Back to Nature

Whether you believe in creation or evolution, grazing herbivores are an integral part of every grassland ecosystem on Earth!  The health of any habitat on the planet relies on the symbiotic relationship between air, water, soil and plant and animal species and their interactions. In much of modern agriculture, the cow is managed for maximum performance and output but her role in the ecosystem is forgotten… “Regenerative” agriculture keeps the health of the whole ecosystem in mind and helps the cow to get back to her innate role in the food chain!

At Ruach Herefords, our aim is to breed and maintain a stock of commercial cattle that are capable of living the natural life of a grazing animal and playing their role as ‘ecological engineers’ in a grassland ecosystem. We aim to do this whilst maintaining the qualities desired by farmers and modern-day food production.

In this way, we hope to secure a future for our children by building resilience and sustainability into our farm system and animals, which in turn benefits our natural environment, ensures food security and keeps rural communities alive and prosperous.

NATURALLY RESILIENT

REGENERATIVE

SUSTAINABLE

So, what does this look like in our animals?

Situated in the Cairngorms National Park of N. E. Scotland, our upland farm provides the ideal testing ground for our cattle, exposing weaknesses in the genetics that can be removed so that we can build a herd with true hardiness and fertility in a challenging environment.

The foundational members of our herd were purchased from John & Alexandra Douglas of Ervie Herefords in Stranraer, S.W. Scotland. We had been studying how large-scale ranching in the challenging grassland plains of North America had produced a Hereford that was hardy, fertile and easy-fleshing. John & Alexandra had spent years importing these genetics and using them in their own herd. Even with the purchase of these cattle from the Douglas’s, there is much work to do in identifying and breeding from the bloodlines of animals that do well in our part of Scotland and who can be relied on in the hardest of UK climes.

 

REQUIREMENTS OF OUR ANIMALS

  • Small to moderate animals – less impact on ground – more efficient to feed – cows @ 500-700kg and bulls @ 700-900kg
  • Structural soundness, compact animal, short-legged for safely traversing rough ground
  • Gut capacity for utilising large amounts of poor quality roughage (think Heather and native grasses)
  • Easy-fleshing, good BCS all year, I/M fat = Hardiness – They must live out all year
  • Fertility and no assistance needed at calving – we have culled hard for this and will continue to do so
  • Moderate milk yield – no mastitis – no extra handling or risk to cow/calf performance
  • Perform without routine worming or treatment of any kind
  • Docility

 

Bulls for Sale

07935 353 903

info@ruachherefords.co.uk

Our vision is to sell bulls into all corners of the United Kingdom, particularly to supply farmers in upland conditions with reliable bulls that fit into large-scale forage-based systems.  The Herd was established in 2018, with our first calves hitting the ground in 2019.  Our first bull calf was born breech naturally and has gone on to sire calves at home.  Customers have bought our bulls to inject hybrid vigour into their Angus herds and sought us out for smaller-framed, hardy bulls that will produce replacement heifers that suit their grass-based farm systems.

Whilst we are still growing our herd, we are now starting to sell surplus bulls.  Please contact us and arrange for a visit!