Sir Charles and Lady Caroline Colthurst hosted an open day on their impressive farm on Saturday, July 12th which was arranged by the Cork Limousin Club. Nestled around the iconic Blarney Castle, the meticulously maintained 350-acre farm is a mix of limestone and sandstone land laid out in paddocks dedicated to grassland grazing.
Farm Manager James Kent gave attendees an overview of the enterprise, which operates a closed herd of 170 spring-calving suckler cows, primarily Limousin. They run six bulls — four Limousin and two Simmental — with the herd. All the cows are Limousin crosses, with most going back many generations of Limousin.
The Colthursts have been breeding Limousins for over 30 years. “We find the cows have plenty of milk, are excellent mothers, and the calves thrive exceptionally well,” they noted.
Most bulls are finished before reaching 16 months of age and are sold to Kepak in Watergrasshill. The average carcass weight of these bulls exceeds 420kg — a testament to the quality of the herd.
Female replacements are bred from within the herd. Last spring the average calving interval was 381 days — 16 days below the national average.
The herd’s fertility is exceptional, particularly given its size. Last spring, 73% of the cows calved within a six-week window. Heifers are typically calved between 22 and 26 months of age.
The Colthursts’ passion for their cattle was clear throughout the day. Lady Caroline, who takes the lead in selecting breeding bulls, has a sharp eye for genetics and judging by the quality of their bulls, she certainly knows her craft. Breeding bulls are sourced either through Society sales or identified using the ICBF Stock Bull Finder. Purchasing decisions are made based on a bull’s looks and their indexes. Some of the top Limousin bloodlines are found in the herd including Ampertaine Foreman, Wilodge Vantastic, Sympa, Plumtree Fantastic, Kaprico Eravelle, Ronick Hawk, Castleview Gringo, Wilodge Cerebrus to name but a few. They joined the National Genotyping Program as, given the size of the herd, it is important to know the sires of their stock, especially their females.
Gaggin Raprico ET
Four Limousin bulls currently run with the herd. Cork Breeder PJ Hegarty was impressed with his Kaprico Eravelle son Gaggin Raprico ET, out of a Castleview Gringo ET cow – Gaggin Impress. Impress is also the dam of Gaggin Power ET, in AI with Eurogene.
The Colthurst’s purchased their youngest bull, Cavelands Ultan, bred by Paul Sykes at the March 2024 Roscrea Premier sale. Ultan is by Plumtree Fantastic out of a Bananier cow.
Crohane Topper was purchased from breeder Imelda Vaughan. Topper goes back to Loosebeare Fantastic out of a Grangeford Jojo ET cow.
Their oldest bull was bred by Garreth Behan – Clonagh Platinum by Goldies Jackpot out of a Dinmore Goldcrest cow.
This August, the Colthursts plan to offer a selection of in-calf and maiden heifers for sale at Macroom Mart. Sir Charles noted that their females are consistently in high demand, thanks to strong maternal genetics and a breeding focus on milk production, carcass conformation, and docility.
Guest speakers on the day included Kealan Hand (ICBF), PJ Hegarty (Southern Milling) and Rachel O’Donoghue (Specialist Nutrition).
Thanks to Kieran Noonan, PJ Hegarty, Brid Cronin and James Wycherley for organising the event.
