Relying on suckler cows to provide home-bred herd replacements as well as top quality prime cattle capable of earning 260p a kilo is regarded as an essential foundation for successful beef production by John Hamilton who runs a 1900-acre organic farm at Aikengall in the Lammermuir Hills near Dunbar.

His herd of 230 Simmental-cross cows is the lynch-pin of a system that produces around 200 head of prime beef cattle a year for one of the UK’s leading meat wholesalers. And as well as earning a hefty organic premium, the performance achieved by the cattle is totally dependent upon the breed and the level of husbandry. And the bottom-line profit is free from the impact of routine “vet and med” costs normally associated with conventional beef production.

“ We wanted an easy care system and not one that depended upon propping up the cattle unnecessarily. We don’t even spend money on mineral licks. I use the organic system to widen my margins, to do the job as cheaply as I can and yet still produce top quality prime cattle,” says Mr Hamilton.

Not having to depend on buying-in herd replacements – both in terms of cost and animal health – saw the herd turn to the Simmental as a breed that could provide females with the primary maternal traits necessary for good herd replacements while still produce cattle able to meet top primestock specification and earn high returns.

“ Of all the continental breeds I believe the Simmental is the only one capable of consistently producing the right type of cattle as replacements - because of its milkiness, quiet temperament and mothering ability - and for finishing.
“ The Simmental has tremendous capacity as a forage converter; that’s important for a system that must make the maximum use of forage and wants cattle that are easily finished but it should be equally important for non-organic farmers who want to produce beef as economically as possible,” says Mr Hamilton.

Bull selection is important to provide sires to suit the system and to fulfil a dual role within the herd. “We want bulls with thickness and fleshing and have been paying up to 5000gns for the right type. The breed has made some big strides in recent years and there’s now a lot more bulls about that will do both jobs within a suckler herd.”

High lean figures for bulls with EBV ratings are viewed with some caution. “ For me the bull has to look right before I even consider any figures but I want a bull with a slightly higher level of fat because, for me, those are the bulls that will produce the cattle that will finish more easily on my system and perhaps even more importantly will produce females that will hold their condition.”

And that’s important at Aikengall where most of the herd is out-wintered. This year will see the late summer calvers run in two newly constructed strawed corals. They have been constructed with earth walls alongside an existing building which will act as a creep area for calves.

“Spring-calving Simmental-cross cows are out-wintered and thrive off silage and straw with some pot-ale syrup. Calving problems are rare. Among this season’s first batch of 50 late summer calvers we only assisted one,” says Mr Hamilton whose herd is split into two calving groups. Spring-born calves are weaned and fed a complete mix of whole-crop silage, distillers’ dark grains and organic barley.

Heifers not retained for breeding are finished off grass at around 16-17 months to reach 265kg and earn 255p a kilo. A second claim is taken off the bulls which are brought inside and finished at up to 380kg at -U 4L. bullocks are earning 265p a kilo – a 380kg carcase is returning £1007. All prime cattle are bound for Waitrose via Dovecote Park.

The late-summer calvers are out-wintered in corals; they are turned out in the spring before weaning. These calves are housed the following autumn and sold at 260-270kg in January while bullocks can be housed up to May- June before being sold.

“On this system we’ve top quality Simmental cattle to sell every month of the year; and these cattle are consistently meeting a tight specification to a leading wholesaler and earning us a premium price,” says Mr Hamilton.

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