At New Droverhall Farm near Crossgates, Finlay Adam is focused on keeping things practical, efficient and future proof.
With a well-established store cattle system at the core, the business has recently taken steps to tighten control over production and reduce exposure to market swings. By introducing suckler cows and streamlining feeding processes, Finlay is building a system that works smarter, freeing up time while maintaining performance.
The farm operates a simple, effective rotation of winter barley, winter wheat and spring barley. The barley is used on farm, treated with Maxammon and processed through the Super Bruiser. Any surplus grain is sold where possible. Wheat is grown with the aim of meeting milling specification and achieving the best market return.
This is now Finlay’s fourth season using the Super Bruiser and Maxammon system, prior to that Finlay was buying in protein to feed alongside his cereals, treating with Maxammon has reduced the need to buy in protein, helping with managing feed costs, as well as improving performance. With a well-organised two-bay setup, he processes around 60 tonnes per month, a job that typically takes just 2–3 hours.
“We get Harbro in monthly to bruise in 60-tonne batches. We also use them for all our lick buckets, minerals and Alkacid throughout the year. The service is top notch, and we couldn’t be happier plus the cattle are more content and do well.
We used to bruise every day with our own machine, which took an hour or two at a time. Harbro Beef & Sheep Specialist, David Allan recommended the Super Bruiser, and it made sense to give it a try. Now we’ve taken all that hassle away. Doing 60 tonnes in one go means we’re always ahead. When we’re getting near the end of a batch, I just text David and that’s it. If we need minerals at the same time, we just add it to the message. Communication is spot on – we get a text to confirm and a call from the driver before they arrive.” Finlay explains
“It’s a brilliant system and it really works. It’s simple, and you can clearly see the difference. Finlay used to spend a lot of time bruising himself, and consistency could be an issue. Now it’s efficient, even, and only handled once.” David added
Alongside the livestock enterprise, the farm has built up a popular weekend baking honesty box, offering a wide range of home baking that’s well worth a visit. This spring also sees the launch of a new venture, with a tulip picking field opening towards the end of April.