Unlock the value of your farm – join a Business Sustainability Group

Date published: 16 April 2025

CAFRE Adviser, Rachel Megarrell recently caught up with previous suckler beef and sheep Business Development Group (BDG) members Karol and Peter McCaughan who farm at Glenshesk, Ballycastle.

The total area farmed is 40 hectares (98.8acres) of grassland and 300 hectares (741acres) of rough grazing and hill split over several land parcels. This is a busy farming enterprise with the brothers equally involved in the daily running of the farm alongside working full time.

Land type on the farm presents challenges through the grazing season. This coupled with high levels of rainfall (on average 1.3m/year) make farming conditions difficult.

Present stock numbers on the farm consist of 600 (Scottish Blackface, Texel/Mule, Lleyn and Mule) ewes put to the ram, 30 suckler cows made up of Limousin cross and Aberdeen Angus breeding which are bred to a Limousin bull with the aim of selling offspring as strong stores at approximately 18 months of age. These are marketed through local livestock markets. Replacement heifers are usually fixed time artificially inseminated with cows running with the bull for natural service.

The herd is scanned in late summer to allow early identification of barren cows. Replacement heifers were originally calving down at 3 years of age but the last replacements that entered the herd will calve at 24 months of age.

Fields are soil sampled in a rotation every 4 years with the overall pH on average at 6.2, this is a considerable increase from the baseline at the beginning of the BDG programme. Over the last 5 years significant emphasis has been put on improving soil pH with approximately 100 tonnes of lime spread.

Further to this a fertiliser plan has been developed using the CAFRE crop nutrient calculator with lime spread as per soil analysis and slurry diverted to areas that are low in phosphorus and potassium. Slurry applied across the grazing platform is spread by LESSE and a significant benefit has been seen in the reduction in grass contamination and subsequent response to slurry.

Areas for reseeding are identified via production levels/age of ley and a target of 10% of the grassland area on the farm is reseeded annually. Following a group visit to a grassland Technology Demonstration Farm 10 acres of red clover/grass sward was sown as a trial with the aim of taking two cuts of silage and grazing in the autumn with store lambs. This helped pave the way for the introduction of mixed red and white clover swards on the farm with the aim of reducing overall chemical nitrogen input.

Development work continued in 2018 with the entry of the farm business into the Northern Ireland Sheep Programme. Following on was the introduction of grass measuring using a rising plate metre and use of Agri-Net grass budgeting software. This was to help utilise the better-quality land available within the farm and stock the grazing platform with both cattle and sheep.

The introduction of the plate metre has allowed for accurate budgeting of grass to take place throughout the grazing season and plan for shortfall or over supply as appropriate.

The target on the farm is to exploit the potential of grass, running a low input system focusing on a reduction in nitrogen usage. This has been achieved by using slurry to maximum advantage in the correct conditions and the targeted use of fertiliser when required. Timely removal of areas of grazing that are ahead to increase the production of quality silage was also introduced. Temporary grazing infrastructure is in place to allow flexibility within the grazing system using electric fencing.

Karol’s medium-term objective for the herd over the next 3-5 years is to breed his own replacements to allow a closed herd for disease purposes. This will correspond with keeping better records and the use of BovIS to help identify best cow family lines. Rougher areas of the farm are utilized by grazing store cattle during the summer which are then finished out of the house the following winter.

Areas for development on the farm are to maximise stocking rate to full potential on good quality grazing land that is in the paddock system to increase gross margin levels. Reduction in grazing days/paddock by making changes to infrastructure and to refine the grazing system further with a target of 8.5tDM/Ha grown by assessing soil fertility.

Areas of compaction will be identified by digging test pits, rectify if possible or reseed as appropriate to increase production levels and finally improvement of the suckler cow and sheep flocks by ustilising records.

With encouragement from Beef and Sheep Adviser Rachel Megarrell a number of technologies have been implemented since becoming a BDG member including; grass measurement and grass budgeting programme, faecal egg counting for sustainable worm control using FecPak G2 technology, regular silage analysis throughout the winter period using NIR4, herd health plan drawn up for focused and timely application of vaccines and routine doses, regular soil sampling and use of the CAFRE nutrient calculator for targeted and efficient nutrient application.

An EID recording system has also been introduced to the sheep enterprise for efficient weighing, dosing and recording to take place. The farm is in both the EFS wider and higher schemes and has been regularly benchmarked since the beginning of the BDG programme and more recently has had a carbon benchmark produced.

Karol has been a member of his local suckler BDG since the programme began in 2016. This group consisted of 21 farmers who focused on quality suckler cow production systems. Karol was a regular attendee, contributor and host for his Business Development Group. When asked about the main benefits of being part of BDG Karol stated that his top three were.

1. Access to a CAFRE Adviser on an individual basis.
2. Physical and financial benchmarking analysis of the business.
3. Engagement with other farm businesses and peer to peer support which should not be underestimated!

CAFRE is currently recruiting for the new programme of Business Sustainability Groups (BSGs). If you are a suckler, beef or sheep farmer you can develop your knowledge, cooperation, and innovation through a BSG. Applications close at noon on Friday, May 2.

For more information visit the Business Support area of the CAFRE website.