Town-raised Niall Hunt explains how he got into farming and why he stuck with the family tradition of breeding pedigree Salers on his Sligo holding

The future of suckler farming in Ireland will be shaped by the balance between environmental responsibility and economic viability, according to Sligo-based Saler breeder Niall Hunt.

“Farms that can improve efficiency, meet sustainability standards and adapt to new policies and market demands are hopefully more likely to thrive,” he says.

“Ultimately, the sector’s future will depend on innovation, adaptation and support from both government and consumers.”

And embracing technology such as heat detection collars will be key to his farm in the future, where he plans to maintain stock numbers.

Niall is the grandson of one of Ireland’s first Saler breeders, carrying on the family tradition with his 30-cow pedigree herd.

Salers, he says, are the “ultimate suckler breed” for his 40ha (99ac) farm, where he runs the prize-winning Templeboy herd with his partner Ailish.

Niall believes the French breed is “ideal for Ireland’s suckler industry” because of their calving ease, maternal traits, longevity and hardiness.

“Calving ease reduces labour and intervention, improves efficiency and lowers emissions,” he says. “Maternal traits are paramount because excellent milk production and mothering ability lead to healthier calves, boosting productivity.

“As for longevity, longer production lives reduce the need for frequent replacements in the herd, supporting sustainability.

“And finally, hardiness: they are very adaptable to Irish weather conditions and are very efficient off grass. This reduces feed costs and lowers the farm’s carbon footprint.

“These traits combine to make Salers cattle a practical choice for breeders who work off-farm and want a resilient, productive and minimal-maintenance breed that can thrive well in various environments.

“As both of us work away from the farm, our farming system must accommodate this, and that is why Salers are the only breed for us.”

Niall’s route into the industry was not traditional, as he was born and raised in Roscommon town.

In 2018, he moved to Templeboy to live and farm at his grandmother’s homeplace, which was being farmed by her brothers, Gerry and the late Dessie.

Niall sourced eight foundation females with French bloodlines from his uncle Bernard Hunt’s Sligo Salers herd in Gurteen.

“These top-quality foundation females that came to Templeboy with me in 2018 lead the path for the generations that have come after them and have all brought success in different ways,” he says.

Niall’s ideal cow type is medium-sized, particularly those from proven lines with excellent milk production and calving ease, with a weight range of 650-850kg.

He favours a hardy, adaptable cow with strong maternal instincts and a docile temperament.

“Longevity and minimal maintenance are also important to me, as I want healthy cows that can produce top-quality calves for many years,” he says.

He traditionally operated a spring-calving system due to a lack of winter accommodation for calves, but has since constructed a new slatted shed to move to autumn calving.

He breeds all cows pure, and as part of this year’s 100pc AI breeding programme, he intends to use sires including Vanlooy, Halley, Vairegeois, Django, Icare, Odon, Bronson, Manclaux and Sligo Valentino.

“When selecting sires, the first thing I look at is the bull’s genetic background to ensure it comes from lines with desirable traits,” he says.

“These include fertility, docility, good growth rates of progeny and most importantly, calving ease. The cows in the herd come from predominantly dairy lines originating in France.

“I like this way of operating because it keeps a lot of milk in breeding females and allows me to use a better selection of bulls.”

He hopes autumn calving will open a further outlet for the farm: privately selling pedigree breeding bulls at 18 months.

To date, bull calves have been sold commercially at Dowra Mart, Co Cavan, while the heifers, except some replacements (which are calved down at 30 months), are sold privately and at the Irish Salers Society’s elite sale at Gort Mart every October.

“When selling progeny, particularly females, I like to spend time preparing them for a future new or returning buyer in the weeks leading up to sale time. This would include halter training and a good routine of coming in and out to feed,” Niall says.

“This handling makes them very settled and makes the transition to a new farm quite easy and stress-free.”

According to Niall, there are two major factors in running a successful suckler operation for a part-time farmer: good genetics and compact calving.

Good genetics, he says, revolves around selecting bulls and cows with strong fertility, calving ease and maternal traits to ensure healthy, fast-growing calves and a compact calving pattern.

He firmly believes in aiming for a tight calving period to reduce labour, improve herd management and maximise output per cow.

“I aim for one calf per cow and the calving interval currently is an average of 369 days,” he says. “I know that changing to autumn calving will impact performance next year, but I hope to get back on track very soon after transitioning.

“Time management is particularly important when running the farm part-time. Going into the week with a clear plan of jobs to prioritise is vital for me. I am also lucky to have Ailish to help on the farm in the evenings when required.”

Grassland management is also an important policy on Niall’s farm. The summer grazing block is split into paddocks, which aids in maximising forage production and maintaining the health of the soil and the ecosystem, he says.

By effectively managing the grazing block, Niall can provide the stock with quality grazing throughout the season, reduce feed costs and prevent overgrazing, and believes it is a key part of sustaining the herd’s productivity and the land’s long-term health.

The farm, he hopes, will also become involved in social farming as it “combines farming activities with social care and community development.
“It allows farmers to offer their farm as a resource for people who may benefit from spending time in a rural, working farm environment. I have seen the benefits social farming has to offer, and it is something I feel would be a good fit for Templeboy Salers.”

Niall has been on the Irish Saler Salers Society council since 2014 and has been vice-chair since 2022. He made his debut appearance on the circuit in 2018, just months after establishing his own herd.

He claimed the supreme overall Salers champion title at Tullamore Show in 2018, with one of his foundation females, Sligo Philana. A year later Philana’s heifer calf, the home-bred Templeboy Talia, returned to the same show and won the All-Ireland calf championship.

In 2020, Niall received a Pedigree Cattle All-Star Award 2020 from the Irish Pedigree Breeders Council, having been nominated by the society council.

In 2022, he returned to Tullamore Show, this time with Opale, one of his French imports, and a home-bred heifer, Templeboy Violeta.

Opale won the overall champion Salers silverware and was crowned the all-Ireland Salers cow of the year, while Templeboy Violeta was tapped out as reserve champion Salers.

Niall says his late grandfather Brian Hunt was a great influence on him.

“He was an encyclopaedia when it came to Salers pedigrees and breeding,” he says. “The success of the herd to date can be attributed to his careful selection of stock from proven French bloodlines over the years.

“I am very fortunate that my uncle Bernard also has this love for Salers breeding and is always a phone call away for advice when needed.”

Niall has imported two females from France and tries to visit French shows and sales twice a year.

“I think it is important to keep my finger on the pulse of how breeding bulls are performing over there,” he says.

“The last six years of establishing and developing Templeboy Salers has been a very enjoyable and wholesome experience. I look forward to seeing the breed gain the popularity it deserves.”

Reporting on:independent.ie