A BREEDER of traditional Blue Grey cattle has reported new interest.

The breed first arrived at Hotbank on Hadrian's Wall, near Bardon Mill, when Joseph Pattinson moved there in 1934.

Today his son, John, says they are still the best breed for the 1300 acre all grass severely disadvantaged National Trust farm. It has no winter housing and is also under constraints from Northumberland National Park, English Heritage, Natural England and from being in a World Heritage site.

He farms with his wife, Pamela, and son JonJo, and although other breeds have been tried none have done as well as the Blue Grey - produced from crossing Galloways with Whitebred Shorthorn

The herd has 90 cows - half are pure Galloways, the rest their Blue Grey daughters - and a few Whitebred Shorthorns to breed bulls to cross with the Galloway.

Up to 15 of the best Galloway females are put back to the Galloway bull for herd replacements and the rest crossed with the Whitebred Shorthorn. Around 15 Blue Grey females are sold each year. The rest are crossed with Limousin and Aberdeen Angus bulls and the calves sold at six to 12 months.

Last year the heifers made a top price of £1,250 a head for two year olds and £1,150 a head for 16 month heifers.

“There is definitely a resurging interest in the Blue Grey, both as a hardy suckler cow and for bullocks with demand for traditionally-reared, quality beef,” said John. “The Whitebred Shorthorn bull and Galloway cow are tailor made for each other.”

The bullocks sell at 18 months at the autumn Longtown or Hexham traditional breed sales. Regular buyers include a south west Scotland finisher who has bought them for 30 years.

Mr Pattinson tried continental bulls on the Galloways but said they were a lot of hard work with often difficult calvings and only lasted half as long as the Blue Grey cow.

“They were bigger cows which ate more and caused more damage to the rough grazing, an important environmental feature. Our land is in Higher Level Stewardship and we have two SSSIs, Roman Wall Escarpments and Roman Wall Loughs.”

The family was in the Northumberland National Park Drovers Project from 2003-2005 when Galloway and Blue Grey cattle grazed Purple Moor Grass from June to September to encourage heather regeneration and allow greater species diversity.

Mr Pattinson said the Blue Grey are hardy, easily kept and long-lived. Calving is unassisted and vet bills are minimal although heifers are tested for BVD, Johnes and IBR before being sold.

He said: “The Blue Grey is attracting interest partly because of its eatability - you can’t beat the meat for taste and tenderness, they are reared slowly and naturally on hill pastures at Hotbank with no artificial fertilisers, not even on our land for hay - only farm yard manure."

Last year, Blue Grey bullocks made up to £900 a head at 18 months at Longtown and Hexham. All calves are sold off grass.

“The Blue Greys are fertile and prolific producing a calf a year - in fact, one we sold lived until she was 22 and produced a calf each year!” he said.

Most calve in spring with 12 in autumn. The spring calvers are supplemented with round bale haylage, the autumn calvers also receive some sugar beet pulp.

Forthcoming sales include Cumberland & Dumfriesshire Farmers’ Mart, Longtown, October 18, and March 31, mostly Blue Grey and Galloway bullocks; Harrison & Hetherington, Newcastleton: October 28, Blue Grey bulling heifers and heifer calves; October 29, Blue Grey suckled bullocks and heifer calves.