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| Simmental bull beef on the farm
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“Simmentals have great potential to produce high quality, heavy carcasses, at very good feed conversion rates,” says Mr Loud. “This year, 12 month old bulls which killed out at 350kg plus, have averaged daily live weight gains of 1.6kg from birth. This was achieved through the milkiness of the dams with a little creep feed, and sustained through the finishing period on an intensive barley beef diet.” In these days, when cash flow and turnover of animals is so critical, the growth rate and feed conversion characteristics of the Simmental breed are highly desirable.  Alex
Spilman Manor Farm Friesthorpe LincolnshireAlex Spilman was one of the first farmers to import Simmental semen back in 1971. Now he and his son Philip run the Friesthorpe herd of 60 pedigree Simmental sucklers. Calving is over 10 weeks on the spring. Bulls are kept entire, weaned in October and put onto a grass silage plus homegrown cereal ration. Bulls are slaughtered at 12 to 15 months at weights of around 600kg. The Simmental is capable of giving very good returns because of the heavy weight it can reach over a relatively short finishing period,” says Mr Spilman. “ The bulls have been better hindquarters than most and regularly achieve carcase classifications of E and U+. “They are ideal for the restaurant trade which is looking for lean meat”.  Jim
Carson & Sons Downkillybegs Ballymena Northern IrelandJim Carson believes the Simmental is the perfect suckler breed and that finishing male calves as bulls makes sound economic sense. “ We finish around 45 bulls a year and market them from 14 months of age” explains Mr Carson. “Some go to a local butcher at around 300kg deadweight, the rest to Dungannon Meats at 360kg.They make grades of U3, U4 or better. This means there is money in the bank a good deal sooner than any other beef system, and just as much of it" . The Simmental cross cows are served by pedigree Simmental sires and calve in April and May. They are houses with their offspring in November. Bull calves are weaned in January and fed 2.7kg of concentrate, plus ad lib dry matter baled silage. Concentrates are stepped up by 1kg per month, up to a maximum of 7.2kg per day. They are finished between June and September.“ Our bulls have the right combination of growth and finishing to be ready at the weights and grades our customers require,” adds Jim’s son Samuel.  Paul
Langthorne Anglo Beef Processors YorkAnglo Beef Processors in York kill up to 350 bulls a week. The majority of these are suckler bred and a number do have Simmental blood in them. “There is a definite market for meat from 500 to 620 kg bulls which grade at R3, R4L or better,” says ABP’s livestock procurement officer Paul Langthorne. “I have no qualms about taking on good quality Simmental bulls at these weights I order to meet the specifications of our supermarket customers”. |
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The British Simmental Cattle Society Limited Stoneleigh Park, Kenilworth, Warwickshire, CV8 2LR Telephone +44 (0)2476 696513 Fax +44 (0)2476 696724 |
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