“As a breed they’re gathering momentum, particularly in the North. I don’t see why more people haven’t tried them out. They’re not pets, as some may think. They are serious beef animals."
Ronan keeps a small herd of Belted Galloways at just outside Dunshaughlin in County Meath, along with a flock of 400 ewes.
He told us that their carcasses almost always grade ‘R’. Ronan recently slaughtered a group of bullocks just shy of two years old and was impressed with the performance.
“The animals got nearly no meals, save for a couple of kilos in the bad spring. They never saw sheds either. Belties can be out-wintered with no issues - they’re extremely hardy. Initially, I was afraid that the group for slaughter were too light. But they averaged 530kg of live weight at slaughter and went into carcase weights of 302kg.
At 57%, their kill-out is comparable to that of a well-bred Charolais bullock.
The breed originated in South West Scotland, bred to thrive in rough conditions on the moorlands.
Ronan wonders why more farmers don’t keep them. Especially those on marginal land.
“They’re ideal for rough conditions. They’ll thrive where others won’t even live!”