Most analysts agree that the majority of suckler beef producers are using their single farm payment to cover the costs of their loss-making production.

Most analysts agree that the majority of suckler beef producers are using their single farm payment to cover the costs of their loss-making production. For many, the only hope of making a profit is to cut costs, and outwintering systems are being developed with that objective in mind.

Beef producers across Scotland are invited to join in farm walks on December 4 and 13 at two commercial farms where best practice techniques for out-wintering cattle on hill or woodland areas are being evaluated.

The project, run by the Scottish Agricultural College, is co-funded by Quality Meat Scotland and supported by Rumenco.

Both of the farms, Auchenbainzie in Dumfriesshire and Glencreran Estate in Argyll, have been outwintering cattle for a number of years and have adopted systems that best suit their conditions. The farm walks will, therefore, focus on these systems and will enable farmers attending to assess how the system could be best adapted to suit their own farm.

Speakers lined up to take part include in each case the host farmer, SAC beef cattle specialists Gavin Hill and Basil Lowman, QMS technical projects manager Johnny Mackey, SAC farm business consultants, vets and officials from the State Veterinary Services and Scottish Government offices.

The presence of veterinary specialists will provide an opportunity to discuss cattle welfare and "getting the environmental conditions right".

An important element of outwintering cattle on hills in certain areas is the potential problems that could occur from ticks. As part of the project, ticks on both the hills and cows are being monitored.

SAC and vets will be discussing this issue and the strategy that has been put in place to control the problem.

The first walk will be at Auchenbainzie, Penpont, Thornhill on Tuesday, December 4 at 1pm.

The host farmer, David Kirkpatrick, runs 230 spring calving cows and 1700 breeding ewes on 857 hectares split between hill and upland grazing, ranging from 60m to 300m.

Stabiliser bulls are now being used with the aim of having cattle that can look after themselves, be outwintered on the hill for as long as possible, be easy calving and have good maternal characteristics. The farm now has a good mix of the older Aberdeen Angus cross cows with the younger stabiliser cows, allowing comparisons to be made.

There are no sheep or cattle on the hill from June until cows are put on in October. Calved heifers and older, or thin cows are kept off the hill. Grazing on the green hill area of about 200 hectares through October to December is only supplemented with minerals.

In the new year, cows are brought down and put onto 45 acres of kale and then taken inside one month prior to calving.

The future aim is to stop growing kale and graze the cattle on the hill with no additional feed to calving.

The second farm walk will be held on Thursday, December 13 at 1pm at Glencreran Estate, Fasnacloich, Appin, Argyll, courtesy of farmer John Livingstone.