“No suckler farmer wants to become a millionaire – we just want a fair price for the quality product we produce.” That is the view of suckler beef and sheep farmer Michael Mitchel who farms in Belcarra, Castlebar, Co Mayo.

There is no shortage in supply of quality produce on Michael’s farm, as can be seen from the shape and style of the calves as we walked the fields of stock.

He is married to Caroline and has three children – Michael (junior), Laura and Shane. Together, the family run a 30-cow suckler herd alongside a flock of 30 ewes. The farm operates 100% AI breeding and the herd is equally split between spring and autumn calving.

The home farm itself is 31 acres while an additional 50 acres is farmed on a combination of rented and leased land. Some of this rented ground adjoins the home farm, which is a great benefit, while more is located just two miles away.

“The leased ground is great because it gives you some security. We have done some reseeding on this ground over the last couple of years and it has made a big difference,” Michael explains.

“For a relatively small farm in terms of owned ground, we have done quite a lot over the years to get it where it is today. We put up a shed in the mid-2000s as well as a silage slab at the same time. There were a few tough years but the farm has always paid its own way. It simply has to when you have a family to rear and put through education.”

When choosing replacements, the aim is to have an R+ grade cow.

Both Caroline and Michael work off-farm, with Michael working a 5pm-11pm shift five days a week in Castlebar.

“That was great when the kids were young. I was here to mind them after school and get the farm work done in the mornings. I’d head off to work then in the evening and Caroline would take over at home.

“It is unfortunate that there isn’t more out of the farm for the effort that goes into it. When all the bills are paid there isn’t a whole lot leftover. The truth is, you simply wouldn’t be at it if you didn’t love what you do. Suckler farming is in the blood and as long as I have my health I will keep at it – I’m not one to give in to things too easy.”

Passion

Michael’s passion for beef breeding and genetics is clear to see – there isn’t an animal on the farm that he cannot tell me the back breeding of as we go through the fields. When it comes to cow type, there is no ‘one size fits all’. Michael will choose a bull that will complement the cow or heifer he is selecting it for. If a cow is lacking in one trait or another he will select a bull to put it right.

“I do keep an eye on the indexes for breeding replacements but I would never sacrifice shape or style chasing figures. The aim is to consistently breed an R+ grade cow. I don’t mind losing some milk for one generation as I know, with the right bull I can put it back in the next generation”

In saying this, there is a clear affinity to the Simmental/Limousin-cross cow on the farm and it is clear to see they are producing the goods. There are also Salers, Charolais and Parthenaise cows in the mix.

Sexed semen

Recently, sexed Shorthorn semen from Eurogene bull Chapleton Kingsley has been used on replacement heifers. Out of eight straws used in total it resulted in five pregnant heifers, which Michael was more than happy with.

“I think sexed semen is a technology that needs to be adopted more on suckler farms. Some farmers have chased the replacement side of things for various reasons over the past few years and it resulted in them taking a hit on the price achieved for male calves from certain bulls. This can leave a negative experience of using some high-replacement-figure bulls. I see sexed semen as a way around this.

“Fair enough, the straw is going to cost you more on day one, but if it means you can breed an extra cow or two to a more terminal-type bull it will more than cover your costs.”

Selling cattle

In the past Michael used to finish young bulls under 16 months of age but the system has changed in the past few years. Now male calves are sold at around eight months old either in Balla Mart or off-farm.

“I am sure there is still a good market for well-bred suckler cattle. There are finishers out there willing to pay for quality. With changes that are coming into place with online sales and internet marketing, it puts your stock in front of more potential buyers from right throughout the country. If you have good cattle and they are well looked after, buyers will come back again and again.”

Any heifers that are suitable for breeding are brought through and if Michael has some surplus to requirements then they will be sold.

“I wouldn’t sell anything for breeding that I wouldn’t be happy with myself. Sometimes if I have an extra heifer or two coming through the system I will sell a cow with a calf at foot. There will be nothing wrong with the cow but it might just be time to freshen things up here or we feel the heifer coming in will offer more going forward.”

Future plans

Michael described how he would like to expand the winter accommodation further with some extra dry-floor space for calving cows or calf creep areas but for the moment these plans are on hold. He participates in any support scheme that he can and is in BDGP, BEAM and BEEP-S. The 5% reduction targets for BEAM will be met with a slightly earlier sale date for bull calves and maybe selling an extra cow with calf at foot this year.

“BEEP is a good practical scheme. We were weighing cattle for years anyway so there was no issue there. I would always creep feed calves from around five months old – they are young efficient animals so feeding makes sense. If it costs you €50 in meal it will pay you back €100 in the sales ring.

“We plan to increase the ewe numbers by another 10 for next year. My brother Thomas runs a flock of Mules and I have been taking the first cross off them as replacements over the last number of years which is working nicely. Apart from that we will keep doing what we are doing and try to improve the quality of stock year on year.”