Cluny Crichton

A Place for all Seasons

Farming - Suckler Cows
The main farming enterprises at Cluny Crichton are suckler cows, finishing their progeny (calves) and growing cereal crops.

Central to the farming business is the breeding herd of Simmental and Limousin cross beef cows.  These have been bred over the years from a nucleus herd of pedigreed Simmental cows and run with Simmental and Limousin bulls for spring and autumn calving.

Female progeny from the herd are retained for breeding or finished along with the steers for slaughter at 18 to 24 months.

The herd is managed commercially using extensive summer grazing.  In the winter, the cows and calves are housed in straw bedded yards with ample supplies of grass silage, supplemented with rolled barley, proteins and minerals.

More information on the beef production life cycle is available at the UK Agriculture web site.

Farming - Cereal Production
Cereal production is primarily spring barley, mainly for animal feed with the surplus tonnage sold for milling.  Spring barley is also used as a nurse crop to establish new grass swards.

Fertiliser use is carefully monitored as part of the farm lies within a Nitrate Vulnerable Zone(NVZ).  Blended or compound fertilisers are preferred with extensive use of farmyard manures applied and ploughed in with winter stubbles.  Great care is is taken when selecting and using agrochemicals with equipment and farm staff certified to ever higher standards as protection of wildlife and the environment is paramount.

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