Cushendun Group

• Group meeting 6 July 2011
• Group meeting 4 May 2011
• Group meeting 10 October 2010
• Farm visit 7 July 2010
• Photos 7 July 2010
• Farm visit 7 May 2010
• Photos 7 May 2010
• Farm visit 9 October 2009
• Photos 9 October 2009
• Farm visit 8 July 2009

• Ranging from 40 to 650 feet above sea level.
• Annual rainfall: 50 inches

• 162ha (400 acres) owned, which includes 4 ha of species rich grassland,
  plus 45 ha (111 acres) conacre, which includes 25 ha of common grazing.
• All the land is classified SDA and is in an Environmentally Sensitive Area (ESA).
• Soil type: clay loams to clay; mostly free draining.

• All stock was slaughtered in the last foot and mouth outbreak in 2002.

• 54 suckler cows (mainly Limousin x Holstein)
• 2 breeding bulls - Charolais and Limousin
• 10 replacement heifers.
• Calving period Jan-April.
• Calves generally sold as stores in March.
• This year 19 steer calves will be finished on the farm.

• 400 ewes
• 90 ewe lambs
• 160 Blackface
• 240 Mules and some Greyface
• GF and Mules X with Suffolk.
• 50 hoggets X with Texel
• Most of Blackfaced ewes X with Bluefaced Leicester
• Keep all own replacements.
• All lambs finished off farm.
• 580 lambs this year.

• 26 ha (65acres) cut once for silage
• 4 ha (10acres) cut for hay.

• Normally reseeds 10 acres each year.
• This year 26 acres have been reseeded.
• 10acres direct spring reseed
• 16 acres undersown wholecrop silage.

• Used 8 t 25.5.5 and 12 t 27%N last year.
• Most of the fertiliser is used on the cutting area (3 bags 25.5.5 per acre). Grazing on the lower ground gets 1.5 to 2 bags of 27% N/ac.
• Hill ground does not get fertilized.
• Regularly sprays for rushes and docks.

• Paddy + some casual labour.
• 2 tractors
• 1 Telehandler
• Sprayer, fertilizer sower, topper
• Silage cut by contractor.

• All land in ESA
• 10 acres Species Rich Grassland