Nestled in the heart of South Norfolk, Pulham Herefords exude all the qualities of healthy, productive and profitable cattle. The Tracesure bolus has played a key role.
Starting out with only four Hereford cattle, Philip and Laura now farm 120 cattle. The breeders’ focus is on ensuring the herd’s correctness and ease of fleshing, earning widespread recognition in the Hereford community.
Philip Vincent returned to the family farm business in the early 2000’s, where his appetite for breeding cows started. “We put up our first poultry shed in 2003. We also had 1,000 fattening pigs as well as doing some arable. In 2007, we put a second chicken shed up, and the pigs disappeared at that point because of the risk of salmonella”, explains Philip.
“I always fancied having some cattle. We’d had different breeds on grass keep, and it was at this point that I struck upon the native Hereford breed. They were very docile, easy calving and did well off grass, and it all started from there”, says Philip.
Philip has set his eyes on expansion. “We put up an additional shed last winter. Now we want to do some more embryo transfer work with our best females to further improve the genetics of the herd, with the aim of them becoming even more consistent”.
“We tend to sell most privately as breeding stock. Any that don’t meet our high standards are finished and sold direct to customers in beef boxes or to a local wholesaler. A few are sold off as stores. We make that decision at 200-days, based on growth rates and conformation”, explains Philip.
Key herd achievements
Pulham Herefords are in receipt of many awards and accolades; testament to the quality of stock and stockmanship:
- Winners of the Midlands and East Anglia Hereford Breeders Association herd competition for 5 consecutive years.
- Runners-up in the National Hereford Herd Competition in 2021 and 2023.
- 2023 National Hereford Show Champions.
- Set a breed sale record of 13,000gns for UK female Hereford at the 2021 Designer Genes Sale.
Making the switch to the Tracesure bolus
The autumn-calving suckler herd enjoys grazing in the company of free range chickens in the spring/summer, and a simple diet of silage and straw whilst housed over the winter period.
Philip explains the deficiencies on his farm. “We have a selenium deficiency, which is not uncommon in the UK. The farm has also had a few issues with a shortage of iodine in the past. This can lead to calf spleens not being developed properly”.
“We were actually bolusing in the past but changed to supplementing with bagged minerals in the winter and mineral buckets in the summer. However over time we became concerned that each animal was not consistently getting the correct amounts”.
“We were having some issues with retained cleansing in Autumn 2022, so took the decision in 2023 to switch back to bolusing, and opted to go with the Tracesure bolus”, reveals Philip.
“We have always bolused and liquid drenched our ET donor and recip cows to give them a boost and ensure they are on top form. Now we’re bolusing all our breeding cattle twice a year – a couple of months before calving and then again 6 months later. Having seen a positive impact, we have also started using Animax calf bolus at 70kg – 100kg to help them reach their genetic potential”, explains Philip.
The Tracesure bolus impacts
Philip has recognised the benefits of the switching back to bolusing. “For the last two winters we haven’t used any bagged minerals and just bolused instead. It’s really difficult to distinguish any direct results without doing a controlled trial. But hand on heart, I do think it has made a marked difference that we could instantly see and recognise”.
“We didn’t have a single issue with retained cleansing in both autumn and spring calving’s”
“We did have one or two older calves that weren’t doing as well. Once bolused, could see a marked difference. Looking at them, growth rates are good and coat condition is better, which is an indicator as to how the animal is generally doing itself”, adds Philip.
“The abattoir said they were finding whole boluses in some of the cattle. I know that this is by design, and it doesn’t mean they aren’t spent. The fact that the boluses retain their shape and stay in the animal is actually reassuring”.
“We are using more of the new XL Tracesure bolus than anything else. Before we were giving two boluses, and now we only have to give one. Trying to get cows to open their mouths a second time is not always overly easy, so doing it just the once is a lot quicker and a big advantage for me. The applicator guns have a lot of thought and engineering behind them, so the animal doesn’t get damaged on its way down”, explains Philip.
“Now we know everything is getting a bolus and should get what they need”, concludes Philip.
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