News

Farmers Guardian Article 9 Feb 2024

We had a feature in the 2024 Aberdeen Angus Review which was also published in the Farmers Guardian:

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South East Aberdeen Angus Club Herd Competition 2023

Our herd won the best medium herd trophy in this biennial competition. Judged by well known stockman Bert Taylor who came down from Scotland, it is always nice to receive comments and advice from a fresh perspective.

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A great visit from the Munster Club in Ireland, on their tour of Southern England in July 2023

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Highlights of Spring 2023

Dovea Genetics of Co Tipperary Ireland have just purchased a bull from us
- Hawkley Red Zamari 132, following their success with Hawkley Red Zepellin who they bought in 2014.

Young bulls continue to go to new homes throughout the country.
Among them a consignment of 5 bulls have gone to a buyer farming extensively on Salisbury Plain around the military ranges.

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The export market has been quiet since Brexit

But we continue to sell stock into Ireland, and a small group of heifers went to Co Limerick in December 2022.

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In August 2022 we hosted a visit from Scotland

The Highland Area Aberdeen Angus Breeders Club, who enjoyed seeing our cattle in hot 'Mediterranean' conditions.

Hawkley Red Firefly 828 A group of our herd

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Two consignments sold to Ireland during 2021

The first in June comprised a bull - Hawkley Red Zenda 044 and two heifers - Hawkley Red Firefly 008 and Hawkley Red Jiba 037. The second in November was 8 heifers representing our 3 main female lines - Pride, Jiba and Zinfandel. - some destined for the Azores.

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Hawkley Red Saturn W020 - semen collected at UK Sire Services

Saturn semen is now available for UK and Export.
An outcross line - sire - Mosshall Red Dancer. dam - Hawkley Red Stony 578.

Saturn is a quiet, balanced bull in his phenotype and figures.
His mother Hawkley Red Stony 578 is ET daughter of OHRR Red Dakota Copper - a US World Beef Expo champion Red Angus. She calves regularly and is one of the oldest cows in the herd.

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Summary of 2021 Sales

Spring 2019 bull sold early 2021.
- Hawkley Red Zenda 993 to an organic suckler herd in Hampshire.

Many of the spring 2020 bulls went to returning buyers.
Some of these herds are on conservation grazing - requiring easy fleshing, no nonsense bulls!

- Hawkley Red Zazu 016 and Hawkley Red Jupiter 034 to a predominantly Simmental x herd near Derby.
- Hawkley Red Zikomo 024 to a South Devon breeder in Somerset
- Hawkley Red Just So to a pedigree Angus breeder in Kent
- Hawkley Red Seneca 030 to a South Devon breeder in Leicestershire
- Hawkley Red Prowler 010 to a South Devon breeder in HAmpshire
- Hawkley Red Jaguar 015 to an organic suckler herd in Buckingham shire
- Hawkley Red Zeus 006 to a Sussex herd in Sussex
- Hawkley Red Falcon to a commercial suckler herd in Dorset
- Hawkley Red Ranger 033 to a pedigree Angus breeder in Dorset
- Hawkley Red Zed 014 to a Sussex herd in Sussex.

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South East Aberdeen Angus Herd Competition

For our first time entering this competition we were excited to take several prizes.

Hawkley Red Rachille - first prize heifer

In particular the judge - Wille McLaren of the Netherton Herd commended our senior stock bull - Hawkley Red Tiger and said that ours was an outstanding herd throughout.

Hawkley Red Tiger - commended senior stock bull

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Summary of 2020 Sales

During 2020 our bulls found diverse new homes throughout England, sold directly off the farm.

There were three 2018 born bulls sold in early 2020:
- Hawkley Red Thump 939 to a Simmental herd in Kent
- Hawkley Red Echo 943 to an extensive ranch type operation in the Czech Republic.
- Hawkley Red Paxton 954 to Cogent Breeding Ltd for AI

The spring 2019 born bulls were sold as follows:
- Hawkley Red Saturn to a Wagyu and Sussex herd in W. Sussex.
- Hawkley Red Shogun 960 to a Red Poll herd in Wiltshire
- Hawkley Red Plato 966 to an estate with Angus cross composites in Buckinghamshire.
- Hawkley Red Zikomo 972 to a pedigree Angus herd in Gloucestershire
- Hawkley Red Zazu 975 to a South Devon herd in Leicestershire
- Hawkley Red Flare 983 to a South Devon herd on Dartmoor
- Hawkley Red Zimba 991 to a Simmental cross herd in Warwickshire
- Hawkley Red Ferdinand 994 to Cogent Breeding for AI
- Hawkley Red Zorro 997 to an Angus cross herd in Wiltshire.

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Nov 2020 - Two new bulls sold to the Cogent stud for AI

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May 2019

We purchased two yearling bulls from Mosshall in Scotland, with a view to bringing new genetics into the herd, and we are looking forward to their first calves in 2020. One is Mosshall Red Dancer U902. This bull is by their stock bull Bakkens Reed Ion Jasper, and out of a black Aberdeen Angus cow - Airedale Darcy R411 by Weeton Lord Horatio M357. He is a well balanced bull with excellent figures. The other is Mosshall Red Harvey U869 who we bought for his maternal line - his mother Mosshall Red Hypatia 913C is a consistent quality breeder.

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Summary of 2019 - Trends and Sales

We are seeing many of our bulls going to herds that sell their own beef. So selection for beef eating quality, which means above breed average Intra Muscular Fat (IMF) or marbling is important when we select herd sires and scan our cattle. We continue to calve in the spring, from mid February to end April.

At the beginning of 2019 there were 3 older bulls still available - born in spring 2017. These were sold:
Hawkley Red Paxton T901 went to a South Devon herd in Wiltshire
Hawkley Red Forerunner T911 and Red Thump T871 went to a Leicestershire South Devon herd.

The yearling bulls found new homes as follows:
Hawkley Red Jarvis U925 to an extensive Angus and Galloway herd at Princes Risborough, Buckinghamshire
Hawkley Red Poldark U930 to a Red Poll herd at East Knoyle, Wiltshire
Hawkley Red Saturn U929 to a predominantly Simmental cross suckler herd at Derby
Hawkley Red Zadock U921 to a new Sussex herd near Guildford , Surrey
Hawkley Red Jingo U920 to a Red Devon herd at Cheddar, Somerset
Hawkley Red Zennar U950 exported to Bulgaria for pure breeding
Hawkley Red Piegan U926 to a South Devon herd in Cornwall

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March 2019 - Thank you to our customers

We are glad to have so many repeat customers now. Many of our bulls are being used from 15 months of age and it is gratifying to receive so many calls from customers who reported successful pregnancy scanning their groups of heifers and cows - sometimes 20 or more, all safely in calf. We do not encourage putting young bulls with groups larger than their age in months - eg a 15 month bull can run with up to 15 cows in one go. If they are used over several periods through the year and are well looked after, then our feedback shows that these results are certainly achievable.

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October 2017 - Our new stock bull Shadwell Red Boaz has arrived

First prize winner at all his show outings for the Shadwell Estate, including the 2017 National Show and Suffolk Show breed Champion. We have chosen him for his great length and top, and good structure. We have selected him to match with our Grenade and Radar daughters.

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January 2017 - News Articles

Articles about the Hawkley Herd have been published in the 2017 Aberdeen Angus Review (page 48).
Copies of the Review available from the Aberdeen Angus Society (www.aberdeen-angus.co.uk)

Also an article in the Australian Red Angus 2017 Annual (www.redangus.org.au)

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May 2016 - 3 Bulls Exported to Spain

Three Hawkley bulls went to El Verdugal near Toledo in Spain in May 2016. To cross on Spanish Red cows and eventually to form the foundation of a new Red Angus herd.

Red Titan 741, Romeo 735 and Poldark 739, aged 20 months settling in after 4 months without rain.

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January 2016 - Hawkley Red Zavier P722 and Hawkley Red Zorro P729

Cogent have selected two more Hawkley bulls in 2015/16 to join their bull stud , to collect semen for the home and export markets. Both bulls sired by one of our herd sires - Hawkley Red Radar.

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June 2015 - Farm Walk

We hosted the South East Angus Club summer farm walk on 27 June, and everyone enjoyed the discussions on the relative merits of red and black Angus cattle!

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May 2015 - Export to Northern Ireland

Hawkley Red Zeppelin P678 was exported to Co Armagh in Northern Ireland for Mr and Mrs A Mitchell, for their project breeding thier own suckler replacements.

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March 2015 - Export to Poland

On March 9 Slawomir Gromulski, a leading Red Angus breeder from Poland collected a consignment of 4 heifers and a bull (Hawkley Red Envoy P675) for the journey to their farm east of Warsaw.

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2015/16 - Feedback from customers

We greatly value our bull customers, and are always keen to follow the progress of the cattle we sell for breeding. Below is some of the unsolicited feedback we have recently received.

John Cross - Norfolk.
Hawkley Red Vanguard is a gentleman and a bit of a star in my opinion!
He has developed into a fantastic shaped bull with great length.

John Hancock - Dorset.
The bull you sold me (we call him Bob as Zingari is a bit of a mouthful) is doing well and appears to have done a good job....

Dick Scott - Wilts.
Hawkley Red Rambo has done very well on South Devon cows.
The weaned steers have topped Cirencester market and he is keeping the females and needs a new bull...

Richard Mann - Dartmoor .
Very pleased with Hawkley Red Troopers calves and ease of calving on his South Devon cows.
Would like an unrelated bull for his daughters...

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October 2014 - Hawkley Red Zeppelin

Hawkley Red Zeppelin was sold to Dovea Genetics, Co Tipperary. Ireland, in October 2014.

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January 2013 - Two Hawkley bulls selected by COGENT

Hawkley Red Zeus L575 and Hawkley Red Zhivago M598 have been sold to Cogent Breeding Ltd for semen collection. These are the first Red Angus bulls Cogent have bought, and semen will be used to fulfil export orders as well as supplying the home market.


Hawkley Red Zeus L575		Hawkley Red Zhivago M598

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October 2012 - Feedback from a bull customer

This year we have sold 10 Red Angus bulls. They are being used for crossing over many different breeds. One thing common to all our customers is their requirment for easy calving combined with good performance. One of our customers from last year, who bought Hawkley Red Ted K503, recently sent us the letter reproduced below:

Hello Robert, I thought you might appreciate a little feedback on the the bull I purchased now that all his calves are on the ground. Whilst not as scientific as yourselves we keep good calving stats and Teds are outstanding. He is equal best with only one Lincoln Red and one Beef Shorthorn bull out of 19 used since we came to Hampshire. He has all 23 calves live, born unaided, including 12 heifers, but the most noticeable trait is one we record but cant measure which is "get up and suck" aggressive badgering of the dam. Red Ted is outstanding in this regard and has resulted in him being borrowed by 2 smallholders and now purchased by an elderly female farmer with 13 sucklers where I keep an eye out and have future access if required!
The calves growth rate and shape are promising from the cross bred replacements, and if I finish any I will update you. What is impressive is the length and confirmation out of the few mature Lincolns he served. He has calves due soon from a neighbours Blonde cross herd replacements, and a bunch of Hereford dairy cross heifers, which will make interesting watching for me.
Hope this bit of news from outside your pedigree world will warm you before we get the coming cold snap! Regards Peter Wood, Whitesmeadow Farm.

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July 2011 - EBLEX Most Improved Herd Award Winner

Hawkley Red Angus herd wins EBLEX Most Improved Herd Award for the Aberdeen Angus breed for 2011. This award goes to the recorded herd that shows the greatest genetic gain for commercial traits over a 12 month period. This is the first time a Red Angus herd has won the EBLEX award.

More information on the award from www.eblex.org.uk or from Sam Boon at samuel.boon@eblex.ahdb.org.uk.

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