Products

Livestock - Grasstrac Booklet - 05

“Grasstrac produces heavier and better looking lambs”
David Glover - Ross-Shire

Farm Profile
David Glover is Estate Manager of the 68,000 acre Inverinate Estate owned by Sheikh Mohammed. The majority of the land is hill where an extensive bracken and rush eradication programme is underway. There is a small area of pasture and silage ground adjacent to river banks.

The Stock
Livestock comprise sheep, cattle and wild deer. There are 3 flocks of mainly pedigree sheep — Blackface, North Country Cheviot, and South Country Cheviot mixed with the North Country.

The 1,450 breeding ewes lamb during April and May. The lambs are weaned September to October and Halal slaughtered at Dingwall Abattoir for transportation to Dubai for Ramadan. There are 150 red Highland cows running with 6 bulls to calve in the autumn. Calves are slaughtered at just under 2 years to produce a small 200kg DW carcass.

The Problem
Lamb performance was not up to expectation. Broad Spectrum soil tests were done and average results showed trace element levels well below the guidelines.

The Grasstrac Experience
Grasstrac has been used on between 50 and 100 acres for three years and David says the lambs now reach a heavier weight and have a better bloom with a fresher look. He finds that the sheep graze Grasstrac-treated areas better.

Future developments including using Grasstrac on silage fields to give the out-wintered Highland cattle the benefit over winter from big-bale silage fed along with feed buckets. Consideration is also being given to the application of Grasstrac by helicopter on some of the steeper slopes where the grazing has been improved.