On the Isle of Islay, RSPB Scotland runs two in-hand farming operations. We own the land, stock and machinery, and employ people who manage all of the above. Aoradh Farm was purchased in 1984 to help with the conservation of Greenland barnacle and white-fronted geese which winter on Islay. The farm forms part of the 1700ha RSPB Scotland Loch Gruinart nature reserve, and as well as being an important habitat for geese it also holds important numbers of waders, corncrakes, hen harriers and chough. At the RSPB Scotland Oa nature reserve we manage 2000ha of wild landscape important for chough, golden eagles, hen harriers and twite. We farm just over 200 cattle and 100 sheep at Loch Gruinart and 100 cattle and 400 sheep at the Oa.
A hen harrier at Loch Gruinart. Credit: Andy Hay (rspb-images.com).
At both sites agricultural activity underpins the conservation interests, and the cattle and sheep we rear play an important role in creating habitats for the range of species found on the reserves. However, it is important that both sites are run as successful working farms. The sale of the calves and lambs are an important part of our income and we need to be relevant to others who are farming around us. The farms are also used as advocacy tools, helping to inform policy makers of the issues surrounding farming alongside wildlife conservation.
The struggle to make money from farming in marginal areas is constant and doing this in a wildlife friendly manner adds another dimension. More recently, huge increases in the costs involved in farming, the pressure to become carbon net zero and an evolving agricultural policy platform have created a set of circumstances which require change. On Islay, we have been reacting to this change. Precise agricultural economics have become vital, and as well as ensuring our nature conservation objectives are upheld, we have to increase our efficiency and create a more sustainable farming system. Below are a number of examples from our two Islay farms of the changes we are implementing to achieve this.
At Gruinart we grow a lot of grass, much of it for the 40,000 or so geese which arrive each autumn. In the past we have ploughed and re-seeded our green fields, but this has become financially and environmentally unsustainable. We now direct drill our crops and grass, reducing overall costs and improving soil and grass growth and persistence. We have already moved away from a slurry system to an FYM (Farm Yard Manure) system, which has improved soil structure and organic content as well as reducing pollution risks on the farm.
A flock of barnacle geese at Loch Gruinart. Credit: Jenny Tweedie (rspb-images.com).
The largest and most obvious change on Gruinart has been a move from continental type cows (Charolais and Limousin) to more native and hardier types (Highland & Shorthorn crosses). We are now rearing a cow that suits the ground rather than trying to improve the ground for the cow. Frame scoring (a numerical description of cattle skeletal size which reflects the growth pattern and potential mature size of an animal) has been an important part of this process. Although bodyweight of the cows has been reduced so has the maintenance requirement of the cow. We hope to see an improvement in reproductive efficiency and better use of grassland as well as producing good calves which are still attractive to buyers.
Highland cattle at Loch Gruinart. Credit: Andy Hay (rspb-images.com).
At the Oa we already rear hardier breeds such as highland cattle and Scottish black face sheep, which thrive on the open hill. But we are trying to improve the grazing conditions for the animals as well as refining habitat for chough, hen harriers and invertebrates. This is where a new technology steps in, and our highland cattle are now new owners of ‘no fence collars’. This new method of virtual fencing (the GPS collars alert cows when they reach a boundary) allows us to target specific areas and is an easy way to monitor cattle movements.
The Oa nature reserve is all about the dung! Chough are the rarest member of the crow family and probe for their food (invertebrates) in soil and dung. Cattle and sheep are host to a number of parasites and the presence of these can affect the health and productivity of the animal. Regular treatments for worms and fluke are commonplace across farm in the UK but these treatments and their timings can also affect other invertebrates. On the Oa, regular testing for worms and other parasites take place and we monitor the weights of our stock, ensuring we are providing the correct doses at the correct time while at the same time trying not to compromise the invertebrate populations necessary for chough survival. This animal health programme not only reduces cost and drug resistance of parasites but also improves conditions for invertebrates essential for ecosystem health.
The Oa nature reserve. Credit: Andy Hay (rspb-images.com).
Only time will tell if we have improved efficiency whilst maintaining our conservation objectives. Each year we monitor wildlife populations across the reserves including breeding birds, invertebrate populations and flowering plants. Our farm records, among many other parameters, can show us calving rates, sileage yields and the profit margin. All this needs to be taken into account when assessing sustainability and it is important it is represented as a journey and not as an end result. Change is constant.
Further reading:
Visit Loch Gruinart
Visit The Oa
How the RSPB work with farmers
Header image credit: Andy Hay.