Cream of the suckled calf crop at Pencelli Court

If you want to know more about rearing top quality suckled calves, meet Edward and Howard Morgan. Edward and Howard are producing Charolais crossbreds with that unbeatable weight for age and quality conformation which are targeted to achieve the top 1% of the day’s market average, and they’re well on the way towards their goal.

Last season, the Morgan brothers found demand was outstripping supply for the type of calves they were producing mainly from repeat buyers as far a field as Yorkshire and the Cotswolds as well as to local finishers in west Wales. And they achieved prices which certainly positioned them well within the day’s top 10%. Fifteen, May 2001 born steers sold through Brecon mart in April 2002 averaging 452kg and £575, while 10 same age heifers averaged 420kg and £455. Later on, 10 autumn born steers traded through Brecon mart during June at an average 470kg to average £550, while 10 same age heifers tipping the scales at 450kg leveled at £465 through Brecon and Radnor Suckled Calf Rearers’ Association sales at Sennybridge in October. What’s more, the Morgan’s calves were declared winners of the inaugural Welsh Charolais/Rumenco Suckler Herd of the Year Award 2002.

Master judge, John Wight, who is the British Charolais Cattle Society’s immediate past chairman commented: "Each of the finalists was demonstrating in their herds the Charolais’ key strengths – its ability to leave calves with that unbeatable weight for age, tremendous fleshing ability and quality conformation, as well as dominant colour markings, and each was a winner in their own right. However, the Morgans, of Pencelli Court, Pencelli, near Brecon had the edge. They had bred an outstanding crop of calves and the fact they were so extremely consistent added to their potential sale value."

Quality suckled calf production is the backbone to the Morgan’s farming business based at Pencelli Court, a 430 acre mainly tenanted holding at Pencelli, near Brecon. The unit carries 80 suckler cows split between spring and autumn calving and a complementary flock of 1,100 Welsh and crossbred ewes mainly put to terminal sires for finished lamb production.

"We run a tightly stocked hill unit, typical of this area where home grown resources are scarce," says Howard. "So our objective for the beef enterprise is to produce fast maturing calves which are of the highest quality standard to meet buyers’ demand. And over the years we’ve found we can depend on Charolais to maintain that efficiency."

Charolais has been used as terminal sire at Pencelli Court for the last 25 years. In fact the Morgan’s were among the first to introduce the breed to the area back in the mid 1970s. "Our late father, David was seeking to improve our beef enterprise’s efficiency, he’d heard of the Charolais’ genetic ability to leave progeny with considerably higher daily liveweight gains than native breeds, so we decided to invest in the breed and have never looked back.

"While we have used other Continental terminal sires over the herd, Charolais cross calves consistently achieve that extra weight gain, an average 30kg to 40kg over other Continental cross calves at 12 months, and without a doubt that extra weight pays and is reflected in the price finishers are prepared to bid."

"Another of the Charolais’ great attributes is its ability to leave a consistent batch of calves from a mixed suckler cow herd than any other breed, and that to us is a real asset when we’re attempting to prepare even batches of quality calves for market and offer exactly what the buyers are demanding. In addition, we feel it’s important to keep in touch with our customers, the finishers, otherwise there’s a danger we’ll get left behind in producing the product they’re seeking."

Bill Sabin who finishes 400 head of stores a year at Sibford Ferris, near Banbury is one of the brothers’ repeat customers. "Since I’ve had the opportunity to buy the Morgan’s cattle I’ve started to prefer Charolais crosses," he says. "They really do sparkle. They have that wonderful conformation that ensures they grade within the specification, combined with exceptional daily liveweight gain. Charolais cross steers finish at 22 months at 380kg to 400kg deadweight, while Charolais cross heifers, which must not be under estimated, are finishing within 20 months at 320kg to 350kg deadweight."

Careful selection of Charolais bulls is obviously critical to the enterprise’s success. "We regard our sires as being more than half the herd particularly since the Holstein has had such a detrimental effect on the suckler sector," says Edward. "These bulls must have length and extremely good conformation, and come from a family of well known parentage. We are currently using two bulls from Cargriff." As far as a suckler damline is concerned, he says: "Like many suckled calf producers, we’re seeking a cow with beefier characteristics as well as motherability, and which is suited to this kind of unit."

The Morgan brother’s attention to management detail has also been critical to the unit’s success. Top quality forage including a mix of grass and winter oat silage plus molassed sugar beet feed is fed to the winter housed herd from mid to late October. Spring born calves are run separately to their dams in the same shed, given access to suckle twice a day and introduced to creep and ad lib silage. Autumn born calves are introduced to creep just before housing and managed similarly throughout the winter.

"The herd presents no real calving problems, the calves are lively and they remain free from health problems such as Johne’s disease," says Edward. "In addition, we firmly believe in giving the calves restricted access to their dams over winter, because they remain cleaner and safer in their own part of the shed."

Pictured top and bottom: Charolais cross calves with dams at Pencelli Court