Technical Manager at Carrs Billington. They speak about the dairy market outlook for the winter season including milk price and input costs. They discuss the importance of nutrition rationing dairy cows and trying to get the best value diet without compromising on performance. They also speak about sustainability of the dairy industry and the role of carbon auditing. The future of the dairy industry is discussed including the challenges ahead and the opportunities.  

Hosted by Robert Ramsay, edited by Malcolm MacDonald, Produced by Kirstyn Blackwood, Executive Producer Kerry Hammond. In association with The Scottish Government.