The Farmers Mart Apr-May 2019 - Issue 62

48 WEST MOOR HOUSE FARM APR/MAY 2019 • farmers-mart.co.uk Producing livestock from the hills to the best of their ability Chris Berry talks with Rob & Penny Paisley at Middleton, near Ilkley. STICKING to their principles of producing livestock off grass-based systems to the best of their ability has been the mantra for hus- band and wife team Rob and Penny Paisley for the past 18 years at West Moor House Farm, Middleton since he returned to take over the marginal hill farm from his parents Joe and Paula who live in the farmhouse next door. The farm runs to 550 acres of heath- er moorland and 330 acres of marginal grassland with cattle and sheep. The Paisley’s Beef Shorthorn herd that runs to 35 pedigree cows with followers is well established. The sheep operations in- clude 200 Texel X Mule breeding ewes, 150 Swaledales, 50 Welsh Badgerfaced and 30 Greyfaced Dartmoors. It’s a mix that has varied in numbers over the years as Rob has sought for the right balance. ‘We have built up the Beef Shorthorn herd slowly and have lessened the sheep slightly, but we’re pretty much at our limit for cattle numbers. We had a dozen cows before we went purebred, purchasing our first bull in 1995. It was mum and I who made the decision to go purebred Beef Keith Bridgford & Co chartered accountants Shorthorn. They are quiet, very biddable, easy to deal with and work off grass so they are low maintenance.’ ‘Nearly all our females will go for breed- ing to other farms or as replacements for the herd. We have four young bulls on at present and generally we might just keep two. The rest we sell either through our own boxed beef scheme or to Morrisons’ Beef Shorthorn scheme. Calving this year has seen 24 in spring with the rest due in summer.’ ‘Last year’s warm sunny summer was ide- al and our cattle and sheep did really well. It helped make up for the previous winter and spring that were so bad we ran out of grass. We’ve started finishing young bulls at 14 months selling them in the spring to help cash flow. It means they are not grazing for a second season and that may help us keep more cows. They have normally gone at 20- 22 months but we’ve already had one this year that went at 18 months that made 340 kilos deadweight, so there is scope. We’re trying to get things moving as quickly as we can and Morrisons have done a lot of work that confirms greater tenderness in eating quality at a younger age.’ Bloodlines are important to Rob as he looks to maintaining the traditional good mothering instincts of his Beef Shorthorn cows. ‘Everyone likes to look at big animals but are they the most efficient? We want a good, functional suckler cow with impres- sive milky bloodlines. If you go for meat you run the danger of losing the milk. Find- ing the bloodlines we want can be tricky but we were delighted with the purchase of our new bull Craigeassie Logan earlier this year at Stirling. He was just 22 months old when we purchased him and cost us 3000 guineas from a breeder in Forfar in Angus. One of our first bulls was from the same line and performed very well. He was the only bull on our shortlist and was only the ‘Julie, and all at Keith Bridgford & Co, wish Rob and his family at West Moor House Farm all the best for the future’ 01943 601872 17 The Grove, Ilkley, West Yorkshire, LS29 9LW We are proud to supply The Professional Caring Veterinary Centre All Domestic Pets, Farm & Equine Practice Facilities... • Full 24 hour emergency cover by our vets • Full modern surgical facilities • Open surgery or appointments available • Digital x-ray, ultra sound & in-house laboratory • Highly experienced friendly staff • Parking facilities • Home visits available Pleased to be associated with Rob Paisley of West Moor House Farm second to sell although he was 10th into the ring of 75 forward. It was quite a strange trade but we were very happy. We general- ly have two bulls in use for safety.’ Rob and Penny’s Texel X lambs sell from July onwards with the Swaledales going in January and February, but they’ve changed their breeding to try to better match what the market is looking for, whether that’s at Skipton, through Morrisons or for their own boxed lamb. ‘We’ve crossed a third of our Swaledales with the Texel this time to get the lambs people seem to want along with the Texel X Mules. The gimmer lamb trade for Swaledales seems to be disappearing. We buy three-tup tups from Hawes but everything else is put to the Texel or Blue Texel except for the Dartmoors that are kept pure. The main society sale is in Exeter. We’ve had the Badgers about nine years. They are wonderfully functional great milky mothers that look after themselves and Rob Paisley, West Moor House Farm Es tab r lish e d 7 0 Yea s Cross Green Veterinary Centre OTLEY 01943 462546 71 Cross Green, Otley LS21 1HE Agricultural & Rural Supplies Skipton - 01756 792166 carrs-billington.com

The Farmers Mart Apr-May 2019 - Issue 62 | Page 48