Aberdeen Angus prove successful for Hugh Thomson, Tynet

A former arable unit, Hugh and his wife Cara bought the farm based just outside of Insch in January 2019.

There is a small herd of 30 pedigree Aberdeen Angus cows at South Ardoyne Ref: RH260924023 Rob Haining / The Scottish Farmer... “It was bare ground, being continually cropped, so it needed a lot of work to fence and fix up the old buildings as well as adding a new shed ultimately.” Hugh explained.

Currently the Thomsons run 30 pedigree Aberdeen Angus cows plus followers all under the Tynet prefix – a name originating from Hugh’s father’s family farm Burnside of Tynet.

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The cows do a good job rearing their calf, with plenty of milk and good mothering ability Ref: RH260924034 Rob Haining / The Scottish Farmer... With Hugh working three days a week as a vet and helping on the family farm at Tynet, and his wife Cara working full-time as a rural property surveyor, the system at South Ardoyne has been historically low maintenance.

“I have always needed things to be able to run smoothly when I can’t always be there and Angus cattle have always been functional. It’s the only breed I’ve ever had here,” said Hugh.

Home to the Thomson family and Tynet Aberdeen Angus herd Ref: RH260924039 Rob Haining / The Scottish Farmer... “I took a shine to them when I was working down in Sussex as a vet and it was the previous Aberdeen Angus Society chair, Angus Stovold, that got me into them, I ended up buying a heifer from him. They seemed to really flesh well, calves had vigour and did not require a huge labour investment.” Being a vet, Hugh encounters many other different breeds through his work and has always found the Angus to work for him.

“Fertility is my number one factor, that’s the key to productivity because if the animal is calving without any problems it can get back in calf fairly quickly. The vigour of an Aberdeen Angus calf is also second to none. I knew I would not have time to put every other calf on to a cow, it just doesn’t work. With plenty going on, I need something low intervention and using the Angus is a great option for us. There is a place for every breed but Angus cattle is right for our system here,” he said.

The Thomsons bought their first foundation females in 2015 with the original herd coming from John Scott at Fearn Farm, alongside 12 heifers from Hugh’s neighbour Henk Rennie at Ardoyne.

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Tynet young bulls (L-R) Popeye,Delboy and Dandy Ref: RH260924038 Rob Haining / The Scottish Farmer... “Those original bloodlines did well for us, we were successful particularly with Fearn Abbey Diana and Fearn Abbey Poppy. Poppy bred our current stock bull Pegasus. He took junior and reserve overall champion at the October 2018 bull sales and we sold him for 13,000gns to Wedderlie, we bought him back in 2022. Diana has bred show champions most recently the reserve Angus at Keith Show this year and has bred a number of very good bulls sold both privately and at Stirling into pedigree herds.”

Calving occurs over two blocks at South Ardoyne with a small batch in January and February with the bulk of the herd calving late spring.

“We usually implant some embryos, all into pure cows, around June to ramp up are favourite families. When we started it was exclusively AI used in the herd, we are keen to do more again as time permits and having a full time stock person now in Ashleigh. Everything calves inside as our ground isn’t really suited to out-wintering. It’s very able ground but if it’s gets wet you have to get off it. We take the herd inside typically at the end of October and ideally get them out as early as they can around April time weather permitting. This year past was definitely more difficult with the wet spring.” said Hugh.

The aim is to make high quality silage to keep the herd fed over winter Ref: RH260924036 Rob Haining / The Scottish Farmer... Tynet heifers calve at two years of age with the Angus easy calving traits, Hugh finds this approach works the best for him.

“We are breeding heifers for replacements so I like to get them in calf

"To calve at two...they need to be at least 65% of their adult bodyweight when they go to the bull, we aim for 440-460kg at bulling but they usually exceed that.”

This gives us cow at nearly 800kg which fleshes easily.

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At South Ardoyne, calving occurs over two blocks with a small batch in January and February and the bulk of the herd calving in the late spring Ref: RH260924035 Rob Haining / The Scottish Farmer... The cows are fed on quality silage when they go inside, with all the silage home grown on farm but are typically fed for condition.

“The beauty of an Angus cow is you generally have condition to spare.

​“I take two cuts of the best quality silage I can and that gives the cows enough cover, I don’t really believe in giving cows concentrate feeds, they should be able to do it on grass. Calves are creep fed as I believe they meet their genetic potential by feeding at an efficient period in their life. The bulls are fed on a forage and a bit of concentrate top up. For simplicity sake we buy our compound in as opposed to mixing our own but we may look at that again in the future.”

With Hugh being a vet, herd health is a huge concern with the farm being part of a health scheme and Johnes level 1 assured. Any animals that are not performing are culled and sold through Thainstone Mart.

The farm is also home to 85 breeding Cheviot Mules that run with Blue Texel tups to produce prime lambs. Hugh also started contract rearing 3000 nursery pigs over two sites earlier this year.

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In 2015, the Thomson family took a significant step in building their cattle operation by purchasing their first foundation females, marking the beginning of what would become a cornerstone for their herd Ref: RH260924030 Rob Haining / The Scottish Farmer “When you are starting from the bottom it’s always a good idea to put your eggs in multiple baskets. When these kind of opportunities come up I am inclined to take them – it adds an extra income and an extra string to the business,” Hugh explained.

To ensure, they are not spread too thin, the Thomsons have recently enlisted the help of stock person Ashleigh Stewart to assist when neither Hugh or Cara can be present.

“Ashleigh has been such a big help now, we have more time to do things and give everything a bit more TLC and attention to detail that she brings. We can also go back to taking bulls to sales, showing a bit more now and we were able to do our local show in the Summer. We have always showed at the Black Beauty Bonanza and have previously done Stars of the Future so it’s good to get out and support the shows here in the north east and get youngstock used to being haltered.”

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The October Bull Sales will see Hugh on the other side of the show ring as he takes on the role of Aberdeen Angus judge.

“It’s a privilege to be asked and it’s something I am really looking forward to, it’s good to see what is out there. When I judge I look for something based on what I would buy myself. I won’t be immediately drawn to the biggest beast but something that is well put together. They need good tops, good feet and legs, with lots of Angus character.” While the cattle are the primary focus outside at South Ardoyne; Hugh and Cara’s 22-month-old son Ruairidh comes first and foremost.

“We are very lucky to live in this part of the country as it feels like a proper agricultural community hub. You have some of the best arable people and livestock breeders across multiple breeds at the top of their game here and you can learn a lot from them. It drives you on.” Hugh said: “It works well for me being a vet and getting to see farms from that perspective, I probably do my best farming when I am away from the farm.

“Right now we are focusing on the cattle. We try and run a fully sustainable unit, we aim for our bull sales to fully pay for the cows. Our retained heifers and females sales are the cherry on top. We typically sell six to eight bulls a year, mainly privately but will return to the sale ring at Stirling in February 2025. We have worked hard for 10 years to get where we are today and I am excited to see where we will be in the next decade.

“We are hugely grateful to the support of our family, friends and neighbours who constantly help what we do. You cannot do it all on your own”.

Farm Facts

Farm size: 175 acres owned at South Ardoyne, and 185 acres rented at Fochabers.

Livestock: 30 pedigree Aberdeen Angus cows, 85 breeding cheviot mules, contract farm 3000 nursery pigs over two sites.

Who’s involved: Hugh, Cara, Ruairidh (22 months), and farm worker Ashleigh Stewart.

Arable: 300 acres including wheat, oil seed rape, and malting barley.

On The Spot

What’s the best thing about farming in the north east? The mixed element, it’s an area that lends itself to both livestock and arable farming.

What would you do if you weren’t working in agriculture? No idea, I quite enjoy being a vet and getting out and seeing how other people do things.

Proudest moment? Starting the farm from scratch completely self-funded between the two of us.

Best advice? Don’t be afraid to go for different opportunities and put your eggs in a few baskets.

Where do you see yourselves in 10 years? Hopefully being able to operate fully sustainably where not every decision that’s been made has to be money orientated.