Timothy Hamilton, a two man unit with efficient handling and feeding systems will be the bedrock of his future

Timothy Hamilton of the Galliagh herd recently represented The Young Farmers’ Clubs of Ulster in a panel discussion on ‘ Future of the Young in the Agricultural Industry.’ The discussion was chaired by Matt Dempsey, editor of the Irish Farmers’ Journal, and organised by The Ulster Grassland Society.

Timothy Hamilton is 24 and has responsibility for the 200 cow suckler herd run in conjunction with his father, George, who also operates a farm machinery dealership.

The farm carries 120 pure Simmental cows, ten Charolais, 35 Simmental cross Aberdeen Angus and another 35 crossbred cows of various descriptions. Timothy Hamilton’s ambition remains to be a beef farmer, but he has serious concerns about the current industry mantra of ‘ ever more animals per man.’

For the Hamiltons there are barely enough hours in the day currently, as they strive to look after their herd and progeny on a farm that has been expanded piecemeal. Cattle are spread around three units throughout the winter, while hill grazing adds to the distances travelled in summer. It is not an uncommon situation as parcels of land have been acquired by family businesses over the past 40 years.

Automatic scrapers reduce the work in cleaning cubicles made from old tyres filled with sand

The Hamiltons have looked at a number of alternatives to consolidate the stock onto one holding, at least over the housed period. However, the problems associated with slurry utilisation and silage making both result in such schemes being unfeasible. Even so, Timothy Hamilton is giving a lot of thought towards his future.
“ Many simple things can be done to improve our efficiency,” he suggests. “ For example, we can build cattle handling facilities at critical points around the farm so that routine tasks become a one-man job. Likewise, we must match our stock numbers with the land and buildings at each unit.”

Managing the herd on this basis could also reduce peak workload as cows would be calved and turned out earlier at the driest land farm. Breeding policy is significant as high fertility levels, ease of calving and sound feet all avoid adding extra work.

Another important and sought-after attribute for Timothy Hamilton is calves which get up and thrive quickly. In particular, Charolais showing a more lethargic nature have been avoided. The most productive system anticipated by Timothy Hamilton will be based on 3/4 Simmental cross Angus cows, bred back to a Charolais. This will make the most benefit from hybrid vigour and growth rate potential, while moving to 3/4 Angus cows has resulted in cows that lack scope and become too fit. It is probable that progeny will be finished, and the Hamiltons have experience of bull-beef, but the current market premium for store cattle has resulted in the sale of their spring born calves in December.

Yet the panel discussion revealed an alternative where many farmers are becoming part-time, and still running a herd of 50 cows. Such a structure to the industry concerns Timothy because he sees this type of farmer as being less hard-nosed in their negotiations, with a consequent knock-on effect on profitability. Equally, overall management is easiest in a two man unit, so herd numbers have to be high enough to generate sufficient financial turnover.

Improved computer literacy, balancing herd numbers and breeding policy so that the business is ahead of the workload rather than firefighting, and the potential to expand at lower cost as the ageing farming population retires are all reasons to be optimistic for the future in Timothy Hamilton’s eyes. Young people with such foresight, determination and a commitment to graft will secure their future in the industry.

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