Feeding Calves receive creep and show cattle are also fed concentrates. Bulls are fed through the winter and heifers are on purely grass and silage once they are weaned. A paddock grazing system is made use of and Andrew remarks on the breed’s hardiness, saying during the hot spell of summer 2018, the cattle looked better than ever. and size, with pelvic measurements also taken into account. For Heather and Andrew, udders, feet and legs are all very important to them when selecting which females to breed from. Andrew says: “You have got to keep enough size in your females. Size is easy to let go, but really hard to get back again.” Calving in spring and autumn, the herd makes use of natural service, AI and embryo transfer. Some embryos are sold privately. More recently they have been using their own in-vitro production embryos, which Andrew says is less stress on the cow’s body and more cost effective. Pedigree Hereford recipients are used for both methods as if the embryo is not
successful, the stock bull can be used to produce a pedigree calf. He adds: “We will always have a valuable pedigree animal this way.” Heather has also achieved her own share of success in the sale ring, with Coley’s biggest sale price being 13,000gns for Coley 1 Pilot at the Designer Genes Sale 2018. There was also 8,000gns realised at the 2016 Designer Genes sale for Coley 1 Bubbles, twice winner of the Royal Three Counties female championship and native interbreed champion at Westmorland Show. Each year, 10 shows are exhibited at, but being in a four yearly TB testing area, moving cattle between events can be difficult and as such, two show teams are required. Heather says the herd’s biggest success was taking the 2018 Royal Highland breed championship with Pilot, after also breeding the breed champion the year before with heifer Coley 1 Pippa 356, shown by Tom and Di Harrison, Stocksfield. Success was also had at one of their closest shows to home, the Great Yorkshire, with Pilot taking the
breed championship at Harrrogate along with the junior interbreed this year, standing its ground among the continentals. Adding to the herd’s successes at the Royal Three Counties in 2015, bull Sky High 1 Korker and female Coley 1 Eva took the male and female championships. In fact, they took home the female championship three years in a row at the Royal Three Counties. Heather says: “Showing is so important to our business. If we didn’t promote ourselves at shows, there would be no Coley. We need to compete.”
Pilot’s show achievements Grand male champion at Agri Expo 2017 Breed champion at the Scottish National Show and reserve interbreed Interbreed champion at Buckinghamshire County Show Intermediate male champion at National Poll Show Interbreed champion and show supreme at Halifax Show Breed champion at the Great Yorkshire and junior interbreed Male champion at Shropshire County Show Breed champion at the Royal Highland
Coley 1 Sasha with dam
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