The Luing Journal – January 2020 www.luingcattlesociety.co.uk 15 The Luing Journal – January 2020 Out and About For the last ten years, Sheila and I Apart from a modest contribution of It means we have to have the cattle in have run two farms at the edge of the profit, what we are really after is straw really good shape and at peak for the Lammermuir Hills in East Lothian. for feeding and bedding at Newmains. bull, and it also means that we have to be The first farm, Newmains – roughly There, we run about 60 Luings (and very black and white on cows that fail to 350 acres – is a steep and hilly place followers to finish), out all year round get pregnant in that narrow window. We but has good quality soil, allowing except for a six-week calving window have been strict on any cows that are less about half to be cultivated to arable which we have kept that tight from than self-sufficient too, because we just if required, with the remaining land the word go, originally for very selfish didn’t have the time to deal with them. being too steep for anything other than reasons. Our kids, now all grown-up, The result is a herd that’s – touch grass. The second farm, Ruchlaw West were little when we started, and I was wood – very fertile and requires no real Mains, of roughly 110 acres, is less fully employed with other business so help at calving. Of course, there’s always than a mile away but feels a world away the farm had to be manageable part- an exception: if a maiden or young with its gentle slopes and very fertile time. In all honesty, we wanted to make heifer has twins, then fails to get into soil. This year at Ruchlaw, new grass sure calving was out of the way by the calf in the six-week window, she gets has been sown for an early silage crop Easter school holidays. If you work that a second chance, and that’s paid us before vining peas and then wheat. It’s out, it means spring calving starts in back well. a bit of an experiment for us, and the February – very early – and extending by Of course, what we’ve done in a few aim is to develop a rotational system even a couple of weeks would mean mid/ years is dwarfed by the genetics that that involves minimal cultivation late January, which would be a big ask. started many generations previously. and nitrates. I could also justify six weeks of Our foundation cows were from restricted movements and confinement Luing, Benhar and Milkieston. In our to my office for my day job (only 40 purchasing at Dingwall and Castle minutes away), but more than that was Douglas, the only disappointing factor difficult. These selfish reasons turned has been that we had to bid harder than out accidentally to be, we believe, the we wanted to get the heifers we had smartest move we have made. circled in the catalogue. 16 www.luingcattlesociety.co.uk The Luing Journal – January 2020 I now always look forward to calving, Beyond Luings, we had been buying in and I’m sorry to see the end of it. store lambs to fatten each year but really We don’t wean until mid-December, for grass management. However, I have which cuts down on feeding time (we to face facts, I’m not a sheep man! We winter the calves inside until March). need to rest fields, and we accept some Cows and calves get straw and minerals sacrifice for winter feeding as the lambs in the field and, from roughly mid- helped sort out heavily cattle-grazed November, some creep feed to ready the fields. So, without lambs, we hope calves. Luings hold on to condition so farmed red deer can do that job and, well that we have to watch that they don’t with rising demand, may become a good get too fat for calving; keeping the calves income stream. Two years ago, we took at foot helps that. Calves in the shed are the deepest breath and leapt – we now With a good bull from Charles Symons, on silage and a peck of hard grains. We have close to 250 hinds plus followers we had a good start, and that accelerated never used to give them hard feed, but with a first major crop due to sell next when we were lucky enough to buy a kindly piece of advice from a well- autumn. They are seriously different Harehead Mourie. I’m still in shock that known Luing man – “Would you grudge animals – they are fantastic – clever, my hand ignored our hard-line budget them an apple a day?” – referring to the friendly and self-sufficient, living on, and remained airborne when Robin’s cost of a handful or so of hard feed stuck figuratively speaking (as Scott Renwick hammer slammed down! Mourie is with me and, my goodness, it was good once described Loch Maree to me), away now, but with straws and a good advice. It’s back on grass in March and bracken and misery! Time will tell if it’s AI plan, the sight of his shape and to finish in late August and September – a success, but it feels right. I can tell you character reborn every spring brings a with conversions and scores respectable one thing for sure – once you’ve had to private moment of pleasure. enough. The scores matter; after all, what saw the antlers of a 30-stone stag who’s As new farmers, we were anxious at we, all of us, are about is turning grass not keen for you to do it, you absolutely calving, but as the years have rolled by, into protein, and that’s what makes the know you’re alive! experience has brought a confidence Luing a stand-out choice. If new entrants So, as new entrants to farming (ten that turned anxiety into enjoyment. Less like Sheila and I can start farming with years ago), I’m sure there are easier really is more: give them peace and they no experience, have time for other ways to make profit, but with the help are fine for the most part. employment and turn out a decent end of neighbours and fellow Luing farmers, That approach has been helped by product, it tells you the raw ingredient the time has flown happily. Yes, it’s cold, another selfish decision – the cattle shed is the star of the show – and that’s the wet and frustrating at times, but every is about half a mile away, a lovely walk Luing cow. We enjoy farming, it’s the day brings a new chance and a new on a summer evening, but grim in sleety, Luing’s soft and gentle nature that makes challenge. windy February. The eureka moment it seem so easy. And of course the Luing of a remote camera was a life-changer. makes profit – little human input, long Paddy Crerar You can hear a cow starting, and with living, kindly and hardy – wrapped up zoom lenses, the detail is better than the with a DNA that converts grass better human eye – we can watch and listen than any other beast. without interrupting nature at work. www.luingcattlesociety.co.uk 17 The Luing Journal – January 2020 LAMMERMUIR LUINGS Monzie Farm LAMMERMUIR RED DEER LAMMERMUIR HEIFERS Rory Cameron Bulls and Heifers IBR, BVD and Johnes Monzie Farm for sale Accredited Blair Atholl PH18 5TT LAMMERMUIR LIVESTOCK BULLS DEER RECORD BULL SEMEN AVAILABLE HAREHEAD MOURIE YOUNG BULLS HINDS BIO BEST STRONG LINES LASTING RESULTS HEALTH Call: Paddy & Sheila Crerar on 01368 850 240 E-mail: [email protected] SCHEME 18 www.luingcattlesociety.co.uk LAMMERMUIR LUINGSThe Luing Journal – January 2020 LAMMERMUIR RED DEER LAMMERMUIR HEIFERS LAMMERMUIR LIVESTOCK BULLS DEER RECORD BULL SEMEN AVAILABLE HAREHEAD MOURIE YOUNG BULLS HINDS BIO BEST STRONG LINES LASTING RESULTS HEALTH Call: Paddy & Sheila Crerar on 01368 850 240 E-mail: [email protected] SCHEME www.luingcattlesociety.co.uk 19 The Luing Journal – January 2020 Out and About Kintail Luings are managed on a small For cost-efficiency and shared bull croft at Newton of Ferintosh on the management, Graeme teamed up Black Isle, and on a hill croft on the with Richard Lockett, of Knockbain west coast at Kintail. Luings, Dingwall, to jointly purchase Graeme and his wife, Fiona, live on a Commonside bull at Castle Douglas. the Black Isle, and run the small herd of This has proved to be an efficient way 12 cows and a flock of North Country to manage two small herds. Both are Cheviots over both crofts, ably assisted accredited under the SAC Premium by their three teenage children, Issy, Cattle Health Scheme. Farquhar and Marcus. Both herds run with the bull at Graeme introduced three Luing Knockbain over the summer. In October, cows to Kintail in 2006 from the the calves are weaned, the cows come Westwater dispersal, as part of a croft home to Newton of Ferintosh, the stot These heifers come home to the Black environmental scheme. While working calves are sold as store, and the heifer Isle at 20 months old, and are sold in full-time, he needed cows that were low calves go over to Kintail for wintering. May as bulling heifers. The annual Luing maintenance, easily calved and able to The cows start feeding on ad-lib silage Society sale in May at Dingwall is the thrive in the fairly harsh environment around Christmas time, until calving highlight of the year.