Just shy of 200 entries will go under the hammer at Dingwall Mart next week for the Luing Cattle Society’s annual spring sale.
Breeders from all over the country will flock to the Highland centre on Wednesday May 17 to source pedigree Luings, Sim-Luing and cross-bred females.
In total, the sale has attracted 194 entries to include 126 pedigree Luing heifers, 13 pedigree Luing yearling heifers and four pedigree in-calf heifers.
Twelve pedigree bulls, nine Sim-Luings and 30 unregistered Luings and cross-bred yearlings have also been entered into the catalogue.
Strong entries destined for Dingwall
The Renwick family from Inverbroom, Ullapool, are no strangers to the breed and have been selling at the Dingwall sale for 10 years after buying their first Luing females in 2006.
Scott and wife Marie, together with son Farquhar, run 32 pedigree Luing cows, alongside 25 heifers and 1,150 North Country Cheviot hill ewes which have produced tups to £7,000.
After selling off the continental cross herd, the family sourced pedigree Luings to utilise the large area of hill ground, with the first bought from Welbeck and the island of Luing.
A further three cows with calves were purchased at the Westwater dispersal – a line which has produced a number of good females and bulls sold through the sale ring.
The first two stock bulls were Luing Factor and Luing Lewis, which 90% of the cows in the herd go back to.
“I have always been so impressed with the Luing breed,” said Scott.
“They are able to thrive on harsh and wet conditions, and on poorer quality grass while always producing a quality calf.
“I’m always so impressed with how quickly they get back in calf again as our herd generally averages 365 days. We even had a heifer which calved down twins and the following year she had her second calf 365 days later.”
‘I have always been so impressed with the Luing breed’ says Scott Renwick
This year, the family has forward for sale five two-year-old heifers and two stock bulls named Lochbroom Affric and Lochbroom Avenger.
The stock are by the herd’s Nunnerie and Monzie bulls which have been breeding well.
Cows calve outside from the first week in March and the Renwicks aim to have them calving within nine weeks on nearby hill ground.
All heifer calves are kept for breeding, with three or four retained in the herd for replacing and the rest sold through the sale ring for bulling.
“The Luing cows generally last long. We’ve still had some produce a calf at 16-years-old and our oldest to date was 20,” added Scott.
In the past, Lochbroom Luing females have sold to a top of 3,400gns for the champion pair at Dingwall, which is believed to be a record for the sale.
Bulls have also peaked at 5,500gns twice, with the first ever bull sold by the family at Castle Douglas selling for 3,500gns.
“We generally sell to returned buyers which is the best bit of all,” said Scott.
“A lot of the females go to the Western Isles or West Coast. Luings do really well on the better ground and they can calve easily at two-years-old.
Lochbroom Luings topped the Dingwall sale at 3,400gns for the champion
“They have the ability to be crossed to many breeds including the Simmental to produce Sim-Luings or the Limousin and Charolais to produce a good animal for the store ring.”
Male calves which don’t make the mark for breeding are sold through the store ring at Dingwall straight off their mothers in November or January, around the 350kg mark.
The Lochbroom herd is Hi-health and has maintained a Johnes Level 1 status since it was founded.
Next week’s breed sale at Dingwall commences at 11am, alongside the firm’s annual breeding sale which includes dispersal and part dispersal sales from Lyne of Urchany, Iverlael, Achnabat and Ardross.
