Current Registration Number for Shorthorn Beef Cows

Carlisle Spring May Society Sale Preview

Society Webinars - Learn more about our Breed

PASTURE FED LIVESTOCK: AN INTRODUCTION

PERFORMANCE RECORDING: HOW TO GET GOING

PERFORMANCE RECORDING: TO IMPROVE PROFITABILITY

CHeCS HEALTH SCHEME

Welcome to the Beef Shorthorn Cattle Society

Beef Shorthorn is the native breed with a rich past, a dynamic present, and one that is fit for future purpose being highly suited to modern low input farming systems. It offers a solution as a modern functional suckler cow: the breed is finding a ready market amongst commercial suckler producers who are discovering it fits the gap following the demise of quality replacements sourced from the dairy sector. Moreover it has a high health status: all registered animals offered at Beef Shorthorn Cattle Society official sales are from CHeCS approved health scheme herds. Plus cattle surplus for breeding purposes are eligible for Morrisons Shorthorn Beef scheme - and the brand is also increasingly appealing to high street butchers and farm shops.

Native breeds came under pressure in the 1960s and 1970s following the invasion of the Continental breeds. After three decades, they are back in vogue. Beef Shorthorn is amongst those witnessing a major turn-around and it has been documented by Defra as the fastest growing native breed.

Forthcoming sales

Latest News

Morrisons' Stores to £1,190 at Longtown Mart

Sales News

Beef Shorthorn peak at 7,500gns in Carlisle

Beef Shorthorn met a firm trade peaking at 7,500gns in Carlisle on Saturday 21 May at the Society's official spring sale.

Commercial producers

If you are searching for a functional suckler cow, then Beef Shorthorn provides a solution. Introducing Beef Shorthorn genetics to your suckler herd will deliver:

Calving ease – low birthweight
Docility
Milkiness and fertility
Hardiness – ability to winter outdoors
Feed efficiency, in particular foraging ability
Lively calves quickly up and sucking

Overall, if you're looking at a low input, low cost system, then Beef Shorthorn is a perfect fit.

Focus farms

"Llerneuaddau, a 600ha high mountain unit, 12 miles inland from Aberystwyth, signed up to the Glastir agri-environment scheme in 2013; it's currently delivering one third of the unit's income, whilst one third is from BPS and the remainder from stock sales. The latter income is where the profit lies and it's the only portion that we can influence which is why we have adopted a very low input strategy which features smaller Highland suckler cows and their Beef Shorthorn cross, and why we place a big emphasis on measuring stock efficiency to improve farm output".

Christopher Evans and farm manager, Rheinallt Jones

"Putting milk back in to our Continental sucklers was amongst the measures we've taken towards improving the unit's efficiency and making more profit. Whilst we like the Continentals, seven years on and we also like our Beef Shorthorn crosses; they are demonstrating real hybrid vigour, they've reintroduced the milk we were looking for and they're proving to be the most efficient in terms of overall performance."

David Monkhouse

"Beef Shorthorn Angus cows currently make up 65% of Dalswinton Estate's 500 cow suckler enterprise. The breed's natural hardiness and maternal traits combined with temperament are being blended with the unit's Angus genetics to deliver a profitable enterprise trading 10 to 12-month-old calves, and it is one on which to build for the future."
Dalswinton's Peter Landale

"We introduced Beef Shorthorn to our Angus cross cows in 2016. Whilst the cows were working well, I felt that some of them - those with thinner skins were not coping as well as they should in our extremely harsh environment, our average rainfall is nearly 3m. The decision has paid off."
SRUC Kirkton Farm Manager, Ewen Campbell

"We are breeding a functional suckler cow, one that's sustainable on our hard land, and has a good temperament; I have a full-time job so it's vital our cattle are easy to handle and virtually look after themselves. We select for milk and frame. We are aiming for a mature cow ranging between 550kg to 650kg and weaning a calf 40-50% her body weight; that's efficiency."
Ross Whitcombe.

BEEF SHORTHORN CATTLE SOCIETY JOURNAL 2022

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WATCH THE BEEF SHORTHORN IN ACTION

"It's a breed with an appealing quiet temperament. One that's easy to keep..."

- George Irving, Mountbenger

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Source: https://www.beefshorthorn.org/