Premier Charolais on offer at Dungannon

• Friday, 04 November 2011 15:49

A unique opportunity to get involved in the breed noted for its fast growth and good confirmation; do not miss this Charolais event on Friday 4th November when the Northern Ireland Charolais Club’s Premier Sale sponsored by Ulster bank Ltd will offer 71 bulls, 14 quality heifers and a draft of six cows with calves at foot from some of the most successful bloodlines in the breed.

The club secretary, Mrs Ann Orr has been out and about in rural Fermanagh visiting a suckler herd and gathering feedback from farmer Ian Brown Macken Enniskillen. The Brown farm is well set up to cater for a large suckler enterprise with an excellent range of easy feed sheds slatted and non-slatted with good air flow and lots of access to quality feed promoting a healthy environment through good herd management.

Ian bought a Charolais bull in the harvest sale in 2009 at Dungannon Farmers Mart Corryglass Dazzler born in June 2008 was bred by Brian Phair from a homebred dam Corryglass Orla and sired by Doonelly New. This stock bull has performed really well producing good lengthy well-muscled calves with great growth for age. Ian runs a herd of seventy five continental cross suckler cows on the edge of the Arney River, the Brown family have farmed in this area for generations, Ian is ably assisted by his father and other family members.

A large percentage of suckled male calves are reared to bull beef and sold through Linden Foods whilst a smaller percentage of the top quality males are sold in March locally where they attract a premium price. Female Calves are reared to finishing at 18-24 months. Ian puts particular emphasis on the importance of good growth rates and easy calving he insists that farmers should do a lot of research before they invest in a stock bull, consulting the British Charolais Breedplan Analysis for a record of ease of calving and weight gain.

Lots on offer at this autumn sale are bred from some of the best known sires in the Charolais breed plan. A few examples: Thrunpton Voldermort, Simpsons Gregg, Doonally New, Goldies Usher,Ashleigh Victor,Corrie Alan, Allanfauld Vagabond Dunlon Ulick, Indurian, Oldstone Egbert.

Progeny from these sires were very evident in the championship and prize winning line-ups in the summer at the BCCS championship at Grand Final at Clogher Valley show and the NI National Charolais Show at Fintona in September, not forgetting the breeder’s success at seasonal shows and recently at Perth. Indeed some of the successful animals themselves from these events are on offer at this sale. The sale will finish with a draft of six cows with calves at foot from Tom Clarkes Springfield herd.

Any farmer wishing to establish a quality commercial herd and looking to buy a good stock bull or a breeder wishing to expand a herd will have an unrivalled opportunity on Friday 4th November at Dungannon Farmers Mart. Judging begins at 9am with the sale at 1pm.

The judge for this major event is Brian McAllister of the Burnside herd Kells Ballymena.