Farmer Profile: William Patton

Aberdeen-Angus beef is a niche market product which is widely recognised for its tenderness, flavour, succulence and overall eating quality.

William and Janne Patton

Northern Ireland beef farmer, William Patton, has been producing Aberdeen-Angus beef from his suckler herd at Ballymoney for many years. But he only realised the potential of his home-produced beef when he butchered an animal for the family freezer.

He explains: “Our freezer wouldn’t hold all of the meat so we gave some to family members, friends and neighbours. Everyone was so impressed with the flavour and tenderness of the beef that they all wanted more!”

The enthusiasm and demand from family and friends for more Aberdeen-Angus beef prompted Mr Patton, and wife, Janne, to diversify into selling their home-produced beef on the farm. Last June, they opened a farm shop selling premium Aberdeen-Angus beef and other locally sourced produce, including fruit and vegetables, free-range eggs, and organic farmhouse ice-cream.

“The demand for our Aberdeen-Angus beef has been overwhelming and we are now slaughtering around three or four cattle each month just to fulfill this demand,” he says.

The beef is all naturally produced on the farm and is Farm Quality Assured and fully traceable from birth-to-plate.

“Our beef is a quality product which is pre-packed for customer convenience,” he says. “The business has gone from strength-to-strength since we opened the shop and we are now looking at ways of making the Aberdeen-Angus beef more readily available to customers outside the Ballymoney area.”

The suckler herd comprises more than 100 Aberdeen-Angus and Beef Shorthorn cross cows divided into spring and autumn calving herds and mated with Aberdeen-Angus bulls. The farm currently has four pedigree Aberdeen-Angus bulls and one home-bred Beef Shorthorn bull.

Two of the Aberdeen-Angus bulls were purchased from local breeder, James Porter, who runs the Old Glenort herd based at Ballinderry, while the other two were bought at the Perth bull sales.

“I like the Aberdeen-Angus because of the breed offers advantages of ease of calving and longevity. I don’t need to see my cows calving!” says Mr Patton. “The cows are good mothers with plenty of milk, trouble free and easy to get back in calf. Aberdeen-Angus is ideal for an enterprise with only one labour unit as the routine husbandry practices are reduced and the cattle are docile and easy to handle.

 Calves are weaned at around six to eight-month-old and introduced to creep feed prior to weaning. The male and female calves are separated into batches of 25 and receive a ration of barley and maize gluten.

“I don’t feed a tremendous amount of meal as I find that the Aberdeen-Angus is easy to finish off grass,” Mr Patton says. “I like to try and finish my cattle naturally as I think this enhances the flavour of the beef.”

Mr Patton is a member of Aberdeen-Angus Quality Beef Ltd and a regular supplier to Foyle Meats. Steers are finished at an average age of 21 – 24 months, weighing around 320 – 350 kgs while heifers are slightly younger at 20 – 22 months, weighing around  270 kgs.

“Membership of the Aberdeen-Angus scheme is very worthwhile as it pays a bonus, depending on grade, over and above the average market price. On average, I’m £70 to £80 per head better off.”