Easy calving Salers pay for McClymonts, Cuil, Newton Stewart

The McClymonts, who are renowned not only for their Salers cattle but also their Blackface sheep, say nothing beats the fertility, simplicity of management or hardiness, with the ease of calving and lambing attributes of both breeds being second to none.

Cuil Farm has been home to the McClymonts for more than eight decades. Third-generation farmer Colin is now at the helm, farming with his wife, Annette, and 20-year-old son, Angus. They employ full-time stockman Gordon Porter, who shepherds at Clanary and has just received his long-service medal for 30 valued years’ service. The team also includes Alastair Cannon (from neighbouring farm Little Park) who ably supports in all aspects of the farm work and Angus McColm, previously from Crailloch, who helps during sales season.

Colin says: “My grandfather Pat, who came from Holm of Bargrennan, took on the tenancy in 1938. At that time, it was a large shooting estate previously rented by the Duke of Bedford. There was no stock on the farm and the bottom fields were flooded for shooting.

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Commercial Salers cows and their Salers calves are run all summer on the Cuil Colin’s grandfather bought Cuil in 1957 and it has been added to over the years. His father, Graham, purchased the 700-acre Clanary in 1967 while Barhassie, Muirfad, and Cairnsmore were bought in the 1980s. The business now boasts 2700-acres starting just above sea level to 2300 feet. Some 2100 acres of that ground is hill with roughly 600 acres in-bye, 150 of which is used for silage and hay (weather permitting).

Graham, who sadly passed eight years ago, originally ran Angus Blue Grey crosses and pedigree Hereford cows. He bought his first two Salers bulls in 1985 from Bryan Walling, Kendal, who was the first person to import them into the UK, in 1984. Since then, the family has been smitten with the breed’s ease of calving.

Colin, who runs 170 pure cows, 25 of which are pedigree, is keen to stress the easy management of the Salers. “Life is so much easier with these low-input animals, which require little time. Salers are quick to get back in calf and have longevity, producing quality calves well into their teens.

Just a few of the heifers that will be forward for the sale at Castle Douglas next month “We calve mostly in the autumn and aim to sell calves at a year old. Calving has just started, and I expect it to be the same as normal – really easy.

“We only check the calving females once daily and went through a period of five years where we never calved a cow. We’ve never had a caesarean since we introduced Salers. Back-end calving suits our system – we calve everything outside and bring them inside in the winter.”

Calves are creep-fed in the winter at 1lb per head and they don’t get any hard feed in the summer while grazing the hill with their mothers. They are weaned mid-August and sold in October/November.

“We keep everything simple, don’t overfeed, and serve everything naturally. Anything not paying its way is culled, so if a cow is scanned empty, she goes, unless there are exceptional circumstances. However, we’ve rarely have to put any away”.

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Small batch of Salers heifer that are being kept as replacements Ref: RH081024015 Rob Haining / The Scottish Farmer... Colin says all the best lines in the herd go back to Cuil Tansy, one of the foundation females. Anything relating to her has done well and left her mark.

Over the years many French bulls have been purchased.

​“At the start, dad always tried to buy bulls out of dairy herds in France for milkiness,” says Colin. These bulls came from Massif Central, where the terrain ranges from 2000-6000ft, which boded well for us.”

A few other bulls have also made their mark over the years. In the early days, there was Domino, a French bull that was placed third in the inter-breed at the Royal Highland Show in 1990 alongside the home-bred Cuil Madrid.

Home to the McClymonts family Ref: RH081024020 Rob Haining / The Scottish Farmer... There was also Cumbrian Johnnie which sired the former champion bull at Stirling, Cuil Herbie, and Cuil King, the second top priced bull at Castle Douglas in 2017.

The main stock bull at present is Corrichie Ninja, which Colin describes as one of the best bull they’ve ever used, alongside Darnford Powerhouse, both of which are breeding well and are the sires of a lot of this year’s sale heifers.

When Colin envisages his perfect breeding female he sees length, a level top line, a broad roomy pelvis, and sound feet and legs. She must also be feminine, have character, and a bit of class – ‘that wee bit extra’.

“She must also be very consistent and I like them all the same dark red colour,” he says.

Every year, 20 select heifers are retained as stock females with a further 50 yearling heifers sold at Wallets Mart, Castle Douglas, at the breed sale in November.

Bullocks are sold store at the October calf sale in Newton Stewart. The bread and butter of the business – the commercial heifers – are also sold at the breed sale at Castle Douglas, in pens of five, many of which sell to repeat buyers. Most are sold to be bulled to a Charolais for ease of calving, anywhere from Orkney to Devon.

This November, Cuil will have 50 yearling commercial heifers at Wallets Mart. Last year, their average was back slightly at £1250 and saw a top of £1600 for the champion pen. Their personal best was achieved in 2017, when they sold 11 pens of five to average £1600 for 55 yearling heifers. Notably, they have won the commercial championship pen of heifers eight times in the last 11 years.

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The Salers suit the McClymonts for longevity, producing quality calves well into their teens Ref: RH081024011 Rob Haining / The Scottish Farmer... On the pedigree side, the family try to sell two or three bulls through the market annually, but most are sold at home. These include a top of 8000gns for a bull in 2016 at Stirling and 4500gns for a pedigree heifer at Castle Douglas.

Next month, they will also be selling the August 2023-born bull, Cuil Seattle – the first son of Darnford Powerhouse to be sold from the herd.

All cattle are BVD accredited, Johne’s risk level one for the past 10 years, and in the Hi-Health scheme. No boluses or minerals are used – only a pour-on in the winter.

Cuil is synonymous in the world of Salers but has also made its mark within Scottish Blackface sheep breeding. In 1976, Graham McClymont bred the first ram to sell at a five-figure price in the UK, when Cuil Superstar, a son of a £5400 Grimmet, sold for £13,000 to the Campbell family of Larg, Creetown.

Colin is a great believer in the Blackface breed. He says they suit the hill ground and are kindly, milky mothers bred to withstand a harsh hill environment with a low input system just like the Salers. He looks for tups with width and power.

The family runs 1300 breeding ewes. The flock includes 1000 Blackfaces, of which 900 are pure – the other 100 run with a Bluefaced Leicester tup to provide replacements for the 300 cross ewes kept at Barhassie. Lambing takes place from mid-March until the end of April.

Some of the pedigree Salers, which the breed was introduced to the Cuil in 1985 Ref: RH081024009 Rob Haining / The Scottish Farmer... Some 360 ewe lambs are also kept as replacements, with the other 100 being sold through Castle Douglas for breeding. The remaining 1400 lambs are sold finished off grass through Newton Stewart.

Shearlings are sold mainly through the breed sales at Ayr with some at Lanark.

Colin recalls a personal best of £36,000 for a tup in 1995 and just last week, in Ayr, they produced the sale leader at £11,000 for a shearling.

Tups that have had a major influence on the flock are a £14,000 Drannandow Sheriff, an £11,000 Connachan, a £52,000 Dalchirla, a £31,000 Little Larg, and, most recently, a £9000 Elmscleugh – the sire of last week’s sale leader.

When asked about his best investment, he said: “A good bull or tup can have a massive influence on the herd or flock and good staff are key to the success of any business.”

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Farm Facts

Farm size: Five neighbouring farms – Cuil, Clanary, Muirfad, Cairnsmore and Barhassie based between Palnure and Creetown – comprising 2700acres of which 2100acres is hill ground rising to 2300ft.

Livestock: 170 Salers cows – 25 pedigree and 1300 pure Blackfaces and crosses.

Farm team: Colin, in partnership with wife Annette who does all the farm paperwork and plays a key role in keeping things running smoothly, and 20-year-old son Angus. Shepherd, Gordon Porter and self-employed tractor man Alastair Cannon. Angus McColm helps out during sales season. Colin and Annette also have a 22-year-old daughter, Ellie, who is a medical student.

Photographs by Rob Haining