Saturday 30th September, 2023 Borthwickshiels Farm, Roberton, TD9 7LS
By kind invitation of Stewart and Katherine McIntosh
2pm onwards, Demonstration, Stock judging and Farm Tour
The Galloway Cattle Society of GB and Ireland and the McIntosh family would like to invite everyone who is interested in cattle to attend this unique event which includes stockjuding and farm tour to be held on Saturday 30th September, 2023.
This event is open to everyone who is interested in cattle and will be an one off event to see what Galloways and their crosses can do on hill ground near Hawick, which is the new home for the noted Huntly herd of Galloways. The afternoon will comprise of stock judging and viewing the prize winning Huntly Galloway herd along with commercial herd of Galloway x Shorthorn herd and Blackface, Kerry Hill and Cheviot flocks.
Recently elected Breed Chairman - Mr Peter Hunter Blair, Nether Cleugh said “We are indebted to Stewart and Katherine for hosting this new event and we are looking forward to showcasing what pedigree and commercial Galloways can achieve. We would also like to encourage anyone, whatever their age, who is interested in seeing what Galloways can produce , either pure or crossbred to attend.
Stewart and his wife Katherine took on the tenancy of the hill/upland farm Borthwickshiels near Hawick in 2018 they brought their Huntly herd of Galloways with long-established bloodlines to run alongside their flock of Lanark type Blackfaces and the farm’s flock of Hill type North Country Cheviots which they took on.
The low-input herd numbers 100 pure bred Galloway cows which live outside year round and calve on the hill at up to 1,300ft above sea level, as well as followers and Beef Shorthorn cross Galloway calves and steers.
Stewart and Katherine farm 2,345 acres of rented ground at Borthwickshiels on an MLDT tenancy in the Borthwick Valley near Roberton plus a further 140 owned acres at nearby Ashkirk .Their daughters, Grace, six, and Sarah, three are already sharing their parents’ keen interest in farming.
The Galloway breeding goes back to 1948 when Stewart’s great uncle Sandy Coltherd bought five heifers from the Glenkinnon herd of Michael Glendinning, of Williamhope, near Selkirk.
Since then the herd was run by Stewart’s late father and past Galloway Cattle Society Vice Chairman, Robert, in Northumberland and then at Outer Huntly, Selkirk from 1978, until its move to Borthwickshiels following a change of policy on the tenanted farm.
Despite the ground running from 900ft to 1,300ft on the hill, the farm is self sufficient in winter fodder making around 1,500 big bales of silage a year.
30 of the spring calving cows are bred to the Beef Shorthorn bull and Stewart has been breeding these crossbreds for the last 15 years to meet the demand for heifers sold for breeding and finished bullocks.
The females are sold as 3 year old heifers with Aberdeen Angus cross calves at foot.
In June 2023, the Borthwickshiels annual consignment of Shorthorn cross
females with Angus calves at foot topped at £2,120 with a further prices at
£2,100, £2020 & £2000 when sold through Longtown mart’s special
sale of breeding cattle.
There are 25 of these Shorthorn cross cows retained for own use, that are bulled with a Limousin bull and calves sold store at Harrison & Hetherington, St.Boswells market.
25 autumn calvers which would previously have gone to the Shorthorn bull have been bred pure to capitalise on the increasing demand for Galloway heifers at Castle Douglas, with many buyers from south of the Border using them in environmental grazing schemes.
Such is the success of the Shorthorn Galloway crosses that a small herd of four pedigree Beef Shorthorn cows has been established under the Borthwickwater prefix and the current bull used on the Galloways, Nimrod, is home-bred. The cows have been AI‘d this year to Fearn Godfather to calve next summer and the plan is to increase numbers.
The farm runs 1,800 ewes, split between the Blackfaces and Hill type North Country Cheviots which were taken on with the tenancy at Borthwickshiels.
The two breeds of sheep are a good complement for the farm with the Blackfaces thriving on the heather hill and the Cheviots on the white hill.
The Borthwickshiels Blackfaces are all bred pure while 200 of the Cheviots are crossed with the Bluefaced Leicester to produce Cheviot Mule ewe lambs for sale with the wethers either being finished or sold store.
The ewes are scanned and those carrying twins are spread around the fields before lambing time. Those scanned with single lambs are usually on the hill parks and are turned back to the hill as soon as possible. Lambing, which is all outside, starts on April 1 with the aim of finishing by mid May.
Katherine runs a pedigree flock of 16 Kerry Hill ewes under the Glenhaugh prefix. At the 2022 Kerry Hill Flock Book Society sale in Carlisle a ram sold for 500gns and gimmers made 220gns.
Farm Facts
Stewart and Katherine McIntosh
One full member of staff - Graeme Anderson
Acres 2345 acres of rented ground, 140 acres owned.
900ft to 1,300ft above sea level.
100 pedigree Galloways, under the Huntly prefix
4 pedigree Beef Shorthorn under the Borthwickwater prefix
25 Shorthorn x Galloway crosses
1800 ewes Blackface and Hill type North Country Cheviots
16 Kerry Hill ewes which belongs to Katherine.
For further information and to register your interest please contact, GCS Secretary 07760 623985 or Facebook.