09/05/06
NSA Scotsheep 2006 host, John Gordon, has had a good lambing on
the family farm of Wellheads, Huntly, Aberdeenshire, where he runs
a flock of 820 Greyface and Blackface ewes and 230 beef suckler
cows.
Wellheads is the venue for the Scottish Region of the National
Sheep Association’s biennial national sheep event, NSA Scotsheep,
on Wednesday, June 7. The farm is one of the best known upland
stock farms in the North-east of Scotland and the farm’s
reputation for producing quality sheep and cattle will be a big
attraction for the thousands of sheep farmers from throughout the
UK and Ireland expected to attend this year’s event.
A popular feature of NSA Scotsheep will be the tour of the 1250-acre
farm, which rises from 600ft at the steading to 1230ft at the top
of the hill. Weather permitting, tractors and trailers will take
visitors right to the top to enjoy the panoramic view to the Sutherland
hills and enjoy shortbread, courtesy of Deans of Huntly, and a
welcome tot of Glayva (a liqueur whisky) to be provided by one
of the sponsors, Harbro Ltd, who are also producing the farm tour
guide. Tractors are being supplied by HRN Tractors and trailers
by Portequip while machinery group, Ringlink Scotland, are providing
drivers.
It has been a busy time for John Gordon who, in addition to the
day-to-day running of his sheep and suckler cow enterprises and
preparing for NSA Scotsheep, has seen the completion of two general
purpose buildings on the farm and has recently finished the planting
of 35 acres of native species under the Forestry Grants Scheme.
“Now that we have the two new sheds, we have been able to
take our ewes inside for lambing,” he reports. “It’s
a lot of work but it has made a big difference and we have had
a good lambing with a high survival rate.”
The new buildings can accommodate 500 ewes for lambing. Rams are
keeled at tupping time to identify the early lambing ewes which
are housed and turned out after lambing to allow the 300 later
lambing ewes to be taken inside.
Wellheads is a typical family farm and at lambing time it is all
hands on deck, with wife, Fiona, taking time off from her busy
life as a stockbroker in Huntly, to help with the lambing, along
with son, Ewan, and daughter, Kirstie. Two lambing students are
also employed.
John’s main concern this spring has been the lack of early
grass growth as a result of cold weather throughout March and early
April.
“I was hoping for a better spring to give the lambs a good
start,” he says. “But we have the lambs on the ground
and all we need now is a bit more warmth to get the grass growing.”
The 230 Blackface ewes are crossed with the Border Leicester and
the best ewe lambs retained as replacements for the 600-ewe flock
of Greyface ewes which are crossed with Suffolk and Texel sires.
As many lambs as possible are finished off the grass and all are
away before Christmas. Finished lambs are sold through the Aberdeen
and Northern Marts’ lamb marketing scheme.
“We feed the last 300 lambs on stubble and finish them as
quickly as possible in order to preserve grass for the pregnant
ewes in the spring,” John explains.
Half the black Limousin cross cows calve in the spring and the
other half in the autumn. Yearling Charolais cross stores are sold
twice a year at Thainstone and are always eagerly sought after.
This spring, steers averaged 155p/kg and heifers 139 p/kg which
is testimony to the quality of the calves which the farm produces.
All home-bred calves are sold and breeding females purchased with
calves at foot as replacements.
Although 700 acres is considered ploughable, with the rest hill
and rough grazing, cropping is confined to 80 acres of barley for
home feeding and 18 acres of turnips. Around 160 acres is cut for
silage and hay is also made if weather conditions permit. This
year Wellheads won the baled silage section of the North of Scotland
Grassland Society’s annual silage competition.
The foresight of John’s father, the late Ian Gordon, in
planting trees 20-30 years ago has provided invaluable shelter
for outwintered stock and John is continuing this policy. The 25
acres of new planting in areas of rough land and steep banks in
arable fields will provide shelter when the sitka spruce planted
by his father are felled.
John is equally committed to creating an attractive environment
on the farm and has been involved in the Countryside Premium Scheme,
and more recently the Rural Stewardship Scheme, since 1998.
Beetle banks, water margins and three ponds have been created
and 1200 metres of hedgerows planted. An area has been set aside
for unharvested crops and species rich grassland to support the
bird population.
Twenty-metre strips of hardwood have been planted this year alongside
the existing shelter belts to provide a wildlife corridor when
the shelter belts are felled. Advantage has been taken of the generous
grants available under the Scottish Forestry Grants Scheme.
“We see ourselves as custodians of the countryside and enjoy
seeing wildlife on the farm,” says John. “We have tried
to maintain a balance between maintaining a viable stock farm and
sacrificing less productive areas for environmental projects.”
It is not surprising that last year Mr Gordon was one of the finalists
in the Royal Northern Agricultural Society’s Best Farm Practice
Awards.
The Gordon family has farmed at Wellheads since 1879 when John’s
great-grandfather became a tenant of the Duke of Richmond. His
grandfather bought the farm in 1937 and John is particularly indebted
to his father who made Wellheads the productive farm it is today
by a continuous programme of applying phosphates and lime, drainage
and the planting of shelter belts.
As for the future, John has no thoughts of cutting back following
the introduction of the Single Farm Payment and uncertainties about
future returns from producing cattle and sheep.
His confidence in the future is demonstrated by the erection of
two new general purpose buildings and the recent installation of
a new sheep handling system.
“You’re either farming or you’re not,” is
John’s philosophy. “I am indebted to my father for
the improvements he made on the farm in his time and I would like
to give my son the same opportunity to follow me if he wants to
farm.”
NSA
Scotsheep Returns To Aberdeenshire
Scotsheep 2006
Seminar Programme
Educational
Day Out For Primary School Pupils at Scotsheep 2006
Bank
of Scotland to Sponsor Scotsheep 2006
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