Leven Fields
‘We’re presently running four
pedigree Salers bulls and also
use AI. Our bulls live long and
are highly productive. We try to
use our own homebred bulls
and since 2002 we have bought
just four French bulls. Bruno, our
first bull, was just under 14 years
old when he finished; Crocodile
Dundee was just under 15; and
Othello was 14. Byron is our
leading stock bull aged 7.’
‘In order to bring
fresh blood we
bought Lascaux
from France, but
we are committed
to making
new members
continued progress
coming in, we
with our own bulls
need to make
and we’re producing
sure they know
what we feel are as good
enough for it not to get
as any including Drambuie
spoilt. The Salers has caught on
the black bull we have who
right now and obviously we’re
is an out-and-out commercial
very happy that others have
farmers’ bull giving lots of beef
realised or are realising what
while also good female traits
we have believed for many
and Pythagoras who is totally
years. It’s vital that we maintain
dedicated to female genetics and the standards that have been
who we sold recently for 4800
set and one of those ways is to
guineas at Stirling bull sales. Just
ensure our members understand
over one-third of our bulls go to
and value low to moderate birth
the society sales.’
weight.’
The increase in Salers
‘We’ve gained a healthy
popularity shown from data
reputation for exceptional calving
collated by BCMS puts the breed
ease. We could lose it if we as
as the 10th largest beef breed,
breeders do not remain vigilant
using a Salers bull; and the 9th
to what has got us this far. We
largest of the breeding cows
have a breedplan implemented
registrations. Terence believes
and through EBVs Salers bulls
managing the on-going success
can be selected for low to
will be key 63710
to the
breed’s
future.
birth
rates. My advice
- SalersCattleSociety - QUTR.pdf moderate
1 12/06/2017
16:00:54
‘At the moment, with so many
would be don’t get distracted by
C
high growth rates because that
can lead to high birth weights
which can inevitably lead to
calving problems. We need to
play to our strengths.’
‘Last year we achieved 100
per cent unassisted births across
our entire Salers herd and there
were four sets of twins too.’
And if you’ve not yet seen
reference to Salers beef on a UK
menu you should try Paris.
‘It’s marketed as high end,
gourmet beef in Paris under the
name Label Rouge. If you’re over
there and you see a little red
cow’s head on the menu that’s
Salers beef. It has great marbling
and is exceptionally tasty.’
Terence and Jane have also
worked hard at polling their herd
over the past 20 years.
‘It’s another quite important
part of our business as a
premium is commanded on
polled cattle.’
When Terence is prised away
from his and Jane’s Salers cattle
he enjoys photography and
studying his family history.
‘My family originally came
from Southport and I have
ancestors from Norfolk. If you
look back far enough I guess
we all come from some kind of
farming background.’
Jane comes from Bilston
in the Black Country and her
career took her into nursing.
Jane and Terence have two
daughters – Emma and Helen.
Emma assists on the farm with
son-in-law Scott. The herd prefix
Rigel came from Terence’s
father’s business.
‘He had a company called
Rigel Electronics. Who would
have known that it would come
to be associated with a rising
star breed in the cattle world!
We’re all making every effort to
keep it moving upwards.’
SALERS WILL MEAT YOUR NEEDS!
M
SLEEP EASY AND LET SALERS DO THE
WORK FOR YOU MORE BEEF LESS GRIEF
Y
CM
SOCIETY SALES 2017
MY
WELSHPOOL 14th Oct | CASTLE DOUGLAS 4th Nov
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T: 07903 626 249
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E:
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58 Summer 2017 www.farmers-mart.co.uk