Finding quality stores to finish is a perpetual challenge for North East beef producers. However, a couple of Aberdeenshire units have found the solution in buying Charolais crosses from Neil and June Barclay’s 700 cow suckler herd based at Harestone, Crathes, near Banchory.

Steven Moggach, of Netherdale, near Turriff says: "Under the current beef regime and market pressures, the key to profitability is maximizing growth rates and payments. At the store sales we select lengthy steers with that potential to maximize their weight and hit the top grades before they reach the 24 month old stage. And we’re finding that Charolais crosses from Harestone can achieve our target 420kg to 450kg deadweight without getting fat – the majority grade in the U bracket." He adds: "There is only one beef breed that pays and that’s Charolais for its ability to achieve such high growth rates. More than 90% of our annual turnover of finished cattle are Charolais crosses bought in as stores simply because they cannot be beaten for growth rates by other Continental crosses."

The same objectives are to the fore at Darnabo, Fyvie where George Mackie finishes an average 400 bought in stores a year. To achieve that critical weight for age and maximum unit efficiency, these cattle are mainly Charolais crosses and include up to 150 Charolais crosses from Harestone. "We buy through the spring and autumn sales six to nine month old heifers and take them through to finishing from 21 months of age at 380kg to 400 kg deadweight and with a good bit of finish so they grade an average R 4H to meet our buyers requirements," he explains. "We appreciate the opportunity of being able to buy a volume of consistent quality cattle through the ring and at an early age so we can carefully control inputs to achieve the most efficient and cost effective growth rates."

Such demand for Harestone’s quality Charolais cross suckled calves is helping to ensure they average out in the day’s top 5% of store trade and provide that ‘added value’ factor critical to the business. "Adding value is a prerequisite because like many north east units, we don’t have the opportunity to diversify away from mainstream agriculture," explains Harestone’s farm manager, Bill Johnston. "So we have to maximize our resources and for us that means ensuring our suckler herd produces consistent crops of high performing calves demonstrating the importance of that weight for age and quality conformation. Charolais has proved to us to be the winner as the herd’s terminal sire."

Bill, who manages the day to day running of Harestone’s 700 commercial cows split between spring and summer calving, reports the last crop of seven month old calves sold through Thainstone in November to average £458 a head. It featured 180 steers tipping the scales at an average 343kgs to level at £558, and 165 heifers at 300kgs to sell for an average £345. Then there were the 160, 10 month steers that sold through the same centre in April and May to average £562, while 125 same age heifers levelled at £354. The majority sell to repeat buyers from the north east – finishers who have proved Charolais cross calves’ efficiency.

Furthermore, the unit was declared runner up in the Scottish and Northern Charolais Breeders/Bank of Scotland Suckler Herd of the Year 2002 award. Judge, John Wight, of Midlock, Biggar and the breed society’s immediate past chairman commented: "Like the other four finalists, the Harestone suckler herd was demonstrating 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, I’d also like to commend Bill Johnston for his immense attention to detail, for being able to identify individual calves and their parentage, and for following up their performance."

Harestone’s beef enterprise is currently the backbone to the 3,300 acre business, of which 1,800 acres are in arable and mainly owner occupied and the remainder rented grassland. "We apply the same ‘added value’ philosophy to the cropping - barley is grown for malting, wheat for distilling and potatoes for seed," Neil explains. "Wherever there is an opportunity to improve returns, we go for it. The arable sector is currently very tight, yet we find we’re able to continue to work away at the cattle, reduce input costs and improve overall returns."

However, the business does have more of a head start in that it has those economies of scale. "We set out with a typical 300 acre mixed unit carrying a traditional suckler herd, and then 15 years ago we decided to expand," says Neil. Since, the 700 cow herd has been gradually built up along with the area farmed.

Also back in the 1980s, the Barclays were among the first to introduce pedigree Charolais to Deeside. "We were seeking a better quality terminal sire to use over our black Irish suckler cows and were aware of the Charolais’ growing influence within the beef sector. It was having a real positive impact on performance simply due to its ability to leave calves with superior weight for age and quality conformation. Since, the breed has proved itself time and time again for us - in fact the Charolais’ impact on the business has mushroomed." For starters, the Harestone pedigree Charolais herd has grown to 100 breeding cows and after years of careful selection is now within the breed’s top 10% with an average Beef Value of CH25. "Estimated Breeding Values have for us become an important selection tool," says Neil. "We’ve found that the sires with a higher rating leave progeny which are of noticeable higher quality and their extra weight gain is very obvious, so our minimum criteria is a bull with a Beef Value of CH25 and an acceptable Calving Value."

Neil creams off the highest rated bulls to trade to pedigree breeders. Among their most recent successes was Harestone Rialto CH24, the senior and reserve overall champion in Perth in February 2002 who sold for 8,500gns. Two new sires’ genetics were added to the herd in October 2002 when shares were purchased in Thrunton Socrates and Rumsden Samurai.

Other homebred Charolais bulls are destined to run with the commercial suckler herd. In fact 30 Charolais bulls are required at any one time, and one of the Barclay’s goals is to be self sufficient in the near future with homebred sires.

Half Harestone’s commercial suckler herd still comprises black Irish cows, however with the Holstein’s increasing influence among the suckler cow population, Bill says in the last five years they’ve started to breed their own quality Simmental cross replacements. "Some of the better Simmental cross cows are put to the Angus bull and we’re achieving a milky female which when put to the Charolais leaves a uniform calf with a tremendous frame on which to hang muscle, and with the ability to flesh easily. That combination of high performance genetics, is enabling us cut our inputs," he explains.

The 700 cow suckler herd is split between spring and summer calving for ease of management. Improving performance is on going and Bill’s current ‘to do’ list includes tightening each herd’s calving period to 10 weeks. With sufficient accommodation available for only half the herd, the spring calving cows are wintered outdoors, and strip grazed kale supplemented with grass silage. "This is the type of simple system which suits me fine," he says, "Calves are sold straight off their dams in autumn, so checks are minimized because they only have to be handled that once and for us it reduces labour requirements."

As far as summer born calves are concerned, they’re winter housed with their dams and weaned immediately prior to sale in April. While the cows thrive on grass silage and a little home grown bruised barley to maintain milk, the calves are fed grass silage and a least cost creep based on home grown barley, dark grains and molassed sugar beet feed.