EASY MANAGED, CONSISTENT SIMMENTALS
TICKING ALL THE BOXES FOR THE BOWLEY HERD
As a British Simmental herd that typically registers 150-200 calves per year, the most in England, we take a look at what’s behind the management ethos of the Bowley Herd of Mr CM Mercer, based at Hope-Under-Dinmore, Herefordshire.
H
aving worked with various breeds of cattle in his career, stock manager at Bowley Court Farm, Richard Bell, says the Simmental has stood the test of time for the breed’s superior mothering ability, calving ease and temperament. Richard, who manages the 300-cow herd across the 550-acre grass farm alongside stockman Andrew Bennett on behalf of owner C M Mercer, has been with the herd
30
|
www.britishsimmental.co.uk
for some 42 years and has witnessed various attributes of many breeds, but feels the Simmental breed delivers on all areas of suckler beef production. “We’ve tried all manner of breeds in the past, have witnessed some of the benefits of hybrid vigour too, but overall nothing has really delivered as consistently and with the ability to tick all the boxes as well as the Simmental,” highlights Richard.
